Śrī Āṇḍāḷ Tiruppāvai
Pasuram 02
Vaiyattu·vāzhvīrgāḷ·nāmuṁ·nam·pāvaikku ||
Seyyum·kirisaigaḷ·kēḷīrō·pārkadalul ||
Paiyattu·tuyinra·paramanadi·pādi ||
Neyyuṇṇōm·pāluṇṇōm·nāḍkālē·nīrāḍi ||
Maiyittu·eḻutōm·malarittu·nām·muḍiyōm ||
Seyyātana·seyyōm·tīkkuraḷai·cenrōtōm ||
Ayyamum·piccaiyum·āntanaiyum·kaikāṭṭi ||
Uyyumāru·eṇṇi·ugandēlōr·embāvāy ||
Symbolic Meaning Explanation
· = Word pause (subtle pause) | || = Full line pause
Word - Word Meaning
Vaiyattu vāzhvīrgāḷ : O people living in this world; nāmuṁ : we also; nam : our; pāvaikku : for the Pāvai observance; seyyum : to be performed; kirisaigaḷ : acts and disciplined practices; kēḷīrō : please listen; pārkadalul : in the Milk Ocean; paiyattu : gently, calmly; tuyinra : reclining in yogic sleep; paramanadi : the supreme Lord’s sacred feet (the ultimate refuge); pādi : praising and singing; neyyuṇṇōm : we do not consume ghee; pāluṇṇōm : we do not drink milk; nāḍkālē : at daybreak; nīrāḍi : having bathed; maiyittu : applying eye cosmetics; eḻutōm : we do not apply; malarittu : adorning with flowers; nām : we; muḍiyōm : we do not decorate the hair; seyyātana : acts that ought not be done; seyyōm : we do not perform; tīkkuraḷai : harsh or false words; cenrōtōm : we do not utter; ayyamum : alms of food; piccaiyum : charity given as begging; āntanaiyum : to Brahmins and worthy guests; kaikāṭṭi : giving with one’s own hands; uyyumāru : the path that leads to liberation; eṇṇi : contemplating; ugandēlōr : rejoice and accept; embāvāy : O dear maiden (invocation to join the vow).
Meaning (Simple English Explanation)
In this pasuram, Āṇḍāḷ calls out to all people living in the world and invites them to listen carefully to the discipline of the Pāvai observance. She explains that this vow is not about outward display but about inner restraint and purity of life. The devotees rise early, bathe, sing the praise of the Supreme Lord who rests serenely in the Milk Ocean, and deliberately renounce comforts such as rich food, adornment, and idle speech. They avoid wrong actions and harsh words, practise charity and hospitality, and keep their minds fixed on the path that leads to liberation. Through these simple yet strict disciplines, the heart is prepared for divine grace, reminding us that the goal of the vow is not personal effort alone, but joyful surrender to the Lord who grants the ultimate fulfilment.
Important English Language Notes
Vaiyattu vāzhvīrgāḷ : an inclusive call addressed to ordinary people engaged in worldly life; pāvaikku : not merely a specific ritual vow, but a disciplined spiritual way of living; kirisaigaḷ : inner disciplines and regulated conduct rather than outward actions alone; pārkadalul paiyattu tuyinra paramanadi : the form of the Supreme Lord, the ultimate refuge, reclining peacefully in the Milk Ocean; neyyuṇṇōm pāluṇṇōm : a linguistic expression indicating renunciation of sensual comforts and indulgence; nāḍkālē nīrāḍi : the primacy of purity and sacred order in daily routine; seyyātana seyyōm tīkkuraḷai cenrōtōm : the ethical framework established at the level of speech and action through conscious restraint; ayyamum piccaiyum āntanaiyum kaikāṭṭi : an insistence that charity and hospitality are natural, lived virtues rather than occasional acts; uyyumāru eṇṇi : inward contemplation with liberation as the sole aim; embāvāy : a gentle, affectionate invitation to join collectively in the Pāvai observance.
Śrī Vaiṣṇava Traditional Commentary
This pasuram stands in the Śrī Vaiṣṇava tradition as a preparatory ground for the doctrine of śaraṇāgati. The disciplines prescribed by Āṇḍāḷ are not in themselves the means that grant liberation; they function only as practices that dissolve the soul’s ego and cultivate the attitude of servitude (dāsya-bhāva). Prohibitions such as “we do not consume ghee or milk” are therefore not mere ascetic regulations, but instruments that strengthen dependence on the Lord through the renunciation of enjoyment. Acts such as charity and hospitality similarly loosen self-centredness and awaken the awareness that the individual exists solely as a dependent of the Supreme (śeṣatva). As clearly affirmed by the Śrī Vaiṣṇava Ācāryas, personal effort is not the means (upāya); the Lord’s grace alone is decisive as the goal (upeya). This pasuram teaches that truth implicitly, presenting disciplined conduct as an inner preparation that readies the soul for complete surrender.
Essence of the Meaning in Prose Form
The Pāvai observance described in this pasuram is not a collection of external rules, but a disciplined way of life meant to purify the inner disposition of the soul. Āṇḍāḷ guides the devotees to begin their days in remembrance of the Lord, to consciously renounce comfort and self-indulgence, and to regulate speech, action, and conduct with care. These disciplines are not the goal in themselves; they serve only to soften ego, awaken humility, and deepen dependence on divine grace. By practising charity, hospitality, and moral restraint, the seeker gradually shifts focus away from the self and towards the Supreme. The heart thus prepared comes to recognise that liberation is not earned through effort alone, but is ultimately granted by the Lord who is the sole refuge. In this way, the pasuram presents disciplined living as an inward preparation for joyful surrender, where the soul stands ready to receive grace.
Daily Self-Reflection (Optional)
In my daily spiritual practice, am I using discipline as a means to cultivate humility and dependence on the Lord, or have my observances become routine actions without inner transformation? Do my choices of restraint, charity, and speech genuinely reduce self-centredness and draw my heart closer to joyful surrender?