Śrī Āṇḍāḷ Tiruppāvai
Pasuram 04
Āḻi maḻai kkaṇṇā · onṟu nī kai karavēl ||
Āḻiyuḷ pukku · mugandu koḍārttēṟi ||
Ūḻi mudalvan · uruvam pōl mey karuttu ||
Pāḷiyandoḷuḍai · parpanāban kaiyil ||
Āḻipōl minni · valamburi pōl ninṟatirandu ||
Tāḷādē śārṅgam uḍaitta · śaram aḻai pōl ||
Vāḻa ulaginil · peydiḍāy ||
Nāṅgaḷum mārgaḻi · nīrāḍa magiḻndu || ēlōr empāvāy ||
Symbolic Meaning Explanation
· = Word pause (subtle pause) | || = Full line pause
Word - Word Meaning
Āḻi : ocean; maḻai : rain; kkaṇṇā : O Kṛṣṇa, cloud-hued Lord; onṟu : even one thing; nī : you; kai : in your hand; karavēl : do not withhold; āḻiyuḷ : into the ocean; pukku : entering; mugandu : filling up; koḍārttēṟi : rising and swelling upward; ūḻi : time of dissolution; mudalvan : the primal Lord; uruvam : form; pōl : like; mey : body; karuttu : becoming dark; pāḷiyandoḷuḍai : the One who reclines on the serpent bed; parpanāban : Padmanābha, the lotus-navelled Lord; kaiyil : in the hand; āḻipōl : like lightning; minni : flashing; valamburi pōl : like the right-spiralled conch; ninṟu : standing firm; atirandu : thundering; tāḷādē : without pause; śārṅgam : the Śārṅga bow; uḍaitta : released; śaram : arrow; aḻai pōl : like a torrent or flood; vāḻa : so that life may thrive; ulaginil : in the world; peydiḍāy : pour down; nāṅgaḷum : we too; mārgaḻi : in the month of Mārgaḻi; nīrāḍa : to bathe for the vow; magiḻndu : with joy; ēlōr empāvāy : O companions, grant our sacred vow.
Meaning (Simple English Explanation)
In this pāsuram, Āṇḍāl directly addresses Lord Kṛṣṇa as the cloud-hued giver of rain and asks Him not to withhold even a single drop. She describes how He should enter the ocean, draw up its waters, become dark like the Lord at the time of cosmic dissolution, and rise as heavy rain-bearing clouds. Flashing with lightning, roaring like thunder, and pouring rain continuously like arrows released from His bow, the rain should fall without pause.
Such rain allows the world to live and prosper. Only when nature is sustained and life flourishes can the devotees joyfully observe the Mārgaḻi vow and perform their sacred bathing. Through this prayer, Āṇḍāl teaches that spiritual practice depends on divine grace and cosmic order. True devotion is not selfish; it seeks the welfare of the entire world and recognizes the Lord as the sole controller of nature and life.
Important English Language Notes
Commanding yet devotional tone : the language moves beyond polite supplication and speaks with the confidence of śaraṇāgati, where the devotee trusts the Lord completely; “Āḻi maḻai kkaṇṇā” : an intimate vocative that fuses natural imagery and divinity, presenting Kṛṣṇa simultaneously as Lord and rain-cloud; imperative verbs : phrases like “do not withhold” and “pour down” reflect assured dependence, not presumption; process-oriented imagery : entering the ocean, drawing water, darkening, rising, flashing, thundering—these verbs create a sequential, almost cinematic depiction of rainfall; cosmic comparison : reference to dissolution-time darkness elevates ordinary rain into a cosmic act governed by the Supreme; weapon metaphors : lightning, thunder, and arrows from the bow intensify force, precision, and divine control; continuity markers : expressions conveying “without pause” emphasize abundance and completeness, not intermittent grace; collective voice : the shift to “we too” frames the prayer as communal and universal, not individual; teleological closure : the language links rain to life, and life to vow, showing spiritual practice as dependent on cosmic order, not detached from it.
Śrī Vaiṣṇava Traditional Commentary
In this pāsuram, Śrī Vaiṣṇava tradition presents a clear doctrine of divine sovereignty over nature, affirming that rain, clouds, thunder, and lightning are not autonomous forces but function solely under Śrīman Nārāyaṇa’s will. The confident address to the Lord reflects śaraṇāgati, where the surrendered devotee speaks without fear, knowing that the Protector never withholds grace from those who depend on Him completely. By portraying the ocean as the causal source and rain as the manifested effect, the pāsuram illustrates cause–effect unity under divine control. The remembrance of the Lord as Padmanābha reclining on Ādiśeṣa reinforces the truth that creation, sustenance, and dissolution are all His līlā. The powerful imagery of weapons—lightning, thunder, and arrows—teaches that nature itself acts as an instrument in the Lord’s hand. Importantly, the prayer seeks rainfall not for personal gain but for the survival of the world and the preservation of dharma, revealing the Śrī Vaiṣṇava ideal that true bhakti is inseparable from lokakalyāṇa and kainkarya, where devotion flows outward for the welfare of all beings.
Essence of the Meaning in Prose Form
The essence of this pāsuram is that devotion cannot be separated from the order of the world. Life on earth continues only when nature functions in harmony, and such harmony exists solely by the will of the Lord. Rain is not merely a natural phenomenon; it is an expression of divine grace that sustains all beings. The devotee therefore turns directly to the Supreme, acknowledging Him as the controller of the ocean, clouds, and rain, and seeks His uninterrupted mercy for the welfare of the world. When the world is nourished and life flourishes, devotees are able to observe their vows with joy and discipline. Thus, the pāsuram teaches that spiritual practice is rooted in gratitude, dependence on divine grace, and concern for universal well-being, not in isolated personal effort.
Daily Self-Reflection (Optional)
Today I reflect on whether my prayers are limited only to my personal needs or whether they include the well-being of others and the world around me. I ask myself if my spiritual practices are grounded in trustful dependence on the Lord rather than in habit or self-interest. I consider how my daily actions align with gratitude, humility, and responsibility toward nature and society. Through this reflection, I resolve to cultivate a devotion that seeks harmony, serves the common good, and remains anchored in surrender to the Divine.