The Hindu’s Faith column | Andal’s wake-up call

Sri Andal, the youngest of the 12 vaishnavite Azhwars, has composed Tiruppavai in fresh, exquisite, refined and pure Tamil. Acharya Sri Manavala Mamunigal says Andal’s devotional songs surpass the works of other apostles. Tiruppavai is the seed of all the Vedas.

Velukkudi Sri Krishnan Swamy said in a discourse that Andal, the manifestation of Lord Vishnu’s divine consort Bhudevi, has transcended down from Sri Vaikunta to show the path of self-realisation and the ways and means to realise God.

In Hindu dharma, the term Mano, Vak, Kaya, which refers to mind, speech, and body, is used. Andal says we have to chant and conquer the mind to think of God and offer service to God with our physical faculties. Those who fail to understand this are in the sleep of ignorance. Andal devotes poems 6 to 15 to wake people up to achieve realisation.

There are various types of sleep. In addition to normal sleep, unwanted or irregular sleep at odd times is influenced by “Thamo Guna,” which is provoked by grief, illusion, pain, and mental darkness. Mistaking the body and soul as the same and thinking that the soul is independent are also considered the sleep of ignorance. Andal says that the soul is a subject of God and is meant to serve Him.

Brahman, the Supreme Being, is the source of all energy. A person exhausted from working all day retires to sleep during the night and wakes up fresh the next morning (like a cellphone recharged). How is this possible? It is because of God’s help that he recoups energy. This is called enthralling with God (Brahmanubhava).

The last one is to submit everything at the feet of God and have a worriless sleep. Lord tells us to relinquish all dharmas and seek Him alone for refuge (Bhagavad Gita – Chapter 18 – sloka 66 Sarva dharman parithyajya).