Thiruppavai

Thiruppavai in Tamil & English with recitation and meaning

* Thiruppavai (Tamil:திருப்பாவை) is a collection of thirty verses(paasuram) in Tamil written by Andaal, in praise of the Lord Vishnu.

* Scrolling Text ( Tamil & English ) with meaning for all verses. Manual and autoplay available.

* A very natural recital by Prof. Narasimhan Vasudevan without any background score to give an authentic experience.

By keeping it simple and easy to use, beautifully complimented by a clear and crisp recital by Prof. Narasimhan Vasudevan, we hope the app invokes some best childhood memories. We wanted the voice-over to resonate with what you might have been used to listen, at your home, a temple, an utsavam, a simple group of bhajans.

More on Thiruppavai:

Thiruppavai is part of Naalayira Divya Prabandham, a work of 12 Alvaars, and a very important piece of work in Tamil literature.

The first five verses provide an introduction to the main theme, its principle and purpose. According to Andal one should give up luxuries during this season. Sincere prayers to the God would bring abundant rain and thus prosperity. Offering Lord Krishna fresh flowers would expiate sins committed earlier and those that may be committed in future.

In the next ten verses she describes the importance of community participation. She invites her friends to gather flowers. She essays the ambience at her village, the chirping of birds, colorful blossoms, the musical sound of butter-churning, herds of cattle with tinkling bells, the sounding of the conch from the temple.She visits each household and awakens all her friends to join her for a bath in a nearby pond. She also praises the incarnations of the Lord.

The next five verses describe her visit to the temple accompanied by her friends. She desires to render Suprabhata gently to wake up the Lord. The group appeases the temple guards, enters the temple and recites prayers extolling the parents of Lord Krishna and begging them to wake up Krishna and Balarama. Then they approach Neela Devi, the consort of the Lord, to have a darshan.

The last nine verses are on the glories of the Lord. On receiving his blessings Andal lists her demands; milk for the vrata, white conch, lamps, flowers, and rich costume and jewellery, plenty of ghee and butter.

The concluding verse is an envoie identifying her as the daughter of Vishnucittar who made this garland of 30 pasurams and says those who recite with devotion will have Lord’s blessings.