| Great Devotees |
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| Biographies of Great Indians & Hindus |
ANDAL |
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| A Light to
Friends Andal was never alone. She wanted her friends also to be devoted to God and love him, as she did. She wanted her girl friends to please God by their sincere devotion, meditation and worship. So she gathered a team of her friends for the Lord's services. A 'Vrata' (special worship) demands strict discipline. The worship in the month of Margashira (winter) is of greater virtue than in other months but is particularly difficult. Margashira and Pushya are winter months. People shiver with cold. Often there is thick fog. To leave the warm bed even a little early in the morning seems difficult. Margashira Vrata requires the devotee to get up early in the morning and meditate on God. Whatever be the difficulties, one who has undertaken this worship must get up early. Andal offered this worship with deep devotion. She trained her friends for this special austere worship. Shri Krishna was the beloved Lord of Andal. She wrote thirty songs of devotion to wake up her Lord and sang them. These songs became famous and are known as 'Tiruppavai' ('Tiru'means the highest; 'Pavai' means devoted worship). It is to her credit that Andal taught her friends the path of devotion to God and introduced congregational worship and prayer. |
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