Nachiar Tirumozhi is a set of 143 verses. In her restlessness and eagerness to join with Kannan, Sri Andal attempts various methods by which she can attain union with Kannan which forms the major part of Nachiyar Thirumozhi. Among the Thirumozhis, Vaaranamaiyiram is very well known and has a special significance. It details Andal's Narration of her dream of her experiences with her thozhis(friends) on her way to achieve her purpose of birth (getting married to kannapiran).
Contents
These 143 verses are a part of the 4000 hymns of Nalayira Divya Prabandham
Meaning of Tirumozhi
"Thirumozhi" literally means "Sacred Sayings" in a Tamil poetic style and "Nachiar" means Goddess. Therefore, the title means "Sacred Sayings of the Goddess." This poem fully reveals Andal's intense longing for Vishnu, the Divine Beloved. Utilizing classical Tamil poetic conventions and interspersing stories from the Vedas and Puranas, Andal creates imagery that is possibly unparalleled in the whole gamut of Indian religious literature. However, conservative Srivaishnavite institutions do not encourage the propagation of Nachiar Tirumozhi as much as they encourage Thiruppavai because Nachiar Tirumozhi belongs to an erotic genre of spirituality that is similar to Jayadeva's Gita Govinda.
Organized way of the verses
These 143 pasurams (verses) are organized in 14 segments and each one is called "Tirumozhi". Thus the first set of ten pasurams is called as first Tirumozhi. And is named after the first phrase of the first pasuram 'tai oru tingalum' (Tamil : தையொரு திங்கள்) .Similarly all the other Tirumozhis are named after the first phrase of first pasuram.And each Tirumozhi deals with one specific topic.
Thirumozhis
The 143 pASurams are organized in 14 segments, each one called a tirumozhi. Thus, the first set of 10 pASurams – the first tirumozhi, is called “tai oru ti’ngaLum”, based on the first phrase of the first pASuram. Similarly, all the other tirumozhi-s are named based on the first few words of the first pASuram of that tirumozhi.
Each tirumozhi deals with one specific topic. For example, the 8th tirumozhi called “viNNIla melAppu” deals with kOdai telling her plight to the clouds and sending them as her messenger to gOvindan, who is stationed in tirumalai. The first tirumozhi starts with a plea by Andal to kAmadevan for his help in uniting her with her nAthan, emperumAn. The remaining tirumozhi-s are dedicated to different efforts by Andal to somehow speed up her union with perumAL. In the process, she goes through lots of impatient waiting, and finally in paTTi mEindOr kArERu tirumozhi, she is reunited with perumAL.
Trivia
1. vAraNam Ayiram, is a very renowned tirumozhi. Even today, this sixth tirumozhi is being sung in all the Vedic weddings during the time called paccai pUSuthal. Traditional belief is that when this ritual is performed, the newly wedded couple's lives will forever remain sweet. kOdai herself has declared that those who chant this tirumozhi will beget children with brahma jnAnam and sattva guNam. The wedding scenes that kOdai describes are full of beauty and superb in imagination, and have a divine vedic flavor.
2. Vaaranamaiyiram has also featured in a song in the film Keladi Kanmani. There is another song by P. Susheela in the movie thirumAl perumai with lyrics starting varanam ayiram . This song does not have the lyrics of 6th Thirumozhi. The 2012 film Vettai has few lines sung during the marriage scene between Madhavan and Sameera Reddy. Kamalhaasan used its verses in his bilingual movie, HeyRam. (Which was a controversial movie directed, written, produced, sung, acted by Kamal himself). During the title credits of the film, the lyricists' names went like this: Vaali, Vairamuthu, Kamalhaasan, & Srivilliputhur Andal. Thus treating Andal as one of the film's lyricists.
Critic views
According to William Dalrymple, some of Andal's verses express love for Lord Vishnu, written with bold sensuality and startlingly savage longing, hunger and inquiry, that even today many of her most erotic poems are rarely rendered publicly. In one such verse Andal dispenses with metaphor and imagines that she herself in lying in the arms of Krishna, and making love to him:
Further, according to Meena Kandasamy, Andal whilst admiring herself wearing the garland which was meant for the deity,
In one of her poems, Andal says that her voluptuous breasts will swell for the lord alone, and scorns the idea of making love to mortal beings, comparing that with the sacrificial offering made by Brahmins being violated by jackals in the forest, and in another verse she dedicates her swelling breasts to the Lord who carries a conch.