Thiruppavai

My interest in the Thiruppavai goes back many decades. I have had the good fortune of listening to readings and discourses by several preceptors, the most prominent being Sri P.B. Annangarachariar. There have been other upanyasakas like Sri Karappangadu Venkatachariar, Sri Velukkudi Varadachariar, Sri Balakrishna Sastrigal and Sri Mukkur Lakshmi Narasimhachariar. The mere mention of these names adds luster to this humble effort. With the passing years I was exposed to daily parayanams by my late father Sri V.N. Venkata Varadachariar. To my mind Andal was the singer and the song. She was a divine icon. It was in the later years that the idea of a translation came to me. It is encouraging to note that in spite of modem youth's impatience with the past, interest in our traditions has not flagged. It has been said that 'no Indian is more Indian than a non-resident Indian.' I have seen young Indians flocking to the temples scattered all over America. I hope that this book will be found useful by the younger generation and by those who do not know Tamil. Transliteration is but an approximate and mostly phonetic rendering of Tamil words into English. Further, Tamil syntax is different from the English arrangement. Translation of Tamil words with nuanced meanings has therefore been fulfilling, even if challenging. I wish to express my indebtedness to Sri Ramakrishna Math, Chennai for publishing this book under their aegis, giving it a boost in value. Finally, I dedicate this book to my late parents with respect, love and veneration.

**Contents and Sample Pages**