Efficacy of Adi Puram
It highlights the importance of surrendering to Bhagavan, singing His divine names, and being subservient to the devotees of the Lord. Just as Krishna's discourse is called Gitopanishad, Andal's Tiruppavai is revered as Godopanishad (the Upanishad of Goda). The great preceptor Ramanuja always used to chant Tiruppavai and hence came to be renowned as Tiruppavai Jeeyar. The verses of Tiruppavai played a vital role in helping Ramanuja explain the tenets of Visishtadvaitam to disciples.
Growing up, Andal expressed her devotion to Lord Vatapatrasayi by adoring herself with the garland meant for the deity, before it was offered to Him. When Periyazhwar found out, he admonished Andal and did not offer any garland to the deity on that day. However, that very night, Perumal appeared in Periyazhwar's dream and demanded to know why He was not offered the garland. When Periazhwar explained that it was desecrated because his daughter wore it, Vadapatrasayi said, 'It is consecration, not desecration,' and sought the Andal-worn garland as a daily offering.
When Perumal manifested as Varaha and retrieved Bhu Devi, She asked Him, 'You have saved me. What about countless humans who need to be ferried across the ocean of births?' He informed Bhu Devi that She would appear on Earth as Goda and teach devotees the importance of praying to God with flowers and verses at a very young age, and surrendering to Him. He also affirmed that whoever served Him in such a manner would receive His protection, even if the devotee were to forget to do so in later years due to approaching old age.
When Andal reached a marriageable age, and insisted upon marrying Rangamannar, the archa murti at Srirangam asked Periazhwar to bring her to His sanctum, wherein She attained eternal service at His lotus feet.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Hindu
2 hours ago
- The Hindu
Periyar University replaces long-serving heads of seven departments
The Periyar University Administration has replaced the heads of seven departments, who had served for a long time. This is the first time in the last two decades that seven HoDs were changed at a time. The varsity has 19 departments and as per the Periyar University Act, a HoD should be a professor and the post should be given to the professors in a department every three years on rotation. However, in many departments, the heads had remained unchanged for more than 10 years reportedly due to the support of the University Administration. It is claimed that many professors, especially those belonging to Scheduled Caste and Most Backward Classes, were not given the opportunity to become HoDs. Last month, the head of Tamil department, T. Periasamy was changed after 12 years. Following this, the Vice-Chancellor in-charge committee identified the professors who are serving as HoDs for long-term and issued orders recently. The faculty said that this was the first time in two decades that nearly half of the HoDs were changed. In the order issued to the new HoDs, the university mentioned that their tenure would be three years or until they attained the age of 60.
Hindustan Times
5 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
Singapore President honours Indian workers for rescue efforts
President Tharman Shanmugaratnam on Sunday met with migrant workers, including Indians, involved in two separate rescue operations in Singapore, as a mark of appreciation, local media reported. Shanmugaratnam and First Lady Jane Ittogi Shanmugaratnam welcomed the workers at the National Day open house at Istana,(AFP) Shanmugaratnam and First Lady Jane Ittogi Shanmugaratnam welcomed the workers at the National Day open house at Istana, the presidential palace, to celebrate SG60, sixty years of Singapore's independence, The Straits Times reported. In one incident, a 46-year-old Indian foreman and seven workers in his team rescued a woman from her car after it fell into a sinkhole in Tanjong Katong Road South on July 26. In another incident, 11 workers helped during a fire at a shophouse in River Valley in April this year. The workers were quick to set up a scaffolding to bring down children from the burning third floor of the shophouse where coaching classes were held. 'You saved her life, thank you,' The Straits Times quoted President Tharman as saying during chats with the workers who had saved a lady driver. The President and First Lady also thanked 11 others who helped out during a fire incident. Each of the workers received a memento After the interaction, each of the workers received a memento of their visit to the Istana. Speaking to the media at the Istana, construction site foreman Pitchai Udaiyappan Subbiah said that the successful rescue of a life was the most rewarding thing from the incident. 'Because of us, a family is safe and happy (which) makes us very glad,' Subbiah, 46, said in Tamil. 'The recognition we have received is more than enough.' The other workers involved in the sinkhole driver rescue are: Excavator operator Sathapillai Rajendran, 56; and co-workers Anbazhagan Velmurugan, 26; Poomalai Saravanan, 28; Ganesan Veerasekar, 32; Bose Ajithkumar, 26; and Arumugam Chandirasekaran, 47. The workers have also been commended by the Ministry of Manpower's (MOM) Assurance, Care and Engagement (ACE) Group, a division that aims to support migrant workers' well-being. Also Read: Who are the 7 Indian workers Singapore President invited after sinkhole rescue? ACE Coin, given to each of the workers The ACE Coin, given to each of the workers, is a "token of appreciation" presented to migrant worker volunteers and partners who have made meaningful contributions towards supporting and caring for the migrant worker community, said MOM. Following the sinkhole incident, a non-profit organisation supporting migrant workers, 'ItsRainingRaincoats' has received more than SGD72,000 in public donations as a show of appreciation by Singaporeans. The organisation said it will hold a small gathering on August 10 to honour the workers and to announce the disbursement of the funds raised to their bank accounts.
Time of India
21 hours ago
- Time of India
From Sangam-Era Love Practices to 2025's Digital Dating Culture
'Kalivu tharum punarchi', where love first came with a show of valour From flocking (where singles seek out destinations where they can meet new people) and 'micro-mances' (switching out the grand gesture for small acts of affection) to 'soft launching' relationships (sharing glimpses of love lives without committing to a full public reveal), the list of viral dating trends in 2025 is growing, but what was courtship like in Tamil Nadu in times past? For starters, there was the first date, or 'idam thalaipadu' as explored in Ettuthogai and Pattupattu anthologies, says historian R Raman, principal of Presidency College, Chennai. 'The woman would scribble the time and location to meet and slip it to her lover.' You Can Also Check: Chennai AQI | Weather in Chennai | Bank Holidays in Chennai | Public Holidays in Chennai These secret meetings were referred to as 'malai arivu' — daytime dates in public-yet-secluded spots such as waterfalls, marketplaces, tree groves or gardens. The late evening dates were different too, say the ancient texts, where the suitor would signal his arrival by throwing pebbles, dropping fruits from a tree, or whistling softly beneath her window. 'These secret night meetings were romantic and rebellious. They had to outwit both family and community to be together,' says Raman. Long before dating apps and arranged marriages, says Bernard D'Sami, former professor of history at Loyola College, ancient Tamil society was alive with poems of longing, courtship, and bold declarations of love. 'It was not seen negatively by society. Parents were aware that their kids were getting into relationships and eventually married their lovers. Love marriages were the norm.' Supanki Kalanadan, a Canada-based lawyer and researcher specialising in Tamil cultural practices, says that though Tamil society was encouraging of love and relationships; it was still patriarchal and so the woman's friend would have to set secret meetings for the couple to meet, pass on messages to each other, and in the rare cases that the parents didn't approve of their union, help the woman convince the parents. 'Sangam literature also talks of 'kalivu tharum punarchi', where love first came with a show of valour. The man might rescue the woman from wild animals (such as saving her from an elephant) or bandits while she was out gathering firewood or returning from a festival,' she says. 'Women liked men who exhibited their valour and heroism; that's what interested them. This is where the ritual taming of the bull comes from. It was dangerous and exposed them to death and danger. But men did it anyway,' says Bernard. In the past, men were expected to initiate romantic relationships, and women were expected to be passive recipients, says Pratham Parekh, assistant professor in sociology at Nirma University in Gujarat, who published a paper on 'Online Dating and Social Change in India' in 2024. 'Dating apps have given both greater agency and control in their lives, which is a positive development,' says Pratham. 'The flipside though is that online dating continues to feed gender and social stereotypes. Men still look for submissive women, women prefer able-bodied men, and most of the people on the platform are heterosexual. What's more, many people choose their partner based on caste and religion on these dating apps.' WAYS WE DATED BEFORE 'THE SWIPE': 1. Sangam literature has references to 'poo tharum punarchi' or love at first sight. 'To woo the woman, the man would give her 'kai urai', which means gifts and it was often senganthal poo (Gloriosa superba). If the woman accepted his proposal, she would take the flower and keep it on her head,' says Raman, professor of history. 2. While the thozhans or wingmen talked up the suitor's strength and devotion, the woman's best friends, the thozhis, had her back. If she wasn't feeling the vibe, the thozhi would quietly take the flower from the wooer, signalling a polite no. 3. Sangam-era meet-cutes were all about chance encounters at rivers, waterfalls or bathing ghats (it even had a term: 'punal tharum punarchi'). According to a 2022 research paper by D Latha in the International Research Journal of Tamil, these moments often led to kalavu (secret love unions), marked by gift-giving, emotional intimacy and symbolic gestures such as offering flowers (kai urai), which preceded formal marriage (karpu). 4. Marriage was society's fix to deal with lies and betrayals, says the Tholkappiyam, a way to turn secret love (kalavu) into an honourable union (karpu), says researcher Supanki. But there were no big fat weddings, just a simple exchange of vows (ooral), a sign of mutual respect Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Friendship Day wishes , messages and quotes !
