The early hours of the day,
or Brahmi muhurtham, are considered very pious in Thiruppavai. The
auspicious month of Margazhi refers to a celestial period of the heavens in the
early morning.
The Thiruppavai is a collection of
Tamil poems that celebrates nature as a healer:
The poems are set in fields and
describe the sounds and sights of daybreak in a pastoral community.
The poems depict nature as a
healer, and the essence of the Vedas can be found in the Thiruppavai.
During the chilly and celebratory
months of Margazhi, devotees across Tamil Nadu chant this collection of hymns
daily across Vishnu temples. Aside from rituals and the devotional aspect, the
Thiruppavai is an ode to nature as a healer, says historian Meenakshi
Devaraj.
The Thiruppavai is a collection of
30 verses by the poet-saint Andal not only celebrates nature as a healer but also
highlights the interface between nature and culture:
The Thiruppavai is an ode to nature
as a healer, and the poet describes the beauty of nature at dawn when the
plants radiate a freshening look.
The Thiruppavai is an example of
the interface between nature and culture. For example, the poet describes
the fragrance of basil plants, which are offered to Vishnu.
The Thiruppavai depicts the
pastoral community at daybreak, with fragrant lotuses blooming, birds chirping,
and cowherds churning.
The poet invites her friends to
gather flowers and bathe in a nearby pond.
Thus Thiruppavai underscores a
homogenous world where man can live in coexistence with the natural world,
where everything is interconnected and interrelated, and where each living
being lives in perfect harmony with non-living things.
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