Maragathavalli

Andavan Picchai, aka Maragathavalli

During my tender age, full of innocence, Lord Muruga of Tiruttani took me completely under His charge. He graced me with the ability to sing. He asked me every day to offer a flower [song] as in the olden days [when] Andal gave ‘Tiruppavai’^[1] to Lord Ranganatha when she was young. And songs began to come out of me. The purport of what I sang on that first occasion was:

‘He stood before me and asked me to adorn His twelve shoulders with garlands of songs. O dear friend, hear how, during my tender age, Muruga called me aside and told me ‘Although you may appear as a crazy one to the world, be united with Me with undiminished and unadulterated devotion while you are busy with your daily works. Your heart will always overflow with deep devotion unto me.’

I was not even ten years old then and could not even speak clearly, but once He took me into his fold with abundant love, He saw to it that songs^[2] came out every day to be offered to Him. On some occasions the garland would be colourful and long. He entered into my heart long before this body was given in marriage. The heart was ever with my Lord, secretly enjoying His blissful presence, while the body was mechanically serving my husband and family. Once the Lord had entered the secret chamber of my heart, there was no room there for anything else – such as father, mother, husband, family, relations, name and fame, joy and sorrow, love and hatred, anger and greed and jealousy. This experience of mine found expression in a song:

‘I dived deep into the ocean of the Lord’s love and took out the pearl called Muruga.’

see also Saranāgatī:  Sep,   Oct,   Nov 2024