Unbreakable bond

The Vaishnava tradition hails the path of surrender as the

ultimate resort for redemption. Andal extracts the essence of this profound option that is available to each one of us,
pointed out Velukkudi Sri Krishnan in a lecture.

Towards the end of the Tiruppavai, Andal speaks in the

tone of a fervent devotee pleading, asserting and even
demanding to be accepted to be in the service of the Lord.
The paths of Karma, Jnana and Bhakti get subsumed in this
desire for eternal and exclusive service.

This is the ultimate goal of every jivatma and each one can

become the recipient of the Lord’s grace and protection,
whatever may be his past karma. Moreover, the jivatma is
inherently held within an unbreakable bond with the
Paramatma in a relationship that can never be undone, even if the Lord wishes for it. So if the jivatma seeks His help, the onus for protection lies with the Lord. He cannot reject even the greatest sinner if only he is repentant and desires to be redeemed. For all His Supremacy, the Lord is forever concerned about the jivatma’s welfare.

One cannot but marvel at His exceptional Saulabhya when

He chooses to live in Ayarpadi and mingle with the simple
folk. He comes to be known as Govinda when He holds the
Govardhana hill for seven days. The people wonder about
His identity, But He merely claims that He wishes to be
known as one among them. Andal shows the jivatma that we can all seek Him for sure if we approach Him humbly and with determination.

He has to shower His grace so that we are forever engaged

in His service. He alone can instil in us the right attitude of
love and devotion that eschews the hurdles in the form of
arrogance, ahamkara and mamakara