Page:Tamil studies.djvu/351

324 பெற்றெடுத்த பெண்பிள்ளை, while others think that she was a foundling, but brought up by the saint Vishnu Chittan. Her contributions to the Nalayiraprabandam consist of 173 stanzas ; of these the Tiruppavai has been considered to be her finest poem. She was no doubt an ardent worshipper of Vishnu and all her poems are an exposition of Sri Krishna's stories. It appears that she remained a virgin throughout her short life and spent her days in ministering to the deities at Srirangam and Tirumalirumsolai.

In her Varanamayirain she describes the dreams of her marriage with Vishuu, and this song is now being recited at all Vaishnava Brahman marriages. It must be remembered that her poems, which may have been largely influenced by the work of a contemporary—the Tirukkovaiyar of Manikka Vachakar—have an esoteric significance. The marriage described by her was the union of the atman with Paramatinan or God and final absorption in the God-head. The devotion and attachinent of the inodern Vaishnavas to Andal is so great that the worship of the local deity adored by her at Srivilliputtur has been eclipsed. All the important festivals at this place are celebrated chiefly in honour of this lady Saint.

Conspicuous among the Vaishnava Saints was Nammalvar or Satagopan. He has been regarded as an incarnation of Senai Mudaliyar, the mythological commander and foremost devotee of Vishnu. His