The Nacciyar Tirumoli
is one of two volumes of poetry written by the poet-saint Andal (9th century).
Andal was the sole female member of the Alvars, a group of
twelve poet-saints who flourished during the seventh and tenth centuries in
southern India.
The Alvars were all worshippers of Vishnu, and their
emphasis on ardent devotion (bhakti) to a personal deity, expressed via hymns
sung in Tamil, revolutionized and reinvigorated Hindu religious life.
Andal's favored god was Ranganatha, a specific form of
Vishnu who presided over the Shrirangam temple, yet both of her poetry volumes
are dedicated to Krishna, a different form of Vishnu.
This apparent gap might indicate a distinction between
personal devotion and literary expression, or it could represent her belief
that all incarnations of Vishnu were the same.
Ranganatha was a particular form of Vishnu who presided over
a specific location, which was true for most southern Indian temples at the
period, while Krishna was a form of Vishnu for whom there was already a
significant body of literature but who was not geographically confined.
The Tirruppavai's contents are separation poems in which
Andal laments Krishna's departure using the words and imagery of a forlorn
lover, fervently waiting for Krishna's return.