Andal 03. The Flower Garland Poem by Rajaram Ramachandran

Andal, day by day, grew up
Doing her Deity worship,
Listening to Veda discourses,
More about Krishna Leelas.

A deep love she developed
For Krishna, her beloved,
While she sang and danced,
All for the sake of her Lord.

As a daily duty of her
She helped her father
In making a flower garland
To offer to the temple God.

Attracted by the colors
Of the various flowers,
And their sweet fragrance,
She started wearing garlands.

An innocent girl she was
Not knowing that it was
An act of sacrilege to wear
What was meant as an offer.

Her father didn't notice
Her childish innocence
But took daily a garland
And offered it to the Lord.

The temple priest, by chance,
Saw a hair stuck to flowers
And returned the garland
As unfit one to be offered.

How could this happen?
He couldn't guess then.
Next day, he himself hid
And saw what Andal did.

Without punishing her
He tried to convince her
Saying used garland once
Unfit for the Lord it was.