The Lord has woken up ! and when the almighty wakes up the world knows about it ! The girls request is finally answered and Sri Andal here in this 23rd verse becomes ecstatic describing the Lord’s waking up.  The Lord of the world is likened to the Lord of the Jungle, like a magnificent Lion who earlier sleeping  inside a cave in the mountains in the rainy season, wakes up from sleep and stirs to action as if spitting fire and shaking his fiery mane vigorously, scattering the scent symbolizing his presence all over the place, stretching his body and  coming out of the cave with a fierce loud roar. Oh Lord whose skin is the colour of a dark flower, we request and desire that you please go from your temple to the majestic throne in the shaded courtyard and enquire from us our wishes and fulfill them.

Please note that Andal has not yet spelt out her desire to the Lord. She began performing the Nonbu (worship)  describing how it is to be done,  ( pure mind, no indulgences, offerings of flowers and prayers through the lord’s songs, praise and chanting of His names through our lips and the all enveloping  thoughts of the Lord in our minds )  also informs that by doing this worship, the rains and prosperity will bestow on the land and the people who live in that land(1-5). She then gathers the ten girls waking each one of them patiently, alluding to many signs of the dawn and conveying the objective of worshipping the Lord by referring to many of his virtues and acts of valour(6-15).  She reaches the temple, similarly wakes up Nandagopan and Yashoda, enlists the support of Nappinnai (16- 21) and now has the Lord also awake(22-23). Throughout these verses the glory of the Lord, his acts of greatness  are referenced in many different forms, but there is yet no reference to a specific request to God for any favour.  Hold on – we will get to it soon.