Andal (7th – 8th c. CE), also known as Kothai, was born in what is now Tamil Nadu, and is the only female member of the Alvar, the group of twelve poet-saints devoted to the worship of Vishnu as absolute reality. Posthumously Andal has been considered as an avatar of the goddess Lakshmi, one of the consorts of Lord Vishnu. The poem below refers to the mythological event of the churning of the great ocean, also mentioning the image of Vishnu reclining on a great serpent, symbolising peace overcoming the poison of fear and darkness.

O great deep ocean,
the lord entered into you,
mixed and churned you,
deprived you of your nectar.
That lord of illusion
entered into me too,
churned me,
deprived me of my essence.
Go to the serpent who is the lord’s couch,
tell him of my endless sorrow
that he may plead for me.

Translation Vidya Dehejia