Thiruppaan Alvar
Thiruppaan Alvar or Thirupaanazhwar is one of the twelve azhwar saints of South India, who are known for their affiliation to Vaishnava tradition of Hinduism. The verses of azhwars are compiled as Nalayira Divya Prabandham and the 108 temples revered are classified as Divya desam. Thirupaanazhwar is considered the eleventh in the line of the twelve azhwars.
As per Hindu legend, he was born to a couple from the paanar community. Thirupaanazhwar is known for his affiliation to Ranganatha of the Srirangam Ranganathaswamy temple and is believed to have merged with the deity.
The ten verses of Thirupaanazhwar are called Amalanaathipiran, and his contributions amount to ten verses among the 4000 stanzas in the Nalayira Divya Prabandam. The works of Thirupaanazhwar contributed to the philosophical and theological ideas of Vaishnavism.
In South-Indian Vishnu temples, Thirupaanazhwar has images and festivals associated with him. The Tirupaanazhwar Avathara Utsavam is celebrated in Srirangam and for ten days in Azhagiya Manavala Perumal Temple in Woraiyur/ The verses of Thirupaanazhwar and other azhwars are recited as a part of daily prayers and during festive occasions in most Vishnu temples in South India.
Alvars
Though the word azhwar has traditionally been etymologized as from Tamil. 'Azh', 'to immerse oneself' as one who dives deep into the ocean of the countless attributes of god, a seminal research by the Indologist S. Palaniappan has established that this word is actually a corruption of the original inscriptionally attested pre-11th century 'ALvAr' 'one who rules' or 'a great person' which should be compared with the epithet 'Āṇḍãḷ' for the female canonized Vaishnava saint Kōtai. Azhwars are considered the twelve supreme devotees of Vishnu, who were instrumental in popularising Vaishnavism during the 5th to 8th centuries AD. The religious works of these saints in Tamil, songs of love and devotion, are compiled as Nalayira Divya Prabandham containing 4000 verses and the 108 temples revered in their songs are classified as Divya desam. The saints had different origins and belonged to different castes. As per tradition, the first three azhwars, Poigai, Bhutha and Pei were born miraculously. Tirumizhisai was the son of a sage, Thondaradi, Mathurakavi, Peria and Andal were from brahmin community, Kulasekhara from Kshatria community, Namm was from a cultivator family, Tirupana from the ancient musical pāṇar community and Tirumangai from kaḷvar community. Divya Suri Saritra by Garuda-Vahana Pandita, Guruparamparaprabavam by Pinbaragiya Perumal Jiyar, Periya tiru mudi adaivu by Anbillai Kandadiappan, Yatindra Pranava Prabavam by Pillai Lokacharya, commentaries on Divya Prabandam, Guru Parampara texts, temple records and inscriptions give a detailed account of the azhwars and their works. According to these texts, the saints were considered incarnations of some form of Vishnu. Poigai is considered an incarnation of Panchajanya, Bhoothath of Kaumodakee, Pey of Nandaka, Thirumalisai of Sudarshanam, Namm of Vishvaksena, Madhurakavi of Vainatheya, Kulasekhara of Kaustubha, Periy of Garuda, Andal of Bhoodevi, Thondaradippodi of Vanamaalai, Thiruppaan of Srivatsa and Thirumangai of Saranga. The songs of Prabandam are regularly sung in all the Vishnu temples of South India daily and also during festivals.According to traditional account by Manavala Mamunigal, the first three azhwars namely Poigai, Bhoothath and Pey belong to Dvapara Yuga. It is widely accepted by tradition and historians that the trio are the earliest among the twelve azhwars. Along with the three Saiva nayanmars, they influenced the ruling Pallava kings, creating a Bhakti movement that resulted in changing the religious geography from Buddhism and Jainism to these two sects of Hinduism in the region. The azhwars were also instrumental in promoting the Bhagavatha cult and the two epics of India, namely, Ramayana and Mahabaratha. The azhwars were instrumental in spreading Vaishnavism throughout the region. The verses of the various azhwars were compiled by Nathamuni, a 10th-century Vaishnavite theologian, who called it the "Tamil Veda".
Early life
Thiruppaan Alvar was born in Purthurmadhi year, Kaarthigai month, on a Wednesday in the Rohini Nakshatra in a small village of Alagapuri near Srirangam in the 8th or 9th century C.E. Paanars are a community of musicians and traditional song makers who are capable of moving their audiences to states of ecstasy and. While later traditional legends treat the Tamil Paanar community as outcastes historically they have never been outcastes or untouchables as established by Palaniappan. The community has traditionally been treated as untouchables by the Tamil hagiographical literature. In reality they have never been untouchable till today. In fact medieval inscriptions present evidence for their performing Sanskrit drama and for singing and training temple dancers in temples. As Palaniappan states therein: "What is interesting about the traditional views regarding the social status of the Pāṇars is that they were not informed by any real data on the Pāṇars actually living in Tamil Nadu during medieval times. Such real data are indeed available to us from Tamil inscriptions, which present a drastically different picture of the social status of the Pāṇars".It is believed that he is the amsam of the small mark on Vishnu's chest, called as Srivatsam on the chest of Sriman Narayanan.
Being a divine child, his instincts were heavenly and he grew as a man leaving all glamour of the world. Having a veena in his hand, he was always to be seen singing the glories of Vishnu. He was soon famous in and around these Tamil lands of Southern India. His skills as a bhakti musician and his abilities to express and invoke bhakti amongst his listeners, drew audiences from afar. He was soon to be known as "Paanar perumal". One of the strictures on outcastes was that they were not allowed to use some shores of Cauvery river, considered sacred and pure by the people of the region. Following this stricture, Paan Perumal did not come near the Kaveri river, but mostly stood alongside its banks facing the Srirangam temple and sang his praises to Ranganatha, the presiding deity of the temple. He believed that the conventions and spiritual sense specified by sastras lies in moral conduct.
Reaching Srirangam
A sage by name Loka Saranga came to the river Kaveri for drawing water for the temple. Panar was in deep devotion and was unaware of his surroundings that he missed the voice of Saranga asking him to leave way. The sage threw a small stone in his direction to wake him, but the stone accidentally hit the forehead of Paanar and he started to bleed. Paanar realised the happening and quietly retired. Unaware of the injury caused to Panaar, the sage returned to the temple. He was taken aback on seeing blood oozing out from the forehead of the image of Ranganatha. That very night, Vishnu appeared in the dream of Loka Saaranga and commanded him to fetch Paanar to the temple the next morning in his shoulders. Accordingly, Lokasaranga requested Paanar to come to the temple. But, Paanar, referring to his lowly birth, declined to enter the holy place. When he was told of Vishnu's commandment, Paanar was beside himself and was lost in a deep trance. Loka Saaranga said that if that were his objection, he could carry him on his shoulders to the temple. When they reached the sanctum, Paanar experienced the bliss of Ranganatha and composed the Amalan Adhipiraan a poem describing the beauty from the divine feet to the face of the Lord of SriRangam in ten verses, and ultimately laid his life at the feet of the deity. Thus, it also portrays how a devotee should pray at any temple starting to first look at the divine feet and be immersed in the Lord's presence.The poem is considered to be sweeter than even the sound of music of the Veena.
Works
The first pasuram sung by Alvar is on Arangan's feet. On seeing the Thiruvadi of Ranganathan he sang:
Neel madhil Arangathamman thrukkamalpadham vandhu en Kanninullana okkinrathe.
He then started to see the whole thirumeni of Emperumaan and he sang a total of ten paasurams which explain the beauty of Sri Ranganathar from his thiruvadi to thirumudi. He explains in his ten paasurams about the clean saffron cloth which is worn on the body of Ranganathar, his jewels the thiru vayiru from where Lord Brahma originated, the broad chest, the red lips and finally on explaining the beauty of the two broad eyes, he fell down. After some time, Thiruppaan Alwar was not found and he went in to the body of Thiruvaranganathan. Like Andal, whose thoughts were always on Aranganathan, and was enraptured by the love of the Perumal, Thiruppaan Alwar was also captured by this love and he became a part of the Lord along with his mortal sheath. He composed a total of ten paasurams, where he explains how a humans should lead their life. His principal purport in them is : "Perumal is the principal supreme entity and our aims and aspirations should be to attain Him through total surrender to him signified by our placing all of ourselves at his lotus feet".
One of the verses reads
Transliteration
Kondal vannanaik kovalanay venney
Unda vayan en ullam kavarndhanai
Andar kon ani arangan en amudhinaik
Kanda kangal marronarinaik kanave
Meaning
I have seen the One whose color is like dark rainclouds
He is the one with the mouth that swallowed the butter of cowherds,
He is the Lord of the devas,
He is Lord Ranganatha,
He is my nectar, my life!
My eyes have seen my Lord and will not see anything else!
Commentary and interpretations
Thiruppaanaalvar's ten verses Amalannadhipiraan and the Alvar's Bhagavad Anubhavam moved many Vaishnava Acharyas. The ten verses are compiled in the Sixth Prabhandam of the Mudalaaiyram of Divya Prabandha. Vedanta Desikan was moved by the composition of the Alvar and wrote a commentary called Munivahana Bhogam in Sanskritized Tamil - Manipravalam. He also composed four verses in Tamil in his Prabhanda Saaram to elaborate on the significance of the contribution of the saint. He went on to compose a Stotram in Sanskrit known as Sri Bhagavad Dhyana Sobhaanam. Vedanta Desikan was so moved by the ten verses of Amalanaadhipiraan that he paid multiple tributes to the saint. Desikan was so overwhelmed by the profoundity of the saint's bhagavad anubhavam that he declared the ten verse compendium to be the essence of countless Vedic texts.Culture
The devotees of Srivaishnva sect of Hinduism pay respect to the azhwars in a similar vein to their worship of Vishnu. The verses of azhwars are recited as a part of daily prayers and during festive occasions in most Vishnu temples in South India. There are shrines dedicated to the azhwars in most of the Vishnu temples in South India. In Srirangam Ranganthaswamy temple, a yearly birth festival of Tirupannazhwar is celebrated wit Viswaroopa darshan of Ranganatha at the sanctum on the occasion of his birthday. The festive idol of Tiupannazhwar is brought from his birth place in Sri Azhagiya Manavala Perumal Temple at modern day Woraiyur to Srirangam. Tiupana is accorded with grand honours called "Keezha Padi Honours". A Parivattam is tied on the Azhwar's head, adorned with garland, shawl is wrapped around his shoulders and sacred sandal paste is handed to him, all of which are believed to bring a smile on the face of the azhwar. An hour later, the image of the azhwar is taken to Nammazhwar shrine and then Thayar shrine, with the chanting of Nalayira Divya Prabandham with the verses of the azhwar's work Amalanaathipiraan. In the Azhagiya Manaval Perumal temple, a 10-day festival is celebrated that included Araiyar sevai, Veda Paaraayanam, special thirumanjanam and procession inside the temple.Mangalasasanam">Mangalasasanam by Divyadesam">Mangalasasanam
There are 13 of his paasurams in the 4000 Divya Prabhandham. He has sung in praise of three temples.| S.No. | Name of the temple | Location | Photo | Number of Pasurams | Presiding deity | Notes/Beliefs |
| 1 | Srirangam. | Srirangam, Trichy district Tamil Nadu | 10 | Ranganayagi Ranganathar | Srirangam temple is often listed as the largest functioning Hindu temple in the world, the still larger Angkor Wat being the largest existing temple. The temple occupies an area of 156 acres with a perimeter of 4,116m making it the largest temple in India and one of the largest religious complexes in the world. The annual 21-day festival conducted during the Tamil month of Margazhi attracts 1 million visitors. | |
| 2 | Paramapadam | Heavenly | 1 | Lakshmi Vishnu | Vaikuntha is the celestial abode of Vishnu who is one of the principal deities of Hinduism and the supreme being in its Vaishnavism tradition. Vaikuntha is an abode exclusive to the him, his consort the goddess Lakshmi and other liberated souls that have gained moksha. They are blessed with pure bliss and happiness in the company of the supreme being for all eternity. | |
| 3 | Tirupati | 2 | Alamelumanga Venkateswara | Venkateswara Temple is a landmark Vaishnavite temple situated in the hill town of Tirumala at Tirupati in Chittoor district of Andhra Pradesh, India. The Temple is dedicated to Lord Sri Venkateswara, an incarnation of Vishnu, who is believed to have appeared here to save mankind from trials and troubles of Kali Yuga. Hence the place has also got the name Kali Yuga Vaikuntham and Lord here is referred to as Kali Yuga Prathyaksha Daivam. The temple is also known by other names like Tirumala Temple, Tirupati Temple, Tirupati Balaji Temple. Lord Venkateswara is known by many other names: Balaji, Govinda, and Srinivasa. Tirumala Hills are part of Seshachalam Hills range. The hills are above sea level. The Temple is constructed in Dravidian architecture and is believed to be constructed over a period of time starting from 300 AD. The Garbagriha is called AnandaNilayam. It is the richest temple in the world in terms of donations received and wealth. The temple is visited by about 50,000 to 100,000 pilgrims daily, while on special occasions and festivals, like the annual Brahmotsavam, the number of pilgrims shoots up to 500,000, making it the most-visited holy place in the world. |