Details about birth
Sri periyazhwar was born 47 years after the onset of kali yugam
5th son of sri Mukunda Bhattar
Month - Ani
Birth star - Swathi
Tithi Sukla paksham Ekadesi
Mithune swathijanma Vishnorathamasyam Dhanvinah pure
prapadye sarvasriyam vishnoh vishnuchittam purassikham
(I surrender to Vishnuchittar ,known as periyazhwar born in the month of ani constellation swathi as the mount of Vishnu ,amsam of Periya Tiruvadi,at Srivilliputtur(Dhanvinahpuram) in a poorvashikha Brahmin family who became the father in law of the lord.)
This great azhwar born as the son of mukunda bhattar and padmavalli was named Vishnuchittar by his parents.
Right from his childhood days he was devoted on sriman narayana and used to contemplate on the lord for most of the time. As he grew up he brought a small place and converted it into a nandavanam( flower garden) He used to spend most of his time in cultivating the garden in effort to produce more and more flower’s for the lord.
He choose the kainkaryam of plucking flower’s in the morning and weaving an excellent garland out of it.He used to prepare garlands of various types for the lord take them to the temple and enjoy the scene of the lord wearing the garlands.He used to get immense satisfaction and happiness from singing songs in praise of the lord.
Vallabhadevan a great Vishnubhakta was the ruler of Madurai during Periyazhwar’s time He wanted to know the inner meaning of vedas and supreme truth.His minister suggested that he could invite Vedic scholars from various places and the king could ask questions and receive clarifications and also reward those who came out with the most satisfactory replies.
Thus an offficial notice was sent all around the kingdom,inviting all scholar’s to make a presentation to the king about the supreme being and the supreme truth. One night the lord appeared in Periyazhwar’s dream and asked him to make a presentation to the king. Periyazhwar said O lord! i do not know anything ,i have used my hands for cultivating the flower garden ,not studying the vedas.The lord told him not to worry and that he would assist him totally during the presentation.So when the appointed day came periyazhwar left for Madurai.Well known vedic scholar’s and pundit’s came to Madurai,some in showy palanquins.A bag of gold coins was hung on the top of the king’s durbar and it was announced that the bag of gold coins would fall before the presenter whose presentation represented the truth. .
Periyazhwar came,and stood before the king closed his eyes and began his presentation.The lord came and sat on his tongue,and out flowed a glorious presentation-the statement of the supreme truth.He concluded by saying that Sriman Narayana was the supreme Being.The bag of gold coins fell before periyazhwar.There was joy all around. Sri Periyazwar was taken along the streets of Madurai on a Elephant as a special honour.As he was going along the lord appeared in the sky on the garuda vahanam with mahalakshmi to bless periyazwar. Fearing for the safety of the lord Sri Periyazwar composed the THIRUPALLANDU
Periyazhwar Tiruvadigale saranam
(courtesy:http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Troy/7673/azhwars)
Please read this also! (Thanks to Sri “Madhavakkannan V“ srivaishnavan@yahoo.com)
//Sri://
SrImathE Gopaladesika mahadesikaya nama:
It is adiyEn’s intent to ramble something on “Periya AzhwAr”. (based on an excellent article released as 75th Thirunakshathra malar for Swami Sri U Ve Purisai Krishnamachariar)
Soodikkoduttha Naacchiyaar- GodhA PiraaTTi’s dear father is PeriyAzhwAr, VishNu Chitthar or Bhattar Piraan. Since his mind was always on VishNu, he was called VishNu chitthar. He was conferred by the Pandya king, Vallabhadevan, the title of Bhattar Piraan, when he uttered Vedic statements to prove Parathvam of Sriman Narayanan and was given a bag of gold coins.
Swami Desikan says (in GodhAsthuthi) in “thaathasthu thE madhumidha…”slOkam, the last line “lEbE mahattharapadhaanug uNam prasaadham..” Because You had adorned Yourself with those garlands, Emperumaan conferred Your father with the title “mahattharapadham” (PeriyAzhwAr. .)
Sri Manavala maauni says:
“mangaLaasaasanatthi l maRRuLLaazhwArgaL/
thangaarvaatthaLavu thaananRi- ponghum/
parivaalE villiputthoor bhattar piraan peRRaan/
periyAzwArennum peyar.
Due to that pongum parivu, He was alled “PeriyAzhwAr”- says Yatheendra PravaNar.
Now, just for our enjoyment: – Why should VishNu chitthar be called PeriyAzhwAr?”
It should have been NammAzhwAr more suited for this “Periya AzhwAr” title for
1. being in AchArya Parampara
2. For being an avayavi with all other AzhwArs as his parts of the body. or It should have been PeyAzhwAr (who is called mahathaahvayar) , who burst out with ThirukkaNdEn ponmEni kaNdEn ..
But it is VishNu chitthar who is called PeriyAzhwAr. -WHY???
1. NammAzhwAr: He sang 1000’s . But till the tenth decad, He was longing to join Emperumaan. He declares only in 10.10.. “ini naan pOgalottEn.. .onRum maayam seyyEl ennaiyE…” (Hereafter I shall never ever leave You; Don’t deceive me and leave me..). So When NammAzhwAr was almost through in 10.10, he declared that he would NOT let Emperumaan go away from him. Since it is only in the end of Thiruvaymozhi, NammAzhwAr loses the race of being called “PeriyAzhwAr”.
2. pEyAzhwAr: Mahadhaahvayar: He was blessed with the vison of Lord even before AzhwAr started compsoing pAsurams. But AzhwAr did never get that fear of losing Him and did not utter to that effect. He just said “ThirukkaNdEn pon mEni kaNdEn..” He was blessed With the saakshaathkaaram like what Dhruvan was blessed with. Since AzhwAr did not have fear of losing Him, nor was he worried about and started with his kshEthraadnam with other two AzhwArs, pEyAzhwAr loses the race.
Now, what about PeriyAzhwAr? He was blessed with Emperumaan’s Kattaksham on GarudA and that’s when AzhwAr burst out with “long live; long live”
The Lord, Sriya: Pathi Sriman Narayanan appeared on Garuda to enjoy and witness His bhaktha’s success, Bhattar Piraan’s procession on elephant along with whole lot of citizens of Pandya kingdom. That’s when VishNu chitthar saw the Most exquisitely Beautiful Emperumaan on Garuda and with the outburst of “Pongum Parivu” (as nicely enjoyed by Sri Manvala maamuni) (aiyO! ivLO azhagaa irukkaanE! VeLiyE vandhuttaanE! KaN padumE!” ), sang PallaaNdu, PallaaNdu… Long live and Long live Your Lotus Feet!
PeriyAzhwAr, the moment he sings first pAsuram “pallaaNdu, pallaaNdu, He gets worried whether he will lose this Bhagyam of having Him as He Was present in front of AzhwAr. Immediately, he sings(“adiyOdum ninnOdum PirivinRi aayiram pallaaNdu..”) Long live Your relationship with me…(Your eternal servant) without any gap /separation and then only, AzhwAr proceeds to even pray for PiraaTTi and other PanchAyudhams.
Since he has realised this, and sought for an eternal bondage with the Lord right in the first two pAsurams itself, He ALONE DESERVES BEING CALLED “PeriyAzhwAr”
(If there’s anything good in this write up, the credit goes to the author who had written in Tamil. Any
errors/faults are only MINE. )
Sri Anbil Ramaswamy Swami adds in his inimitable style:
Vishnuchitta was called ” Periya Alwar” – the great Alwar for very many reasons:
1. It is the greatness of his love for the Lord that made him pour out the Pallandu hymns.
2. Ordinarily. only elders would bless the young ones for a long life.”Periya’ means elder and therefore he was called Periyalwar. To the objection that such an attitude was ‘unnatural’ (Swarupa Viruddham), Pillai Lokacharya has argued that as it was a ‘Mangala Aasaasanam’, it was quite in order and because IT WAS A STRANGE CASE OF KNOWLEDGE RIPENING INTO AN IGNORANCE OF SORTS DUE TO AN EXTRAORDINARY LOVE AND AFFECTION.
3. King Janaka laid a challenge through the Siva Dhanus in Sri Sita’s marriage; Kumbar, the Aayar Chief laid a challenge in the form of the 7 bulls in the marriage of Nappinnai; But, Vishnuchitta laid no challenges in the marriage of his daughter, Andal because of his obvious conviction that in due time, ‘THE OWNER WOULD CLAIM WHAT HE OWNED.’
4. It is natural to honor anyone who brings relief from suffering. That is how Rishyasringa was honoured when rains came to the parched land of Angadesa as he set foot there. Vishnuchitta also performed a similar miracle. When a famine raged in the northern city of Kandam Kadinagar on the banks of Ganges, he was invited to the city to solve the crisis. As he set foot there, welcome rains showered and the place was relieved of the famine. His greatness was honored.
Periyalwar himself is said to refer to this incident thus “Venkali Naliyaa Vittuchittar”
5. Parasara who wrote Vishnu Purana known as Purana Ratna deals with the story of Sri Krishna only in the 5th Amsa of his work; Sukhabrahmam who wrote Srimad Bhaagavatam has dealt with the story of Krishna only in the 10 th Skaandam; But, Vishnuchitta fills his entire Tirumozhi with the story of Lord Krishna vividly portraying every detail of the Lord’s childhood ‘ leelas ‘ in his own inimitable style.
6.Another esoteric aspect concerning Periyalwar that really makes him ‘ Periya’ is the fact that he is the incarnation of Garuda. Garuda reincarnated himself as Arjuna’s chariot and as such he witnessed the Lord delivering the Baghavad Gita – especially the Charama Sloka to Arjuna. Thus, apart from Arjuna, he was the one who was the direct recipient of the Lord’s message. Andal refers to this when she says “Meymei Peru Vaarthai Vittu Chittar Kettiruppaar” .’ Vaarthai’ is Moolamantram; ‘ Peru Vaarthai is the Mantra Ratna of Dwayam and ‘ Meymei Peru Vaarthai ‘ is the Charama sloka.
7. He was great also in a different way. He became the father- in- law of Lord Vishnu when his daughter, Andal married the Lord. – - an honor none else could claim.
PeriyAzhwAr ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam
