Thiruppaan Alvar
Encyclopedia
Thiruppaan Alvar is one of the 12 Alvar
saints of South India
, who are known for their affiliation to Vaishnava tradition of Hinduism
. The temples reverred by these azhwars are termed Divya desam. He was born into a community, then considered as outcastes and untouchables. Birth being no requisite qualification for devotion towards Sriman Narayana
, he is traditionally listed among the twelve great Alvars
. Thirupaan Alvar has composed one collection on Srirangam
divya desam containing 10 paasurams (verses) - AmalanAdhipiran.
(star) in a small village of Alagapuri near Srirangam
in the 8th or 9th century C.E. He was born in Paanar Cheri. Paanars are a community of musicians and traditional songmakers who are capable of moving their audiences to states of ecstacy and bliss
. Because of these skills they had an influence over the Devas
(demigods) and Sages. The Paanar community were considered as outcastes and were victims of the social dynamics of their times.
It is said that Alvar
is the amsam(form) of the small mole (legend has it that all alvars
are avatars of some part of the Lord), called as Srivatsam on the chest of Sriman Narayanan
. Having a veena
(string instrument) in his hand, he was always to be seen singing the glories of Sri Vishnu
. He was soon famous in and around these tamil
lands of Southern India. His skills as a bhakti
(divine) 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 to come anywhere near the Cauvery river , considered scared and pure by the people of the region. Following this stricture Paan Perumal did not come anywhere near the Kaveri river, but mostly stood alongside its banks facing the Srirangam
temple and sung his praises to the Lord.
, is considered a "divine play" or lila of the Lord. The supreme bhakti
and devotion that Paanar held within him had to be brought out and explicated as an example of devotion to the supreme. As is the wont of the Lord, the other bhaktas(devotees) of the world had to be made aware of such a soul in their midst.
One day, a devout brahmin
in the service of the temple, by name Loka Saaranga came to the river for taking water for use in the temple. He motioned to Paanar to move away. But, PaaNar was so engrossed in the rhapsody of his music that he did not hear this. Lokasaranga threw a small stone in his direction to shake him up. But, the stone accidentally fell on
the forehead of PaaNar and it started to bleed. PaaNar quietly retired.
Unaware of the injury caused , Loka Saaranga returned to the temple. He was taken aback on seeing blood oozing out from the forehead of the image of Lord Ranganatha. But, none could connect the two incidents. That very night, the Lord appeared in the dream of Loka Saaranga and commanded him to fetch Paanar to the temple the next morning. Accordingly, Lokasaranga requested PaaNar to come to the temple. But, PaaNar referring to his low birth declined even to set foot on the holy earth of Srirangam
lest he pollute the holy place. When he was told of the Lord's commandment, PaaNar was beside himself and was lost in a deep trance. Loka Saaranga said that if that were his objection PaaNar could get on his shoulders and he offered to carry PaaNar to the temple. Loka Saaranga carried Paanar who was in a state of trance.This also earned the Alvar
title, the sobriquet
, Munivaahanar (the one astride a priest).
When they reached the Sanctum Sanctorum, PaaNar experienced the bliss of Ranganatha
and composed the 'Amalan Adhipiraan' a poem describing the beauty from head to foot of the Lord in 10 verses and laid his life at the feet of the Lord. The poem is considered to be sweeter than even the 'sound of music' of the Veena
.
He then started to see the whole thirumeni (body) of Emperumaan and he sung a total of ten paasurams(hymns) which explain the beauty of Sri Ranganathar from his thiruvadi(foot) to thirumudi(head).
He explains in his ten paasurams(hymns) about the clean saffron cloth which is worn on the body of Ranganathar, his jewels the thiru vayiru(stomach) 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.
Thiruppaan Alwar has composed a total of ten paasurams, where he has explained about how a human life should be lived. 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."
Unda vayan en ullam kavarndhanai
Andar kon ani arangkan en amudhinaik
Kanda kangal marronrinaik 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!
's Bhagavad Anubhavam(experiences of the divine) moved many of the Vaishnava Acharyas(gurus). These ten verses are housed in the Sixth Prabhandam of the Mudalaaiyram of the Divya Prabandha. This Alvar by tradition is considered to be Ayonija or one, who is not born of mortal human beings.
He is also considered as an Amsa of (Sri Vatsa mark, the mole on the chest ) of Sriman Narayana. He was brought up however as a foster-child by a childless couple of the Paanar caste (wandering minstrels akin that of Neelakanta Yazhpaanar, who accompanied Thiru Gyana Sambhandar
in Tamil Saivite tradition).
Swami Vedanta Desikan was moved very much by the Composition of this 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 this Alvar. He went on to compose a Stotram
(divine text) in Sanskrit
known as 'Sri Bhagavad Dhyana Sobhaanam'.
Sri Vedanta Desikan was so moved by the ten verses of Amalanaadhipiraan that he paid multiple tributes to the Alvar
. Swami Desikan was so overwhelmed by the profoundity of the alvar
's bhagavad anubhavam that he declared the ten verse compendium to be the essence of countless Vedic texts.
Alvars
The alwar or azhwars were Tamil poet saints of south India who lived between the sixth and ninth centuries A.D. and espoused ‘emotional devotion’ or bhakti to Visnu-Krishna in their songs of longing, ecstasy and service. Sri Vaishnava orthodoxy posits the number of alvars as ten, though there are...
saints of South India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, who are known for their affiliation to Vaishnava tradition of Hinduism
Hinduism
Hinduism is the predominant and indigenous religious tradition of the Indian Subcontinent. Hinduism is known to its followers as , amongst many other expressions...
. The temples reverred by these azhwars are termed Divya desam. He was born into a community, then considered as outcastes and untouchables. Birth being no requisite qualification for devotion towards Sriman Narayana
Narayana
Narayana or Narayan or Naraina is an important Sanskrit name for Vishnu, and in many contemporary vernaculars a common Indian name. Narayana is also identified as the original man, Purusha. The Puranas present divergent views on Narayana...
, he is traditionally listed among the twelve great Alvars
Alvars
The alwar or azhwars were Tamil poet saints of south India who lived between the sixth and ninth centuries A.D. and espoused ‘emotional devotion’ or bhakti to Visnu-Krishna in their songs of longing, ecstasy and service. Sri Vaishnava orthodoxy posits the number of alvars as ten, though there are...
. Thirupaan Alvar has composed one collection on Srirangam
Srirangam
Srirangam , Old name is Vellithirumutha gramam and Tamil name is Thiruvarangam , is an island and a part of the city of Tiruchirapalli , in South India....
divya desam containing 10 paasurams (verses) - AmalanAdhipiran.
Birth in the Paanar community
Thiruppaan Alvar was born in Purthurmadhi year, Kaarthigai(Nov-Dec) month, on a Wednesday in the Rohini NakshatraNakshatra
Nakshatra is the term for lunar mansion in Hindu astrology. A nakshatra is one of 27 sectors along the ecliptic...
(star) in a small village of Alagapuri near Srirangam
Srirangam
Srirangam , Old name is Vellithirumutha gramam and Tamil name is Thiruvarangam , is an island and a part of the city of Tiruchirapalli , in South India....
in the 8th or 9th century C.E. He was born in Paanar Cheri. Paanars are a community of musicians and traditional songmakers who are capable of moving their audiences to states of ecstacy and bliss
Bliss
Bliss can be a state of profound satisfaction, happiness and joy, a constant state of mind, undisturbed by gain or loss.The word can also refer to the following:-People:* Aaron T. Bliss , U.S...
. Because of these skills they had an influence over the Devas
Deva (Hinduism)
' is the Sanskrit word for god or deity, its related feminine term is devi. In modern Hinduism, it can be loosely interpreted as any benevolent supernatural beings. The devs in Hinduism, also called Suras, are often juxtaposed to the Asuras, their half brothers. Devs are also the maintainers of...
(demigods) and Sages. The Paanar community were considered as outcastes and were victims of the social dynamics of their times.
It is said that Alvar
Alvar
An alvar is a biological environment based on a limestone plain with thin or no soil and, as a result, sparse vegetation. It is also known as a pavement barren although this term is also used for similar landforms based on sandstone. In the United Kingdom the exposed landform is called a limestone...
is the amsam(form) of the small mole (legend has it that all alvars
Alvars
The alwar or azhwars were Tamil poet saints of south India who lived between the sixth and ninth centuries A.D. and espoused ‘emotional devotion’ or bhakti to Visnu-Krishna in their songs of longing, ecstasy and service. Sri Vaishnava orthodoxy posits the number of alvars as ten, though there are...
are avatars of some part of the Lord), called as Srivatsam on the chest of Sriman Narayanan
Vishnu
Vishnu is the Supreme god in the Vaishnavite tradition of Hinduism. Smarta followers of Adi Shankara, among others, venerate Vishnu as one of the five primary forms of God....
. Having a veena
Veena
Veena may refer to one of several Indian plucked instruments:With frets*Rudra veena, plucked string instrument used in Hindustani music*Saraswati veena, plucked string instrument used in Carnatic musicFretless...
(string instrument) in his hand, he was always to be seen singing the glories of Sri Vishnu
Vishnu
Vishnu is the Supreme god in the Vaishnavite tradition of Hinduism. Smarta followers of Adi Shankara, among others, venerate Vishnu as one of the five primary forms of God....
. He was soon famous in and around these tamil
Tamil people
Tamil people , also called Tamils or Tamilians, are an ethnic group native to Tamil Nadu, India and the north-eastern region of Sri Lanka. Historic and post 15th century emigrant communities are also found across the world, notably Malaysia, Singapore, Mauritius, South Africa, Australia, Canada,...
lands of Southern India. His skills as a bhakti
Bhakti
In Hinduism Bhakti is religious devotion in the form of active involvement of a devotee in worship of the divine.Within monotheistic Hinduism, it is the love felt by the worshipper towards the personal God, a concept expressed in Hindu theology as Svayam Bhagavan.Bhakti can be used of either...
(divine) musician and his abilities to express and invoke bhakti
Bhakti
In Hinduism Bhakti is religious devotion in the form of active involvement of a devotee in worship of the divine.Within monotheistic Hinduism, it is the love felt by the worshipper towards the personal God, a concept expressed in Hindu theology as Svayam Bhagavan.Bhakti can be used of either...
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 to come anywhere near the Cauvery river , considered scared and pure by the people of the region. Following this stricture Paan Perumal did not come anywhere near the Kaveri river, but mostly stood alongside its banks facing the Srirangam
Srirangam
Srirangam , Old name is Vellithirumutha gramam and Tamil name is Thiruvarangam , is an island and a part of the city of Tiruchirapalli , in South India....
temple and sung his praises to the Lord.
Reaching Srirangam
The following incident in the life of the AlvarAlvar
An alvar is a biological environment based on a limestone plain with thin or no soil and, as a result, sparse vegetation. It is also known as a pavement barren although this term is also used for similar landforms based on sandstone. In the United Kingdom the exposed landform is called a limestone...
, is considered a "divine play" or lila of the Lord. The supreme bhakti
Bhakti
In Hinduism Bhakti is religious devotion in the form of active involvement of a devotee in worship of the divine.Within monotheistic Hinduism, it is the love felt by the worshipper towards the personal God, a concept expressed in Hindu theology as Svayam Bhagavan.Bhakti can be used of either...
and devotion that Paanar held within him had to be brought out and explicated as an example of devotion to the supreme. As is the wont of the Lord, the other bhaktas(devotees) of the world had to be made aware of such a soul in their midst.
One day, a devout brahmin
Brahmin
Brahmin Brahman, Brahma and Brahmin.Brahman, Brahmin and Brahma have different meanings. Brahman refers to the Supreme Self...
in the service of the temple, by name Loka Saaranga came to the river for taking water for use in the temple. He motioned to Paanar to move away. But, PaaNar was so engrossed in the rhapsody of his music that he did not hear this. Lokasaranga threw a small stone in his direction to shake him up. But, the stone accidentally fell on
the forehead of PaaNar and it started to bleed. PaaNar quietly retired.
Unaware of the injury caused , Loka Saaranga returned to the temple. He was taken aback on seeing blood oozing out from the forehead of the image of Lord Ranganatha. But, none could connect the two incidents. That very night, the Lord appeared in the dream of Loka Saaranga and commanded him to fetch Paanar to the temple the next morning. Accordingly, Lokasaranga requested PaaNar to come to the temple. But, PaaNar referring to his low birth declined even to set foot on the holy earth of Srirangam
Srirangam
Srirangam , Old name is Vellithirumutha gramam and Tamil name is Thiruvarangam , is an island and a part of the city of Tiruchirapalli , in South India....
lest he pollute the holy place. When he was told of the Lord's commandment, PaaNar was beside himself and was lost in a deep trance. Loka Saaranga said that if that were his objection PaaNar could get on his shoulders and he offered to carry PaaNar to the temple. Loka Saaranga carried Paanar who was in a state of trance.This also earned the Alvar
Alvar
An alvar is a biological environment based on a limestone plain with thin or no soil and, as a result, sparse vegetation. It is also known as a pavement barren although this term is also used for similar landforms based on sandstone. In the United Kingdom the exposed landform is called a limestone...
title, the sobriquet
Sobriquet
A sobriquet is a nickname, sometimes assumed, but often given by another. It is usually a familiar name, distinct from a pseudonym assumed as a disguise, but a nickname which is familiar enough such that it can be used in place of a real name without the need of explanation...
, Munivaahanar (the one astride a priest).
When they reached the Sanctum Sanctorum, PaaNar experienced the bliss of Ranganatha
Ranganatha
Ranganātha , also known as Sri Ranganatha, Ranganathar, or Ranga, is a Hindu deity, more well known in South India. The deity is a resting form of Lord Vishnu, one of the foremost of Hindu Gods. His consort is Goddess Lakshmi, also known as Ranganayaki, Thayar...
and composed the 'Amalan Adhipiraan' a poem describing the beauty from head to foot of the Lord in 10 verses and laid his life at the feet of the Lord. The poem is considered to be sweeter than even the 'sound of music' of the Veena
Veena
Veena may refer to one of several Indian plucked instruments:With frets*Rudra veena, plucked string instrument used in Hindustani music*Saraswati veena, plucked string instrument used in Carnatic musicFretless...
.
Ten Paasurams
The first pasuram(hymn) sung by Alvar is on Arangan's feet. On seeing the Thiruvadi(lotus feet)of Aranganathan he sang:
Neel madhil Arangathamman thrukkamalpadham vandhu en Kanninullana okkinrathe.
He then started to see the whole thirumeni (body) of Emperumaan and he sung a total of ten paasurams(hymns) which explain the beauty of Sri Ranganathar from his thiruvadi(foot) to thirumudi(head).
He explains in his ten paasurams(hymns) about the clean saffron cloth which is worn on the body of Ranganathar, his jewels the thiru vayiru(stomach) 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.
Thiruppaan Alwar has composed a total of ten paasurams, where he has explained about how a human life should be lived. 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 Paasurams
Kondal vannanaik kovalanay venneyUnda vayan en ullam kavarndhanai
Andar kon ani arangkan en amudhinaik
Kanda kangal marronrinaik 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 10 verse Amalannadhipiraan and the AlvarAlvar
An alvar is a biological environment based on a limestone plain with thin or no soil and, as a result, sparse vegetation. It is also known as a pavement barren although this term is also used for similar landforms based on sandstone. In the United Kingdom the exposed landform is called a limestone...
's Bhagavad Anubhavam(experiences of the divine) moved many of the Vaishnava Acharyas(gurus). These ten verses are housed in the Sixth Prabhandam of the Mudalaaiyram of the Divya Prabandha. This Alvar by tradition is considered to be Ayonija or one, who is not born of mortal human beings.
He is also considered as an Amsa of (Sri Vatsa mark, the mole on the chest ) of Sriman Narayana. He was brought up however as a foster-child by a childless couple of the Paanar caste (wandering minstrels akin that of Neelakanta Yazhpaanar, who accompanied Thiru Gyana Sambhandar
Campantar
Tirugnana Sampantar was a young Saiva poet-saint of Tamil Nadu who lived around the 7th century CE....
in Tamil Saivite tradition).
Swami Vedanta Desikan was moved very much by the Composition of this Alvar and wrote a commentary called 'Munivahana Bhogam' in Sanskritized Tamil - Manipravalam
Manipravalam
Manipravalam was a literary style used in medieval liturgical texts in South India, which used an admixture of Tamil and Sanskrit. Manipravalam is termed a mixture of Sanskrit and Tamil...
. He also composed four verses in Tamil in His 'Prabhanda Saaram' to elaborate on the significance of the contribution of this Alvar. He went on to compose a Stotram
Sloka
Sloka may refer to:* Sloka, Latvia, a neighbourhood of Jūrmala, Latvia* Sloka meter, a Sanskrit meter* Śloka, a Hindu prayer* Sloka Gora, a small settlement in central Slovenia* Sloka...
(divine text) in Sanskrit
Sanskrit
Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
known as 'Sri Bhagavad Dhyana Sobhaanam'.
Sri Vedanta Desikan was so moved by the ten verses of Amalanaadhipiraan that he paid multiple tributes to the Alvar
Alvar
An alvar is a biological environment based on a limestone plain with thin or no soil and, as a result, sparse vegetation. It is also known as a pavement barren although this term is also used for similar landforms based on sandstone. In the United Kingdom the exposed landform is called a limestone...
. Swami Desikan was so overwhelmed by the profoundity of the alvar
Alvar
An alvar is a biological environment based on a limestone plain with thin or no soil and, as a result, sparse vegetation. It is also known as a pavement barren although this term is also used for similar landforms based on sandstone. In the United Kingdom the exposed landform is called a limestone...
's bhagavad anubhavam that he declared the ten verse compendium to be the essence of countless Vedic texts.