Periya Alwar
In all, we have 12 Alwars. Of them, two hail from Sri Villi Puttur. They are Vishnu Chitta and Andal, father and daughter. Vishnu Chitta is also called Periya Alwar. Among the Alwars, Vishnu Chitta has received high reverence. That is why he is also called as Periya Alwar.
In Tamil, Periya means ‘elderly/great’. Traditionalists calculated the time of Vishnu Chitta as 3050 BC, but historians identified it as 8 A.D. He has authored Tiruppalandu and Periya Thirumoli. There are several stories about him. Lord had incited him to take part in the discussion about paratatva in the court of Pandya Raja. In that royal court, Periya Alwar had given a discourse and proved that Narayana only is paratatva.
In this connection, Periya Alwar was grandly felicitated and a procession was taken out. To witness the felicitation, Lord Vishnu himself was present with his retinue. Then Vishnu Chitta submits Thiruppallandu to Maha Vishnu and renders Mangala Sasan.
That is the reason Thiruppallandu has gained very high prominence in the everyday pooja ritual of Vaishnavites. Even today, Thiruppallandu Prabhandha is chanted first while talking about the tenets of Vaishnavism.
Periya Alwar’s foster daughter was Mata Andal. She is one and the only Woman Alwar among the Twelve Alwars. Sri Krishna Devaraya, the emperor of Vijayanagara authored a prabhanda [classic] Amukta Malyada in Telugu which deals with her wedding with Sri Ranganatha.
Story
The story goes like this. Once Narayana wakes up from his yogic sleep. Then his wife, Bhoodevi asks him, “Whom do you love most in Bhoolok?” To this Vishnu responds, “I love those who worship me without any desires and without any demands.” Then Bhoodevi requests Him to grant her the opportunity of taking birth in Bhoolok to perform service to Perumal and sing His hymns.
Perumal grants her the wish. That is how Vishnu Chitt finds her in the flower shrubbery. His happiness had no limits. He names her as “Kodai”, which means ‘beautiful garland ‘. Vishnu Chitta brings her up in a very serene and energizing environment. He narrates her Sri Krishna’s stories. She helps her father in collecting flowers, making garlands, collecting Tulasi [Basil] leaves etc.
The girl grows nicely and becomes nubile. She decides for herself that she would not marry anyone but Perumal. Vishnu Chitta used to keep the flower baskets at home and take them to the temple in the evenings.
In the meanwhile, Andal makes a garland with those flowers and adorns herself with it and checks how it looks on her looking at the reflection in the clear pond. Then she assesses herself whether she is a right match to Him. After this, she carefully puts them back in the basket.
One day, Vishnu Chitta happens to come home early and notices what his daughter has been doing all along. He feels that those flowers cannot be used for Perumal and there was not enough time to collect another set of flowers. Hence he doesn’t perform pooja with flowers. That night Perumal appears in the dream of Vishnu Chitta and asks him why he had not performed pooja with flowers.
Chudikudutha Nachiyar / Amuktya Malyada
When Vishnu Chitta explains the reason, Perumal tells him that he likes to wear the flowers worn by Kodai and it gives him a pleasant surprise. He orders Perumal henceforth he should bring flowers after they are worn by Kodai. It was only then Vishnu Chitta realizes the greatness of his daughter. Then onwards she was called Chudikudutha Nachiyar/Amuktya Malyada.
When she insists that she would marry Sri Ranganatha, Periya Alwar agrees to that. One day Sri Ranganath appears to Vishnu Chitta in his dream and asks him to bring Andal to Srirangam. At the same time, the Lord shows himself to the temple priest of Srirangam and orders him to proceed to Sri Villi Puttur along with a royal umbrella, and silver maces and bring Andal with all the royal honours.
Accordingly, the staff of Srirangam temple went to Sri Villi Puttur and conveyed Periya Alwar the divine message. Then Andal is taken to Srirangam in a royal palanquin procession. It was a splendid and tumultuous procession.
Sri Ranganatha conveys his willingness to marry Andal. Periya Alwar feels enthralled. He pleads with the Lord that their wedding be performed in Sri Villi Puttur traditionally and in the presence of all. All the preparations are made in Sri Villi Puttur for the wedding. Everyone waits for the arrival of Sri Ranganatha to Sri Villi Puttur.
But there was no sign of his arrival. Andal feels distressed. She pleads with Garuda to bring Ranganatha in time for the wedding and assures him that she will provide him equal status with the divine couple.
Thus, Garuda reaches Sri Villi Puttur (click here for the location on Google Maps) along with Sri Ranganatha on time. The wedding is conducted at the pre-decided auspicious time. That’s why even today Garuda statue can be seen parallel to Sri Ranganatha on the pedestal.
Tiruppavai
Researchers feel that the foundations relating to Vaishnavism were incorporated in Tiruppavai.
Tiruppavai is writing describing the religious ritual undertaken by the spinsters to get a good husband. This was written in 30 pasuras (stanzas). In Tamil, any poem that is written as per prosody and in lyrical style is called ‘pasura’.
In Tiruppavai, there is a word ‘pavai’ at the end of each pasura. ‘pavai’ means a religious ritual.
Some say, it also means a song. That is why, the title, Tiruppavai is quite befitting. ‘Tiru’ is a reverential expression. Therefore, the title has been confirmed. It is sung devotedly and respectfully in the wee hours of Mrugasira month. It’s a very strange feeling to select God himself as their spouse.
Radha, gopikas (milk maids), Jayadeva, Annamaya, Meera Bai etc are standing examples for such delightful feelings. Andal too acquires such a high place in that tradition.
If one examines Tiruppavai critically and carefully, one can realise that it was not a spontaneous rendering. It stands out as a high philosophical and religious book. The critical reader can perceive the hidden gems in the endless milk sea and a small churner. They emit great light. The style of Tiruppavai is quite lucid.
However, researchers feel that the foundations relating to Vaishnavism are incorporated in Tiruppavai.
30 Songs
Each of these thirty songs provides uswith in-depth meaning, enlightenment, clarity, natural beauty, ornate vocabulary etc.
Tiruppavai can be broadly divided into four sections. Pasuras
- 1 to 5, dealing with introduction to nature;
- 6 to 15, dealing with the waking up of Gopikas;
- 16-20 series of incidents;
- 21-30 total surrender to the lord.
Tiruppavai Jiyyar
The last ten Pasuras depict more of the philosophy of surrender. Pasuras 26,27 and 29 have great significance; especially the 29th one delights us with the philosophy of Vaishnavism. Several eminent personalities in Vaishnavism, such as Ramanuja, Vedanta Desika, Manavala sages have sung them with delight. Of these, Ramanuja was nicknamed “Tiruppavai Jiyyar”.
An interesting story about him: He used to sing Tiruppavai aloud and sought alms from houses during Mrugasira month. One day, while thus singing, he went to the house of Periya Nambi [MahaPoorna] and sang the 18th Pasura, in which the opening of the door was described.
At that time, the daughter of Periya Nambi opened the door. Ramanuja felt that she was none other than Neela Devi and sang the same Pasura once again. In commemoration of that incident, Pasura 18 is sung twice even today.
Ramanuja also ensured that Tiruppavai is sung in Tirumala in front of Srinivasa’s precinct during Dhanurmas. Vedanta Desika was enthralled by Tiruppavai and had authored ‘Goda Stuti’ Manamala Mahamuni mentioned Andal Mataas as the foremost Alwar of all of them in his work ‘Upadesha Ratnamalai.’
