PeriyAzhwAr Thirunakshathram- why is he called PeriyAzhwAr?

[Guest guest]

Sri:

 

Dearest Sisters and Brothers,

 

Last 24th was Aani Swathi PeriyAzhwAr Thirunakshathram. 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 mahattharapadhaanuguNam prasaadham..” Because You had

adorned Yourself with those garlands, Emperumaan conferred Your father with

the title “mahattharapadham” (PeriyAzhwAr..)

 

Sri Manavala maauni says

“mangaLaasaasanatthil maRRuLLaazhwArgaL/

thangaarvaatthaLavu thaananRi- ponghum/

parivaalE villiputthoor bhattar piraan peRRaan/

periyAzwArennum peyar.

 

Due to that pongum parivu, He was called “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 fag 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 explained 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. )

 

PeriyAzhwAr ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam

 

Narayana Narayana

 

Narayana dAsan

 

P.S Sri MG Vasudevan's "idO Or aRpudham" is SUPERB...... Great Vasudevan

mama.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[Guest guest]

Dear Sri Madhava Kannan

Thank you for a masterly write up on Periyalwar. I wonder if I may supplement

your brilliant contribution with a pedestrian attempt I made on why

Periyalwar is so called - from an article I wrote a few years ago. I give

below excerpts from that article.

Dasoham

Anbil Ramaswamy

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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 Ajuna'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.

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