Tirupallantu
| Tirupallantu | |
|---|---|
 Statue of Vishnu upon Garuda with his consorts, Tirumala. | |
| Information | |
| Religion | Hinduism |
| Author | Periyalvar |
| Language | Tamil |
| Period | 9th–10th century CE |
| Verses | 12 |
The Tirupallantu (Tamil: திருப்பல்லாண்டு, romanized: Tirupaḷḷāṇtu), also rendered as the Pallandu,[1] is a Tamil benedictory hymn dedicated to the Hindu deity Vishnu.[2] Composed by the poet-saint Periyalvar,[3] it serves as the opening hymn of the Nalayira Divya Prabandham, medieval devotional compendium of the Alvars.[4][5] It is also referenced in other works of this anthology, such as the Perumal Tirumoli.[6]
This hymn is commonly recited during morning prayers at temples that adhere to the Sri Vaishnava tradition.[7][8]
Etymology
[edit]Tiru is a Tamil honorific prefix denoting sacredness or holiness,[9] while paḷḷāṇtu translates literally to 'many years.'[10]
Legend
[edit]A Sri Vaishnava legend recounts the circumstances surrounding the composition of this hymn. Periyalvar was invited by the Pandya king to participate in a theological debate at his court. The poet-saint successfully defeated competing Jain scholars in the debate, winning the king's admiration and patronage. He was honoured by the monarch with a grand procession, riding through the capital atop an elephant. Pleased by his devotee, Vishnu himself descended to Earth accompanied by Lakshmi,riding upon his mount Garuda. Overwhelmed by the deity's majestic presence–and fearing for his safety out of intense maternal devotion (vātsalya)–Periyalvar glorified Vishnu by singing the Tirupallantu, invoking protection and longevity upon the Lord.[11][12][13]
Hymn
[edit]The Tirupallantu comprises twelve verses. The poet extols the attributes of Vishnu in this work, such as his Sudarshana Chakra and his Panchajanya:[14][15]
Pallāṇṭu pallāṇṭu pallāyirattāṇṭu
palakōṭi nūṟāyiram
Mallāṇṭa tiṇtōḻ maṇivaṇṇā! Un
ćēvaḍi ćevvi tirukkāppu Aṭiyōmōṭum ninnōṭum pirivinṟi
āyiram pallāṇṭu
Vaṭivāy ninvala mārṗinil vāḻkinṟa
maṅkaiyum pallāṇṭu
Vaṭivārćōdi valattuṟaiyum ćuṭar
āḻiyum pallāṇṭu
Paṭaipōr pukku muḻaṅkum appāñca
ćanniyamum pallāṇṭē
Translations
[edit]Srirama Bharati features a prose translation of the hymn in his translation of the Nalayira Divya Prabandham, named The Sacred Book Of Four Thousand.[16] Kamil Zvelebil features a poetic translation of the hymn by J.S.M Hooper in his book entitled Tamil Literature.[17]
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See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ↑ Mulchandani, Sandhya (2019-07-20). For the Love of God: Women Poet Saints of the Bhakti Movement. Penguin Random House India Private Limited. p. 33. ISBN 978-93-5305-581-3.
- ↑ Aruṇācalam, Mu (1989). Musical Tradition of Tamilnadu. International Society for the Investigation of Ancient Civilizations. p. 40.
- ↑ University, Vijaya Ramaswamy, Jawaharlal Nehru (2007-05-22). Historical Dictionary of the Tamils. Scarecrow Press. p. 37. ISBN 978-0-8108-6445-0.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ↑ Hopkins, Steven Paul (2002-04-18). Singing the Body of God: The Hymns of Vedantadesika in Their South Indian Tradition. Oxford University Press, USA. p. 86. ISBN 978-0-19-512735-5.
- ↑ Carman, John Braisted (1989). The Tamil Veda : Piḷḷān's interpretation of the Tiruvāymol̲i. Internet Archive. Chicago : University of Chicago Press. p. 264. ISBN 978-0-226-09305-5.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: publisher location (link) - ↑ Suganya (2018). My Sapphire-hued Lord, My Beloved. A Complete, Annotated Translation of Kulacēkara Āḻvār's Perumāḷ Tirumoḻi and Periyavāccāṉ Piḷḷai's Medieval Maṇipravāḷam Commentary, with an Introduction. p. 154.
- ↑ Vasudha Narayanan (1994). The vernacular Veda. Internet Archive. University of South Carolina Press. p. 63. ISBN 978-0-87249-965-2.
- ↑ University, Vijaya Ramaswamy, Jawaharlal Nehru (2007-05-22). Historical Dictionary of the Tamils. Scarecrow Press. p. 187. ISBN 978-0-8108-6445-0.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ↑ Peterson, Indira Viswanathan (2014-07-14). Poems to Siva: The Hymns of the Tamil Saints. Princeton University Press. p. 14. ISBN 978-1-4008-6006-7.
- ↑ Das, Sisir Kumar (2005). A History of Indian Literature, 500-1399: From Courtly to the Popular. Sahitya Akademi. p. 39. ISBN 978-81-260-2171-0.
- ↑ Dalal, Roshen (2014-04-18). Hinduism: An Alphabetical Guide. Penguin UK. p. 929. ISBN 978-81-8475-277-9.
- ↑ PUBLICATION DIVISION. DEVOTIONAL POETS AND MYSTICS PART 1. p. 46.
- ↑ Rangachar, S. (1991). Philosophy Of Pancaratras. p. 217.
- ↑ Jayaraman, Dr P. (2019). A Brief History of Vaishnava Saint Poets : The Alwars. Vani Book Company. p. 51. ISBN 978-93-89012-69-9.
- ↑ Raghavan, V. K. S. N. (1983). A Brief Study on the Tiruppallandu of Sri Periyalvar, the Tiruppalliyeluchi of Sri Tondaradippodiyalvar, and the Kanninunsiruttambu of Sri Madhurakaviyalvar. Sri Visishtadvaita Pracharini Sabha. p. 10.
- ↑ Makarand Joshi. The Sacred Book Of Four Thousand 01 Nalayira Divya Prabandham Sri Rama Bharati 2000. p. 2.
- ↑ Zvelebil, Kamil (1974). Tamil Literature. Otto Harrassowitz Verlag. p. 103. ISBN 978-3-447-01582-0.