Tirupallantu

The Tirupallantu (Tamil: திருப்பல்லாண்டு, romanized: Tirupaḷḷāṇṭu), also rendered the Pallandu,[1] is a Tamil benedictory hymn dedicated to the Hindu deity Vishnu.[2] Written by the poet-saint Periyalvar,[3] it is the opening hymn of the medieval devotional compendium of the Alvars, the Nalayira Divya Prabandham.[4][5] It is referenced in other works of this anthology, such as the Perumal Tirumoli.[6]

Tirupallantu
Statue of Vishnu upon Garuda with his consorts, Tirumala.
Information
ReligionHinduism
AuthorPeriyalvar
LanguageTamil
Period9th–10th century CE
Verses12

This hymn is commonly recited at temples that adhere to the Sri Vaishnava tradition during the morning.[7][8]

Etymology

Tiru is a Tamil word that denotes sacredness,[9] while paḷḷāṇṭu translates to 'many years.'[10]

Legend

There exists a Sri Vaishnava legend regarding the composition of this hymn. Periyalvar was once invited by the Pandya king to participate in a religious debate. The poet-saint was able to defeat a number of Jain scholars in this event, which won him the praise of the king. He was honoured by the monarch with a procession, where he was taken around the capital while seated upon an elephant. Pleased by his devotee, Vishnu himself descended upon the earth to meet him, upon his mount Garuda. Witnessing the deity's presence, and worrying that he was precariously seated upon his mount, Periyalvar glorified him with the Tirupallantu, wishing him protection and longevity.[11][12][13]

Hymn

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

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]

Topics in Tamil literature
Sangam Literature
Five Great Epics
SilappatikaramManimekalai
Civaka CintamaniValayapathi
Kundalakesi
The Five Minor Epics
NeelakesiCulamani
Naga Kumara KaviyamUdayana Kumara Kaviyam
Yashodhara Kaviyam
Bhakti Literature
Naalayira Divya PrabandhamKamba Ramayanam
TevaramTirumurai
Tamil people
SangamSangam landscape
Tamil history from Sangam literatureAncient Tamil music

See also

References
  1. 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.
  2. Aruṇācalam, Mu (1989). Musical Tradition of Tamilnadu. International Society for the Investigation of Ancient Civilizations. p. 40.
  3. 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)
  4. 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.
  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.
  6. 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.
  7. Vasudha Narayanan (1994). The vernacular Veda. Internet Archive. University of South Carolina Press. p. 63. ISBN 978-0-87249-965-2.
  8. 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)
  9. 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.
  10. 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.
  11. Dalal, Roshen (2014-04-18). Hinduism: An Alphabetical Guide. Penguin UK. p. 929. ISBN 978-81-8475-277-9.
  12. PUBLICATION DIVISION. DEVOTIONAL POETS AND MYSTICS PART 1. p. 46.
  13. Rangachar, S. (1991). Philosophy Of Pancaratras. p. 217.
  14. Jayaraman, Dr P. (2019). A Brief History of Vaishnava Saint Poets : The Alwars. Vani Book Company. p. 51. ISBN 978-93-89012-69-9.
  15. 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.
  16. Makarand Joshi. The Sacred Book Of Four Thousand 01 Nalayira Divya Prabandham Sri Rama Bharati 2000. p. 2.
  17. Zvelebil, Kamil (1974). Tamil Literature. Otto Harrassowitz Verlag. p. 103. ISBN 978-3-447-01582-0.
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