Thiruppaan Alvar
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Thiruppaan Alvar is one of the 12 Alvars. He was born in an untouchable community, but as a result of his devotion towards Sriman Narayanan, he was listed among the great twelve Alvars. Paan Alvar has done Mangalasasanam on Srirangam divya desam with 10 paasuram of amalanAdhipirAn.
Contents |
[edit] Birth in Baanar community
Thiruppaan Alvar was born in Purthurmadhi year, Kaarthigai month, Wednesday in Rohini Natshatram in a small village of "Alagapuri" near Srirangam in 8th or 9th century C.E. He was born in "Baanar Cheri". Baanar are musicians who are capable of arresting the minds of all people and even the Devas and Rishis. But these baanars are kept as a separate categorized peoples and who were treated as untouchables.
It is said that Alvar is the hamsam of the small mole, called as "Srivatsam" which is found in the chest of Sriman Narayanan. Having a veena in his hand, he always sang on Sri Vishnu and his fame and spread his capabilities and the love he offers to his bhaktas, in his songs. Because of this, he is also named as "Paan perumal".
The untouchable people were ordered not to keep their feet on Cauvery river. Because of this and to obey the order, Paan Alvar did not touch the Kaveri river, but stood along the banks of the river facing Thiruvaragam temple and sung various songs, praising the Lord. [1]
[edit] Reaching Srirangam
Legend is that Emperumaan wanted to explain the greatness and Bhakthi of Thiruppaan Alwar towards Him and as an action to it, he started to play a small drama.
The Cauvery water is used for the Thirumanjanam for Sri Ranganadhar. Loga Saaranga Maha Muneetharar, a devoted bhakta of Sri Ranganathar, would daily bring the Cauvery water for Thriumanjanam. One day, when he was sleeping, he had a dream in which the Aranganadar explained about Paan Perumal and he should be taken on the shoulders of Loga Saaranga muni, without having the mind that he is an untouchable person.
Loga Saarangamuni, who being the strong follower of Sri Vishnu, got up early next morning and went to the other side of Cauvery river and met Thiruppaan Alwar. On seeing him, he explained about the dream he had last night and asked him to climb on his shoulders, so that he can be taken to the other side of the Cauvery river, where Sri Ranganathar is giving his seva.
Thirupaan Alwar could not convince him otherwise and finally he sat on on his shoulders. Saranga Muni started walking towards him Sri Arangathan through the Cauvery river. Everyone was surprised to see this scene and stood in silence. After reaching the temple, Thiruppan Alwar could not believe his eyes because he was seeing Perumal whom he thought that he could not see him in his life. He raised his hands above his head and started to sing slokas on Sri Arangathan. [2]
[edit] Ten Paasurams
The first pasuram 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 which explain the beauty of Sri Ranganathar from his thiruvadi (foot) to thirumudi(head).
He explains in his ten paasuram 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 Thiruvarangathan. Like Andal, whose thought was always on Aranganathan, who was captured by the love of the Perumal, Thiruppaan Alwar was also captured by the love and he went towards the Aranganathan.
Thiruppaan Alwar has sung only ten paasurams, where he has explained about how a human should be. He explains in that ten paasurams that Perumal is the leader and our aim should be to reach Him and to get the complete Saranagathi(total surrender) in His thiruvadi, and that is the final place, where all of us has to reach. [3]
[edit] One of the Paasurams
* koNdal vaNNanaik * kOvalanAy veNNey
uNda vAyan * en uLLam kavarndhAnai **
aNdar kOn aNi arangkan * en amudhinaik
kaNda kaNgaL * maRRonRinaik kANAvE
Meaning: [4]
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!
[edit] Audio Link
[edit] References
- ^ "Birth of Paan", divyadesamonline.com. Retrieved on 22 July.
- ^ "Reaching Rangam", ibiblio.org. Retrieved on 22 July.
- ^ "Amaladhipiran", ibiblio.org. Retrieved on 22 July.
- ^ "koNdal vaNNanaik", www.ramanuja.org. Retrieved on 22 July.
