Thiruppalandu-Part 1(forwaded by Sri Sadagopan)

From the Bhakti List Archives

• January 12, 2000


           Srimatyai Godayai Nama:

Yesterday Sri Sadagopan SvAmi had mentioned 
about the  summary of Origin of
Thiruppalandu,the Thaniyans and the meanings
of this great prabandham by Sri T.A.Varadhan of
Colorado.Sri Sadagopan svAmi
has forwaded the post to me and asked me to
post them after dividing it into some parts as the
attached file is very long.It is a pleasure for
me to read this excellent summary by Sri
Varadhan and forward them on the list.I have 
divided this into 3 Parts 
1- Thaniyans and Context of Thiruppalandu
2- Meanings of the first 6 Pasurams
3- Meanings of the next 6 pasurams

dasan
Venkat S Iyengar

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ThirupaLLaaNdu With Meanings	
			

pOdhu thaniyangal (common dedicatory verses)

1. raamaan^uja dhaYaapaathram gNYaan^a-vairaagYa bhooshaNam 
srimadh-vEnkata-n^aathaarYam vandhE vEdhaantha-dhEsikam

I salute Sri vEdAntha dEsikan, who had the blessings of Sri RAmAnujAchArya and Sri ApuLLar, and who had knowledge and vairAgyam as ornaments, and who was the AvatAram of the GantA (maNi) of Sri vEnkatanAthan.

Sreesailesa dhayaapaathram deepakthyaadhee gunArNavam
Yatheendrap-pravaNam vandhE ramyajaamaathram munim

I salute Sri ManavaaLa MaamunigaL, who has the blessings of Thiruvaaimozhip Pillai (ManavaaLa Maamunis Aachaarya) and who is an ocean of gyaanam (knowledge) and Bhakthi (devotion).

2. Lakshmi-naatha samaa-rambhaam naada yaamuna madya-maam
asmadaa-chaarya paryanthaam vandE guru-param-paraam

I salute the guruparamparaa that starts with Emperumaan, has Sri Naadhamuni and has my Aachaarya (Emperumaan, Raamaanuja) at the end.

3. yO nithya-machyutha-padaam-buja-yugma-rugma
vyaamOhadas dadhi-tha-raaNi thru-Naaya mEnE
asmath-gurOr bhagavathOsya dhayaika-sindhO:
raamaanujasya saraNau saraNam prapadhyE.

I embrace the feet of Emperumaan (Raamaanuja) who has rejected everything other than those associated with the Lotus feet of Emperumaan (because of his infinite love for Him) and who is an ocean of compassion, and my Aachaarya.

4. maatha pithaa yuvathayas thanayaa vibhuthi:
sarvam yadhEva niyamEna mathanva-yaanaam,
aathyasya na: kulabhthEr vagu-Laabhi-raamam
sreemath thathanGgari-yugalam praNa-maami moortha-naa.

In the above thaniyan, Aalavandhaar salutes Azhwaars and Sriman Naaraayanaa.
I salute the Lotus feet (of Sriman Naaraayanaa) that is made more beautiful by the maghiza flowers of the Azhwaars (Prabhandham); I salute the feet of the Azhwaars who are the mother, father, people, wealth and everything to me and those associated with me. 

5. bhootham sarascha mahaa-dhaahvaya-patta-naadha-
sree-bhakthi-saara-kulasEkhara-yOgi-vaahaan,
bhakthaangirirENu parakaala-yathindra mishRaan,
sreemath paraankusa munim prana-thOsmi nithyam

I worship Bhootha Azhwaar, Pey Azhwaar (mahadaahvaya), Poigai Azhwaar (saras), Periya Azhwaar (Pattanaadha), Thirumazhisai Azhwaar (Bhakthisaara), KulasEkara Azhwaar, ThirupaaN Azhwaar (YOgivaahaan), Thondar-aadip-podi Azhwaar (BhakthaangirirEnu), Thirumangai Azhwaar (parakaala), Emperumaanaar (Yathindra, Raamaanuja) and Nammazhwaar (paraankusa muni) every day. 






ThirupaLLaaNdu With Meanings

thiruppaLLaaNdu periyaazhvaar thirumozhikaLin dhaniyan-kaL

(dedicatory verses for Sri Periya Azhwaars ThiruppaLLaaNdu)

Sri Naadhamuni:

1. guru-muka mana-dheethya praaha vEdhaana-sEshaan       
nara-pathi-pari-kluptham soolka maadhaathu-kaamaha
Svasura-mamara-vandhyam ranga-naathasya saak-shaath 
dhvija-kula-thilakam tham vishNu-chiththam na-maami

I salute Periya Azhwaar (Vishnu Chiththam), the gem among brahmins, who won the debate on parathathva nirnayam (expounding the truth as to who is THE Paramatma) by quoting from the vEdaas without any formal education from an Aacharya (by the grace of Sriman Naraayanaa), who is worthy of worship by the dEvaas and who is the father-in-law of Sri Ranganaatha.

2. minnaar-thadamathiL-soozh villi-puth-thoor-enRu orukaal,
son-naar-kazhaR-kamalam soodi-nOm, mun-naaL
kizhiyaRuththaan enRuraiththOm, keezhmaiyiniR-chErum,
vazhiyaRuththOm nenjamE! vandhu

"O! My Mind! Because you helped me, I am able to adorn my head with the lotus feet of Bhagavatas who mentioned about Srivilliputtur even once.  In the days when people raised doubts as to who was THE Paramatma, he cleared their doubts and won the prize of the wallet.  By mentioning this event, we got rid of the sins that steep us down in hell".

3. paaN-diyan-koN-daadap pattar-piraan van-dhaan-enRu
eeNdiya sangam-etuth-thoodha vENdiya
vEdhangaLOdhi viraindhu kizhiya-Ruth-thaan
paa-dhangaL yaam-udaiya-paRRu

"Our refuge is the feet of Periya Azhwaar who won the prize of the wallet by expounding the portions of Veda to prove that Lord Narayana IS THE Paramatma, as a result of which the Vallabha Pandiya Deva praised him as Bhattar Piraan and groups and groups of people blew their conches aloud in his honour"


Periya Azhwaar aruLichchaidha thirupaLLaaNdu

The context behind thiruppaLLaaNdu:

Periya Azhwaar was born in the month of Aani, sOthi (swathi) nakshaththiram in Sri Villipuththoor.  He was known as Vishnu Chiththar.  He used to perform pushpa kainkaryam (services) to the Lord of Sri Villipuththoor (Vadabhadrasaayee or Rangamannaar).  In that time, the Paandiyaa King of Madurai wanted to find out the best way to God and organized a debate inviting many scholars.  Sriman Naaraayanaa wanted to send our Azhwaar to the debate and appeared in his dreams and granted him all the knowledge.  Periya Azhwaar went to Madurai and established that Sriman Naaraayanaa is the Parama Purushan.  The paandiya king performed an uthsavam for the Azhwaar, with the Azhwaar on an elephant in a procession through the streets of Madurai.  Sriman Naaraayanaa wanted to enjoy the celebration of His Bhakthaa (Azhwaar).  He came to Madurai on Garuda and enjoyed the celebration of the Azhwaar.  It was at this time that Azhwaar sang paLLaaNdu using the elephant bells as thaaLam.

On seeing Sriman Naaraayanaa on the Garuda, our Azhwaar gets worried that some harm would occur to Him and says Jaya vijayee bhava to Sriman Naaraayanaa.  On seeing this our Lord shows His Bhuja balam to the Azhwaar so that Azhwaar can stop worrying.  But this had the opposite effect on Azhwaar--

ThirupaLLaaNdu With Meanings

he starts to worry like a mother worries abour her child (that it will get into trouble without thinking about others strengths because it is so confident of its strength) and sings the first song --paLLaaNdu paLLaaNdu.


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Next part The first 6 Pasurams



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