The ''Tirupallantu'' (), also rendered the ''Pallandu'', is a

Tamil Tamil may refer to: People, culture and language * Tamils, an ethno-linguistic group native to India, Sri Lanka, and some other parts of Asia **Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil people native to Sri Lanka ** Myanmar or Burmese Tamils, Tamil people of Ind ...

benedictory hymn dedicated to the

Hindu Hindus (; ; also known as Sanātanīs) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism, also known by its endonym Sanātana Dharma. Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pp. 35–37 Historically, the term has also be ...

deity

Vishnu Vishnu (; , , ), also known as Narayana and Hari, is one of the Hindu deities, principal deities of Hinduism. He is the supreme being within Vaishnavism, one of the major traditions within contemporary Hinduism, and the god of preservation ( ...

. Written by the poet-saint

Periyalvar Periyalvar (), also known as Vishnuchittar, was one of the twelve '' Alvar'' saints of South India who are known for their affiliation to the Vaishnava tradition of Hinduism. He was the foster father of Andal. Andal, also called as Kodhai, is ...

, it is the opening hymn of the medieval devotional compendium of the

Alvars The Alvars () are the Tamil poet-saints of South India who espoused '' bhakti'' (devotion) to the Hindu preserver deity Vishnu, in their songs of longing, ecstasy, and service. They are venerated in Vaishnavism, which regards Vishnu as the ...

, the ''Nalayira Divya Prabandham''. It is referenced in other works of this anthology, such as the '' Perumal Tirumoli''. This hymn is commonly recited at temples that adhere to the

Sri Vaishnava Sri Vaishnavism () is a denomination within the Vaishnavism tradition of Hinduism, predominantly practiced in South India. The name refers to goddess Lakshmi (also known as Sri), as well as a prefix that means "sacred, revered", and the god V ...

tradition during the morning.

Etymology

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

Legend

There exists a Sri Vaishnava legend regarding the composition of this hymn. Periyalvar was once invited by the

Pandya The Pandya dynasty (), also referred to as the Pandyas of Madurai, was an ancient Tamil dynasty of South India, and among the four great kingdoms of Tamilakam, the other three being the Pallavas, the Cholas and the Cheras. Existing sinc ...

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 Capital and its variations may refer to: Common uses * Capital city, a municipality of primary status ** Capital region, a metropolitan region containing the capital ** List of national capitals * Capital letter, an upper-case letter Econom ...

while seated upon an elephant. Pleased by his devotee, Vishnu himself descended upon the earth to meet him, upon his mount

Garuda Garuda (; ; Vedic Sanskrit: , ) is a Hindu deity who is primarily depicted as the mount (''vahana'') of the Hindu god Vishnu. This divine creature is mentioned in the Hindu, Buddhist, and Jain faiths. Garuda is also the half-brother of the D ...

. 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.

Hymn

The ''Tirupallantu'' comprises twelve verses. The poet extols the attributes of Vishnu in this work, such as his

Sudarshana Chakra The Sudarshana Chakra (, ) is a divine discus, attributed to Vishnu in the Hindu scriptures. The Sudarshana Chakra is generally portrayed on the right rear hand of the four hands of Vishnu, who also holds the Panchajanya (conch), the Kaumodak ...

and his

Panchajanya Panchajanya (, ) is the '' shankha'' (conch) of the Hindu preserver deity Vishnu, one of his four primary attributes. The Panchajanya symbolises the five elements, and is considered to produce the primeval sound of creation when blown. Literat ...

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''.

Kamil Zvelebil Kamil Václav Zvelebil (November 17, 1927 – January 17, 2009) was a Czech scholar in Indian literature and linguistics, notably Tamil, Sanskrit, Dravidian linguistics and literature and philology. Life and career Zvelebil studied at the C ...

features a poetic translation of the hymn by J.S.M Hooper in his book entitled ''Tamil Literature.'' ::Prose translation (Srirama Bharati) ::Many years, many years, many thousands of years, ::and many hundred thousands more, ::Gem-hued Lord with mighty wrestling shoulders! Your ::red lotus feet are our refuge. ::To the bond between us, ::many and many a thousand years; ::To the dainty lady resting on your manly chest, ::many and many a thousand years; ::To the fiery orb discus adorning your right shoulder, ::many and many a thousand years. ::To the conch Panchajanya that strikes terror in the battlefield, ::many and many a thousand years. ::Poetic translation (J.S.M Hooper) ::Reverence, reverence be unto thee, ::O thou mighty One, who didst overcome ::the Mallas, ::thou like to the sapphire in glory! ::Infinitely blest be the beauty of ::for thousands of years, ::for crores of years, ::for ever! ::All hail! Oh may no rift come 'twixt thy slaves and thee! ::All hail to Sri, who dwells, thy lustre, on thy right! ::All hail, the glorious discus in thy fair right hand! ::All hail to Panchajanyam sounding in the fight! {{Tamil literature

References

Naalayira Divya Prabandham Tamil Hindu literature Tamil-language literature Medieval literature Vaishnava texts

Etymology

Legend

Hymn

Translations

See also

References