Re: andhaNar, vEdhiyar, paarppanar, battar and BrahmaNar

From the Bhakti List Archives

• November 22, 1996


> Azhvaar establishing Sriman Narayana as the supreme
> the Pandiyan court ...

It is my understanding that Periyaazhvaar was a poor
temple brahmin who was engaged from a very young age in
performing pushpa kainkaryam to Vatapatrasaayi PerumaaL
in Villiputtur.  He had no special philosophical
credentials, and in fact, only went to Madurai because
the Lord commanded him to do so in his dream.  It is
only because of the Lord graced him in the Pandya raja's
court that he was able to speak so fluently and convincingly
about the Vedas.  

The epithet ``bhattar piraan'' most probably was applied
to Vishnuchittan because of his great bhakti to PerumaaL, and that
too only after his vision of the Lord at Madurai as recorded
in the thiruppallaandu.

periyaazhvaar thiruvadigaLE SaraNam

kaarmali mEni niRaththu kaNNapiraanai ugandhu
vaarmali kongai yasOdhai manchanam aattiya vaaRRai
paarmali thol pudhuvaik kOn bhattar piraan sonna paadal
seermali senthamizh vallaar theevinaiyaadhum ilarE

Mani