avan mEni AnEnO thiruppANar pOlE
Thiruppanzhwar is the eleventh in the line of the 12 azhwars who are known for their affiliation to Vaishnava tradition of Hinduism. He was found in a paddy field by a paanar community (a community of musicians and traditional song makers) couple in Uraiyur, near Srirangam. The childless pair cherished the child and fed him. Being a divine child, right from his childhood, as he belongs to a lowly caste in those days who are not allowed to enter into temples, he would stand an the southern side bank of River Cauvery on the other side of Sri Rangam Temple with a veena in his hand and sings the praises of Lord Ranganatha.
One day, Sage Lokasaranga came to the banks of Cauvery to fetch water for the temple. He saw Thiruppanazhwar there singing. He tried to attract his attention to ask him to move away while he fetched the water, but as Azhwar was immersed in devotion and in singing, the words of Lokasaranga did not reach him. So, Lokasaranga threw a stone at him to get his attention. The stone hit Azhwar's head and caused him to bleed. Azhwar then realized what was happening and stepped away quietly. Lokasaranga then returned to Srirangam and was taken aback on seeing blood oozing out from the forehead of the image of Ranganatha. The Lord asked him to apologize to the great devotee Thiruppanazhwar and bring him into Sri Rangam.
Lokasaranga returned to Azhwar and apologized to him for his conduct and requested him to come and see Lord Ranganatha. When Azhwar refused to set foot in Srirangam referring to his lowly birth, Sage Lokasaranga offered to carry him on his shoulders. As it was the Lord's command, Azhwar could not refuse.
When Sage Lokasaranga brought Azhwar in front of Lord Ranganatha inside the Srirangam temple, Azhwar Paanar experienced the bliss of Ranganatha and composed the Amalan Adhipiraan a poem describing the beauty from head to foot of Vishnu in ten verses. At the end of the ten pasurams, Azhwar disappeared from this world and attained the lotus feet of Lord Ranganatha.
He composed a total of ten pasurams, where he explains how humans should lead their life. His principal purport in them is: "Perumal is the principal supreme entity and our aims and aspirations should be to attain Him through total surrender to him signified by our placing all of ourselves at his lotus feet". One of his verses reads:
Kondal vannanaik kovalanai venney
Unda vayan en ullam kavarndhanai
Andar kon ani arangan en amudhinaik
Kanda kangal matronarinaik kanave
Meaning, I have seen the One whose color is like dark rain clouds. 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 that have seen my Lord will not see anything else!
Thirukkolur Ammal is asking "Did I get the Lord’s divine grace and attain His divine feet like Thiruppanazhwar?"
