emperumAn enRaEnO pattar pirAnaip pOLAE
Pattar Piran is the title given for Vishnu Chiththar @ Periyazhvar, by the great Vallabha Deva, a Pandya King. Pattar Piran was the father of Aandal, whose devotion towards Lord Krishna was so divine pure that she ended up marrying Lord Sri Ranganathar.
Named as Vishnu Chiththar, by his parents, he grew up listening to stories of Lord Sriman Narayan and spent his life in serving to the lord. Vishnu Chiththar lived in Srivilliputhur where he maintained a flower garden and was making garlands for Vatapatrasayee, the residing deity of Srivilliputhur temple, every day.
One day, King Vallabha Deva had a doubt regarding who is the Supreme Lord who could protect us and lead us to Moksha (refers to freedom from the cycle of death and rebirth). Unsatisfied with the response given by his ministers and other scholars in his court, he left the question to the public and announced that the winner would get a bag of gold coins ("Porkizhi").
Days passed and no explanation from people and great scholars seemed to satisfy his thirst. Worried, he prayed to Lord Koodal Azhagar, to help with the answer.
The Lord appeared in Vishnu Chiththar's dream and told him to visit the king's court and establish that He is the supreme. Though Vishnu Chiththar is not well versed in Vedas and also not interested in the prize money, accepting the Lord’s word as a command, Vishnu Chiththar, who had no formal education from a teacher, went to the court and proved that Sriman Narayana is the Supreme Lord.
Pleased by the words, the king entitled him as “Pattar Piran” and placed him on his own crown elephant and took him around the city. In order to witness the beauty of Vishnu Chiththar riding on an elephant and the people celebrating his talent and devotion, Lord Sriman Narayan appeared on Garuda with His consorts. Witnessing the Lord sitting proudly and watching over him, though blessed, worried and concerned that the way people and even him praising the Lord and his beauty might harm the Lord and his wellness and that the evil eye should not affect the health of the Lord, Periyazhvar sang the glorious “Thiruppallandu” pasuram.
In that pasuram, he said "ennAL emperumAn! undhanukku adiyOm enRu
ezhuththuppatta annALE ..." and through that he showed His absolute supremacy and his natural servitude.
Thirukkolur Ammal is asking "Did I learn my true nature and call out to Him as my Lord like Periyazhvar?"
