Periyalvar: The Alvar Saint and Father of Andal

Periyalvar, whose personal name is traditionally given as Vishnuchittar or Vishnucitta, is one of the twelve Alvars, the Tamil poet-saints of Vishnu devotion. He lived in Srivilliputhur in Tamil Nadu, where he tended a flower garden for the temple, and he is revered as the father of the saint Andal. His hymns, gathered in the Periyalvar Tirumozhi, and especially his Tiruppallandu, remain part of Vaishnava worship today. This guide describes his life and verses in general terms and notes where details rest on tradition. It also places him within the wider story of Vaishnavism in India.

Key Takeaways

• Periyalvar, also called Vishnuchittar, is one of the twelve Alvars, the Tamil devotional poet-saints of Vishnu.
• He is associated with Srivilliputhur in Tamil Nadu, where tradition says he grew flowers and made garlands for the temple deity.
• He is honoured as the father of Andal, who tradition says he found as an infant beneath a tulasi plant in his garden.
• His hymns, the Periyalvar Tirumozhi and the Tiruppallandu, are included in the Nalayira Divya Prabandham, the Tamil Vaishnava canon.
• The Tiruppallandu is a hymn of blessing for the Lord, and it is recited at the start of many Vaishnava ceremonies.
• Exact dates are uncertain, and many details of his life come from devotional tradition and not from documented history.

The sections below set out his life, hymns, family and present-day legacy in more detail.

Quick Facts

Who Was Periyalvar?

Periyalvar was a Tamil Vaishnava poet-saint and one of the twelve Alvars, the devotees who are said to be immersed in the love of Vishnu. His name Periyalvar means the great Alvar, an honorific given to him by the tradition. His personal name is recorded as Vishnuchittar, meaning one whose mind is fixed on Vishnu.

He lived in Srivilliputhur, a town in southern Tamil Nadu, and served the temple of the Lord by growing flowers and weaving garlands. His life is remembered as one of simple, steady devotion. Through his hymns and through his daughter Andal, he became one of the best loved figures of Tamil Vaishnavism, and his name is honoured in homes and temples across the Tamil country.

What Does the Name Vishnuchittar Mean?

The name Vishnuchittar, also written Vishnucitta, comes from Sanskrit and means one whose thought is fixed on Vishnu. It describes the central quality that the tradition ascribes to him, a mind that never turned away from the Lord. He is also remembered by the title Pattarpiran, which is often explained as a reference to his leadership among learned devotees.

The title Periyalvar, meaning great Alvar, marks his standing in the community. Several forms of the name appear in books and temple records, including Perialvar and Periazhwar, since the Tamil letter for the sound zha is rendered in different ways in English. Knowing these spellings helps readers to find the saint in different sources and translations.

Who Are the Alvars?

The Alvars are twelve Tamil poet-saints who composed devotional hymns in praise of Vishnu and his forms, and who are honoured in the Srivaishnava tradition. The word alvar is commonly explained as one who is immersed in God. They lived across several centuries in the early medieval period and came from many walks of life.

Their hymns express a deep emotional love for the Lord, and they sing of his temples, his incarnations and his qualities. The poems were later collected into the Nalayira Divya Prabandham, which is also known as the four thousand sacred verses. The Alvars are counted among the main roots of the wider Bhakti movement, which later spread across the whole of India.

Where and When Did Periyalvar Live?

Periyalvar lived in Srivilliputhur, also written Tiruvilliputtur, a town in the Virudhunagar district of Tamil Nadu. Tradition places him among the earlier Alvars, and many scholars assign the Alvars as a whole to a period between roughly the sixth and ninth centuries, but exact dates for each saint are uncertain.

Because the Alvars did not leave dated records, their chronology rests on later hagiography, temple tradition and the study of the language of their poems. Careful writers therefore avoid fixing precise years. What is clear is that Periyalvar is tied to one place above all, the temple town where he served and where his memory is kept alive in worship and festival through the cycle of the year.

What Does Tradition Say About His Early Life?

Traditional accounts say that Vishnuchittar was born into a Brahmin family in Srivilliputhur and devoted himself from a young age to the service of the Lord Vatapatrasayi, the form of Vishnu worshipped there as the one who rests on a banyan leaf. He is said to have planted a garden of flowers and tulasi and to have strung garlands each day for the deity.

The stories describe him as a man of gentle nature who lived simply and wished for nothing for himself. These details come from the devotional biographies of the Srivaishnava tradition and are not independently documented. They nevertheless convey the character in which he is remembered: a humble gardener and householder whose daily work was itself an act of worship.

How Did Periyalvar Come to Raise Andal?

Tradition says that Periyalvar found an infant girl lying beneath a tulasi plant in his garden and raised her as his own daughter, naming her Kodai, meaning garland. She grew up to become the saint Andal, also called Goda Devi, who is honoured as the only woman among the twelve Alvars.

This story is a well known part of Srivaishnava tradition and is told as a sign of divine favour on the devoted gardener. It should be read as tradition and not as verified history. The account explains why Periyalvar is remembered not only as a poet but also as a father whose care shaped one of the great voices of Tamil devotion. The bond of father and daughter is an enduring theme in the stories told about them.

Who Was Andal?

Andal was a Tamil poet-saint, regarded in tradition as the foster daughter of Periyalvar, who composed two works, the Tiruppavai and the Nachiyar Tirumozhi, expressing her longing for union with Vishnu. She is the only woman among the twelve Alvars and is revered as an incarnation of the goddess Bhudevi in Srivaishnava belief.

The Tiruppavai, a set of thirty verses sung during the Tamil month of Margazhi, is among the most widely recited Tamil devotional works. Andal’s poetry carries a strong note of passionate love for the Lord, in the manner of a bride seeking her beloved. Her story is closely bound with that of her father, and the two are honoured together at the temple of Srivilliputhur, where devotees remember both.

What Is the Periyalvar Tirumozhi?

The Periyalvar Tirumozhi is the main collection of hymns composed by Periyalvar and forms a large part of the Nalayira Divya Prabandham. Its verses praise Vishnu in many of his forms and dwell on the childhood of Krishna with tenderness and delight. The word tirumozhi means sacred utterance.

The collection is arranged in sections called patus, with each section containing a set of verses on a theme. Many of the verses are known for their warm, almost domestic imagery, as the poet speaks as a loving foster mother watching the infant Krishna at play. Because of its beauty and depth, the Periyalvar Tirumozhi is studied and recited in Vaishnava households and temples, and scholars of Tamil literature value it as a rich example of early devotional poetry.

What Is the Tiruppallandu?

The Tiruppallandu is a short hymn by Periyalvar that wishes the Lord many years of life, with its opening word pallandu meaning many years. It is unusual among devotional poems because the devotee blesses God, an expression of the deep love that sees the deity as a beloved child or a king to be protected.

The hymn is recited at the beginning of many Vaishnava ceremonies and at temple worship, and it holds an honoured place at the start of the Nalayira Divya Prabandham recitation. The verses also bless the devotees who serve the Lord. Its wording is simple and melodious, which makes it easy to remember, and it is one of the most familiar pieces of Tamil Vaishnava worship across the world.

Why Is the Tiruppallandu Said to Bless the Lord?

The Tiruppallandu is said to bless the Lord because tradition explains that Periyalvar sang it out of an overflowing love that feared any harm might come to the Lord. According to devotional accounts, the gesture arose when the Lord appeared to him in splendour, and his affection led him to wish long life to the divine form.

This idea, known as the attitude of protective love, is one of the distinctive features of Alvar devotion. It reverses the usual order in which the worshipper asks for blessings, and it shows a relationship of intimacy rather than distance. The tradition treats this as a mark of purity of heart. For readers, the hymn is a touching example of how bhakti can express itself through tenderness as much as through awe.

What Is the Story of the Royal Assembly?

A well-known story in Srivaishnava tradition says that the Pandya king of the region held a learned assembly to decide the highest truth, with a prize of gold promised to the scholar who could settle the question. Periyalvar, inspired by the Lord, is said to have taken part and to have shown from the scriptures that Vishnu is the supreme reality.

The king, according to the tale, honoured him and had him taken in procession on an elephant through the city. The Lord is then said to have appeared in the sky, and the saint sang the Tiruppallandu in loving concern. This account is preserved in devotional literature and is best understood as tradition, whose details differ among tellers, rather than as documented history.

How Is Periyalvar Linked with the Srivilliputhur Temple?

Periyalvar is linked with the temple of Srivilliputhur, where he served the deity and where both he and Andal are worshipped. The temple is dedicated to Vatapatrasayi, the form of Vishnu resting on a banyan leaf, and to Andal, who has her own prominent shrine within the complex.

The great tower of the temple, rising in many tiers, is a well-known landmark and is used as an emblem of the Tamil Nadu government. Srivilliputhur is counted among the Divya Desams, the sacred Vishnu temples praised in the hymns of the Alvars. The temple is a good example of the way in which Hindu temples and worship in the south keep alive the memory of the saints who sang about them.

How Do Devotees Remember Periyalvar and Andal Together?

Devotees remember Periyalvar and Andal together in festivals at Srivilliputhur, especially during the Tamil months of Margazhi and Aadi, when the poems of the father and daughter are recited and the deities are taken out in procession. The month of Aadi is associated with Andal’s festival, while the saint’s own day of remembrance is observed in the Tamil month of Ani.

One much loved practice is the offering of garlands to the Lord, which echoes the story of the gardener and his daughter. Sweet milk preparations from the town are also well known. These customs show how a family of devotees became a lasting model of piety. Through them, the memory of Periyalvar remains a part of the yearly rhythm of life in the region.

What Place Does He Hold in Srivaishnavism?

Periyalvar holds a high place in Srivaishnavism, the tradition that draws on the Alvar hymns and on the teaching of Ramanuja, because his poems are part of the sacred canon and his Tiruppallandu opens the recitation of the Prabandham. He is revered as one of the central figures among the twelve Alvars.

The canon of verses was gathered by the teacher Nathamuni in the early medieval period, according to tradition, and later teachers such as Ramanuja gave philosophical shape to the devotional vision of the Alvars. In this heritage the hymns are treated as a Tamil Veda. Periyalvar’s contribution stands out for its tenderness toward the child Krishna and for its profound sense of loving protection of the Lord.

Periyalvar Today

Periyalvar remains a living presence in Tamil Vaishnava worship. His Tiruppallandu is sung at temples and in homes, his Tirumozhi is recited in the annual cycle of the Prabandham, and his story with Andal is retold at Srivilliputhur and in many other places. Scholars of Tamil literature and religion study his hymns as outstanding examples of early bhakti poetry.

For students of Indian culture, he offers a picture of devotion rooted in ordinary work and family life, expressed through a gardener’s garlands and a father’s care. His poems speak in a gentle voice that still reaches readers today. Visitors to Srivilliputhur can see the temple, the tower and the garden traditions that keep his memory present, and readers can explore translations of his verses to know him better.

Sources & Further Reading

• Ministry of Culture, Government of India (indiaculture.gov.in).
• Archaeological Survey of India (asi.nic.in).

Frequently Asked Questions

Who was Periyalvar?

Periyalvar, also called Vishnuchittar, was one of the twelve Alvar poet-saints of Tamil Vaishnavism and lived in Srivilliputhur in Tamil Nadu. He is honoured as the foster father of Andal and as the composer of the Periyalvar Tirumozhi and the Tiruppallandu.

What is Periyalvar famous for?

Periyalvar is famous for the Tiruppallandu, a hymn that blesses the Lord with long life, and for the Periyalvar Tirumozhi, which includes tender verses on the childhood of Krishna. He is also famous as the father of Andal.

Who was the daughter of Periyalvar?

The daughter of Periyalvar was Andal, also called Goda Devi, the only woman among the twelve Alvars. Tradition says he found her as an infant beneath a tulasi plant in his garden and raised her.

What is the Tiruppallandu?

The Tiruppallandu is a short hymn by Periyalvar that wishes the Lord many years of life. It is recited at the start of many Vaishnava ceremonies and of the recitation of the Nalayira Divya Prabandham.

Where did Periyalvar live?

Periyalvar lived in Srivilliputhur, also written Tiruvilliputtur, a temple town in the Virudhunagar district of Tamil Nadu. He served the temple of Vatapatrasayi there by growing flowers and making garlands.

When did Periyalvar live?

Periyalvar is placed among the earlier Alvars, who are generally dated to the early medieval period, but his exact dates are uncertain. Information about his life comes mainly from devotional tradition.