Thamaraiyal Kelvan Perumal Temple, Thirupparthanpalli
Thiru Paarthanpalli
Associated with Arjuna (Partha) worshipping Krishna; one of the Nangur Divya Desams.
Sthala Purāṇam
Thiru Paarthanpalli, one of the eleven Thirunangur Tirupatis near Mayiladuthurai, enshrines Lord Thamaraiyal Kelvan, also worshipped as Parthasarathy, standing with His consorts Sridevi and Bhudevi. The name Thamaraiyal Kelvan means the Lord (husband) of her who dwells in the lotus, that is, the consort of Lakshmi, and He is praised as Thamaraikannudaiya Piran, the lotus-eyed one. The place-name Parthanpalli, meaning the school or abode of Partha (Arjuna), arises from a celebrated episode drawn from the Padma Purana: Arjuna, journeying on pilgrimage, grew thirsty and approached the sage Agastya, who was performing penance; the sage directed him to pray to Krishna, and as instructed Arjuna dug a tank, whereupon Krishna appeared before him as Parthasarathy and granted him instruction, making the place Partha's school. The name also recalls Krishna's role as Arjuna's charioteer (Parthasarathy) at Kurukshetra. The sages Agastya, Bharadwaja, Gautama and Varuna are believed to have worshipped Parthasarathy here. The consort Goddess is Thamarai Nayaki, and the festival deity is the beautiful Kolavalli Ramar. The vimana over the sanctum is the Narayana Vimana, and the sacred tank is the Shankara Saras Pushkarini, associated with the Ganga tirtham. This Divya Desam received the mangalasasanam of Thirumangai Alvar within a decad of his Periya Thirumozhi. The shrine, of Pallava-Chola origin and later expanded under Vijayanagara and Maratha patronage, is administered by the Thirunangur Ezhu Koil Adheenam.
Mangalāśāsanam — the Āḻvār pāsurams
The Lord Thamaraiyal Kelvan (Parthasarathy) with Tamarai Nayaki (Padmini) of Thiru Paarthanpalli is glorified by:
Thirupparthanpalli — the Thamaraiyal Kelvan (Parthasarathy) Perumal temple at Thirunangur, near Mayiladuthurai, Tamil Nadu — is one of the eleven Thirunangur Divya Desams and one of the 108 Divya Desams sung in the Nalayira Divya Prabandham. Its principal mangalasasanam is by Thirumangai Alvar, who dedicated a full decad of ten pasurams to it: Periya Thirumozhi 4.8 (4th centum, 8th decad), beginning with the verse 'thUviriya...' and concluding with the phalasruti 'pAruL nalla maRaiyOr nAngaip pArththanpaLLich chengaN mAlai' (4.8.10). The decad is composed in the bridal/feminine voice — Thirumangai Alvar speaks as the mother of Parakala Nayaki, who reports her love-stricken daughter's longing for and praise of the Lord of Parthanpalli, the lotus-red-eyed Lord (sengaN mAl) abiding amid the noble Vedic brahmins of Nangur. The closing verse promises everlasting bliss in Sri Vaikuntha to those who recite all ten. Notably, Thirupparthanpalli is the only one of the eleven Nangur Divya Desams to be glorified by an Alvar other than Thirumangai Alvar: Poigai Alvar, the foremost of the Mudhal Alvars, also references the deity in his Mudhal Thiruvandhadhi. The temple name 'Parthanpalli' (the school/abode of Partha, i.e. Arjuna) recalls the episode of Arjuna worshipping Krishna here, and the Lord's name 'Thamaraiyal Kelvan' means the husband/Lord of her who dwells in the lotus (Lakshmi).
பாருள் நல்ல மறையோர் நாங்கைப் பார்த்தன்பள்ளிச் செங்கண் மாலை வார்கொள் நல்ல முலை மடவாள் பாடலை தாய் மொழிந்த மாற்றம் கூர்கொள் நல்ல வேல் கலியன் கூறு தமிழ் பத்தும் வல்லார் ஏர்கொள் நல்ல வைகுந்தத்துள் இன்பம் நாளும் எய்துவாரே
pAruL nalla maRaiyOr nAngaip pArththanpaLLich chengaN mAlai / vArkoL nalla mulai madavAL pAdalai thAy mozhindha mARRam / kUrkoL nalla vEl kaliyan kURu thamizh paththum vallAr / ErkoL nalla vaigundhaththuL inbam nALum eydhuvArE
This is the concluding (phalasruti) verse of the decad. Sarvesvaran, the lotus-red-eyed Lord (sengaN mAl) full of motherly affection, resides at Parthanpalli in Thirunangur, the abode of noble, righteous Vedic brahmins. Thirumangai Alvar (Kaliyan), bearer of the sharp, excellent spear, has mercifully composed these ten Tamil verses in which Parakala Nayaki's mother repeats the words spoken by her daughter, who has a beautiful bosom and gentle speech. Those who can recite all ten of these Tamil pasurams will attain everlasting bliss daily in the beautiful, glorious realm of Sri Vaikuntha.
kaNNan enRum vAnavargaL kAdhaliththu malargaL thUvum ... paNNin anna men mozhiyAL pArththanpaLLi pAduvALE
Sung in the mood of Parakala Nayaki (the Alvar in the bridal/feminine voice of love-longing for the Lord), this verse describes the maiden of sweet, melodious speech who continually sings of Parthanpalli, praising the Lord as Krishna whom the celestials lovingly worship by showering flowers, as the loving, blissful one, and as the primordial cause (Adi) of the seven worlds, the Deva-deva (God of gods) enshrined amid the lofty mansions of Nangur. Tamil text shown here only as a partial fragment from a secondary source and not reproduced in full to avoid error.
Verses & references (1)
- Beyond Thirumangai Alvar's decad, the deity of Thirupparthanpalli is also referenced by Poigai Alvar (one of the three Mudhal Alvars) in his Mudhal Thiruvandhadhi. This makes Thirupparthanpalli the only one of the eleven Thirunangur Divya Desams to have received the mangalasasanam of an Alvar other than Thirumangai Alvar. The specific verse number was not verified verbatim, so no Tamil text is given here. — Poigai Alvar, Mudhal Thiruvandhadhi · source ↗
Tamil text & meaning sourced from divyaprabandham.koyil.org and other Śrī Vaiṣṇava authorities — please cross-check the linked source for the canonical reading.
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