- August 21, 2025
The “Pallandu Pallandu” chant, sung at dawn in Vishnu temples worldwide, originates from the Arulmigu Koodal Azhagar Perumal Temple in Madurai. This sacred hymn, known as ‘Tiruppallandu’, forms the first twelve verses of the ‘Nalayira Divya Prabandham’, a revered collection of Vaishnavite devotional texts.
The divine inspiration for these verses came from Periyalvar, one of the 12 great Alvars. After winning a theological debate and resolving the doubts of King Vallabha Deva Pandyan, Periyalvar was honored with a ride on the royal elephant. As he rode through the streets, Lord Vishnu and his consort Lakshmi suddenly appeared in the sky, mounted on Garuda. Overwhelmed by the Lord’s breathtaking beauty, Periyalvar was struck by a powerful emotion: fear. He worried that the Lord’s divine form would be afflicted by the evil eye. Driven by this pure, protective love, he burst into a spontaneous song of praise—the ‘Tiruppallandu’—blessing the Lord with long life.
These are the powerful, soul-stirring verses of the hymn:
1. Pallandu pallandu palayirathandu
Pala kodi noorayiram
Mallanda thindol manivanna! Un
Sevadi sevvi tiru kappu
Meaning: Long live, long live, for a thousand years, for ten million thousand years! O gem-hued one with powerful, wrestling shoulders, may your beautiful, reddish feet be forever protected!
2. Adiyomodum nin nodum pirivindri ayiram pallandu
Vadivai nin val marbinil vazhkindra mangayum pallandu
Vadivar sothi valathuraiyumsudar azhiyum pallandu
Padai por pukku muzhangum appaanchasanyamum pallande
Meaning: For a thousand years, may we remain inseparable from you. Long live the Maiden who resides on your beautiful right chest! Long live your brilliant, glowing discus! Long live your conch, Paanchajanyam, which roars into battle!
3. Vazhat pattu nindrirullirel vandu mannum manamum konmin
Koozhat pattu nindrirgalai engal kuzhuvinil pugudalottom
Ezhazh kalum pazhilom nangaal irakkathar vazh ilangai
Pazha llagap padai porudhanukkup pallandu koorudhame
Meaning: If you wish to serve and live, come and take your share of the earth and its aroma. We will not allow those who serve for food to join our group. For seven generations, we have been flawless servants of the one who fought and destroyed Lanka, the land of the demons. We sing long life to him!
4. Edu nilathil iduvathan munnam vandu engal kuzhambugundu
Koodu manamudaiyirgal varambozhi vandu ollai koodumino
Nadum nagaramum nankariya namo narayanayavendru
Padu manamudaipatharulirevandu pallandu kooruminie
Meaning: Before the leaves of time fall to the ground, come and join our group. You with a heart full of devotion, abandon all limits and join us swiftly. O devotees with a singing heart, come and sing “Namo Narayana” for all countries and cities to know! Come and sing long life!
5. Andakkulathu kadipathiyagi asurarirakkadarai
Indaikulathai eduthu kalainda iridikesandanaku
Thondak kulathilullir vandu adi thozhudu ayira namamsolli
Pandaik kulathai thavirndu palandu palayirathandendrumine
Meaning: O servants of the lineage, come and bow at the feet of the Lord of the celestial beings, Hrishikesha, who destroyed the hordes of demons and rakshasas. Abandon your old lineage and chant his thousand names, and say “Long live, for a thousand years!”
6. Endai tandai tandai tamoothappan ezhpadi kal thodangi
Vandu vazhivazhi atcheykindrom thiru onathiruvizhavil
Andiyam podil ariyuruvagi ariyaiyazhithavanai
Pandaiyathai theerapallandu palayirathandendru padudame
Meaning: For seven generations, from my father’s father’s father, we have been serving him in his divine lineage. In the evening of the Thiruvonam festival, we sing long life to the one who, in the form of a lion, destroyed Hiranya, so that our ancient sins may be absolved.
7. Thiyil polikindra senchudarazhi thigazh thiruchakkarathin
Koyil poriyale otrunandru kudikudi atcheykindrom
Mayap porupadai vananai ayiram tholum pozhi kuruthi
Payasuzhatriya azhivalanukku pallandu koorudhume
Meaning: Branded by the mark of the sacred Chakra, the fiery, glowing discus, we serve him generation after generation. We sing long life to the one who, with his powerful discus, spun and cut the thousand shoulders of the mighty Asura Bana, causing a river of blood to flow!
8. Neyyidai nallathor sorum niyathum athani sevagamum
Kaiyadai kayum kazhuthukku poonodu kadhukku kundalamum
Meyyidai nallathor sandhamum thandu ennai velluyirakkavalla
Paiyudai nagapagaikodiyanukku pallandu kooruvane
Meaning: He gives me good rice with ghee, and eternal service, betel leaves, a necklace, earrings, and good sandalwood paste for my body. He has the power to save me. I sing long life to the one whose flag bears the image of Garuda, the enemy of the serpent!
9. Uduthuk kalaindanin pithaga vadai uduthuk kalathathundu
Thodutha thuzhaymalar sudik kalainthana sudum ith thondargalom
Vidutha thisaikkarumandiruthithiru vonathiruvizhavil
Padutha painaganaippallikondananukku pallandu koorudhume
Meaning: We are these servants who wear your discarded yellow silk garment and eat your leftovers. We wear your discarded Tulasi garlands. We sing long life to the one who rests on the green serpent bed, who straightened the directions and performed his deeds during the Thiruvonam festival.
10. Ennal emperuman un thanakkadiyomen endru ezhuthupatta
Annale adiyongal adikudil viduperru uyndhadhu kaan
Sennal thotrith thirumadhuraiyul silai kunithu aindhalaiya
Painagaithalai paindhavane unnaip pallandu koorudhume
Meaning: The day it was written that we are your servants, that very day, our family lineage was redeemed and saved. O Lord who broke the bow in the beautiful Madurai and danced on the head of the five-headed serpent, we sing long life to you!
11. Alvazhakondrumilla ani kottiyar kon abimana thungan
Selvanai polath thirumalenaanum unakku pazhavadiyen
Nalvagaiyal namo narayanavendru naamam pala paravi
Palvagaiyalum pavithirane unnaip pallandu kooruvane
Meaning: O Lord of Lakshmi, like the noble one from the beautiful Kodiyur, who has no falsehoods, I am your ancient servant. I praise your many names by saying “Namo Narayana.” O pure one in all ways, I sing long life to you!
12. Pallandu endru pavithiranaippar mettiyai sarangamenum
Villandan thannai villiputhurvittusittan virumbiyasol
Nallandu endru navinru uraipar namo narayanayavendru
Pallandum paramathmanai chuzhirundheththuvar pallande
Meaning: Those who recite these beloved verses, spoken by Vishnu Chithan of Srivilliputhur, wishing “Long life” to the pure one, the Supreme Being who wields the Sarangam bow—they will sing “Namo Narayana” and praise the Supreme Soul, surrounded by him for many years.
The ‘Thiruppallandu’ holds a special place in Vaishnavite tradition. It is sung at the beginning and end of the daily “Satrumarai” worship. Even today, during temple festivals, deities are carried out of and brought back into the sanctum sanctorum only after Periyalvar’s ‘Thiruppallandu’ has been sung.
Have you ever heard this powerful hymn during a temple visit?
வீட்டிலிருந்தே அனைத்து சமுதாயத்துக்குமான தர்ப்பணம் தேவையா? மகாளய கால தர்ப்பணம் வீட்டு வழக்கம் இல்லை சாஸ்திர நியதி. பித்ருக்கள் வீடு தேடி வந்தால் காலியாக திருப்ப அனுப்புவீங்களா?