Periyalvar (Vishnuchitta)

Vishnuchitta was a Brahmin of Srivilliputhur who wanted no work but making garlands for Vatapatrashayi, the Lord who sleeps on the banyan leaf in the town's temple. He planted a flower garden and strung garlands every day.

The guru-parampara tells that the Pandya king Vallabhadeva of Madurai wished to know which god leads to moksha, and hung a purse of gold from a pole in his court for the scholar who could prove it. The Lord told Vishnuchitta in a dream to go. He was no debater, but when he spoke from the Vedas that Narayana is the highest, the purse bent down to him of its own accord. The king seated him on the royal elephant and took him round the city. Then Bhagwan himself appeared in the sky on Garuda with Mata Lakshmi to see his devotee honoured. Vishnuchitta did not ask for anything. He was afraid that the evil eye might fall on the Lord's beauty, and he sang to protect him: pallandu, pallandu, may you live many years, many years. That is the Tiruppallandu, the twelve verses that open the Nalayira Divya Prabandham and are sung first in every Sri Vaishnava temple.

For this, a devotee who blesses the Lord instead of asking for blessings, he is called Periyalvar, the great Alvar. His Periyalvar Tirumozhi sings Krishna's childhood as a mother would: his birth, his cradle, his first steps, his ears being pierced, the moon called down to play with him. He is the father of Andal.