Srivilliputtūr

The story of Periyāzhwār begins with the story of Srivilliputtūr, the town from which he came.

In the southern Pandya kingdom there was a small town called Puttūr, where great scholars and paṇḍits lived. Beside it lay a forest inhabited by hunters, whose chief had two sons, Villi and Kaṇḍan. One day the two brothers went into the forest to hunt, as they always did. They spotted a tiger, but it escaped their arrows. Kaṇḍan gave chase and plunged deep into the forest, until the tiger, hiding behind a tree, sprang upon him and killed him.

Villi waited long for his brother, then went searching for him, anxious for the brother he loved so dearly. When at last he found Kaṇḍan's body, his heart nearly stopped with grief; he wept bitterly and fell unconscious upon his brother.

As he lay unconscious, a vision rose before him. Sriman Nārāyaṇa appeared with His consort Mahālakshmī and, opening His coral lips, said: "O Villi, do not grieve or weep. We will restore your brother's life. Go together and find the great banyan tree in the midst of this forest, beneath which My form has lain for a long time. Near the tree you will find a cave filled with golden jewels, coins and treasure. Take as much as you need, and with that wealth clear the forest and build a temple and a town around it." Then the Lord vanished.

When Villi regained consciousness, he did not know whether what he had seen was true, and he was bewildered. But suddenly Kaṇḍan rose, alive and unhurt, as though waking from sleep. Villi told his brother all that had happened, and the two embraced, overjoyed that they had been blessed by the Lord and chosen by Him to establish a temple for Shriyaḥ Pati, the Lord of Sri.