The Giving Lord
Pirān (Tamil: 'the one who gives / the great benefactor') is a Tamil epithet for Bhagavān, emphasizing His quality of vātsalya and kāruṇya — His giving nature. The word is used frequently in the Divya Prabandham, particularly in addressing the presiding deity of a specific Divya Deśam.
Epithet in Place Names
Pirān appears in several divine names and honorifics:
- Āzhvārtirunagari Pirān — the Lord of Āzhvārtirunagari
- Kurukai Pirān Piḷḷān — honorific for Tirukkurukai Pirān Piḷḷān (Rāmānuja's disciple)
- Nācciyār Pirān — often Bhagavān praised alongside the Nācciyār
Devotional Tone
The epithet pirān is distinctively Tamil and expresses the intimate, devoted relationship between the Āzhvār-poets and the Lord. It carries a sense of 'my Lord who graces me' — more personal and warm than the Sanskrit Īśvara or Bhagavān.