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 WHAT IS THANIYAN ?

A Thaniyan is generally a Sanskrit sloka or a Tamil pasuram that describes the greatness of the Alwar who sang this prabhandam and also gives a summary of the prabhandam

THANIYAN BY SRI PARASHARA BHATTAR:

 THANIYAN 1: 

nīḷātuṅga-stana giritaṭī suptam udbodhya kṛṣṇam
pārārthyaṃ svaṃ śruti śataśira˙ siddham adhyāpayantī |
svocchiṣṭāyāṃ sraji nigalitaṃ yā balātkṛtya bhuṅkte
godā tasyai nama idam-idam bhūya evāstu bhūyaḥ ||

நீளாதுங்க ஸ்தநகிரி தடீ ஸுப்தம் உத் போத்ய க்ருஷ்ணம் |
பாரார்த்த்யம் ஸ்வம் ஸ்ருதி ஸத ஸிரஸ் ஸித்த மத்யா பயந்தீ ||
ஸ்வோச்சிஷ்டாயாம் ஸ்ரஜி நிகளிதம் யா பலாத் க்ருத்ய புங்க்தே |
கோதா தஸ்யை: நம இதமிதம் பூய ஏவாஸ்து பூய: ||

LITERAL MEANING:

I offer my obeisance again and again to Goddess Āṇḍāḷ, to Her alone who has awakened Lord Krishna sleeping on the mountain-like lofty breasts of Goddess Nīla. Āṇḍāḷ has informed Him of her total dependence on Him in accordance with the hundreds of Vedāntic texts; Āṇḍāḷ who robustly enjoys Him: after binding Him with garlands that she had first worn.

EXPLANATION:

Sri Nammāzwar says that Krishna humbled seven bulls so that He could rest His head on Neela Devi's bosom. (The picture here is) Krishna who is resting His head on mountain like breasts of Neela devi (representing jnana and bhakthi) is being awakened. He is intoxicated by jnana, / bhakthi and the ambrosia of Her breasts. She Godhadevi, wants to make it known to the Supreme Being, the Parabrahman [the soul's plight (nilai) of chethanas caught in the cycle of rebirths (samsara) and] the subservience of Herself and others, the top adornment, as declared by the Vedas and Upanishads and She the one who used to wear first the garland made by Her father Vishnuchitthar for Sri Ranganatha who is lying supine (in Srirangam), and whom she forcibly experiences to that Godha Devi I prostrate. Let such prostration continue for eons without break. In fact this is Godha Devi's expression of 'anugraha' for (all the chethanas) the innocent people of Thiru Ayarbadi for upliftment; it is meant to help the Lord to get back His children, who are caught in samsāra, to Paramapadham.