Naalayira Divyap Prabhandham - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

The Nalayira Divya Prabandham is a collection of 4,000 Tamil

Tamil language

Tamil is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamil people of the Indian subcontinent. It has official status in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and in the Indian union territory of Pondicherry. Tamil is also an official language of Sri Lanka and Singapore...

verses (Naalayira in Tamil

Tamil language

means 'four thousand') composed before 8th century AD, by the 12 Alvars

Alvars

The alwar or azhwars were Tamil poet saints of south India who lived between the sixth and ninth centuries A.D. and espoused ‘emotional devotion’ or bhakti to Visnu-Krishna in their songs of longing, ecstasy and service. Sri Vaishnava orthodoxy posits the number of alvars as ten, though there are...

, and was compiled in its present form by Nathamuni during the 9th – 10th centuries. The work is the beginning of the canonization of the 12 Vaishnava poet saints, and these hymns are still sung extensively even today. The works were lost before they were collected and organized in the form of an anthology by Nathamuni

Nathamuni

Nathamuni was a Tamil Vaishnava scholar who founded the Sri Vaishnava tradition.According to Sri Vaishnava history, Acharya Shriman Nathamunigal was born at Veera Narayana Puram near Kattumannarkoil...

.

The Prabandha sings the praise of Narayana

Narayana

Narayana or Narayan or Naraina is an important Sanskrit name for Vishnu, and in many contemporary vernaculars a common Indian name. Narayana is also identified as the original man, Purusha. The Puranas present divergent views on Narayana...

(or Vishnu

Vishnu

Vishnu is the Supreme god in the Vaishnavite tradition of Hinduism. Smarta followers of Adi Shankara, among others, venerate Vishnu as one of the five primary forms of God....

) and his many forms. The Alvars

Alvars

sung these songs at various sacred shrines. These shrines are known as the Divya Desams

Divya Desams

Divya Desams refer to 108 Vishnu temples that are mentioned in the works of the Tamil Azhvars . 105 of these are located in India, 1 in Nepal, while 2 are located outside of the Earthly realms. 'Divya' in Tamil language indicates premium and 'Desam' indicates place or temple.The two major deities...

.

The Tamil

Tamil language

Vaishnavites are also known as Ubhaya Vedanti(those that follow both vedas). In many temples, Srirangam

Srirangam

Srirangam , Old name is Vellithirumutha gramam and Tamil name is Thiruvarangam , is an island and a part of the city of Tiruchirapalli , in South India....

, for example, the chanting of the Divya Prabhandham forms a major part of the daily service. Prominent among the 4,000 verses are the 1,100+ verses known as the Thiru Vaaymozhi, composed by Nammalvar

Nammalvar

Nammalvar also Nammazhwar,Nammaazhvaar, Nammazhvar, Nammaalvaar, Nammalwar;Tamil: நம்மாழ்வார்) was one of the twelve Alvars, well known for his many hymns on devotion to Vishnu. Legend gives him the date 3102 B.C....

(Kaari Maaran, Sadagopan of Thiruk Kurugoor

AlwarThirunagari Temple

AlwarThirunagari Permual Temple is one of the Nava Tirupathi, nine Hindu temples dedicated to Lord Vishnu located in Tiruchendur-Tirunelveli route, Tamilnadu, India in the banks of Thamiraparani river...

).

The Tiruvaymoli ("words of the sacred mouth") is one of the Divya Prabandha, an important liturgical compilation of the Tamil Alvar

Alvar

An alvar is a biological environment based on a limestone plain with thin or no soil and, as a result, sparse vegetation. It is also known as a pavement barren although this term is also used for similar landforms based on sandstone. In the United Kingdom the exposed landform is called a limestone...

Bhaktas

Bhakti

In Hinduism Bhakti is religious devotion in the form of active involvement of a devotee in worship of the divine.Within monotheistic Hinduism, it is the love felt by the worshipper towards the personal God, a concept expressed in Hindu theology as Svayam Bhagavan.Bhakti can be used of either...

, collected in the 9th century by Nammalvar

Nammalvar

. The author self-identifies as a lovelorn Gopi

Gopi

Gopi is a word of Sanskrit origin meaning 'cow-herd girl'. In Hinduism specifically the name gopi is used more commonly to refer to the group of cow herding girls famous within Vaishnava Theology for their unconditional devotion to Krishna as described in the stories of Bhagavata Purana and...

pining for Krishna

Krishna

Krishna is a central figure of Hinduism and is traditionally attributed the authorship of the Bhagavad Gita. He is the supreme Being and considered in some monotheistic traditions as an Avatar of Vishnu...

Compilation

These once thought of being lost were collected and organized in the form of an anthology by Nathamuni

Nathamuni

.

Nathamuni was born in Veera Naarayanapuram(Veeranam) or present day Kaattu Mannaar Koil. There is a lot of gap in time between Thirumangai Alvar

Thirumangai Alvar

Thirumangai Alvar or Tirumangai Alvar or Tirumankai Alvar or Thirumangai Mannan is the last of the 12 Alvar saints of south India, who are known for their affiliation to Vaishnava tradition of Hinduism. He is considered one of the most learned Alvar and the most superior Alvar in the context of...

(the last alvar) and Nathamuni. In this dark period, nobody knew what happened to the 4000 verses.

Legend has it that once Nathamuni heard some people reciting the decad of Aaraavamude of Nammaazhvaar at Kumbakonam

Kumbakonam

Kumbakonam , also spelt as Coombaconum in the records of British India , is a town and a special grade municipality in the Thanjavur district in the southeast Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Located 40 kilometres from Thanjavur and 272 kilometres from Chennai, it is the headquarters of the Kumbakonam...

. Captivated by these paasurams(hymns), he wanted to know more about them. One of the verses also mentioned Aayiraththul Ippaththu (Tamil

Tamil language

: these 10 out of the 1000). When Nathamuni enquired about the remaining 990, the people who sang the 10 did not know anything about the other verses. But as the song mentioned the name and place of the azhwar(Kurugoor Satakopan), Nathamuni proceeded to Thirukurugoor

AlwarThirunagari Temple

and asked the people there about Swami Nammazhwar's 1000 verses.

The people did not know the 1000 that Nathamuni wanted, but they told him about 11 pasurams(hymns) of Madhurakavi Alvar

Madhurakavi Alvar

Madhurakavi was a Tamil saint/composer of the 6th to 9th century. He is one of the 12 Alvar saints of South India, who are known for their affiliation to Vaishnava tradition of Hinduism. He composed 11 couplets in praise of his guru, Nammalvar in the 4000 divya Prabhandham...

, who was the disciple of Nammazhwar Kanninun Siruthaambu. They asked him to go to Thiruppuliaazhwar, the place were Nammazhwar lived, and recite these 11 pasurams(hymns) for 12000 times. Nathamuni did as advised, and pleased with his penance, Nammazhwar granted him not only his 1000 pasurams(hymns), but the entire 4000 pasurams(hymns) of all the alvars.

Details of Pasurams

The following table shows the details of the 4000 pasurams(hymns).

Sl no	Name of the prabandham	Starting from	Ending with	Number of pasurams	Sung by
1	Periazhvar thirumozhi	1	473	473	Periyalvar Periyalvar Periyalwar or Periazhwar is the first of the 12 Alvar saints of South India, who are known for their affiliation to Vaishnava tradition of Hinduism...
2	Thiruppavai Thiruppavai The Tiruppavai is a collection of thirty stanzas in Tamil written by Andal, in praise of the Lord Perumal,...	474	503	30	Aandaal
3	Nachiar Tirumozhi	504	646	143	Aandaal
4	Perumal thirumozhi	647	751	105	Kulasekara alvar
5	Thiruchchanda Viruththam	752	871	120	Thirumalisai alvar Thirumalisai Alvar Thirumalisai Alvar is a tamil mendicant-saint revered in the srivaishnavism school of south india between the 4th to 9th century CE in Tondai Nadu [now called Kanchipuram and Tiruvallur districts]. There are only little historical records of this alvars. The legend of this saint devotees of...
6	Thirumalai	872	916	45	Thondaradippodi alvar Thondaradippodi Alvar Thondaradippodi Alvar or Bhaktanghri renu swami was a Tamil Vaishnava Saint who is also named as "Vipra Narayanar" led his life in devotion to Lord Narayana and worked for the Perumal by dedicating him with Garlands...
7	Thiruppalliyezhuchchi	917	926	10	Thondaradippodi alvar Thondaradippodi Alvar Thondaradippodi Alvar or Bhaktanghri renu swami was a Tamil Vaishnava Saint who is also named as "Vipra Narayanar" led his life in devotion to Lord Narayana and worked for the Perumal by dedicating him with Garlands...
8	Amalanadhi piran	927	936	10	Thiruppaan alvar Thiruppaan Alvar Thiruppaan Alvar is one of the 12 Alvar saints of South India, who are known for their affiliation to Vaishnava tradition of Hinduism. The temples reverred by these azhwars are termed Divya desam. He was born into a community, then considered as outcastes and untouchables...
9	Kanni Nun Siruththambu	937	947	11	Madhurakavi Alvar Madhurakavi Alvar Madhurakavi was a Tamil saint/composer of the 6th to 9th century. He is one of the 12 Alvar saints of South India, who are known for their affiliation to Vaishnava tradition of Hinduism. He composed 11 couplets in praise of his guru, Nammalvar in the 4000 divya Prabhandham...
10	Peria Thirumozhi	948	2031	1084	Thirumangai alvar Thirumangai Alvar Thirumangai Alvar or Tirumangai Alvar or Tirumankai Alvar or Thirumangai Mannan is the last of the 12 Alvar saints of south India, who are known for their affiliation to Vaishnava tradition of Hinduism. He is considered one of the most learned Alvar and the most superior Alvar in the context of...
11	Kurun Thandagam	2032	2051	20	Thirumangai alvar Thirumangai Alvar Thirumangai Alvar or Tirumangai Alvar or Tirumankai Alvar or Thirumangai Mannan is the last of the 12 Alvar saints of south India, who are known for their affiliation to Vaishnava tradition of Hinduism. He is considered one of the most learned Alvar and the most superior Alvar in the context of...
12	Nedum Thandagam	2052	2081	30	Thirumangai alvar Thirumangai Alvar Thirumangai Alvar or Tirumangai Alvar or Tirumankai Alvar or Thirumangai Mannan is the last of the 12 Alvar saints of south India, who are known for their affiliation to Vaishnava tradition of Hinduism. He is considered one of the most learned Alvar and the most superior Alvar in the context of...
13	Mudhal Thiruvandhadhi	2082	2181	100	Poigai Alvar Poigai Alvar Poigai Alvar is one of the 12 Alvar saints of South India, who are known for their affiliation to Vaishnava tradition of Hinduism. The temples reverred by the verses of azhwars are termed Divya desam....
14	Irandam Thiruvandhadhi	2182	2281	100	Bhoothathalvar Bhoothathalvar Bhoothathalvar is one of the 12 Alvar saints of South India, who are known for their affiliation to Vaishnava tradition of Hinduism. The temples reverred by the verses of azhwars are termed Divya desam....
15	Moonram Thiruvandhadhi	2282	2381	100	Peyalvar Peyalvar Peyalvar is one of the 12 Alvar saints of South India, who are known for their affiliation to Vaishnava tradition of Hinduism. The temples reverred by these azhwars are termed Divya desam....
16	Naanmugan Thiruvandhadhi	2382	2477	96	Thirumalisai alvar Thirumalisai Alvar Thirumalisai Alvar is a tamil mendicant-saint revered in the srivaishnavism school of south india between the 4th to 9th century CE in Tondai Nadu [now called Kanchipuram and Tiruvallur districts]. There are only little historical records of this alvars. The legend of this saint devotees of...
17	Thiruviruththam	2478	2577	100	Nammalvar Nammalvar Nammalvar also Nammazhwar,Nammaazhvaar, Nammazhvar, Nammaalvaar, Nammalwar;Tamil: நம்மாழ்வார்) was one of the twelve Alvars, well known for his many hymns on devotion to Vishnu. Legend gives him the date 3102 B.C....
18	Thiruvasiriyam	2578	2584	7	Nammalvar Nammalvar Nammalvar also Nammazhwar,Nammaazhvaar, Nammazhvar, Nammaalvaar, Nammalwar;Tamil: நம்மாழ்வார்) was one of the twelve Alvars, well known for his many hymns on devotion to Vishnu. Legend gives him the date 3102 B.C....
19	Peria Thiruvandhadhi	2585	2671	87	Nammalvar Nammalvar Nammalvar also Nammazhwar,Nammaazhvaar, Nammazhvar, Nammaalvaar, Nammalwar;Tamil: நம்மாழ்வார்) was one of the twelve Alvars, well known for his many hymns on devotion to Vishnu. Legend gives him the date 3102 B.C....
20	Thiruvezhukkurrirukkai	2672	2672	1	Thirumangai alvar Thirumangai Alvar Thirumangai Alvar or Tirumangai Alvar or Tirumankai Alvar or Thirumangai Mannan is the last of the 12 Alvar saints of south India, who are known for their affiliation to Vaishnava tradition of Hinduism. He is considered one of the most learned Alvar and the most superior Alvar in the context of...
21	Siriya Thirumadal	2673	2673	1	Thirumangai alvar Thirumangai Alvar Thirumangai Alvar or Tirumangai Alvar or Tirumankai Alvar or Thirumangai Mannan is the last of the 12 Alvar saints of south India, who are known for their affiliation to Vaishnava tradition of Hinduism. He is considered one of the most learned Alvar and the most superior Alvar in the context of...
22	Peria Thiru Madal	2674	2674	1	Thirumangai alvar Thirumangai Alvar Thirumangai Alvar or Tirumangai Alvar or Tirumankai Alvar or Thirumangai Mannan is the last of the 12 Alvar saints of south India, who are known for their affiliation to Vaishnava tradition of Hinduism. He is considered one of the most learned Alvar and the most superior Alvar in the context of...
23	Thiruvay Mozhi	2674	3776	1102	Nammalvar Nammalvar Nammalvar also Nammazhwar,Nammaazhvaar, Nammazhvar, Nammaalvaar, Nammalwar;Tamil: நம்மாழ்வார்) was one of the twelve Alvars, well known for his many hymns on devotion to Vishnu. Legend gives him the date 3102 B.C....
	Total number of pasurams			3776

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