Sunday, August 23, 2009

Divya Prabhandan- 4000 divine verses

The Nalayira Prabandham consists of four thousand verses in praise of Lord Vishnu in what is perhaps the oldest language of India--Tamil. Composed by the Azhwars, literally the God-immersed, the Prabandham sings the praise of Narayana (or Vishnu) and his many forms. A collection of 4,000 such verses composed before 8th century AD, by the 12 azhwars is called as “The Nalayira Divya Prabandham”. Due to their divinity they are called as divya Prabhandas. (Naalayira in Tamil means 'four thousand') The Alvars sung songs at various sacred shrines to the tune of 3892. Poigai alvar (100), Bhoothathalvar (100), Peyalvar (100), Thirumalisai alvar (216), Periyalvar (473), Aandaal (173), Thondaradippodi alvar (55), Thirumangai alvar(1253), Thiruppaan alvar (10), Kulasekara alvar (105), Nammalvar(1296), Madurakavialvar(11) after including the Thiruvarangathamudhanar’s Ramanuja noorandhathi (108) the Divya prabhandas became 4000 in number. It 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 shrines in which these divine prabhandhas were sung are known as the Divya Desams. These Prabhandas once thought of being lost were collected and organized in the form of an anthology by Nathamuni. The nalayira divya prabhandam has four major divisions viz: - Mudhalaayiram, Periya thirumozhi, thiruvaimozhi and eyarpa. The major contributions to these compilations are by Thirumangaialvar and Namalvar.

Nathamuni was born in Veera Naarayanapuram (Veeranam) or present day Kaattu Mannaar Koil. There is a lot of gap in time between Thirumangai Alvar (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 decade of 'Aaraavamude' of Nammaazhvaar at Kumbakonam. Captivated by these paasurams, he wanted to know more about them. One of the verses also mentioned 'aayiraththul ippaththu' (Tamil: 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 alvar (kurugoor satakopan), Nathamuni proceeded to Thirukurugoor 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 of Madhurakavi Alvar, who was the disciple of Nammaazhvaar (Kanninun Siruthaambu). They asked him to go to Thiruppuliaazhwar, the place were Nammaazhvaar lived, and recite these 11 pasurams for 12000 times. Nathamuni did as advised, and pleased with his penance, Nammaazhvaar granted him not only his 1000 pasurams, but the entire 4000 parsurams of all the alvars. In South India, especially in Tamil Nadu, the Divya Prabhandha is considered as equal to the Vedas, hence the epithet Dravida Veda / fifth veda (Ientham Vedam) In many temples, Srirangam, for example, the chanting of the Divya Prabhandham forms a major part of the daily service.

Saturday, August 22, 2009

Periyalzwaar - Mudalaayiram

In Mudalaayiram the first prabhandam is Periyalzwaar Tirumozhi, which includes Thirupallandu and recited by Periyazhwar. He was born in sri Villiputthur in the Tamil month of AANI and his birth star was swathi. He was described as Garudhazhwar’s (the vahanam of Sriman Narayana) amsam. The threats that Lord Sriman Narayana faced from asuras in his Rama Krishnaadi Avatharams made this Azhvar to Extoll Sriman Narayanas greatness to achieve eternity through his work Thirupallandu with the following words “ Pallandu Pallandu Pallayirathandu palakodi Noorayiram,” which is purely out of his Bakthi towards Narayana.So,our acharyas put this and Peryazhvar Thirumozhi as the first prabhandam in Mudalaayiram in the Divya Prabhandam Series.
It has total 473 pasurams. Here the Azhwaar describes the greatness of Lord Krishnaa’s Childhood activities with much emotions ( in other words called as “pillai thamizh”). He also rendered several pasurams on various divya desams like srirangam, Sri Badrinath, Thirukudanthai, Thirumaiumcholai (Alhagar Koil) etc.

Azhwars and their works- Nalayira divya prabhandam

Sl no

Name of the prabandham

Starting from

Ending with

Number of pasurams

Sung by

1

Periazhvar thirumozhi

1

473

473

Periyalvar

2

Thiruppavai

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

6

Thirumalai

872

916

45

Thondaradippodi alvar

7

Thiruppalliyezhuchchi

917

926

10

Thondaradippodi alvar

8

Amalanadhi piran

927

936

10

Thiruppaan alvar

9

Kanni nun siruththambu

937

947

11

Madhurakavi Alvar

10

Peria thirumozhi

948

2031

1084

Thirumangai alvar

11

Kurun thandagam

2032

2051

20

Thirumangai alvar

12

Nedum thandagam

2052

2081

30

Thirumangai alvar

13

Mudhal thiruvandhadhi

2082

2181

100

Poigai alvar

14

Irandam thiruvandhadhi

2182

2281

100

Bhoothathalvar

15

Moonram thiruvandhadhi

2282

2381

100

Peyalvar

16

Naanmugan thiruvandhadhi

2382

2477

96

Thirumalisai alvar

17

Thiruviruththam

2478

2577

100

Nammalvar

18

Thiruvasiriyam

2578

2584

7

Nammalvar

19

Peria thiruvandhadhi

2585

2671

87

Nammalvar

20

Thiruvezhukkurrirukkai

2672

2672

1

Thirumangai alvar

21

Siriya thirumadal

2673

2712

40

Thirumangai alvar

22

Peria thiru madal

2713

2790

78

Thirumangai alvar

23

Thiruvay mozhi

2791

3892

1102

Nammalvar

24

Ramanusa noorandhadhi

3893

4000

108

Thiruvarangathamudhanar

Total number of pasurams

4000

The Nalayira Divya Prabandham
(Tamil: நாலாயிர திவ்ய பிரபந்தம்)
The Nalayira Prabandham consists of four thousand verses in praise of Lord Vishnu in what is perhaps the oldest language of India--Tamil. Composed by the Azhwars, literally the God-immersed, the Prabandham sings the praise of Narayana (or Vishnu) and his many forms. A collection of 4,000 such verses composed before 8th century AD, by the 12 azhwars is called as “The Nalayira Divya Prabandham”. Due to their divinity they are called as divya Prabhandas. (Naalayira in Tamil means 'four thousand') The Alvars sung songs at various sacred shrines to the tune of 3892. Poigai alvar (100), Bhoothathalvar (100), Peyalvar (100), Thirumalisai alvar (216), Periyalvar (473), Aandaal (173), Thondaradippodi alvar (55), Thirumangai alvar(1253), Thiruppaan alvar (10), Kulasekara alvar (105), Nammalvar(1296), Madurakavialvar(11) after including the Thiruvarangathamudhanar’s Ramanuja noorandhathi (108) the Divya prabhandas became 4000 in number. It 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 shrines in which these divine prabhandhas were sung are known as the Divya Desams. These Prabhandas once thought of being lost were collected and organized in the form of an anthology by Nathamuni. The nalayira divya prabhandam has four major divisions viz: - Mudhalaayiram, Periya thirumozhi, thiruvaimozhi and eyarpa. The major contributions to these compilations are by Thirumangaialvar and Namalvar.
Nathamuni was born in Veera Naarayanapuram (Veeranam) or present day Kaattu Mannaar Koil. There is a lot of gap in time between Thirumangai Alvar (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 decade of 'Aaraavamude' of Nammaazhvaar at Kumbakonam. Captivated by these paasurams, he wanted to know more about them. One of the verses also mentioned 'aayiraththul ippaththu' (Tamil: 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 alvar (kurugoor satakopan), Nathamuni proceeded to Thirukurugoor 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 of Madhurakavi Alvar, who was the disciple of Nammaazhvaar (Kanninun Siruthaambu). They asked him to go to Thiruppuliaazhwar, the place were Nammaazhvaar lived, and recite these 11 pasurams for 12000 times. Nathamuni did as advised, and pleased with his penance, Nammaazhvaar granted him not only his 1000 pasurams, but the entire 4000 parsurams of all the alvars. In South India, especially in Tamil Nadu, the Divya Prabhandha is considered as equal to the Vedas, hence the epithet Dravida Veda / fifth veda (Ientham Vedam) In many temples, Srirangam, for example, the chanting of the Divya Prabhandham forms a major part of the daily service.