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.

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.