Divya Prabandham
Divya Prabandham also called Nalaayira Divya prabandham consists of nearly 4000 hymns.
These 4000 Tamil verses are composed by 12 Tamil poet-saints called Azhwars who were immersed in their devotion to Lord Vishnu.
The 12 Azhwars sang these songs about various sacred shrines and the presiding Deity of the shrine, that came to be known as the Divya Desams. There are 108 Divya Desams. 105 in India, 1 in Nepal and the last two believed to be beyond the Earthly realms.
The 12 Azhwars
- Poigai azhwar
- Boothath azhwar
- Peyazhwar
- Thirumazhisai azhwar
- Nammazhwar
- Madhurakavi azhwar
- Kulasekara azhwar
- Peri azhwar
- Andal
- Thondaradipodi azhwar
- Thiruppan azhwar
- Thirumangai azhwar
The Nalaayira Divya Prabandham also known as “DRAVIDA VEDAM” or “TAMIL VEDAM” became lost after the period of the Azhwars. Later it was the scholar-saint and Acharya “NATHAMUNI “ who in the 10th century retrieved and compiled this treasure in the present form which’s the pride of Tamil Classical Literature.
Nathamuni was born in Kaatu Mannar Koil. Captivated by the decad of “AARAVAMUDHE” of Nammazhwar sung by some Some people he wanted to know more about it . As the song mentioned the name and place of the azhwar ( kurugoor Sadagopan) he proceeded in search of the songs. In that process he came to know about the disciple of Nammazhwar called Madhura Kavi azhwar who sang “KANNINUL SIRUDHAMBU”. (கண்ணிணுள் சிருத்தாம்பு).
Kanninun Siruthambu composed by Swami Madhura Kavi Azhwar can be considered as the key which opened the treasure to the 4000 verses of NAlAyira Divya Prabandham. These verses were chanted by Swami Nathamuni 12,000 (twelve thousand) times to propitiate Swami Nammazhwar and re-obtain the lost NAlAyira Divya Prabhandam from him.
Azhwar Thiruvadigale Sharanam.
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