AzhvAr Arulamudham

Before starting to sing the prabandams, Taniyans are sung. These are laudatory verses in praise of our AchAryas. They are recited before every Prabandam and as the first shloka everyday. Podhu thaniyans Let us first enjoy the podhu thaniyans. rAmAnuja dhayApAthram jnAna vairAgya bhooshaNam | srImath vEnkatanAthAyam vandhE vEdhAntha dhESikam || Meaning: I worship Vedanta Desikan (Acharya or preceptor uniquely praised as such due to his great contribution and strict adherence to Vedanthic tradition), named Venkata nAthan, endowed with auspiciousness and glories, who was a receptacle of the mercy (dayA) of his AchArya Sri Ramanuja, and who was adorned with the jewels of wisdom (jnAnam) and detachment (VairAgyam). There is also another thaniyan which is recited :(by the sishyas of thennAcharya sampradayam): Sri SailEsa dayA pAthram dhI bhakthyAdhi guNArNavam | yathIndhra pravaNam vandhE ramya jAmAthram munim || Meaning: I salute Sri ManavaaLa MaamunigaL, who has the blessings of Thiruvaaim

 Now we all know that “Nathamuni”, retrieved all the 4000 hymns. NAMMAZHWAR revealed to Nathamuni the 4000 hymns including “Thiruvaimozhi”, Rahasyatraya and it’s meanings over three consecutive nights. Nathamuni attached apt musical meters to these hymns, consolidated and codified them into 4 categories. Let us see them one by one  FIRST THOUSAND  MUDHAL AYIRAM Mudhal Ayiram is comprised of Periazhwar  1.Pallandu 2.Periazhwar thirumozhi Andal 1.ThiruppAvai 2-NAchyAr thirumozhi Kulasekara Azhwar  1.Perumal thiru mozhi  Thirumazhisai Azhwar  1.Thiruchanda virutham THONDARADIPODI Azhwar  1.Thirumaalai 2.Thiruppalli yezhuchi ThiruppAn Azhwar  1.AmalanAdhi puran Madhurakavi Azhwar  1.Kanninun siruthAmbu SECOND THOUSANDS  IRANDAM AYIRAM Irandam Ayiram is comprised of  THIRUMANGAI AZHWAR 1.Periya Thirumozhi  2.Thirukkurunthandagam 3.ThiruNedunthandagam Thirumangai azhwar wrote a total of 6 Prabandams. Out of which the above 3 were added as the second thousand  THIRD THOUSANDS  EYARPAA EYARPAA

 These 108 DIVYA DESAMS are classified according to the particular region that they are situated in. In that manner we have 6 different regions or naadu as it is said.  These six regions respectively are: 1) CHOOZHA NAADU : THANJAVUR as its headquarters and its adjoining regions. 2) PAANDYA NAADU : MADURAI as its headquarters and its adjoining regions. 3) NADU NAADU : Districts of  VILLUPURAM, CUDDALORE and THIRUVANNAMALAI 4) THONDAI NAADU : Regions of southern ANDHRA and Northern TAMILNADU with KAANCHIPURAM as its headquarter. 5) MALAI NAADU : Regions belonging to KERALA 6)MEL NAADU  : Regions in the northern part.       Here is a verse to help us easily remember the number of Divya Desams in each region        40 aam CHOZHAM,  18, aam PANDIAM 2aam NADUNADU,  22 aam THONDAINADU 13aam MALAINADU, 11am MELNADU      

  Let’s now list the works of each Azhwar respectively. POIGAI AZHWAR:- Mudhal Thiruvandhadhi. A total of hundred hymns singing in praise of the Lord relating to six Divya Desam deities out of the 108. (Mangalasasanam of Divya Desam - 6) 1. SriRangam- Sri Ranganathaswamy  2. Thirukkoviloor- Sri Thiruvikama Perumal  3. Thiruvekka- Sri Yathothkari Perumal  4. Thirupathi- Sri Venkateswara  5. Thirupparkadal- Heavenly abode 6. ThiruParamapadham- Heavenly abode BOOTHATH AZHWAR:- Irandam Thiruvandhadhi. A total of hundred hymns singing in praise of the Lord relating to thirteen (13) Divya Desam deities out of the 108.  (Mangalasasanam of Divya Desam- 13) 1.SriRangam- Sri Ranganathaswamy  2.Thanjavur- Sri Neelamega Perumal  3.Kumbakonam- Sri Sarangapani Perumal 4.Thirukkoviloor- Sri Thiruvikrama Perumal  5.Thiruneermalai- Sri Neervanna Perumal  6.Mamallapuram- Sri Sthala Sayana Perumal  7.Kanchipuram- Sri Varadaraja Perumal  8.Thirupaadagam- Sri Paandava Thoodhar 9.Thiruthangal- Sri Nindra Na

  A poetic verse or stanza (in Sanskrit) designed for prayer describes the names of these AzhvArs and one more sage or Guru as follows: Blessed and penned by *PARASARA BHATTAR* "Bhutam Sarascha Mahadahvaya Bhattanatha Sri Bhaktisara Kulasekhara Yogivahan Bhaktanghrirenu Parakala Yatindra Mishran Srimat Paramkusha munim pranatosmi nityam" The salutations of the AzhwAr goes thus Bhutham- Bhuthathazhvar Sarascha- Poigaiyazhvar MahadhAhvaya-Peyazhvar Bhattanatha-Periyazhvar Sri- Andal (according to pillailokachar) Bhakthisara- Thirumazhisai Azhwar  Kulasekara-Kulasekarazhvar Yogivahan-Thiruppaanazhvar Bhakthangri renu- Thondaradippodi azhvar Parakala- Thirumangai azhvar Yathindra-Ramanujar Misran- Madurakavi Azhwar (according to pillailokachar). Parangusa muni- Nammazhvar Pranathosmi Nithyam- I do my pranams to them daily. Azhwar Thiruvadigale Sharanam. Reply Forward

Now let us get some details of the Azhwars. Poigai Azhwar , Boothath Azhwar and Pey Azhwar are the first three Azhwars referred to as  Mudhal Azhwars They were contemporaries who were born in the same Tamil month of Aippasi on successive Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, in the constellations of Tiruvonam, Avittam and Sadhayam.   1) Poigai Azhwar , an incarnation of Panchajanyam, the divine conch of Lord Vishnu appeared on the lotus bud in a pond in Tiruvekka near Kanchipuram. 2) Boothath Azhwar , an incarnation of Kaumodhaki (the Gada) the divine mace of Lord Vishnu appeared in a Kurukkatti flower in Mahabalipuram. 3) Pey Azhwar , an incarnation of Nandaki, the divine sword of Lord Vishnu appeared in a red lily in the well of the temple of Adhikesava Perumal at Mylapore, Madras. 4) Thirumazhisai azhwar an incarnation of SUDARSHANA , the Divine Disc of Lord Vishnu was born during the same period of Mudhal azhwar (7thcentury). His star is    Makham and born in the Tamil month THAI

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.      Natham