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Divya Prabandham
Nammalvar, considered the most prominent of the twelve Alvars whose works are compiled as Prabandam
Information
Religion	Hinduism
Author	Alvars
Language	Tamil
Period	9th–10th century CE
Verses	4,000

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The Naalayira Divya Prabandham (Tamil: நாலாயிரத் திவ்வியப் பிரபந்தம், romanized: Nālāyira Divya Prabandham, lit. 'Four Thousand Divine Hymns') is a collection of 4,000 Tamil verses composed by the 12 Alvars. It was compiled in its present form by Nāthamuni during the 9th–10th centuries. The work, an important liturgical compilation of the Tamil Alvars who lived between 5th and 8th Century CE, marks the beginning of the canonisation of 12 Vaishnava poet saints, and these hymns are still sung extensively today.

Description

The Divya Prabandham sings the praises of Narayana (Vishnu) and his many forms. The Alvars sang these songs at various sacred shrines known as the Divya Desams. The Tamil Vaishnavites, also known as Ubhaya Vedanti follow both the Sanskrit Vedas as well as the Tamil-language Tiruvaymoli, a work which devotees of Sri Vaishnavism regard as the Tamil Veda. In many temples — Srirangam, for example — the chanting of the Divya Prabandham forms a major part of the daily service. It is also recited in some North Indian Vaishnavite temples, such as Badrinath. The Divya Prabandham is recited along with the Vedas, and it is given equal status to the Vedas in the Tenkalai denomination of Sri Vaishnavism, largely due to the efforts of Ramanuja who enshrined the Divya Prabandham on the same pedestal as the Vedas.

Prominent among its 4,000 verses are the 1,102 verses known as the Tiruvaymoli ("verses of the sacred mouth"), composed by Nammalvar and which forms the third portion of the overall Divya Prabandham. Nammalvar self-identifies as a lovelorn gopi pining for Krishna.

The compendium begins with the Tirupallantu, a benedictory hymn written by Periyalvar, wishing long life to Vishnu.

Structure

The text is split into 4 sections of roughly 1000 pasurams each. The are in order (1) Mudalayiram, (2) Irandam Ayiram, (3) Munram Ayiram, and (4) Iyarppa.

Nomenclature

Pasuram

The hymns or songs sung by the Alvars dedicated to Vishnu are specifically designated the term pasuram in Tamil.

Taniyan

The works that make up the Naalayira Divya Prabandham are usually preceded by a taniyan. A taniyan refers to a stray verse, also referred to as a laudatory verse, that offers a brief synopsis of the life of the Alvar poet, a summary of the themes of the hymns, and emphasises the merit gained from the recitation, listening, or reading of the given text. It serves to glorify both the hymns as well as the composer of the hymns. Six taniyans precede the Tiruvaymoli, the most of any text in the compendium.

Vāḻi Tirunamam

Following the customary recitation of the hymns of the work, a vāḻi tirunamam is chanted. This refers to a hymn that serves to commemorate or exalt the poet-saint who composed a given work. For instance, such a verse may hope for the poet-saint to live long, or for their names to be remembered for a millennium.

Compilation

The collection, once thought to have been lost, was organised in the form of an anthology by Nathamuni.

Nathamuni was born in Veera Naarayanapuram (Veeranam) or present-day Kaattu Mannaar Koil. There is a long time gap between Tirumangai Alvar (the last Alvar) and Nathamuni. In this dark period, nobody knew what happened to the 4,000 verses of the text.

Legend has it that once Nathamuni heard some people reciting the cantos of Āravāmude of Nammalvar at Kumbakonam. Captivated by these pasurams (hymns), he wanted to know more about them. One of the verses also mentioned Āyiraththul 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 Nammalvar's 1,000 verses.

The people did not know the 1,000 verses that Nathamuni wanted, but they told him about 11 pasurams (hymns) of Madhurakavi Alvar, a disciple of Nammalvar, and the Kanninun Cirutampu. They asked him to go to Thiruppulialvar, the place where Nammalvar lived, and recite these 11 pasurams 12,000 times. Nathamuni did as advised, and pleased with his penance, Nammalvar granted him not only his 1,000 pasurams, but the entire 4,000-pasuram collection of all the Alvars.

Hymns

The following table shows the details of the 4,000 pasurams (hymns).

Notes

1. Vedānta Deśika and his followers do not count Tirupallāṇḍu as a separate book within the collection, and instead compress Śiriya Tirumaḍal and Periya Tirumaḍal into 40 and 78 verses respectively. They include the 108 verses of Rāmānuja-nūṟṟandādī at the end to bring the total to 4000.

References

1. Clooney 2019, p. 986.
2. Chari 1997, p. ix.
3. Rajarajan 2013, p. 37-90.
4. ^ Carman 1989, p. 4.
5. Prabhu 2013.
6. Ramesh 1992, p. 42.
7. Gupta & Padmanabhan 2017.
8. Venkatacharya 1999, p. 66.
9. Bharati 2000.
10. Pārttacārati 2008, p. 95.
11. Nayar 1992, p. 95.
12. Venkatesan 2016, p. 5.
13. Nammalvar 2020, p. 297.
14. Viraraghavacharya 1979, p. 65.
15. Seetharaman 2009, p. 196.
16. Sullivan 1997, p. 217.
17. Rengarajan 1999.
18. Sadagopan 1997.
19. Chari 1997, p. 32.
20. Chari 1997, p. 32-33.

Sources

• Bharati, Srirama (2000). The Sacred Book of Four Thousand. Chennai: Sri Sadagopan Tirunarayanaswami Divya Prabandha Pathasala.
• Carman, John (1989). The Tamil Veda: Pillan's Interpretation of the Tiruvaymoli. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
• Chari, S. M. Srinivasa (1997). Philosophy and Theistic Mysticism of the Āl̲vārs. Motilal Banarsidass Publ. ISBN 978-81-208-1342-7.
• Clooney, Francis X. (2019). "Review of My Sapphire-hued Lord, My Beloved! Kulacēkara Āḻvār's Perumāl Tirumoḻi". Journal of the American Oriental Society. 139 (4): 986–988. ISSN 0003-0279. JSTOR 10.7817/jameroriesoci.139.4.0986.
• Gupta, Sonika; Padmanabhan, Sudarsan (19 September 2017). Politics and Cosmopolitanism in a Global Age. Routledge. ISBN 978-1-317-34132-1.
• Nammalvar (17 February 2020). Endless Song. Penguin Random House India Private Limited. ISBN 978-93-5305-779-4.
• Nayar, Nancy Ann (1992). Poetry as Theology: The Śrīvaiṣṇava Stotra in the Age of Rāmānuja. Otto Harrassowitz Verlag. ISBN 978-3-447-03255-1.
• Pārttacārati, Intirā (2008). Ramanujar: The Life and Ideas of Ramanuja. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-569161-0.
• Prabhu, S. (8 August 2013). "Dance of Devotion". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 6 March 2021.
• Rajarajan, R. K. K. (2013). "Historical sequence of the Vaiṣṇava Divyadeśas. Sacred venues of Viṣṇism". Acta Orientalia, Societates Orientales Danica Fennica Norvegia Svecia. 74: 37–90.
• Ramesh, M. S. (1992). 108 Vaishnavite Divya Desams: Divya desams in Chola Nadu. T.T. Devasthanams.
• Rengarajan, Sampath (20 June 1999). "thoo nilA muRRam - part 40 - Sri ArA amutha AzhwAr". Ramanuja.org. Bhakti List Archives. Retrieved 14 December 2024.
• Sadagopan, V. (16 July 1997). "Sriman Naatha Muni's Thirunakshthram : A Tribute". Ramanuja.org. Bhakti List Archives. Retrieved 14 December 2024.
• Seetharaman, Ma. (October 2009). Sri Ramanujar - The brief history and deeds of Vaishnavitse Saint Sri Ramanuja (in Tamil). Chennai: T. S. Raamalingam Narmadha Pathipagam.
• Sullivan, Bruce M. (1997). Historical Dictionary of Hinduism. Scarecrow Press. ISBN 9780810833272.
• Venkatacharya, T. (1999). Śrīveṅkaṭeśasuprabhātam. Adyar Library and Research Centre. ISBN 978-81-85141-28-2.
• Venkatesan, Archana (10 January 2016). The Secret Garland: Andal's Tiruppavai and Nacciyar Tirumoli. Harper Perennial India. ISBN 978-93-5177-577-5.
• Viraraghavacharya, T. K. T. (1979). History of Tirupati: The Thiruvengadam Temple. Tirumala-Tirupati Devasthanams.

See also

• Tiruvaymoli
• Perumal Tirumoli
• Periya Tirumoli
• Nachiyar Tirumoli
• Tiruviruttam

External links

Naalayiram Text in different formats and languages

• In multiple languages.
• With supplementary texts
• In Romanized Unicode and multiple other languages.
• Sorted by the 108 Divya Desams
• In Tamil unicode.

Nalayiram with Meaning or Vyakyanam (detailed commentary)

• With PBA Swamy's meaning in Tamil and Araiyar Swami Sri Rama Bharathi's translation in English.
• The Idu commentary on Thiruvoimozhi.
• Thiruvoimozhi in Roman text and English translation.
• Thiruppavai in Roman text, with English translation and commentary.

v t e Alvars
Poigai Alvar Bhoothath Alvar Pey Alvar Tirumalisai Alvar Nammalvar Madhurakavi Alvar Kulasekhara Alvar Periyalvar Andal Thondaradippodi Alvar Thiruppaan Alvar Thirumangai Alvar
Divya Desams Divya Prabandha Mangalasasanam

• Tamil-language literature
• Tamil Hindu literature
• Medieval literature
• Alvars
• Naalayira Divya Prabandham