Azhwars

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In one of shrIlA praBhupAdhA's lectures in Hyderabad , he told that South

Indians are most luckiest as very great devotees like AzhwArs and others are

born here.

 

 

 

Well. AzhwArs are 12 staunch devotees of lord nArAyaNa or krShNa or viShNu,

who took birth in Tamil Nadu. They all are weapons and associates of lord

viShNu who incarnated in this world in between 7th to 12th centuries, in

shrI vaiShNavam or mother lakShmI's parampara. Below is the list of the

AzhwArs names and their incarnations respectively.

 

 

 

1) pOygai AzhwAr - incarnation of pAnchajanyam, the conch of lord viShNu.

 

2) bhUdhaththAzhwAr - incarnation of koumOdhaki, the mace of lord viShNu.

 

3) pEyAzhwAr - incarnation of nandhaka Khadgam, the sword of lord viShNu.

Again incarnated as shrI annamAchArya in the year 1408 and composed and sung

32,000 hari sankIrthanAs. For more information on shrI annamAchArya, visit:

http://www.annamayya.org.

 

4) thirumazhisai AzhwAr - incarnation of sudharshana chakram, the discus of

lord viShNu.

 

5) nammAzhwAr - incarnation of viShwakshEna, the commander in chief

(sEnAdhipathi) of lord viShNu.

 

6) maDhurakavi AzhwAr - incarnation of vainathEya or garuda, the divine

carrier of lord viShNu.

 

7) kulashEkarAzhwAr - incarnation of kousthuBham, the necklace of lord

viShNu.

 

8) periyAzhwAr - incarnation of garuda, the chariot of lord viShNu (not to

be confused with carrier garuda. This is chariot garuda).

 

9) AndAL - incarnation of mother BhUdhEvi, the consort of lord viShNu.

 

10) thondaradippodi AzhwAr - incarnation of vanamAlA, the garland of lord

viShNu.

 

11) thiruppANAzhwAr - incarnation of shrIvathsa, the chest mark (or mole on

the chest) of lord viShNu.

 

12) thirumangai AzhwAr - incarnation of sArangam, the bow of lord viShNu.

 

 

 

In Tamil (thamizh), the meaning of the word 'AzhwAr' means 'one who deeply

immerses'. So the AzhwArs were so deeply immersed in the devotion of lord

viShNu and His forms like krShNa, rAma, nArAyaNa, etc. They are such a great

devotees that they had power of purity to become some times like a women in

the feelings and enjoyed lord nArAyaNa as their lover (example for this -

thirumangai AzhwAr). All the AzhwArs got dharshanam of lord viShNu being in

this world itself.

 

 

 

What they gave us:

 

 

 

Every AzhwAr contributed THE BEST of the topmost poems or hymns of lord

viShNu (and his other forms too). They all totally composed 4000 hymns on

lord nArAyaNa, which are considered as "vEdhAs in thamizh". Even an

intermediate devotee will fall in deep devotion by hearing just 1 poem out

of 4000. They are so SWEET. In any vaiShNavam temple in South India, there

will be a recitation of this 4000 poems frequently.

 

 

 

These 4000 gems (poems) are called as "nAlAyira dhivya prabanDham". And

every poem is called as "pAshuram".