NammAzhvAr thirunakshatram

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Respected Ramanuja bhaktas,

 

Today is by far one of the most important Holy Days in the Ramanuja

sampradAya (Ramanuja's path) calendar, vAikAsi visAkam, the holy

appearance day of the greatest of the " 10 + 2 " Tamil mystics who are

known as the AzhvArs. NammAzhvAr is also the only one among the

Tamil mystics who is considered to also be an AchArya in the lineage

of Teachers that connect us to Sriman Narayana.

 

NammAzhvAr's life is perhaps the most enigmatic among the twelve

saints, as it is recorded that unlike other infants, azhvAr was born

without the ability to cry, or laugh, or eat, or even respond to his

parents' affection. But, after 16 years in this yogic state, this

same enigmatic saint would speak and reveal his mystical revelations

to his closest disciple and devotee, Sri Madhura Kavi. And, it would

be the spirit of this same saint, centuries later, that would restore

the wisdom of the sacred 4000 collect, the nAlAyira divya prabhandam,

by revealing it to Sri Nathamuni, the First AchArya in the lineage of

teachers of Ramanuja sampradAyam.

 

What makes his life all the more unique is that NammAzhvAr hailed

from a community that was not eligible to learn the sacred chants of

the Vedas, and yet each and every verse of his Tamil verses parallel

the Eternal Truths and indeed add to them by bringing out their

essential inner meaning.

 

On this day, please take a moment to spend some time reflecting on

our beloved NammAzhvAr. Here are a few suggested links:

 

http://www.divyadesamonline.com/alwars/namm.asp

http://www.srivaishnavan.com/tomcat/nammalwar.html

http://www.ramanuja.org/sv/alvars/nammalvar/preface.html

 

adiyEn rAmAnuja dAsan