Sri Srinivaasa Vaibhavam- AzhwArs' verses....

[Guest guest]

SrI:

SrImathE Gopaladesika mahadesikaya namah:

 

Dearest Srivaishnavas,

 

I was not well for the past two weeks and also had to

go on an official assignment. I could not continue

immediately on Srinivasa Vaibhavam.

 

Apologies for the interruption in our enjoyment.

Let us continue to enjoy the series: Before immersing

ourselves in the divine outpourings of AzhwAr saints’

verses on Sri Srinivasan of Thirumala divya desam, let

us quickly enjoy the count of 4000 verses by azhwArs.

Out of these, 202 verses have been reported to be sung

on Thirumalai (ThiruvEnkatam).

 

4000 - the four thousand Tamil devotional hymns

(pAsurams) sung by the Divine Ten AzhwArs, Sri Andal

and Sri Madhurakavi AzhwAr and Sri

Thiruvarangatthu Amudhanaar are reverentially praised

as 4000 and Tamil Vedas. They are called Vedas because

they reflect the relevant portions of Vedas in

unambiguous terms and they do not speak of anything

other than Vedas, directly or indirectly. The PAsurams

of the AzhwArs and Sri Andal praise the Lord with His

Divine consort in his varied incarnations, expressing

the depth of devotion in which they were immersed,

their divine experiences and also praying for the

eternal bliss of association with Him and service to

Him.

 

Sri Madhurakavi AzhwAr’s 11 pAsurams were in praise of

his Acharya Sri NammAzhwAr and Sri Thiruvarangatthu

Amudhanaar’s 108 pAsurams on Sri

Ramanuja’s glories are also in 4000. (this 108

Pasurams of Amudhanaar were added later into this

4000).

 

Owing to the great esteem in which Sri

NammAzhwAr and Sri Ramanujar are held in the tradition

of Acharyas, the PAsurams extolling them are also

included in the four thousand devotional

hymns worshipping the Lord.

 

Before we outline their number of pAsurams (as to how

it gets added to 4000), let us see their origin and

dates of birth. Tradition assigns high antiquity to

the AzhwArs taking them to 4200 BCE to 2700 BCE and

also regards them as Divine incarnations (as amsaas of

the Lord’s paraphernalia). According to guru

paramparas, the first four AzhwArs namely Poigai

AzhwAr, BhUtatthAzhwAr, PEyAzhwAr and Thirumazhisai

AzhwAr were born at the end of Dwapara yuga, which

corresponds to 4200 BCE. Madhurakavi also is believed

to be born in Dwapara yuga corresponding to 3200 BCE.

NammAzhwAr, KulasekarAzhwAr, PeriyAzhwAr and ANdAL

were born during the first century of Kaliyuga which

approximates to 3103 BCE to 3003 BCE. The remaining

three AzhwArs ThoNdaradippodi AzhwAr, ThiruppAN AzhwAr

and Thirumangai AzhwAr took birth in the years of 298,

343 and 399 respectively in the Kaliyuga which

corresponds to 2803, 2758 and 2702 BCE. (From A

Govindacharya, the Holy lives of Alwars).

 

However, the modern scholars have questioned these

dates and assigned a period ranging from 5th to the

9th centuries CE on the basis of a few historical

evidences, though there is no unanimity among them on

the dates. Whatever it is the order in which they

would have appeared is:

 

Mudhal AzhwArs (First three AzhwArs- Poigai, PhUtha,

PEy AzhwArs);

Thirumazhisai AzhwAr,

Madhurakavi AzhwAr

NammAzhwAr

PeriyAzhwAr

AndAL

KulasekaraAzhwAr

ThoNdaradipodi AzhwAr

ThiruppAN AzhwAr and

Thirumangai AzhwAr

 

Further, the reference is there in Srimath Bhagawatham

to the birth of these AzhwArs:

In the beginning of Kaliyuga, persons exclusively

devoted to Narayana and endowed with spiritual

knowledge will be born here and there but in large

numbers in the land of the Draavidas where the flow of

rivers ThaamaraparaNi, Krtamaalaa (Vaigai), Payasvini

(Paalaar), the holy river cauveri, and the MahaanadhI

(PeriyaaRu), which runs westwards.

 

kalau khalu Bhavishyanthi nArAyaNa parAyaNa:

kvachin kvachi mahAbhAga drAmidEsu cha bhUrisa:

thAmaraparaNi nadI yatra krtamaalaa payasvinI:

kAvErI cha mahAbhAgA prathIchI cha mahAnadhI

(Srimad Bhagawatham- XI-5- 38-39)

 

It is to be noted that NammAzhwAr and Madhurakavi

AzhwAr were born in the banks of ThamaraparaNi;

PeriyAzhwAr and ANDAL in a place close to Vaigai

(madurai); Poigai AzhwAr, PhUthathAzhwAr, PeyAzhwAr,

and Thirumazhisai AzhwAr near the Paalaar and

ThoNdaradippodi AzhwAr, ThiruppANAzhwAr, Thirumangai

AzhwAr on the banks of the river Cauveri.

The dates are not however relevant for enjoyment of

their divine pAsurams of course. The important point

is that they were all born before Sri Nathamuni

(823 CE) and Ramanuja (1017 CE) who were greatly

influenced by their pAsurams and teachings and after

period of Agamas, the epics and Puranas, as their

PAsurams reflect the deep knowledge of these Agamas,

epics and puranas.

 

Let us look at the count:

A composer wise count of 4000 given by Swamy Sri

Vedantha Desikan: from

Prabhandha saaram- 15 and 16).

(meaning of the 15 and 16 prbandhams of Prabandha

saaram, of Swamy desikan)

 

If we keep a count of the 4000 Divya prabandhams:

1. Mudhal AzhwArs (Poigai, PudhathAzhwAr, and

PeyAzhwAr) sang 300; (mudhal,

irandaam and moonRaam nooranthaadhi- 100 each)

2. Thirumazhisai AzhwAr sang 216 (120- Thirucchandha

viruttham; 96-naanmukhan Thiruvandhaathi)

3. MaaRan (Sri NaamAzhwAr) sang 1296 as the essence of

Vedas containing true spiritual teachings-

Thiruviruttham- 100;

Thiruvaaasiriyam- 7;

Periya ThiruvandhAthi- 87;

Thiruvaaymozhi- 1102;]

4. MadhurakavigaL (who showed the path of devotion to

Aacharya) sang 11 (Kanninun chRrutthambu);

5. Kulasekara AzhwAr (king of Vanji land) sang 105

(PerumAL Thirumozhi)

6. PeriyAzhwAr (Bhatta nAthan) sang 473 pAsurams which

shines as the literature for music.

7. Kodhai (Sri Andal) who was an incarnation of Sri

BhUmi PiraaTTi Herself) sang 173 (ThiruppAvai-30;

Naacchiyaar Thirumozhi- 143)

8. ThoNdaradippodi AzhwAr- (Patthar adippodi) sang

fifty five (Thiruppalliyezhiucchi- 10; Thirumaalai-

45)

9. PaaNar (ThiruppANAzhwAr) sang 10 Amalanaadhipiraan)

10. Parakalan (Thirumangai AzhwAr) sang 1253 in

all-praising the glorious Lord Sri Srinivasan, the

father of the world, [Periya Thirumozhi- 1084;

ThirukkuRunthANDakam- 20; ThirunedunthANdakam- 30;

ThiruvezhukkuRRirukkai- 1; SiRiya Thirumadal- 40;

Periya Thirumadal- 78]

 

11. Sri Thiruvarangatthu Amudhanaar- (during Sri

Ramanuja’s time) sang 108 pAsurams praising the

beautiful Lotus Feet of YathirAjar (Sri Ramanuja) who

showed us the path to mOksham (Salvation).

 

Add the above:- You get 4000. These four thousand

hymns sung and left by these saints for the welfare of

all in all directions of the world are the

source of prosperity for the lives of ours -who are

servants of the Lord and His devotees.

 

The Naalaayiram (4000) is organized as follows:

1. FIRST 1000- PeriyAzhwAr Thirumozhi; ThiruppAvai;

Naacchiyaar Thirumozhi; PerumAL Thirumozhi;

Thirucchandha Viruttham; Thirumaalai;

Thiruppalliyezhucchi; Amalanadhipiran;

KaNNinunchIrutthaambhu; - nine works.

(Total- 947 pAsurams)

2. Second 1000- Periya Thirumozhi;

ThirukkuRunthANdakam;

ThirunedunthANdakam; - three works (Total- 1134

pAsurams)

3. Third 1000- Thiruvaymozhi alone- (1102 pAsurams)

4. Fourth 1000- mudhal, iraNdaam and mooNraam

nooRanthAdhi; Thirumazhisai

AzhwAr’s naanmukhan ThiruvanthAdhi; Thiruviruttham;

Thiruvaasiriyam; Periya

ThiruvanthAthi; ThiruvezhukkuRRirukkai; SiRiya

Thirumadal; Periya

Thirumadal; Iraamaanusa NooRanthAthi (11 works-

Total-817 pAsurams)

 

TOTAL- 4000.

 

We will enjoy the individual verses on

ThiruvEnkatamudaiyaan from next posts.

AzhwAr ThiruvaDigaLE SaraNam

Sri PadmavathI samEtha Sri Srinivasa ParabrahmaNE

namah:

Regards

Namo Narayana

dAsan