Nammalvar

Nammalvarwas one of the twelveAlvarsaints ofTamil Nadu, India, who are known for their affiliation to theVaishnavatradition ofHinduism. The verses of the Alvars are compiled as theNaalayira Divya Prabandham, where praises are sung of 108 temples that are classified as divine realms, called theDivya Desams. Nammalvar is considered to be the fifth in the line of the twelve Alvars. He is highly regarded as a great mystic of the Vaishnava tradition. He is also considered to be the foremost among the twelve Alvars, and his contributions amount to 1352 among the 4000 stanzas in theNaalayira Divya Prabandam.
According to traditional scriptures, Nammalvar was born in 3059 BCE inAlwarthirunagiri;historically he flourished in 8th century CE.In Hindu legends, Nammalvar remained speechless from the moment of his birth, sitting under a tamarind tree when he first interacted withMadhurakavi Alvar, who saw a bright light shining to the south, and followed it until he reached the tree where the boy was residing.
The works of Nammalvar were compiled by Madhurakavi as four different works, theTiruvaymoli(1,102 verses),Tiruviruttam(100 verses),Tiruvaciriyam(or Tiru Asiriyam - 7 verses) andPeriya Tiruvantati(87 verses). The works of Nammalvar contributed to the philosophical and theological ideas of Vaishnavism.
The Garudasevai festival inNava Tirupati, the nine Vishnu temples in theThoothukudiregion, and theAraiyar Sevaiduring theVaikuntha Ekadashifestival of theSrirangam templeare dedicated to him. The verses of Nammalvar and other Alvars are recited as a part of daily prayers and during festive occasions in several Vaishnava temples in Tamil Nadu.
The wordalvarmeans the one who dives deep into the ocean of the countless attributes of god.The Alvars are considered the twelve supreme devotees of Vishnu who were instrumental in popularising Vaishnavism. The religious works of these saints inTamil, songs of love and devotion, are compiled asNalayira Divya Prabandhamcontaining 4000 verses and the 108 temples revered in their songs are classified as Divya Desam.The saints had different origins and belonged to different castes. As per history, the first threealvars,Poigai Alvar,Bhoothath AlvarandPey Alvarwere born miraculously.Thirumalisai Alvarwas the son of a sage,Thondaradippodi Alvar,Madhurakavi Alvar,PeriyalvarandAndalwere from theBrahmincommunity,Kulashekhara Alvarwas akshatriya, Nammalvar was aVellala,Thiruppaan Alvarwas a paanar andThirumangai Alvarwas akallar. TheDivya Suri Charitraby Garuda-Vahana Pandita (11th century),Guruparamparaprabhavamby Pinbaragiya Perumal Jiyar,Periya tiru mudi adaivuby Anbillai Kandadiappan,Yatindra Pranava Prabavamby Pillai Lokacharya, commentaries onDivya Prabandam, Guru Parampara (lineage of Gurus) texts, temple records and inscriptions give a detailed account of thealvarsand their works. According to these texts, the saints were considered incarnations of some form of Vishnu. Poigai is considered an incarnation ofPanchajanya(Krishna's conch), Bhoothath ofKaumodakee(Vishnu's Mace/Club), Pey ofNandaka(Vishnu's sword), Thirumalisai ofSudarshanam(Vishnu's discus), Namm ofVishvaksena(Vishnu's commander), Madhurakavi ofVainatheya(Vishnu's eagle,Garuda), Kulasekhara ofKaustubha(Vishnu's necklace), Periya of Garuda (Vishnu's eagle), Andal ofBhoodevi(Vishnu's wife,Lakshmi, in her form as Bhudevi), Thondaradippodi ofVanamaalai(Vishnu's garland), Thiruppaan ofSrivatsa(An auspicious mark on Vishnu's chest) and Thirumangai ofSharanga,Rama's bow. The songs ofPrabandamare regularly sung in all the Vishnu temples of South India daily and also during festivals.
According to a traditional account by Manavala Mamunigal, the first threealvars,namely Poigai, Bhoothath and Pey, belong to theDvapara Yuga(before 4200 BCE). It is widely accepted by tradition and historians that the trio are the earliest among the twelvealvars.Thealvarswere also instrumental in promoting the Bhagavatha cult and the two epics of India, theRamayanaand theMahabharata.Thealvarswere instrumental in spreading Vaishnavism throughout the region.The verses of the variousalvarswere compiled byNathamuni(824-924 CE), a 10th-century Vaishnava theologian, who called it the "Tamil Veda".
According to traditional scriptures, Nammalvar was born on the 43rd Kali in 3059 BCE as an amsha ofVishvaksena, Vishnu's army commander.He was born at Thirukurukur (modern dayAlwarthirunagiri) in the southernmost region of the Tamil country.Many sources regard him to have been born to a princelyVellalarfamily ofShudrastatus (To prove world that "caste is not based on birth and it is based on action").Some caste associations claim him to be aVaishya, like the All IndiaVaishyaSamaj in 1988.P. Jayaraman in his book "A Brief History of Vaishnava Saint Poets: The Alwars" where he mentions that Nammalwar belongs toVellalar, a Vaishyacaste.Nammalvar'sgrandfather, TiruvalmarbanPillai, is aVellalarand comes under theVaishyaCaste.J. V. Chelliah a popular Tamil scholar who translated theTen Idyllsinto English states thatPaṭṭiṉappālai(Commonly dated between 1st to 2nd Century CE) has mentions thatVellalarsbelonged to theVysya caste, They followed the 4 Vedas, they were commonly involved in agriculture, taking care of cattle, trade and other business pursuits.
Tradition says that he must have been born fully enlightened because as a baby he never cried or suckled and never opened his eyes. According to legend, as a child he responded to no external stimuli and his parents left him at the feet of the deity ofSri AdhinatharinAlwarthirunagari. The child then got up and climbed into a hole in atamarind, sat in thelotus position, and began to meditate.  It appears he was in this state for as long as sixteen years when aTamilpoet and scholar namedMadhurakavi Alvarwas born in Thirukolur (who was elder to him by age) and had travelled to North India on a temple trip. As he was performing his Nityaanushtanam (daily rituals) one day, he saw a bright light shining to the south, and followed it until he reached the tree where the boy was residing. Unable to elicit any reaction from the child, he asked him a riddle: "If the small is born in a dead's body (or stomach), what will it eat and where will it stay?" meaning, if the subtle soul is embodied in the gross body, what are its actions and thoughts? Nammalvar broke his lifelong silence and responded, "That it will eat, it will rest!" meaning that if the soul identifies with the body, it will be the body but if it serves the divine, it will stay inVaikunthaand eat (think) of God.Madhurakavi Alvarrealized the divinity of this child.
It is believed that in the Kali Yuga, the doors of Vaikuntham (The abode Of Vishnu) was opened first time for him byNarayanahimself and it is believed that the followers of Swami Nammalvar have the most easy access to the supreme abode. Following his moksha his family entitle as the Subbiah Kumara Pillai by holy Vaishnava acharyas and they serve him and believe him to be Sriman Narayana Tiruvadi. After the passing of Nammalvar, Madhurakavi Alvar composed 10 pasrams called Kanninin Sirutambu. He gave a word that whoever reads this 11,000 times with devotion will get vision and blessings of Nammalvar whenever they visit his abode at Alvarthirunagari.
Nammalvar was one of the twelvealvarpoet-saints who immersed themselves in a love ofVishnuand who had a considerable knowledge of ancient Tamil literature and its variants of traditional stories concerning Vishnu and his associates, as well as the philosophical differences betweenBuddhism,HinduismandJainism.
Madhurakavi Alvarwas his first disciple. Swami Madhurakavi Alvar composed 11 pasurams in praise of his Acharya, Swami Nammalvar known asKanninun Siruthambu, which are included among theNalayira Divya Prabandham.
He contributed four pieces of works toDivya Prabhandham. These works consisted of 1,296 poems, making him the most prolific contributor to the 4,000 hymns written by the Alvar poet-saints.These works are:
TiruvaymolidescribesRanganathaas a metaphor for discussing the philosophical details in
In the Sri Vaishnava canon, these four represent (in Tamil language) the fourSanskritvedas, respectively, theSama Veda,Rig Veda,Yajur VedaandAtharva Veda. According to tradition "He poured the cream of these vedas" into his songs and poetry that were the result of deep mystic experience. Though Nammalvar did not visit any of the 108divyadesamtemples talked about in the Vaishnava religion, it appears from his works he must have had the vision of all the archa forms in the temples he glorified in his hymns.
The distinction of Nammalvar with his contemporaries is above the devotional aspects in writing, the visualization and dramatic movement. He mentions Vishnu in various aspects frequently in all his verses. The poems ofTiruvirrutamare depicted fully between the lone context of the hero and heroine. Most of these are utterances of the hero, heroine, her friends to the heroine or her mother to the heroine. The heroine always perceives her hero, Vishnu everywhere around her. As per Varadachari,Tiruviruttamis "an account of the pilgrimage of the soul to its transcendence over its ignorance, sleep and sloth in which it is caught up in the body". While medieval poetry is considered self-pity and repentance, his works always have a message of hope.
Nammalvar is regarded as one of the top three Hindu mystics in India, with the other two beingManickavasagarandKabir.Nammalvar is considered greatest among the twelve alvars and his contributions amount to 1352 among the 4000 stanzas in theNalayira Divya Prabandam.
TheGarudaSevaiutsavam(festival) in the month of Vaikasi (May-Jun) witnesses nineGarudasevai, an event in which festival image deities from the nava tirupathis temples namely,Mayakoothar Temple,Makara Nedunkuzhai Kannan Temple,Rettai Tirupathi - South Temple,Rettai Tirupathi North Temple,Vaithamanidhi Perumal Temple,Adhinaatha Perumal Temple - Thirukkurugur,Kaaisinavendhan Temple,Vijayaasana Perumal Temple,Sri Vaikuntanatha (Kallapiran) Templeare brought onGarudavahana. The festival image of Nammalvar is also brought inAnna Vahanam(palanquin) and his verses dedicated to each of these nine temples are recited. Theutsavarof deities of each of the nine temples, travel through the paddy fields in the area, reach Alvar Thirunagari.  The verses dedicated to each of the nineDivyadesamsare chanted with music and dance in front of respective utsavar deities. It is the most important of the festivals in this area, and it draws thousands of visitors.After this paasuram recital is completed, the Alvar utsavar in anna vahanam and the nine Perumal deities in Garuda Vahanam come around the maada veethi [temple street] of Alvar Thirunagari. Then, each divyadesam Perumal utsavar bid farewell to their most relished jeevathma Nammalvar and return to their respective temples. Amongst these Perumals, when Alvar most favourite deities of Irattai tirupathi leave after the utsavam, Alvar is saddened by their departure and will wait until they take a turn to their divyadesams. This episode of the Garuda Sevai is known as "Vidaiyaatri Utsavam". The saddened Alvar is taken into the temple by Alvar Thirunagari's deity Polindhu Nindra Piran by showing his beauty. This garuda sevai is to show how Alvar has sung paasurams on each perumal without moving an inch from his Thirupuliyazhwar. All the Perumals come to the Holy Tamarind tree to get sung by the Alvar.
ThePagal PathuandRa Pathufestivals are celebrated in the month ofMargazhi(December–January) for twenty days inSri Ranganathaswamy Temple, Srirangam. The first ten days are referred to asPagal-Pathu(10-day daytime festival) and the second half asRa Pathu(10-day nighttime festival).  The first day ofRa pathuisVaikunta Ekadashi. The eleventh day of each fortnight inthe Tamil calendaris calledEkadasiand the holiest of allEkadasiin the Vaishnava tradition is theVaikunta Ekadashi.  Nammalvar, one of the 12alvars, is believed to have ascended toVaikuntha(the heavenly abode of Vishnu) on this day.  The devotion of the 9th-century poet, Nammalvar, and his perceived ascent to heaven are enacted annually.  During the festival, through song and dance, this place is affirmed to beBhoologa Vaikunta(heaven on earth).Araiyar Sevaiis a divine colloquium ofaraiyars, who recite and enactNalayara Divya Prabanda, the 4000 verses ofalvars(Vaishnavite poets of the 7th–10th century).Araiyarsare born to theAraiyartradition most prevalent in Sri Vaishnava families in Srirangam,Alvar ThirunagariandSrivilliputhur.The tradition ofAraiyar Sevaiwas started byNathamuni, a 10th-century Vaishnavite who compiled the works ofalvars.It is believed as perHindu mythologythat 330 million demi-gods came down to witness the event.The festival deity is brought to the 1,000-pillared hall on the morning ofVaikunta Ekadashithrough theParamapada Vasal(gate to paradise). Hundreds of thousands of pilgrims rush to enter it after the gate is opened and the deity passes through it as it is believed that one who enters here will reachVaikuntha(heaven) after death. The gate is open only during the ten days ofRa Pathu(10 days of the nighttime festival). On the last day of the festival, the poet Nammalvar is said to be given salvation.  The performance is enacted by priests and images in the temple depicts Nammalvar as reaching heaven and getting liberation from the cycle of life and death.  At that point, a member from the crowd of devotees, who are witnessing this passion play, goes up to the centre stage and requests Vishnu to return Nammalvar to humanity, so that his words and form in the temple will continue to inspire and save the devotees.  Following this performance of the salvation of Nammalvar, the cantors are taken in procession around the temple.