Who Are the Āzhvārs?
Āzhvār (Tamil: ஆழ்வார் — 'one who is immersed in the Lord' or 'one who dives deep') refers to the twelve Tamil poet-saints of Śrī Vaiṣṇavism who are credited with composing the Divya Prabandham — the 4,000 Tamil hymns that constitute the 'Tamil Veda' of the tradition. They lived across different periods from roughly 100 BCE to 900 CE.
The Twelve Āzhvārs
The twelve Āzhvārs are: Poigai Āzhvār, Bhūtattāzhvār, Peyāzhvār, Tirumalisai Āzhvār, Nammāzhvār, Kulasekhara Āzhvār, Periyāzhvār, Āṇḍāḷ, Toṇḍaraḍippoḍi Āzhvār, Tiruppaṇ Āzhvār, Tirumangai Āzhvār, and Madurakavi Āzhvār (who composed only about Nammāzhvār). The most celebrated is Nammāzhvār, whose Tiruvāymozhi is considered the crown of Tamil devotional literature.
Their Status
The Āzhvārs are not regarded as merely human saints but as nityasūris or special souls sent by the Lord to rescue saṃsāric beings through their songs. Their direct experience (sākṣātkāra) of the Lord was not earned through spiritual practice but granted by the Lord's spontaneous grace (bhagavat-prasāda). Their hymns are thus considered divinely revealed — the Tamil Veda (Drāviḍa Veda).
Living Presence
The Āzhvārs remain living presences in Śrī Vaiṣṇava worship: their images are installed in temples alongside the main deity, their Maṅgaḷāśāsanam verses are recited daily, and the Divya Prabandham is chanted at all major festivals. Aḍiyēn — 'your servant' — is the self-referential term used by the Āzhvārs and adopted by all Śrī Vaiṣṇavas.