Antādi — The Unbroken Chain of Devotional Verse
Antādi (anta = end, ādi = beginning; 'end-to-beginning') is a sophisticated Tamil literary form in which the final word or syllable of each verse (pāsuram) seamlessly becomes the opening word of the following verse — creating an unbroken, interlocking chain of devotional poetry. The antādi structure is not merely a formal literary device: it carries deep theological meaning in the Śrī Vaiṣṇava tradition, where the unceasing circular chain of verse symbolizes the bhakta's uninterrupted, ever-renewing longing for Bhagavān that knows no natural resting point.
Several prabandhams in the Nālāyira Divya Prabandham employ the antādi form. Clear examples are Poigai Āzhvār's Mudal Tiruvantādi, Bhūtat Āzhvār's Iraṇḍām Tiruvantādi, Pey Āzhvār's Mūṉṟām Tiruvantādi, Tirumazhisai Āzhvār's Nānmugan Tiruvantādi, and Nammāzhvār's Periya Tiruvantādi. Rāmānuja Nūṟṟantādi is a later Śrī Vaiṣṇava example. In each case, the linking structure creates a reading experience of continuity, with one pāsuram reaching into the next.
The antādi form also carries a devotional resonance in Śrī Vaiṣṇava experience: the linked verses can suggest remembrance and praise that do not come to a halt. It is, however, a specifically Tamil literary designation in these examples; Vedānta Deśika's Sanskrit Śrī Stuti should not be classified as an antādi.