Drāviḍa Veda — Tamil as the Language of Divine Revelation
Drāviḍa Veda (Sanskrit: drāviḍa = Tamil/South Indian + veda = knowledge/sacred revelation; 'the sacred knowledge in Tamil') is the designation given to the Divya Prabandham — the 4,000 Tamil hymns of the twelve Āzhvārs — understanding it as equal in authority, sacredness, and depth to the Sanskrit Vedas.
Nāthamuni's Kainkaryam: The guru-paramparā reveres Nāthamuni (traditionally placed in the 9th–10th centuries) for recovering the Divya Prabandham, arranging its received order, teaching it through his lineage, and establishing its temple recitation. The tradition especially celebrates Nammāzhvār's Tiruvāimozhi as the Tamil Veda and frequently associates its musical-devotional character with the Sāma Veda. The former numerical scheme is incorrect: Tiruppāṇ Āzhvār composed ten pāsurams, not one hundred, and Nammāzhvār's four prabandhams total 1,296 pāsurams, not four thousand.
Why Drāviḍa Veda Is Not Sectarian: The claim that Divya Prabandham is the Drāviḍa Veda is not merely a sectarian boast — it is a theological statement: Bhagavān, who revealed knowledge in Sanskrit to the Ṛṣis, revealed the same truth in Tamil through the Āzhvārs because He knew that the entirety of humanity must have access. 'The Vedas are for the twice-born; the Drāviḍa Veda is for all.'
In Temple Worship: The singing of the Divya Prabandham in Śrī Vaiṣṇava temples alongside Sanskrit Vedic hymns — the ubhaya Veda sevā (service of both Vedas) — is the liturgical expression of this equality.