The Divya Prabandham is also lovingly known as the Aruḷicceyal — that which flows forth from divine grace. The very word prabandham carries a most fitting meaning: "that which binds." The sacred compositions of the Āzhvārs possess the extraordinary power to bind Emperumān Himself — Śrīman Nārāyaṇa, the Supreme Lord — to His beloved devotees, the adiyārgaḷ. At the same time, these pāsurams draw the adiyārgaḷ into deep and joyful bhagavad anubhavam — the experience of savoring all that pertains to Emperumān — and thus bind them ever more closely to Him. It is for this profound reason that these compositions are rightly called prabandham.

The Divya Prabandham is not merely sacred verse; it is divine by its very nature, wholly untainted by the defects and impurities of the material world, samsāra. To engage with it is to step beyond the domain of worldly limitation and enter into the realm of flawless, luminous divinity.

Emperumān, out of His boundless compassion, chose and graced a select few souls with the extraordinary gift of mayarvaṟa madhinalam — true, unclouded knowledge and pure devotion, with all ignorance utterly dissolved. Through this supreme act of grace, He fashioned these blessed ones into the Āzhvārs. The very name Āzhvār reveals their essential nature: those who are completely immersed — āzhnthavar — in bhagavad anubhavam, in the living experience of the Lord. They existed in a state of bhakti paravasam — rapturous ecstasy — lost in the contemplation of Emperumān's divine beauty and His infinite kalyāṇa guṇas, the auspicious attributes that adorn the Supreme Being.

There are twelve Āzhvārs in all. The first ten are: Poigai Āzhvār, Bhūtattu Āzhvār, Pēy Āzhvār, Tirumazhisai Āzhvār, Nammāzhvār, Kulaśēkhara Āzhvār, Periyāzhvār, Toṇḍaradippoḍi Āzhvār, Tiruppāṇ Āzhvār, and Tirumaṅgai Āzhvār. To this sacred ten are added Madhurakavi Āzhvār and Āṇḍāḷ Nāciyār, bringing the full count to twelve.

Both Madhurakavi Āzhvār and Āṇḍāḷ Nāciyār are distinguished by their exemplary Āchārya niṣṭhā — a total, wholehearted dedication and devotion to their respective Āchāryas. Āṇḍāḷ Nāciyār, a sacred incarnation of Bhūmi Dēvi, nurtured her divine bhakti toward Emperumān under the loving guidance and teaching of her Āchārya, Periyāzhvār. Likewise, Madhurakavi Āzhvār was wholly absorbed in Āchārya bhakti toward his Āchārya, Nammāzhvār, finding in that singular devotion the fullness of all attainment.

Maṇavāḷa Māmunigaḷ, in his celebrated Upadēśa Rattinamālai, offers this heartfelt glorification of the Āzhvārs and their works:

May the divine Āzhvārs flourish forever! May their sacred compositions, the Aruḷicceyal, endure forever! May the pūrvāchāryas — those great ones who were without any shortcoming — live long! And may their commentaries, together with the Vēdas, endure for all time!

Nammāzhvār is universally revered as the foremost among all the Āzhvārs — the crowning jewel of this divine assembly. His four principal works are considered direct Tamil equivalents of the four Vēdas:

Just as the Vēdas are accompanied by six aṅgas — their essential auxiliaries — so too, the six works of Tirumaṅgai Āzhvār serve as the six auxiliaries to Nammāzhvār's four works. The six Vēdāṅgas are: (1) Śikṣā — the science of correct articulation and pronunciation; (2) Vyākaraṇa — grammar; (3) Chandas — poetic metre; (4) Nirukta — etymology; (5) Jyōtiṣa — astronomy and the reckoning of auspicious times; and (6) Kalpa — the science of ritual observance. Correspondingly, the six works of Tirumaṅgai Āzhvār are: Periya Tirumozhī, Tirukkuṟuntāṇḍagam, Tiruvezhukkūṟṟirukkai, Siriya Tirumaḍal, Periya Tirumaḍal, and Tiruneduṇtāṇḍagam.

In the Śrī Vaiṣṇava tradition, pramāṇas are the authoritative scriptures that illuminate the path to Emperumān. The pramāthā — the preceptors, the Āchāryas and the gurus — are those blessed souls who transmit this knowledge through the unbroken succession of the sampradāya.

Emperumān manifests in five forms, known as the pañca avasthās: Para, Vyūha, Vibhava, Antaryāmi, and Archāvatāra. For each of these forms, a specific pramāṇa serves as the authoritative testimony:

• For Paratva — the supreme form dwelling in Paramapadham — the Vēdas are the pramāṇa.
• For the Vyūha state — His resplendent form in Kṣīrābdhi, the Milky Ocean — the Pañcarātra Āgama is the pramāṇa.
• For the Vibhava state — His divine incarnations (avatāras) — the Itihāsas and Purāṇas serve as pramāṇas.
• For the Antaryāmi state — the form of the indwelling Self — the Manu Smṛti is the pramāṇa.
• For the Archāvatāra state — the most accessible and merciful form enshrined in temple sanctuaries — the pāsurams of the Divya Prabandham are the pramāṇa.

The Āzhvārs were supremely immersed in the Archāvatāra experience, and the Divya Prabandham is nothing less than a living mirror reflecting the inmost heart of the Āzhvārs. The sacred Divyadēśams — the holy abodes where Emperumān has deigned to remain — are the very places where the Āzhvārs performed their maṅgaḷāśāsana, their benedictory praise of Emperumān through their pāsurams. Every nuance of the Āzhvārs' experience of the Archāvatāra is tenderly and completely preserved within the Divya Prabandham.

The Varavarumuni Dinacaryā is a reverential documentation of the daily activities of Maṇavāḷa Māmunigaḷ, composed by the great Eṟumbiyappā — one of the eight foremost disciples of Māmunigaḷ and counted among the celebrated aṣṭa dik gajāṅgaḷ, the "eight elephants of the cardinal directions," as the eight principal disciples are lovingly known. In this text, Eṟumbiyappā salutes Māmunigaḷ with deep reverence and describes his sacred activities as narrated in the Pūrva Dinacaryā — the morning portion — and the Uttara Dinacaryā — the evening portion.

Eṟumbiyappā illuminates the purpose of the Divya Prabandham with great clarity. He declares that its supreme goal is to bestow upon us virakti — a genuine, deepening detachment from all worldly pursuits — so that we may be freed to pursue the only true goal of the ātmā. Furthermore, the Divya Prabandham illuminates with great depth and beauty the rahasyatrayam — the three most sacred secrets of our sampradāya: the Tirumantram, the Dvaya Mantram, and the Carama Ślōka.

In Pūrva Dinacaryā, verse 27, Eṟumbiyappā offers this deeply moving declaration:

tathvam divyaprabandhānām sāram samsāra vairiṇām | sarasam sarahasyānām vyācakṣāṇam namāmi tam ||

One might ask: is there a specific prabandham that speaks directly to this virakti from worldly existence? Indeed there is. Nammāzhvār opens his Tiruviruṭṭam with its very first pāsuram — a verse that strikes at the very root of samsāra and kindles in the listener a profound longing to be freed from it.

Simple Meaning: O Lord who has taken birth in countless forms to protect all that You have created! O Master of the nitya sūris — the eternal dwellers of Śrī Vaikuṇṭham! These successive births, steeped as they are in false knowledge, wrongful deeds, and physical forms riddled with impurity — births that are the very source of our sorrow — these must come to an end. Stand firm, O Lord, and hear the appeal of Your servitor!

This pāsuram also carries its deep word-by-word meanings, which repay patient and repeated study. The more one reads and reflects upon these pāsurams, the more virakti naturally deepens — a gentle but firm withdrawal from the entanglements of samsāric life — and the more one's attachment to bhagavad anubhavam, the direct experience of all that pertains to Emperumān, grows and sweetens. As we behold Emperumān's kalyāṇa guṇas — His boundless auspicious attributes — and His wondrous avatāra līlā, His divine activities across the ages, joy arises spontaneously. One begins to taste the pure bliss of the ātmā and to truly understand one's role as a humble servitor to Perumāḷ.

When we learn to perceive existence from the standpoint of the ātmā rather than the body, the experience of serving Perumāḷ becomes a living reality. This is precisely what Āṇḍāḷ Nāciyār teaches in Vaiyatthu Vāzhvīrgāḷ — that even here, in bhūlōkam, this very earth, a fully meaningful and fulfilling life is possible when one is immersed in bhagavad anubhavam. And beyond this earthly sojourn, when the body is relinquished at life's end, one proceeds to serve Perumāḷ eternally in Śrī Vaikuṇṭham.

The Divya Prabandham articulates with matchless beauty the goal of the ātmā — both in this life and beyond. The ātmā is subservient to Perumāḷ by its very nature, and its sole purpose is to serve the divine lotus feet of the Lord. Each of the three rahasyatrayam illuminates a distinct and essential facet of this truth:

• In the Tirumantram — the ātmā is revealed as the eternal servant of Perumāḷ and is taught to surrender completely at His divine lotus feet.
• In the Dvaya Mantram — we learn that surrender to Perumāḷ is to be sought through Thāyār, Śrī Mahālakṣmī, and that this surrender must be accompanied by the joyful offering of all service for the happiness and delight (prīti) of the Divine Couple.
• In the Carama Ślōka — Śrī Kṛṣṇa speaks directly in the Bhagavad Gītā: "Relinquish all other forms of dharma and take refuge in Me alone. I shall liberate you from all sins. Do not grieve."

Through the combined light of these three rahasyārtha teachings, the ātmā's role as an eternal servitor to Perumāḷ stands fully revealed — both in līlā vibhūti (the realm of samsāra, the material world) and in nitya vibhūti (Śrī Vaikuṇṭham, the eternal realm). The ātmā's supreme occupation — its highest calling — is the unceasing nitya kainkaryam, eternal service rendered in Paramapadham, Śrī Vaikuṇṭham.

Just as the singular body of knowledge known as the Vēda was compassionately divided into four parts by Vēda Vyāsa — to render it accessible to human beings of varying capacities — so too was the Divya Prabandham organized into four great sections by Nāthamunigaḷ. Vēda Vyāsa arranged the Vēdas into the Ṛg, Yajur, Sāma, and Atharva Vēdas. Following this same inspired pattern, Nāthamunigaḷ arranged the 4,000 pāsurams into four sections:

1. Mudhal Āyiram — the First Thousand
2. Periya Tirumozhī — the Second Thousand
3. Iyaṟpā — the Third Thousand
4. Tiruvāimozhī — the Fourth Thousand

The First Thousand (Mudhal Āyiram): Nāthamunigaḷ gathered here the works of Periyāzhvār, Āṇḍāḷ Nāciyār, Kulaśēkhara Āzhvār, Toṇḍaradippoḍi Āzhvār, Tirumazhisai Āzhvār (specifically the Tirucandaviruṭṭam), Tiruppāṇ Āzhvār, and Madhurakavi Āzhvār.

The Second Thousand: Here Nāthamunigaḷ placed the entirety of Periya Tirumozhī, Tirukkuṟuntāṇḍagam, and Tiruneduṇtāṇḍagam — three great works of Tirumaṅgai Āzhvār.

The Third Thousand — Iyaṟpā: This section gathers the pāsurams composed in iyal — the prose form (gadhyam) — works that are not typically set to melodic rāgam or rhythmic thāḷam. In the classical Tamil literary tradition, there are three modes of expression: iyal (prose form), isai (compositions amenable to music), and nāṭakam (dramatic form). The Iyaṟpā draws from the works of the first three Āzhvārs — Poigai Āzhvār, Bhūtattu Āzhvār, and Pēy Āzhvār — along with Tirumazhisai Āzhvār's Nānmugan Tiruvandhādhi, Nammāzhvār's Tiruviruṭṭam, Tiruvāciriyam, and Periya Tiruvandhādhi, and Tirumaṅgai Āzhvār's Tiruvezhukkūṟṟirukkai, Siṟiya Tirumaḍal, and Periya Tirumaḍal.

The Fourth Thousand: Nāthamunigaḷ reserved this supreme and culminating section for the entirety of Tiruvāimozhī — the magnum opus of Nammāzhvār.

Are There Exactly 4,000 Pāsurams?

A thoughtful question naturally arises here. Nammāzhvār himself declares in the Tiruvāimozhī, "āyiraththuḷ ippathu" — "among the thousand, these ten songs." Yet in actuality, the Tiruvāimozhī contains 1,102 pāsurams, not an even thousand. This is because each padhigam of the Tiruvāimozhī typically comprises eleven pāsurams. There is, moreover, one celebrated exception: the Kēśavan Tamar padhigam (Tiruvāimozhī 2.7), which alone contains thirteen pāsurams.

What Is a Padhigam?

A padhigam is a grouping of ten or eleven verses forming a single poetic unit. In Saṃskṛtam, the equivalent term is daśakam — a chapter.

What Is a Paththu?

When ten padhigams are gathered — constituting approximately one hundred pāsurams — the resulting unit is called a paththu. The Tiruvāimozhī is composed of ten patthu. Periya Tirumozhī contains eleven patthu. And Periyāzhvār Tirumozhī comprises five patthu — though the actual count of pāsurams is 461, not the round number of five hundred that such a grouping might suggest.

The Mudhal Āzhvārs — Poigai, Bhūtattu, and Pēy — along with Tirumazhisai Āzhvār, graced this world toward the close of the Dvāpara Yuga. From Nammāzhvār onward, the remaining Āzhvārs appeared in the Kali Yuga. These luminous souls bestowed the Divya Prabandham upon the world, and it flourished with great vitality in the earlier ages.

We learn that even in the time of Tirumaṅgai Āzhvār, the great adhyayana utsavam had been established at Tiruvaraṅgam. Wishing to honor the glorious event of Nammāzhvār's ascent to Paramapadham, Tirumaṅgai Āzhvār prayed to Namperumāḷ and began glorifying Nammāzhvār's pāsurams from the sacred day of Vaikuṇṭha Ekādaśī, continuing this recitation with great devotion for ten days.

Yet in the fullness of time, the pāsurams gradually receded from common knowledge — their importance dimmed, their meanings forgotten by nearly all. The flame of the Divya Prabandham had grown faint. It was the great Nāthamunigaḷ who, by the extraordinary grace of Nammāzhvār himself, recovered the entire body of these pāsurams and kindled anew the world's devotion to them.

A parallel from the great Mahābhārata illuminates this providential recovery. Arjuna stood on the battlefield wondering about the identity and power of Śrī Kṛṣṇa. In the fourth chapter of the Bhagavad Gītā, Kaṇṇan Emperumān declares: "I first imparted this knowledge to Vivasvān, who transmitted it to Manu, who in turn taught it to Ikṣvāku — but in the course of time this wisdom was lost to the world. It is for this reason that I am revealing it again to you now."

Arjuna, perplexed, asks how Śrī Kṛṣṇa could have been present in the distant age of Manu. Emperumān responds with those immortal verses of the Gītā:

Śrī bhagavān uvāca: bahūni mē vyatītāni janmāni tava cārjuna | tāni aham vēda sarvāṇi na tvam vēttha parantapa || (Many births have I passed through; so have you, O Arjuna. I remember them all — but you do not, O Parantapa, scorcher of foes!)

yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati bhārata | abhyutthānam adharmasya tadātmānam sṛjāmyaham || (Whenever and wherever virtue declines and vice rises, O descendant of Bharata, at that time I manifest Myself.)

paritrāṇāya sādhūnām vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām | dharma samsthāpanārthāya sambhavāmi yugē yugē || (For the protection of the righteous, for the destruction of the wicked, and for the firm establishment of dharma, I take birth from age to age.)

Emperumān thus reveals the profound purpose of His avatāras and His transcendent glory. Just as He declared in the Gītā that the ancient wisdom had been lost and needed to be restored, so too the sacred Divya Prabandham had been lost to the world — and Emperumān, in His infinite compassion, restored it through the blessed agency of Nāthamunigaḷ.

The Story of Nāthamunigaḷ's Recovery of the Divya Prabandham

A group of Śrī Vaiṣṇavas from Mēlnādu — the region of Tirunārāyaṇapuram — came to visit Kāttumannār Kōyil and sang before Mannanār (Emperumān enshrined there) the "Ārāvamudhē…" padhigam — the eighth chapter of the fifth decade of Tiruvāimozhī (5.8). Nāthamunigaḷ was utterly captivated by the depth and beauty of these pāsurams and eagerly questioned the pilgrims about them. Alas, they knew nothing beyond those eleven verses. They suggested that if Nāthamunigaḷ were to journey to Tirukkurugūr — Āzhvār Tirunagari — he might uncover more.

Nāthamunigaḷ took leave of Mannanār and made his way to Āzhvār Tirunagari. There he was blessed to meet Parānkuśa Dāsar, a disciple in the lineage of Madhurakavi Āzhvār. Parānkuśa Dāsar taught Nāthamunigaḷ the sacred Kaṇṇinuṇ Ciruṭṭāmbu and instructed him to recite it 12,000 times without interruption before Tiruppuḷiyāzhvār — the sacred tamarind tree under which Nammāzhvār had resided. Being already accomplished in the eight-limbed yoga, aṣṭāṅga yōgam, Nāthamunigaḷ entered into deep meditation upon Nammāzhvār and completed the 12,000 recitations with unflinching dedication. Nammāzhvār, greatly pleased, appeared before Nāthamunigaḷ and blessed him with the fullness of aṣṭāṅga yōgam — and with the entire 4,000 verses of the Divya Prabandham along with all their sacred meanings.

Just as Nammāzhvār himself had been graced with divine knowledge by Emperumān, so now Nāthamunigaḷ was graced by Nammāzhvār with that very same transcendent gift. This is precisely the import of Maṇavāḷa Māmunigaḷ's reference in the Upadēśa Rattinamālai to aruḷ peṟṟa Nāthamuni (அருள் பெற்ற நாதமுனி) — "Nāthamunigaḷ who received the grace of Nammāzhvār." It is in this most sacred manner that Nāthamunigaḷ became a śiṣya — a disciple — of Nammāzhvār.

By virtue of his mastery in aṣṭāṅga yōgam, Nāthamunigaḷ was able to fully internalize all 4,000 pāsurams, bearing them perfectly and completely within his mind and heart. He returned to Kāttumannār Kōyil and presented the entirety of the Divya Prabandham before Emperumān Mannanār. Mannanār was filled with great joy and commissioned Nāthamunigaḷ to classify the Divya Prabandham and propagate it throughout the world. Nāthamunigaḷ then set to work: he added musical settings to 3,000 of the pāsurams and taught this musical tradition to his nephews Kīzhayagattāzhvān and Mēlaiyagattāzhvān, establishing through them the magnificent tradition of araiyar sēvai — the reverential recitation of the Nālāyira Divya Prabandham through devotional gesture and movement before Emperumān. The remaining 1,000 pāsurams of Iyaṟpā were also transmitted through this lineage. He further entrusted all of this to his disciple Uyyakkoṇḍār, who taught them to Maṇakkāl Nambi. It was Maṇakkāl Nambi who, with great love and care, transmitted this precious heritage to Āḷavandār — Nāthamunigaḷ's own grandson.

Āḷavandār in due course embraced sannyāsa — complete renunciation — and devoted his life to the flourishing of Śrī Vaiṣṇavam. Among his many illustrious disciples were Periya Nambi, Periya Tirumalai Nambi, Tirukkōṣṭiyūr Nambi, Tirumālaiyāṇḍān, Dheivavāri Āṇḍān, Māṟanēri Nambi, and Tirukkacchi Nambi.

The Role of Emperumānār and the Great Commentators

The disciple of Periya Nambi — the great Rāmānuja, revered throughout the sampradāya as Emperumānār — had profound involvement with the Divya Prabandham, though he himself did not compose formal vyākhyānams (commentaries) for these texts. It is recorded that Emperumānār instructed his disciple Tirukkurugaippirān Piḷḷān to author a commentary for the Tiruvāimozhī — and Piḷḷān duly fulfilled this commission, producing the celebrated 6,000 Paḍi Vyākhyānam (one paḍi comprising 32 syllables).

Subsequently, the illustrious Parāśara Bhaṭṭar — gifted with profound insight and great eloquence — contributed invaluable explanations for the Divya Prabandham. Bhaṭṭar taught the Tiruvāimozhī to Nañjīyar, drawing upon Piḷḷān's 6,000 Paḍi Vyākhyānam as the foundation, and directed Nañjīyar to compose his own commentary. Nañjīyar fulfilled this great responsibility by producing the 9,000 Paḍi Vyākhyānam.

Nañjīyar's principal disciple was the luminous Nampiḷḷai — also known as Kalivairi Dāsar and Lōkāchārya — a great scholar (vidvān) equally versed in Tamil, Saṃskṛtam, the Itihāsas, Purāṇas, and grammatical science. He conducted inspired discourses (kālakṣēpam) on the Tiruvāimozhī in Śrīraṅgam, and such was the extraordinary power of his exposition that the assembled devotees would sometimes wonder aloud whether the gōṣṭhi — the sacred assembly — was that of Namperumāḷ or that of Nampiḷḷai, so magnetically did both draw the hearts of the faithful. Just as Namperumāḷ draws multitudes to witness His ceremonial procession (puṟappāḍu), so Nampiḷḷai drew multitudes to his discourses by the sheer force of his grace and wisdom. He illuminated the deepest inner meanings of the sampradāya and became the great catalyst for the flowering of Aruḷicceyal. Among his foremost disciples were Vadakku Tiruvīdhi Piḷḷai and Periyavācchān Piḷḷai.

Periyavācchān Piḷḷai rendered a matchless service to the entire body of the Divya Prabandham by composing vyākhyānams for all 4,000 pāsurams — a monumental and unparalleled achievement. Without these commentaries, the profound inner meanings of the Āzhvārs' works would remain inaccessible to all but the most accomplished scholars. He gathered the teachings of prior Āchāryas, compiled all that he had received through kālakṣēpam from Nampiḷḷai, and wove them together into these detailed and glorious commentaries.

Equally, Vadakku Tiruvīdhi Piḷḷai attended Nampiḷḷai's discourses on the Tiruvāimozhī and carefully recorded them on paṭṭōlai — palm-leaf manuscripts, creating the first copies ever committed to writing. From these records he produced the magnificent Iḍu 36,000 Paḍi Vyākhyānam, based entirely on Nampiḷḷai's oral teachings. These three great contributions — of Nampiḷḷai, Periyavācchān Piḷḷai, and Vadakku Tiruvīdhi Piḷḷai — form the very backbone of the commentarial tradition of the Divya Prabandham.

Vadakku Tiruvīdhi Piḷḷai's two sons, Piḷḷai Lōkāchārya and Azhagiya Maṇavāḷa Perumāḷ Nāyanār, are two of the greatest jewels that our sampradāya has ever produced. Their extraordinary contribution lies in compassionately distilling and documenting the innermost meanings of the Divya Prabandham into rahasya granthams — esoteric works composed in Tamil — so that any soul possessed of sincere desire might access these treasures. In doing so, they accomplished the great pramāṇa rakṣaṇam — the protection and nourishment of our sacred knowledge base. Piḷḷai Lōkāchārya, in his landmark Śrī Vacana Bhūṣaṇam, drew upon the inmost meanings of Tiruvāimozhī and the broader Divya Prabandham, distilling them into this supremely important rahasya grantham. Azhagiya Maṇavāḷa Perumāḷ Nāyanār, in his celebrated Āchārya Hṛdayam, illuminates in remarkable depth the greatness of Tiruvāimozhī, the glory of the Āzhvārs, and the transcendent significance of their works.

Tiruvāimozhipiḷḷai and the Propagation of the Iḍu

Piḷḷai Lōkāchārya's disciple Tiruvāimozhipiḷḷai performed the magnificent kainkaryam of consecrating Āzhvār Tirunagari as a fully flourishing divine abode. He arranged for the sacred vigraham of Nammāzhvār to be brought from Tirukkāṇāmbi (in Kerala) to Āzhvār Tirunagari and re-established the full splendor of temple worship there. He also consecrated a temple for Emperumānār — using the bhavaishyadāchārya tirumēni image that Nammāzhvār himself had long ago given to Madhurakavi Āzhvār — in the western precinct of Āzhvār Tirunagari. Around this temple, Tiruvāimozhipiḷḷai established a chathurvēdhi maṅgalam — a sacred residential precinct of four streets — and arranged families devoted to the kainkaryams of that holy place.

Meanwhile, the transmission of the Iḍu Vyākhyānam followed its own providential course. Nampiḷḷai entrusted it to Iyuṇṇi Mādhava Perumāḷ, who transmitted it to his son Iyuṇṇi Padmanābha Perumāḷ. Nāḷūr Piḷḷai, a direct disciple of Iyuṇṇi Padmanābha Perumāḷ, received the complete Iḍu Vyākhyānam and in turn transmitted it to his own son, Nāḷūr Āchān Piḷḷai.

Tiruvāimozhipiḷḷai then sought out Nāḷūr Āchān Piḷḷai and studied the Iḍu in its full depth. So moved was Nāḷūr Āchān Piḷḷai by Tiruvāimozhipiḷḷai's depth of understanding and devoted spirit of service that he presented to him his own thiruvārādhana perumāḷ — the deity known as Inavāyar Thalaivan — as an expression of his deep affection and regard. It is from this point that the Iḍu 36,000 Paḍi Vyākhyānam was definitively propagated through the lineage of Nāḷūr Āchān Piḷḷai. Tiruvāimozhipiḷḷai continued to reside at Āzhvār Tirunagari, steadily nurturing the tradition there.

Maṇavāḷa Māmunigaḷ and the Final Flourishing

Hearing of the great vaibhavam — the spiritual splendor — of Tiruvāimozhipiḷḷai, the blessed Maṇavāḷa Māmunigaḷ — an avatāra of Ādiśēṣa himself and a re-manifestation of Rāmānuja — journeyed to Āzhvār Tirunagari and surrendered himself at Tiruvāimozhipiḷḷai's feet as a devoted disciple. Māmunigaḷ was celebrated above all for his incomparable attachment to Emperumānār, and was accordingly known as Yatīndra Pravaṇar — "one who is deeply devoted to the great renunciant Rāmānuja." He devoted himself to kainkaryam at the Emperumānār sannidhi in Āzhvār Tirunagari and became a supreme master of Aruḷicceyal — and in particular of Tiruvāimozhī and the Iḍu 36,000 Paḍi Vyākhyānam. He gathered all the supporting pramāṇas for the Iḍu Vyākhyānam and committed them to careful, systematic documentation.

Heeding the command of his Āchāryan and seeking permission from Āzhvār — Nammāzhvār — Māmunigaḷ proceeded to Śrīraṅgam to propagate the sampradāya. Through his luminous presence and teaching, the Divya Prabandham rose to new heights of honor and vitality.

In Śrīraṅgam, Namperumāḷ — in the most extraordinary act of divine sanction — commanded Maṇavāḷa Māmunigaḷ, before the assembled company of kainkaryaparars (servants of Perumāḷ), Āchārya puruṣas (disciples in the Āchārya line), Jīyars, Śrī Vaiṣṇavas, and all others, to conduct a kālakṣēpam on Nammāzhvār's Tiruvāimozhī with the full Iḍu 36,000 Paḍi Vyākhyānam — directing that nothing should interrupt this sacred discourse until its completion. Māmunigaḷ, overwhelmed with gratitude and joy, commenced the kālakṣēpam, drawing upon all the extant vyākhyānams — the 6,000 paḍi, 9,000 paḍi, 12,000 paḍi, and 24,000 paḍi — elucidating word-by-word meanings, deep inner meanings, and the very heart of the sampradāya's teachings. This great discoursal feast continued for close to ten months, reaching its culmination on the auspicious day of Āṇi Tirumūlam.

On the day of sāṟṟumurai — the benedictory conclusion of the discourse — Namperumāḷ Himself, assuming the form of a small child named Araṅganāyakam, came forward before the entire assembled gōṣṭhi and offered the celebrated taniyan beginning "Śrīśailēśa dayāpātram…" — a supreme and eternal act of divine honor bestowed upon Maṇavāḷa Māmunigaḷ before all the world.

Since the time of Maṇavāḷa Māmunigaḷ, the Divya Prabandham has continued to rise and flourish — and it shall do so for as long as the world endures. Just as the Vēdas are anādhi — without beginning and without end — so too the Divya Prabandham is anādhi, eternal and ever-living.

Nammāzhvār himself glorifies Emperumān in the seventh decade's ninth chapter, first pāsuram (Tiruvāimozhī 7.9.1), with words that reveal the deepest mystery of the Aruḷicceyal. He declares that it was Emperumān who used him — Nammāzhvār — as a sacred instrument to reveal His own greatness to the world:

eṟaikkum eṉṉai uyyakkoṇdu pōgiya aṉṟaikkum aṉṟu eṉṉaith taṉṉākki eṉṉāḷ taṉṉai in tamizhp pādiya Īśanai ādhiyāy niṉṟa eṉ sōdhiyai eṉ solli niṟpanō

Meaning: From the very first moment — establishing that grace as eternal — He specially blessed me and has been conducting me toward Himself forever, causing me to exist wholly for Him alone. Having me, devoid of true knowledge by my own nature, sing His praises — He, the indwelling root cause, remaining within me and singing through me, becoming luminous through that very singing — this natural Lord, this primordial radiant Being, sang Himself through the sweetest of Tamil pāsurams. What can I say of this one who revealed His radiant form and held me together? Can I say He did not first acknowledge me, drawing me toward Him? Can I say He did not carry that grace forward through all time? Can I say He did not make me exist wholly for Him? Can I say He did not sing through me so that these pāsurams might be claimed as mine? Can I say He did not become radiant through that very singing? — The implied, awestruck conclusion: "What indeed can I say — how can I even hold myself together?"

The Divya Prabandham is not the creation of the Āzhvārs alone. At its deepest level, it is Emperumān's own song — sung through the Āzhvārs, by His grace and divine design, for the liberation and upliftment of all souls who sincerely seek His lotus feet. May we be forever blessed to receive, recite, and cherish this most sacred inheritance of our sampradāya.

Śrī: Śrīmathe Śadakōpāya namaḥ | Śrīmathe Rāmānujāya namaḥ | Śrīmath Varavara-munaye namaḥ

In our earlier study, we came to understand the Āzhvārs, the sacred aruḷicceyal — the gracious outpourings of their illumined hearts — and the fourfold classification of the Divya Prabandham, fashioned in the likeness of the fourfold Vēdam. Yet a most significant difference distinguishes these two bodies of sacred literature: the Vēdas are vast in scope, composed in Sanskrit, and traditionally restricted in access. The Divya Prabandham, by contrast, is composed in the blessed language of Tamil, more modest in extent, and mercifully accessible to one and all, without distinction of birth or station.

The Divya Prabandhams are not merely literary compositions — they are the spontaneous and irrepressible outpourings of the Āzhvārs' unbounded devotion to Emperumān. Moved by profound compassion for all souls languishing in the cycle of saṃsāra, the Āzhvārs mercifully composed these pāsurams as a gift for every seeker, placing within reach of all humanity the highest truth that the Vēdas themselves proclaim.

The Āzhvārs lived at the sacred juncture of Dvāpara-yuga and Kali-yuga. After their passing, these divine pāsurams were, for a time, lost to the world — until the great Śrīman Nāthamunigaḷ, through his extraordinary devotion, recovered them in their entirety. He accomplished this feat by reciting Kaṇṇinuṇ Ciruththāmbu twelve thousand times, and as a result, Nammāzhvār Himself graced him with all the Divya Prabandhams together with their inner meanings — a bestowal of grace without parallel.

The Sacred Chain of Transmission

This incomparable treasure was then faithfully transmitted through our illustrious line of Pūrvācāryas — beginning with Śrīman Nāthamunigaḷ and continuing through Uyyakkoṇdār, Maṇakkāl Nambi, Āḷavandār, Emperumānār, Embār, Śrī Parāśara Bhaṭṭar, Nañjīyar, Nampiḷḷai, Vadakkuth Thiruvīdhi Piḷḷai, Piḷḷai Lōkācāryar, and many others who followed. Piḷḷai Lōkācāryar, out of boundless compassion for all souls, composed the rahasya granthas — the esoteric treatises — drawing upon the profound insights contained in the Āzhvārs' pāsurams and the vyākhyānams of the earlier Ācāryas. Another distinguished disciple of Nampiḷḷai, Periyavāccān Piḷḷai, composed commentaries upon all four thousand pāsurams of the Divya Prabandham — a monumental act of grace bestowed upon generations to come.

In later times, Thiruvāimozhip Piḷḷai and the great Maṇavāḷa Māmunigaḷ further propagated and preserved this sacred inheritance. It is particularly noteworthy that Māmunigaḷ had committed to memory the entire Īdu Muppattāṟāyiram — Nampiḷḷai's thirty-six thousand padi vyākhyānam on Thiruvāimozhi — and for a full year, he delivered the kālakṣēpam of this commentary at the sacred Śrīrangam temple. During that entire year, Namperumāḷ suspended all utsavams and devoted His complete attention to this kālakṣēpam. In an act of extraordinary grace, Namperumāḷ then assumed the form of a young boy and presented the Śrī Śailēśa taniyan to his Ācārya, Maṇavāḷa Māmunigaḷ — thereby honouring him as no mortal could. Māmunigaḷ further ensured the perpetuation of this heritage by collecting all the manuscripts of the Divya Prabandhams and their commentaries and making numerous copies of each, so that this treasure might endure for all posterity.

The Fourfold Division of the Four Thousand Pāsurams

The four thousand pāsurams of the Divya Prabandham are divided into four great sections: the Mudalāyiram (First Thousand), the Iraṇdāyiram (Second Thousand), Iyaṟpā, and Thiruvāimozhi. Of these, Iyaṟpā stands apart in that it is recited without musical accompaniment. The remaining three thousand pāsurams are sung with music — a living tradition preserved to this day and most gloriously witnessed in the sacred performance of Araiyar Sēvai. Iyaṟpā, for its part, is reverentially chanted during the divine procession of Perumāḷ on the occasions of utsavams.

We now enter the second part of our introduction, wherein we shall examine the individual prabandhams — their origins, their essential features, and their abiding significance within our Sampradāya.

Before we proceed, it is fitting to understand the nature of thaniyans. Thaniyans are, in essence, Ācārya vandanam — reverential salutations offered to the Ācāryas who have graced us with this sacred tradition. Through them, we offer our prayers to the guru paramparā — the unbroken lineage of teachers descending from Emperumān Himself. There are two categories: the pōdhu thaniyans (common thaniyans recited before all prabandhams) and the thaniyans specific to individual prabandhams.

The Śrī Śailēśa Taniyan

The first taniyan — chanted at the very commencement of every recitation of the Divya Prabandham — is:

Śrī Śailēśa dayāpātram dhī-bhakty-ādi-guṇārṇavam | Yatīndra-pravaṇam vande ramya-jāmātaram munim ||

This is no ordinary composition. It was offered by Namperumāḷ Himself, who accepted Maṇavāḷa Māmunigaḷ as His own Ācārya and graciously submitted this taniyan in His honour. Its meaning: "I reverentially salute Ramya-jāmātru Muni — Maṇavāḷa Māmunigaḷ — who is the recipient of the boundless grace of Thiruvāimozhip Piḷḷai; who is an ocean of noble qualities such as jñānam (knowledge), bhakti (devotion), and vairāgyam (detachment from all worldly pursuits); and who is deeply devoted to Yatīndra — Śrī Rāmānuja."

The Taniyan on Śrī Ponnadikāl Jīyar

The second taniyan is:

Ramya-jāmātru-yōgīndra-pādarekhā-mayam sadā | Tadā yathātma-sattādim Rāmānuja-munim bhaje ||

This was composed by one of the Aṣṭa-dik-gajangaḷ — the eight great elephant-pillars of the tradition — a disciple of Ponnadikāl Jīyar, by name Doddaiyangār Appai. It is a taniyan honouring the first Jīyar of Vanamāmalai — Śrī Ponnadikāl Jīyar — who is described as being like the very imprints upon the sacred soles of Maṇavāḷa Māmunigaḷ's divine feet. Such is the tender and profound intimacy of a true disciple's relationship with his Ācārya, captured here in the most devotional of terms.

The Guru Paramparā Taniyan of Śrī Kūrathāzhvān

The third taniyan was mercifully given to us by Śrī Kūrathāzhvān:

Lakṣmīnātha-samārambhām Nātha-Yāmuna-madhyamām | Asmad-ācārya-paryantām vande guru-paramparām ||

Its meaning: "Beginning with Lakṣmīnātha — Śrīman Nārāyaṇa, the divine consort of Śrī Mahālakṣmī — and flowing through the great Ācāryas such as Nāthamuni and Yāmunācārya, with Emperumānār as the resplendent centrepiece of this sacred necklace of the guru paramparā — who is also my own Ācārya — I reverentially salute this blessed lineage." This taniyan belongs, in a profoundly personal way, to every one of us — for each devotee may contemplate his own Ācārya as the culmination of this unbroken chain of grace.

The Taniyan on Jagadācārya Śrī Rāmānuja

The fourth taniyan, also given by Śrī Kūrathāzhvān, glorifies our jagadācāryan — the Ācārya of the entire world — Śrī Rāmānuja:

Yo nityam acyuta-padāmbhuja-yugma-rukma-vyāmohatas tad-itarāṇi tṛṇāya mēnē | Asmad-gurōr bhagavatōsya dayaika-sindhōḥ Rāmānujasya caraṇau śaraṇam prapadye ||

It is worth recalling that Namperumāḷ Himself designated our tradition as "Emperumānār Darśanam" — the Darśanam of Rāmānuja — thereby establishing Emperumānār's supreme and central place within our Sampradāya. The meaning of this taniyan: "I take refuge at the lotus feet of my Ācārya, Śrī Rāmānuja — he who is ceaselessly and ardently devoted to the divine golden feet of Acyuta (Emperumān), who regards all things other than those sacred feet as no more than a blade of grass, and who is a boundless ocean of compassion."

The Taniyan on Nammāzhvār — Offered by Āḷavandār

The fifth taniyan, offered by the great Āḷavandār in honour of Nammāzhvār, is:

Mātā pitā yuvatayas tanayā vibhūtiḥ sarvam yadeva niyamena mad-anvayānām | Ādyasya naḥ kulapatheḥ vakuḷābhirāmam Śrīmat tad-aṅghri-yugaḷam praṇamāmi mūrdhnā ||

Nammāzhvār is the foremost leader of our Prapanna kulam — the community of souls who have surrendered wholly to Emperumān. For the devotee who has taken refuge thus, Nammāzhvār is everything — mother, father, youthful companion, child, and all wealth. He who adorns himself with the fragrant vakuḷa flowers, the first patriarch of our illustrious lineage — his sacred pair of lotus feet, adiyēn reverentially places upon my very crown.

The Taniyan by Śrī Parāśara Bhaṭṭar — Celebrating All the Āzhvārs

The sixth taniyan was composed by Śrī Parāśara Bhaṭṭar:

Bhūtam saraś ca mahad-āhvaya-bhaṭṭanātha Śrī-bhaktisāra-kulaśēkhara-yōgivāhān | Bhaktāṅghri-reṇu-parakāla-yatīndra-miśrān Śrīmath Parāṅkuśa-munim praṇatō'smi nityam ||

This exquisite taniyan envisions Nammāzhvār as the avayavi — the whole, the body — and all the other Āzhvārs as the avayavams — the sacred limbs of that body. Within this sublime contemplation, Emperumānār himself is honoured as the very feet of Nammāzhvār — a most profound expression of the living inter-relationship between the Āzhvārs and the Ācāryas within the one living body of our Sampradāya.

We now turn our attention to the Mudalāyiram — the First Thousand — which is itself a gathering of ten distinct prabandhams:

1. Thiruppallāṇdu — Periyāzhvār
2. Kaṇṇinuṇ Ciruththāmbu — Madhurakavi Āzhvār
3. Periyāzhvār Thirumozhi — Periyāzhvār
4. Thiruppāvai — Śrī Āṇdāḷ
5. Nācciyār Thirumozhi — Śrī Āṇdāḷ
6. Perumāḷ Thirumozhi — Kulasēkhara Āzhvār
7. Thirumālai — Thondaradippodi Āzhvār
8. Thiruppaḷḷiyezhucchi — Thondaradippodi Āzhvār
9. Amalanādipirān — Thiruppāṇāzhvār
10. Thiruccandha Viruththam — Thirumazhisai Āzhvār

These prabandhams were arranged in their present order by Śrīman Nāthamunigaḷ. The first among them is Thiruppallāṇdu, followed by Kaṇṇinuṇ Ciruththāmbu. It is noteworthy that at the Āzhvār sannidhi in Āzhvārthirunagari, Kaṇṇinuṇ Ciruththāmbu is always chanted first at the commencement of all recitations. Similarly, at the sacred Divya Dēśam of Thirunārāyaṇapuram, Kaṇṇinuṇ Ciruththāmbu is likewise accorded the honour of being chanted first.

Its Status in the Sampradāya

Thiruppallāṇdu holds a position of the highest eminence within our Sampradāya, for it is regarded as the very equivalent of Praṇavam — the primordial syllable Oṃ — in relation to the entire Divya Prabandham. Māmunigaḷ himself articulates this luminous correspondence in the nineteenth pāsuram of his Upadēśa Raththina Mālai, drawing a parallel of extraordinary beauty: just as the chanting of the Vēdas begins and concludes with the Praṇavam, so too does the chanting of the Divya Prabandham begin and conclude with Thiruppallāṇdu. And just as the Praṇavam contains within itself the entire essence of the Vēdas, so does Thiruppallāṇdu contain the distilled essence of all four thousand pāsurams of the Divya Prabandham.

The Life and Kainkaryam of Periyāzhvār

Periyāzhvār was born in the blessed Divya Dēśam of Śrīvillipuththūr, where he devoted himself entirely to puṣpa kainkaryam — the sacred service of offering flowers to Emperumān. He was deeply absorbed in the divine pastimes of Kaṇṇan Emperumān, and when he encountered the episode of the mālākāra — the garland-maker — in the Śrī Bhāgavatam, he was so moved by that narrative that he resolved to offer the most faultless and beautiful garlands as his own supreme act of kainkaryam to the Lord.

The Victory at the Pāṇḍya Court

It was precisely at this time that the Pāṇḍya king issued a royal challenge: whosoever could resolve his doubt regarding the distinction between the fruits attainable in this world and the supreme fruit of Paramapadam, and who could thereby establish para-tattva — the supreme truth concerning the Absolute — would be richly rewarded with a treasure of gold coins. The king's minister, Selva Nambi, counselled this course of action. Moved by the direct ordination and grace of Emperumān, Periyāzhvār appeared before the court, eloquently established para-tattva, and claimed the treasure. The king, overwhelmed with admiration, honoured the Āzhvār by seating him upon the royal elephant and conducting a grand procession through the city.

The Birth of Thiruppallāṇdu

At that very moment, Emperumān appeared resplendent in the sky, seated upon Garuḍa and accompanied by Piraṭṭi. Upon beholding this magnificent vision, Periyāzhvār was utterly overwhelmed with love — and from that love arose a tender, anxious solicitude: he feared that some harm might befall his beloved Lord. From that exquisite state of maṅgaḷāśāsanam — the auspicious invocation wishing well-being to Emperumān — he sang pallāṇdu pallāṇdu. It must be understood that maṅgaḷāśāsanam is not restricted to elders blessing the young; rather, it is the natural and overflowing expression of profound love and devotion from any heart so filled with affection for Emperumān that it wishes earnestly for His well-being. It was on account of this supreme act that the Āzhvār earned the honoured title of "Periyāzhvār" — the great Āzhvār. All of his pāsurams are permeated with the spirit of maṅgaḷāśāsanam, and his deepest aspiration was to gather vast assemblies of adiyārs — the faithful servants of Emperumān — and lead them all in offering this maṅgaḷāśāsanam together.

The Taniyan of Periyāzhvār — A Distinguishing Feature

The taniyan of Periyāzhvār reveals an important truth: this Āzhvār did not receive his divine jñānam through the study of scripture under any human Ācārya. He was directly chosen by Emperumān and invested with nirankuśa jñānam — unblemished, sovereign knowledge — as a special divine bestowal. He further possesses another singular honour within our tradition: he is the father-in-law of Śrī Ranganātha, for his beloved daughter Śrī Āṇdāḷ is none other than Bhūmidēvi herself, the consort of the Lord.

Structure of Thiruppallāṇdu — Pāsuram by Pāsuram

In the first two pāsurams, Periyāzhvār performs maṅgaḷāśāsanam to Emperumān in the solitude of his own devotion. In the third pāsuram, he calls out to other Bhāgavatas — devotees of like heart — to join him. In the fourth pāsuram, he extends his invitation even to the kaivalyārthīs — those seekers intent solely upon the experience of their own ātma-svarūpam, with no aspiration to render kainkaryam to Emperumān. In the fifth pāsuram, he calls upon all the aiśvaryārthīs — those motivated by the desire for worldly prosperity, whether newly sought or previously lost. In pāsurams six through eight, these various groups arrive, one by one, in response to the Āzhvār's loving and encompassing summons. Pāsurams nine through eleven depict Periyāzhvār performing maṅgaḷāśāsanam together with all these assembled souls. And in the twelfth and final pāsuram, the prabandham reaches its luminous conclusion with the declaration of its phalam — its fruit.

What does one attain by performing maṅgaḷāśāsanam to Emperumān? The prabandham reveals this with great clarity: one receives the incomparable gift of performing eternal maṅgaḷāśāsanam to Emperumān — both in this world and, supremely, in Paramapadam — forever and without interruption. And why is this the highest fruit? Because maṅgaḷāśāsanam is not merely an act of piety — it is the very expression of the jīvātmā's true svarūpam, its essential nature. A jīvātmā who is eternally subservient to the Paramātmā must at all times be devoted to the well-being of his Master. It is the jīva's deepest calling to ceaselessly seek to multiply the glories of Emperumān, impelled by that jīva's fundamental nature as His eternal servant. Hence, eternal maṅgaḷāśāsanam to Emperumān by the jīvātmā is indeed the supreme and fitting fruit of this blessed prabandham.

The Āzhvār and His Origins

Kaṇṇinuṇ Ciruththāmbu was mercifully given to us by Madhurakavi Āzhvār. He was born in the sacred Divya Dēśam of Thirukkōḷūr, situated near Āzhvārthirunagari, where the presiding deity is Śrī Vaithamānidhi Perumāḷ. In the course of his life, Madhurakavi Āzhvār had journeyed to northern India, where he was engaged in devoted kainkaryam. One day, while occupied with his daily duties, he perceived an extraordinary radiance blazing from the direction of the south. Drawn by an irresistible curiosity, he followed this luminous beacon until it led him, at last, to Āzhvārthirunagari. When the light faded, he enquired of the townspeople whether any great and knowledgeable soul resided in that place. They directed him to the Thiruppuḷiyāzhvār — the sacred tamarind tree — and informed him of the presence of Nammāzhvār, who abided there in a state of unbroken dhyāna.

The Meeting of Two Great Souls

Though Madhurakavi Āzhvār was senior in years to Nammāzhvār, upon beholding him he experienced an inexplicable and overwhelming joy — for he discerned within Nammāzhvār the unmistakeable presence of a great jñāni and a supreme devotee of Emperumān. Desiring to draw the young Āzhvār out of his deep meditative absorption, Madhurakavi Āzhvār gently cast a small stone before him. Nammāzhvār opened his eyes and regarded him with serene attention. Madhurakavi Āzhvār then posed a question:

"Seththaththin vayiṟṟil siriyadhu piṟandhāl, eththaith thiṉṟu engē kidakkum?"

"If something small were to be born within a dead body, what would it partake of, and where would it remain?"

These were the very first words Nammāzhvār ever spoke, and his reply was immediate and profound:

"Aththaith thiṉṟu angē kidakkum."

"It will partake of that very thing, and it will remain there."

The deeper meaning shines through: when a jīvātmā finds itself bound within an acit — a material body — what will it experience, and where will it abide? Nammāzhvār's answer reveals the truth: as long as the jīvātmā remains entangled in karma, it will remain within the dēha — the body — and will continue to experience precisely what karma brings. This single exchange revealed to Madhurakavi Āzhvār the extraordinary depth of Nammāzhvār's wisdom. He recognised the Āzhvār's greatness without any shadow of doubt, and from that moment devoted himself wholly to serving Nammāzhvār as his Ācārya. He received the Thiruvāimozhi and the other prabandhams from Nammāzhvār, faithfully recorded them for future generations, and continued to render all manner of kainkaryam to his beloved Ācārya.

The Composition of Kaṇṇinuṇ Ciruththāmbu

When Nammāzhvār ascended to Paramapadam after thirty-two years, Madhurakavi Āzhvār was overcome with the grief of separation from the one who had been his entire world. Yet, driven by the ardent desire to proclaim the glories of his Ācārya, he composed the blessed prabandham known as Kaṇṇinuṇ Ciruththāmbu — a work of rare brevity and surpassing sweetness. Māmunigaḷ, in the twenty-sixth pāsuram of his Upadēśa Raththina Mālai, celebrates the greatness of this prabandham with these words:

Vāyththa thirumantiraththin maththimamām padham pōl sīrtha madhurakavi seikalai — Ārtha pugazh Āriyargaḷ thāṅgaḷ aruḷicceyal naduvē sērviththār thātparyam thērndhu.

The meaning: "The glorious Pūrvācāryas, after deeply comprehending the tātparya — the inner intent — of Madhurakavi Āzhvār's prabandham, placed it within the body of the Divya Prabandham, recognising that it occupies the position of the madhyama padam — the middle word — of the Tiru-mantram, which is namaḥ." The significance is immense: just as the word namaḥ in the Aṣṭākṣara-mantram declares the jīvātmā's selfless subordination — not mine, but His — so too does Madhurakavi Āzhvār's prabandham declare that serving a devotee of Emperumān is the highest calling, surpassing even direct service to Emperumān Himself. Since this prabandham celebrates not Emperumān directly, but rather his Ācārya Nammāzhvār — a supreme devotee of Emperumān — our Pūrvācāryas, beginning with Śrīman Nāthamuni, accorded it the honour of inclusion within the Divya Prabandham, and hailed it as the equivalent of the madhyama padam of the Tiru-mantram.

The Supremacy of Ācārya Bhakti

In this prabandham, Madhurakavi Āzhvār declares with matchless conviction: "Dhēvumaṟṟaṟiyēn kurugūr nambi, pāvin inniśai pādith thirivan" — "I know no Lord other than my Ācārya, Kurugūr Nambi, and I shall spend my life singing the glories of his Ācārya and the prabandhams that he has composed." By this declaration, Madhurakavi Āzhvār establishes Ācārya bhakti as greater than Bhagavath bhakti — devotion to the Ācārya as the very path to, and fullest expression of, devotion to Emperumān. It is for this reason that our tradition holds Madhurakavi Āzhvār in extraordinary esteem, placing him in a category of his own among the Āzhvārs. Our Pūrvācāryas cherished the aspiration of becoming like Madhurakavi Āzhvār — and like Vaduga Nambi, who similarly made Emperumānār the entirety of his existence. For Vaduga Nambi, Emperumānār was everything; for Madhurakavi Āzhvār, Nammāzhvār was everything.

Madhurakavi Āzhvār goes further still, declaring that the grace of Nammāzhvār surpasses even the direct grace of Emperumān — and indeed surpasses any grace that one might obtain from the entire created world. Emperumān gave us the Śrī Bhagavad Gītā — though eternally profound, it is a vast and intricate teaching, accessible fully only to those who are specially qualified for its study. Nammāzhvār, however, gave us the Thiruvāimozhi — lucid, accessible, and inexhaustible — a work that may be approached and cherished by every soul, without distinction of birth, learning, or station.

The Divine Origin of AruLichcheyal

From among the innumerable AthmAs bound within the cycles of samsāra, emperumAn — through His sovereign, unconditioned grace — selected a blessed few and conferred upon them mayarvaRa madhinalam: unblemished true knowledge (jñānam) and supreme devotion (bhakthi), entirely eradicating the veil of ignorance that had long obscured their vision. These divinely illumined souls, the AzhwArs, gave consummate expression to that overwhelming outpouring of jñānam and bhakthi through sacred compositions known as dhivya prabandham — celebrated equally as dhrAvida vEdham and aruLichcheyal.

The Vedic Correspondence of the Prabandham

The four divine works of nammAzhwAr stand in direct and sanctioned correspondence with the four Vedas:

The six works of thirumangai AzhwAr — periya thirumozhi, thirukkuRunthANdagam, thiru vezhukkURRirukkai, siriya thirumadal, periya thirumadal, and thirunedunthANdagam — are honoured as the six angAs (sacred ancillaries) of dhivya prabandham. The compositions of the remaining AzhwArs are revered as the upAngangaL — the subsidiary members — of this sacred corpus.

The Vedas carry strict prescriptions governing eligibility, occasion, and mode of recitation, rendering them inaccessible to many. The dhivya prabandham, by the infinite compassion of emperumAn, bears no such restriction. It is accessible to all souls in every circumstance, and stands as the most merciful of all avenues toward divine knowledge and liberation.

The Artha Panchakam: The Five Supreme Truths

The central message of aruLichcheyal is the clear and beautiful elucidation of the artha panchakam — the five great truths of Vishishtādvaita siddhānta — woven with profound artistry throughout the dhivya prabandham:

1. sva-svarUpa — the essential nature of the individual self (jīvātmā)
2. para-svarUpa — the supreme nature of the Lord (Paramātmā)
3. purushArtha-svarUpa — the ultimate goal to be attained
4. upAya-svarUpa — the means ordained for the attainment of that goal
5. virOdhi-svarUpa — the impediments that obstruct the attainment of that goal

Sustained and devoted engagement with these sacred pAsurams naturally engenders virakthi — a salutary detachment from the transient and illusory pleasures of samsāric existence — while simultaneously kindling a deepening attachment to the auspicious attributes (kalyANa guNas) of Bhagavān and to the blessed state of eternal service (kainkaryam) at His Lotus Feet. As one contemplates the Lord's kalyANa guNas and the glories of His divine descents (avathAra leelAs), ineffable joy arises within, together with a clear recognition of one's own intrinsic nature as an eternal servitor (dāsa) of emperumAn.

This sublime truth is illumined in the following pAsuram of pEyAzhwAr:

mARpAl manam suzhippa mangaiyar thOL kai vittu nURpAl manam vaikka noyvidhAm – nARpAla vEdhaththAn vEngadaththAn viNNOr mudi thOyum pAdhaththAn pAdham paNindhu* — mUnRAm thiruvandhAdhi, pAsuram 14

As one turns wholly and resolutely toward emperumAn, entanglement in samsāric pursuits naturally and progressively diminishes. The pAsurams of the AzhwArs serve as the supremely gracious vehicle through which the aspiring soul is drawn ever closer to Bhagavān.

The Testimonies of Srīmath Varavaramunigaḷ

In upadhEsa ratna mAlai, pAsuram 34, mAmunigaḷ declares with solemn resolve:

AzhwArgaL ERRam aruLichcheyal ERRam thAzhvAdhum inRi avai thAm vaLarththOr – Ezh pArum uyya avargaL seydha vyAkkiyaigaL uLLadhellAm vaiyam aRiyap pagarvOm vAyndhu

"It is my sacred and inescapable duty to proclaim to all people of this world that the glory of the AzhwArs and of their divine compositions — the dhivya prabandham — admits of no diminishment whatsoever. It is equally my duty to extol those venerable AchāryAs who composed vyākhyānams upon the AzhwArs' works and offered that incomparable gift to the souls of the seven worlds for their spiritual upliftment and liberation."

In upadhEsa ratna mAlai, pAsuram 35, mAmunigaḷ counsels his own mind with grave earnestness:

AzhwArgaLaiyum aruLichcheyalgaLaiyum thAzhvA ninaippavardhAm naragil – vIzhvArgaL enRu ninaiththu nenjE epppozhudhum nI avar pAl senRaNugak kUsiththiRi

"O my mind! Know with certainty that those who harbour contempt for the AzhwArs and for their divinely outpoured compositions shall assuredly descend into the afflictions of naraka. O mind! Assiduously avoid the association of such persons at all times and under all circumstances."

The Sacred Occasion of ThiruppallANdu

In thiruppallANdu, periyAzhwAr performs mangaLAsAsanam to emperumAn — the devout act of invoking auspiciousness and praying for the very well-being of the Lord Himself. The circumstances under which this prabandham was composed are most instructive and deeply moving.

periyAzhwAr journeyed to the royal court at madhurai to establish vishNu parathvam — the undisputed sovereign supremacy of Lord Vishnu — before the assembled assembly of scholars. By the grace of emperumAn alone, he succeeded in this sacred endeavour, and was accorded the highest honour by the king. At that exalted moment, emperumAn Himself descended upon a divine garuda vAhanam to witness periyAzhwAr being so celebrated and glorified.

Upon beholding Bhagavān thus descending into this samsāra — this realm fraught with peril, densely populated by asuras and adversaries — periyAzhwAr was overwhelmed by an irresistible surge of pongum parivu, the overflowing parental love of a devoted bhakta. Though he had but moments before established emperumAn as the Supreme Lord and Ruler of all existence, the sight of his beloved perumāḷ in this world of dangers caused the boundless flood of prēmam to transcend even jñānam itself. Impelled by the most tender parental solicitude, periyAzhwAr composed the twelve pAsurams of thiruppallANdu, seeking divine protection for the very Lord of the universe.

The Pre-eminence of ThiruppallANdu

Just as the sacred syllable praNavam (AUM) constitutes the very essence of the Vedas and is therefore recited at their commencement, so too does thiruppallANdu embody the quintessential spirit of the entirety of dhivya prabandham and is accordingly recited at the beginning of every prabandham recitation. It is wholly and devotedly focused upon mangaLAsAsanam to emperumAn — the reverent petition for the Lord's perpetual welfare and auspiciousness. MangaLAsAsanam signifies precisely this: the ardent desire for, and prayerful invocation of, all that is auspicious and protective upon the Lord.

The inner structure of thiruppallANdu:

• First two pAsurams: periyAzhwAr performs mangaLAsAsanam directly and intimately to emperumAn
• Subsequent three pAsurams: periyAzhwAr invites all those assembled — family, devotees, and the hosts of the celestial worlds — to join him in singing thiruppallANdu together
• Final pAsuram: the pala-Sruthi — a solemn declaration of the fruits and blessings that flow to those who recite this prabandham with devotion

periyAzhwAr thirumozhi

In periyAzhwAr thirumozhi, periyAzhwAr assumes the exquisite bhAvam of a devoted mother and tenderly extols the blessed childhood pastimes (leelAs) of Lord KrishNa. In this prabandham as well, the spirit of mangaLAsAsanam pervades and consecrates every pAsuram.

It is to be noted that while periyavAchchān piLLai composed a comprehensive vyākhyānam for the entirety of periyAzhwAr thirumozhi, only certain portions of that great work survived into later ages. When Srīmath varavaramunigaḷ arrived at Srīrangam with the sacred mission of re-establishing and consolidating the granthams of the sampradāyam, he undertook the composition of the vyākhyānam for those pAsurams for which periyavAchchān piLLai's commentary was no longer extant, thereby safeguarding this precious heritage for all future generations of the faithful.

The Theology of MangaLAsAsanam

At the level of pure jñānam, one comprehends with unshakeable certitude that emperumAn — sarvēsvaran, Sriya:pathi — is the eternal and infallible rakshakan (protector) of all sentient beings without exception. Yet when bhakthi ascends to the extraordinary height of pongum parivu — a torrential overflow of love that exceeds all ordinary measure — the bhāvam of the bhakta undergoes a most sublime and paradoxical transformation: the soul is consumed by the burning wish to protect emperumAn Himself.

In this elevated and tender state, periyAzhwAr reasoned thus: when emperumAn abides in the transcendental realm of SrI VaikuNtham, no adversity of any kind can befall Him. But when He descends into this samsāra, He stands exposed to the hostility of asuras and the manifold dangers of the material realm. It was from this wellspring of overflowing love that periyAzhwAr sang thiruppallANdu.

In thiruppallANdu, periyAzhwAr glorifies the narasimha avathāram:

andhiyam pOthil ari uruvAgi ariyai azhiththavanai

He glorifies the rāmAvathāram:

ilangai pAzhALAgap padai poruthAnukku

He glorifies the krishNAvathāram:

mAyap poru padai vANanai Ayiram thOLum pozhi kurudhi pAya

The Special Affection of the AzhwArs for KrishNAvathāram

Of all the divine descents of Bhagavān, the AzhwArs nurtured a singular and profound affection for the krishNAvathāram. The reason for this is deeply instructive. Among all avathārams, the krishNAvathāram — having occurred in the dvāpara yuga — stood nearest in time to the AzhwArs' own era. nammAzhwAr, who appeared only forty-two days after the commencement of kali yuga, reflected with heartfelt longing that had he been born even a few years earlier, he might himself have witnessed and participated in the glories of the krishNAvathāram directly.

Moreover, while in the rāmAvathāram emperumAn descended as a mighty sovereign and king, in the krishNAvathāram He chose to manifest as a tender gopa bāla — a simple, endearing cowherd child — making Himself wholly approachable and intimately beloved to all who loved Him. It is this quality of saulabhyam — of gracious accessibility and endearing proximity — that rendered the krishNAvathāram especially and ineffably dear to the hearts of the AzhwArs and their devotees in all ages.

In the Rāmāvatāram, all conditions were supremely auspicious: the four princes were endowed with noble qualities and extraordinary capabilities; their father Daśaratha, celebrated as Sambarāntaka — the vanquisher of the asura Sambara — was a sovereign of matchless renown; their preceptor was the venerable Vasiṣṭha Maharṣi; their abode was the great citadel of Ayodhyā; and the age was the Tretā Yuga, resplendent with dharma. Consequently, there was little cause for anxiety on behalf of the Lord.

However, in the Kṛṣṇāvatāram, the circumstances were altogether contrary. Emperumān took birth within a prison situated in an enemy's fortress; Kaṃsa was a merciless adversary who dispatched successive asuras to destroy Him; His father was a cowherd among the Yādavas; His dwelling was the settlement of the gopas and gopīs; even Śrī Kṛṣṇa Himself and His companions were given to mischievous sport; and the age — the Dvāpara Yuga — stood perilously close to the dark Kali Yuga. It is for this very reason that the Āzhvārs found themselves utterly absorbed in caring for Śrī Kṛṣṇa, their hearts incapable of turning elsewhere.

Periyāzhvār was wholly immersed in Kṛṣṇānubhavam. He savoured the Kṛṣṇāvatāram with the deepest relish and delight. As the pāsuram itself proclaims — viṣṇucittaṉ maṉattē kōyil koṇḍāṉ — Śrī Kṛṣṇa bestowed upon Periyāzhvār such an inexhaustible torrent of divine experience that the Āzhvār's heart became the Lord's perpetual abode.

The divine līlās of Emperumān, as celebrated by Periyāzhvār, are not mere recollections derived from the purāṇas. They are the Kṛṣṇa-līlā enacted directly before the Āzhvār's eyes, experienced by him in Yaśodā bhāvam — the sacred mood of the Lord's foster mother — wherein every act of the Lord is beheld with the tender, anxious love of a mother beholding her child.

A question naturally arises with respect to the decad Vaṇṇa Māḍaṅgal: Was not Śrī Kṛṣṇa born in Mathurā, and not in Thirukkōṣṭiyūr?

Thirukkōṣṭiyūr was a divya deśam especially dear to Periyāzhvār. It was the sacred abode of Śelva Nambi, the venerable adiyār held in the highest esteem by the Āzhvār. In this most beautiful temple, Emperumān graciously manifests His divine form as Śrī Kṛṣṇa, granting darśanam to His devotees.

It must be understood that the arcāvatāram is the perfect representative of the vibhavāvatāram. Emperumān vouchsafes darśanam to the Āzhvār in His forms as Narasiṃha, Rāma, Vāmana, Kṛṣṇa, and others; it is through this sacred experience that the Āzhvār glorifies Emperumān in his pāsurams.

As is declared in Śrī Vacana Bhūṣaṇam: Periyāzhvār conducted himself in the bhāvam of Yaśodā, whilst Āṇḍāḷ assumed the bhāvam of the gopīs along with her companions — both savoring the transcendent bliss of Kṛṣṇānubhavam.

Periyāzhvār exalts the various stages of Emperumān's childhood in a sacred and ordered progression: the first padhigam glorifies His divine birth; the second padhigam describes His resplendent beauty from head to foot; the third padhigam offers a lullaby to the infant Lord; and so forth through successive phases of tender devotion. Through all these stages, Periyāzhvār glorifies the childhood of Śrī Kṛṣṇa in Yaśodā bhāvam, suffusing each pāsuram with the parental devotion of the highest order.

Thereafter, Periyāzhvār proceeds to glorify the sacred divya deśams: Thirumālirunjōlai, Thirukkōṣṭiyūr, Thiruvēḷḷaṟai (Kāppidaṃ), and the supremely exalted Śrīrangam.

In the fifth centum, fourth decad of Periyāzhvār Thirumozhi — the celebrated Senniyōṅgu padhigam — Periyāzhvār glorifies Śrī Thiruveṅkaṭamudaiyān with singular ardour:

panik kadalil paḷḷikōḷaip pazhagavittu Ōdivandhu en maṉak kadalil vāzhavalla māya maṇāḷa nambī! taṉik kadalē taṉiccudarē taṉiyulagē eṉṟeṉṟu uṉakkidamāy irukka eṉṉai uṉakku uriththākkiṉaiyē.

Periyāzhvār marvels here with overflowing joy: even as the celestial ocean, the resplendent sun, and the heavenly realms stand prepared as fitting abodes for Emperumān, the Lord chose instead to hasten to the Āzhvār and take residence within his very heart. The Āzhvār is transported with gratitude at this supreme act of divine condescension.

aṉanthaṉ pāluṃ garuḍaṉpāluṃ aidhu noydāga vaiththu eṉ maṉanthaṉuḷḷē vandhu vaigi vāzhac ceydāy empirāṉ! niṉaindhu eṉṉuḷḷē niṉṟu nekkuk kaṇgaḷ acumpozhuka niṉaintirundē ciramam tīrndēṉ nēmi nediyavaṉē!

Here Periyāzhvār glorifies how Emperumān entered his heart and bestowed upon him a new life, dissolving all his afflictions and miseries — a grace so overwhelming that it draws forth tears of devotion and lifts from the Āzhvār the entire burden of saṃsāric suffering.

paruppadadhattuk kayalpoṟitta pāṇḍiyar kulapatipōl tiruppoḷindha cēvaḍi eṉ ceṉṉiṉ mēl poṟittāy maruppociththāy! mallādarttāy! eṉṟeṉṟu uṉ vācagamē urupoḷindha nāviṉēṉai uṉakku uriththākiṉaiyē.

Periyāzhvār glorifies Emperumān through a most illuminating comparison: just as the sovereign Pāṇḍya king planted his victorious emblem upon the summit of a lofty mountain, so too has Emperumān graciously impressed His auspicious lotus feet upon the Āzhvār's head.

The depth of this analogy merits careful contemplation. The Pāṇḍya king ascended the mountain by his own sovereign will; the mountain made no petition requesting that he ascend and plant his banner upon its peak. In precisely the same manner, Emperumān — by His own sovereign grace and utterly without solicitation — descended to the Āzhvār and placed His lotus feet upon his head. The Āzhvār, overwhelmed by this immeasurable blessing and ever dwelling in the mood of dāsya — pure servitude — magnifies the unbounded greatness of Emperumān.

vēyar taṅgaḷ kulattuditha vittucittaṉ maṉattē kōyil koṇḍa kōvalaṉaik kozhuṅguḷir mugilvaṇṇaṉai āyaṟṟai amarar kōvai antaṇartam amudattaṉai cāyai pōlap pāda vallār tāmuṃ aṇukkargaḷē.

Those who are able to sing these sacred pāsurams in the spirit of dāsya to Emperumān shall become inseparable from Him — like His very shadow — and shall dwell eternally in the bliss of singing His divine glories without cessation.

One may ask: in what sense may the entirety of Periyāzhvār Thirumozhi be rightfully characterized as maṅgalāśāsanam?

The answer unfolds through a simple yet profound inquiry. Why does Periyāzhvār savour the Kṛṣṇāvatāram with such consuming devotion? Because his heart's deepest aspiration is that Kṛṣṇa be ever joyful, safe, and free from all harm. Why does he glorify Emperumān and implore His protection? Because his innermost supplication is this: "Grant us Thy protection, O Lord — for only if Thou dost protect us shall we be capable of extolling Thy glory and performing maṅgalāśāsanam for Thee."

In this sublime manner, the entirety of Periyāzhvār Thirumozhi is revealed to be maṅgalāśāsanam for Emperumān — an unceasing benediction arising from the Āzhvār's boundless and unconditional love.

The Descent of Āṇḍāḷ

In Upadēśa Ratna Mālai, the twenty-second pāsuram declares:

iṉṟō tiruvāṭip pūram emakkāga aṉṟō ingu āṇḍāḷ avatarittāḷ — kuṉṟāda vāzhvāṉa vaikuṇṭa vāṉ bōgam taṉṉi igazhndhu āzhvār tirumagaḷār āy

Did not Āṇḍāḷ take birth on the sacred Āḍi month Pūram nakṣatra solely for our sake? Renouncing the boundless and imperishable bliss of Śrī Vaikuṇṭam itself, she descended into this world as the daughter of Periyāzhvār — solely for our spiritual elevation and liberation.

Such is the immeasurable glory of Āṇḍāḷ — periyāzhvār peṟṟa peṇ piḷḷai — the beloved divine daughter of Periyāzhvār.

Thiruppāvai is revered as the very quintessence of the Vedas, and is hence exalted as vēdam anaittukkum vittu — the seed from which the entirety of Vedic wisdom springs forth.

During the thirty sacred days of the month of Mārgaḻi, Āṇḍāḷ composed thirty pāsurams of Thiruppāvai. In this divine composition, she enacts the complete drama of the soul's journey toward Emperumān: she commits to the sacred nōnbu (the vow of spiritual observance); she gathers all her companions; she proceeds to Nandagōpan's sacred mansion; she awakens Nandagōpan and the household in succession; she awakens Śrī Kṛṣṇa's consort Nīḷā Devī (Nappinnai); and finally, she awakens Kṛṣṇa Himself. She concludes by beseeching Kṛṣṇa to bestow mokṣam and the eternal privilege of rendering kainkaryam — and that kainkaryam wholly and entirely for His pleasure and delight, with no admixture of self-seeking.

Within the pāsuram beginning Mārgazhith thiṅgaḷ, the phrase nārāyaṇanē namakkē parai taruvān encapsulates in its sublime brevity the complete artha pañcakam — the five cardinal truths that form the very foundation of Śrī Vaiṣṇava siddhānta:

1. Para-svarūpam — The true nature of the Supreme Lord
2. Sva-svarūpam — The true nature of the jīvātmā
3. Puruṣārtha-svarūpam — The true nature of the supreme goal to be attained
4. Upāya-svarūpam — The true nature of the means by which that goal is attained
5. Virōdhi-svarūpam — The true nature of the impediments that obstruct the attainment of that goal

Each element of the verse illuminates one of these five truths:

Nārāyaṇa — This designates Paramātmā, the Supreme Being — para-svarūpam. He is the indwelling reality of both cetana (sentient beings) and acetana (insentient matter), encompassing all of existence as His divine body.

Namakkē — This refers to the jīvātmās — sva-svarūpam. The ātmā, in its truest nature, exists entirely for the pleasure and enjoyment of Paramātmā; this is its essential identity.

Parai — This signifies that Emperumān bestows kainkaryam — the eternal service of the Lord — which is itself the supreme puruṣārtha, the true and ultimate goal of every ātmā.

Taruvān — He Himself shall grant us this palam, this fruit. From this we understand that Emperumān alone is the upāya — the means by which we reach Him. As for the virōdhi — the impediment — why had we not received this palam previously? Because until this moment we had not turned toward Him. Now, having turned toward Emperumān with sincere surrender, the obstacles that stood between us and His grace are dissolved, and we receive His boundless grace together with the blessed kainkaryam.

Thus, in a single verse of surpassing beauty, Āṇḍāḷ distills the entire essence of the śāstram — a feat of theological perfection that reveals Thiruppāvai to be, in the fullest and most exalted sense, the seed of all Vedic wisdom.

The first pāsuram of Thiruppāvai succinctly intimates that which is to be attained — namely, the prāpyam (the supreme goal) — which is parai, understood as eternal kainkaryam (loving service) unto Śrī Perumāḷ.

The thirty pāsurams of this sacred prabandham unfold in the following hallowed sequence:

• Pāsurams 1–5 — Āṇḍāḷ and her companions solemnly undertake their vows
• Pāsurams 6–15 — Āṇḍāḷ awakens the sleeping gopikās one by one
• Pāsurams 16–20 — The sacred assembly of Āṇḍāḷ and her companions arrives at the palace of Nandagopa
• Pāsurams 21–25 — Āṇḍāḷ treads the righteous path toward Śrī Perumāḷ
• Pāsurams 26–30 — The blessed company reaches Kṛṣṇa Emperumān

In Thiruppāvai, the blessed Āṇḍāḷ Nāchiyār illumines the following sacred principles with consummate grace:

1. She firmly establishes that both prāpyam (the supreme goal) and prāpakam (the means of attainment) are none other than Emperumān Himself.

1. She delineates the proper conduct befitting Śrī Vaiṣṇavas — the observances to be embraced and the transgressions to be avoided.

1. She teaches that bhagavad anubhavam (the blissful experience of the Lord) ought to be pursued in the company of devotees, not in solitude — as evidenced by her awakening ten gopikās to accompany her in her approach to Kaṇṇan Emperumān.

1. She instructs that before approaching Emperumān directly, one must first seek the gracious intercession of His intimate adiyārs (devotees and attendants) — including the divine gatekeepers, Balarāma, Yaśodā, and Nandagopa.

1. She reveals that one must always seek the compassionate mediation of Śrī Pirāṭṭi (the Divine Consort) before approaching Emperumān.

1. She enjoins the perpetual practice of maṅgaḷāśāsanam — the offering of auspicious blessings and praise — unto Śrī Perumāḷ.

1. She teaches that kainkaryam (selfless service) must be earnestly prayed for, as it constitutes the very svarūpam (essential nature) of the jīvātmā.

1. She makes clear that kainkaryam must be rendered solely for the pleasure of Emperumān, entirely devoid of any expectation of personal reward.

In the sacred Nāchiyār Thirumozhi, Āṇḍāḷ expounds many profound principles of our revered Sampradāyam with extraordinary depth and ardour. Our most exalted Āchāryas have traditionally declared that one must be of great spiritual maturity — deeply ripened in devotion — before undertaking the study of its inner meanings.

The Testimony of Maṇavāḷa Māmunigaḷ

In the 24th verse of the celebrated Upadēśa Raththina Mālai, Maṇavāḷa Māmunigaḷ declares with great reverence:

añju kudikku oru santhathiyāy Āzhvārgaḷ tham seyalai vinji niṟkum thanmaiyaḷāi — piñjāip pazhuththāḷai Āṇḍāḷaip paththiyudan nāḷum vazhuththāi manamē magizhndhu.

In this verse, Māmunigaḷ extols Āṇḍāḷ as the singular holy progeny born into the prapanna kula — the illustrious lineage of those who have surrendered entirely unto Emperumān — namely, the family of the Āzhvārs. She surpassed even the Āzhvārs themselves in her boundless scholarship, profound devotion, and sovereign detachment from worldly existence, manifesting these extraordinary virtues from her very childhood. He exhorts his own mind: "O mind, may you rejoice and remain steadfastly devoted to Āṇḍāḷ!" The phrase piñjāip pazhuththāḷai — "she who ripened while yet a tender bud" — is a sublime comparison: Māmunigaḷ likens her to a fruit that reached full ripeness even before its season, for she bore all these exceptional qualities from the tender age of five years.

Her Unparalleled State of Devotion

In Nāchiyār Thirumozhi, Āṇḍāḷ declares:

மானிடவர்க்கென்று பேச்சுப்படில் வாழகில்லேன் "mānidavarkkennṟu pēccuppaḍil vāzhagillēn"

— "Should anyone speak of uniting me with any other than Emperumān, I shall not live." Such was the transcendent state of her bhakti, kindled and nourished by Śrī Periyāzhvār, who had, from her infancy, fed her very soul with love for Śrī Kṛṣṇa.

In Thiruppāvai, Āṇḍāḷ had established Emperumān as both the upāyam (the means) and the upēyam (the supreme end). Yet when Emperumān did not come forth to receive her, she was consumed with divine heartbreak. Out of this overwhelming, uncontainable longing to attain her Lord, she composed the magnificent prabandham known as Nāchiyār Thirumozhi.

The Āchārya Niṣṭhā of Āṇḍāḷ

At the conclusion of each padhigam (decad), Āṇḍāḷ identifies herself with the sacred names Viṭṭuchitthan Kōdhai and Bhaṭṭarpirān Kōdhai — the beloved daughter of Śrī Periyāzhvār — thereby proclaiming her own subservience to her holy Āchārya. She reveals the depth of her āchārya niṣṭhā — her absolute anchorage in the state of being a devoted disciple — by expressing that she would gladly welcome it if Emperumān were to accept her out of His regard for Periyāzhvār. As the divine incarnation of Śrī Bhūmi Pirāṭṭi (Bhūdēvi), she manifests her intimate relationship with Emperumān and thereby draws all of us into the sacred ecstasy of devotion.

Having established prāpyam and prāpakam in Thiruppāvai, Āṇḍāḷ found herself bereft of the supreme blessing. In profound anguish, she embarked upon the luminous journey recorded in Nāchiyār Thirumozhi:

She initially prostrated before Kāmadeva (the deity presiding over love), imploring his aid. She then undertook the sacred early-morning bath (paṉi nīrāṭṭam). She attempted the auspicious ritual of drawing the kolam (sacred diagram) to divine whether her cherished wish would be fulfilled. She hearkened to the call of the cuckoo. She yearned intensely for a personal vision of Emperumān, and when that boon was withheld, she sustained herself through the bliss of beholding Him in her dreams. She addressed Śrī Pāñcajanyāzhvān — the sacred Śaṅkha (conch) — enquiring after the divine nectar of Emperumān's lips. She questioned the clouds about Emperumān and dispatched them as messengers to His divine abode. She lamented before the flowering trees, whose blooming reminded her only of Him and whose very beauty became a torment. She reflected in anguish upon her birth as a woman, and yet found no remedy. She consoled herself with the assurance that Emperumān would surely come out of His affection for Periyāzhvār — and then grieved anew when even this hope remained unfulfilled. She beseeched those around her to take her to the sacred places where He dwells and to bring her articles — divine vestments, garlands, and other adornments — with which to sustain her very life. And yet, through all of this, Emperumān did not come.

The Glorious Conclusion

In the final padhigam of Nāchiyār Thirumozhi, Āṇḍāḷ concludes with the assurance that those who meditate with devotion upon that decad shall be blessed to dwell inseparably in the presence of Emperumān, rendering eternal kainkaryam unto Him without any possibility of separation.

These sacred pāsurams were mercifully composed by the blessed Āṇḍāḷ — the divine daughter of Śrī Periyāzhvār — commemorating her worship of Sarvēśvaran, the Supreme Lord, who in His infinite compassion bestowed His grace upon Śrī Gajēndrāzhvān (the great elephant of mighty legs) at the sacred Vṛndāvanam of this world. Those devotees who contemplate these pāsurams in their hearts as the sovereign antidote to the affliction of saṃsāra (the cycle of birth and death) shall be blessed with eternal, uninterrupted kainkaryam at the supremely auspicious divine feet of Emperumān — never again to be separated from Him.

Thus have we reverently surveyed the four divine prabandhams — Thiruppallāṇḍu, Periyāzhvār Thirumozhi, Thiruppāvai, and Nāchiyār Thirumozhi — composed by these most blessed Āzhvārs for the eternal benefit of all who aspire to the lotus feet of Śrī Perumāḷ.

Śrī: Śrīmathe Śaṭakōpāya namaḥ | Śrīmathe Rāmānujāya namaḥ | Śrīmad Varavara Munaye namaḥ

<< Part 2 (Periyāzhvār Tirumoḻi, Thiruppāvai, Nācciyār Tirumoḻi)

The Divya Prabandhams are the sacred aruḷicceyals — the merciful compositions — graciously bestowed upon us by the blessed Āzhvārs. As established in our earlier reflections, these works are classified into the Mudalāyiram, Iraṇḍām Āyiram, Iyarpā, and Tiruvāimoḻi, and the constituent works of each division have been duly enumerated. This sacred classification was accomplished by Śrīman Nāthamunigaḷ, and it is by the boundless grace of Nammāzhvār that we are privileged today to possess knowledge of the Divya Prabandhams.

Śrīman Nāthamunigaḷ received the Divya Prabandhams directly from Nammāzhvār, together with their innermost meanings. This extraordinary grace was conferred upon him after he performed the recitation of the Kaṇṇinuñ Cirutt Tāmbu twelve thousand times at the sacred kṣētra of Āzhvār Tirunagari. In the period following Tirumaṅgai Āzhvār — the last of the Āzhvārs — the Śrī Vaiṣṇava tradition had considerably waned. Through Śrīman Nāthamunigaḷ's recovery and classification of the Divya Prabandhams, and their subsequent propagation by his illustrious śiṣyas, the Śrī Vaiṣṇava philosophy was revived and reestablished upon an enduring foundation.

Thus far, in our anubhavam of the Mudalāyiram, we have engaged — in brief — with Thiruppallāṇḍu, Kaṇṇinuñ Cirutt Tāmbu, Periyāzhvār Tirumoḻi, Thiruppāvai, and Nācciyār Tirumoḻi. In each prabandham, the essential aspects and the principal doctrines expounded therein have been brought to light.

We now proceed to the anubhavam of Perumāḷ Tirumoḻi.

Perumāḷ Tirumoḻi has been graciously bestowed upon us by Śrī Kulaśēkhara Āzhvār, who is also reverently addressed as Kulaśēkhara Perumāḷ. He bore a profound and abiding love for the Rāmāvatāram and was singularly devoted to the Bhāgavatas. The recitation of Rāmāyaṇa kathā was a daily observance in his royal assembly, and he would attend to it with unwavering devotion, immersing himself completely in that sacred narrative. His deepest aspiration was to journey to Śrīraṅgam and receive the blessed darśan of Śrī Raṅganāthan.

Born into the Kṣatriya lineage, Kulaśēkhara Āzhvār was a warrior of great renown. By the grace of Emperumān, he was blessed with immaculate jñāna and stood as a most exemplary Śrī Vaiṣṇava. His composition is known as Perumāḷ Tirumoḻi. Owing to his exceptional devotion toward Śrī Rāmar, Kulaśēkhara Āzhvār is also known as Kulaśēkhara Perumāḷ — for in our Sampradāyam, Śrī Rāmar is honoured with the appellation Perumāḷ, a usage that appears frequently throughout the works of our Āzhvārs and Ācāryas.

It is further worthy of reflection that in our Sampradāyam, Śrī Kṛṣṇa is always addressed as Kaṇṇan or Kṛṣṇan — in the intimate manner of one addressing one's own beloved child. So profound is this intimacy that even the use of the honorific "Śrī" is considered to introduce an inappropriate distance between the devotee and Kaṇṇan, and is accordingly to be refrained from.

The Taniyans of Perumāḷ Tirumoḻi

Perumāḷ Tirumoḻi is adorned with beautiful taniyans, through which the glory and significance of this sacred prabandham may be properly understood.

First Taniyan

innamudham UttugEn ingE vA paingiLiyE! thennarangam pAda valla sIrp perumAL – ponnam silai sEr nudhaliyar vEL sEralar kOn engaL kulaSEkharan enRE kURu*

This taniyan celebrates the glory of Kulaśēkhara Āzhvār. Addressed to a beloved pet parrot, it exhorts the bird to sing always the glories of Kulaśēkhara Āzhvār — the sovereign of the Cēra dynasty — who himself ceaselessly sings the glories of Śrī Raṅganāthan, the Eternal Resident of Śrīraṅgam.

Second Taniyan

Aram kedap paran anbar koLLAr enRu avargaLukkE vArangodu kudap pAmbiR kai ittavan mARRalarai vIrangeduththa sengOl kolli kAvalan villavar kOn sEran kulaSEkharan mudi vEndhar sigAmaNiyE*

This taniyan speaks to the exalted vaibhavam of Kulaśēkhara Āzhvār and, in particular, to his extraordinary love and unwavering faith on behalf of the adiyārs. Certain ministers of his court, consumed by jealousy toward the devotees of the Lord, concealed jewels from the temple sanctuary and falsely laid the blame upon the adiyārs.

In response, Kulaśēkhara Āzhvār declared that he would place his hands into a vessel filled with venomous serpents, affirming thereby the innocence of the adiyārs. In those times, such an ordeal was accepted as a valid means of establishing the truth of a solemn declaration. Kulaśēkhara Āzhvār, remaining entirely unharmed by the serpents, thus demonstrated beyond all doubt the complete innocence of the adiyārs. Such was his unflinching faith in the Lord's devotees that he willingly placed his life in jeopardy to vindicate their honour. It is this supreme quality of Bhāgavata-niṣṭhā that this taniyan commemorates and glorifies.

Principal Themes of Perumāḷ Tirumoḻi

Extent: Ten padigams; one hundred and five pāsurams.

Central Focus: The prabandham is primarily devoted to Śrī Rāmāvatāram.

• In the first three padigams, the Āzhvār performs maṅgalāśāsanam to Śrī Raṅganāthan of Śrīraṅgam.
• He then reveals his affection for Kṛṣṇāvatāram through the strī bhāvam — the feminine mode of devotion — in the manner of Nammāzhvār and Tirumaṅgai Āzhvār before him.
• In the concluding three padigams, the Āzhvār offers a profound and moving anubhavam of Śrī Rāmāvatāram.

Divya Dēśams Celebrated: Śrīraṅgam, Tiruvēṅkaṭam, Thiruviṭhuvakkōḍu, and Thiruccittirakūḍam (in the final padigam). In that concluding padigam, the Āzhvār identifies Thiruccittirakūḍam with Citrakūṭa — the sacred forest in which Śrī Rāmar resided during His vanavāsam — and engages in the anubhavam of Śrī Gōvindarāja Perumāḷ as one who dwells in like sublime manner in that holy abode.

Perumāḷ Tirumoḻi as Śaraṇāgati Śāstram

Śrī Rāmāyaṇam is celebrated and revered within our Sampradāyam as the Śaraṇāgati Śāstram — the scripture par excellence of self-surrender to the Lord. Since Perumāḷ Tirumoḻi is principally devoted to Śrī Rāmāvatāram, it is accorded this same distinguished status.

Śrī Rāmāyaṇam abounds in luminous instances of Śaraṇāgati:

• The Dēvatās surrender themselves to Emperumān;
• Śrī Daśaratha performs Śaraṇāgati before Paraśurāma;
• Iḷaya Perumāḷ performs Śaraṇāgati to Perumāḷ and Pirāṭṭi at the threshold of the forest journey;
• Bharatāzhvān performs Śaraṇāgati to Śrī Rāmar in the forest, even as Perumāḷ, bound by the dharma of His vow, does not accede to the plea to return to Ayōdhyā;
• Perumāḷ Himself performs Śaraṇāgati before Samudra Rājan;
• Vibhīṣaṇāzhvān surrenders completely at the sacred feet of Perumāḷ.

Perumāḷ Tirumoḻi thus eloquently proclaims the supreme greatness of Śaraṇāgati.

The Six Characteristics of the Prapanna

In the first padigam, the Āzhvār himself performs Śaraṇāgati to Śrī Raṅganāthan. Our revered elders teach that after the performance of Śaraṇāgati, six hallowed viṣayams arise naturally within the prapanna:

1. Ānukūlyasya saṅkalpaḥ — The resolve that all one's actions shall be aligned with the will and pleasure of Emperumān.
2. Prātikūlyasya varjanam — The cessation of all actions that are displeasing to Him.
3. Goptṛtva varaṇam — The wholehearted acceptance of Emperumān alone as one's protector and refuge.
4. Kārpaṇyam — The sincere and abiding conviction that one possesses nothing of one's own.
5. Mahāviśvāsam — Complete and unshakeable faith that Emperumān will assuredly grant liberation.
6. Ātma nikṣēpaṇam — The surrender of the ātmā entirely and solely for the sake of Emperumān.

This profound truth is illuminated by the celebrated analogy of "uraṅguvān kaippaṇḍam pōlē": just as a book held in one's hand falls away of itself the moment its holder drifts into sleep — without any deliberate act of release — so too do these six viṣayams arise gradually and naturally within a Śaraṇāgatan, without effortful striving on his part. While ānukūlyasya saṅkalpa speaks to the desire to perform what pleases Emperumān, prātikūlyasya varjana encompasses the relinquishment of all that is displeasing to Him.

These six viṣayams are then expounded in their fullness through the subsequent padigams.

Kṛṣṇāvatāram and the Conclusion of Perumāḷ Tirumoḻi

Following his anubhavam of the arcāvatāra Emperumāns, the Āzhvār turns his heart toward Kṛṣṇāvatāram: one padigam is voiced in the anguish of the blessed Devakī; another is composed in the bhāvam of a Gopikā consumed by divine longing.

In the glorious final padigam, the sacred narrative of the Rāmāyaṇam is encompassed in its entirety with luminous clarity and lyrical beauty. The Āzhvār declares that this same Emperumān now resides in the Divya Dēśam of Thiruccitrakūḍam. With this sublime declaration, Kulaśēkhara Āzhvār brings this most glorious and sacred prabandham to its fitting conclusion.

We now turn our attention to Thiruccanda Viruṭṭam — a prabandham of singular beauty and theological depth, graciously bestowed upon us by Thirumāḻisai Pirān. This sacred Āzhvār is also reverently known as Thirumāḻisai Āzhvār.

Just as KulaśEkhara Āḻvār came to be gloriously addressed as KulaSēkharap PerumāL on account of his profound and inseparable attachment to SrīrAmar, so too is Thirumazhisai Āḻvār honoured with the sacred appellation Thirumazhisaip PirAn.

Thirukkudanthai EmperumAn bears the most auspicious divine name ĀrAvamudha PirAn. By virtue of Thirumazhisai Āḻvār's transcendent love and his most blessed divine interactions with ĀrAvamudha PirAn, the Āḻvār came to be known as Thirumazhisaip PirAn, while Thirukkudanthai EmperumAn Himself came to be lovingly referred to as ĀrAvamudha Āḻvār. Thus, in a most extraordinary and sacred exchange, EmperumAn and the Āḻvār have interchanged their very titles — an eloquent testament to the ineffable depth of mutual affection and divine association that binds them inseparably to one another.

Thirumazhisai Āḻvār graced this world with two Prabandhams: NAnmugan ThiruvandhAdhi and Thiruchchandha Viruththam. It is more precisely stated that these two are the only Prabandhams of the Āḻvār that have been preserved and transmitted to posterity. According to the Guru ParamparA PrabhAvam, Thirumazhisai Āḻvār was blessed with an extraordinarily long lifespan of 4,700 years, during which he composed numerous Granthams and Prabandhams of immense spiritual import. However, overwhelmed by grief at beholding worldly beings who lacked the discernment and spiritual fortune to receive and experience these sacred works, the Āḻvār immersed all of his compositions in the sacred waters of the river KAvEri. Of all those works, only the above two Prabandhams were returned to him by divine will — a clear and unmistakable indication that these alone were to be preserved and propagated for the benefit and liberation of humanity. Thus it is these two Prabandhams that the Āḻvār safeguarded with great care for the benefit of future generations of devoted seekers.

Thiruchchandha Viruththam belongs to the "Viruththap PA" and "Asiriya Viruththap PA" categories of TamiL prosody (TamiL IlakkaṇAm). One might inquire why this Prabandham is designated Thiruchchandha Viruththam rather than ThiruvAsiriya Viruththam. The answer lies in the understanding that Chandham denotes beautiful and melodious rhythm. Thiruchchandha Viruththam is recited in the SannidhIs of Divya DEśams in a uniquely beautiful RAgam unparalleled among all other Prabandhams — and it is precisely this distinctive melodic beauty and sacred elegance that bestows upon the Prabandham its most fitting name.

This Prabandham is graced with two Thaniyans. The first extols the divine glory of Thiruchchandha Viruththam itself, while the second celebrates the supreme glory of the Āḻvār.

First Thaniyan

tharuchchandhap pozhil thazhuvu thAraNiyin thuyar thIra thiruchchandha viruththam sey thirumazhisaip paran varumUr karuchchandhum kAragilum kamazh kOngum maNanARum thiruchchandhaththudan maruvu thirumazhisai vaLam padhiyE

This Thaniyan opens by extolling the divine glory of Thirumazhisai — the most sacred KshEtram in which the Āḻvār took his avathAram. This supremely blessed abode abounds with fragrant Chandhana (sandalwood) and Agil (agarwood) trees, whose sacred fragrance perfumes the very earth. Periya PirAtti Herself dwells in this exalted place with great joy and delight. The Āḻvār, born in this divinely auspicious Kshētram, has compassionately bestowed upon all beings of this world the jewel of Thiruchchandha Viruththam — composed with the most merciful purpose of dispelling the dhuḥkham (sorrow and suffering) of all those who recite or contemplate this Prabandham with devotion.

Second Thaniyan

ulagum mazhisaiyum uLLuNarndhu thammil pulavar pugazhkkOlAl thUkka – ulagu thannai vaiththeduththa pakkaththum mAnIr mazhisaiyE vaiththeduththa pakkam validhu.*

This Thaniyan magnifies the extraordinary and incomparable glory of Thirumazhisai. In ancient times, for the purpose of determining the most sanctified place for the performance of tapas, BrahmA employed a sacred weighing scale, placing upon one side all the great ThIrthas of the world and upon the other, the holy KshEtram of Thirumazhisai. Remarkably, the side bearing Thirumazhisai proved to outweigh all other sacred ThIrthas combined. Such is the transcendent glory of this most exalted Divya KshEtram, where the Āḻvār took his most blessed avathAram.

In NAnmugan ThiruvandhAdhi, the Āḻvār bestowed the most essential upadhEsam upon samsAris, establishing with abundant pramANas drawn from the SAstrams that this entire creation — including BrahmA, who in turn brings forth the various DhEvathAs — has been fashioned and sustained by SrIman NArAyaNa alone. Through the presentation of profound arthams from SAstric sources, he fervently exhorted all samsAris to surrender exclusively unto EmperumAn, the sovereign Lord of Paramapadham. However, being deeply pained by the spiritual indifference of samsAris who remained unmoved by his upadhEsam, the Āḻvār resolved that he would, at the very least, dedicate himself wholly to the proper and full anubhavam of the sublime and most delightful guNas of EmperumAn.

In the 120 PAsurams of Thiruchchandha Viruththam, the Āḻvār magnificently experiences and celebrates EmperumAn in all His transcendent glories. He performs the anubhavam of all five Nilai (States) of EmperumAn, namely:

• Para — His transcendent form in Paramapadham, manifesting His Parathvam (supreme sovereignty over all)
• VyUha — His majestic form in ThiruppArkadal (the Milk Ocean)
• Vibhavam — His numerous and glorious avathArams
• ArchA — His most compassionate and accessible form enshrined in the various Divya DEśams
• AntharyAmi — His all-pervading presence as the In-dweller within all beings and creation

NAnmugan ThiruvandhAdhi is rightly to be understood as ParOpadhEsam — the Āḻvār's gracious counsel to others — while Thiruchchandha Viruththam constitutes his SvAnubhavam — his personal and ecstatic experience of EmperumAn's divine forms and supreme guNas. Even so, within Thiruchchandha Viruththam, the Āḻvār continues to impart ParOpadhEsam by addressing his own manam (mind) — which, in the sacred understanding of the SampradhAya, signifies the giving of upadhEsam to his devoted followers.

The Āḻvār commences the Prabandham by experiencing the supreme mEnmai (greatness) of EmperumAn. In numerous PAsurams, he contemplates and celebrates EmperumAn's role as the supreme JagathkAraNan (the first and ultimate cause of all creation), His sovereignty as the Lord of both Nitya VibhUti (the eternal realm of Paramapadham) and LIlA VibhUti (the created universe), His status as Ubhaya VibhUti nAthan, the ineffable mystery of how He brings forth all creation, and His inscrutable reality as the AntharyAmi of all existence.

In the eighteenth PAsuram, the Āḻvār exalts the vaibhavam of EmperumAn reclining in divine repose upon AdhiSEsha in ThiruppArkadal — a most sacred anubhavam of His VyUha RUpam.

Beginning from the nineteenth PAsuram, the Āḻvār enters into the anubhavam of EmperumAn's various avathArams. He commences with HamsAvathAram, in which EmperumAn, in the form of a divine swan, graciously teaches the VEdhams to BrahmA, who had momentarily forgotten them. The Āḻvār then proceeds to perform the anubhavam of many other most glorious avathArams.

From the forty-ninth PAsuram, the Āḻvār engages in a most intimate and detailed ArchAvathAra Anubhavam. He lovingly contemplates SrIranganAthan, ThiruvEnkatamudaiyAn, and Thirukkudanthai EmperumAn — who holds a place of most profound and intimate affection in the Āḻvār's heart — along with EmperumAn's most auspicious presence in many other Divya DEśams. He also has anubhavam of His AntharyAmi RUpam. The Āḻvār proclaims with great conviction that EmperumAn takes up His gracious residence in these sacred Divya DEśams with the singular and supremely compassionate purpose of entering the very hearts of His devoted adiyArs. This constitutes one of the most profound and essential artha revelations of the SampradhAya — that the very purpose of EmperumAn's assuming ArchA RUpam in the Divya DEśams is to ultimately make His way into the hearts of His most beloved devotees.

Through the PAsuram "aththanAgi annaiAgi…" (the 115th PAsuram), the Āḻvār declares that, since EmperumAn Himself stands ever ready and committed to granting all beings mOksham, there is absolutely no occasion for grief even for one seemingly immersed in the boundless ocean of misery that is this material world. EmperumAn has Himself declared "mA Suchaḥ" — grieve not — and therefore, grief is wholly unwarranted for the devoted soul. The great AchArya PiLLai LOkAchArya, in MumukshupaDi, identifies this PAsuram as illuminating the deepest inner meaning of the Charama SlOkam of the Bhagavad GItA. When EmperumAn Himself undertakes boundless effort for the complete deliverance of the bound soul, what cause can there possibly be for anxiety or despair?

In the final PAsuram — "iyakkarAdha pal pirappil ennai mARRi inRu…" — the Āḻvār most clearly and joyfully declares his attainment of Paramapadham. Just as certain Āḻvārs explicitly proclaim their attainment of mOksham — as in the case of NammAzhwAr in ThiruvAimoḻi — Thirumazhisai Āḻvār here makes a clear and most exultant declaration through the sacred words "arAdha inba veedu peRRadhE," affirming his attainment of that ineffable, inexhaustible and most supreme bliss of liberation.

Both of these most sacred Prabandhams were composed by ThoNdaradippodi Āḻvār. This great Āḻvār took up his most blessed permanent residence in SrIrangam and dedicated his entire life to the supremely auspicious Pushpa Kainkaryam — the sacred service of fashioning and offering fragrant garlands to EmperumAn. He identified himself with the utmost humility as "ThoNdaradippodi" — one who is but the dust beneath the feet of the Bhāgavatas — thereby declaring himself the devoted servant of all devoted servants. Established in this most exalted state of BhAgavata DAsyam, and consumed by a supreme and extraordinary love for EmperumAn, he engaged with great joy and devotion in the blessed service of crafting sacred garlands for the pleasure of Emperumān.

The sacred prabandham known as Thirumālai is exalted by the celebrated declaration: "thirumAlai aRiyAdhAr thirumAlaiyE aRiyAdhAr" — those who have not acquainted themselves with Thirumālai shall remain ignorant of Thirumāl Himself, that is, Śrīman Nārāyaṇa. It is therefore incumbent upon all Śrī Vaiṣṇavas to study this prabandham with diligence and devotion, for the Āḻvār has graced it with profound esoteric meanings of the highest order. Our revered Ācāryas have expressly declared that this prabandham must be thoroughly studied by every member of the Śrī Vaiṣṇava community.

Composed by Thiruvaraṅgap Perumāḷ Arayar

maRRonRum vENdA manamE! madhiL arangar kaRRinam mEyththa kazhaliNaik kIzh — uRRa thirumAlai pAdum sIrth thoNdaradippodi em perumAnai eppozhudhum pEsu

This thaniyan illuminates the exalted inner state of Thoṇḍaraḍippodi Āḻvār — one who is utterly absorbed in the lotus feet of Periya Perumāḷ, who is none other than Kaṇṇan Emperumān Himself. Arayar, in composing this thaniyan, instructs his own mind to remain ever devoted to Thoṇḍaraḍippodi Āḻvār, who dwells in a state of singular and unwavering contemplation upon the sacred lotus feet of Periya Perumāḷ, to the complete exclusion of all else.

Thoṇḍaraḍippodi Āḻvār relishes and extols numerous aspects of Emperumān's supreme glory throughout this prabandham. He commences by celebrating Thirunāma Saṅkīrthanam — the sacred recitation of Emperumān's divine names — and proceeds to expound upon their inestimable greatness.

In the pāsuram beginning "kAvalil pulanai vaithu..", the Āḻvār declares with certainty that there is no cause for fear before Yama, for those who recite the divine names of Emperumān shall be fit to place their very feet upon Yama's crown.

From the third pāsuram onward, the Āḻvār revels in the divya guṇas of Emperumān and glorifies the majesty of His arcāvatāras. He reveals that it was solely through the arcā rūpa of Śrīraṅganātha that his longing for matters pertaining to Emperumān was first kindled, and that this same sacred form continued to deepen that devotion. The beauty of Emperumān's divine form not only enflamed his longing but also dispelled the kleśas — the accumulated afflictions — that had long burdened his mind.

Throughout the prabandham, the Āḻvār also makes repeated and heartfelt acknowledgements of his own thāḻcci — his profound unworthiness. He openly declares himself unqualified for the paths of Karma Yoga, Jñāna Yoga, and Bhakti Yoga, and affirms that his sole refuge lies in clinging to the thiruvaḍi — the sacred lotus feet — of Emperumān. With poignant anguish, he wonders why Emperumān, despite witnessing his pitiable state and hearing his earnest supplications, has not yet extended His saving grace. In many pāsurams, the Āḻvār speaks with deep humility of his utter want of virtuous qualities and his abundance of faults.

The Thirty-Eighth Pāsuram — Of Paramount Theological Import

mEmporuL pOgavittu meymmaiyai miga uNarndhu…

In this pāsuram of supreme importance, the Āḻvār introduces the expression "vAzhum sOmbar" — a designation for those who have thoroughly mastered the Rahasya Trayam and bear complete and wholehearted dedication to its meaning. Such blessed souls are ever ready to undertake any measure of exertion in the performance of kaiṅkarya to Emperumān. Yet for matters pertaining to their own welfare, they are unwilling to expend even the most trifling effort. This pāsuram establishes with precision the meaning enshrined within both the Dvaya Mahāmantra and the Carama Śloka: that not the smallest endeavour is to be spent in pursuit of one's personal ends, while no sacrifice is too great in Emperumān's service.

Further, in this same pāsuram, the phrase "kAmbaRath thalai siraiththu" conveys that one must not strive toward any alternate means of attainment and must not harbour even the faintest association with upāyāntarams — any path of refuge other than Emperumān Himself.

The Forty-Fifth and Concluding Pāsuram

vaLavezhum thavaLa mAda madhurai mAnagaram thannuL…

In this concluding pāsuram, the Āḻvār brings the prabandham to its luminous close. He marvels at Emperumān's incomparable vātsalya — His boundless and unconditional parental affection — by which even the Āḻvār's humble and imperfect utterances are received and celebrated by Emperumān as the finest of poetry. With profound gratitude, the Āḻvār declares that he has glorified such a matchless Emperumān through this sacred work.

Thoṇḍaraḍippodi Āḻvār blessed the world with Thiruppaḷḷiyeḻucchi subsequent to Thirumālai, as is affirmed in the avathārikai — the introductory section — of the Thiruppaḷḷiyeḻucchi Vyākhyānam. This is an exceedingly beautiful prabandham in which the Āḻvār offers a suprabātham to Emperumān Śrīraṅganātha — a hymn of sacred awakening. The word suprabātham signifies the gracious rousing of Emperumān from His divine repose.

One may rightly inquire: does Emperumān, who is omniscient and ever-active, truly sleep? Emperumān abides in a state known as Yoga Nidrā. In this exalted condition, Emperumān remains absorbed in contemplating the means by which He may bestow auspiciousness upon His devotees. It has been the cherished and ancient practice of the devout to approach His divine presence at brāhma muhūrta — the sacred pre-dawn hour — and offer prayers humbly beseeching Him to arise and grant His gracious darśana. Those who do so in this manner become the recipients of His divine grace.

This sacred tradition is itself of great antiquity. In the Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa, the revered ṛṣi Viśvāmitra awakens Śrī Rāma with the sublime śloka: "kausalyā suprajā rāma pūrva sandhyā pravarthate.." In a manner equally glorious, Thoṇḍaraḍippodi Āḻvār gracefully rouses Śrīraṅganātha from His Yoga Nidrā through the pāsurams of this prabandham.

thamEva mathvA paravAsudhEvam rangESayam rAjavadharhaNIyam | prAbOdhikIm yOkrutha sUkthimAlAm bhakthAngrirENum bhagavanthamIdE ||

Periya Perumāḷ, possessed of wondrous and immeasurable guṇas, reposes majestically upon Ādiśeṣa and is worshipped by all creation with the reverence befitting the most exalted of emperors. This very Periya Perumāḷ — who is Para Vāsudeva in Paramapadam — is gracefully awakened by Thoṇḍaraḍippodi Āḻvār through his garland of sacred songs, the pā mālai known as Thiruppaḷḷiyeḻucchi. One offers reverent worship to the great Thoṇḍaraḍippodi Āḻvār, who performed this supreme act of devotion.

maNdangudi enbar mAmaRaiyOr manniya sIr thoNdaradippodi thonnagaram vaNdu thiNarththa vayal thennarangaththammAnai paLLi uNarththum pirAn udhiththa Ur

Māṇḍaṅkuḍi is celebrated by the learned masters of the Vedas as the sacred avatāra sthala — the divine birthplace — of Thoṇḍaraḍippodi Āḻvār, who conferred upon all the world the incomparable upakāra of gracefully awakening Emperumān from His Yoga Nidrā in Śrīraṅgam.

Thus, both thaniyans together extol the greatness of Thoṇḍaraḍippodi Āḻvār, honour his sacred birthplace, and proclaim the glory of Periya Perumāḷ.

Throughout the pāsurams of this prabandham, the Āḻvār describes how the celestial hosts — devas, ṛṣis, gandharvas, and yakṣas alike — have gathered and await with eager longing to witness the gracious awakening of Periya Perumāḷ. Exalted devas such as Brahmā, Rudra, Skanda, Indra, Varuṇa, and others vie with one another to be the first to behold Emperumān, each earnestly desiring that Periya Perumāḷ's katākṣam — His divine glance of grace — should fall upon them first when the sacred sannidhi is opened.

In the first pāsuram, "kadhiravan guNa dhisai..", the Āḻvār declares that the assembled adiyārs have gathered like an ocean swelling beyond its bounds, accompanied by their retinues sounding magnificent instruments. The Āḻvār appeals to Emperumān to accede to their earnest petition — to arise from His divine repose and bestow upon them the supreme benediction of His darśana.

This same sublime bhāvanā — this spirit of ardent and collective supplication — pervades all the subsequent pāsurams with beauty and deep tenderness.

In the concluding pāsuram, "kadimalark kamalangaL..", the Āḻvār discloses his own nature as a servitor of servitors — one who belongs entirely to the adiyārs of Emperumān. He offers his prayer to Periya Perumāḷ to bestow upon him the supreme fortune of rendering service to Emperumān's adiyārs, and with this prayer of profound humility, brings the prabandham to its sacred and illuminating close.

Composed by Thiruppāṇāḻvār; included within the Mudalāyiram.

The sacred charitra of ThiruppāṇāzhvāR is one that occupies a place of eminence within the annals of the Śrī Vaiṣṇava Sampradāya. Born of the pāṇar kulam, this most blessed Āzhvār was graced with an extraordinary and singular attachment to Śrī Raṅganātha. He conducted his entire earthly sojourn holding Periya Perumāḷ alone as his supreme refuge, his sole reality, and the very breath of his existence.

On one such occasion, ThiruppāṇāzhvāR sat upon the sacred banks of the divine Kāvērī river, his countenance turned toward the sannidhi of Periya Perumāḷ, immersed in the blissful anubhavam of Emperumān through devotional song and the resonant strains of the vīṇā. At that very moment, Śrī LōkasāraṅgaMuni — arriving at the riverbank — committed an act of discourtesy toward the Āzhvār. When Śrī LōkasāraṅgaMuni subsequently proceeded to seek the darśanam of Periya Perumāḷ, Emperumān Himself issued a divine command, instructing him to bring ThiruppāṇāzhvāR into His presence — addressing the Āzhvār with the most intimate and affectionate appellation, "Nam PāṇaR" (Our Pāṇar). Receiving this supreme command, Śrī LōkasāraṅgaMuni returned forthwith to the banks of the Kāvērī and humbly entreated the Āzhvār to accompany him to the sannidhi.

The Āzhvār, ever steeped in humility, declared that he was wholly unworthy to set foot upon the sacred precincts of Śrī Raṅgam. Śrī LōkasāraṅgaMuni, earnest in his resolve to fulfil the divine command, offered to carry the Āzhvār upon his own shoulders, so that the Āzhvār's sacred feet need not touch the ground. Through repeated and fervent supplication, ThiruppāṇāzhvāR graciously consented to this entreaty.

Seated in grace upon the shoulders of Śrī LōkasāraṅgaMuni and proceeding toward the sannidhi, ThiruppāṇāzhvāR — suffused with the highest state of divine bliss — bestowed upon the world this most sacred prabandham, Amalānādipirān. As they drew near to the sannidhi, Śrī LōkasāraṅgaMuni set the Āzhvār gently upon the ground. At that hallowed moment, ThiruppāṇāzhvāR sang the final pāsuram — "KoṇḍaL VaṇṇanāI..." — and, having attained in its fullness the Thiruvadi of Periya Perumāḷ, ascended directly from that most sacred spot to Paramapadham.

ApādaH chūḍam anubhūya harim śayānam madhyē kavēra duhitur muditāntarātmā | adraṣṭratāṃ nayanayoḥ viṣayāntarāṇām yaḥ niścikāya manasei munivāhanam tam ||

Periya Perumāḷ reposes eternally in the supreme Śayana Thirukkōḷam — the sacred and majestic reclining posture — upon the divine island embraced by the northern and southern streams of the holy Kāvērī. ThiruppāṇāzhvāR, his innermost being aflame with transcendent joy, enjoyed the complete anubhavam of this Emperumān from His sacred Thiruvadi to His Thirumudi — from the divine lotus feet to the resplendent crown. Having been blessed with this incomparable vision, the Āzhvār declared with unwavering resolve that his eyes, having once beheld such supernal beauty, would never again turn toward any other object of sight. This Thaniyan reverentially salutes that blessed ThiruppāṇāzhvāR — the one who was borne upon the shoulders of Śrī LōkasāraṅgaMuni into the presence of the Lord.

Kāṭṭavē kaṇḍa pādha kamalam nallādai undhi | ThēṭṭaRum udhara bandham thirumārbu kaṇḍam sevvāy | Vāṭṭamil kaṇgaḷ mēni muniyēṟit thani pugundhu | PāṭṭināL kaṇḍu vāzhum pāṇar thāḷ paravinōmē ||

ThiruppāṇāzhvāR — who entered the sannidhi of Periya Perumāḷ by travelling upon the shoulders of Śrī LōkasāraṅgaMuni, and who is therefore celebrated by the sacred title MuniVāhanaR — proceeded to enjoy the successive anubhavam of each divine avayavam of Emperumān's transcendent Thirumēni. With consummate devotion, he experienced the sacred Thiruvadi (the lotus feet), the most beautiful garments, the divine nābhi and udara (the navel and sacred abdomen), the glorious vakṣaḥ (the divine chest), the divine grīvā (the sacred neck), the lips of the hue of living coral, and the incomparable lotus eyes — beholding thus, in its entirety, the resplendent Thirumēni of Emperumān. His singular purpose was nothing other than to sing the glories of Emperumān in praise without cessation. This Thaniyan reverentially salutes such ThiruppāṇāzhvāR, and we too prostrate ourselves at his sacred Thiruvadi.

Through this prabandham, ThiruppāṇāzhvāR has bestowed upon all succeeding generations the inestimable treasure of a complete and sacred anubhavam of the entire divine Thirumēni of Periya Perumāḷ. The illustrious āchāryas, in their vyākhyānams, have discerned and illumined two distinct forms of sambandham — of inner connection — between each successive pāsuram.

The First Sambandham presents and meditates upon the upakārams — the supreme acts of grace and divine favour — that Emperumān has showered without ceasing upon the Āzhvār.

The Second Sambandham illuminates the manner in which the Āzhvār moves from the anubhavam of one sacred avayavam to the next. As one who is cast adrift in the midst of a vast ocean, clinging to a plank of wood, is carried without volition from wave to wave by the force of the surging waters — so too is the Āzhvār, having taken hold of one divine limb, drawn irresistibly by the very splendour of that limb into the anubhavam of the next. Each avayavam reveals another aspect of that infinite, all-pervading beauty, and the Āzhvār is carried onward in a torrent of bliss.

The foremost Śāstrārtha enshrined in this prabandham is this: the unceasing and devoted anubhavam of the divine Thirumēni of Emperumān is to be held as our perpetual kainkaryam and our supreme udhdhēśyam — the very goal and purpose of our existence.

In each pāsuram, the Āzhvār rests his entire being upon one specific avayavam of Periya Perumāḷ's sacred Thirumēni. He declares how the incomparable lotus eyes of Perumāḷ have utterly captivated and absorbed him — and from that first, overwhelming beholding, he proceeds to encompass the beauty of the entire divine form.

In the concluding pāsuram — "KoṇḍaL VaṇṇanāI..." — the Āzhvār brings this prabandham to its sublime culmination, taking a solemn and irrevocable oath: that having beheld the resplendent lotus eyes and the divine Thirumēni of Periya Perumāḷ, he shall never again direct his gaze toward any other object — not toward Paramapadhanāthan, nor toward the other sacred archāvatārams of Emperumān. His eyes and his heart are given wholly and eternally to Periya Perumāḷ alone.

Thus concludes this brief and reverential overview of Amalānādipirān, this jewel among the prabandhams that comprise the sacred MudhalāyiRam of the Nālāyira Divya Prabandham.

SrI: SrImathE SatakOpAya nama: SrImathE rAmAnujAya nama: SrImath varavaramunayE nama:

This exposition follows the earlier treatment of perumAL thirumozhi, thiruchchandha viruththam, thirumAlai, thiruppaLLiyezhuchchi, and amalanAdhipirAn. Here we proceed to examine periya thirumozhi, thirukkuRundhANdagam, and thirunedundhANdagam.

Before entering the specific prabandhams of thirumangai āzhvār, the student of dhivya prabandham is invited to contemplate the following guiding inquiries:

• What is the nature and significance of the dhivya prabandham as a sacred corpus?
• What is the supreme spiritual purpose (parama purushArtham) enshrined within each prabandham?
• Through what providential means did the dhivya prabandham come into being and reach our sampradhAyam?
• Who were the mahAtmAs who preserved and transmitted these sacred hymns for posterity?
• What is the precise meaning of a paththu or padhigam within this tradition?

These questions form the sacred foundation upon which a proper understanding of the prabandhams must rest.

Among the great composer-seers of the dhivya prabandham, thirumangai āzhvār occupies an exalted position, having been graced to compose six distinct prabandhams in glorification of emperumAn:

1. periya thirumozhi
2. thirukkuRundhANdagam
3. thiruvezhukkURRirukkai
4. siriya thirumadal
5. periya thirumadal
6. thirunedundhANdagam

Of these six, periya thirumozhi, thirukkuRundhANdagam, and thirunedundhANdagam belong to the irandAm Ayiram — the second thousand of the nAlAyira dhivya prabandham — whilst thiruvezhukkURRirukkai, siriya thirumadal, and periya thirumadal are numbered among the iyarpA of the mUndrAm Ayiram, the third thousand.

These six prabandhams are revered as the six angams — the six limbs or ancillary subjects — of the four dhivya prabandhams of nammAzhvār, even as the six vedAngams illuminate and support the eternal vEdham.

Divine Origins and Early Life

ThirumangaI āzhvār took his sacred birth in thirukkuraiyalUr, situated in the holy vicinity of thiruvAli-thirunagari. In the initial phase of his earthly sojourn, the āzhvār was immersed in the attractions of material existence, remaining at a distance from emperumAn and the bliss of bhagavath vishayam. Endowed by nature with a powerful frame, exceptional martial prowess, and keen intelligence, he rose to prominence in royal service, being appointed as the commander of the king's armies and entrusted with the governance of a small territory.

The Grace of MayarvaRa MadhinaLam

In His infinite and causeless compassion (nirhEthuka krupai), emperumAn bestowed upon the āzhvār the grace known as mayarvaRa madhinalam — the plenitude of true knowledge and unwavering devotion — whilst entirely dispelling the accumulated darkness of nescience. This divine act of grace is the sacred beginning of āzhvār's transformation.

The Means of Transformation: BhAgavatha Sambandham

In His inscrutable wisdom, emperumAn orchestrated the āzhvār's initial elevation through the medium of bhAgavatha sambandham — sacred association with a devotee of the Lord. This came through kumudhavalli nAchchiyAr, a dhEva sthree of surpassing loveliness. Upon beholding her and being drawn deeply by her beauty, neelan — as the āzhvār was then known — sought to wed her. kumudhavalli nAchchiyAr, by the will of emperumAn, placed before him a sacred condition: she would accept as her husband only one who had received pancha samskAram from a qualified AchAryan and who was thus formally received into the SrIvaishNava tradition.

Without hesitation, neelan journeyed with single-minded urgency to thirunaraiyUr and presented himself before thirunaraiyUr nambi, earnestly seeking the blessing of pancha samskAram — and thus was graciously received into the sacred fold.

ThadhIyArAdhanam and the Exhaustion of Wealth

Having entered the SrIvaishNava sampradhAyam, the āzhvār embraced bhAgavatha kainkaryam with wholehearted dedication. He undertook the holy service of thadhIyArAdhanam — offering sumptuous prasAdham to SrIvaishNavas daily — expending all his personal resources in this sacred act of devotion. As his earthly wealth became exhausted, rather than discontinue this act of kainkaryam, he resolved to sustain it — even by waylaying and relieving affluent wayfarers who traversed his territory — so profound was his commitment to this service to bhAgavathas.

The Divine Drama: EmperumAn's Arrival in Disguise

Here, the most celebrated episode of āzhvār's charithram unfolds. The scriptures declare that SrIman nArAyaNan descends in the form of an AchAryan, wielding the instrument of sAsthram, to uplift the bound jIvAthmA from the sufferings of samsAram. Yet for thirumangai āzhvār, emperumAn chose an even more direct and wondrous approach.

emperumAn, together with nAchchiyAr, presented Himself in the guise of a bridegroom in full wedding regalia, proceeding as though in a bridal procession through the āzhvār's domain. The āzhvār, perceiving what appeared to be a wealthy party carrying great riches, surrounded the procession and robbed it of everything. In the climactic moment of this divine drama, the āzhvār — the future author of the greatest corpus of mangaLAsAsanam in Tamil — bit the toe ring from the sacred lotus feet of emperumAn Himself.

Having gathered a magnificent bundle of ornaments and valuables, the āzhvār found himself unable to lift it from the ground. Turning to the bridegroom before him, he declared: "You have recited some incantation (manthram) that prevents me from lifting this treasure." EmperumAn graciously acknowledged the truth of this and offered to reveal the manthram — if the āzhvār truly desired to receive it. The āzhvār, drawing his sword, demanded immediate revelation.

At that moment, emperumAn revealed to āzhvār the sacred thirumanthram — that most exquisite and most auspicious of all utterances, the very essence of all the vEdhams, the declaration of the ultimate truth concerning jIvAthmA and paramAthmA, capable of uplifting the reciter from this ocean of sorrow known as samsAram, and conferring upon the aspirant — according to the nature of their seeking — aiSvaryam (earthly prosperity), kaivalyam (enjoyment of one's own self), or the supreme and eternal bhagavath kainkaryam (service to the Lord in paramapadham).

The Revelation of the Divya SvarUpam

Having bestowed upon the āzhvār the grace of thirumanthram, emperumAn thereupon revealed His transcendent divine form (divya thirumEni) — resplendent in His majesty, attended by SrImahAlakshmi ThAyAr, the very embodiment of compassion, and seated upon the golden-luminous garudAzhvār whose divine form shines like the purest gold. EmperumAn further blessed āzhvār with blemishless, divine knowledge (nirmaLa jnAnam) born entirely of His own causeless grace. In an instant, thirumangai āzhvār was transformed — utterly and irrevocably — dedicating henceforth every breath and word to the sacred kainkaryam of emperumAn.

The Composition of Six Prabandhams and the Command to Perform MangaLAsAsanam

Thus illumined by emperumAn's grace and firmly established in the understanding of SrImahAlakshmi ThAyAr's purushakAram — Her divine intercession on behalf of all souls — the āzhvār composed the six prabandhams enumerated above. emperumAn thereafter issued His divine command that the āzhvār, accompanied by his devoted Sishyas, should travel to the various dhivya dhESams across bhAratha dhESam and perform mangaLAsAsanam to the archAvathAra emperumAns enshrined therein.

The āzhvār traversed the length and breadth of this sacred land, visiting more than eighty dhivya dhESams. With extraordinary distinction, he composed pAsurams glorifying more than forty dhivya dhESam emperumAns who had not been hymned by any other āzhvār — thereby revealing these sacred abodes and their presiding Deities to the entire world. Having completed this supreme act of devotional service, the āzhvār ascended to paramapadham.

ThaniYan of Periya Thirumozhi

kalayAmi kali dhvamsam kavim lOka dhivAkaram yasyagObhi: prakASAbhir Avidhyam nihatham thama:

Sacred Import: I meditate upon the illustrious poet parakAlan — thirumangai āzhvār — who is verily a sun illuminating all the worlds, who destroys the corruptions and falsehoods engendered by the age of kali, and whose shining rays of wisdom entirely eliminate the darkness of ignorance that keeps souls bound in samsAram.

Additional thaniyans pertaining to periya thirumozhi and the other prabandhams of āzhvār shall be expounded in detail when each prabandham is studied in depth.

The Bond Between āzhvār and EmperumAn

It is a testimony to the exalted stature of this āzhvār that emperumAn's love for him and āzhvār's love for emperumAn were both of extraordinary intensity. The divine communion between them pervades every pAsuram of the six prabandhams.

MAmunigaL's VadivazhagU on ThirumangaI āzhvār

The illustrious asmadAchAryan, SrImad varavaramuni — mAmunigaL — in his boundless compassion and reverence, composed a vadivazhagu in glorification of thirumangai āzhvār, capturing with luminous precision the transcendent beauty (thiruvadivazhagu) of the āzhvār's divine form. This samarpanam stands as a timeless witness to the deep love that the āchArya lineage bears for this great seer.

Overview and Place Among the Prabandhams

Among the six prabandhams of thirumangai āzhvār, periya thirumozhi stands foremost. This majestic prabandham is the vessel through which āzhvār fully savours (anubhavikkirAr) the glories of the countless dhivya dhESams where emperumAn has graciously chosen to be present for the sake of His devotees. It is well established that the āzhvār personally undertook the pilgrimage to each dhivya dhESam he celebrated in his pAsurams, performing mangaLAsAsanam in person before the presiding archAvathAra emperumAns. In his pAsurams, āzhvār also offers exquisite descriptions of nature's beauty — the lakes, the forests, the creatures, the trees — perceiving in them all the presence and glory of emperumAn.

EmperumAn's Divine Strategy for This āzhvār

The ācāryas of our sampradhAyam illuminate for us the profound divine strategy that emperumAn employed for thirumangai āzhvār. Perceiving that the āzhvār's character was such that he could not be moved by that which lay beyond the reach of direct sensory experience, emperumAn resolved: "If I present Myself before his very eyes — just as worldly pleasures are perceived — he cannot refuse Me."

Accordingly, emperumAn manifested Himself at the ugandharuLina neelangaL — the divine abodes that He holds especially dear — and there received the āzhvār with full grace. He revealed to the āzhvār His every form, His every nature; He granted the āzhvār such an overwhelming anubhavam (experience of bliss) that separation from Him became literally unbearable; He elevated the āzhvār to a state equal to the nitya sUris of paramapadham, even whilst the āzhvār remained in this earthly plane. All of this — including the āzhvār's ultimate ascent to paramapadham — is enshrined in these sacred prabandhams.

The First Padhigam: VādinEn VAdi — The Glory of Thirumanthram

The first padhigam of periya thirumozhi, beginning with vAdinEn vAdi, is dedicated to illuminating the supreme glory of the thirumanthram. The thirumanthram had its sacred origin in badharikASramam. Its innermost teaching is that we are not our own protectors; we are the eternal servitors (dAsas) of emperumAn. This fundamental truth — which is the very heart of the viSishtAdvaitha siddhAntham — is revealed with singular clarity through bowing before the archA vigraham in the dhivya dhESams, and the dhivya prabandham as a whole is dedicated to enshrining this sacred meaning.

EmperumAn, perceiving that āzhvār was deeply enmeshed in material pursuits and that sAsthram alone would not reach him at that stage, determined: "Since he is drawn to that which can be seen, let Me show him My own divine beauty, using his very interest in worldly things as the means." Thus did emperumAn employ the āzhvār's own aesthetic sensibility as the instrument of his liberation.

The Progression Through the Ten Centums

From the first centum (vAdinEn vAdi) through the tenth centum (oru nal suRRam), the āzhvār remained immersed in the divine abodes of emperumAn — revering them as the supreme refuge, as the means of attainment, and as the very object of enjoyment. His experience of the archAvathAra emperumAns in the dhivya dhESams was so complete and so blissful that he experienced no sense of difference between samsAram and paramapadham.

EmperumAn's Counsel in the Eleventh Centum

Perceiving that āzhvār had become so content in the enjoyment of His beauty in the dhivya dhESams that the urgent longing for paramapadham might diminish, emperumAn resolved to show the āzhvār the true nature of the material world — its instability, its terrors, and the suffering inherent in it — so that āzhvār might be drawn with renewed longing toward the eternal and uninterrupted bliss of the supreme abode.

Thus, in mARRamuLa (periya thirumozhi 11.8), āzhvār cries out to emperumAn in anguish, employing vivid images of worldly peril:

• iru pAdu eri koLLiyin uL eRumbE pOl — "Like the ant caught between two ends of a burning fire"
• ARRangarai vAzh maram pOla — "Like the tree growing at the very edge of a river's bank, ever trembling before the uncertain future"
• pAmbodoru kUraiyilE payinRAR pOl — "Like one compelled to dwell under the same roof as a serpent"

These images from the eleventh centum convey the terror and fragility of conditioned existence with unsurpassed poignancy.

The Thirumanthram as Sacred Vessel

Our PUrvAchAryas describe with beautiful precision how emperumAn's supreme nature — His svarUpam, rUpam, guNam, and vibhUthi — are all contained within the thirumanthram, even as the most precious gifts are borne in the finest silk. The thirumanthram is that sacred vessel, and in periya thirumozhi emperumAn reveals this treasure to the āzhvār in its entirety.

EmperumAn's Fresh Grace

Having led the āzhvār to perceive the terrors of samsAram in the eleventh centum of periya thirumozhi, emperumAn perceived that an āzhvār dwelling in such anguish and fear could not sustain the divine flow of pAsurams. Desiring that āzhvār continue his dhivya dhESa kainkaryam, emperumAn once again showered upon him the grace of guNAnubhavam — the ecstatic experience of His transcendent qualities.

The āzhvār's Response: Total Self-Offering

As one who is consumed by extreme thirst might plunge into a body of water, pour it over himself, and drink without restraint, so did thirumangai āzhvār respond to this renewed grace — glorifying emperumAn with his lips, prostrating before Him with his very head, and dwelling upon Him ceaselessly with his mind. This total, self-giving surrender — across all three instruments of body, speech, and mind — is the spiritual substance of thirukkuRundhANdagam.

Selected Pāsurams

Pāsuram 1:

nidhiyinaip pavaLath thUNai neRimaiyAl ninaiya vallAr kadhiyinaik kanjan mALak kaNdu mun aNdam ALum * madhiyinai mAlai vAzhththi vaNangi en manaththu vandha vidhiyinaik kaNdu koNda thoNdanEn vidugilEnE*

EmperumAn is extolled here as the treasure that sustains all beings in times of need; as the beloved coral-red pillar that upholds all creation; as the supreme destination attained by devoted souls; as the sovereign ruler of all the worlds who ever holds His devotees in His heart. He who has graced my heart with His presence — I, this humble servitor (thoNdan), having been permitted to behold Him with my own eyes, shall never abandon Him nor seek any other refuge.

Pāsuram 19:

piNdiyAr maNdai Endhip piRar manai thiridhandhu uNNum muNdiyAn sAbam thIrththa oruvan Ur * ulagam Eththum kaNdiyUr arangam meyyam kachchi pEr mallai enRu maNdinAr uyyal allAl maRRaiyArkku uyyalAmE?*

Those who live and act with the total conviction that emperumAn is their sole refuge and the entirety of their existence shall alone attain true ujjIvanam — liberation and the fullness of blessed life. There is no other means of genuine revival for any soul.

Final Pāsuram (20):

vAnavar thangaL kONum malar misai ayanum nALum thEmalar thUvi Eththum sEvadich chengaN mAlai * mAnavEl kaliyan sonna vaN thamizh mAlai nAlaindhum UnamadhinRi vallAr oLi visumbALvar thAmE*

kaliyan — thirumangai āzhvār — here declares with divine authority: whosoever recites with wholeness of heart these twenty pAsurams of thirukkuRundhANdagam, seeking nothing for themselves but surrendering purely out of love and devotion, shall assuredly attain vaikuNtam — the supreme abode of SrIman nArAyaNan. These twenty pAsurams are a garland of adoration for the exalted guNas of emperumAn.

The Inner Significance

ThirumangaI āzhvār, who had initially been bound by the śarīra-sambandham — the soul's confused identification with the body — was utterly transformed through the causeless grace of emperumAn. His first prabandham, periya thirumozhi, concludes with his prayer to be released from the bondage of the body. In thirukkuRundhANdagam, his second prabandham, since emperumAn had not yet fully revealed Himself to the āzhvār (desiring instead to intensify the āzhvār's sacred hunger), āzhvār could not endure the delay. As one perishing of thirst plunges into water, the āzhvār sustained himself through praise upon his lips, prostration with his head, and meditation in his heart — and emperumAn responded by revealing to him His own resplendent divine qualities (guNas).

Yet as with one who, upon drinking a little water, finds only that the thirst grows deeper, āzhvār's spiritual longing intensified. This led him, in his third prabandham, thiruvezhukkURRirukkai, to approach thirukkudandhai ArAvamudhan with an outpouring of SaraNAgathi — total surrender born of uncontainable longing.

Following thirukkuRundhANdagam, āzhvār composed thiruvezhukkURRirukkai — a prabandham of complete SaraNAgathi before thirukkudandhai emperumAn — born of an intensified spiritual thirst that could no longer be assuaged by guNAnubhavam alone.

Thereafter, in a most extraordinary outpouring of divine love, āzhvār composed two thirumadal prabandhams — siriya thirumadal and periya thirumadal. The madal is a poetic form expressing the desperate courage of a nAyaki (the soul, here in the feminine mode of longing) who, finding that the beloved nAyaka (emperumAn) does not respond to her love, publicly declares her anguish before all the world, beseeching all to assist in the reunion. In siriya thirumadal, the divine subject is SrI krishNa; in periya thirumadal, it is thirunaraiyUr nambi of the sacred dhivya dhESam thirunaraiyUr near kumbakONam. ThirumangaI āzhvār, assuming the noble emotional form of the nAyaki, gives voice to this supreme courage in both madals.

The Culminating Prabandham

Even after the composition of the two thirumadals, emperumAn did not immediately appear before the āzhvār. It was thirunedundhANdagam — the sixth and culminating prabandham of the āzhvār — that finally effected his union with emperumAn. This prabandham comprises thirty pAsurams, structured in three distinct groups of ten (decads).

The āzhvārs and Their Modes of Divine Experience

Our PUrvAchAryas illuminate for us the distinctive manner in which each mahAtmA experiences emperumAn:

• Saints such as Sukha Brahmarishi and the mudhal āzhvārs were immersed in the contemplation of emperumAn's parathvam — His absolute transcendent supremacy.
• Sanakādi maharshis and thirumazhisaip pirAn revelled in the experience of emperumAn as antharyAmi — the indwelling soul of all souls.
• Parāśara, Pārāśarya (VyAsa), nammAzhvār, periyAzhvār, and ĀNDAL were immersed in the glories of krishNAvathAram.
• NAratha and thoNdaradippodi āzhvār, thiruppANāzhvār were absorbed in the unique bliss of kOyil — Śrī Rangam — which, though an archAvathAra abode, is also reckoned as a manifestation of emperumAn's absolute supremacy, being the primordial root from which all other divine abodes flow.
• SrI Saunaka bhagavAn and thirumangai āzhvār were supremely absorbed in archAvathAram — emperumAn's most accessible and grace-filled form as the consecrated deity, the ultimate expression of His soulabhyam (easiness of approach and gracious accessibility to all).

ThirunedundhANdagam and the Great Debate: The Story of Nanjīyar's Conversion

One of the most celebrated episodes in our sampradhAyam's history is the conversion of nanjIyar — then known as mAdhavAchAryar — from a rival philosophical school to the Śrī Vaishnava tradition. This great transformation was accomplished through the divine instrumentality of SrI parāSara bhattar.

Acting upon the command of emperumAnAr (rāmAnuja), bhattar traveled to thirunArAyaNapuram, where mAdhavAchAryar, having heard of the approaching scholar, came forward to engage him in debate. In this pivotal encounter, bhattar deployed the pAsurams of thirunedundhANdagam with consummate mastery to establish, with irrefutable force, the parathvam of SrIman nArAyaNan, thereafter elaborating the full range of sAsthric proofs. Overwhelmed by bhattar's reasoning and grace, mAdhavAchAryar prostrated at bhattar's lotus feet and accepted him as his AchAryan — henceforth to be known as nanjIyar, a luminary of our sampradhAyam.

When bhattar returned to SrI Rangam and reported the entire event before periya perumAL, the Lord was exceedingly pleased and commanded that thirunedundhANdagam henceforth be recited as a sacred custom. This command has been faithfully observed ever since: to this day, the adhyayana uthsavam at SrI Rangam commences with the solemn recitation of thirunedundhANdagam.

The Three Structural Divisions of ThirunedundhANdagam

The First Decad — The Essence of All SAsthrams

In the opening three pAsurams of thirunedundhANdagam, āzhvār distils the very essence of all SAsthric teaching. These verses establish emperumAn as antharyAmi — the inner controller and soul of all — and declare His role as the srishti (creation), sthithi (sustenance), and samhAra (dissolution) of all existence, the One who releases the bound soul from the bondage of samsAram. These three verses together constitute the complete declaration of emperumAn's parathvam.

All remaining verses of thirunedundhANdagam are to be understood as an extended, luminous elaboration of the truths enshrined in these opening three pAsurams.

In this first decad, āzhvār sings as himself — as thirumangai āzhvār, parakAlan — directly glorifying emperumAn and reflecting upon the artha panchakam (the five supreme truths): the true nature of the self (svasvarUpam), the true nature of the Supreme (parasvarUpam), the supreme benefit that accords with the nature of the self (purushArtham), the obstacles to its attainment (virOdhi), and the means of removing those obstacles and achieving the supreme benefit (upAyam). The thirumanthram, which enshrines all five of these truths, becomes the supreme subject of āzhvār's meditation and song.

This contemplative state of āzhvār is evocative of the verse from the Bhagavad Gītā, Chapter 10, verse 9:

machchiththA madhgathaprANA bOdhayantha: parasparam | kathayanthaS cha mAm nithyam thushyanthi cha ramanthi cha ||

"Those whose minds are fixed on Me, whose very lives are offered to Me — they who ever enlighten one another regarding Me, conversing always of My glories, are content and exultant."

The first line — machchiththA, those whose thoughts are wholly fixed upon the Lord — precisely describes āzhvār's state in the first decad: his mind unwaveringly absorbed in emperumAn.

The Second Decad — The Mother's Lament for Parakāla NAyaki

In the second ten pAsurams, the mode shifts to that of the nAyaki — the soul in the state of feminine longing (parakAla nAyaki). These verses are voiced as the words of parakAla nAyaki's mother, who, watching her daughter's condition, speaks in anguish. Her daughter, no longer content merely to contemplate emperumAn within the sanctuary of her mind, has been overwhelmed by the intensity of her love to the point of fainting. She has nurtured within herself the longing to behold Him with her very eyes, and has fallen senseless at finding that the beloved vision does not come in the way she expected. The friends (thOzhis) of parakAla nAyaki witness this state and speak of it; the mother gives voice to their grief.

The phrase bOdhayantha: parasparam — "enlightening one another" — from the Gītā verse finds its correspondence here: parakAla nAyaki's friends and her mother, conversing among themselves about the extraordinary nature of her experience of emperumAn.

The Third Decad — The Final Outcry and Parama-bhakthi

In the third and final decad, the nAyaki's friend, distressed by her state, inquires tenderly what has befallen her. This question itself provides the nAyaki a momentary means of sustenance — the telling of her story. Yet as the conversation comes to its end, the anguish of separation rises again with full force. She sends messengers; emperumAn does not appear. The Udal — the righteous indignation of love betrayed — rises to its height. Had this state endured as it did for nammAzhvār, emperumAn might have appeared in response. But due to the exquisite sensitivity of thirumangai āzhvār's nature, he could not sustain even the posture of righteous anger, and the full weight of longing and helplessness returned.

At this ultimate point of desperation, parama-bhakthi — the highest, most irresistible form of divine love — arose in thirumangai āzhvār, precisely as it arose for nammAzhvār in muniyE nAnmuganE (thiruvAimozhi 10.10). The āzhvār declares his ananya gathithvam — that he has no refuge other than emperumAn — and acknowledges his own unworthiness: "I am full of blemishes, bereft of any qualifying merit — and yet You, who are love itself, do not appear even now!"

The Twenty-Ninth Pāsuram

anRAyar kulamagaLukku araiyan thannai alai kadalaik kadaindhadaiththa ammAn thannai kunRAdha vali arakkar kOnai mALak kodunjilai vAych charam thurandhu kulam kaLaindhu venRAnai * kunReduththa thOLinAnai virithirai nIr viNNagaram maruvi nALum ninRAnai thaN kudandhaik kidandha mAlai nediyAnai adinAyEn ninaindhittEnE*

In this pAsuram, āzhvār cries out in surrender before the sacred thirukkudandhai emperumAn — ArAvamudhan — declaring: "I, this humble servitor (adinAyan), can no longer bear separation from You. You who are my Master — please bestow Your grace upon this fallen one." The pAsuram is suffused with the intensity of ananya SaraNAgathi — surrender without any alternative.

The Thirtieth and Final Pāsuram

minnumA mazhai thavazhum mEgavaNNA! viNNavar tham perumAnE! aruLAy enRu annamAy munivarOdu amarar Eththa arumaRaiyai veLippaduththa ammAn thannai * mannumA maNimAda mangai vEndhan mAnavEl paragAlan kaliyan sonna panniya nUl thamizh mAlai vallAr thollaip pazhavinaiyai mudhalariya vallAr thAmE*

In this culminating pAsuram, thirumangai āzhvār — parakAlan, kaliyan, the sovereign of the sacred mangai — calls out to emperumAn with the full intensity of a soul that has reached the very limit of its endurance. He then concludes with a declaration of the supreme fruit: whosoever is capable of reciting this sacred Tamil garland of pAsurams composed by kaliyan shall be empowered to uproot and dissolve even the most ancient and deeply rooted accumulations of karma. This prabandham thus concludes in the spirit of avAvaRRu vIdu peRRa (thiruvAimozhi 10.10.11) — the soul attaining SrIvaikuNtam, with all longing fulfilled in the perfect and eternal service of emperumAn.

With this, the sacred exposition of the three prabandhams — periya thirumozhi, thirukkuRundhANdagam, and thirunedundhANdagam — of the great thirumangai āzhvār is concluded with gratitude and reverence. These prabandhams stand as monumental expressions of the āzhvār's journey from worldly immersion through the stages of divine grace, bhAgavatha sambandham, guNAnubhavam, archAvathAra anubhavam, viraha tApa (anguish of separation), parama-bhakthi, and ultimate SaraNAgathi — illuminating for all seekers the path from samsAram to paramapadham.

May the grace of thirumangai āzhvār, who revealed more than forty dhivya dhESams to a grateful world and whose six prabandhams stand as the six angams of nammāzhvār's four prabandhams, continue to illuminate all who approach the dhivya prabandham with sincerity and devotion.

thirumangai āzhvār thiruvadigaLE SaraNam

Śrī: Śrīmathe Śaṭakōpāya namaḥ | Śrīmathe Rāmānujāya namaḥ | Śrīmath Varavara Munaye namaḥ

(Continuation from Part 4 — Periya Thirumozhi, Thirukkurunthāṇḍagam, Thirunedunthāṇḍagam)

The Divya Prabandham is also known by the sacred name Aruḷiccheyal — that which is born of divine grace. The very word prabandham carries profound meaning: it signifies "that which binds." The blessed compositions of the Āzhvārs possess the remarkable power to bind Emperumān Himself to His devoted adiyārgaḷ, drawing them ever deeper into bhagavad viṣayam — the realm of the Lord — and binding them, in turn, to Emperumān with bonds of love and surrender. This is precisely why these hymns bear the exalted title prabandham. Moreover, the Divya Prabandham is entirely untouched by the defects that pervade the saṃsāric material world; rather, it draws the aspirant toward flawless, unblemished, and transcendently pure divinity.

Just as the singular body of Vēdic śāstram is one, the great sage Vēda Vyāsa — out of compassion for humanity — divided it into four distinct portions to make it more accessible and easier to practise. He arranged the Vēdas as: Ṛg, Yajus, Sāma, and Atharvaṇa. In precisely the same spirit of compassionate service, the illustrious Nāthamunigaḷ divided the Divya Prabandham into four great sections — mirroring the fourfold structure of the Vēdas — so that devotees could approach this divine treasury in an ordered and fruitful manner.

These four sections are:

1. Mudhal Āyiram — the First Thousand
2. Iraṇḍām Āyiram — the Second Thousand
3. Iyaṟpā / Mūṉṟām Āyiram — the Third Thousand
4. Nāṅgām Āyiram — the Fourth Thousand

In the Mudhal Āyiram, Nāthamunigaḷ assembled the works of Periyāzhvār, Āṇḍāḷ Nāchiyār, Kulaśēkhara Āzhvār, Thoṇḍaradippoḍi Āzhvār, Thiruppāṇ Āzhvār, Madhurakavi Āzhvār, and Thirumazhisai Āzhvār (specifically the Thiruchandaviruththam).

In the Iraṇḍām Āyiram, Nāthamunigaḷ placed the Periya Thirumozhi, Thirukkurunthāṇḍakam, and Thirunedunthāṇḍakam of Thirumangai Āzhvār.

In the Mūṉṟām Āyiram, he placed the Iyaṟpā — compositions rendered in a prose-verse form corresponding to iyal, the counterpart of gadyam in Sanskrit. Characteristically, the pāsurams of the Iyaṟpā section do not follow a defined rāgam or thāḷam. Tamil literary tradition recognises three modes of expression: iyal — prose, not set to music; isai — verse that can be set to musical form with rāgam and thāḷam; and nāṭakam — dramatic composition. The Iyaṟpā pāsurams belong to the iyal mode.

In the Nāṅgām Āyiram, Nāthamunigaḷ enshrined Thiruvāimozhi — the incomparable work of Nammāzhvār.

The Divya Prabandham is regarded as the very lifeblood of our Śrī Vaiṣṇava Sampradāya. Among all the Āzhvārs, Nammāzhvār is honoured as their supreme leader. His four blessed works are held to be the direct counterparts of the four Vēdas, the Upaniṣads, the Itihāsas, and the Purāṇas:

• Thiruviruttham — 100 verses — equivalent to the Ṛg Vēda
• Thiruvāsiriyam — 7 verses — equivalent to the Yajur Vēda
• Periya Thiruvandhādhi — 87 verses — equivalent to the Atharvaṇa Vēda
• Thiruvāimozhi — 1,102 verses — equivalent to the Sāma Vēda

Just as the Vēdas are accompanied by six aṅgas (auxiliary disciplines), the six works of Thirumangai Āzhvār are regarded as the six aṅgas to Nammāzhvār's four principal works. The six Vēdāṅgas are: (1) Śikṣā — the correct articulation and pronunciation of words; (2) Vyākaraṇa — grammar; (3) Chandas — poetic metrics; (4) Niruktha — etymology; (5) Jyōtiṣam — the science of time and celestial reckoning; and (6) Kalpa — the methodology of ritual observance. In like manner, all remaining prabandhams of the Divya Prabandham are considered aṅgas — supporting auxiliaries — to the principal works of Nammāzhvār.

The ultimate intent of the entire Divya Prabandham is to inspire and enable us to perform maṅgalāśāsanam — the heartfelt offering of auspicious blessings and praises — to Emperumān. Every time we recite the pāsurams of the Āzhvārs, we are, in essence, performing maṅgalāśāsanam to our beloved Lord. The more we chant, the more our very lives become one unbroken stream of divine praise.

The revered Ponnadikkāl Jīyar, in his Thiruppāvai Svāpadhēśam, teaches that daily recitation of the Thiruppāvai simultaneously glorifies the Guru Paramparā, affirms the Dvaya Mahā Mantram, and constitutes a living act of maṅgalāśāsanam offered at the feet of Emperumān.

The vast corpus of sacred scripture addresses Emperumān through His various modes of manifestation:

• The Vēdam speaks of Emperumān's parathvam — His transcendent supreme nature as the Lord of Paramapadham (Paramapadha Nāthan).
• Śrī Pāñcharātram reveals the glory of Vyūha Emperumān — the Lord in His fourfold cosmic forms.
• Manu Smṛti and allied śāstras speak of Antaryāmi Emperumān — the indwelling Lord who resides within all sentient beings as their innermost self and sovereign controller.
• Śrī Rāmāyaṇam and Mahābhāratam extol the vibhavāvatārams — the great descents of the Lord as Śrī Rāman, Kṛṣṇan, and others.
• Aruḷiccheyal — also known as Drāviḍa Vēdam or Thamizh Vēdam — uniquely and pre-eminently speaks of Archāvatāra Emperumān: the Lord graciously present in His sacred consecrated forms in the Divya Dhēsams.

Emperumān, in His boundless mercy, selected certain exalted jīvātmās from within Lēlā Vibhūti, graced them with direct vision of His divine beauty and auspicious qualities, and bestowed upon them blemishless and unobstructed knowledge through which they could perceive past, present, and future with perfect clarity. These blessed souls He made into Āzhvārs. The word āzhvār itself means "one who is utterly immersed in bhagavad viṣayam" — one whose entire being is submerged in the divine experience of the Lord.

The Iyaṟpā is generally recited during the Purappādu — the ceremonial procession of the Utsava deity of Emperumān, when the Lord graciously moves through the streets, blessing all assembled devotees with His divine darśanam.

As already noted, Tamil literary tradition classifies its poetry into three modes:

• Iyal — verse not set to music; prose-verse composition.
• Isai — verse set to rāgam and thāḷam. The Mudhal Āyiram, the Iraṇḍām Āyiram, and Thiruvāimozhi (Nāṅgām Āyiram) all belong to the Isai Pā format — for each of these three thousand pāsurams, both rāgam and thāḷam have been defined.
• Nāṭakam — dramatic composition, the form of the play.

The Iyaṟpā constitutes the third set of one thousand pāsurams. The individual prabandhams that comprise the Iyaṟpā section are as follows:

It is worth noting that while Thiruppaḷḷāṇḍu is sung at the commencement of the Mudhal Āyiram as an auspicious maṅgalam, the very first prabandham to have been composed historically was Poigai Āzhvār's Mudhal Thiruvandhādhi.

The great commentator Periyavāchan Piḷḷai, in his celebrated vyākhyānam, illuminates the fact that each Āzhvār and each great sage has a primary contemplative focus on a particular mode of Emperumān's manifestation. He summarises as follows:

• Śukāchāryar and the Mudhal Āzhvārgaḷ — Poigaiyār, Bhūthathār, and Pēyār — are immersed in parathvam, Emperumān's transcendent supremacy.
• Sanakādikḷ (Sanaka, Sanātana, Sanandana, Sanatkumāra) and Thirumazhisai Pirān are immersed in antaryāmithvam — the Lord as indwelling inner controller.
• Vālmīki and Kulaśēkhara Āzhvār are immersed in Rāmāvatāram.
• Parāśara Rishi, Vēda Vyāsa Rishi, Nammāzhvār, Periyāzhvār, and Āṇḍāḷ are immersed in Kṛṣṇāvatāram.
• Nāradhar, Thoṇḍaradippoḍi Āzhvār, and Thiruppāṇ Āzhvār are immersed in the glorious archāvatāra of Śrīranganāthan.
• Śaunakar and Thirumangai Āzhvār are immersed in all archāvatārams across the Divya Dhēsams.

Yet even though each Āzhvār holds a particular manifestation as their primary focus, they are unanimously united in delighting in the archāvatāra forms of Emperumān through their maṅgalāśāsanam pāsurams.

Poigai Āzhvār appeared in a sacred pond near the Thiruvēkkā Yathōkthakāri temple. Bhūthath Āzhvār appeared in a pond near the Thirukkadalmallai Sthala Śayana Perumāḷ temple. Pēy Āzhvār appeared in a sacred well near the Thirumayilai Kēśava Perumāḷ temple.

These three Āzhvārs are invariably glorified together, and there are compelling reasons for this sacred bond.

First, they appeared on consecutive days in sequence — Poigaiyār, Bhūthathār, Pēyār — born at the precious transitional period between the close of Dvāpara Yugam and the dawn of Kali Yugam, the sacred yuga sandhi.

Second, all three were ayōnijars — those who do not take birth through a human mother. Each appeared miraculously from a flower, solely by the sovereign grace of Emperumān.

Third, from the very moment of their appearance, they were utterly and divinely absorbed in Emperumān — fully blessed by Him, ceaselessly immersed in bhagavath anubhavam throughout their entire sacred lives.

Fourth, at a certain juncture in their blessed lives, they encountered one another and thereafter remained together as companions, journeying to various Divya Dhēsams and kṣētrams. They are lovingly celebrated as "Ōḍith thiriyum Yōgigaḷ" (ஓடித் திரியும் யோகிகள்) — the Yogīs who perpetually roam in pilgrimage, restless in their longing to behold Emperumān in all His sacred abodes.

Fifth and most wondrously, though the three Āzhvārs were born in different places and were each independently revelling in the experience of Emperumān, the Lord Himself — who, as the Gītā declares, considers His jñānī devotees as His very Self (jñānī tu ātmaiva me matham) — wished to behold all three together. And so He orchestrated a divine confluence, drawing all three to Thirukkōvaḷūr on a single rain-drenched night.

A torrential rain was falling. One by one, the three Āzhvārs arrived at a small hut — so narrow that one person could lie down in it, two could sit, and three could only stand. Poigai Āzhvār arrived first and was able to lie down. When Bhūthath Āzhvār arrived, the two could only sit. And when Pēy Āzhvār arrived, all three stood — filling every inch of that humble space.

Now, in the ordinary world of material existence, human beings jealously guard their personal space and bodily comfort. But consider the splendid contrast with these three Āzhvārs: entirely absorbed in bhagavath bhāvam, they were wholly unconcerned with the demands of the body. They joyfully made room for one another, for they were rooted not in bodily consciousness but in ātma-awareness. The body held no claim upon them; bhagavad viṣayam alone filled their hearts, and with one another they were perfectly at ease, standing shoulder to shoulder in that dark and crowded shelter.

Emperumān, witnessing this beautiful satsaṅgam that He Himself had arranged, was moved with joy: "I brought them here so that I might be with these adiyārgaḷ." And so, He arrived at that blessed gathering — accompanied by Thāyār (Śrī Mahālakṣmī). Suddenly, in the pitch darkness of that crowded little hut, Emperumān with Thirumāmagaḷ entered the space where the three Āzhvārs stood together. Now — in that impenetrable darkness — they wished to see who had arrived...

It was at this very moment that Poigai Āzhvār, in a flash of divine inspiration, kindled a lamp — but what a lamp! He took the entire world as the lamp-vessel, the vast ocean as its oil, and the blazing sun as its flame. In his celebrated opening pāsuram he declares:

vaiyam thagaḷiyā * vārkadalē neyyāga * veyya kadhirōn viḷakkāga — seyya sudarāzhiyān adikkē * sūṭṭinēn sol mālai * idarāzhi nīṅgugavē eṉṟu

With these luminous words, he offers a garland of verse at the feet of the radiant Sudarśana-bearing Lord. The teaching is breathtaking in its depth: when we contemplate Emperumān, the entire ocean of sorrow — accumulated through birth after birth in saṃsāra — is dispelled entirely.

The Three Pramāṇas — Sources of Valid Knowledge

This opening pāsuram invites reflection upon the three recognised sources of valid knowledge (pramāṇam):

1. Pratyakṣa — direct sense perception: what we know through seeing, hearing, and the other senses. Yet the senses are inherently imperfect. We observe the sun each day and perceive it as a small disc — yet in truth it is incomparably vast, far exceeding the size of the planets. The senses cannot be fully trusted for the knowledge of ultimate reality.

1. Anumāna — inference: knowledge arrived at through reasoning from observed experience. When we cook, we observe fire and smoke together. When we spot smoke rising from a distant mountain, we infer that fire must be close by. This is not direct perception; it is a reasoned conclusion drawn from the accumulated evidence of prior experience.

1. Śabdha — verbal testimony, specifically the Vēda: the Vēdas are eternal and self-validating, uncreated by any human agency. Whatever is established in the Vēdas constitutes the highest and most authoritative form of knowledge.

In this opening pāsuram, Poigai Āzhvār employs anumāna pramāṇam. Beholding this magnificent world — the earth, the ocean, the sun pouring forth its rays in ordered splendour — he reasons that such a cosmos cannot have arisen by itself; there must be a Creator who fashioned all of this. And so he arrives, through the mode of inference, at the truth of Emperumān as the universal Creator.

A natural question arises: if anumāna is inherently limited and fallible, how can it be relied upon here? The great Nampiḷḷai addresses this precisely in his commentary. He explains: "Śruthikku anukūlamāga irukkum anumānaththai eṟṟuk koḷḷalām" — an inference that is consistent with and supportive of śāstra may rightly be accepted. The Vēdam itself declares that Bhagavān is the creator and that this world exists solely by His creative will. Poigai Āzhvār's anumāna in the first pāsuram serves to reinforce exactly what scripture already establishes — and is therefore entirely valid and to be embraced by the discerning aspirant.

Pāsuram 15 — The Supremacy of Emperumān

mudhalāvār mūvarē * am mūvaruḷḷum * mudhalāvān * mūri nīr vaṇṇan — mudhalāya nallān aruḷ allāl * nāmanīr vaiyagaththu * pallār aruḷum pazhudhu

This pāsuram firmly and unambiguously establishes the unrivalled supremacy of Emperumān. Brahmā, Viṣṇu, and Śiva are indeed the foremost among the devas. Yet among these three, the One whose form holds the colour of the deep, limitless ocean is the primal cause of all existence. The grace of any other deva — however elevated — cannot confer liberation (mokṣam); and liberation is precisely what the aspirant truly requires. Only His grace delivers the soul from the bonds of saṃsāra. This pāsuram thus establishes, beyond all doubt, the absolute supremacy of Emperumān over all others.

Pāsuram 53 — The Sevenfold Kainkaryam of Ādiśēṣan

seṉṟāl kudaiyām irundhāl siṅgāsanamām * niṉṟāl maravadiyām nīḷ kadaluḷ — eṉṟum puṇaiyām maṇiviḷakkām * pūm paṭṭām puḷgum aṇaiyām * thirumāṟku aravu

For Emperumān who resides eternally in the blessed company of Piraṭṭi (Śrī Mahālakṣmī), Thiruvanantāzhvān Ādiśēṣan renders flawless sevenfold service: he becomes the royal umbrella when Emperumān moves in procession; he becomes the sacred throne when Emperumān is seated; he becomes the divine sandals when Emperumān stands; he becomes the supporting float when Emperumān reclines upon the boundless ocean; he is the auspicious lamp illuminating the divine presence; he is the beautiful silken garment adorning the Lord; and he is the tender pillow that Emperumān lovingly embraces in rest.

Through this pāsuram, we behold the full splendour of Ādiśēṣan's kainkaryam. Notice the profound contrast: ordinary devas approach Emperumān seeking personal benefits and boons. Ādiśēṣan, by contrast, performs every act of service purely for the Lord's pleasure — without the faintest expectation of return. And Emperumān, in His infinite graciousness, receives and delights in every act of kainkaryam offered with such selfless and overflowing love. He accepts all service done for Him wholeheartedly, and this pāsuram reveals the joy with which He does so.

The Final Pāsuram — Emperumān as Both Goal and Means

Oradiyum sādudhaitta * oṇ malarc chēvadiyum * Iradiyum kāṇalām en nenjē! — Oradiyil thāyavanaik kēsavaṇaith * thaṇdhuzhāy mālai sēr * māyavanaiyē manaththu vai.

In the closing pāsuram of Mudhal Thiruvandhādhi, the Āzhvār addresses his own mind with profound instruction: "O mind — hold within yourself the Lord who performs wondrous deeds, the One who measured all the worlds in His stride, the One who slew the asura Kēsi — and you shall behold His divine feet: the feet that measured the universe in one great stride, and the feet that kicked and slew the demon Chakaṭāsura." Through this pāsuram, a cardinal Viśiṣṭādvaita teaching is illuminated with great clarity — Emperumān is simultaneously the supreme Goal (uddhēśyam) and the supreme Means (upāyam).

The Mudhal Thiruvandhādhi thus shines as the prabandham that establishes para jñānam — the supreme wisdom that Emperumān is the Lord of both Lēlā Vibhūti (the realm of material creation) and Nitya Vibhūti (the eternal realm of Paramapadham).

Pāsuram 1 — Bhakthi as the Lamp

anbē thagaḷiyā * ārvamē neyyāga * inburugu sindhai idu thiriyā — nanbhurugi jñānach chudar viḷakku eṟṟinēn * nāraṇaṟku * jñānath thamizh purindha nān

Here, Bhūthath Āzhvār speaks of the servitorship born of deep, overflowing affection toward Emperumān — born from sustained meditation on His supremely auspicious qualities and the certitude that He alone is the one to be attained. The Āzhvār declares: "I have lit for Nārāyaṇa a lamp of spiritual wisdom — with love as the lamp-vessel, ardent devotion and earnest engagement as the ghee, and jñānam as the wick — I, who am given to Thamizh verse steeped in divine wisdom." Through bhakthi and love, he glorifies Emperumān with the fullness of his being. The teaching is that bhakthi is not merely tender sentiment — it is the highest and fullest flowering of jñānam itself. Para bhakthi — supreme devotion — is the defining illumination of the Iraṇḍām Thiruvandhādhi.

Pāsuram 21 — The Wonder of Neglected Worship

thāmuḷarē * tham uḷḷam uḷḷuḷadhē * thāmaraiyiṉ pūvuḷadhē * ēththum pozhudhunḍē — vāman thirumaruvu * thāḷ maruvu senniyarē * sevvē arunaragam sērvadhu aridhu

In this pāsuram, the Āzhvār marvels at the inexplicable negligence of souls who fail to worship Emperumān. We possess this very body with all its senses — and these are instruments entirely adequate for worship. We have the mind to contemplate Him without ceasing. We have the lotus flower to offer at His feet. We have this precious time appointed for His glorification. We have Vāmana Mūrthi Himself — who placed His divine feet upon our very heads in blessing. We even have our own heads to offer in humble prostration before Him. With all of these gifts and opportunities so abundantly at hand, why then do we not glorify Emperumān? This, declares the Āzhvār, is the most astonishing wonder of all!

Final Pāsuram (100) — Love That Surpasses All Measure

mālē! nediyōnē! kaṇṇanē! * viṇṇavarkku mēlā! * viyan thuzhāyk kaṇṇiyanē! — mēnāḷ viḷaviṅkāy * kaṉṟiṉāl vīzhththavanē! * eṉṟan aḷavaṉṟāl yānudaiya anbu

The Āzhvār pours forth his heart in this final pāsuram: "O You who are ever affectionate toward Your devotees! O You whose greatness cannot be measured or contained in any vessel! O Lord of the Nitya Sūris! O You adorned with the fragrant Thuḷasi garland! O You who descended as Kṛṣṇa and with Your blessed leg overthrew the demon concealed as a cart-wheel! — the love that I hold for You has grown far beyond all measure." The rapture of para bhakthi, having reached its summit, overflows every boundary.

In the darkness of that sacred night at Thirukkōvaḷūr, having beheld the lamp that Poigai Āzhvār and Bhūthath Āzhvār had kindled, Pēy Āzhvār received the supremely blessed darśanam — the direct vision — of Emperumān Himself.

Pāsuram 1 — The Blessed Vision

thirukkandēn * ponmēni kaṇḍēn * thigazhum arukkam aṇi niṟamum kaṇḍēn — serukkiḷarum poṉṉāzhi kaṇḍēn * purisangam kaikkandēn * eṉṉāzhi vaṇṇan pāl iṉṟu

The Āzhvār glorifies the incomparable grace by which Emperumān and Thāyār revealed Their divine forms to him in that luminous moment. This prabandham is distinguished by a beautiful structural grace: both the first and the final pāsurams begin and end with the sacred word thiru — a mark of Piraṭṭi's ever-present grace encircling the entire work from its very opening to its close.

Pāsuram 2 — The Lotus Feet

iṉṟē kazhal kaṇḍēn * ēzh piṟappum yān aṟutthēn * poṉ thōy varai mārbil pūndhuzhāy — aṉṟu thirukkandu koṇda * thirumālē! * unṉai marukkaṇḍu koṇḍu en manam

Here the Āzhvār glorifies the lotus feet of Emperumān — beholding which, he joyfully declares, the cycle of seven births is severed once and for all.

Pāsuram 16 — Thiruvallikkēṇi Glorified

vandhu udhaitta veṇ thiraigaḷ * sembavaḷa veṇ muthtam * andhi viḷakkum aṇi viḷakkām — endhai oruvallithth thāmaraiyāḷ * oṉṟiya sīr mārvan * thiruvallikkēṇiyān senṟu

In this pāsuram, Pēy Āzhvār turns his gaze to the Lord of Thiruvallikkēṇi, adorning that sacred kṣētram with the brilliance of his verse.

Pāsuram 57 — Garuḍa Sēvai Glorified

polindhu iruṇḍa kār vānil * miṉṉē pōl thōṉṟi * malindhu thiruviruntha mārvam — polindha garuḍan mēl kaṇḍa * kariyān kazhalē * theruḷ thanmēl kaṇḍāy theḷi.

Here, the Āzhvār glorifies the Lord's Garuḍa Sēvai — the majestic vision of Emperumān enthroned upon Garuḍāzhvār. Emperumān is the Vēda Puruṣan — the very embodiment and inner soul of all the Vēdas — and Garuḍāzhvār, as His resplendent divine vehicle, proclaims and glorifies His parathvam — the Lord's transcendent, supreme nature — with every soaring flight.

Final Pāsuram — Piraṭṭi as Our Eternal Refuge

sārvu namakkeṉṟum chakkarattāṉ * thaṇ thuzhāyth tārvāzh * varaimārvan thān muyangum — kārārndha vāṉ amarum miṉ imaikkum * vaṇ thāmarai nedungaṇ * thēnamarum pūmēl thiru

Periya Piraṭṭi — Śrī Mahālakṣmī — is our eternal refuge and the refuge of all souls. The One who holds Piraṭṭi upon His vast mountain-like chest for all eternity is our one unfailing shelter. Thus, in the profound architecture of this prabandham, the Āzhvār begins with thiru and ends with thiru — both the first and the last pāsurams are suffused with the grace of Thāyār. As She encircles the entire work, so She encircles our lives.

While the Mudhal Āzhvārs so beautifully established that Emperumān alone is the one supreme object to be perceived, known, and enjoyed by all souls, Thirumazhisai Āzhvār takes up a further and essential task in the Nānmugan Thiruvandhādhi: he clears away the weeds that obstruct that direct experience of the Lord. What is the primary weed? It is the grave error of worshipping other devatās as if they were independent Īśvaras — sovereign controllers in their own right. This prabandham is addressed precisely to those saṃsāris who labour under that confusion, and its purpose is to establish with luminous clarity that all devatās — including Brahmā and Rudra — are entirely governed and sustained by Śrīman Nārāyaṇa, who alone is the supreme controller (Niyantā) of the entire universe without exception.

The Thaniyan

nārayaṇan padaiththān nānmuganai * nānmuganukku ērār śivan piṟandhān ennum sol — sīrār mozhi seppi vāzhalām nenjamē! * moy pū mazhisaip parān adiyē vāzhththu

"Nārāyaṇa created Brahmā; and to that Brahmā was born Śiva. O mind — let us live by reciting these glorious words of truth! Let us glorify and worship the sacred feet of the great Thirumazhisai Āzhvār, who appeared in the flower-garden city of Mazhisai."

Pāsuram 35 — The Lord of Thiruvallikkēṇi

thāḷāl ulagam * aḷandha asaivē kol? * vāḷā kidandharuḷum vāy thiṟavān — nīḷōdham vandalaikkum māmayilai * māvallikkēṇiyān * aindalai vāy nāgattaṇai

Thirumazhisai Āzhvār here glorifies Thiruvallikkēṇi Emperumān, who reclines in divine repose upon Ādiśēṣan. With tender and affectionate wonder the Āzhvār asks: "O Lord — is it because You so exerted Yourself in measuring all the worlds with Your mighty strides that You are now resting in such deep, silent repose? You have chosen to abide at the great Thiruvallikkēṇi, set within the splendid Thirumayilai, where the long ocean waves come rolling in to lap ceaselessly at Your resting place."

Pāsuram 43 — The Maṅgalāśāsanam of All Devas

mangul thōy senni * vada vēṅgaḍattānai * kangul pugundhārgaḷ * kāppaṇivān — thingaḷ sadai ēṟa vaiththānum * thāmarai mēlānum * kudai ēṟath thāṅguviththuk koṇḍu

This pāsuram reveals that when all the devas abide in a state of pure sattva — untainted by rajas and tamas — they lovingly perform maṅgalāśāsanam to Emperumān of Vada Thiruveṅkaṭam, gathering together in the night and presenting all the auspicious accessories of sacred kainkaryam in joyful worship and united praise.

Pāsuram 68 — The Yama Kiṅkara Saṃvādam

thiṟambēnmin kaṇḍīr * thiruvadi than nāmam * maṟandhum puṟam thozhā māndhar — iṟainjiyum sādhuvarāyp * pōmiṅgaḷ eṉṟān * namaṉum than thūdhuvaraik kūvich chevikku

While the three Mudhal Āzhvārs so powerfully established Emperumān's parathvam, Thirumazhisai Āzhvār here teaches with great force that one must worship only Emperumān — no other devatā whatsoever. This pāsuram reveals the famous Yama Kiṅkara Saṃvādam — the instruction of Yama to his own messengers. Yama summons his servants and commands: "Do not go near Śrī Vaiṣṇavas — avoid them entirely and return as virtuous souls." Such is the power and protection of Śrī Vaiṣṇava association that even the emissaries of Yama are enjoined to keep their distance. And the bedrock teaching of this pāsuram is this: a Śrī Vaiṣṇava may, in a rare moment of human forgetfulness, momentarily lose awareness of Emperumān's feet — yet that same Śrī Vaiṣṇava will never turn and worship another devatā in Emperumān's place. That foundational discrimination never wavers, never yields.

Pāsuram 96 — The Culminating Declaration

iniyaṟindhēn * Isaṟkum nānmugarkkum deyvam * iniyaṟindhēn emperumāṉ! unṉai — iniyaṟindhēn kāraṇan nī kaṟṟavai nī * kaṟpavai nī * naṟkirisai nāraṇan nī naṅgaṟindhēn nān

"O my Lord — now I know with full and unshakeable certainty that You are the God of Rudra and Brahmā alike. Now I truly know Your essential divine nature, O Emperumān! Now I know beyond all doubt that You are the primal Cause of all that exists. You are all that has ever been learnt; You are all that is yet to be learnt. You are the One who protects and upholds all beings. You are my Nārāyaṇa — and this I know now, clearly, wholly, and forever." The Āzhvār's realisation is total, luminous, and utterly irreversible — a declaration that rings through all time.

Thus concludes our reverential introduction to the four Thiruvandhādhis: Mudhal Thiruvandhādhi, Iraṇḍām Thiruvandhādhi, Mūṉṟām Thiruvandhādhi, and Nānmugan Thiruvandhādhi — four resplendent jewels within the glorious treasury of the Iyaṟpā. Each illuminates a distinct and precious facet of our Sampradāya's understanding of Emperumān's nature, the path of devotion, and the inestimable grace of the Āzhvārs who, by Emperumān's own appointment, continue to guide aspirants along the path of liberation through the undying music of their sacred pāsurams.

Source: YouTube — Simple Guide to Dhivyaprabandham, Part 4

Śrī: Śrīmathe Śaṭakōpāya namaḥ | Śrīmathe Rāmānujāya namaḥ | Śrīmath Varavara Munaye namaḥ |

(Mudhal, Iraṇdām, Mūṉṟām, and Nānmugan Thiruvandādi)

In our continuing journey through the sacred Iyaṟpā, we have thus far reverentially traversed the first four prabandhams — the Mudhal Thiruvandādi, the Iraṇdām Thiruvandādi, the Mūṉṟām Thiruvandādi, and the Nānmugan Thiruvandādi. Before we enter the anubhavam — the sacred relishing and experience — of the essence of these prabandhams, let us pause and dwell with deep reverence upon the glorious mahimā of Nammāzhvār.

Nammāzhvār took his blessed birth at the holy abode known as Āzhvār Thirunagari — a divine place that bore the name Thirukkurugūr before Āzhvār's advent illumined it — nestled on the sacred banks of the river Thāmirabaraṇi, in the Thirunelvēli district of Tamizh Nādu. Upon his birth, his devoted parents brought the infant to the temple at Āzhvār Thirunagari. There, Āzhvār took shelter beneath the sacred tamarind tree known as Thiruppuḷiyāzhvār, consecrating himself wholly and entirely to Emperumān alone from the very first moments of his earthly sojourn. From that moment onward, Nammāzhvār abided within the hollow of that divine tree, seated in serene and unbroken dhyānam upon Emperumān — completely withdrawn from all concerns of the material realm, his entire being absorbed only in the boundless auspicious qualities (guṇas) of the Lord.

Āzhvār graced this world for a span of thirty-two thirunakṣatras (years), which may be understood as two equal and wondrous halves. The first sixteen years were spent in unbroken dhyānam of Emperumān. It was towards the close of those sixteen years of profound inward meditation that the great Madhurakavi Āzhvār received the blessed darśan of Nammāzhvār.

Madhurakavi Āzhvār hailed from Thirukkōḷūr, a sacred village situated close to Āzhvār Thirunagari. He had been undertaking a yātrā to the northern regions of Bhārat, visiting and receiving the anubhavam of Emperumān at various Divya Dhēśams along the way. Then one remarkable day, without any forewarning, an extraordinary divine light appeared in the southern sky. Without hesitation, Madhurakavi Āzhvār resolved to follow it and turned southward — until at last, the celestial radiance led him, step by step, directly to Thiruppuḷiyāzhvār, where he discovered Nammāzhvār immersed in the deepest state of meditation.

Madhurakavi Āzhvār cast a stone nearby to draw the Āzhvār's attention, and then posed a profoundly enigmatic question:

"Setthattin vayiṟṟil siṟiyadhu piṟandhāl, etthai thiṉṟu eṅgē kidakkum?" (If a small one is born within the womb of a dead thing, what shall it eat and where shall it dwell?)

To this, Nammāzhvār replied with effortless profundity:

"Atthai thiṉṟu aṅgē kidakkum." (It eats of that very thing and dwells therein.)

This celebrated exchange was far more than a surface riddle. The question and its answer together encapsulated the entire tattva traya — the three foundational metaphysical realities of jīvātmā (the individual self), paramātmā (the Supreme Self), and acetana (insentient matter). Hearing the depth and precision of Nammāzhvār's reply, Madhurakavi Āzhvār instantly recognised before him a jñānī of the most exalted order — one who had penetrated to the very heart of Vedāntic truth. He thereupon accepted Nammāzhvār as his Ācāryan, surrendered himself to him as his very all-in-all, and remained in devoted, joyful service to him for many years.

Nammāzhvār graced this world for a further sixteen years beyond that blessed encounter. Towards the close of this second half of his earthly sojourn, a single, overwhelming aspiration arose within Āzhvār — to ascend to Paramapadam — and in Emperumān's infinite compassion, he was graciously received there.

Such is the mahimā of Nammāzhvār — who, out of boundless compassion for all suffering souls, mercifully composed four prabandhams, each embodying the very essence of one of the four Vēdas:

Nampiḷḷai, in his celebrated commentary on Thiruvāimozhi, illumines yet another layer of profound and beautiful correspondence. He reveals that these four prabandhams of Nammāzhvār, taken together, embody the essence of the Rahasya Traya — the three supreme secrets of the Śrī Vaiṣṇava Sampradāya: the Thirumantram, the Dvayam, and the Carama Ślōka — which are themselves considered the very quintessence of all the Vēdas. Examined through this luminous lens, the correspondences unfold as follows:

• Thiruviruṭṭham illumines the Praṇavam and the namaḥ padam of the Thirumantram.
• Thiruvāsiriyam reveals the supreme essence of the Nārāyaṇāya padam.
• Periya Thiruvandādi expounds the Carama Ślōka in its fullness.
• Thiruvāimozhi — the crown of all prabandhams — unfolds the Dvayam.

There is yet another relationship of remarkable beauty that deserves our contemplation: the one hundred pāsurams (hymns) of Thiruviruṭṭham correspond directly and intimately to the one hundred padhigams (chapters) of Thiruvāimozhi. This profound correspondence has been articulated with consummate elegance by Azhagiya Maṇavāḷa Perumāḷ Nāyanār in his magisterial work, the Ācārya Hṛdayam — and many subsequent Āchāryas have further illumined and elaborated upon this sacred relationship in their own works.

Let us now enter the anubhavam of the first prabandham composed by Nammāzhvār — the Thiruviruṭṭham.

Two States of Āzhvār's Compositions

Āzhvār has generally composed his sacred hymns from within two distinct inner states. The first is his own state of lucid, self-aware knowledge, called thānāna nilai — the state of being as oneself — wherein Āzhvār speaks directly and authentically as himself. The second is the state of intense, all-consuming love, called prēma nilai — a state in which Āzhvār identifies himself as a woman, taking what is known as peṇ bhāvam, the feminine mood of loving devotion.

Within peṇ bhāvam itself, there are three distinct inner personae:

• Thāy — the voice of the devoted mother
• Thōzhi — the voice of the intimate female companion
• Thalaima gaḷ — the voice of the beloved wife or heroine of love

In each of these three modes, Āzhvār gives expression to one of the three fundamental aspects of every jīvātmā's relationship with Emperumān — each corresponding respectively to the three personae above:

• Through the persona of Thāy (mother), Āzhvār illumines upāyam — the means by which the jīvātmā attains Emperumān.
• Through the persona of Thōzhi (companion), Āzhvār depicts sambandham — the very nature of the eternal relationship between the jīvātmā and Emperumān.
• Through the persona of Thalaima gaḷ (beloved), Āzhvār celebrates prayōjanam — the supreme goal and fruit of attaining Emperumān.

The Sāṟṟumuṟai Pāsuram

In the Sāṟṟumuṟai pāsuram — the final, concluding pāsuram of this prabandham — Āzhvār once more proclaims with great force that this saṃsāra (the material world) is characterised by māyā (deceitfulness and illusion) and van sēṟu (a pressing, all-engulfing mire akin to the most powerful quicksand), and that Emperumān alone stands as the true and unfailing refuge and protector of all souls.

Periyavāccān Piḷḷai's Commentary — Who Is Nammāzhvār?

This prabandham is graced by a deeply insightful and beautiful commentary composed by Periyavāccān Piḷḷai. In the very introduction to his vyākhyānam, Periyavāccān Piḷḷai takes up a profound theological question: who, in ultimate truth, is Nammāzhvār?

Āchāryas who preceded Periyavāccān Piḷḷai had offered various and exalted characterisations of Nammāzhvār's nature. Some described him as a muktātmā — a fully liberated soul. Others called him muktaprāya — a soul on the very threshold of liberation. Yet others held that he was a nityasūri — one of the eternally liberated souls perpetually dwelling in Vaikuṇṭha — who had been dispatched to this world by Emperumān's sovereign will. And still others declared him to be a direct avatāra of Emperumān Himself.

To all of these venerable views, Periyavāccān Piḷḷai offers a most illuminating clarification: these exalted characterisations arise naturally and understandably from the sheer, overwhelming mahimā of Nammāzhvār — they are reflections of his incomparable glory. In ultimate reality, however, Nammāzhvār is a jīvātmā, as Āzhvār himself bears witness in the very first pāsuram of Thiruviruṭṭham:

"Inniṉṟa nīrmai ini yām uṟāmai" (We no longer wish to endure this condition of being born again and again in this saṃsāra.)

This is the cry of a jīvātmā who has indeed taken births and suffered through repeated cycles of existence in this world. It was solely through Emperumān's causeless, unbounded mercy that Āzhvār was blessed with pure, unblemished jñānam (knowledge) and unwavering bhakti (devotion) — and by that grace alone did he become Āzhvār. This transformation was not self-initiated nor earned through prior qualification; it arose purely because Emperumān so willed it and came about entirely by His sovereign grace. The sheer magnitude of such a transformation — from the depths of saṃsāra to the heights of divine illumination — is itself the most radiant testimony to the glories of Emperumān. Furthermore, Āzhvār openly declares that it is Emperumān Himself who causes him to sing these very prabandhams — that Emperumān, dwelling within Āzhvār's sacred tongue as its very indwelling Lord, sings through him these pāsurams that glorify the Lord Himself.

The Anyāpadhēśam and Svāpadhēśam of the 98 Pāsurams

The ninety-eight pāsurams of Thiruviruṭṭham that were sung in peṇ bhāvam are said to function simultaneously on two levels of meaning: anyāpadhēśam — the outer, accessible meaning perceptible on the surface — and svāpadhēśam — the deeper, inward meaning that reveals the soul's relationship with Emperumān in all its intimacy. Vādhi Kēsari Maṇavāḷa Jīyar has authored a dedicated svāpadhēśa vyākhyānam for these pāsurams; and similarly, both Nampiḷḷai and Periyavāccān Piḷḷai have bestowed their own illuminating commentaries upon Thiruviruṭṭham.

With this, we have received a blessed glimpse of the magnificent prabandham that is Thiruviruṭṭham.

Let us now turn our reverential gaze toward Thiruvāsiriyam.

In the introduction to his vyākhyānam on Thiruvāsiriyam, Periyavāccān Piḷḷai has set forth the context for this prabandham with consummate precision and warmth. In Thiruviruṭṭham, Āzhvār had given full expression to his guṇa, his svarūpa, and above all his ārthi — the deep, anguished sorrow born of separation from Emperumān and the unceasing suffering of saṃsāra. Recognising that Āzhvār, in this state of ārthi, was incapable of enduring this world even a moment longer, Emperumān — out of His boundless compassion — bestowed upon Nammāzhvār the very same transcendent, blissful anubhavam that the nityasūris perpetually enjoy in Vaikuṇṭha, even while Āzhvār remained bodily situated within saṃsāra itself. Though still enclosed within this world, having been granted this extraordinary vision of Emperumān's divine beauty, Āzhvār could not but pour forth that experience in song — and thus were born the seven supremely beautiful pāsurams of Thiruvāsiriyam. These seven pāsurams correspond in number and spirit to the seven kāṇḍas of the Yajur Vēda, and the prabandham is composed in the Āsiriyap Pā — a classical prosodic form of the Tamizh literary tradition.

The Glories Sung in Thiruvāsiriyam

In these seven pāsurams, Āzhvār dedicates himself entirely to celebrating Emperumān's divine form and His auspicious guṇas. He lovingly describes Emperumān's divine body as bearing the deep, luminous greenish hue of a reclining emerald mountain — a vision of matchless and incomparable splendour. Āzhvār then turns to admonish those who, while having Emperumān — who is bound to every one of us by every conceivable relationship — perpetually present as their sole true refuge, nonetheless go about worshipping other dēvatās (minor deities). He likens such behaviour to that of a person who lovingly tends a lifeless wooden plank in place of his own mother — she to whom he owes his very existence, she who has given him everything. Finally, Āzhvār brings this prabandham to its majestic close with a proclamation: who, indeed, could be greater than the One who — having swallowed the entire universe into Himself — reclines in supreme ease upon a tender banyan leaf? This is Emperumān as Ālilaik Kaṇṇan, the Lord resting in sovereign majesty upon the banyan leaf. Thus, throughout Thiruvāsiriyam, Nammāzhvār dwells lovingly and reverently upon Emperumān's unparalleled beauty and infinite auspicious attributes.

The sacred anubhavam that Emperumān graciously bestowed upon Āzhvār following the composition of Thiruviruṭṭham — an experience first expressed in Thiruvāsiriyam — was magnified yet further in the Periya Thiruvandādi.

In the very first pāsuram, beginning with the words muyaṟṟi sumandu ezhundu…, Āzhvār gives voice to the irresistible surge of enthusiasm that rises within him to sing the anubhavams of Emperumān — an enthusiasm so overwhelming, he says, that his very heart runs one step ahead of him, eager to speak of the Lord before even the words themselves can take form.

In the penultimate pāsuram — the eighty-sixth, beginning with kār kalanda mēniyān… — Āzhvār contemplates with wonder and compassion how the people of this saṃsāra manage to pass their days. He wonders aloud: how do they while away their time and find release from their sorrows, if they are not absorbed in the divine form and transcendent qualities of Emperumān?

And in the concluding pāsuram — the eighty-seventh — Āzhvār places before all earnest seekers a luminous counsel: let them spend their time in saṃsāra by meditating upon Emperumān and by taking refuge in the contemplation of His divine names. This alone is the worthy and enduring means of passing through this world.

With this, we have received a blessed glimpse of Thiruviruṭṭham, Thiruvāsiriyam, and Periya Thiruvandādi — three of the four incomparable prabandhams mercifully gifted to this world by the boundless grace of our beloved Nammāzhvār.

Śrī: Śrīmate Śaṭhakōpāya namaḥ | Śrīmate Rāmānujāya namaḥ | Śrīmad Varavaramunaye namaḥ

The blessed Āzhvārs were graced with blemishless divine knowledge — mayarvaṟa madi nalam — on account of which their hearts overflowed with unceasing devotion to Bhagavān. That sublime experience, far too vast to remain contained within, poured forth as the Divya Prabandham. These sacred compositions are not mere hymns of praise; they are the very essence of the Vedas, distilled with merciful care for the benefit of all seekers.

The paramount goal of the Divya Prabandhams is to lead every bound soul to Emperumān. The Āzhvārs declare with one voice that Emperumān alone is both the upāyam (the means of attainment) and the upēyam (the goal to be attained). This very truth is enshrined in the Vedas themselves.

The Bhagavad Gītā, Śrī Rāmāyaṇa, and Varāha Purāṇa — each of these great scriptures affirms that the one who performs Śaraṇāgati to Emperumān will assuredly be protected. The celebrated ślōkam of the Gītā, Chapter 18, verse 66, declares this with unequivocal authority:

sarvadharmān parityajya mām ekaṃ śaraṇam vraja | aham tvā sarva pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi mā śucaḥ ||

The great ṛṣis, Āzhvārs, and Āchāryas have all illumined this same truth — that Emperumān alone is the upāyam. It is only by clinging to His lotus feet that the jīvātmā may reach Him. And reaching Him — dwelling at those divine feet in eternal proximity — constitutes the upēyam, the true palam (benefit) of all existence.

Tirumaṅgai Āzhvār, the great warrior-poet and deeply devoted servant of Emperumān, composed six sacred prabandhams: Periya Tirumozhi, Tirukuṟundāṇḍagam, Tiruvezhukūṟṟirukkai, Siṟiya Tirumadal, Periya Tirumadal, and Tirunedundāṇḍagam.

Among these six, Periya Tirumozhi, Tirukuṟundāṇḍagam, and Tirunedundāṇḍagam belong to the second Āyiram (the second thousand) of the Nālāyira Divya Prabandham. The remaining three — Tiruvezhukūṟṟirukkai, Siṟiya Tirumadal, and Periya Tirumadal — belong to the Iyaṟpā section of the Mūnṟām Āyiram (the third thousand). The Iyaṟpā is a distinctive category: iyal refers to compositions not set to music, neither sung to a rāga nor arranged in a metrical format intended for performance.

The venerable Maṇavāḷa Māmunigaḷ has consecrated the glory of Tirumaṅgai Āzhvār in the eighth pāsuram of his Upadēśa Raṭṭina Mālai:

pēdai nenjē inṟaip perumai aṟindilayō ēdu perumai inṟaikken ennil ōduginṟēn vāitta pugazh maṅgaiyarkōn mānilaṭṭil vandudita kārtigaiyil kārtigai nāḷ kāṇ

"O foolish mind! Do you not know the glory that belongs to this very day? If you ask me what glory this day holds, I shall declare it: the illustrious Tirumaṅgai Āzhvār — whose fame is firmly and eternally established — incarnated upon this earth in the month of Kārttikai, under the Kārttikai star."

The four works of Nammāzhvār are revered as the Thamizh equivalents of the four Vedas:

Just as each of the four Vedas is accompanied by six Vedāṅgas (ancillary limbs), so too are Nammāzhvār's four prabandhams accompanied by the six prabandhams of Tirumaṅgai Āzhvār. With a total of 1,361 verses, Tirumaṅgai Āzhvār composed the greatest number of verses among all the Āzhvārs. Śrī Vaiṣṇavas revere his six works as the Vedāṅgas — the ancillary limbs — of Nammāzhvār's four prabandhams.

In this article, we shall explore an introduction to three of Tirumaṅgai Āzhvār's works: Tiruvezhukūṟṟirukkai, Siṟiya Tirumadal, and Periya Tirumadal.

Śrī Rāmānuja, Emperumānār himself, composed the following taniyan (introductory verse of glorification) for Tirumaṅgai Āzhvār:

vāzhi parakālan vāzhi kalikanṟi vāzhi kuṟaiyalūr vāzh vēndan vāzhiyarō māyōnai vāḷ valiyāl mandiramkoḷ maṅgaiyarkōn tūyōn sudarmāna vēl

May Tirumaṅgai Āzhvār — known as Parakālan, who is like Yama himself to those who follow other philosophies — live forever! May Kalikanṟi, who vanquished the affliction of the Kali age, live forever! May the king of Tirukuṟaiyalūr — that blessed land hallowed by his very presence — live forever! May the brilliant, resplendent spear of Tirumaṅgai Āzhvār — he who possesses both inner and outer purity, and who, through the might of his sword, received the Tiru Mantram directly from Emperumān — live forever!

Tiruvezhukūṟṟirukkai belongs to the Iyaṟpā section. Its celebrated vyākhyānam (commentary) was composed by the Vyākhyāna Cakravarti — the Emperor of Commentators — the great Periyavāccān Piḷḷai.

To understand the inner significance of this prabandham, one must trace the spiritual journey of Tirumaṅgai Āzhvār through his successive compositions. His first work was Periya Tirumozhi. During the anubhavam (sacred experience) of that prabandham, Āzhvār became deeply immersed in the contemplation of the Divya Dēśams. So absorbed was he in that sacred journey that Emperumān, sensing whether Āzhvār might have forgotten the transcendent realm of Vaikuṇṭam, graciously revealed to him the true and bitter nature of saṃsāram. Pierced by that revelation, Āzhvār lamented in the concluding padigam of Periya Tirumozhi — the Māṟṟamuḷa padigam — singing how he suffered in saṃsāram like an ant trapped on all sides by burning firewood. He ended with a fervent prayer to Emperumān to deliver him from dēha sambandham — the ātmā's binding entanglement with the body.

In his second prabandham, Tirukuṟundāṇḍagam, Emperumān chose not to reveal Himself to Āzhvār, desiring thereby to deepen in him an even greater longing for that blessed vision. Unable to bear the delay, Āzhvār was like one parched with thirst who, upon finally reaching water, plunges into it, drinks deeply, and pours it over himself simply to find relief. He sustained himself by speaking of Emperumān, prostrating before Him in thought, meditating upon Him without cease — and so Tirukuṟundāṇḍagam was born, a prabandham in which Āzhvār submerged himself completely in Emperumān through word, thought, and deed.

Yet, as one who has tasted even a small measure of water only thirsts the more, so too did Āzhvār's yearning intensify rather than diminish. In his third prabandham, Tiruvezhukūṟṟirukkai, he surrendered with profound longing at the lotus feet of Tirukudandai Ārāvamudhan. This prabandham is thus, at its very heart, a Śaraṇāgati prabandham — a composition of total and unconditional self-surrender.

The dialogue woven within the prabandham is profoundly moving. Emperumān inquires: "What is it that you seek from Me?" Āzhvār responds: "Please rid me completely of saṃsāram — without leaving even a trace or a scent of it — for it stands as a constant obstruction to my enjoying You." Emperumān then asks: "Is this something within My power?" To which Āzhvār replies with unfailing clarity: "Everything other than You has been created and sustained by You. All beings depend upon You and surrender to You for their protection. Therefore, only You possess the power to remove us from saṃsāram. We cannot extricate ourselves by our own effort." He continues: "You are our Svāmi — every Āzhvār has declared and accepted this. They have all acknowledged that they are Your property, entirely Your possession." Having offered this declaration with complete conviction, Tirumaṅgai Āzhvār prostrates at the divine feet of Tirukudandai Ārāvamudhan and lays bare his predicament and his true status before Him.

The Second Vyākhyānam of Tiruvezhukūṟṟirukkai

A second vyākhyānam for this Divya Prabandham was also composed by the same Vyākhyāna Cakravarti, Periyavāccān Piḷḷai, at the earnest request of additional Śrī Vaiṣṇavas who approached him with great reverence. This second commentary is lovingly known as the vyākhyānam of the most compassionate Periyavāccān Piḷḷai.

In this second commentary, Periyavāccān Piḷḷai illumines the following profound teaching. During pralayam, we jīvātmās existed in a state utterly bereft of functioning limbs and sense organs. We were enveloped in tamas, devoid of all jñānam (knowledge), virtually indistinguishable from acit (non-sentient matter) — lodged within Emperumān's divine body even as inert elements are absorbed into Him. Yet Emperumān, beholding this pitiable condition, did not wait for us to appeal to Him. Out of His boundless compassion and the eternal relationship He bears with all souls, He graciously brought about creation and bestowed upon us the dēha (body), drawing us forth from that state of utter obscuration — entirely of His own accord, without any prompting from us.

As Āḷavandār declares in Stōtra Ratnam (verse 10), without Emperumān's grace, these worlds would simply cease to exist. From the very beginnings of time, our very being has rested under His sovereignty. Does it not follow, without question, that without Him there is nothing whatsoever we can accomplish on our own?

Nammāzhvār voices this same plea in Tiruvāymozhi 10-10-6: "You created this world — then why have You ceased to care? Why do You delay in taking us to You?"

At this point, Emperumān poses a challenge: "When there are such illustrious and learned sages as Vasiṣṭha and Viśvāmitra in this world, how can you claim there is no one to protect you?" Āzhvār's response is exquisitely precise: "It is well established that there is nothing You do not know; that You cannot be fully known by anyone through their own unaided effort; and that You are not attainable by anyone through their own unaided effort. No matter how much jñānam and śakti some among us may possess, You remain beyond our full comprehension or attainment by self-effort alone. Consider this illustration: one person is both blind and lame; another possesses perfect sight and walks with ease. Unless the second person takes the first by the hand and shows him the path, the first cannot accomplish anything on his own. So it is with us — I am without knowledge and ability; You are the repository of all knowledge and all power. Given this truth, is there any action I can take by which I might achieve the goal? Even if I were to exert myself with the very knowledge You have mercifully granted me, do I possess the strength to reach Vaikuṇṭam on my own? I cannot reach You through my jñānam. The only knowledge I possess is this: that You are the sole means, and it is You alone who can lead me to You."

Āzhvār thus declares with tender and absolute humility: "What, indeed, can we do? Just as a child weeps when the mother steps out of sight, we can only weep and cry out for Your mercy to lift us free of this saṃsāram."

These passages are but a few glimpses into the beautiful vyākhyānam of Periyavāccān Piḷḷai on Tirumaṅgai Āzhvār's works. It is fitting, in this context, to recall that Nammāzhvār is celebrated as inba māri — the rain cloud of sweetness — while Tirumaṅgai Āzhvār is honoured as aruḷ māri — the rain cloud of mercy.

sīrār tiruvezhuk kūṟṟirukkai ennum sendamizhāl ārāvamudhan kudandaip pirān tan adiyiṇaik kīzh ērār maṟaip poruḷ ellam eduṭṭu ivvulagu uyyavē sōrāmal sonna aruḷ māri pādam tuṇai namakkē

Meaning of the Taniyan: This prabandham, called Tiruvezhukūṟṟirukkai, composed in beautiful Thamizh, sings of the lotus feet of Emperumān who bears the divine name Ārāvamudhan of Tirukudandai. Without omitting a single meaning, Āzhvār has drawn forth all the profound truths of the Vedas — truths that illumine the way for this world to live rightly and attain liberation. Such is Tirumaṅgai Āzhvār, who showered his grace upon this world without faltering or fatigue. His lotus feet are our unfailing refuge.

Beyond Emperumān, there is no other protector. He holds the divine conch and discus in His hands. It is He who bestowed all knowledge upon Brahmā at the very dawn of creation. He alone is our shelter. The plea of the surrendered devotee is this: "O Emperumān! You know all things. Only You can protect me. I am utterly incapable of protecting myself."

The very name of this prabandham is rich with meaning: ezhu — seven; kūṟu — parts; irukkai — being or having. The composition is therefore one of seven parts. It is celebrated as a ciṭṭira kavitai — a pictorial poem — for Tiruvezhukūṟṟirukkai can be artistically arranged and drawn in the form of a chariot (tēr).

Its structural pattern unfolds as follows:

1 – 2 – 1

oru pērunti iru malar tavisil oru muṟai ayanai iṉṟanai

1 – 2 – 3 – 2 – 1

oru muṟai iru sudar mīdinil iyaṅkā mum madiḷ ilaṅkai irukāl vaḷaiya, oru silai

The prabandham's central prayer may be captured in this luminous plea: "By Your nirhētuka kṛpai — Your causeless, unconditional mercy — when nothing of this world existed after pralayam, You brought all of creation into being. You fashioned the worlds; You brought forth Brahmā from Your lotus-navel and reside as antaryāmi within him; You created saṃsāram for both sentient and non-sentient beings; You are the cause of all causes. Is it, then, so great a matter to bestow mokṣam upon all of us?"

In the concluding pāsuram, Tirumaṅgai Āzhvār surrenders at the lotus feet of Tirukudandai Emperumān. He extols the glory of that sacred place — the great Kāveri river bearing in its generous waters gems and precious treasures, and the assembly of learned sages who dwell there and worship Emperumān with Vedānta sūktis — and he glorifies all of this in a manner reminiscent of Tirumazhisai Āzhvār, whose fame spread to all eight directions. Just as Nammāzhvār surrendered at Ārāvamudhan's divine feet, so too does Tirumaṅgai Āzhvār here prostrate before those same feet, pleading to be freed from saṃsāram.

It is the tradition to recite, at the close of Tiruvezhukūṟṟirukkai, the verse composed by the celebrated poet Kambar:

idam koṇda nenjattu iṇangi kidappana enṟum tadam koṇda tāmarai sūzhum malarnda taṇ pūṅkudandai vidam koṇda veṇ pal karum tuṭṭi cheṅkaṇ tazhal umizhvāi padam koṇda pāmbaṇaip paḷḷi koṇdān tiruppādaṅkaḷē

In this verse, Kamba Nāṭṭāzhvār celebrates the greatness of Tirumaṅgai Āzhvār with great warmth. Just as Tirumaṅgai Āzhvār had described Tirukudandai in Tiruvezhukūṟṟirukkai, Kambar too describes the splendour of Tirukudandai, of Ārāvamudhan, and of Tiruvanandāzhvān — declaring that it is Emperumān's tiruvadi (divine lotus feet) that dwells eternally within the wide and deep heart of Tirumaṅgai Āzhvār.

Tirumaṅgai Āzhvār composed the sacred prabandham known as Siṟiya Tirumadal. In this work, Āzhvār experiences the acute pain of separation from Emperumān, and overwhelmed by that anguish, assumes a feminine mood — that of Parakāla Nāyaki — and takes recourse to madal. Madal is an act in which the one overcome by irrepressible love publicly proclaims and laments before all, in the hope of compelling the beloved — through the sympathy of the surrounding world — to come forward and unite.

Tirumaṅgai Āzhvār mercifully composed two such Tirumadal prabandhams — sacred hymns expressing the love of the nāyaki (the beloved lady) towards the nāyaka (the lord she loves). Siṟiya Tirumadal concerns itself with matters relating to Kṛṣṇa, while Periya Tirumadal concerns itself with matters relating to Tirunaṟaiyūr Nambi — Emperumān who resides as arcāmūrti (the sacred deity form) at Tirunaṟaiyūr, the Divya Dēśam situated near Kumbakōṇam.

The Nature of Madalūrdhal

The term madalūrdhal (engaging in madal) denotes the daring act of the nāyaki (or nāyaka) who, finding that the beloved does not respond to her love, shames him publicly before the entire world — thereby moving all who witness it to take pity and help bring about their union. Tirumaṅgai Āzhvār, entering deeply into the emotional world of a woman, manifests this very courage in these two madal prabandhams. This is one of the ways a woman's emotions overflow when her love becomes utterly irrepressible and she transcends her ordinary restraint.

Our pūrvācāryas (revered preceptors) have taught that madal — along with fasting and maṅgalāśāsanam (offering benedictions to Emperumān) — ought to be regarded as great and laudable behaviour. For it arises from the excess of devotion to Emperumān — an excess that momentarily clouds ordinary discernment — yet it is, throughout, accompanied and illumined by genuine knowledge of Him.

The celebrated Thamizh scripture Tirukkuṟaḷ declares:

"kadalanna kāmattar āyinum mādar madalūrār maṟṟaiyār mēl" ("Women will not engage in madal even if their love is as deep as the ocean")

and further:

"kadalanna kāmam uzhandum madalērāp peṇṇiṟ perundakkadil" ("There is no birth more exalted than that of the woman who does not take to madal even when assailed by love as vast as the ocean")

Yet Tirumaṅgai Āzhvār, in Periya Tirumadal, does not subscribe to this view. Rather, he aligns himself with the tradition of the northern cultures — those north of the Vindhyā mountain range — which hold that when love crosses all bounds, regardless of whether one is man or woman, engaging in madal is entirely permissible. It must be deeply appreciated that when longing for the beloved floods and overflows like the Kāveri in full spate, it shatters all the carefully erected boundaries of established convention.

Siṟiya Tirumadal: The Attempt with Kṛṣṇa

In Siṟiya Tirumadal, Āzhvār initially attempts to engage in madal directed at Emperumān Kṛṣṇa. However, since Kṛṣṇa belongs to a past age and was Himself, in His own divine līlā, entirely unmoved by questions of personal honour — He allowed Himself to be tied to a mortar by His mother for stealing butter, and bore with perfect equanimity all the reproaches the cowherd women levelled at Him during His mischievous exploits — the madal directed at Him did not bear fruit. The Āzhvār therefore turns his longing toward the arcāvatāra Emperumān at Tirunaṟaiyūr, who was present in the Āzhvār's own time and who stands as the very emblem of divine accessibility and simplicity. Just as Nammāzhvār declared in Tiruvāymozhi 5-3-9 — "madal ūrdum" ("I will engage in madal") — so too does Tirumaṅgai Āzhvār threaten Emperumān with madal, longing thereby to compel Him to come. Yet, crucially, this remains only a threat — the Āzhvār does not actually carry it out. Consequently, no harm is done to Āzhvār's fundamental nature of complete and unqualified dependence upon Emperumān.

The vyākhyānam for these prabandhams has been composed by both Periyavāccān Piḷḷai and Azhagiya Maṇavāḷap Perumāḷ Nāyanār. We shall follow the commentary of Periyavāccān Piḷḷai as the primary guide, supplementing it with the significant insights mercifully offered by Azhagiya Maṇavāḷap Perumāḷ Nāyanār wherever relevant.

The Chronological Sequence of Tirumaṅgai Āzhvār's Works

Tirumaṅgai Āzhvār's prabandhams unfold in the following chronological order: Periya Tirumozhi, Tirukuṟundāṇḍagam, Tiruvezhukūṟṟirukkai, Siṟiya Tirumadal, Periya Tirumadal, and Tirunedundāṇḍagam. In Tirukuṟundāṇḍagam, Āzhvār beheld the Parama Puruṣan — the Supreme Being, Śrīman Nārāyaṇan — within his own heart, through his inner senses. In Tiruvezhukūṟṟirukkai, that inner vision was no longer sufficient — Āzhvār yearned to behold and enjoy Emperumān through his outer senses as well, and so he performed Śaraṇāgati — the act of total surrender — at the lotus feet of the Lord at Tirukudandai.

What Is Madal? — A Detailed Explanation

What precisely is madal? In the classical literary tradition, both the nāyaka (male protagonist) and the nāyaki (female protagonist) are of matching age. The nāyaka is characterised by the masculine qualities of knowledge (jñānam), noble pride, inquisitiveness, and steadfastness; the nāyaki by the feminine qualities of shyness, obedience, gentle fear, and pallor of complexion born of separation. The nāyaki goes to a garden with her companions to gather flowers; the nāyaka visits the same garden in the course of his hunting. Their eyes meet; their hearts are united. However, providence — recognising that perpetual, uninterrupted union would ultimately exhaust their capacity for joy, as a crop is ruined by incessant flooding — separates them, intending that their reunion, when it comes, will bring a pleasure a hundredfold more exquisite than before. Yet this very separation, far from easing their pain, multiplies their distress a hundred — indeed a thousand — times over. At this extremity, the nāyaka or nāyaki, unable to reach the beloved by any other means, resorts to the audacious act known as madal.

The act of madal involves what may be called the public "destruction" of the beloved's attributes — svarūpa (essential nature), rūpa (physical beauty), guṇa (auspicious qualities), and vibhūti (wealth and glory). The one engaged in madal draws a portrait of the beloved and gazes upon it without cease, refusing to consume ghee or drink milk. He or she abstains from bathing and from all ornamentation. Mounting a horse fashioned from palm leaves, the one in madal rides through the streets with dishevelled hair, crying out to all who will hear: "This person has abandoned me! He has no compassion for me — he is hard-hearted and cruel, capable of limitless harm!" The bystanders, moved to pity, join in pleading with the beloved on the sufferer's behalf. Is not this act of publicly proclaiming the beloved's heartlessness — while simultaneously declaring his greatness — a form of "destroying" him before the eyes of the world?

The Purpose of Madal

Why would one engage in so desperate an act? Madal sets in motion a chain of possible interventions. The relatives of both parties may be moved to facilitate their union. The king of the land may intervene on their behalf. If friends and relatives on both sides withdraw — as weapons in a heap support one another — the two may sustain each other in finding their own union. If none of these outcomes materialise, there remains, at least, a certain dignity in having spent one's very life in passionate pursuit of the beloved.

Why Do the Āzhvārs Speak in the Feminine Mood?

As Nammāzhvār meditates in the vaḷavēzh ulagil chapter of Tiruvāymozhi 1-5, the Āzhvārs are by nature those who, contemplating their own smallness and unworthiness, say within themselves: "If I approach so great a Lord as Emperumān, I shall only bring lowliness upon His stature" — and who thus hold themselves back from Him. Given this profound humility, one might reasonably ask: could such Āzhvārs actually be those who would carry out madal — an act of "destroying" the beloved — against Emperumān? They are certainly not those who would carry madal through to its ultimate conclusion against Śrīman Nārāyaṇan.

Just as Nammāzhvār in Tiruvāymozhi 5-3-9 utters the threat —

"āṇaiyēn tōzhi ulagu tōru alartūṟṟi, ām kōṇaigaḷ seydu kudiriyāi madalūrdum" ("O dear friend! We shall certainly engage in madal, ridiculing Emperumān in every place, performing daring acts, like an uncontrollable girl")

— and in Tiruvāymozhi 5-3-10 declares —

"yām madalūrndum em āzhiyaṅkaip pirāṉudai, tūmadal taṇṇanduzhai malar koṇdu sūduvōm" ("Even if we must engage in madal, we shall do so — and yet we shall adorn ourselves with the cool garland of sacred Tulasī leaves offered to us by Emperumān who bears the divine discus in His beautiful hand")

— so too does Tirumaṅgai Āzhvār, in Siṟiya Tirumadal, issue the warning:

"ūrādozhiyēn nān vārār pūm peṇṇai madal" ("I will not cease from engaging in madal with the long and beautiful palm leaf")

and in Periya Tirumadal:

"ulagaṟiya ūrvan nān manniya pūm peṇṇai madal" ("I shall engage in madal with the great, beautiful palm leaf, with the entire world as witness")

— yet, in both cases, the act of madal is never fulfilled.

The Deeper Reason: Why the Āzhvārs Speak as Piraṭṭi

Why is it that the Āzhvārs, though male by bodily nature, speak not in their own voice but in the nature of a Piraṭṭi — a consort of Emperumān? This question deserves a thorough and careful answer.

The svarūpa nirūpaka dharmas (the essential, defining qualities) of the ātmā shine forth most vividly in qualities that characterise noble women — and especially in those qualities that belong to a pativratā, a woman of total and exclusive dedication to her lord. These qualities are threefold:

• (a) Ananyārhaśeṣatvam — the quality of not being subservient to anyone other than Śrīman Nārāyaṇan.
• (b) Ananyaśaraṇatvam — the quality of not surrendering to anyone other than Śrīman Nārāyaṇan.
• (c) Ananyabhōgyatvam — the quality of not being an object of enjoyment for anyone other than Śrīman Nārāyaṇan.

These three qualities, which the ātmā bears toward Emperumān, correspond exactly to the defining virtues of a pativratā toward her lord. Furthermore, great souls such as the Āzhvārs can sustain their very existence only in Emperumān's presence — separation from Him is simply unendurable. At the moment of liberation from the material world, the Āzhvārs' knowledge blossoms to a fullness that matches the knowledge of Emperumān's own divine consorts. And even while still dwelling in this world, these Āzhvārs — graced from birth with blemishless knowledge and unshakeable devotion — already stand on an equal footing with those consorts. It is for all these reasons together that the Āzhvārs naturally and fittingly speak in the voice and the mood of the consorts of Emperumān.

Reconciling Madal with the Tirukkuṟaḷ

The Tirukkuṟaḷ states clearly:

"kadalanna kāmattar āgilum mādar madalūrār maṟṟaiyār mēl" ("Even if their longing is as vast as the ocean, women will not engage in madal against another")

and:

"kadalanna kāmamuzhandum madalērāp peṇṇiṟ perundakkadil" ("No birth is more exalted than that of the woman who does not resort to madal even when consumed by love as deep as the ocean")

Given that such Thamizh scripture clearly holds it the hallmark of womanhood not to engage in madal, is it fitting for the Āzhvār — having assumed the mood of a Piraṭṭi — to do so? The response is this: if it were the case that only men experience uncontrollable love while women's love always remains within bounds, then what the Tirukkuṟaḷ says would hold without qualification. However, in reality we observe that women too experience love that crosses all limits, just as men do. Therefore, in keeping with the testimony of Saṃskṛtam scriptures — which affirm that both men and women may engage in madal when love surpasses all bounds — this Piraṭṭi (Āzhvār in the feminine mood) rightly resorts to madal.

Why Does Parakāla Nāyaki Declare Her Resolve and Yet Delay?

Rather than immediately performing madal, why does Parakāla Nāyaki declare her intention and yet hold back? There are four reasons:

• (a) She must first enumerate all the grounds that justify engaging in madal.
• (b) She must persuade her relatives to consent to her act.
• (c) She must exercise care not to hasten the "destruction" of Him who possesses supreme and infinitely auspicious qualities.
• (d) She must allow time — giving Emperumān the opportunity to come to her of His own accord.

The Spiritual Significance of the Two Madals

While madal in the ordinary world is an act associated primarily with men, both Siṟiya Tirumadal and Periya Tirumadal are composed entirely in the bhāvam of a woman. This is not worldly, sensory love. These prabandhams belong to the highest plane of bhakti. The theological foundation is clear: all ātmās are, in their essential nature, feminine — and Emperumān alone is the one Puruṣan, the singular and supreme masculine principle. These two madal prabandhams are therefore expressions of the highest and most refined bhakti.

Tirumaṅgai Āzhvār does not actually carry out madal. He only declares that he will. Being a person of the most tender and gentle heart, he turns toward Emperumān with profound longing and calls out: "Are You going to come and take me with You?" — pleading with all his being for Emperumān to come.

muḷḷi chezhu malarōr tārān muḷai madhiyam koḷḷi ken uḷḷam kodiyāmē – vaḷḷal tiruvāḷan sīrkkaliyan kārkkaliyai veṭṭi maruvāḷan tandān madal

This taniyan was composed by Piḷḷai Tirunaṟaiyūr Araiyar. The commentary upon it was mercifully composed by Piḷḷai Lōkam Jīyar.

Two Interpretations of the Preface to This Taniyan

Interpretation One: When the opening phrase is read as "muḷḷi chezhu malarōr tārān" —

There are five objects of sensory experience collectively known as śabdādi viṣayaṅgaḷ: śabda (sound), sparśa (touch), rūpa (form), rasa (taste), and gandha (smell). These five are the primary forces that hold the heart captive. Piḷḷai Tirunaṟaiyūr Araiyar celebrates Tirumaṅgai Āzhvār, who graced this world with Siṟiya Tirumadal. Through the grace of Siṟiya Tirumadal, those devotees who abide at the service of Tirumaṅgai Āzhvār's lotus feet are able to restrain the wayward desires that arise from the śabdādi viṣayaṅgaḷ and thereby turn their hearts, in full and undistracted concentration, toward Śrīman Nārāyaṇan. On this reading, Siṟiya Tirumadal serves as the very sustenance of those devotees who might otherwise be consumed by the unbearable pain of separation from Śrīman Nārāyaṇan.

Interpretation Two: When the opening phrase is read as "muḷḷi chezhu malarō tārān" —

There are devoted souls of Tirumaṅgai Āzhvār who simply cannot endure even a moment's separation from their beloved Āzhvār. For their sake, Tirumaṅgai Āzhvār bestowed Siṟiya Tirumadal — so that these devotees might sustain themselves without sliding into the entanglements of worldly pleasures governed by the śabdādi viṣayaṅgaḷ. Now, Tirumaṅgai Āzhvār was accustomed to wearing a garland of muḷḷi flowers. But what he gave his devotees was not a garland of muḷḷi flowers. He gave them something infinitely more magnificent — the garland of pāsurams that is Siṟiya Tirumadal.

The principal distinction between the two prabandhams is this: in Siṟiya Tirumadal, Tirumaṅgai Āzhvār, immersed in the feminine mood, threatened to perform madal — yet Emperumān did not come. So in Periya Tirumadal, Āzhvār reflects: "Kṛṣṇa is entirely without shame — He is unmoved by such threats. Let me therefore turn my madal toward the arcāvatāra Emperumān. I have been weeping and pining for Him — perhaps He will now relent and come." In both these prabandhams, the ultimate goal is not mokṣam but bhagavad anubhavam — the direct, living, and joyful experience of Bhagavān Himself.

In both Siṟiya Tirumadal and Periya Tirumadal, Āzhvār extols the matchless glory of Emperumān and the greatness of all the Divya Dēśams — and yet turns with anguish undimmed and asks: "Of what purpose is all of this, if He has not come to me, though I have called upon Him so many times?"

Āzhvār's longing for Emperumān is expressed through three distinct and moving bhāvams (moods):

• Tāy Pāsuram (Mood of the Mother): Emperumān is the upāyam — the sole means. Only He can come to us; we can only wait in yearning for Him.
• Talaimakaḷ Pāsuram (Mood of the Heroine): One must reach Emperumān by any means necessary — that very reaching is the upēyam, the supreme goal.
• Tōzhi Pāsuram (Mood of the Friend): This expresses the eternal sambandham — the sacred relationship — between the ātmā and Bhagavān, between Perumāḷ and Piraṭṭi.

Thus we have explored an introduction to three of Tirumaṅgai Āzhvār's sacred prabandhams: Tiruvezhukūṟṟirukkai, Siṟiya Tirumadal, and Periya Tirumadal — each a luminous jewel in the crown of the Divya Prabandham, bearing within them the very essence of Vedic truth and the boundless grace of this great aruḷ māri.

Śrī: | Śrīmathe Śadakōpāya namaḥ | Śrīmathe Rāmānujāya namaḥ | Śrīmath Varavaramuṇaye namaḥ

← Part 7 — Thiruvezhukūṟṟirukkai, Ciṟiya Thirumadal, Periya Thirumadal

In the earlier instalments of this series, we were graced with an introduction to the nature and significance of the Divya Prabandham and to the manner in which these sacred compositions were preserved for our benefit. It is solely by the grace of our Āchāryas that we have come to know that the works of the Āzhvārs bear the exalted designation Divya Prabandham. Our Āchāryas have further established that it was through the sovereign divine grace of Emperumān that a particular ātmā — a jīva wandering in the depths of saṃsāra — was chosen and graced as the vessel through which the pāsurams, also revered under the name aruḷicceyal, were bestowed upon this world.

Aruḷicceyal is a word of extraordinary beauty in the Tamiḻ language. It signifies that which was composed and given through divine grace — aruḷāle seyyap paṭṭadhu. One may naturally ask: through whose grace (aruḷ)? The foremost answer is: through the grace of Emperumān Himself. It was by His grace alone that the Āzhvārs were moved to sing His glories in these immortal hymns.

And yet, with equal truth, one may say that this is the grace of the Āzhvārs as well, for these pāsurams were entirely born of their own direct and intimate experience of the Lord. The Āzhvārs could have held their divine realisations entirely within their hearts, having already attained that exalted inner state, and could have ascended to Paramapadham without delay. It was purely out of their overflowing grace and compassion for all souls bound in saṃsāra that they chose instead to give outward expression to those experiences through these sacred pāsurams.

Even after the Āzhvārs had given these pāsurams to the world, the compositions were lost to time. It was the blessed Śrīman Nāthamunigaḷ who, approaching Nammāzhvār with deep devotion, received and revived this treasure for all posterity. The gift may therefore also be called the grace of the Āchāryas (aruḷ). Since the Divya Prabandham is entirely imbued with the grace of all three — Emperumān, the Āzhvārs, and the Āchāryas — it is fittingly called aruḷicceyal.

All ātmās have been wandering in this saṃsāra since time without beginning, subject to the relentless cycle of birth and death. In the Bhagavad Gītā, Kaṇṇan Emperumān declares to Arjuna: "You and I have taken many, many births. The difference, O Arjuna, is that I am fully aware of every birth I take, whereas you have no knowledge of yours." Since Arjuna stands as the representative of all ātmās, we understand that every jīva without exception has been traversing this innumerable cycle of birth and death across eternity — anādi kālam.

In our Sanātana Dharma, anādi denotes that which has no beginning whatsoever. Īśvaran is anādi, the ātmā is anādi, and saṃsāra itself is anādi. All of these exist entirely beyond the grasp of time (kāla). Our habitual experience, however, is confined to things that exist within the bounds of time — things that have a beginning and an end. It is precisely this limitation of perspective that leads us to mistakenly suppose that the ātmā came into existence at some particular moment. Such a notion stands in direct and total contradiction to the testimony of the Vedas.

Since the ātmā is anādi, its accumulated karma is equally anādi, and saṃsāra is likewise anādi. We have been bound within this saṃsāra for anādi kālam, passing through millions upon millions of births. To be freed from this endless cycle is what our tradition calls ujjīvanam — true and purposeful life elevated to its highest fulfilment. By contrast, jīvanam in its limited sense refers merely to subsisting for the sake of maintaining the physical body, drifting through existence with no awareness of one's higher purpose or true identity. Ujjīvanam, on the other hand, is directed toward the genuine and lasting welfare of the ātmā rather than toward the temporary and ever-decaying body. The essential nature and calling of the ātmā is to be in a state of loving subservience to Emperumān — and that is the very goal toward which ujjīvanam is directed.

Even during those vast stretches of time in which we remain immersed in saṃsāra, shrouded in ignorance, Emperumān never ceases His tireless efforts to help us. After innumerable lifetimes, the blessed Āchārya sambandham — the sacred association with a genuine Āchārya — will at last come to us; and even that occurs only through the divine grace of Emperumān alone. We simply do not possess the capacity to extricate ourselves from saṃsāra through our own effort. Our Āzhvārs and Āchāryas have described with great force how dangerously distracting and ensnaring this world is, such that even the smallest stirring of spiritual life within an ātmā is entirely a gift of Emperumān's grace.

What, then, can an ātmā do in such a condition? All that we can do is take care not to obstruct the kṛpai — the mercy — of Emperumān. He is at all times revealing the paths by which we may reach Him. Consider this analogy: a father is ever ready and eager to help his son. Even if the son turns away sharply, declaring he wants no assistance, the father's deep and unconditional affection will find ways — directly or indirectly — to ensure that the son receives all the help he truly needs. In exactly this way, Emperumān is always working toward the ujjīvanam of every ātmā, even when that ātmā is veiled in avidyā — ignorance. All of this profound truth has been revealed to us by the Āzhvārs through their blessed pāsurams.

Having traversed the Mudhal Āyiram, the Iraṇdām Āyiram, and the Mūṉṟām Āyiram — the first three thousands of the Divya Prabandham — and having touched upon Thiruviruththam, Periya Thiruvandādi, and Thiruvāciriyam within the Mūṉṟām Āyiram, we now turn with great reverence to the sublimely sacred Thiruvāimozhi.

Thiruvāimozhi is celebrated with the highest honour as the very essence of the Sāma Veda (Sāma Vēda Sāram) and as the quintessence of the Chāndogya Upaniṣad (Chāndogya Upaniṣad Sāram). Just as the Sāma Veda is renowned for its supreme musicality, so too is Thiruvāimozhi deeply and beautifully musical in its very constitution. To understand how Thiruvāimozhi came to be at all, one must first turn to Nammāzhvār's own words. In one of his pāsurams, eṉṟaikkum eṉṉai uyyakkoṇdu pōgiya, the Āzhvār himself reveals how Emperumān, out of His boundless grace, bestowed upon him this divine opportunity and caused him to sing the Lord's glories through Thiruvāimozhi.

Maṇavāḷa Māmunigaḷ sheds further light on this mystery in his Thiruvāimozhi Nūṟṟandādi, through the verse: "eṉṟaṉai nī iṅgu vaiththadhu ēdhukkeṉa mālum eṉṟaṉakkum en thamarkkum iṉbamadham" — meaning, the Āzhvār asks Emperumān: "Why have You placed me here in this world?" — and Emperumān replies: "Both I and My adiyārs derive the deepest divine pleasure hearing your pāsurams — that alone is why I have kept you here."

In Thiruviruththam, Nammāzhvār had already given moving expression to the unbearable anguish of his separation from Emperumān. Yet it was Emperumān's own divine will that the pāsurams continue to pour forth from the Āzhvār; and so, in His inscrutable grace, He prolonged the Āzhvār's stay in this world — and it was this prolonged sojourn that gave rise to the entirety of Thiruvāimozhi. Through this act of grace, Emperumān desired to furnish the ātmās bound in saṃsāra with the very means to attain ujjīvanam. Returning to Māmunigaḷ's Thiruvāimozhi Nūṟṟandādi: when Emperumān's reply reached the Āzhvār, it melted his divine heart entirely, and the Āzhvār was overwhelmed with a profound sense of indebtedness toward Emperumān's divine will and anugraham — the grace unceasingly showered upon him.

Nammāzhvār himself declares in one of his pāsurams that he has offered this amṛtham — this divine nectar that is Thiruvāimozhi — to all adiyārs in the form of a garland fashioned from words, so that they may joyfully relish it: thoṇdarkku amudhu uṇṇa sol mālaigaḷ soṉṉēn.

In his great grantham Āchārya Hṛdayam, Nāyanār records how Rāmānujāchārya invariably turned to Thiruvāimozhi when composing the Śrī Bhāṣyam. The Śrī Bhāṣyam is Rāmānujāchārya's commentary on the Brahma Sūtras — that seminal work in which Vedavyāsar distilled the profoundest meanings of Vedānta into the aphoristic form of the sūtra. In order to penetrate the intricate depths of those Brahma Sūtras and grasp the full import of Vedānta, Rāmānujāchārya would draw upon Thiruvāimozhi for illumination. All the essential meanings of the entire body of śāstras have been enshrined in Thiruvāimozhi by Nammāzhvār — and this alone speaks to its incomparable greatness.

One of the thaniyan verses of Thiruvāimozhi reads:

mikka iṟai nilaiyum meyyām uyir nilaiyum thakka neṟiyum thadaiyāgith thokkiyalum Uzh vinaiyum vāzhvinaiyum Ōdhum kurugaiyar kōṉ yāzhiṉ isai Vēdhaththiyal

The sovereign of Kurugūr — that is, Āzhvār Thirunagari — is Nammāzhvār, and his pāsurams resound like the celestial music of the divine vīṇā. Through those pāsurams, he imparts the knowledge of five profound and essential truths.

He establishes the absolute supremacy of Emperumān over all (iṟai nilai — paratvam). He reveals the true nature of the ātmā (uyir nilai): while all ātmās are qualitatively similar, they exist in innumerable multitude — a truth that stands in direct contrast to the Māyāvāda school of thought, which holds that Brahman alone exists as an undifferentiated one and denies the reality of distinct individual ātmās. Nammāzhvār, by contrast, reveals with clarity the genuine individuality and eternal reality of every ātmā. He then points toward the fitting path and means by which the ātmā may attain Emperumān (thakka neṟi). He illuminates the chief obstruction preventing the ātmā from reaching Emperumān (thadaiyāgith thokkiyalum) — namely, the accumulated burden of past deeds (Uzh vinai). And finally, he speaks of the supreme life of the ātmā after attaining Emperumān, rejoicing in eternal nitya kaiṅkaryam — the unceasing service to Emperumān in Paramapadham (vāzhvu).

This thaniyan thus points directly to the artha pañcakam — the five foundational truths — illuminated throughout the pāsurams of Thiruvāimozhi:

• Paramātma svarūpam — the nature of the Supreme Being, Śrīman Nārāyaṇa
• Jīvātma svarūpam — the true nature of the jīvātmā
• Upāya svarūpam — the means and path by which to attain Emperumān
• Virōdhi svarūpam — the hindrances and obstacles that stand in the way of attaining Emperumān (karma)
• Upēya svarūpam — the ultimate enjoyment after attaining Emperumān; the final end and fulfilment

In Āchārya Hṛdayam, Nāyanār explains at length how these five truths are woven through the entirety of Thiruvāimozhi. Āchārya Hṛdayam is a sacred grantham composed by Azhagiya Maṇavāḷap Perumāḷ Nāyanār. In this title, Āchārya refers to Nammāzhvār, and Hṛdayam denotes the divine heart of Nammāzhvār — the innermost sanctum of his experience and realisation.

This grantham is devoted exclusively to drawing out the deep meanings of Thiruvāimozhi and to celebrating the glories of Nammāzhvār. Maṇavāḷa Māmunigaḷ, in his turn, graced this grantham with his own profound and illuminating commentaries. In one of those chūrṇikais — mūṉṟil surukkiya aindu — Māmunigaḷ explains how the artha pañcakam is present within the rahasya trayam, and demonstrates how a thorough understanding of artha pañcakam may be found pervading the whole of Thiruvāimozhi.

Māmunigaḷ, in his commentaries to Āchārya Hṛdayam, identifies specific chapters (padhigams) within Thiruvāimozhi where each aspect of artha pañcakam is set forth with particular clarity.

Para Svarūpam — 4 Chapters

In these chapters, Nammāzhvār reveals the paratvam of Emperumān — His exalted states, His divine qualities, and His vibhūtis:

• 1.1 — Uyarvaṟa
• 2.2 — Thiṇṇan
• 2.8 — Aṇaivadhu
• 4.10 — Oṉṟum Dhēvum

Jīvātma Svarūpam — 4 Chapters

In these chapters, Nammāzhvār describes the true nature and essential qualities of the ātmā:

• 3.7 — Payilum
• 4.8 — Ērāḷum
• 8.8 — Kaṇgaḷ Sivandhu
• 8.9 — Karumānnika Malai

Virōdhi Svarūpam — 4 Chapters

In these chapters, Nammāzhvār illuminates the obstacles in the ātmā's path that prevent it from reaching Emperumān:

• 1.2 — Vīdumin
• 3.9 — Soṉṉāl
• 4.1 — Orunāyagamāy
• 9.1 — Koṇda Peṇdir

Upāya Svarūpam — 4 Chapters

In these chapters, Nammāzhvār lays out with great clarity the certain and proper path by which the ātmā may attain Emperumān:

• 5.7 — Nōṟṟa Nōnbu
• 5.8 — Ārāvamudhe
• 5.9 — Māney Nōkku
• 5.10 — Piṟandhavāṟum

Upēya Svarūpam — 4 Chapters

In these chapters, Nammāzhvār sets forth the prāpyam — the supreme and ultimate benefit that awaits the ātmā upon attaining Emperumān:

• 2.9 — Emmāvīdu
• 3.3 — Ozhivil Kālam
• 8.10 — Nedumāṟkadimai
• 10.3 — Vēymaruthōḷ

Among the 100 chapters of Thiruvāimozhi, these 20 chapters reveal the deep meanings of artha pañcakam with particular directness and force. The remaining 80 chapters, as Māmunigaḷ affirms in his commentaries to Āchārya Hṛdayam, also elaborate those very same truths of artha pañcakam in the fullest detail — though in ways that require the guiding light of Āchārya commentary to truly perceive and appreciate.

It is only through the mercy of our Āchāryas that we are able to discern the presence of artha pañcakam woven through Thiruvāimozhi; for there is no possibility, by our own unaided effort, of arriving at the true inner meanings of these pāsurams. This is precisely why the chūrṇikās of our Āchāryas are brought before us — to impress upon every sincere seeker that no one can penetrate the inner meanings of Thiruvāimozhi without taking shelter in Āchārya commentary.

Another thaniyan of Thiruvāimozhi, composed by the illustrious Parāśara Bhaṭṭar, reads:

vān thigazhum sōlai madhil araṅgar vaṇpugazh mēl āṉṟa thamiḻ maṟaigaḷ āyiramum iṉṟa mudhal thāy śadakōpaṉ moymbal vaḷarththa idath thāy irāmānusan

This thaniyan proclaims with great authority that Thiruvāimozhi was sung exclusively and entirely in glorification of Periya Perumāḷ — Śrīranganāthan. Nammāzhvār, in the role of a mother, gave birth to this Thiruvāimozhi — the Tamiḻ Veda — and it was the foster mother, Irāmānusan (Rāmānujāchārya), who nurtured it and caused it to spread widely among all adiyārs. The pāsurams celebrate the glories of Araṅganāthan, who reclines in divine and eternal repose within the sacred fort of Śrī Raṅgam, surrounded by lush groves whose towering trees reach toward the heavens.

Within the entirety of Thiruvāimozhi, only a single chapter (padhigam) is directly addressed in praise of Periya Perumāḷ — and that is 7.2, "Kaṅgulum Pagalum." Each pāsuram of that chapter portrays one particular quality of Emperumān. That quality is then further elaborated across a corresponding full chapter — one quality, one chapter. Our Pūrvāchāryas therefore explain that the ten divine qualities of Periya Perumāḷ enshrined in chapter 7.2 are expanded and unfolded across the entire composition of all 100 chapters of Thiruvāimozhi. This understanding reveals how Periya Perumāḷ is truly the epitome — the very soul and foundation — of the whole of Thiruvāimozhi.

(Note: 1 paththu (decade) comprises 10 padhigams; 1 padhigam comprises 10 pāsurams.)

Nammāzhvār has sung his pāsurams from two distinct devotional stances, described respectively as jñānattil than pēccu ("speaking in his own voice from the state of full knowledge") and prēmattil peṇ pēccu ("speaking in a feminine voice from the state of intense love"). When the Āzhvār abides in the state of pure and luminous jñāna, he sings as Śadakōpa himself. When that knowledge is transformed and overwhelmed by the flood of supreme love, the Āzhvār sings in a feminine bhāva — assuming the voice of the nāyakī longing for Emperumān, the voice of the nāyakī's mother lamenting on her behalf, and the voice of the nāyakī's friend offering consolation.

It was Emperumānār (Rāmānujāchārya) who charged his beloved disciple Thirukkuṟugaippirān Piḷḷān with the sacred task of composing the first commentary on Thiruvāimozhi. This distinction makes Thiruvāimozhi the very first work of the Divya Prabandham to receive a formal vyākhyānam. In the centuries that followed, many great Āchāryas enriched this tradition by contributing their own profound commentaries.

Thiruvāimozhi is blessed with five principal vyākhyānams:

• 6000 padi — by Thirukkuṟugaippirān Piḷḷān
• 9000 padi — by Nañjīyar
• Idu 36000 padi — by Nampiḷḷai (documented by Vadakkuth Thiruvīdhippiḷḷai)
• 24000 padi — by Periyavāccān Piḷḷai (composed by the order of his Āchārya, Nampiḷḷai)
• 12000 padi (word-by-word meaning) — by Vādhi Kēsari Azhagiya Maṇavāḷa Jīyar

(Note: 1 padi = 32 akṣarams.)

Maṇavāḷa Māmunigaḷ, filled with extraordinary enthusiasm and the deepest reverence, expounded the meanings of Thiruvāimozhi drawing primarily from the Idu 36000 padi vyākhyānam. Namperumāḷ Himself, moved by a divine desire to hear these sacred discourses, graciously commanded Māmunigaḷ to deliver the lectures for an entire year in the immediate and sacred presence of the sanctum of Periya Kōyil in Śrī Raṅgam.

Upon the completion of that year-long discourse, on the supremely auspicious day of Āṇi Thirumūlam, Namperumāḷ appeared in the form of a small boy, humbly offered the Śrī Śailēśa Dayāpātram thaniyan, and — in an act of matchless and unprecedented grace — accepted Maṇavāḷa Māmunigaḷ as His own Āchārya.

It is through this extraordinary sequence of divine grace that the Idu Vyākhyānam became known to all the world, and the glorious Thiruvāimozhi — that boundless ocean of nectar composed by Nammāzhvār — was spread far and wide, filling the hearts of adiyārs across all generations with its inexhaustible and life-giving grace.

Śrī: Śrīmate Śatakōpāya namaḥ | Śrīmate Rāmānujāya namaḥ | Śrīmad Varavaramunaye namaḥ

← Tiruvāimozhi

In his brief yet profoundly illuminating commentary on the Irāmānusa Nūṟṟandādi, Maṇavāḷa Māmunigaḷ draws a comparison of the highest spiritual significance: just as the daily recitation of the Gāyatrī mantra one hundred and eight times constitutes the foremost and indispensable duty of a brāhmaṇa, so does the Irāmānusa Nūṟṟandādi stand as the supreme equivalent for every Śrī Vaiṣṇava. It is precisely for this reason that this sacred composition has come to be known as the Prapanna Gāyatrī — the Gāyatrī of the prapannas, those who have taken complete refuge at the feet of the Lord. It is therefore emphasised with great earnestness that every Śrī Vaiṣṇava should recite this work without fail each and every day.

The Irāmānusa Nūṟṟandādi comprises exactly one hundred and eight pāsurams. In each of these one hundred and eight verses, Amudhānār has, with consummate spiritual artistry, woven the sacred tirunāmam of Āchārya Rāmānujar into the fabric of every verse. The blessed consequence of this arrangement is that when the entire work is recited, the devotee is privileged to utter the holy name of Āchārya Rāmānujar one hundred and eight times — a distinction that renders this composition unparalleled in its spiritual grace.

Pāsuram 1

pū mannu mādu porundiya mārban | pugazh malinda pā mannu māṟan adi paṇindu uyndavan | pal kalaiyōr tām manna vanda irāmānusan caraṇāravindam nām manni vāzha nenjē! colluvōm avan nāmangaḷē

Meaning: O my mind! Let us ever dwell upon and reverently chant the sacred names of Irāmānusan — he who attained his ujjīvanam, his true upliftment and liberation, by surrendering at the lotus feet of Māṟan (NammĀzhvār), who ceaselessly sings only the glories of that supreme Lord upon whose divine chest Śrī Mahālakṣmī, the great goddess, abides eternally upon her lotus flower.

What is particularly striking about this opening pāsuram is the sacred lineage it unfolds: beginning with Tāyār, who dwells upon the chest of Emperumān — to NammĀzhvār, who surrendered unto that Emperumān — to Rāmānujar, who surrendered unto NammĀzhvār — and finally to the mind of the devotee, which now surrenders unto Rāmānujar. This unbroken chain of grace and refuge forms the very heart of the pāsuram and, indeed, of the entire work.

Every pāsuram in this composition follows this wondrous pattern, enshrining the tirunāmam of Rāmānuja within its verse. Throughout the Nūṟṟandādi, Amudhānār gives sustained and ardent expression to Āchārya bhakti — wholehearted devotion to the Āchārya as the sovereign means and supreme goal of the spiritual life.

In one particularly celebrated pāsuram, Amudhānār glorifies his Āchārya Kūratthāzhvān with the words "mozhiyai kadakkum perum pugazhān" — describing him as one whose glory utterly transcends the capacity of language to express. The source of Amudhānār's wonder is this: Kūratthāzhvān had entirely freed himself from the three forms of pride that hold all of humanity in their grip — vidyā madam (the arrogance born of learning), dhana madam (the pride born of wealth), and ābhijātya madam (the conceit born of noble lineage and elevated social standing). Kūratthāzhvān had been born into one of the most honoured family lineages, was the possessor of great wealth, and was so profound a scholar that even his own Āchārya Rāmānujar would regard him with deep admiration and respect. And yet, despite all these extraordinary endowments, Kūratthāzhvān harboured not the slightest trace of pride. This quality — so rare and so luminous — fills Amudhānār with boundless wonder, and he pours forth his adoration of Āchārya Kūratthāzhvān in the most heartfelt terms. Amudhānār further extols that his Āchārya possessed the rare and compassionate power to draw out the sorrows lying hidden within the hearts of others and dissolve them entirely.

This extraordinary composition, the Irāmānusa Nūṟṟandādi, has traced and illuminated the sublime and intimate connection that Āchārya Rāmānujar shares with each of the Āzhvārs — a connection that forms one of the most treasured themes within our sampradāyam.

The following pāsurams, in particular, are held in special reverence and are greatly cherished within our sampradāyam:

Pāsuram 45

pēṟu oṉṟu maṟṟu illai nin caraṇ aṉṟi | appēṟu aḷittaṟku āṟu oṉṟum illai maṟṟu accaraṇ aṉṟi || eṉṟu ipporuḷait tēṟum avarkkum enakkum unait tanda cemmai collāl | kūṟum param aṉṟu | irāmānusa! meymmai kūṟidilē

In this deeply personal and moving pāsuram, Amudhānār makes an absolute and unconditional declaration: there is no pēṟu — no supreme attainment — other than the sacred feet of Rāmānujar; and there is no āṟu — no means whatsoever — by which that supreme attainment can be conferred, other than those very same feet. With utter candour and humility, Amudhānār proclaims that without Rāmānujar he is nothing — that his Āchārya alone is both the highest goal and the only path to reach it.

Pāsuram 76

niṉṟa vaṇ kīrttiyum nīḷ punalum | niṟai vēṅkadap poṟ kuṉṟamum | vaikunda nādum kulaviya pāṟkadalum || un tanakku ettanai inbam tarum un iṇai malarttāḷ | en tanakkum adu | irāmānusa! ivai indu aruḷē

This pāsuram unfolds a vision of extraordinary beauty and depth. Amudhānār contemplates the divine experiences afforded by the sacred Divyadēśams — the undying and immaculate glory of Śrī Vaikuṇṭham, the deep and flowing sacred rivers, the golden peaks of Tiruvēṅkadamalai, the divine realm of Vaikuṇṭham itself, and the boundless Kṣīrābdhi, the celestial ocean of milk — all of which bestow immeasurable joy upon Emperumān Himself. Amudhānār then declares with tender wonder that all of this same supreme bliss flows to him through the twin lotus feet (iṇai malarttāḷ) of Rāmānujar. The tiruvaḍi of Rāmānujar is proclaimed as the parama puruṣārtha — the highest goal of human existence — and it is that very same tiruvaḍi which serves as the means of attaining it. In this, Amudhānār reveals himself as one entirely dependent upon the grace of Rāmānujar, possessing no other means and seeking none.

Pāsuram 98

idumē iniya suvarkkattil | innam narakiliṭṭuc cudumē? | avaṟṟait todar taru tollai || suzhal piṟappil nadumē? ini nam irāmānusan | nammai nam vasattē vidumē? caraṇam enṟāl | manamē! naiyal mēvudaṟkē

In this deeply consoling pāsuram, Amudhānār brings into full and luminous relief the boundless grace that Rāmānujar bestows upon the soul that has surrendered to him. Once a person has taken refuge at the feet of Rāmānujar — once caraṇam has been uttered from the heart — Rāmānujar ensures with absolute certainty that the ātmā is neither placed in svarga (the transient and impermanent pleasures of heaven) nor cast into naraka (the torments of hell). Far greater than this: Rāmānujar severs the ancient and beginningless cycle of saṃsāra — that weary and immemorial wheel of repeated birth and death — and leads the ātmā directly and irreversibly to Paramapadham, the eternal and supreme abode of Śrīman Nārāyaṇa. Amudhānār turns to his own mind with words of profound tenderness: manamē, naiyal mēvudaṟkē — O mind, there is no cause for grief any longer.

Thus does this divine and luminous work of Amudhānār, the Irāmānusa Nūṟṟandādi, bear resplendent testimony to the central, all-encompassing, and irreplaceable role that Āchārya Rāmānujar plays in the liberation of jīvas — guiding each and every soul, through his infinite and inexhaustible grace, to the supreme sanctuary of Paramapadham.

Śrī: Śrīmathe Śaṭakōpāya namaḥ | Śrīmathe Rāmānujāya namaḥ | Śrīmath Varavara Munaye namaḥ

The very title Upadēśa Ratna Mālai reveals, at first glance, the magnificent nature of this sacred composition. The word mālā — a garland — speaks of what has been strung together here: not flowers, but upadēśas, divine instructions, each one precious as a jewel. These instructions are likened to rare and resplendent gems such as emeralds and rubies (ratnam), and it is this luminous quality of each teaching that lends the work its evocative and fitting name: Upadēśa Ratna Mālai — the Garland of Gem-like Instructions.

This celebrated grantham is, at its deepest level, the very essence of the rahasya grantham (sacred esoteric work) known as Śrī Vachana Bhūṣaṇam, composed by the illustrious Piḷḷai Lōkāchārya. Piḷḷai Lōkāchārya had himself distilled the inexhaustible depths of Tiruvāimozhi into the Śrī Vachana Bhūṣaṇam, ultimately arriving at the cardinal conclusion that the kṛpā and abhimānam — the grace and compassionate regard — of one's Āchārya is the supreme and indispensable instrument for ujjīvanam, the realisation of the soul's ultimate goal.

Moved by his characteristic and boundless compassion for all souls, Maṇavāḷa Māmunigaḷ composed the Upadēśa Ratna Mālai as a concise and accessible gateway into the profound teachings enshrined in the Śrī Vachana Bhūṣaṇam — rendering its esoteric wisdom available to every sincere seeker, whether scholar or novice.

This approach finds a most illuminating parallel in the Bhagavad Gītā itself. When Kaṇṇan Emperumān pronounces the immortal declaration, "sarva dharmān parityajya" — "Relinquish all other means and surrender wholly unto Me" — He does not reveal this supreme truth at the outset, in the second chapter. Rather, Bhagavān leads the soul progressively through successive stages of understanding: first illuminating the nature of ātmā and Paramātmā, then expounding Karma Yōgam, Jñāna Yōgam, and Bhakti Yōgam — each a stepping stone on the path — before at last unveiling the crowning teaching of Prapatti. Our revered Āzhvārs and Āchāryas have followed this very same compassionate pedagogy, beginning with foundational teachings and guiding the aspirant, step by illumined step, toward the ultimate knowledge.

The Structure and Scope of the Upadēśa Ratna Mālai

Maṇavāḷa Māmunigaḷ follows this time-honoured pedagogical tradition in the Upadēśa Ratna Mālai as well. He opens with a carefully constructed introductory portion: the divine birthplaces, birth months, and sacred thirunakṣatrams of the Āzhvārs, together with the profound significance of their divine appearance in this world. He then proceeds to illumine the vaibhavam — the transcendent greatness — of Āchārya Śrīman Nāthamunigaḷ, who stands as one of the foremost among our tradition's great Āchāryas. One must note here that our Sampradāyam has been honoured with the exalted designation "Rāmānuja Darśanam" by Namperumāḷ Himself — a distinction of the highest sanctity. Māmunigaḷ further describes, with great reverence, how Āchārya Rāmānujar stands as the supreme crown of our entire Sampradāyam and how it is through his extraordinary efforts that the Śrī Vaiṣṇava Sampradāyam was elevated to incomparable heights. He also highlights the kramam — the orderly succession — of the commentary tradition as it was established for Tiruvāimozhi.

Māmunigaḷ then documents with great care the sacred lineage through which the Īdu 36,000-padi commentaries descended. These teachings, originally given by Nampiḷḷai, were faithfully recorded by Vadakku Tiruvīdhi Piḷḷai and then entrusted to his disciple Iyuṇṇi Mādhava Perumāḷ for single-pointed transmission. From him, the precious knowledge passed to Iyuṇṇi Padmanābha Perumāḷ, then to Nālūr Piḷḷai, Nālūr Āchān Piḷḷai, and Tiruvāimozhip Piḷḷai — and finally, it reached Māmunigaḷ himself. In a separate and equally significant line of transmission, this very knowledge passed from Vadakku Tiruvīdhi Piḷḷai to his own son, Piḷḷai Lōkāchārya. Māmunigaḷ beautifully places Piḷḷai Lōkāchārya at the very centre of this sacred narrative — for it is he who bestowed upon the world the incomparable Śrī Vachana Bhūṣaṇam. All of this constitutes the introductory portion of the Upadēśa Ratna Mālai.

Māmunigaḷ then proceeds to reinforce the surpassing greatness of the Śrī Vachana Bhūṣaṇam, expounding upon its essential meanings through numerous pāsurams in this grantham.

Pāsuram 61

jñānam anuṣṭhānam ivai naṉṟagavē udaiyan āna guruvai adaindakkāl — mānilaththīr thēnār kamalath thirumāmagaḷ kozhunan thānē vaikuṇdam tarum

Meaning: When a soul takes refuge in an Āchārya richly endowed with both genuine jñānam (knowledge) and anuṣṭhānam (conduct that is the living expression of that knowledge), Śrīman Nārāyaṇa — ever inseparable from His beloved Thāyār — will Himself, without need for any further intermediary, grant that blessed soul entry into Paramapadham.

Pāsuram 64

than āriyanukku thān adimai seyvadhu avan innādu thannil irukkum nāḷ — annēr aṟindum adhil āsai inṟi āchāriyanai pirindhiruppār ār maname pēsu

Meaning: One who truly understands that rendering devoted service to one's own Āchārya — for as long as that Āchārya graces this earth with his presence — is the greatest of all benedictions: how could such a person willingly choose to remain separated from him? O my mind, tell me — who could ever do such a thing?

Maṇavāḷa Māmunigaḷ himself embodied this very teaching throughout his entire life, rendering devoted service to his Āchārya in every possible way until the moment that great soul ascended to Paramapadham. Thereafter, in faithful accordance with his Āchārya's sacred instructions, Māmunigaḷ took up residence in Śrīrangam.

Pāsuram 66

pinbu azhagarām perumāḷ jīyar perundivaththil anbu adhuvumaṟṟu mikka āsaiyināl — nampiḷḷaik kāṇa adimaigaḷ sey annilaiyai nannejē ūnamaṟa eppozhudhu Or

Through this pāsuram, Māmunigaḷ illuminates the ideal nature of the sacred relationship between an Āchārya and his śiṣya. He places before us the inspiring example of Pinbu Azhagiya Perumāḷ Jīyar, the devoted disciple of Nampiḷḷai, and the exemplary manner in which that great śiṣya conducted himself toward his Āchārya — with intense anbu (love) and an ardent, insatiable longing (āsai) to behold and serve his Āchārya's divine form. This conduct is held up as the very standard of devotion that every śiṣya must aspire to cultivate toward his own Āchārya.

Pāsuram 72

pūrvāchāryargaḷ pōdham anuṣṭhānangaḷ kūruvār vārthaigaḷaik koṇdu nīr thēri — iruḷ tarumā jñālaththē inbamuṟṟu vāzhum theruḷ tarumā dēsiganaich chērndu

Meaning: Taking refuge in a dēśikan — an illuminating Āchārya who grants theruḷ (inner clarity) and dispels the darkness of iruḷ (ignorance) in this world — one must anchor oneself in the teachings that expound the anuṣṭhānams laid down by our venerable pūrvāchāryas, and thereby live a life of complete and abiding fulfilment.

The Phala Śruti: Pāsuram 74 by Eṟumbiyappā

In the concluding pāsuram of the Upadēśa Ratna Mālai, Māmunigaḷ offers the phala śruti — the fruit of recitation and contemplation. He declares that one who recites these pāsurams and holds their meanings firmly within the mind and heart shall become the cherished recipient of the divine grace of Yatirājan, Śrī Rāmānujar himself.

The seventy-fourth and final pāsuram, composed by the devoted Eṟumbiyappā, stands as a magnificent glorification of Māmunigaḷ:

mannuyirgāḷ ingē maṇavāḷa māmunivan poṉṉadiyām sengamalap pōdhugaḷai — unni chiraththālē thīṇdil amānavanum nammai karaththālē thīṇdal kadan

Meaning: O you who dwell in this material realm! Those whose heads are touched by the divine, reddish lotus feet of Maṇavāḷa Māmunigaḷ are assured of entry into Vaikuṇṭham — for Amānavan himself, the Nityasūri who guides souls at the sacred threshold, is duty-bound to receive such souls with his own hands and lovingly usher them in.

This pāsuram is Eṟumbiyappā's heartfelt and glorious celebration of Māmunigaḷ — a celebration of the boundless power of his lotus feet to uplift every jīva who approaches them with faith and love. Out of his overflowing divine compassion, Māmunigaḷ took the profound teachings that Piḷḷai Lōkāchārya had enshrined in the dense sūtram format of the Śrī Vachana Bhūṣaṇam and rendered them into the clear, luminous, and accessible language of pāsurams in the Upadēśa Ratna Mālai — an inexhaustible gift of grace to all seekers for all time.

The Tiruvāimozhi Nūṟṟandādi is a profoundly merciful composition of Maṇavāḷa Māmunigaḷ. During the blessed era of Āchārya Rāmānujar, Amudhānār had composed the celebrated Irāmānusa Nūṟṟandādi — a garland of one hundred verses in praise of Rāmānujar. Yet no Nūṟṟandādi had ever been composed in honour of the great Āzhvār himself. Recognising this profound gap in our sacred literary tradition, Māmunigaḷ was moved by a deep and earnest longing to compose one — a work that would stand primarily as a glorification of Nammāzhvār and, simultaneously, as a homage to the Āzhvār's divine prabandham, the Tiruvāimozhi.

In this sublime composition, Māmunigaḷ achieves a feat of remarkable spiritual precision and grace: each single pāsuram of the Tiruvāimozhi Nūṟṟandādi encapsulates the essential teaching of one complete chapter (padigam) of the Tiruvāimozhi — a unit of ten pāsurams. Given that the Tiruvāimozhi is a vast and profound ocean of meaning that demands sustained and devoted study over a lifetime to fathom, this grantham is an immeasurable blessing for all seekers. It offers every sincere aspirant a luminous overview of the Āzhvār's inner state, his attitudes, and the bhāvam (deep spiritual feeling) that pervades each section of his prabandham. It also traces with beautiful clarity how the Tiruvāimozhi begins, how it unfolds and deepens chapter by chapter, and how the Āzhvār brings his divine prabandham to its glorious completion.

The Guidelines Māmunigaḷ Set for Himself

In composing this grantham, Maṇavāḷa Māmunigaḷ imposed upon himself three disciplined and carefully considered guidelines:

• The composition must follow the andādi format — reflecting the very structure of the Tiruvāimozhi itself, which is also composed in andādi — and it must be concise and readily comprehensible to all.
• The thirunāmam (sacred name) and vaibhavam (glories) of Nammāzhvār must be woven into every single pāsuram without exception.
• The essential insights from the Īdu 36,000-padi commentaries of Nampiḷḷai must be faithfully and briefly reflected within each pāsuram.

With a beautiful intentionality that honours these guidelines, just as Nammāzhvār's Tiruvāimozhi opens with the word uyarvara, so too Māmunigaḷ's Tiruvāimozhi Nūṟṟandādi opens with the word uyarvē. With all these sacred principles held firmly in mind, Māmunigaḷ gave the world this extraordinary work.

The Opening of Tiruvāimozhi and the First Pāsuram

The Tiruvāimozhi opens with the immortal words: uyarvaṟa uyarnalam udaiyavan yavan avan. This first chapter (padigam), through its ten pāsurams, sets forth the very heart of Vedāntam — establishing with absolute clarity the supreme parattuvam (transcendent supremacy) of Emperumān. It reveals His omnipotent nature, the profound śarīra-śarīrī bhāvam (the relationship in which the entire universe and all souls constitute the body of Emperumān, who is their indwelling Soul), and a great deal more. The formidable challenge before Māmunigaḷ was to represent all of this within just two lines.

Pāsuram 1 of Tiruvāimozhi Nūṟṟandādi

uyarvē paran padiyai uḷḷadhellām thān kaṇdu uyar vēda nēr koṇduraittu — mayarvēdhum vārāmal mānidarai vāzhvikkum māṟan sol vērāgavē viḷaiyum vīdu

With breathtaking economy and profundity, the very opening words of this pāsuram — uyarvē paran — capture the supreme greatness and the exalted transcendence of Emperumān. All of this was not merely inferred but directly seen — with the eye of divine, unsullied vision — by the Āzhvār himself, who was blessed by Emperumān with blemishless, unobstructed, and perfect jñānam. The sacred words of Māṟan — the incomparable Nammāzhvār — become the very root cause through which jīvas attain mōkṣam and are elevated to the supreme abode.

Maṇavāḷa Māmunigaḷ's mastery in composing this pāsuram springs entirely from his profound absorption of the Īdu Vyākhyānam by Nampiḷḷai. The Īdu Vyākhyānam is itself a work of remarkable structure: it opens with three foundational introductory sections known as the first, second, and third Śriyaḥpati-ppaḍi, and additionally contains a pravēśam (contextual introduction) for every chapter (padigam). That Māmunigaḷ had fully comprehended and internalised each of these layered strata of commentary is itself a luminous testament to his unparalleled eminence — and it is that very mastery which lends the Tiruvāimozhi Nūṟṟandādi its extraordinary depth, precision, and lasting significance.

Śrī: Śrīmathe Śadakōpāya namaḥ | Śrīmathe Rāmānujāya namaḥ | Śrīmath Varavara Munaye namaḥ |

sarva dhēśa daśā kālēṣv avyāhata parākramā | Rāmānujārya divyājñā vardhatām abhivardhatām ||

May the divine command (divyājñā) of Bhagavad Rāmānuja — enshrining the eternal truths of Viśiṣṭādvaita siddhānta and the sacred principles of Śrī Vaiṣṇava sampradāya — prevail in every land, in every circumstance, at every moment, utterly unobstructed. May these hallowed directives flourish and continue to flourish, age upon age.

Rāmānujārya divyājñā prativāsaram ujvalā | digantavyāpinī bhūyāt sā hi lōka hitaiṣiṇī ||

May this selfsame divine command of Bhagavad Rāmānuja blaze forth with ever-increasing radiance, day upon blessed day, illuminating all who come within its reach. May it spread to the very ends of the horizon, pervading every direction without remainder, bestowing upon this entire world the boundless goodness and welfare for which it was revealed.

Śrīman! Śrīraṅga Śriyam anupadravām anudinam saṁvardhaya | Śrīman! Śrīraṅga Śriyam anupadravām anudinam saṁvardhaya ||

O Śrīman Nārāyaṇa! May the glory of Śrīraṅgaśrī — the sacred splendour that perpetually graces the holy abode of Śrīraṅgam — grow and flourish without disturbance or interruption, day after blessed day. May this divine magnificence endure and expand, now and always.

namaḥ Śrīśailanāthāya kunthī nagara janmanē | prasādha labdha parama prāpya kaiṅkarya śālinē ||

Reverential salutations are offered at the sacred feet of Śrīśailanātha — none other than Thiruvāimozhip Piḷḷai — who took his auspicious birth in the blessed town of Kunthī nagara. Through the overflowing grace (prasāda) of his beloved Āchāryan, he was graced with the supreme and most cherished of all attainments: the exalted kaiṅkarya, that eternal loving service which stands as the very parama prāpya — the highest goal to be attained — in the Śrī Vaiṣṇava tradition.

Śrīśailēśa dayāpātram dhībhaktyādi guṇārṇavam | yathīndra pravaṇam vandē ramya jāmātaram munim ||

With wholehearted devotion, adiyēn worships the illustrious ramya jāmātaram munim — Azhagiya Maṇavāḷa Māmunigaḷ — who stands as the foremost recipient of the boundless compassion (dayā) poured upon him by his Āchāryan, Śrīśailēśa, Thiruvāimozhip Piḷḷai. This great ācārya is a veritable ocean of supreme auspicious qualities — foremost among them dhī, the transcendent wisdom that illumines all things, and bhakti, the steadfast and unwavering devotion that never falters. Above all, he is deeply and irrevocably inclined (pravaṇa) towards Yathīndra, the sovereign among ascetics and the great reformer of our sampradāya, Śrī Rāmānuja.

ramya jāmātru yōgīndra pādharēkhā mayam sadā | tathā yathyātma sattādim Rāmānuja munim bhajē || — Śrī Vānamāmalai Muṭṭ recital

Adiyēn also worships with devout reverence Śrī Vānamāmalai Jīyar, who is ever and always fashioned in the very image of the sacred footprints (pādha rēkhā) of the great yōgīndra, Māmunigaḷ himself — bearing his mark entirely and at every moment. This noble disciple draws his very nature (ātma satthā), his sustenance, and the entirety of his activity from complete and total dependence upon Māmunigaḷ, recognising that it is only through Māmunigaḷ's grace alone that his identity as a servant is established and maintained.

vāzhi thiruvāimozhip piḷḷai mādhagavāl vāzhum maṇavāḷa māmunivaṉ vāzhi | avaṉ māṟaṉ thiruvāimozhip poruḷai mānilaththōr thēṟum padi uraikkum sīr vāzhi ||

Long may he live — Maṇavāḷa Māmunigaḷ, who flourishes in every way through the magnificent grace of his Āchāryan, Thiruvāimozhip Piḷḷai! And long may it flourish — that incomparable, luminous exposition by which Māmunigaḷ has illumined the profound and inexhaustible meanings embedded within Nammāzhvār's sacred Thiruvāimozhi, rendering them clear and accessible so that all inhabitants of this vast earth may comprehend them, be uplifted by them, and attain the highest clarity of understanding.

seyya thāmaraith thāḷiṇai vāzhiyē | sēlai vāzhi thirunābi vāzhiyē | thuyya mārbum purinūlum vāzhiyē | sundharath thiruththōḷiṇai vāzhiyē | kaiyumēnthiya mukkōlum vāzhiyē | karuṇai pongiya kaṇṇiṇai vāzhiyē | poyilādha maṇavāḷa māmuni punthi vāzhi | pugazh vāzhi vāzhiyē ||

Long may they flourish — the divine feet of Māmunigaḷ, tender and radiant as the red lotus in full bloom! Long may it flourish — the ochre-saffron robe (sēlai) that adorns his sacred form, and his divine navel, ever auspicious and blessed! Long may they flourish — his pure and untarnished divine chest, and the sacred thread (puri nūl) he bears, the mark of his holy station and sacred responsibility! Long may they flourish — both his beautiful divine shoulders, the very pillars upon which this great sampradāya is upheld! Long may it flourish — the tridaṇḍam, the triple staff held aloft in his divine hands, the sovereign emblem of his supreme renunciation! Long may they flourish — those compassion-overflowing divine eyes, from which mercy rains ceaselessly upon all who behold them! And long may it flourish — the pure and faultless buddhi, the wisdom-mind, of Maṇavāḷa Māmunigaḷ, utterly devoid of all falsity and delusion, always and without the slightest exception! Long may his glories flourish! Long may he ever flourish!

adiyārgaḷ vāzha araṅga nagar vāzha | śadagōpaṉ thaṇdamiizh nūl vāzha | kadal sūzhndha mannulagam vāzha | maṇavāḷa māmuniyē innum oru nūṟṟāṇḍirum ||

Long may they flourish — the dear devotees of Bhagavān and the entire revered community of Bhāgavathas! Long may it flourish — the great and sacred city of Śrīraṅgam, the earthly abode of Namperumāḷ, the very heart of our sampradāya! Long may they flourish — the cool and sublime Tamil prabandhams of Nammāzhvār, composed in the divine mother tongue for the liberation of all souls! Long may it flourish — this enduring world, firm and steadfast, encircled by the vast ocean on every side!

And above all — O Maṇavāḷa Māmunigaḷ! — may Your divine grace continue to rest upon all of us without ceasing. May Your Holiness abide with us for yet another century of blessed years, guiding, protecting, and sustaining all who seek refuge at Your lotus feet.