Alvars
Encyclopedia
The alwar or azhwars were Tamil
poet saints of south India who lived between the sixth and ninth centuries A.D. and espoused ‘emotional devotion’ or bhakti
to Visnu-Krishna in their songs of longing, ecstasy and service. Sri Vaishnava orthodoxy posits the number of alvars as ten, though there are other references that include Andal
and madhurakavi, making the number twelve. The devotional outpourings of Alvars, composed during the early medieval period of Tamil history
, helped revive the bhakti
movement, through their hymns of worship to Vishnu
and his Avatar
s. They praised 108 of this deity's holy abodes in their hymns, known as the Divya Desams. Together with the contemporary sixty three Saiva Nayanars
, they are accounted as South India's 75 Apostles of Bhakti
because of their importance in the rise of the Hindu Bhakti movement
. The collection of their hymns is known as Divya Prabandha.
The Bhakti literature that sprang from Alvars has contributed to the establishment and sustenance of a culture that broke away from the ritual-oriented Vedic religion and rooted itself in devotion as the only path for salvation. In addition they helped to make the Tamil religious life independent of a knowledge of Sanskrit
.
As part of the legacy of the Alvars, five Vaishnava philosophical traditions (sampradayas) have developed at the later stages.
. However recently S.Palaniappan has argued that what was originally Āļvār got changed through hyper correction and folk etymology to Āzhvār. Palaniappan cites inscriptional evidence for a gradual sound change from āļvār to āzhvār over a period of two centuries from the 9th century to the 11th century involving references to religious leaders in Vaishnavism, Shaivism and even Jainism and to political personalities. He states: "āzhvār is but a corrupt form of āļvār which has been used interchangeably
with nāyanār in secular and religious contexts in the Tamil land" and "... Notwithstanding the Vaishnava claim of unbroken teacher-student
tradition, the fact that Nathamuni has used the form āļvār but Piļļān [A disciple and younger cousin
of Rāmānuja] ended up using the form āzhvār suggests that there has been an error in transmission
somewhere along the teacher-student chain between the two teachers. This error was obviously due to the influence of the sound variation that has occurred in the Srirangam area and elsewhere"
The one held in greatest esteem among the Alvars is Nammalvar
. He lived during the ninth century CE. His contribution to the four thousand prabandhams is as many as 1352. His hymns are considered by the Vaishnavites to contain the essence of the Vedas
. His works - Thiruvasiriyam, Thiruviruttam, Periya Thiruvandhadhi correspond to the Yajur
, Rig
and Atharva
Vedas
respectively. His other work Thiruvaaimozhi (Also thiruvoymozhi)(Divine words) is one of the key works of Vaishnavism
.
(Correct the names of the prabhadams as they were earlier incorrect form of spelling)
(Originally in this article the author had written peria thirumozhi as Nammazhwar's. But this is not correct. Peria thirumozhi was created by Thirumangai azhwar. Hence I have edited accordingly.)
Periyalvar
delighted in worshipping Vishnu as mother, and composed 440 verses treating himself as Yashoda and Narayana as Krishna. He also talk about the beauty of the Lord Krishna right from his birth. Apart from these compositions, Sri Periyazhwar has also composed hymns on various divya desams. Andal
, daughter of Periyalvar, has attributed the Tiruppaavai, a most beautiful collection of 30 verses giving expression to the purest love of God. It is considered to be equivalent to Vedas.
Thirumangai Alvar
has done mangalasasanam (sung in praise) of maximum number of Divya Desams
.
The last acharya of the Thenkalai Guruparampara, Sri Manavalamuni has composed " Upadesa Rathnamalai" a hymn of 72 verses where talks and praises the Azhwars about their birthstars, place of birth and also about their compositions.
For a detailed list of number of paasurams of all Alvars on each Divyadesam: Mangalasasanam by Divyadesam
caste
. Tirumangai Alvar belonged to the Kallara tribe. Thirumalisai Alvar was originally born to a brahmin community but was raised by Peerambu vetiyan (one who makes use of bamboo for living) caste. Tiruppani Alvar (It is thiruppaan ahwar) belonged to Panar untouchable
caste, Kulashekhara was a King
from Kerala
. Vishnu Chitta, or Periyalvar, was a Brahmin
.
The Traditional Datings of Alwars have been contested by the historians as in case of many Indian Works and the British trained historians place the dates as follows.Traditional datings take them to the age of Sukhaacharya(srimad Bhagvatam)who while delivering the work to parrekshit spake of Alvars as vaishnavaite saints and many are from dwapura yuga,while swami nammalwar belongs to the commencement of Kali yuga.
Kalou Kalu Bhavishyanti narayana parayana.
Kvachit Kvachin Mahabhago dramideshucha pureesha
tamrabharani nadhi yatra kruta malaa payasvini
kaavericha mahaabhago pradeeseecha mahaanadhi.(srimadh bhagvath purana).
Tamil people
Tamil people , also called Tamils or Tamilians, are an ethnic group native to Tamil Nadu, India and the north-eastern region of Sri Lanka. Historic and post 15th century emigrant communities are also found across the world, notably Malaysia, Singapore, Mauritius, South Africa, Australia, Canada,...
poet saints of south India who lived between the sixth and ninth centuries A.D. and espoused ‘emotional devotion’ or bhakti
Bhakti
In Hinduism Bhakti is religious devotion in the form of active involvement of a devotee in worship of the divine.Within monotheistic Hinduism, it is the love felt by the worshipper towards the personal God, a concept expressed in Hindu theology as Svayam Bhagavan.Bhakti can be used of either...
to Visnu-Krishna in their songs of longing, ecstasy and service. Sri Vaishnava orthodoxy posits the number of alvars as ten, though there are other references that include Andal
Andal
Andal is the the only female Alvar of the 12 Alvar saints of South India, who are known for their affiliation to Vaishnava tradition of Hinduism. She is credited with the great Tamil works of Thirupavai and Nachiar Tirumozhi that are still recited by devotees during the Winter festival season of...
and madhurakavi, making the number twelve. The devotional outpourings of Alvars, composed during the early medieval period of Tamil history
History of Tamil Nadu
The region of Tamil Nadu in modern India has been under continuous human habitation since prehistoric times, and the history of Tamil Nadu and the civilization of the Tamil people are among the oldest in the world. Throughout its history, spanning the early Paleolithic age to modern times, this...
, helped revive the bhakti
Bhakti
In Hinduism Bhakti is religious devotion in the form of active involvement of a devotee in worship of the divine.Within monotheistic Hinduism, it is the love felt by the worshipper towards the personal God, a concept expressed in Hindu theology as Svayam Bhagavan.Bhakti can be used of either...
movement, through their hymns of worship to Vishnu
Vishnu
Vishnu is the Supreme god in the Vaishnavite tradition of Hinduism. Smarta followers of Adi Shankara, among others, venerate Vishnu as one of the five primary forms of God....
and his Avatar
Avatar
In Hinduism, an avatar is a deliberate descent of a deity to earth, or a descent of the Supreme Being and is mostly translated into English as "incarnation," but more accurately as "appearance" or "manifestation"....
s. They praised 108 of this deity's holy abodes in their hymns, known as the Divya Desams. Together with the contemporary sixty three Saiva Nayanars
Nayanars
The Nayanars or Nayanmars were Shaivite devotional poets of Tamil Nadu, active between the fifth and the tenth centuries CE...
, they are accounted as South India's 75 Apostles of Bhakti
South India's 75 Apostles of Bhakti
Southern India's 75 Apostles of Bhakti are the twelve Alvars and sixty-three Nayanmars . They are regarded as the greatest exponents of the bhakti tradition of Hinduism. Most of them came from the Tamil region...
because of their importance in the rise of the Hindu Bhakti movement
Bhakti movement
The Bhakti movement is a Hindu religious movement in which the main spiritual practice is loving devotion among the Shaivite and Vaishnava saints. The Bhakti movement originated in ancient Tamil Nadu and began to spread to the north during the late medieval ages when north India was under Islamic...
. The collection of their hymns is known as Divya Prabandha.
The Bhakti literature that sprang from Alvars has contributed to the establishment and sustenance of a culture that broke away from the ritual-oriented Vedic religion and rooted itself in devotion as the only path for salvation. In addition they helped to make the Tamil religious life independent of a knowledge of Sanskrit
Sanskrit
Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
.
As part of the legacy of the Alvars, five Vaishnava philosophical traditions (sampradayas) have developed at the later stages.
Etymology
Alvars or 'Azhwars' literally means 'people who are immersed'. They are so called because they were immersed in their devotion and love to their Lord, Vishnu.. However recently S.Palaniappan has argued that what was originally Āļvār got changed through hyper correction and folk etymology to Āzhvār. Palaniappan cites inscriptional evidence for a gradual sound change from āļvār to āzhvār over a period of two centuries from the 9th century to the 11th century involving references to religious leaders in Vaishnavism, Shaivism and even Jainism and to political personalities. He states: "āzhvār is but a corrupt form of āļvār which has been used interchangeably
with nāyanār in secular and religious contexts in the Tamil land" and "... Notwithstanding the Vaishnava claim of unbroken teacher-student
tradition, the fact that Nathamuni has used the form āļvār but Piļļān [A disciple and younger cousin
of Rāmānuja] ended up using the form āzhvār suggests that there has been an error in transmission
somewhere along the teacher-student chain between the two teachers. This error was obviously due to the influence of the sound variation that has occurred in the Srirangam area and elsewhere"
Legacy
The twelve Alvars were all inspired and ardent devotees who transmitted their divine infatuation to millions. They have left behind an imperishable legacy of devotional Tamil poetry - naalaayira Divya Prabhandham (considered to be the essence of the Vedas, in Tamil, and all in praise of Lord Vishnu). These have been rarely equalled either in quantity or in quality ever after.The one held in greatest esteem among the Alvars is Nammalvar
Nammalvar
Nammalvar also Nammazhwar,Nammaazhvaar, Nammazhvar, Nammaalvaar, Nammalwar;Tamil: நம்மாழ்வார்) was one of the twelve Alvars, well known for his many hymns on devotion to Vishnu. Legend gives him the date 3102 B.C....
. He lived during the ninth century CE. His contribution to the four thousand prabandhams is as many as 1352. His hymns are considered by the Vaishnavites to contain the essence of the Vedas
Vedas
The Vedas are a large body of texts originating in ancient India. Composed in Vedic Sanskrit, the texts constitute the oldest layer of Sanskrit literature and the oldest scriptures of Hinduism....
. His works - Thiruvasiriyam, Thiruviruttam, Periya Thiruvandhadhi correspond to the Yajur
Yajurveda
The Yajurveda, a tatpurusha compound of "sacrificial formula', + ) is the third of the four canonical texts of Hinduism, the Vedas. By some, it is estimated to have been composed between 1400 and 1000 BC, the Yajurveda 'Samhita', or 'compilation', contains the liturgy needed to perform the...
, Rig
RG Veda
is a manga created by Clamp, consisting of ten volumes in all. It was first published in Japan in 1989 as Clamp's debut manga. The story features elements of Vedic mythology; the title itself imitates Rigveda, the name of one of the four Vedas. The series is known for its extravagant and richly...
and Atharva
Atharvaveda
The Atharvaveda is a sacred text of Hinduism and one of the four Vedas, often called the "fourth Veda"....
Vedas
Vedas
The Vedas are a large body of texts originating in ancient India. Composed in Vedic Sanskrit, the texts constitute the oldest layer of Sanskrit literature and the oldest scriptures of Hinduism....
respectively. His other work Thiruvaaimozhi (Also thiruvoymozhi)(Divine words) is one of the key works of Vaishnavism
Vaishnavism
Vaishnavism is a tradition of Hinduism, distinguished from other schools by its worship of Vishnu, or his associated Avatars such as Rama and Krishna, as the original and supreme God....
.
(Correct the names of the prabhadams as they were earlier incorrect form of spelling)
(Originally in this article the author had written peria thirumozhi as Nammazhwar's. But this is not correct. Peria thirumozhi was created by Thirumangai azhwar. Hence I have edited accordingly.)
Periyalvar
Periyalvar
Periyalwar or Periazhwar is the first of the 12 Alvar saints of South India, who are known for their affiliation to Vaishnava tradition of Hinduism...
delighted in worshipping Vishnu as mother, and composed 440 verses treating himself as Yashoda and Narayana as Krishna. He also talk about the beauty of the Lord Krishna right from his birth. Apart from these compositions, Sri Periyazhwar has also composed hymns on various divya desams. Andal
Andal
Andal is the the only female Alvar of the 12 Alvar saints of South India, who are known for their affiliation to Vaishnava tradition of Hinduism. She is credited with the great Tamil works of Thirupavai and Nachiar Tirumozhi that are still recited by devotees during the Winter festival season of...
, daughter of Periyalvar, has attributed the Tiruppaavai, a most beautiful collection of 30 verses giving expression to the purest love of God. It is considered to be equivalent to Vedas.
Thirumangai Alvar
Thirumangai Alvar
Thirumangai Alvar or Tirumangai Alvar or Tirumankai Alvar or Thirumangai Mannan is the last of the 12 Alvar saints of south India, who are known for their affiliation to Vaishnava tradition of Hinduism. He is considered one of the most learned Alvar and the most superior Alvar in the context of...
has done mangalasasanam (sung in praise) of maximum number of Divya Desams
Divya Desams
Divya Desams refer to 108 Vishnu temples that are mentioned in the works of the Tamil Azhvars . 105 of these are located in India, 1 in Nepal, while 2 are located outside of the Earthly realms. 'Divya' in Tamil language indicates premium and 'Desam' indicates place or temple.The two major deities...
.
The last acharya of the Thenkalai Guruparampara, Sri Manavalamuni has composed " Upadesa Rathnamalai" a hymn of 72 verses where talks and praises the Azhwars about their birthstars, place of birth and also about their compositions.
For a detailed list of number of paasurams of all Alvars on each Divyadesam: Mangalasasanam by Divyadesam
Mangalasasanam by Divyadesam
The Alvars during the early medieval period of Tamil history worshipped Vishnu and his Avatars through their hymns. This collection of their hymns is known as Divya Prabhandham. Mangalasasanam means 'praying that the holy shrines be happy all the time'. The Srivaishnava shrines that were sung...
Caste
The revered alvars came from all castes, a symbolic notion in Vaishnavism to show that devotion to God transcends above caste. Nammalvar, or Satakopan, belonged to the VellalaVellalar
Vellalars were, originally, an elite caste of Tamil agricultural landlords in Tamil Nadu, Kerala states in India and in neighbouring Sri Lanka; they were the nobility, aristocracy of the ancient Tamil order and had close relations with the different royal dynasties...
caste
Caste system in India
The Indian caste system is a system of social stratification and social restriction in India in which communities are defined by thousands of endogamous hereditary groups called Jātis....
. Tirumangai Alvar belonged to the Kallara tribe. Thirumalisai Alvar was originally born to a brahmin community but was raised by Peerambu vetiyan (one who makes use of bamboo for living) caste. Tiruppani Alvar (It is thiruppaan ahwar) belonged to Panar untouchable
Dalit
Dalit is a designation for a group of people traditionally regarded as Untouchable. Dalits are a mixed population, consisting of numerous castes from all over South Asia; they speak a variety of languages and practice a multitude of religions...
caste, Kulashekhara was a King
Kshatriya
*For the Bollywood film of the same name see Kshatriya Kshatriya or Kashtriya, meaning warrior, is one of the four varnas in Hinduism...
from Kerala
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....
. Vishnu Chitta, or Periyalvar, was a Brahmin
Brahmin
Brahmin Brahman, Brahma and Brahmin.Brahman, Brahmin and Brahma have different meanings. Brahman refers to the Supreme Self...
.
Alvars; their place, month and star of birth
The following tables shows the place, century and star of birth of each Alvar.The Traditional Datings of Alwars have been contested by the historians as in case of many Indian Works and the British trained historians place the dates as follows.Traditional datings take them to the age of Sukhaacharya(srimad Bhagvatam)who while delivering the work to parrekshit spake of Alvars as vaishnavaite saints and many are from dwapura yuga,while swami nammalwar belongs to the commencement of Kali yuga.
Kalou Kalu Bhavishyanti narayana parayana.
Kvachit Kvachin Mahabhago dramideshucha pureesha
tamrabharani nadhi yatra kruta malaa payasvini
kaavericha mahaabhago pradeeseecha mahaanadhi.(srimadh bhagvath purana).
| Sl no | Alwar Saint | Period and Place | Other names | Month | Nakshatra Nakshatra Nakshatra is the term for lunar mansion in Hindu astrology. A nakshatra is one of 27 sectors along the ecliptic... | Sign |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Poigai Alvar Poigai Alvar Poigai Alvar is one of the 12 Alvar saints of South India, who are known for their affiliation to Vaishnava tradition of Hinduism. The temples reverred by the verses of azhwars are termed Divya desam.... |
7th C. AD, Kanchipuram | Saro-yogi, Kaasaara-yogi, Poigai-piraan, Padma-muni, Kavinyarporeyeru |
Aiypassee | Thiruvonam (Sravana) | Panchajanya (Name of Lord Shri Krisha's Conch-Sanskrit translation means five senses) |
| 2 | Bhoothathalvar Bhoothathalvar Bhoothathalvar is one of the 12 Alvar saints of South India, who are known for their affiliation to Vaishnava tradition of Hinduism. The temples reverred by the verses of azhwars are termed Divya desam.... |
7th C. AD, Thirukadalmallai (Mahabhalipuram) | Aiypassee | Avittam (Dhanishta) | Kaumodakee (Mace/Club) | |
| 3 | Peyalvar Peyalvar Peyalvar is one of the 12 Alvar saints of South India, who are known for their affiliation to Vaishnava tradition of Hinduism. The temples reverred by these azhwars are termed Divya desam.... |
7th C. AD, Mylapore | Kairava-muni, Maha-daahva-yaar, Thamizh-Thalaivan | Aiypassee | Sadayam (Satabhishak) | Nandaka (Sword) |
| 4 | Thirumalisai Alvar Thirumalisai Alvar Thirumalisai Alvar is a tamil mendicant-saint revered in the srivaishnavism school of south india between the 4th to 9th century CE in Tondai Nadu [now called Kanchipuram and Tiruvallur districts]. There are only little historical records of this alvars. The legend of this saint devotees of... |
7th C. AD, Thirumazhisai | Bhakthi-saarar, Bhaargavar, Magisaaraapuriswarar, Mazhisai-piraan | Thai | Magam (Makha) | Sudarshanam (Name of Lord vishnu's weapon -"Discus", Sanskrit translation means good sight / view) |
| 5 | Nammalvar Nammalvar Nammalvar also Nammazhwar,Nammaazhvaar, Nammazhvar, Nammaalvaar, Nammalwar;Tamil: நம்மாழ்வார்) was one of the twelve Alvars, well known for his many hymns on devotion to Vishnu. Legend gives him the date 3102 B.C.... |
9th C. AD, Azhwar Thirunagari (Kurugur) | Sadagopan, Sadaari, Paraankusun, Maaran, Vakulaa Baranan, Kurugaiyar-kone | Vaigaasi | Vishaakam (Vishaaka) | Vishvaksena (Commander) |
| 6 | Madhurakavi Alvar Madhurakavi Alvar Madhurakavi was a Tamil saint/composer of the 6th to 9th century. He is one of the 12 Alvar saints of South India, who are known for their affiliation to Vaishnava tradition of Hinduism. He composed 11 couplets in praise of his guru, Nammalvar in the 4000 divya Prabhandham... |
9th C. AD, Thirukollur | Inkaviyaar, Azhwaarukku Adiyaan | Chitthirai | Chitthirai (Chithra) | Vainatheya (Garuda) |
| 7 | King Kulasekhara Alvar | 9th century AD, Thiruvanchikkulam, Later Chera kingdom | Kolli-kaavalan, Koodal-naayakan, Koyikone, Villavar-kone, Cheyralar-kone etc. |
Maasee | Punar Poosam (Punarvasu) | Kaustubha (Gem Necklace) |
| 8 | Periyalvar Periyalvar Periyalwar or Periazhwar is the first of the 12 Alvar saints of South India, who are known for their affiliation to Vaishnava tradition of Hinduism... |
9th C. AD, Sri Villiputhur | Vishnu-chitthar, Patta-naadan, Battar-piraan, Sri-Villiputthooraar, Sriranganaatha-Svasoorar | Aani | Swathi (Swaathee) | Garuda (Eagle) |
| 9 | Andal Andal Andal is the the only female Alvar of the 12 Alvar saints of South India, who are known for their affiliation to Vaishnava tradition of Hinduism. She is credited with the great Tamil works of Thirupavai and Nachiar Tirumozhi that are still recited by devotees during the Winter festival season of... |
9th C. AD, Sri Villiputhur | Choodikoduttha Naacheyaar, Godai, Godai-piraatti |
Aadi | Pooram (Poorva Phalguni) | Bhoodevi (Sankrit means Bhoo = Earth, Devi = Goddess) |
| 10 | Thondaradippodi Alvar Thondaradippodi Alvar Thondaradippodi Alvar or Bhaktanghri renu swami was a Tamil Vaishnava Saint who is also named as "Vipra Narayanar" led his life in devotion to Lord Narayana and worked for the Perumal by dedicating him with Garlands... |
8th C. AD, Thirumandangudi | Vibranaaraayanar, Thirumandangudiyaar, Bhakthangirirenu, Palliunartthiya-piraan |
Maargazhi | Kettai (Jyeshta) | Vanamaalai (Garland) |
| 11 | Thiruppaan Alvar Thiruppaan Alvar Thiruppaan Alvar is one of the 12 Alvar saints of South India, who are known for their affiliation to Vaishnava tradition of Hinduism. The temples reverred by these azhwars are termed Divya desam. He was born into a community, then considered as outcastes and untouchables... |
8th C. AD, Uraiyur | Paanar, Muni-vaahanar, Yogi-vaahanar, Kaveeswarar |
Kaarthigai | Rogini (Rohinee) | Srivatsa |
| 12 | Thirumangai Alvar Thirumangai Alvar Thirumangai Alvar or Tirumangai Alvar or Tirumankai Alvar or Thirumangai Mannan is the last of the 12 Alvar saints of south India, who are known for their affiliation to Vaishnava tradition of Hinduism. He is considered one of the most learned Alvar and the most superior Alvar in the context of... |
8th C. AD, thirukurayalur | Kaliyan, Aalinaadan, NaaluKaviPerumaal, Arulmaari, Parakaalan, Mangaiyarkone |
Kaarthigai | KrithikaI (Kritthikaa) | Saranga (Bow) |
External links
- The Twelve Alvars
- Alvars and Srivaishnavism
- The Alvar Saints (ramanuja.org)
- The Alvar Saints of Tamilnadu by Jyotsna Kamat