Nammalvar
Nammalvar | |
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Kalamegha Perumal temple | |
Personal | |
Born | Sadagopan 8th century CE[1] |
Religion | Hinduism |
Philosophy | Sri Vaishnavism, Bhakti |
Religious career | |
Literary works | Tiruviruttam Tiruvaciriyam Periya Tiruvantati Tiruvaymoli |
Part of a series on |
Vaishnavism |
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Nammalvar (
According to traditional scriptures, Nammalvar was born in 3059 BCE in Alwarthirunagiri;[2] historically he flourished in 8th century CE.[1] In Hindu legends, Nammalvar remained speechless from the moment of his birth, sitting under a tamarind tree when he first interacted with Madhurakavi Alvar, who saw a bright light shining to the south, and followed it until he reached the tree where the boy was residing.
The works of Nammalvar were compiled by Madhurakavi as four different works, the
The Garudasevai festival in
Alvars
The word alvar means the one who dives deep into the ocean of the countless attributes of god.
According to a traditional account by Manavala Mamunigal, the first three alvars, namely Poigai, Bhoothath and Pey, belong to the Dvapara Yuga (before 4200 BC). It is widely accepted by tradition and historians that the trio are the earliest among the twelve alvars.[4][5][7][8][9] The alvars were also instrumental in promoting the Bhagavatha cult and the two epics of India, the Ramayana and the Mahabharata.[10] The alvars were instrumental in spreading Vaishnavism throughout the region.[11] The verses of the various alvars were compiled by Nathamuni (824-924 AD), a 10th-century Vaishnava theologian, who called it the "Tamil Veda".[12][13]
Early life
According to traditional scriptures, Nammalvar was born on the 43rd Kali in 3059 BCE as an amsha of
Tradition says that he must have been born fully enlightened because as a baby he never cried or suckled and never opened his eyes. According to legend, as a child he responded to no external stimuli and his parents left him at the feet of the deity of
It is believed that in the Kali Yuga, the doors of Vaikuntham (The abode Of Vishnu) was opened first time for him by Narayana himself and it is believed that the followers of Swami Nammalvar have the most easy access to the supreme abode. Following his moksha his family entitle as the Subbiah Kumara Pillai by holy Vaishnava acharyas and they serve him and believe him to be Sriman Narayana Tiruvadi. After the passing of Nammalvar, Madhurakavi Alvar composed 10 pasrams called Kanninin Sirutambu. He gave a word that whoever reads this 11,000 times with devotion will get vision and blessings of Nammalvar whenever they visit his abode at Alvarthirunagari.
Nammalvar was one of the twelve alvar poet-saints who immersed themselves in a love of Vishnu and who had a considerable knowledge of ancient Tamil literature and its variants of traditional stories concerning Vishnu and his associates, as well as the philosophical differences between Buddhism, Hinduism and Jainism.[15]
Work
He contributed four pieces of works to
- Tiruvaymoli (1102 verses)
- Tiruviruttam (100 verses)
- Tiruvaciriyam(7 verses)
- Periya Tiruvantati (87 verses)
Tiruvaymoli describes Ranganatha as a metaphor for discussing the philosophical details in
- The nature of the paramatma(divine soul)
- The nature of the jeevatma(living soul)
- The means for the Paramatma(divine soul)
- The blocks and hurdles on the way and
- The goal moksha (divinity).
In the Sri Vaishnava canon, these four represent (in Tamil language) the four
Style of composition
The distinction of Nammalvar with his contemporaries is above the devotional aspects in writing, the visualization and dramatic movement. He mentions Vishnu in various aspects frequently in all his verses. The poems of Tiruvirrutam are depicted fully between the lone context of the hero and heroine. Most of these are utterances of the hero, heroine, her friends to the heroine or her mother to the heroine. The heroine always perceives her hero, Vishnu everywhere around her. As per Varadachari, Tiruviruttam is "an account of the pilgrimage of the soul to its transcendence over its ignorance, sleep and sloth in which it is caught up in the body". While medieval poetry is considered self-pity and repentance, his works always have a message of hope.[25]
Significance
This section may need to be rewritten to comply with Wikipedia's quality standards. (September 2022) |
Nammalvar is regarded as one of the top three Hindu mystics in India, with the other two being
Nammalvar is considered greatest among the twelve alvars and his contributions amount to 1352 among the 4000 stanzas in the Nalayira Divya Prabandam.The
The Pagal Pathu and Ra Pathu festivals are celebrated in the month of Margazhi (December–January) for twenty days in
See also
Notes
- ^ a b c "Nammazhvar | South Indian poet-saint | Britannica".
- ^ ISBN 978-81-208-0284-1.
- ^ "Meaning of Alvar". ramanuja.org. Retrieved 2 July 2007.
- ^ ISBN 978-93-5018-104-1.
- ^ a b c Dalal 2011, pp. 20-21
- ISBN 9780810864450.
- ^ Aiyangar, Sakkottai Krishnaswami (1920). Early history of Vaishnavism in south India. Oxford University Press. pp. 17–18.
poigai azhwar.
- ISBN 9780823931804.
poygai.
- ISBN 9780143067627.
- ^ B.S. 2011, p. 42
- ^ B.S. 2011, pp. 47-48
- ISBN 9788125014539.
- ISBN 9788170223757.
- ^ ISBN 9788176254366.
- ^ ISBN 9780802806932.
- ^ "Nammalwar in whose Honor Vaikuntha Ekadashi is Celebrated". 26 April 2015.
- ^ Ramanujan 2005, p. xi
- ISBN 978-0-470-82958-5.
- ^ Gupta, Ke.Si. (1988). Vaishyas in India, Volume 1. India: All India Vaishya Samaj. pp. 5, 38.
VYSYA. SAINTS. NAMMALVAR. According to tradition Nammalvar is the first amongst Alvars of Ramanuja Visista Advaita Siddhantha and he was is known traditionally one who born in a Vysya family .
- ISBN 978-9-38901-269-9.
Nammalwar belonging to the Vellalar, Vaishya community
- ^ Ramesh, M.S. (2000). 108 Vaishnavite Divya Desams: Divya desams in Malai Nadu and Vada Nadu. T.T. Devasthanams. p. 95.:"A vysya by name Tiruvazhmarba was married to lady by name Brindha . They had no children . They prayed to the Lord of Tirupatisaram and were blessed with a daughter named ******* Udaya nangai ."
- ^ https://archive.org/details/pattupattutentamilidyllschelliahj.v._108_Q/page/n81/mode/2up
- ISBN 9788176252263.
- ^ Das 2005, p. 29
- ^ Das 2005, pp. 41-44
- ISBN 9788131719589.
- ^ "Garudasevai". The Hindu. 25 October 2002. Archived from the original on 30 June 2003. Retrieved 7 July 2013.
- ^ ISBN 0-203-67414-6.
- ^ ISBN 0-87249-965-0.
- ^ ISBN 0-253-35334-3.
- ISBN 9788120607088.
References
- A., Srinivasa Raghavan. Nammalvar, in "Makers of Indian Literature" Series. New Delhi, India: Sahitya Akademi.
- B. S., Chandrababu; S., Ganeshram; C., Bhavani (2011). History of People and Their Environs. Bharathi Puthakalayam. ISBN 9789380325910.
- Chari, S. M. Srinivasa (1997). Philosophy and Theistic Mysticism of the Āl̲vārs. ISBN 9788120813427.
- Dalal, Roshen (2011). Hinduism: An Alphabetical Guide. Penguin Books India. ISBN 9780143414216.
- Das, Sisir Kumar; Sāhitya Akādemī (2005). A history of Indian literature, 500-1399: from courtly to the popular. chennai: Sāhitya Akādemī. ISBN 81-260-2171-3.
- Ramanujan, Attipat Krishnaswami (2005). Hymns for the Drowning: Poems for Vishnu. Penguin Books. ISBN 9780144000104.
- Sri Srirama Bharathi Araiyar Sacred Book. Chennai, India 601 302: Dhivya Prabhanda Pathasala, Jalladam Pattai. 1995.
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: CS1 maint: location (link) - Sujatha (2007). Alvargal - Oor Eliya Arimugam. Chennai, India: Visa Publications.