Radhe Krishna 11-11-11
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Sri Naathamunigal
The twelve AzhwArs flourished in south India somewhere between the fifth and ninth centuries of the first millenium. The Bhakthi movement in India got a great boost from their Tamil hymns, which are profound and spontaneous outpourings of their bhagavath anubhavam (the enjoyment of the Divine being). Their hymns add up to 4000 in number and are revered as "the sacred collect" (Dhivya Prabhandham). They house a rich vein of philosophical and theological ideas central to the VisishtAdvaitha VedAntham: TattvA (ultimate reality), HithA (the means for attainment of that reality) and the PurushArthA (the supreme goal of life) .In the second millenium, AchArya RaamAnujA developed further the theory of Supreme reality expounded by AzhwArs into a clear doctrine with all its philosophical implications and underpinnings.
Dr.S.M.S.Chari has commented in his excellent book on AzhwArs (Philosophy and the Theistic mysticism of the ALwArs) that the AzhwAr's works belong to the fourth period of development of Sri VaishNavam. He identifies Sri VaishNavam as the oldest monotheistic religion rooted inthe VedAs and upanishads that developedin four stages during its growth: (1) Vedic and Upanishadic period (2) IthihAsA and PurANic period (3)Agamic period and (4)the AzhwAr's period. The mystical hymns of the AzhwArs laden with the highest experience (anubhavam)of the Supreme being as Sriman NaarAyaNA is consistent with the teachings of VedAs, Upanishads, IthihAsAs, Saathvika PurANAs and Sri VaishNavite AagamAs.
The essence of the twenty four dhivy prabhandhams of the twelve AzhwArs as summarized by Dr.S.M.S.Chari is as follows: "The most striking feature of the Reality as portrayed prominently by the ALvArs is that the Supreme Being of VedAnthA is a personal God in the name of Sriman NaarAyaNA , who possesses not only infinite auspicious attributes but also a spiritual body bedecked with weapons and ornaments".
Swamy NammAzhwAr, who is considered as the doyen of all the AzhwArs considers this Supreme Reality (Sriman NaarAyaNA) as the One endowed with "infinite auspicious attributes par excellence". Swamy NammAzhwAr's definition of this Supreme Reality has been brilliantly summarized further by Dr.S.M.S. Chari this way: "He possesses infinite, unsurpassable bliss. He is essentially of the spiritual knowledge and bliss. He is distinct from the material objects, which are cognized by the sense organs and also (distinct) from the sentient souls, which can be comprehended by the mind cleansed of all impuriites through yogic practice. He exists at all times and in all places. There is none, who is higher than Him and equal to Him."
Dr.S.M.S. Chari goes on further to comment on the special relationship between this Supreme Reality and the sentients (jeevans) as well as the insentient (prakruthi). Dr.Chari states: "All the sentient beings and the non-sentient entities in the universe derive their existence (sattA) from that One Supreme Person. Their sustenance (sthithi) also is dependent on Him. All their activities are controlled by His will (Sankalpam). He abides in ALL that exists in the universe as their anthrAthmA and controls them from within. He pervade every particle of water in the ocean, every minute particle of ether and earth and all the subtle individual souls. Though He is in every object and in every place, He is invisible. He is the One, who creates the universe and dissolves it. The universe is organically related to the Supreme Being in the same way as the physical body is related to the soul within. This ParamAthman as a transcendental reality remains unaffected by the defects of the universe (and its beings) even though He is hidden in all objects as antharyAmin. The factthat ParamAthman though abiding in all entities in the universe is free from defects and also endowed with auspicious attributes reveal the two fold characteristic of Brahman known as Ubhaya-lingathvA, as pointed out by the VedAntha SUtrA and strongly upheld by the VisishtAdvaitha VedAnthA. This theory is fully reflected in the hymns of NammAzhwAr (and the other AzhwArs). The significant feature of the philosophical theory of reality is the
presentation of the concept of the organic relationship of body and soul. The SupremeBeing , which is equated with the universe is conceived as the Universal Soul (Athman) and all that exists in the universe as its body(SarIra). This concept of body-soul relation (SarIrAthma-bhAva) constitutes the unique doctrine of VisishtAdvaita VedanthA (PradhAna-paritanthrA) as expounded later by RaamAnujA. The relationship that exists between IsvarA and the universe is of the nature of AdhAra-AdhEya. That is, IsvarA is AdhArA, the Supporter and the universe is AdhEyA, the supported, as in the case of jIvA and the body".
Dr.S.M.S. Chari analyses brilliantly the concept of Godhead as a Supreme person (PurushOtthamA) and the way in which the Upanishads, IthihAsAs and PurANAs, AgamAs and the AzhwArs dwell on them. He says: "The concept of Godhead as a Supreme Person (PurushOtthamA) has several aspects. It covers God's essential nature (SvarUpA), the divine attributes (djivya-guNAs), the divine personality (dhivya mangaLa vigrahA), the divine incarnations (dhivya avathArAs), and the divine activities (dhivya leelAs). The Upanishads have accorded greater importance to the essential nature of God as the Supreme Being. The AgamA treatises have paid more attention to the visual aspects of the divine personality. The IthihAsAs and PurANAs, on the other hand, have emphasized the divine attributes and divine functions.The religious have developed their attention to such selected divine attributes as are of emotional appeal to the devotees. The AzhwArs on the other hand, have dwelt on ALL these aspects of the Divinity (Divine Attributes, Divine Personality, Divine Incarnations and Divine Activities). The uniqueness of the Dhivya Prabhandhams (of the AzhwArs) lies in presenting a grand description of the Divine Being full of emotional appeal to the devotees. "
The Dates of the Twelve AzhwArs Both VedAntha Desikan and MaNavALa Maamuni support the chronological order of the twelve AzhwArs in this sequence:
1. Poygai AzhwAr
2. PUthatthAzhwAr 3. PEy AzhwAr 4. Thirumazhisai AzhwAr 5. NammAzhwAr 6. KulasEkarar 7. PeriyAzhwAr 8. TonDaradippodi 9. PaaNAzhwAr 10. Thirumangai
ANDAL and Madhura Kavi are remaining two of the set of twelve AzhwArs. ANDAL is the avathAram of one of the divine consorts of the Lord and is the foster daughter of PeriyAzhwAr. Madhura Kavi is the prime disciple of Swamy NammAzhwAr. ANDAL and Madhura Kavi are thus contemporaries of PeriyAzhwAr and NammAzhwAr in a chronological sense.
There is a wide variation in the dates of the twelve AzhwArs. They range from dhvApara YugA to Kali YugA. Modern scholars accept dates ranging from the 5th to the 9th centuries A.D based on historical facts referred to in the Paasurams of the AzhwArs. It is important to know that the precise determination of the dates of birth and the length of their lives of the AzhwArs are not "really relevant" for the study of their philosophy and the understanding of their upadEsams as AchAryans to uplift those suffering from SamsAric afflictions.
The 24 Prabhandhams of the Tweve AzhwArs
The divine-collect of the Four Thousand has been classified into
24 individual prabhandhams with four parts.
The first part consists of the ThiruvAimozhi of NammAzhwA with
1,102 hymns.
The second part houses the Periya Thirumozhi of Thirumangai with
1,084 hymns along with ThirukkurunthANDakam (20 hymns) and ThiruneDunthANDakam (30 hymns).
The third part, MudalAyiram, is constituted by the two prabhandhams of PeriyAzhwAr (ThiruppallANDu and PeriyAzhwAr Thirumozhi), ANDAL (TiruppAvai and NaacchiyAr Thirumozhi) , KulasEkarar (PerumAL Thirumozhi) , ToNDaradippodi (ThiruppaLLIyezucchi and ThirumAlai), ThiruppANAzhwAr (AmalanAdhipirAn) , Madhura Kavi (KaNNInuNN SiRutthAmpu) and the Thirucchandha Viruttham of Thirumazhisai .
The fourth and the final part , IyaRppA , containsthe three ThiruvandhAthis of Mudhal AzhwArs(Poygai, PUtham and pEy),Naanmukhan ThiruvandhAthi of Thirumazhisai , the remaining three prabhandhams of Swamy NammazhwAr (Thiruviruttham , ThiruvAsiriyam and Periya ThiruvandhAthi) ,the three more prabhandhams ofThirumangai (ThiruvEzhukURRIrukkai , SiRiya Thirumadal,PeriyaThirumadal) and RaamAunsa nURRandhAthi ofThiruvarangatthu AmudanAr .
The dhivya Prabhandham (divine collect of 4,000 hymns) is considered as the elaboration of the three rahasyams, ashtAksharam, Dhvayam and Charama slOkam, sacred to the Sri VaishNava samprahdAyam.
The Commentaries on the Dhivya Prabhandhams All the 4,000 hymns have been commented on by our poorvAchAryAs. Among them, the entire set of of 24 prabhandhams have been commented on by only two poorvAchAryAs, PeriyavAcchAn PiLLai and the Periya ParakAla MahA Desikan.
The first of all these commentaries is by ThirukkurhaipirAn PiLLAn, a direct disciple of AchArya RaamAnujA; latter commissioned PiLLAn to write this commentary on Swamy NammAzhwAr's ThiruvAimozhi. This commentary is known as Bhagavath Vishayam and consists of 6,000 padis or granthAs (a unit of 32 letters). PiLLAn has followed his AchAryan's views strictly in this grantham. This commentary is terse and precise at the same time.Swamy Desikan salutes this commentary as the most authentic one to comprehend the mind and message of Swamy NammazhwAr.
There are seven other commentaries on ThiruvAimozhi in the following chronological order. Most of them, unless otherwise indicated are in MaNipravALam, Sanskritized Tamil:
1. NanjIyar (1113 A.D), the disciple of ParAsara Bhattar(9,000 padi)
2. PeriyavAcchAn PiLLai (1168 A.D)(24,000 Padi) 3. Vadakku ThiruveedhippiLLai (1167 A.D) (Idu 36,000 padi) 4. VaadhikEsari Azhagiya MaNavALa Jeeyar(1242 A.D),12,000 padi 5. RangarAmAnuja Muni (1650 A.D), Sanskrit Commentary : 9,000 padi 6. Periya ParakAla Swamy (1676 A.D),18,000 padi 7. SaakshAth Swamy (1700 A.D),24,00o padi.
Swamy Desikan's detailed commentary (Nigama parimaLa) unfortunately does not exist anymore. It would have been wonderful to enjoy the ParimaLam (fragrance) of Nigamam (Tamizh vedam) from NigamAntha MahA Desikan. We arefortunate however to have his other two Sanskrit works, Dramidopanishad SaarA and DramidOpanishad Taatparya-RathnAvaLi. To these commentaries, we have to add the insightful grantham of Azhagiya MaNavALa PerumAL Naayanar (brother of Sri PiLLai LokAcchAr and a contemproary of Swamy Desikan) dealing with the inner meanings of Swamy NammAzhwAr's ThiruvAimozhi. Among these commentaries those of Swamy Desikan, Azhagiya MaNavALa Jeeyar (1242 A.D), SaakshAth Swamy and Periya parakAla Jeeyar are close to PiLLAn's 6,000 padi. Those of Nanjeeyar, periyavAcchAn PiLLai and Vadakku ThiruveethippiLLai are considered by Dr.S.M.S Chari as somewhat independent commentaries of ThiruvAimozhi.
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