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SriRangaSri List Archive: Message 00047 Apr 2005

 
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SrI:
SrImathE Gopaladesika mahadesikaya namah:

Dearest Srivaishnavas,

I was not well for the past two weeks and also had to
go on an official assignment. I could not continue
immediately on Srinivasa Vaibhavam.

Apologies for the interruption in our enjoyment. 
Let us continue to enjoy the series: Before immersing
ourselves in the divine outpourings of AzhwAr saints?
verses on Sri Srinivasan of Thirumala divya desam, let
us quickly enjoy the count of 4000 verses by azhwArs.
Out of these, 202 verses have been reported to be sung
on Thirumalai (ThiruvEnkatam). 

4000  - the four thousand Tamil devotional hymns
(pAsurams) sung by the Divine Ten AzhwArs, Sri Andal
and Sri Madhurakavi AzhwAr and Sri 
Thiruvarangatthu Amudhanaar are reverentially praised
as 4000 and Tamil Vedas. They are called Vedas because
they reflect the relevant portions of Vedas in
unambiguous terms and they do not speak of anything
other than Vedas, directly or indirectly. The PAsurams
of the AzhwArs and Sri Andal praise the Lord with His
Divine consort in his varied incarnations, expressing
the depth of devotion in which they were immersed,
their divine experiences and also praying for the
eternal bliss of association with Him and service to
Him.

Sri Madhurakavi AzhwAr?s 11 pAsurams were in praise of
his Acharya Sri NammAzhwAr and Sri Thiruvarangatthu
Amudhanaar?s 108 pAsurams on Sri 
Ramanuja?s glories are also in 4000. (this 108
Pasurams of Amudhanaar were added later into this
4000). 

Owing to the great esteem in which Sri 
NammAzhwAr and Sri Ramanujar are held in the tradition
of Acharyas, the PAsurams extolling them are also
included in the four thousand devotional 
hymns worshipping the Lord.

Before we outline their number of pAsurams (as to how
it gets added to 4000), let us see their origin and
dates of birth. Tradition assigns high antiquity to
the AzhwArs taking them to 4200 BCE to 2700 BCE and
also regards them as Divine incarnations (as amsaas of
the Lord?s paraphernalia). According to guru
paramparas, the first four AzhwArs namely  Poigai
AzhwAr, BhUtatthAzhwAr, PEyAzhwAr and Thirumazhisai
AzhwAr were born at the end of Dwapara yuga, which
corresponds to 4200 BCE. Madhurakavi also is believed
to be born in Dwapara yuga corresponding to 3200 BCE.
NammAzhwAr, KulasekarAzhwAr, PeriyAzhwAr and ANdAL
were born during the first century of Kaliyuga which
approximates to 3103 BCE to 3003 BCE. The remaining
three AzhwArs ThoNdaradippodi AzhwAr, ThiruppAN AzhwAr
and Thirumangai AzhwAr took birth in the years of 298,
343 and 399 respectively in the Kaliyuga which
corresponds to 2803, 2758 and 2702 BCE. (From A
Govindacharya, the Holy lives of Alwars).

However, the modern scholars have questioned these
dates and assigned a period ranging from 5th to the
9th centuries CE on the basis of a few historical
evidences, though there is no unanimity among them on
the dates. Whatever it is the order in which they
would have appeared is:

Mudhal AzhwArs (First three AzhwArs- Poigai, PhUtha,
PEy AzhwArs);
Thirumazhisai AzhwAr,
Madhurakavi AzhwAr
NammAzhwAr
PeriyAzhwAr
AndAL
KulasekaraAzhwAr
ThoNdaradipodi AzhwAr
ThiruppAN AzhwAr and
Thirumangai AzhwAr

Further, the reference is there in Srimath Bhagawatham
to the birth of these AzhwArs:
In the beginning of Kaliyuga, persons exclusively
devoted to Narayana and endowed with spiritual
knowledge will be born here and there but in large 
numbers in the land of the Draavidas where the flow of
rivers ThaamaraparaNi, Krtamaalaa (Vaigai), Payasvini
(Paalaar), the holy river cauveri, and the MahaanadhI
(PeriyaaRu), which runs westwards.

kalau khalu Bhavishyanthi nArAyaNa parAyaNa:
kvachin kvachi mahAbhAga drAmidEsu cha bhUrisa:
thAmaraparaNi nadI yatra krtamaalaa payasvinI:
kAvErI cha mahAbhAgA prathIchI cha mahAnadhI  
(Srimad Bhagawatham- XI-5- 38-39)

It is to be noted that NammAzhwAr and Madhurakavi
AzhwAr were born in the banks of ThamaraparaNi;
PeriyAzhwAr and ANDAL in a place close to Vaigai 
(madurai); Poigai AzhwAr, PhUthathAzhwAr, PeyAzhwAr,
and Thirumazhisai AzhwAr near the Paalaar and
ThoNdaradippodi AzhwAr, ThiruppANAzhwAr, Thirumangai
AzhwAr on the banks of the river Cauveri.
The dates are not however relevant for enjoyment of
their divine pAsurams of course. The important point
is that they were all born before Sri Nathamuni 
(823 CE) and Ramanuja (1017 CE) who were greatly
influenced by their pAsurams and teachings and after
period of Agamas, the epics and Puranas, as their
PAsurams reflect the deep knowledge of these Agamas,
epics and puranas.

Let us look at the count:
A composer wise count of 4000 given by Swamy Sri
Vedantha Desikan: from 
Prabhandha saaram- 15 and 16).
(meaning of the 15 and 16 prbandhams of Prabandha
saaram, of Swamy desikan)

If we keep a count of the 4000 Divya prabandhams:
1. Mudhal AzhwArs (Poigai, PudhathAzhwAr, and
PeyAzhwAr) sang 300; (mudhal, 
irandaam and moonRaam nooranthaadhi- 100 each)
2. Thirumazhisai AzhwAr sang 216 (120- Thirucchandha
viruttham; 96-naanmukhan Thiruvandhaathi)
3. MaaRan (Sri NaamAzhwAr) sang 1296 as the essence of
Vedas containing true spiritual teachings-
Thiruviruttham- 100; 
Thiruvaaasiriyam- 7; 
Periya ThiruvandhAthi- 87; 
Thiruvaaymozhi- 1102;]
4. MadhurakavigaL (who showed the path of devotion to
Aacharya) sang 11 (Kanninun chRrutthambu);
5. Kulasekara AzhwAr (king of Vanji land) sang 105
(PerumAL Thirumozhi)
6. PeriyAzhwAr (Bhatta nAthan) sang 473 pAsurams which
shines as the literature for music.
7. Kodhai (Sri Andal) who was an incarnation of Sri
BhUmi PiraaTTi Herself) sang 173 (ThiruppAvai-30;
Naacchiyaar Thirumozhi- 143)
8. ThoNdaradippodi AzhwAr- (Patthar adippodi) sang
fifty five (Thiruppalliyezhiucchi- 10; Thirumaalai-
45)
9. PaaNar (ThiruppANAzhwAr) sang 10 Amalanaadhipiraan)
10. Parakalan (Thirumangai AzhwAr) sang 1253 in
all-praising the glorious Lord Sri Srinivasan, the
father of the world, [Periya Thirumozhi- 1084;
ThirukkuRunthANDakam- 20; ThirunedunthANdakam- 30; 
ThiruvezhukkuRRirukkai- 1; SiRiya Thirumadal- 40;
Periya Thirumadal- 78]

11. Sri Thiruvarangatthu Amudhanaar- (during Sri
Ramanuja?s time) sang 108 pAsurams praising the
beautiful Lotus Feet of YathirAjar (Sri Ramanuja) who 
showed us the path to mOksham (Salvation).

Add the above:- You get 4000. These four thousand
hymns sung and left by these saints for the welfare of
all in all directions of the world are the 
source of prosperity for the lives of ours -who are
servants of the Lord and His devotees.

The Naalaayiram (4000) is organized as follows:
1. FIRST 1000- PeriyAzhwAr Thirumozhi; ThiruppAvai;
Naacchiyaar Thirumozhi; PerumAL Thirumozhi;
Thirucchandha Viruttham; Thirumaalai; 
Thiruppalliyezhucchi; Amalanadhipiran;
KaNNinunchIrutthaambhu; - nine works. 
(Total- 947 pAsurams)
2. Second 1000- Periya Thirumozhi;
ThirukkuRunthANdakam; 
ThirunedunthANdakam; - three works (Total- 1134
pAsurams)
3. Third 1000- Thiruvaymozhi alone- (1102 pAsurams)
4. Fourth 1000- mudhal, iraNdaam and mooNraam
nooRanthAdhi; Thirumazhisai 
AzhwAr?s naanmukhan ThiruvanthAdhi; Thiruviruttham;
Thiruvaasiriyam; Periya 
ThiruvanthAthi; ThiruvezhukkuRRirukkai; SiRiya
Thirumadal; Periya 
Thirumadal; Iraamaanusa NooRanthAthi (11 works-
Total-817 pAsurams)

TOTAL- 4000.

We will enjoy the individual verses on
ThiruvEnkatamudaiyaan from next posts. 
AzhwAr ThiruvaDigaLE SaraNam
Sri PadmavathI samEtha Sri Srinivasa ParabrahmaNE
namah:
Regards
Namo Narayana
dAsan


                
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