SrI:
Dear Sri Hari Haran :
The times in which the AzhwArs lived
are counted in two ways .
SampradhAyic devotees would refer to
previous yugams or very early dates .
For instance 3,000 padi Guru
Paramparaa
attributes the birht of Swamy NammAzhwAr is
to the 43rd day of Kali Yugam (B.C 3102)
that puts us in an era few thousand years back .
Madhurakavi AzhwAr, Swamy NammAzhwAr's
prime disciple's time( B.C 3224) is given
to be DhvApara yugam , the one before the current
Kali Yugam , when Lord KrishNa lived . Madhura
Kavi AzhwAr is thus considered a contemproary
of both
Lord KrishNa and Swamy NammAzhwAr .
All the other AzhwArs are consdiered as
avayaav BhUthars of Swamy NammAzhwAr ,
which places them after Him . Thirumangai
AzhwAr is accepted as the last of the 12 AzhwArs
.
The three Mudhal AzhwArs ( Poygai , BhUtam
and
pEy) are recognized as the first of the three
AzhwArs
in other tradition about their times .In this
tradition ,
PeriyAzhwAr is given the date of B.C 3056 and Andal
B.C 3005 . Thirumangai is given the date of B.C
2714 .
In the tradition of modern day historians , the
dates of
Aahwars are ascribed to the time when Bhakti
traditon
reached its height ( Between 5th and 10th century
C.E ) .
The historical references to the kings who ruleda
at
the time of the AzhwArs are used by these
historians :
1. PeriyAzhwAr Thirumozhi: 344/ KonedumARa
Paandyan
2. Periya
Thirumozhi of Thirumangai AzhwAr :
Paasurams 1128-1137: reference to specific
Pallava Kings and Paasurams 1498-1507
,
where AzhwAr refers to KocchenkOtcchOzha
king.
SilAsanams , grammar and style of poetry are also
used to ascribe the specific dates for AzhwAr's
lives .
It will be very difficult to reconcile sampradhAyic
period with the actual historic period. The best
way
is to enjoy the aruLiccheyalkaL of the AzhwArs as
great gifts to us to tune our minds to their
great
bhakti anubhavam and enjoy the fragrance of their
Bhakti laden offerings to the Dhivya Dampathis
.
For AzhwArs like Sawmy NammAzhwAr ,
Yugam , Year , Tithi , Day of the week ( Vaaram) ,
the star ina scendance ( Thirunakshatram) and
even
lagnam is given . The details are : PramAti Year
inthe cycle of 60 years, VaikAsi PourNami
Friday
VisAka Nakshtram . Such details are available
for
all the zhwArs and we celebrate their
Thirunakshatrams
like Aadi Pooram for Andal , Aani SvAti for
PeriyAzhwAr,
SiddhArti Iyppasi SravaNam for Poygai , Iypaasi
avittam
for BhUtam , Iypassi Satayam for pEy AzhwAr
,
Chittirai ChitrA for Madhura kavi , Maasi
Punarpoosam
for KulasEkharar, Maarghazhi Kettai for
Thondardaippodi,
Kaarthikai RohiNi for ThiruppANar and Kaartikai
Kruttikai for Thirumangai AzhwAr .
The information ontheir birth places
( avatAra Stalams ) are available :
1.Poykai AzhwAr: ThiruvehhA near
Kaanchi
( amsam of our Lord's
Conch)
2. BhUtam: Kadanmallai ( amsam of our Lord's
Mace)
3. pEy: Mylapore ( amsam of our Lord's
Sword)
4. Thirumazhisai AzhwAr: Thirumazhisai near
Chennai
5. PeriyAzhwAr ( GarudAmsam) :
SrivilliputthUr
6.Andal ( BhU DEvi ) : SrivilliputthUr
7. Swamy NammAzhwAr : ThirukkuruhUr
8. Madhura Kavi: ThirukkOLUr
9. KulasEkharar: Kollinadu ( Kerala)/
Koustubha amsam)
10. ThiruppAnar: UrayUr near Srirangam
11. Thondaradippodi: Thirumandangudi
12. Thirumangai : ThirukkuRayaloor
The Dhivya Prabhandhams of the twelve AzhwArs
have been commented upon by great Commentators
after AchArya RaamAnujA's times and some of them
are
covered in the Sundarasimham , Ahobilavalli series
:
Please enjoy AhwAr's Paasurams since there are
few matches for their Bhagavad anubhavam
.
NamO Sriman narAyaNAya ,
Oppliappan Koil V.Sadagopan
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