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sri:

===============================================
Q & A: Azhvars and their contributions.  
Transcript from discussions with students at  - University of Illinois Chicago
The questions are by students who have limited exposure to SriVaishnavam.

Learned devotees are requested to add/ comment on  this information as 
applicable. 
===============================================

Question: Who are the Azhvars and why are they important?
=================
Answer: Azhvar in tamil means ?One who is immersed? in GOD and His qualities. 
As per tradition, there are 10 Azhvars. 
Two more saints ­ Andal and Madhurakavi Azhvar are also considered as Azhvars. 
They took birth in all walks, communities, castes and strata of society. They 
are important to us, because they are the ones through whom Lord Sriman 
Narayana has given us the divine message in the form of the divine 4000 songs. 
They illustrate the irrelevance of caste, status, knowledge or wealth when it 
comes to the LOVE of God.

Question: What is their tangible contribution for humanity? 
=================
Answer: They have been chosen by the Lord as the instruments for delivering the 
pure message of how to fulfill the purpose of life. The 4000 divine verses 
(Nalayira divya prabhandham) are laden with bhakti and passion for the Lord. 
They have the guidelines for us to lead productive lives. Nalayira divya 
prabhandham are the Tamil Vedas. The Azhvars exhort us to place complete faith 
in the Lord for our salvation, and surrender to his will. They teach us to 
serve Him and his devotees. 

Question: There is already a Veda in Sanskrit, what is the is need for Tamil 
Veda?
=================
Answer: The Sanskrit Veda is a compendium of knowledge. It contains rituals 
(yagas) for any material goal like money, prosperity, going to a higher world 
after death etc. It also contains the ultimate truth (the relationship between 
the soul and the Lord, and how to attain salvation).  
In the Sanskrit Vedas, the ultimate truth is hard to find. Even if we find the 
message it is hard to understand it as it is present along with everything 
else. Moreover there are many restrictions to learn the sanskrit veda; one has 
to be a twice born, and undergo rigorous training for a number of years. 
It is commonly said that one lifetime is not enough to learn the Vedas by heart 
and understand it completely. 

The Tamil Veda on the other hand is a very precise body of knowledge. It 
contains only information pertinent to our salvation. 

Question:  What are the restrictions and qualifications to learn the Tamil 
Veda? And what are the fruits of learning them?
=================
Answer: There are no restrictions. Anyone with an interest in learning can 
learn the Tamil Veda, and understand the meanings through a learned teacher. 

The fruits of learning are: 
1)      understanding of the eternal relationship between the soul and God, and 
2)      development of a liking for service to God and His devotees. 
One has to experience this fruit to understand. 

Question: So how can the Tamil Veda be useful to me in today?s life? (making 
money, being popular etc.)
=================
Answer:  That depends on what you want to do today. 
If you are interested in spiritual progress, then the Tamil Vedas will help 
you.  The Tamil Vedas will help change your heart and bring you back to the 
path of Love and Surrender to the Lord. 

One who is immersed in the Tamil Vedas will surrender to the will of GOD and 
never go against HIS way. 

There is nothing wrong in earning money, as long as the purpose of earning 
money is to serve God and His devotees.

Question: When were the Azhvars born and where did they live?
=================
Answer: Details of the Azhvars birth and their contributions is listed by Svami 
Manavala Mamuni (1270 CE) in his work, Upadesa Rattina Malai. 
According to philosophical history, they were in this world prior to, and 
during the kali yuga (about 6,000 years ago). 

Modern scholars, using western linguisitic based methods, say that the Azhvars 
lived and walked on this earth between the third and eighth century CE.  

According to traditional history, the azhvars time is listed as per the Vedic 
time cycle.

The Sri Vaishnava Guruparampara lists them in the traditional vedic calendar 
as: 
Poigai Azhvar, in the year: siddharthi, Dwapara yuga: 8,62,900, month: thula, 
Star: Sravana, Thithi: Ashtami. 
This translates to modern western calendar: BCE 4204.

Mudal Azhvars: Dwapara: 8,62,900        same as BCE 4202
Thirumazhisai   : Dwapara: 8,62,900     same as BCE 4202
Nammazhvar      :  Kali: 001            same as BCE 3102
Madhurakavi     : similar time period as Nammazhvar.
Kulashekara             : Kali 027 same as BCE 3075
PeriAzhvar              :  Kali 046 same as BCE 3056
Andal                   :  Kali 097 same as BCE 3005
Thondaradipodi  :  Kali 288 same as BCE 2814
Thiruppan               :  Kali 342 same as BCE 2760
Thirumangai             :  Kali 397 same as BCE 2706

According to the Vedas, time is given in cycles of four yugas:

Krutha Yuga             17,28,000 years
Thretha Yuga            12,96,000 years
Dwapara Yuga    8,64,000 years
Kali Yuga               4,32,000 years

Question:   What is in all the 4000? Can you list them in brief?
========
Answer: The 4000 songs are organized in sets of verses. 
1. poigai AzhvAr ­                              1st  ThiruvandhAdhi
2. bhUdhaththu AzhvAr ­                         2nd ThiruvandhAdhi
3. pEyAzhvAr ­                          3rd ThiruvandAdi
4. Thirumazhisai AzhvAr ­                       thiru-ch-chanda viruttam, 
nAnmugan thiruvandAdi
5. nammAzhvAr ­                 thiru-viruttam,thiruvAsiriyam, thiruvAimozhi, 
periya thiruvandAdi
6. kulasEkhara AzhvAr ­                         perumAL thirumozhi
7. periyAzhvAr ­ thiru-p-pallANdu, periyAzhvAr thirumozhi
8.  thoNdar-adi-p-podi ­ thiru-p-paLLi-yezhuchchi, thirumAlai
9.  thiru-p-pAN AzhvAr ­                        amalanAdipirAn
10. thirumangai AzhvAr ­                thiru-k-kuRundhAndakam, 
                        thiru-nedundhANdakam, thiruvezhu-kURRirukkai, 
                        siriya thirumadal, periya thirumadal and periya 
thirumozhi
11. AndAL ­             thiru-p-pAvai, nAchchiyAr thirumozhi
12. madhurakavi AzhvAr ­                kaNNinun ciRuttAmbu

The divine work on Sri Ramanuja (1017 CE), by thiru-arangattu amudhanAr, called 
rAmAnuja nURRandhAdhi, was not a part of the Tamil Vedas as per Swami 
Nathamunigal ( 850 CE). As this work was not available during his time. It is 
now considered to be a part of the sacred 4000.

Question:  How did we get the Tamil VEDAS, if they were sung by Azhvars 5000 
years ago.
=================
This is a good question. 
During the 9th century the tamil Vedas were almost entirely lost. They were 
collected and brought out by Swami Nathamuni. 

=== Continued  === 

"Come and celebrate Azhvar and Acharya Thirunakshatrams"
       "in Washington DC. November 05th and 06th 2005"
             "Register at http://www.vedics.net/utsavam";

Azhvar Emberumanar Jeeyar ThiruvadigalE Saranam

adiyEn rAmAnuja dAsan 
Mukundan Vangipuram Pattangi 





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