Naalayira Divya Prabandham

The Naalayira Divya Prabandham is a collection of 4,000 Tamil verses composed by the 12 Alvars. It was compiled in its present form by Nāthamuni during the 9th–10th centuries. The work, an important liturgical compilation of the Tamil Alvars who lived between 5th and 8th Century CE, marks the beginning of the canonisation of 12 Vaishnava poet saints, and these hymns are still sung extensively today.

Description

The Divya Prabandham sings the praises of Narayana and his many forms. The Alvars sang these songs at various sacred shrines known as the Divya Desams. These hymns were formed during the early phase of bhakti tradition development in South India.
The Tamil Vaishnavites, also known as Ubhaya Vedanti follow both the Sanskrit Vedas as well as the Tamil-language Tiruvaymoli, a work which devotees of Sri Vaishnavism regard as the Tamil Veda. In many temples — Srirangam, for example — the chanting of the Divya Prabandham forms a major part of the daily service, integrating poetic composition with ritual worship and devotional practice. It is also recited in some North Indian Vaishnavite temples, such as Badrinath. The Divya Prabandham is recited along with the Vedas, and it is given equal status to the Vedas in the Tenkalai denomination of Sri Vaishnavism, largely due to the efforts of Ramanuja who enshrined the Divya Prabandham on the same pedestal as the Vedas.
Prominent among its 4,000 verses are the 1,102 verses known as the Tiruvaymoli, composed by Nammalvar and which forms the third portion of the overall Divya Prabandham. Nammalvar self-identifies as a lovelorn gopi pining for Krishna.
The compendium begins with the Tirupallantu, a benedictory hymn written by Periyalvar, wishing long life to Vishnu.

Structure

The text is split into 4 sections of roughly 1000 pasurams each. They are in order Mudalayiram, Irandam Ayiram, Munram Ayiram, and Iyarppa. This four-section division reflects the later canonical organization of the hymns, which were composed by different Alvars over several centuries.

Nomenclature

Pasuram

The hymns or songs sung by the Alvars dedicated to Vishnu are specifically designated the term pasuram in Tamil.

Taniyan

The works that make up the Naalayira Divya Prabandham are usually preceded by a taniyan. A taniyan refers to a stray verse, also referred to as a laudatory verse, that offers a brief synopsis of the life of the Alvar poet, a summary of the themes of the hymns, and emphasises the merit gained from the recitation, listening, or reading of the given text. It serves to glorify both the hymns as well as the composer of the hymns. Six taniyans precede the Tiruvaymoli, the most of any text in the compendium.

Vāḻi Tirunamam

Following the customary recitation of the hymns of the work, a vāḻi tirunamam is chanted. This refers to a hymn that serves to commemorate or exalt the poet-saint who composed a given work. For instance, such a verse may hope for the poet-saint to live long, or for their names to be remembered for a millennium.

Compilation

The collection, once thought to have been lost, was organised in the form of an anthology by Nathamuni. According to tradition, Nathamuni compiled the Naalayira Divya Prabandham in the 10th century, after the Alvars.
Nathamuni was born in Veera Naarayanapuram or present-day Kaattu Mannaar Koil. There is a long chronological gap between Tirumangai Alvar and Nathamuni, a period during which the transmission history of the 4,000 verses is obscure.
According to legend, Nathamuni once heard some people reciting the cantos of Āravāmude of Nammalvar at Kumbakonam. Captivated by these pasurams, he wanted to know more about them. One of the verses also mentioned Āyiraththul Ippaththu. When Nathamuni inquired about the remaining 990, the reciters did not know anything about the other verses.
Guided by the name and place of the Alvar mentioned in the verses, Nathamuni proceeded to Thirukurugoor and asked the people there about Nammalvar's 1,000 verses. The people did not know the 1,000 verses that Nathamuni wanted, but they told him about 11 pasurams of Madhurakavi Alvar, a disciple of Nammalvar, and the Kanninun Cirutampu. They asked him to go to Thiruppulialvar, the ancient tamarind tree Nammalvar preferred to meditate under during his lifetime, and recite these 11 pasurams 12,000 times. Nathamuni did as advised, and pleased with his penance, Nammalvar appeared and granted Nathamuni not only his 1,000 pasurams, but the entire 4,000-pasuram collection of all the Alvars.

Hymns

The following table shows the details of the 4,000 pasurams.

No.	Name	Starting hymn	Ending hymn	Number of hymns	Poet
1	Tirupallāṇḍu	1	12	12	Periyāḻvār
2	Periyāḻvāra Tirumoḻi	13	473	461	Periyāḻvār
3	Tiruppāvai	474	503	30	Āṇḍāḻ
4	Nācciyāra Tirumoḻi	504	646	143	Āṇḍāḻ
5	Perumāḻa Tirumoḻi	647	751	105	Kulaśekhara Āḻvār
6	Tiruccanda Viruttam	752	871	120	Tirumaḻiśai Āḻvār
7	Tirumālai	872	916	45	Toṇḍaraḍippoḍi
8	Tirupaḻḻi-eḻucci	917	926	10	Toṇḍaraḍippoḍi
9	Amalanādipirāṇa	927	936	10	Tiruppan Alvar
10	Kaṇṇinuṇ-Śiruttāmbu	937	947	11	Madhurakavi Āḻvār
11	Periya Tirumoḻi	948	2031	1084	Tirumaṅgai Āḻvār
12	Tirukkuruntāṇḍakam	2032	2051	20	Tirumaṅgai Āḻvār
13	Tiruneḍuntāṇḍakam	2052	2081	30	Tirumaṅgai Āḻvār
14	Mudala Tiruvandādi	2082	2181	100	Poygai Āḻvār
15	Iraṇḍām Tiruvandādi	2182	2281	100	Putattāḻvār
16	Mūṉṟām Tiruvandādi	2282	2381	100	Pey Āḻvār
17	Nāṉmukaṉ Tiruvandādi	2382	2477	96	Tirumaḻiśai Āḻvār
18	Tiruviruttam	2478	2577	100	Nammāḻvār
19	Tiruvāciriyam	2578	2584	7	Nammāḻvār
20	Periya Tiruvandādi	2585	2671	87	Nammāḻvār
21	Tiruveḻukūṟṟirukkai	2672	2672	1	Tirumaṅgai Āḻvār
22	Śiriya Tirumaḍal	2673	2749.5	77.5	Tirumaṅgai Āḻvār
23	Periya Tirumaḍal	2750.5	2898	148.5	Tirumaṅgai Āḻvār
24	Tiruvāymoḻi	2899	4000	1102	Nammāḻvār
N/A	Rāmānuja-nūṟṟandādī	-	-	108	Tiruvaraṅgattamudanār
	Total			4000	-