Nalayira divya prabhandam

The Nalayira Prabandham consists of four thousand verses in praise of Lord Vishnu in what is perhaps the oldest language of India--Tamil. Composed by the Azhwars, literally the God-immersed, the Prabandham sings the praise of Narayana (or Vishnu) and his many forms. A collection of 4,000 such verses composed before 8th century AD, by the 12 azhwars is called as “The Nalayira Divya Prabandham”. Due to their divinity they are called as divya Prabhandas. (Naalayira in Tamil means 'four thousand')  The Alvars sung songs at various sacred shrines to the tune of 3892.  Poigai alvar (100), Bhoothathalvar (100), Peyalvar (100), Thirumalisai alvar (216), Periyalvar (473), Aandaal (173), Thondaradippodi alvar (55), Thirumangai alvar(1253), Thiruppaan alvar (10), Kulasekara alvar (105), Nammalvar(1296), Madurakavialvar(11) after including the Thiruvarangathamudhanar’s Ramanuja noorandhathi (108) the Divya prabhandas became 4000 in number. It was compiled in its present form by Nathamuni during the 9th – 10th centuries.

The work is the beginning of the canonization of the 12 Vaishnava poet saints, and these hymns are still sung extensively even today. The shrines in which these divine prabhandhas were sung are known as the Divya Desams. These Prabhandas once thought of being lost were collected and organized in the form of an anthology by Nathamuni. The nalayira divya prabhandam has four major divisions viz: - Mudhalaayiram, Periya thirumozhi, thiruvaimozhi and eyarpa. The major contributions to these compilations are by Thirumangaialvar and Namalvar.

Nathamuni was born in Veera Naarayanapuram (Veeranam) or present day Kaattu Mannaar Koil. There is a lot of gap in time between Thirumangai Alvar (the last alvar) and Nathamuni. In this dark period, nobody knew what happened to the 4000 verses.

Legend has it that once Nathamuni heard some people reciting the decade of 'Aaraavamude' of Nammaazhvaar at Kumbakonam. Captivated by these paasurams, he wanted to know more about them. One of the verses also mentioned 'aayiraththul ippaththu' (Tamil: these 10 out of the 1000). When Nathamuni enquired about the remaining 990, the people who sang the 10 did not know anything about the other verses. But as the song mentioned the name and place of the alvar (kurugoor satakopan), Nathamuni proceeded to Thirukurugoor and asked the people there about Swami Nammazhwar's 1000 verses. The people did not know the 1000 that Nathamuni wanted, but they told him about 11 pasurams of Madhurakavi Alvar, who was the disciple of Nammaazhvaar (Kanninun Siruthaambu). They asked him to go to Thiruppuliaazhwar, the place were Nammaazhvaar lived, and recite these 11 pasurams for 12000 times. Nathamuni did as advised, and pleased with his penance, Nammaazhvaar granted him not only his 1000 pasurams, but the entire 4000 parsurams of all the alvars. In South India, especially in Tamil Nadu, the Divya Prabhandha is considered as equal to the Vedas, hence the epithet Dravida Veda / fifth veda (Ientham Vedam) In many temples, Srirangam, for example, the chanting of the Divya Prabhandham forms a major part of the daily service.