Azhvars’ simple prescription to liberation

1. Azhvars’ simple prescription to liberation • Who are azhvars ? – mystic poets – absorbed in the bhakti of Sriman Narayana and help us for the same - incarnation with the divine power of nitya suris (viz pancajanya, cakra, sarnga…) – their divine poems in tamil are collectively known as 4000 divya prabandham • Order of birth – Poigai azhvar, BhUtattazhvar, Peyazhvar, Tirumazhisai azhvar, Nammazhvar, (Madhurakavi azhvar), Kulasekhara azhvar, Periazhvar, (Andal), Tondar adippodi azhvar, Tiruppana azhvar, Tirumangai azhvar. • Purpose of azhvars’ birth – 1. To mend the bound atmans with like people 2. To import the difficult meanings of sanskrit vedas in simple tamil 3. To emphasis the easy accessibility of bhagavan (soulabhyam) rather than supremacy (paratvam) 4. To convey the significance of of bhagavan guna and divine body experience as the simpler method of meditation. 5. To assure that saraNagati is the simplest and best means of liberation • Azhvars’ period – Mythology – from end of dvapara to 300 years in kali History - between 7th and 9th century.

2. Poigai azhvar • Birth – Kanchi – ippasi tiruvONam • Prabandha – Mudal tiruvandAdi – (100 songs) • Message – The only resort for the spiritual realisation of jivatman (gnAna vikasa) is the compassion of Sriman NarayaNa • Peyarum karunkadalE nOkkum Aru uyirum darumanayE nOkkum oN pU uyarum kadiravanE nOkkum oN tAmarayAL kElvan oruvanayE nOkkum uNarvu – • As all rivers resort to the ocean, all souls resort to yama dharma, lotus to blossom resorts to Sun, jivatman resorts to Sriman NarayaNa. • Spiritual realisation is on the essential nature of the atman – discrimination of body and jiva, subservience and dependence (sEshatva and pAratantrya) of jivatma, service as the supreme human end

3. BhUtattazhvar • Birth – Tirukkadalmallai – ippasi avittam • Prabandha – IrandAm tiruvandAdi (100 songs) • Message – Sriman NarayaNa’s compassion is the only means for liberation • Tanakkadimai pattadu tAn ariyAnElum manattadaya vaippadAm mAlai vanattidarai EriyAm vannam iyattrum iduvallAl mAri yAr peigippAr mattru • Although we are ignorant of atman’s essential nature just allow Him to reside in your mind and wait – clouds are not obliged to shower if we dig a tank, but a tank is a must to store rain water. • Perform whole hearted surrender and wait MeghasyAma to shower His mercy.

4. Peyazhvar • Birth – Mylapore (chennai) ippasi sadayam • Prabandha – MUnrAm tiruvandadi (100 songs) • Message – Considering the essential nature of the atman and ParamAtman, SaraNagati is natural and simple. Abstain form strenuous austerities. • poruppidayE ninrum punal kulittum indu neruppidayE nirkavum nIr vEnda viruppudaya vehkavE sErndAnai meimmalai tUyk kai tozhudAl ahkAvE tIvinaigal Aindu. • Needless to stand on a mountain or submerge in a river or burn in the five fires, just offer pure flowers and prostrate before the reclining Perumal of Tiruvehka, your sins would vanish. • The truth - The effort and eagerness of bhagavan is more than the jivAtma for a spiritual union.

5. Tirumazhisai Azhvar • Birth – Tirumazhisai – thai makham • Prabandham – Tiruccanda viruttam (120 songs) and Nanmugan tiruvandadi (96 songs) • Message – Bhagavan is so intimate and dear that He resides in us for ever waiting for an opportunity to help us. • Ninradu endai Uragattu irundadu endai pAdakattu anru vehkaNai kidandadu ennilAda munnelAm anru nAn pirandilEn pirandapin marandilEn ninradum irundadum kidandadum en nenjulE. • Earlier Perumal was in standing posture at Uragam, sitting at Padagam and reclining and tiruvehka. I was not born in those days (spiritual awakening). Once I was born, I realised that He resides in me in all the three postures. • Bhagavan never moves out of us inspite of our dirt and blemishes, as He is waiting for us to accept His saviourship – irAmadam UttuvaraippolE. His dearest abode is the mind of a devotee. Should we not reciprocate this with bhakti.

6. Nammazhvar • Birth – Alvartirunagari vaikasi visakam • Prabandham – Tiruviruttam (100) tiruvAsiriyam (7) Peria tiruvandAdi (87) and Tiruvoimozhi (1102). These are equal to the four vedas. • Message – bhagavan treats everyone equally and is fit to be resorted to by all. • Inacchol AyinumAga eridirai vaiyam muttrum EnatturuvAi idanda pirAn irunkarpagam sEr vAnattavarkkum allAdavarkkum mattrella evarukkum gnAnappirAnai allAl illai nAn kanda nalladuvE. • Let my words be mean – Lord VarAha who uplifted this world submerged in the ocean is the only resort for all the celestials and the humans. Lo and behold ! Resort to Him. This is the best I realised. • samOham sarva bhUtEshu – He never discriminates based on birth, education or wealth. Guha, sugriva, vibheeshana, sabari, jatAyu, gOpas, vidura and many more. Shed your inhibition.

7. Kulasekhara azhvar • Birth – Tiruvanjikalam (kerala) mAsi punarvasu • Prabandha – Perumal tirumozhi (105) • Message – Do not blame bhagavan for our temporary sufferings. Work for permanent relief. • vAlAl aruttu sudinum maruttuvan pAl mArAda kAdal nOyalan pOl mIlAttuyar tarinum vittuvakkOttammA nI AlA unadarule pArppan adiyEnE • A patient is thankful to a doctor inspite of being operated upon with a knife. So am I, expecting your mercy inspite of you making me suffer. I am sure these sufferings would transform to pleasure. • Pregnancy and delivery – is it pain or pleasure ? Rigorous practice by a sportman or musician – is it pain or pleasure ? An action that temporarily pains but eventually cures is not himsa.

8. Periazhvar • Birth – Srivilliputhur - Ani svAti • Prabandha – TiruppallAndu (12) and Peria azhvar tirumozhi (462) • Message – Be confident and wait eagerly that once you have surrendered Bhagavan would grant liberation for sure. • senniyOngu taN tiruvEngadam udayAi ulagu tannai vAzha vanda nambi dAmOdara sadira ennayum en udamayayum un sakkarappori ottirukkondu nin arulE purindirundEn ini en tirukkurippE. • O Lord of the seven Hills ! The saviour Universe ! DAmOdara ! I administered the insignia, the divine sankha and cakra, on my forearm to identify myself as your servant. Now I eagerly wait for your nod ! What more ? • The traditional ritual of samAsrayanam in Srivaishnavism. This confirms the exclusive relationship between the jivatma and paramatma (like bangles and tAli identify a marital relationship)

9. Tondaradippodi azhvar • Birth – Tirumandangudi – margazhi kettai • Pranbandha – TirumAlai (45) Tiruppalli ezhuci (10) • Message – Nama sankirtana is the best medicine as well as elixir. Chant • Paccai mA malai pOl mEni pavala vAi kamalaccengal achutA amarar ErE Ayar tam kozhundE ennum iccuvai tavira yAn pOi indira lOkam Alum accuvai perinum vEndEn arnagamA nagar ulEnE • O emerald hued, coral lipped, lotus eyed acyutA ! The head of devas ! The wealth of cowherds ! I would deny srivaikuntha for the joy of chanting your holy names. • Bhagavan nAmAs save us and are sweet to chant. (rakshakatvam and bhogyatvam). They are powerful to transform hell to heaven.

10. TiruppAna azhvar • Birth – Urayur – kArthigai rOhiNi • Prabandham – amalanAdipirAn (10) • Message – To control and employ rightly rest your sensual organs and mind in the divine body of bhagavan. • Kondal vannanaik kOvalanAi vennai unda vAyan en ullam kavarndAnai andar kOn aNi arangan en amudinaik kanda kaNgal matrondinaik kANavE. • My eyes would not look at anything else than my eternal elixir Ranganatha who is the Lord of devas and the cowherd boy, dark as a cloud, who stole butter and my mind. • Bhagavan’s divine body is made of pure quality of serenity (suddha satva) and so it promotes wisdom and joy. It is complete in every aspect, thus stopping us from looking at anything else.

11. Tirumangai azhvar • Birth – Tirukkurayalur – kArthigai krittika • Prabandha – Peria tiromozhi (1084) tirukkurundandakam (20) tiru ezhu kutrirukkai (1) siriya tirumadal (1) peria tirumadal (1) tirunedundandakam (3) • Message – Spend your time till liberation by enjoying the deities in divya desams and serving Perumal and devotees. • PindiyAr mandai Endi piran manai tirutandu unnum mundiyAn sApam tIrtta oruvanUr ulagam ettum kandiyur arangam meyyam kacci pEr mallai enru mandinArkku uyyalallAl mattrayAr uyyalAmE. • Can you be liberated without being dedicated to divyadEsams and serving there? • Archa form is easily accessible compared to vaikuntha vyUha antaryAmi and vibhava. 86 divyadesams have been benedicted by this azhvar and 47 exclusively by him.

12. Madhura kavi azhvar • Birth – TirukkOlUr – chittira chittirai • Prabandha – kanninuN siruttAmbu (11) • Message – Acarya dEvO bhava – the preceptor who introduced bhagavan to us is bhagavan Himself. • nAvinAl navittru inbam eidinEn mEvinEn avan ponnadi meimmayE tEvu mattrariyEn kurugoor nambi pAvininnisai pAdittirivanE • I experienced bliss just by chanting the name (nammazhvar) and for sure I resorted to his golden feet. I know no other master than him. I spend my time singing his tiruvoimozhi. • Acharya is a human being who understands us better the bhagavan. He is superior to bhagavan as he gifted Him. He represents the lotus feet of bhagavan. (Mantre tat devatAyam ca tathA mantra pradE gurou trishu bhakti…)

13. Andal • Birth – Srivilliputtur – Adi pUram • Prabandha – tiruppavai (30) naciar tirumozhi (143) • Message – All are spiritually related; join together; bhagavan is the only human end; enjoy His divine attributes. • kUdArai vellum sIr govinda !…Kudi irundu kulirndu ElOr embavai • Body discriminates; atma unites. Look at the atman to realise that we are all servants of the same Lord. shed differences; Be united and enjoy His qualities as akkara adisal. • The solitary message of all the 12 azhvars– Sriman Narayana is the ultimate human end; He is the only means for liberation (He is both upAya and prApya)