Naalayira Divya Prabandham

Description

The Divya Prabandham extols Narayana (Vishnu) and his various manifestations. The Alvars sang these songs at various sacred shrines known as the Divya Desams. These hymns originated during the early phase of bhakti tradition development in South India.

The Tamil Sri Vaishnavas, also known as Ubhaya Vedanti, follow both the Sanskrit Vedas and the Naalayira Divya Prabandham regarded by adherents 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 alongside the Vedas, having been granted equal status in the Sri Vaishnava tradition largely through the efforts of Ramanuja, who elevated the Divya Prabandham to the same level as the Vedas.

Prominent among its 4,000 verses are the 1,102 verses known as the Tiruvaymoli ("Sacred Utterance" i.e. Tamil Śruti), composed by Nammalvar, which forms the third portion of the overall Divya Prabandham. In many of these verses, Nammalvar adopts the mood of a lovelorn gopi pining for Krishna.

The compendium begins with the Tirupallantu, a benedictory hymn composed by Periyalvar that invokes long life and protection upon Vishnu.

Structure

The text is divided into four sections of roughly 1,000 pasurams (stanzas) each. In sequential order, these are: 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 devotional hymns sung by the Alvars in praise of Vishnu are specifically referred to as pasurams in Tamil.

Taniyan

The works that make up the Naalayira Divya Prabandham are usually preceded by a taniyan. A taniyan is a laudatory verse that offers a brief synopsis of the Alvar's life, summarizes the themes of the work, and emphasises the spiritual merit gained from recitating, listening to, or reading the text. It serves to glorify both the hymns and the composer. Six taniyans precede the Tiruvaymoli, the highest number for any individual work in the compendium.

Vāḻi Tirunāmam

Following the customary recitation of a work's hymns, a vaḻi tirunāmam is chanted. This is a hymn that commemorates or exalts the poet-saint who composed the given work. For instance, such a verse may invoke a long life for the poet-saint or express the wish that their name be remembered for a millennium.