SrI: SrImathE Gopaladesika mahadesikaya namah: Dearest Srivaishnavas, Here is what aDiyEn wrote a couple of years ago on Divya prabandham count: [thought would share with you on the subject] SrI: SrImathE Ramanujaya namah: Dearest srivaishnavas, Divya prabandham - the four thousand Tamil devotional hymns (pAsurams) sung by the Divine Ten AzhwArs, Sri Andal and Sri Madhurakavi AzhwAr and Sri Thiruvarangatthu Amudhanaar - are reverentially praised as 4000 and Tamil Vedas. They are called Vedas because they reflect the relevant protions of Vedas in unambiguous terms and they do not speak of anything other than Vedas, directly or indirectly. The PAsurams of the AzhwArs and Sri Andal praise the Lord with His Divine consort in his varied incarnations, expressing the depth of devotion in which they were immersed, their divine experiences and also praying for the eternal bliss of association with Him and service to Him. Sri Madhurakavi AzhwAr's 11 pAsurams were in praise of his Acharya Sri NammAzhwAr and Sri Thiruvarangatthu Amudhanaar¡¦s 108 pAsurams on Sri Ramanuja's glories are also in 4000. (this 108 Pasurams of Amudhanaar were added later into this 4000). Owing to the great esteem in which Sri NammAzhwAr and Sri Ramanujar are held in the tradition of Acharyas, the PAsurams extolling them are also included in the four thousand devotional hymns worshipping the Lord. Before we outline their number of pAsurams (as to how it gets added to 4000), let us see their origin and dates of birth. Tradition assigns high antiquity to the AzhwArs taking them to 4200 BCE to 2700 BCE and also regards them as Divine incarnations (as amsaas of the Lord¡¦s paraphernalia). According to guru paramparas, the first four AzhwArs namely Poigai AzhwAr, BhUtatthAzhwAr, PEyAzhwAr and Thirumazhisai AzhwAr were born at the end of Dwapara yuga, which corresponds to 4200 BCE. Madhurakavi also is belived to be born in Dwapara yuga corresponding to 3200 BCE. NammAzhwAr, KulasekarAzhwAr, PeriyAzhwAr and ANdAL were born during the first century of Kaliyuga which approximates to 3103 BCE to 3003 BCE. The remaining three AzhwArs ThoNdaradippodi AzhwAr, ThiruppAN AzhwAr and Thirumangai AzhwAr took birth in the years of 298, 343 and 399 respectively in the Kaliyuga which corresponds to 2803, 2758 and 2702 BCE. (From A Govindacharya, the Holy lives of Alwars). However, the modern scholars have questioned these dates and assigned a period ranging from 5th to the 9th centuries CE on the basis of a few historical evidences, though there is no unanimity among them on the dates. Whatever it is the order in which they would have appeared is: Mudhal AzhwArs (First three AzhwArs- Poigai, PhUtha, PEy AzhwArs); Thirumazhisai AzhwAr, Madhurakavi AzhwAr NammAzhwAr PeriyAzhwAr AndAL KulasekaraAzhwAr ThoNdaradipodi AzhwAr ThiruppAN AzhwAr and Thirumangai AzhwAr Further, the reference sis there in Srimath Bhagawatham to the birth of these AzhwArs: In the beginning of Kaliyuga, persons exclusively devoted to Narayana and endowed with spiritual knowledge will be born here and there but in large numbers in the land of the Draavidas where the flow of rivers ThaamaraparaNi, Krtamaalaa (Vaigai), Payasvini (Paalaar), the holy river cauveri, and the MahaanadhI (PeriyaaRu), which runs westwards. kalau khalu Bhavishyanthi nArAyaNa parAyaNa: kvachin kvachi mahAbhAga drAmidEsu cha bhUrisa: thAmaraparaNi nadI yatra krtamaalaa payasvinI: kAvErI cha mahAbhAgA prathIchI cha mahAnadhI (Srimad Bhagawatham- XI- 5- 38-39) It is to be noted that NammAzhwAr and Madhurakavi AzhwAr were born in the banks of ThamaraparaNi; PeriyAzhwAr and ANDAL in a place close to Vaigai (madurai); Poigai AzhwAr, PhUthathAzhwAr, PeyAzhwAr, and Thirumazhisai AzhwAr near the Paalaar and ThoNdaradippodi AzhwAr, ThiruppANAzhwAr, Thirumangai AzhwAr on the banks of the river Cauveri. The dates are not however relevant for enjoyment of their divine pAsurams of course. The important point is that they were all born before Sri Nathamuni (823 CE) and Ramanuja (1017 CE) who were greatly influenced by their pAsurams and teachings and after period of Agamas, the epics and Puranas, as their PAsurams reflect the deep knowledge of these Agamas, epics and puranas. Let us look at the count: A composer wise count of 4000 given by Swamy Sri Vedantha Desikan: from Prabhandha saaram- 15 and 16). (I am not going to transliterate those prabandhams- just the meanings. Should some one need, I will send them) : (meaning of the 15 and 16 prbandhams of Prabandha saaram, of Swamy desikan) 1. Mudhal AzhwArs (Poigai, PudhathAzhwAr, and PeyAzhwAr) sang 300; (mudhal, irandaam and moonRaam nooranthaadhi- 100 each) 2. Thirumazhisai AzhwAr sang 216 (120- Thirucchandha viruttham; 96- Naanmukhan Thiruvandhaathi) 3. MaaRan (Sri NaamAzhwAr) sang 1296 as the essence of Vedas containing true spiritual teachings-[ Thiruviruttham- 100; Thiruvaaasiriyam- 7; Periya ThiruvandhAthi- 87; Thiruvaaymozhi- 1102; ] 4. MadhurakavigaL (who showed the path of devotion to Aacharya) sang 11 (Kanninun chRrutthambu); 5. Kulasekara AzhwAr (king of Vanji land) sang 105 (PerumAL Thirumozhi) 6. PeriyAzhwAr (Bhatta nAthan) sang 473 pAsurams which shines as the literature for music. 7. Kodhai (Sri Andal) who was an incarnation of Sri BhUmi PiraaTTi Herself) sang 173 (ThiruppAvai-30; Naacchiyaar Thirumozhi- 143) 8. ThoNdaradippodi AzhwAr- (Patthar adippodi) sang fifty five (Thiruppalliyezhiucchi- 10; Thirumaalai- 45) 9. PaaNar (ThiruppANAzhwAr) sang 10 (Amalanaadhipiraan) 10. Parakalan (Thirumangai AzhwAr) sang 1253 in all praising the glorious Lord of Thirumalai Sri Srinivasan, the father of the world, [Periya Thirumozhi- 1084; ThirukkuRunthANDakam- 20; ThirunedunthANdakam- 30; ThiruvezhukkuRRirukkai- 1; SiRiya Thirumadal- 40; Periya Thirumadal- 78] 11. Sri Thiruvarangatthu Amudhanaar- (during Sri Ramanuja's time) sang 108 pAsurams praising the beautiful Lotus Feet of YathirAjar (Sri Ramanuja) who showed us the path to mOksham (Salvation). Add the above:- You get 4000. These four thousand hymns sung and left by these saints for the welfare of all in all directions of the world are the source of prosperity for the lives of ours -who are servants of the Lord and His devotees. The Naalaayiram (4000) is organized as follows: 1. FIRST 1000- PeriyAzhwAr Thirumozhi; ThiruppAvai; Naacchiyaar Thirumozhi; PerumAL Thirumozhi; Thirucchandha Viruttham; Thirumaalai; Thiruppalliyezhucchi; Amalanadhipiran; KaNNinunchIrutthaambhu; - nine works. (Total- 947 pAsurams) 2. Second 1000- Periya Thirumozhi; ThirukkuRunthANdakam; ThirunedunthANdakam; - three works (Total- 1134 pAsurams) 3. Third 1000- Thiruvaymozhi alone- (1102 pAsurams) 4. Fourth 1000- mudhal, iraNdaam and mooNraam nooRanthAdhi; Thirumazhisai AzhwAr¡¦s naanmukhan ThiruvanthAdhi; Thiruviruttham; Thiruvaasiriyam; Periya ThiruvanthAthi; ThiruvezhukkuRRirukkai; SiRiya Thirumadal; Periya Thirumadal; Iraamaanusa NooRanthAthi (11 works- Total- 817 pAsurams) TOTAL- 4000. > > I had some queries on the Divya Prabandam. Firstly, does perivAccAn piLLai's "divya prabanda pAShura rAmAyaNa" or better known as "pAShurappaDi rAmAyaNam" belong in the prabandam or is it an extension of the prabandam (i.e. anubandam???) > > > > Secondly, I attended a lecdem on the Divya Prabadam during the Music Academy of Madras annual music conferences, and the commentator mentioned that in fact the prabandam was named "nAlAyira divya prabandam" from purposes of convenience but in fact it totaled up to only about 3,7XX number of pAShurams. > > > > Appreciate it if someone could verify this. > > > > > > --------------------------------- > > Do you Yahoo!? > > Yahoo! SiteBuilder - Free, easy-to-use web site design software > > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] > > > > > > > > > > To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: > > Srirangasri-unsubscribe@xxxxxxxxxxx > > > > > > > > Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/ > > > > > >
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