Naalayira Divya Prabandham

 ( Tamil Hindu Literature ) 

The Naalayira Divya Prabandham () is a collection of 4,000 Tamil language verses composed by the 12 Alvars. It was compiled in its present form by Nathamuni 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.

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Description The Divya Prabandham sings the praises of Narayana (Vishnu) and his many forms. The Alvars sang these songs at various sacred shrines known as the Divya Desams. The Tamil language , 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. It is also recited in some North Indian Vaishnavite temples, such as Badrinath Temple. 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 ("verses of the sacred mouth"), 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.

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Structure The text is split into 4 sections of roughly 1000 pasurams each. They are in order (1) Mudalayiram, (2) Irandam Ayiram, (3) Munram Ayiram, and (4) Iyarppa.

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Nomenclature

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

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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.

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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.

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Compilation The collection, once thought to have been lost, was organised in the form of an anthology by Nathamuni.

Nathamuni was born in Veera Naarayanapuram (Veeranam) or present-day Kaattu Mannaar Koil. There is a long time gap between Tirumangai Alvar (the last Alvar) and Nathamuni. In this dark period, nobody knew what happened to the 4,000 verses of the text.

Legend has it that once Nathamuni heard some people reciting the cantos of Āravāmude of Nammalvar at Kumbakonam. Captivated by these pasurams (hymns), he wanted to know more about them. One of the verses also mentioned Āyiraththul Ippaththu (Tamil language: 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 Nammazhwar's 1,000 verses.

The people did not know the 1,000 verses that Nathamuni wanted, but they told him about 11 pasurams (hymns) of Madhurakavi Alvar, a disciple of Nammalvar, and the Kanninun Cirutampu. They asked him to go to Thiruppulialvar, the place where Nammalvar lived, and recite these 11 pasurams 12,000 times. Nathamuni did as advised, and pleased with his penance, Nammalvar granted him not only his 1,000 pasurams, but the entire 4,000- pasuram collection of all the Alvars.

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Hymns The following table shows the details of the 4,000 pasurams (hymns).

1	Tirupallantu	1	12	12	Periyalvar
2	Periyāḻvāra Tirumoḻi	13	473	461	Periyalvar
3	Thiruppavai	474	503	30	Aandaal
4	Nācciyāra Tirumoḻi	504	646	143	Aandaal
5	Perumal Tirumoli	647	751	105	Kulasekara alvar
6	Tiruccanda Viruttam	752	871	120	Tirumaḻiśai Āḻvār
7	Tirumālai	872	916	45	Toṇḍaraḍippoḍi
8	Tirupaḻḻi-eḻucci	917	926	10	Toṇḍaraḍippoḍi
9	Amalanatipiran	927	936	10	Thiruppaan alvar
10	Kaṇṇinuṇ-Śiruttāmbu	937	947	11	Madhurakavi Āḻvār
11	Periya Tirumoli	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	Poigai Alvar
15	Iraṇḍām Tiruvandādi	2182	2281	100	Bhoothathalvar
16	Mūṉṟām Tiruvandādi	2282	2381	100	Peyalvar
17	Nāṉmukaṉ Tiruvandādi	2382	2477	96	Tirumaḻiśai Āḻvār
18	Tiruviruttam	2478	2577	100	Nammalvar
19	Tiruvasiriyam	2578	2584	7	Nammalvar
20	Periya Tiruvandādi	2585	2671	87	Nammalvar
21	Tiruveḻukūṟṟirukkai	2672	2672	1	Tirumaṅgai Āḻvār
22	Ciriya Tirumatal	2673	2749.5	77.5	Tirumaṅgai Āḻvār
23	Periya Tirumatal	2750.5	2898	148.5	Tirumaṅgai Āḻvār
24	Tiruvaymoli	2899	4000	1102	Nammalvar
N/A	Rāmānuja-nūṟṟandādī	-	-	108	Tiruvaraṅgattamudanār
	Total			4000

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Notes

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Sources

• John Carman (1989). 9780226093062, University of Chicago Press. . ISBN 9780226093062
• S. M. Srinivasa Chari (1997). 9788120813427, Motilal Banarsidass Publ.. . ISBN 9788120813427
• (2017). 9781317341321, Routledge. . ISBN 9781317341321
• Nammalvar (2020). 9789353057794, Penguin Random House India Private Limited. . ISBN 9789353057794
• Nancy Ann Nayar (1992). 9783447032551, Otto Harrassowitz Verlag. . ISBN 9783447032551
• Intirā Pārttacārati (2025). 9780195691610, Oxford University Press. . ISBN 9780195691610
• Bruce M. Sullivan (1997). 9780810833272, Scarecrow Press. . ISBN 9780810833272
• T. Venkatacharya (1999). 9788185141282, Adyar Library and Research Centre. . ISBN 9788185141282
• Archana Venkatesan (2016). 9789351775775, Harper Perennial India. . ISBN 9789351775775

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See also

• Tiruvaymoli
• Perumal Tirumoli
• Periya Tirumoli
• Nachiyar Tirumoli
• Tiruviruttam

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External links

Naalayiram Text in different formats and languages

• In multiple languages.
• With supplementary texts
• In Romanized Unicode and multiple other languages.
• Sorted by the 108 Divya Desams
• In Tamil unicode.

Nalayiram with Meaning or Vyakyanam (detailed commentary)

• With PBA Swamy's meaning in Tamil and Araiyar Swami Sri Rama Bharathi's translation in English.
• The Idu commentary on Thiruvoimozhi.
• Thiruvoimozhi in Roman text and English translation.
• Thiruppavai in Roman text, with English translation and commentary.

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