Azhwars

Azhwars are the 12 great vaishnavite poet saints, followers of the Supreme Being – Mahavishnu. The 12 Azhwars lived between 5th and 10th Century CE and rendered great service to the Bhakti Movement writing, composing and singing the Naalayira Divya Prabhandham. These hymns have been sung upon for different deities in different temples all over Tamilnadu and a part of Kerala. These temples are revered as the 108 Divya Desam Temples. It is the goal of every devotee to visit and revel in the glory of each one of these temples. Brief profiles of the 12 Azhwars are provided below.

Nammazhwar is estimated to have lived somewhere between 4th and 8th Century CE. He was born in Alwar Thirunagari near Thirunelveli in the District of Thoothukudi in southern Tamilnadu to Kariyar (a small King) and Udayanangaiyar on the day of the Star Vishaka. Alwar Thirinagari is on the banks of the beautiful Tambiraparani River and is surrounded by 8 other 108 Divya Desam Temples collectively called Nava Thirupati. Nammazhwar was unlike other children. He would not speak, eat or cry and always prefered to sit in a depression in a Tamarind Tree. Madurakavi Azhwar was led to him by a divine light. The answers given by Nammazhwar to Madurakavi’s questions made him realize his divine intelligence and took him as his Guru. Nammazhwar would go on to sing the Thiruvaimozhi, Thiruvirutham, Thiruvasiriyam and Periya Thiruvandhadhi Hymns of the Naalayira Divya Prabandham. Nammazhwar was considered as the head of the Azhwars by the people. He was also called as Karimaaran, Vagulabharanan, Thirukurugai Perumal, Parankusan, Thirunaveeran, Vishaka Perumal and Pillai Perumal. His hymns and teachings propogated equality across all aspects of life and gave particular elevation to women. The Tamarind Tree thus became the Holy Tree of Alwar Thirunagari temple. It is also said that the famous ‘Puliyodharai’, tamarind rice which is the Prasadam in so many Vishnu Temples is also because of its part in the early life of Nammazhwar.

The temples/deities praised by Nammazhwar are:

Srirengam
Thiruanbil
Thirupernagar
Thirukudandhai
Thiruvinnagar
Thirukannapuram
Thiruvetka
Thirunaavai
Thirukatkarai
Thirumuzhikalam
Thiruvallavazh
Thirukadithanam
Thiruchenkundroor
Thirupuliyur
Thiruvaranvila
Thiruvanvandoor
Thiruvananthapuram
Thiruvattar
Thirupathi Saaram
Thirukurungudi
Thirucheeravaramangai
Sreevaikuntam
Thiruvaragunamangai
Thirupulingudi
Thirutholaivillimangalam
Thirukulanthai
Thirukolur
Thenthiruperai
Thirukurugoor
Thirumogur
Thirumaliruncholai
Thiru Ayodhya
Thiruvadamadurai
Thirudwarakai
Thiruvenkatam
Thiruparkadal

Kaliyan (Thirumangai) was born in Thirukuraiyalur near Sirkazhi in the country of the Great Cholas. He was married to Kumudavalli who influenced him to be a follower of Vaishnavism and made him provide free food to 1008 people everyday for a year. Losing all his money in this divine task he resorted to dacoity to make the necessary money. He encountered Lord Vishnu himself during his prowls who made him realize his true identity and transformed him to a saint by preaching the Ashtakshara. Nammazhwar then sang his first Hymn to the Lord. He went on to visit 88 of the 108 Divya Desam Temples and sang 1361 Hymns, the highest by any of the Azhwars. This included Periyathirumozhi (1084), Thirukurunthandagam (20), Thirunerunthandagam (30), Thiruvezhukootrirukkai (1), Siriya Thirumadal Kanni (77), Periya Thirumadal Kanni  (148). He was invited by Thirugnanasambandar, the great saivite saint, and honored with a Trident. His time is estimated around 9th Century CE based on research done on several stone inscriptions. His other names include Naalukaviperuman, Kaviloga Divakaran and Sadhushkavi Sigamani.

The temples/deities praised by Thirumangai Azhwar are:

Srirengam
Thirukozhi
Thirukarambanur
Thiruanbil
Thirupernagar
Thirukandiyur
Thirukoodalur
Thirupullam Boodhankudi
Thiru Aadanoor
Thirukudandhai
Thiruvinnagar
Thirunaraiyur
Thirucherai
Thirukannamangai
Thirukannapuram
Thirukannankudi
Thirunagapattinam
Thanjai Mamanikovil
Thirunandipura Vinnagaram
Thiruvelliankudi
Therazhundur
Thiruchirupuliyur
Thiruthalaichanga Nanmadhiyam
Thiruindhalur
Thirukavalambadi
Thirukazheecharama Vinnnagaram
Thiruarimeya Vinnagaram
Thiruvan Purushothamam
Thiruchemponseikovil
Thirumanimadakovil
Thiruvaikunda Vinnagaram
Thiruvali Thirunagari
Thiruthevanar Thogai
Thirumanikoodam
Thiruthetriambalam
Thiruvellakulam
Thiruparthanpalli
Thiruchithirakoodam
Thiruvaheendrapuram
Thirukachi
Ashtabhujakaram
Thiruthanka
Thiruvelukkai
Thiruneeragam
Thiruooragam
Thirupaadagam
Thirunilathingal Thundam
Thiruvetka
Thirukaragam
Thirukarvanam
Thirukalvanoor
Thirupavalavannam
Thiruparameswara Vinnagaram
Thiruputkuzhi
Thirunindravur
Thiruvevvul
Thiruvallikeni
Thiruneermalai
Thiruvidandhai
Thirukadalmallai
Thirukadigai
Thirunaavai
Thirumuzhikalam
Thiruvallavazh
Thirupuliyur
Thirukurungudi
Thiruthangal
Thirumogur
Thirukoodal
Thirumaliruncholai
Thirukoshtiyur
Thirupullani
Thirumeyyam
Thiru Ayodhya
Thirupirudhi
Thiruchalagramam
Thiruvadamadurai
Thiruvaipadi
Thirudwarakai
Thiruvenkatam

Periyazhwar was born as Vishnu Sidhar to the Brahmin couple of Mukundabhattar and Padmavalli in Srivilliputhur on the day of the star Swathi. He spent all his time in the service of Lord Krishna. The Pandya King of Madurai, Vallabha Devan was given advise by a Brahmin he encountered sleeping in the porch of a house as follows: ‘gather what you need during the rainy season in other seasons’, ‘what you want in the night by day’, ‘what you want in old age when young’ and ‘what you want in the life after death in this life itself’. The last one perplexed him and he offered a gift of gold to the one who can provide the answer. The Lord with his consort came in the dream of Periazhwar and ordered him to go to Madurai and clear the King’s doubt and receive the gift. In the court of the King his answer to the question made the bag of gold to lower itself towards him. The king understanding the meaning of his answer was very happy and honored him by carrying him atop an elephant all around the city. The hymns written by Periyazhwar are 473 including Thirupallandu and Periyazhwar Thirumozhi. His time is estimated to be in the 8th Century CE.

The temples/deities praised by Periyazhwar are:

Srirengam
Thiruvellarai
Thirupernagar
Thirukannapuram
Thirukurungudi
Thiruvilliputhur
Thirumaliruncholai
Thirukoshtiyur
Thiru Ayodhya
Thiruchalagramam
Thiruvaipadi
Thirudwarakai
Thiruvenkatam
Thiruparkadal

Aandal is the adopted daughter of Periyazhwar, who found her in his field. The child grew up with great devotion to the Lord and her only desire in life was to marry him. She used to keep the flowers meant for the lord in her head without the knowledge of her father. One day he discovered this and was very angry. In his dream the lord appeared and told him to adorn him with the same flowers. Periazhwar realized the divinity of the child, understood she is the incarnation of the goddess herself and named her Aandal from then on. Her desire unfulfilled she expressed her love for the lord in the form of ‘Nachiyar Thirumozhi’ in the Naalayira Divya Prabhandham. The Lord appeared again in the dream of Periyazhwar and asked him to bring her to Srirengam to fulfill her desire. She was taken in a Pallanquin with Periyazhwar and the Pandya King on either side and a large group of devotees. The King had the path beautifully decorated all the way to Srirengam for this. Upon reaching Srirengam she was attracted to the lord like metal to a magnet. She went inside the sanctum sanctorum reached up and touched the lord’s feet and merged with him forever.

The temples/deities praised by Aandal are:

Srirengam
Thirukudandhai
Thirukannapuram
Thiruvilliputhur
Thirumaliruncholai
Thiruvaipadi
Thirudwarakai
Thiruvenkatam
Thiruparkadal

 Poigai Azhwar is one of the three Azhwars who are considered the Principal Azhwars (Mudhalam Azhwar) who were born divinely. Their time is estimated to be before the other Azhwars. Poigai Azhwar is believed to have divinely appeared in a Lotus flower in the holy tank of Thiruvetka in the great temple city of Kancheepuram. His birth star was Thiruvonam. At a young age itself he gave up all passions in life and had unstinted devotion to Lord Vishnu. He was restless and was visiting many towns and one night he reached Thirukoviloor and decided to rest in the small Veranda of a house. A short while later Boodhathazhwar also reached there and asked whether he can get a space to spend the night. Poigai Azhwar replied that one can sleep and two can sit in the space available. Shorlty thereafter Paeiazhwar also came there and asked the same question to which came the reply that one can sleep and two can sit in the space available and three can stand in the space available. The three came to know each other well and spent time discussing the virtues of the Lord when darkness and heavy rain started. In the midst of the three an invisible fourth form squeezed in. Surprised the three realized in their divine vision that it was the Lord himself. Immediately Poigai Azhwar composed hundred verses of hymns that are classified as Muthal Tiruvandadhi.  His composition are set in the Andhadhi style in which the ending syllable is the starting one for the next verse.

The temples/deities praised by Poigai Azhwar are:
Thiruvinnagar
Thirukovilur
Thiruvetka
Thiruvenkatam
Thiruparkadal

Boodhathazhwar is one of the three Azhwars who are considered the Principal Azhwars (Mudhalam Azhwar) who were born divinely. Their time is estimated to be before the other Azhwars. Boodhathazhwar is believed to have appeared divinely in a Kurukathi flower (Hiptage madablota) in the seashore city of Mahabalipuram. His birth star was Avittam. One night he reached Thirukoviloor and decided to rest in a small Veranda of a house, where already Poigai Azhwar was resting, and asked whether he can get a space to spend the night. Poigai Azhwar replied that one can sleep and two can sit in the space available. Shortly thereafter Paeiazhwar also came there and asked the same question to which came the reply that one can sleep and two can sit and three can stand in the space available. The three came to know each other well and spent time discussing the virtues of the Lord when darkness and heavy rain started. In the midst of the three an invisible fourth form squeezed in. Surprised the three realized in their divine vision that it was the Lord himself. After Poigai Azhwar, Boodhathazhwar composed hundred verses of hymns that are classified as Irendam Tiruvandadhi.

The temples/deities praised by Boodathazhwar are:
Srirengam
Thiruanbil
Thirukudandhai
Thanjai Mamanikovil
Thirukovilur
Thirukachi
Thirupaadagam
Thiruneermalai
Thirukadalmallai
Thiruthangal
Thirumaliruncholai
Thirukoshtiyur
Thiruvenkatam
Thiruparkadal

Paeiazhwar is one of the three Azhwars who are considered the Principal Azhwars (Mudhalam Azhwar) who were born divinely. Their time is estimated to be before the other Azhwars. Paeiazhwar is believed to have appeared divinely in a Red Lily flower in the holy city of Mylapore in the well of the Aadhikesava Perumal Temple. Right from an early age he was a devotee of Lord Vishnu and spent his time in divine ecstasy dancing, singing, crying, laughing, praying to the lord in happiness like a mad man. Thus he came to be called Paei (madness by possession, ghost) Azhwar. His birth star is Chadhayam. One night he reached Thirukoviloor and decided to rest in a small Veranda of a house, where already Poigai Azhwar and Boodhathazhwar wer resting, and asked whether he can get a space to spend the night to which came the reply that one can sleep and two can sit and three can stand in the space available. The three came to know each other well and spent time discussing the virtues of the Lord when darkness and heavy rain started. In the midst of the three an invisible fourth form squeezed in. Surprised the three realized in their divine vision that it was the Lord himself. After Poigai Azhwar and Boodhathazhwar, Paeiazhwar composed hundred verses of hymns that are classified as Moondram Tiruvandadhi.

The temples/deities praised by Paeiazhwar are:
Srirengam
Thirukudandhai
Thiruvinnagar
Thirukovilur
Thirukachi
Ashtabhujakaram
Thiruvelukkai
Thirupaadagam
Thiruvetka
Thiruvallikeni
Thirukadigai
Thirumaliruncholai
Thirukoshtiyur
Thiruvenkatam
Thiruparkadal

Kulasekara Azhwar was the son of the Chera King Thidaviradhan. His birth star was Punarpoosam. His time is estimated to be in the 9th Century CE. He grew up a wise and learned man and was crowned prince. He then married the daughter of the Pandya King and was crowned King. He went on to conquer the Pandyas and Cholas and became a great Emperor. But his mind and heart were not satisfied. He was drawn towards Lord Rama and constantly listened to the Ramayana read out by a sage. He encouraged all vaishnavite saints and devotees who came to him. Seeing his preoccupation his ministers conspired to defame the vaishnavites by stealing the Kings pooja garland (Navamani Maalai) and hiding it somewhere. Hearing the blame on the Vaishnavites, the King, to prove it wrong, asked the Ministers to bring a vessel with a venomous Cobra in it. Saying that if the Vaishnavites have not done the misdeed the snake will not bite him and put his hand in. The Cobra did not strike. The Ministers realizing their folly, accepted their mistake and apologized to the King. He then renounced the throne, made his nephew the King and went off to sing the praise of the Lord in many Temples. He sang a total of 105 Paasurams which were classified under ‘Perumal Thirumozhi’.

The temples/deities praised by Kulasekara Azhwar are:
Srirengam
Thirukozhi
Thirukannapuram
Thiruvali Thirunagari
Thiruchithirakoodam
Thiruvithuvakodu
Thiru Ayodhya
Thiruvenkatam
Thiruparkadal

Thirumazhisai Azhwar was born as a limbless baby to a couple in Thirumazhisai, near Poonamallee, who dumped him in a bamboo thicket and went away forever. The Lord’s miracle gave him limbs and he was discovered by a childless bamboo cutter and his wife. He grew up with wisdom and intelligence and later embraced Jainism and Saivism before coming under the influence of Paeiazhwar and becoming a staunch Vishnu Devotee. He spent some time in penance in a cave with the 3 Principal Azhwars after which he was joined by his disciple Kanikannan and left for Thiruvetka in Kancheepuram. Thirumazhisai Azhwar had to leave Kancheepuram because his disciple Kanikannan was banished by the Pallava King of Kanchi when he refused to sing his praise. Thirumazhisai Azhwar in his song requested the Lord of Thiruvetka also to go along with them and the city plunged into lot of sufferings. The King of Kanchi realized his folly, located them and requested them to come back. They obliged and hence the name of the Lord at Thiruvetka is Sonnavannam Seitha Perumal (one who heeded the request of his devotee). Thirumazhisai Azhwar then traveled to Kumbakonam transforming the mindset of many conservative religious people along the way. His birth star is Maham and his time is estimated to be the same as the 3 Principal Azhwars (between 4th and 8th Century CE).

The temples/deities praised by Thirumazhisai Azhwar are:
Srirengam
Thirupernagar
Thirukabisthalam
Thirukudandhai
Thiruooragam
Thiruvetka
Thiruvevvul
Thiruvallikeni
Thirukoodal
Thirukoshtiyur
Thirudwarakai
Thiruvenkatam
Thiruparkadal

Thondaradi Podi Azhwar was born as Vippira Narayana in a brahmin family in Mandankudi near Kumbakonam. His birth star was Kaettai. With unstinting devotion to the reclining lord of Srirengam he grew up learning a lot. He then left one day to serve the Lord and reaching Srirengam set up a Nandavanam (Temple Garden). He grew several flowering plants and trees and made garlands for the lord all the time. A dancer who wanted to seduce him and break his devotion in which she succeeded finally in a rain drenched form. He lost all his wealth and self pride and was reduced to hanging around her house. The goddess taking pity on him took up his cause with the Lord who took a golden Aradhana Plate from the shrine, went in the form of a messenger from Vippira Narayana and gave it to the dancer. The king in his investigation to recover the missing gold plate came to know about its place from a servant of the dancer and locked up Vippira Narayana. The lord then appeared in the Kings dream and explained the situation to him and had Vippira Narayana released. the King also paid homage and respects to him and realizing his folly Vippira Narayana went back to his old ways of service to the Lord. He spent all his time only in Srirengam and composed Thirumaalai with 45 songs and Thirupalli Ezhuchi with 10 songs glorifying the Lord.

The temples/deities praised by Thondaradi Podi Azhwar are:
Srirengam
Thiru Ayodhya

Thiruppanazhwar was born divinely and grew up in a clan of singers in Uraiyur in Thiruchirapalli. His birth star is Rohini and his time is estimated to be between 5th and 10th century CE. He is a contemporary of Thirumangai Azhwar and Thondaradi Podi Azhwar. He used to stand in the Cauvery River Banks near Srirengam and sing the praise of the Lord every day. One day during the same time a devotee called Uloga Sarangar was taking water from the cauvery for the Lords Thirumanjanam. His and the others’ call to Thiruppaanazhwar to move aside went unheeded as he was lost in his singing routine. They threw stones at him which did not create any impact or harm. When the holy water was taken to the lord Uloga Sarangar was aghast to see blood flowing from the head of the Deity. The lord appeared in Uloga Sarangar’s dream and advised him to bring the singer on his shoulders to the sanctum sanctorum to make up for the wrong doing. The next Uloga Sarangar along with a lot of followers went to the Cauvery apologized and requested Thiruppaanazhwar to come with them. He replied saying his low caste does not allow him to walk up to the lords shrine, for which Uloga Sarangar conveyed the Lord’s orders to bring him borne upon his shoulders. When he alighted inside the sanctum sanctorum he was overcome with ecstasy at the sight of the reclining lord and sung 10 songs starting with Amalanadhi Piran. He then went forward, when all were watching, touched the Lord’s feet and merged with him as one.

The temples/deities praised by Thiruppaanazhwar are:
Srirengam
Thiruvenkatam

Madurakavi Azhwar was bone into a brahmin family in Thirukolur. His birth star is Chithirai and his time is estimated between 5th and 10th Century CE. He grew up getting very good and high education on all aspects and used to sing very sweetly. Thus he got the name Madura (sweet) Kavi (poetry, song) Azhwar. He traveled to Kancheepuram, Kasi, Ayodhya, Avanti, Mathura, Maayai and Dwaraka, the seven places which gives Mukthi to a soul. When he was in Ayodya finally he saw a diving light in the sky, felt something and started following it all the way south night after night to reach Thirukurugoor where he saw the sight of the still and meditating Nammazhwar in the holy Tamarind Tree. He dropped a stone to check whether Nammazhwar could hear and he opened his eyes. He asked a question to check whether he can speak and Nammazhwar who was silent all these days started answering. Madurakavi Azhwar fell at Nammazhwar’s feet and took him as his Guru. Instead of singing upon the Lord he sang 11 songs starting with ‘Kanninun Siruthaambu’ praising Nammazhwar. He created an idol of him and started performing poojas. His praises of Nammazhwar were objected to by the Sangam Poets. Madurakavi Azhwar challenged them by saying that he will write a praise in a scroll, keep it in the Sangam’s bench and if it accepts it then it will accept Nammazhawar also. He wrote a very small poem and kept it on the bench. the bench pushed aside all the poets and shrunk to the length of the scroll. The Sangam poets realized their folly and apologized to Nammazhwar. From then onwards Madurakavi Azhwar spent his life spreading the songs of Nammazhwar and explaining its meaning to people all around.