Muthal-aazhvaargal
Encyclopedia
Mudal-aazhvaargal:
These are three: PoigaiAzhwar , born in Kanchipuram
under asterism ‘Tiruvonam’,
Bhoothathazwar , born in Tirukkadalmallai or the present day Mahabalipuram under asterism ‘avittam’ and
Peyazhwar , born in Mylapore
under asterism ‘sadhayam’.These are the earliest of the Alvars
. 'Muthal' in Tamil, means 'the first'.
All three, who lived about 500 AD, were renunciates with total dispassion, full of divine enlightenment and God-intoxication. They did not mix with the ordinary people of this mundane world. They never stayed at the same place. Instead they were roaming about the whole land, individually and separately. Lord Vishnu
perhaps decided to spread a divine message to the world through them. It was he who divined that all three of them should be together one day in the town of Tirukoilur
, on a particular night of darkness. And he also joined them in that small passage of a corridor as the fourth man. The three had the spark of divine contact and illumination and poured out thrilling poetry of divine intoxicated experience.
Thus arose the three parts of the Divya Prabhandham, called First Tiru-anthaadi, Second Tiru-anthaadi and the third Tiru-anthaadi, altogether consisting of 300 songs, usually counted among the third thousand of the 4000 songs of Divya Prabandham.
These are three: PoigaiAzhwar , born in Kanchipuram
Kanchipuram
Kanchipuram, or Kanchi, is a temple city and a municipality in Kanchipuram district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is a temple town and the headquarters of Kanchipuram district...
under asterism ‘Tiruvonam’,
Bhoothathazwar , born in Tirukkadalmallai or the present day Mahabalipuram under asterism ‘avittam’ and
Peyazhwar , born in Mylapore
Mylapore
Mylapore is a cultural hub and neighborhood in the southern part of the city of Chennai, the capital of Tamil Nadu, India. Earlier, Mylapore used to be called Vedapuri....
under asterism ‘sadhayam’.These are the earliest of the Alvars
Alvars
The alwar or azhwars were Tamil poet saints of south India who lived between the sixth and ninth centuries A.D. and espoused ‘emotional devotion’ or bhakti to Visnu-Krishna in their songs of longing, ecstasy and service. Sri Vaishnava orthodoxy posits the number of alvars as ten, though there are...
. 'Muthal' in Tamil, means 'the first'.
All three, who lived about 500 AD, were renunciates with total dispassion, full of divine enlightenment and God-intoxication. They did not mix with the ordinary people of this mundane world. They never stayed at the same place. Instead they were roaming about the whole land, individually and separately. Lord Vishnu
Vishnu
Vishnu is the Supreme god in the Vaishnavite tradition of Hinduism. Smarta followers of Adi Shankara, among others, venerate Vishnu as one of the five primary forms of God....
perhaps decided to spread a divine message to the world through them. It was he who divined that all three of them should be together one day in the town of Tirukoilur
Tirukoilur
Tirukoilur is a pilgrimage town in Viluppuram district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. As the name says "koil" it is famous for the temples. The Ulagalantha perumal temple is located in the centre of the town.-Geography:...
, on a particular night of darkness. And he also joined them in that small passage of a corridor as the fourth man. The three had the spark of divine contact and illumination and poured out thrilling poetry of divine intoxicated experience.
Thus arose the three parts of the Divya Prabhandham, called First Tiru-anthaadi, Second Tiru-anthaadi and the third Tiru-anthaadi, altogether consisting of 300 songs, usually counted among the third thousand of the 4000 songs of Divya Prabandham.
Sources
- Naalaayira divya prabhandham: Commentary by. Dr. Jagadrakshakan. (1997) Aazhvaargal Research Centre, Chennai 600017.