Divya Prabandham Archives - Tirumala Tirupati Yatra

Recitation of Vedas and Divya Prabandham in Tirumala Temple

According to Hindu Theology, there are fourteen worlds. All these fourteen worlds are one empire. For this empire, there is one emperor. All the living beings are His subjects. The empire is eternal and the emperor is also eternal. If there is an empire, an emperor and his subjects, there is to be a code of laws to run the empire by the emperor.

If the empire, emperor and laws are eternal then the ruler is the supreme being. The law He made is otherwise called as ‘Vedam’.

Akhila Bhuvana janmasthema Bhangadi Leele |
Vinata Vivdha Bhoota Vrata Rakshaika Deekshe |
Sruti Sirasi Videepte Brahmani Srinivase |
Bhavatu Mama Parasmin Semushee Bhakti Roopa ||

That supreme being is none other than Lord Srinivasa or Lord Venkateswara or Mahavishnu or Srimannarayana who has descended to this world of ours (Bhooloka) to bless us and save us from the clutches of Kalipurusha. The Vedas are the repositories of Lord Srimannarayana.

The Vedas consist of mantras that are in space at all times in the form of sound. The Tamil lexicons Pingalam, Chudamani etc. refer to God as the creator of Vedas (Veda mudalalwan).

Chaturvedam – In Sri Vari Temple

In Srivari Temple all the Chaturvedam (Four Vedas and their branches) are recited every day. Vedam starts first during Suprabhatam when the archakas invoke the Lord at the locked golden entrance door (Bangaru Vakili).

Hari Om

They start by saying the popular mantra “Hari Om”. ‘Hari’ means Lord Vishnu and ‘Om’ is Pranava. To start any vedic recitation first the word “Hari Om” will be recited.

Om is a primordial sacred syllable, combined with Lord Hari produces a powerful sound vibration. It is a request call to Sri Hari that they are ready to enter the sanctum sanctorum. To recite Vedas also Hari Om is a must as it seeks permission from the Lord to recite. So first of all it is “Hari Om” the Vedic mantra is recited in the Srivari temple.

Then during Abhishekam to Sri Bhoga Srinivasa Murthy daily during Thomalaseva with Hari Om, Purusha suktam will be recited. The Purusha in the title of the Purushasukta refers to Paramapurusha or Purushothama or Srimannarayana in His Virat Swaroopam. The Purushasukta praises the Lord of the universe with all the Kalyanagunas (Auspicious qualities).

As the Vedas are the sound waves and breath of the Lord, it is followed in Sri Venkateswara Swami Temple also.

The four Vedas namely

(1) Krishna Yajurveda
(2) Rig Veda
(3) Samaveda
(4) Atharvana Veda

and other branches of the Vedas are recited throughout the day in Tirumala Srivari Temple.

The specialised branches in each veda especially in Krishna Yajurveda – Kramanu, Ghanam and Jata are grandly recited by the Vedic pundits. The Vedic pundits or Vedaparayanadars of TTD are well qualified to recite any of the above during parayanam inside the temple daily, during the processions of the Lord around Mada streets, during Adhyayanotsavam, during Abhishekam to Moolavar on Fridays and other days of importance like daily sahasra deepalankarana seva etc.

The Vedic recitation in Srivari Temple surely influences the Bhaktas, that the Vedas as waves of sound can always remain in the ether around them. It can therefore be gain said that the Vedas are timeless and eternal and occupy an important position as the Lord of Seven Hills is called as veda priya.

Nigamanta Maha Desika considers Vengadam Hill as Vedic Hill. The TTD is giving special attention to Vedic Heritage by establishing Veda patasalas and a Vedic university is also maintained for the spread of Vedic culture and Sanatana Dharma.

Alwars / Alvars

Lord Venkateswara is eulogised by the Tamil Alwars also. The Alwars were mystic saints who dived deep into the ocean of mysticism. They are twelve in number.

Archavatara or divine incarnations in the consecrated images and idols in temples is an important doctrine accepted by the Sri Vaishnavas or sects of Sri Vaishnavas of South India. Lord Vishnu has revealed Himself to five great rishis in the same way as he imported the Vedas to Lord Brahma.

The Agamas envisaged by the Lord describe the existence in five forms or statuses as follows

(1) Para
(2) Vyuha
(3) Antaryamin
(4) Vibhava
(5) Archa.

The others, namely para, vyuha Antaryamin Vibhava are not readily accessible compared to the Archavatara. The worship of God in archavatara sanctioned in the Agamas was greatly strengthened and popularised by the Alwars who were exemplars of Bhaktiyoga. They meditated on God in all His five forms as can be seen from the four thousand sacred verses or poems.

In Archa Roopa, the Alwars could see divinity face to face and go into rapture over the beauty of God in that form. The sacred verses contain references to 108 Vishnu shrines which the Alwars had visited in the course of the pilgrimage except Nammalwar, other Alwars had visited most of the places.

The great Alwars 12 in number are:

(1) Poigai Alwar
(2) Bhutattalwar
(3) Peyalwar
(4) Tirumazhisai Alwar
(5) Nammalwar
(6) Tirumangai Alwar
(7) Periyalwar
(8) Andal
(9) Madurakavi Alwar
(10) Tondaradipodi Alwar
(11) Kulasekhara Alwar
(12) Tiruppanalwar.

The above 12 Alwars have sung in praise of the Lord of the 108 Divyadesams (Sacred places) except Madhurakavi Alwar and Tondaradippodi Alwar. The other Ten alwars have sung in praise of Lord Srinivasa of Tirumala. There are 207 pasurams or verses or poems exclusively for Lord Srinivasa of Tirumala.

The Arulicheyal (The songs of the Mystics or pasurams) of Alwars are recited in Srivari Temple daily during morning Tomala Seva and evening Tomala Seva. During processions like Brahmotsavam and the procession during monthly birth star days, immediately after Abhishekam on Fridays except Dhanurmasam and other days of Snapana Tirumanjanam Neerattam will be recited for 24 days.

Prabandham or Alwar Divyaprabandham is otherwise called as equal to vedam. “Vedam Tamiz seyda Maran Sadagopan”. Sadagopan or Nammalwar has translated the four vedams into Tamil. To Lord Srinivasa, both Vedam and Dravida Prabandham are like two eyes to Him.

Scheme Parayana

The TTD is giving a lot of encouragement for the preservation of vedams and has recorded all the vedams in its studios and through the Vedic university it is widening its wings. Moreover, they appoint Vedic pundits almost all over India on “Scheme Parayana” giving them financial assistance and calling all of them once a year to have darshan and recite.

Divya Prabandha Ghoshti — Divya Prabandham Ghoshti

Project on Nalayira Divya Prabandham

The TTD again has made a project for the Nalayira Divya Prabandham. Under the Divya Prabandham Project, a special officer looks after the spread of Alwar’s Sri Sukti by calling Lecturers. During Dhanurmasam, hundreds of Pundits are appointed to give Lecture or Discourse on Andal’s Tiruppavai.

The SVBC also telecasts Alwar Sri Sukti Every day.

“Ozhivil Kalamellam udanaimanni”,
Vazhuvila Adimai seyyavendum naam
Thehzikuralaruvi Tiruvengaddathu
Ezilkoljyoti Enthaithandai, Thandai Thandaikke
– (Nammalwar Tiruvaimoli)

“We should render constant unremitting service at all times, places and circumstances to the Lord of Thiruvengadam noted for roaring streams and is the God of my ancestor and other ancestors and many more ancestors.

‘Arayikane vikate girum gaccha’ – Go to Venkatagiri to get prosperity” (Rigveda).

Madhurakavi Alvar

Madhurakavi Alvar (Chitra – Chitrai) Madhurakavi (Sweet poetic), the incarnation of Vainatheya (the divine bird) was born in the year Easwara, Chitrai month, Sukla Paksha, Chaturdasi day (Friday) in the constellation of Chitrai at Tirukkolur in the Pandya Kingdom. He was well-versed in Tamil and Sanskrit, was of excellent conduct and devoted to Lord Sriman Narayana.

Kanninum Siruthambu

Madurakavi Alvar returned from Ayodhya drawn by the bright light at Tirkkurugur and his encounter with Nammalwar is a well-known story. Madhurakavi was so devoted to his Guru Nammalwar that he held him much higher than even Lord Narayana himself. In just 11 hymns, he composed a poem ‘Kanninum Siruthambu’ (the rope with minute knots) that commenced with those words in praise of Nammalwar also in Antaadhi style.

After Nammalwar departed from the world, he installed an Archa Vigraha (idol) of Nammalwar in tirukkurugur and performed festivals in his honour. He used to proclaim the various honorifies of Nammalwar such as “Vedam Tamizh Seitha Maaran’ – ‘Maaran who rendered Vedas in Tamil’, ‘Alavilaa Gnaanathu Aasiriyar’ – the great preceptor of infinite knowledge etc.

The Sangam poets objected to his praising Nammalwar who they said was not affiliated to the Sangam. Madhurakavi placed a birch bark leaf with the first line of Nammalwar’s verse starting with the words “Kannan Kazhalinai” on a boat in which the poets were sailing. The boat capsized throwing out the haughty poets leaving the leaf alone intact.

Each one of the poets who came ashore struggling through the waters composed a dedicatory verse each acknowledging the greatness of Nammalwar. When they published the verse that they had composed independently, they were surprised to find that all of them had written down the same text without any variation.

Festive image of Nammalvar

Verse Meaning

Thus the verse meaning can be read as –

The president of the Sangam acknowledged the superiority of Nammalwar’s works in a poem comparing other poets to flies in the presence of the divine Vulcan, fireflies in the presence of the Sun, dogs before the terrific tiger, wolf before the Man-Lion Narasimha, to ugly clumsy goblins dancing before the beautiful nymph Urvasi – concluding that not all the works of all the other poets put together could ever equal even a single utterance of Nammalwar”.

Another verse meaning can be read as: Of the two verses dedicated to Alvars, Swami Sri Vedanta Desikan has grouped all other Alvars in his first verse and has dedicated the whole of his second verse exclusively to Madhurakavi Alvar in Guruparampara Saaram of his Rahasya Traya Saaram.

The various aspects of Kanninun Siruthaambu have been listed out in this verse. Swami Sri Vedanta Desika remarks that while Lord Krishna was very much there for –

(i) Inbattil – conferring bliss on his devotees,
(ii) Irainjutalil – to be their refuge
(iii) Isaiyum Petril – to be their final goal
(iv) Igazhaatha Palluravil – to stand in relation to them as mother, father etc –
(v) Iragam Maarril – to change their desires for earthly pleasures into
(vi) Thun Patril – a desire for Himself
(vii) Vinai Vilakkil – to remove all their sins
(viii) Thaga Vokkattil – to show them infinite compassion
(ix) Tattuvam Unarthil – to reveal the eternal truths and
(x) Thanmai Aakkil – also to bring about in them a likeness of Himself.

While Krishna was ever ready to do all these, the blemishless Madhurakavi chose to seek the feet of Satakopa only who rendered Veda in Tamil and showed us the royal road to Supreme bliss”.

‘Kanninun Siruthambu’ emphasizes that Acharya Bhakti is more important than even Bhakti towards the Lord. Nammalwar knew none other than Bhagavan true to his ‘Unnum Sorum, Parugum Neerum, Thinnum Vetrilayum Ellaam Kannane’ – ‘the food he ate, the water he drank and the pleasures he enjoyed (figuratively referred to as chewing Paan) – all was Kannan for him. For Madhurakavi, Nammalwar was all these (Vide his statement “Thevu Matrariyen”).

His practice of “Acharya Nishta” is non-pareil (except long after we see when Thiruvarangattu Amudhanar wholeheartedly devoted himself to Emperumanar).

Madhurakavi Alvar - the incarnation of Vainatheya

Divya Prabandhams

A question arose as to how this work exclusively devoted to the Alvar could be counted as part of the 4000 Divya Prabandham – the whole of which is claimed to be dedicated to Bhagavan. Manavaala Maamunigal has answered this question thus: The greatness of its contents raises it to be the central gem that sheds lustre on the other gems of the garland. That is why it was counted amid the 4000 Divya Prabandhams.

Pillai Lokacharya explains that ‘Kanninun Siruthambu’ reveals the ideas underlying such verses as ‘Payilum Sudar Oli’, ‘Nedumaarkku Adimai’ etc of Tiruvoimozhi.

It is said that all the other verses of the 4000 Divya Prabhandhams cannot be a match to the 11 Pasurams of Madhurakavi – because it is this work that holds the key to the treasure of the rest and it is this work that helped Sri Nathamuni to unravel the rich treasures to the world.

It is truly said, “If there were no ‘Kanninun Siruthambu’, there would be no 4000 Divya Prabandhams at all”. Thus, Madhurakavi was responsible for literally the rebirth and publicity of the Prabandhams. It is, therefore, customarily incumbent in ‘Anusanthaanam’ to traditionally first recite ‘Kanninun Siruthambu’ before beginning the other Pasurams especially Nammalwar’s Tiruvoimozhi.

4 kinds of poets

There are four kinds of poets viz Aasukavi – Instant poets, Chitrakavi – Artistic poets, Vistaarakavi – Elaborate poets and Madhurakavi – Sweet poets. Of these, Alvar was a specialist in composing sweet sons. Hence, he is called ‘Madhurakavi’.

Since Madhurakavi Alvar helped through his work to retrieve the 4000 Divya Prabandhams from oblivion for the benefit of humanity, its importance cannot be brought out better than what Swami Sri Vedanta Desikan had done as explained above. Thanians on ‘Kanninun Siruthambu’ composed by Sri Nathamunigal –

“Here is one who knew none other than Nammalwar; the one who made it his mission in life to sing the Dramidopanishad of Nammalwar; The one being overwhelmed by Nammalwar held him as his very God; Let such Madhurakavi fill my heart”.

Madhurakavi Alvar said – “I do not know anything other than Nammalwar also known as Maaran who rendered in Tamil the essence of the Vedas and who is the head of Tirukkurugur. This Madhurakavi is our master. He is the guardian of the group of Prapannaas.

Sri Varadharaja Perumal Temple - Kanchipuram (108 Divya Desams)

Divya Desams

Divya Desams consecrated by Madhurakavi Alvar is the ‘Punya Kshetras’ of

(1) Ayodhya
(2) Mathura
(3) Maya
(4) Kasi
(5) Kanchi
(6) Avanti and
(7) Dwaraka.

Tag: Divya Prabandham

Recitation of Vedas and Divya Prabandham in Sri Vari Temple