Sriman NAthamuni Vaibhavam
Thirunakshathram (Aani - Anusham)
The Acharya (Guru) Paramparai of Srivaishnavam is:
- SriyahPathi Sriman Narayanan
- Sri Mahalakshmi
- Sri Vishvaksenar (Senaimudaliyar)
- Sri SaTakOpar (Sri NammAzhwAr)
- Sri Nathamuni
- Sri Pundarikakshar (Sri UyyakkoNdaar)
- Sri Ramamisrar (MaNakkaal Nambhi)
- Sri Yamuncharyar (Alavandhar)
- Sri MahapoorNar (Periya Nambhi)
- Sri Ramanujar
LakshmI nAtha samArambhaam nAtha yAmuna madhyamAm..
Sriman NathamunigaL was born in 824 A.D in Aani Anusham star, in Kaattumannargudi, at Veeranarayanapuram near GangaikoNda Chozhapuram.
AzhwAr's paasurams (poems) called Naalaayira Divyap Prabhandam composed by twelve AzhwArs had become extinct at that time. Sriman Nathamunigal re-discovered them.
It was by divine grace of Sriman Narayanan that Sriman Naathamuni came to know of the Tamil poems praising Lord Vishnu. It is believed that Sriman Naathamuni heard some devotees visiting his home town from THIRUNARAYANAPURAM - MELUKOTE - KARNATAKA singing a few (11) Tamil songs starting with "Aaraa amudhE adiyEn udalam" and ending with "...kuruhoor sadagOpan kuzhalil maliyach sonna Or AyiratthuL ippatthum, mazhalaitheera vallaar kaamar maanEy nOkkiyarkE."
(NammAzhwAr's Thiruvaaymozhi 5.8.1 - 5.8.11)
Sriman Nathamuni was greatly excited and enchanted with the exquisite beauty of the poems. He approached the devotees and enquired about its origin. The ending of the 11 poems, "Or AayiratthuLippatthu," (means this ten of one thousand) suggested that there are many more such poems (may be thousand?).
Unfortunately, the devotees were unaware of any other poems besides the eleven they had just finished reciting. However, they suggested to Sriman Nathamuni that he may try enquiring in the town of Thiruk Kuruhoor, present day AzhwAr Thirunagari near ThirunelvEli. So he set out to travel from Kaattumannarkudi to Thirukkurugoor, where he found one Paraangusa Daasar.
From him, Sriman Nathamuni learnt 11 more paasurams called KaNNinuN Sirutthaambu. These were composed by Madhurakavi AzhwAr and all 11 paasurams are in praise of Kurugoor SatakOpan (NammAzhwAr).
Paraangusa Daasar suggested that he repeatedly recite this great kaNNinuN sirutthaambu (sung in praise of Sri Sadagopan - NammAzhwAr) in the hope of pleasing the Lord. Sriman Naathamuni took his advice sincerely and recited it about 12,000 times! It is said that NammAzhwAr was impressed with Sriman Nathamuni's persistence and appeared before him.
NammAzhwAr was so impressed that he revealed to Sriman Nathamuni not just the 1102 paasurams of his own "Thiruvaay Mozhi", but also all the rest of the paasurams composed by the other eleven AzhwArs. Thus Nalayara Divya Prabandham was re-born!
Sriman Nathamuni set these 4000 to tune and music and taught to Melai Agatth AzhwAn and Keezhai Aagatth AzhwAn (his two nephews) and thus propagated the 4000 in various Divya Desams. Nathamuni re-arranged 4000 into four parts and introduced the same as part of recitation in Divya Desams, as part of worship. Following the teaching of NammAzhwar, Sri Nathamuni seems to have advocated the adoption of prapatti (self- surrender) as the means of salvation in place of rigorous bhakti yogam. Shriman NathamunigaL is "the vaLLal" who gave us the 4000 the insatiable nectar, set to music.. Sriman Nathmuni also wrote two works: Nyaya Tatvam and Yoga Rahasyam.
Article submitted by; Jayasri Jagannath