Story of Nammālvār

The first of the twelve great Ālvārs. The Śaivite devotees of South India are called Nāyanārs and the Vaisṇavite devotees, Ālvārs. The word ālvār means, a devotee of God. The Vaiṣṇava religion says that the twelve ālvārs are the incarnations of Ādiśeṣa and Garuḍa the followers and the embodied deities of the Conch and the discus the weapons of Viṣṇu. It is mentioned in Śrīmad Bhāgavata that divine persons who are followers of Viṣṇu will incarnate on the earth in Kaliyuga and that their native places will be the banks of the holy rivers in Drāviḍa such as Tāmraparṇī, Kṛtamālā (Vaigai), Payasvinī (Pāpanāśinī) and Kāverī. It is stated about these divine persons in Viṣṇumāhātmya that they would take birth in any caste and compose Drāviḍa songs and thereby propagate lofty truths. The collection of Drāviḍa songs thus composed by the ālvārs is called 'Divya Prabandha' (Divine Composition).

There are four thousand songs in four parts in the Divine composition and hence it has the name Nālāyira Prabandham 'Four thousand composition'. The theme of the 1st and 2nd thousands is a secret known as 'Tirumantra' (the divine spell). The third thousand is concerned with the "Caramaśloka" (the verse of death) and in the fourth "Dvayamantra" is dealt with. The Tirumantra (the divine spell) is the collection of of three words Om, namaḥ and Nārāyaṇāya.

'Om' and 'namaḥ' are explained in the first thousand and the word Nārāyaṇāya in the second thousand of the composition. The Caramaśloka (the verse of death) is the last utterance of the songster-priest. It is a propagation of the theme of seeking refuge. The individual soul has to seek refuge under the universal soul, unconditionally. This is what is called 'Prapatti. Dvayamantra (the two fold mantra) deals with the aim and the ways for the realisation of that aim. It would be possible only by the help of Lakṣmī Bhagavatī (the goddess Lakṣmī). It is a verse of only two lines.

The first and foremost among the ālvārs is Nammālvār. 'Tiruvāymoli' is his work. It had been predicted in Vaiṣṇava Purāṇa that at the beginning of Kaliyuga. Viṣṇu Senānī named Viṣvaksena would incarnate as Nammālvār and that he would reinstate the Vaiṣṇavite religion. It is hinted in Brahmāṇḍa Purāṇa that Nammālvār would incarnate in Śrīnagarī (Tirunagari) on the banks of river Tāmraparṇī in the Kingdom of Pāṇḍya. As was fore-told Nammālvār was born in Tirunagari. The present name of this place is 'Ālvār tirunagari'.

There is a traditional lore about the birth of Nammālvār. There was a ruling chief named Kāriyār in Tirunagari. Udayamaṅkayār was his wife. The couple once went to the Vaiṣṇavite temple near Mahendra mountain known as Tirukkuruṅkuṭi temple and prayed to the god consecrated there called Nambi, for a son. Reply was given through the priests that the god himself would take birth as their son. Accordingly Udayamaṅkayār gave birth to Nammālvār. Scholars say that the birth of Nammālvār was on the 43rd day of Kailyugathat is in B.C. 3102.

Nammālvār had another name Parāṅkuśa. Some believe that he was the incarnation of portions of Seneśa and the jewel Kaustubha. Some say that there are portions of Mahāviṣṇu, Pañcāyudha, Ādiśeṣa and Seneśa in Nammālvār. The Vaiṣṇavites have given Nammālvār a lofty place. The infant born to Kāriyār and Udayamaṅkayār was not an ordinary one. Generally infants at birth are covered with a case of air called 'Śaṭha'. Because of this they lose the memory of previous birth. But Nammālvār had no Śaṭha. So he got the name 'Śaṭhakopa'. The parents were amazed at the infant which lay still without beating its legs, and crying or sucking its mother’s breasts. The bright infant was taken to the Vaiṣṇavite temple on the twelfth day. Because of his difference from ordinary infants he was named Māra. A golden cradle studded with jewels was hung on the branch of a tamarind tree and laying the child in it, the parents went home. That tamarind tree still stands there. The devotees believe that that tree also is a portion of Ādiśeṣa.

Nammālvār spent sixteen years under the tamarind tree without opening the eyes or uttering a single word. In the sixteenth year a wise man who could understand the dignity of Nammālvār came there. The person was the Madhura Kavi Ālvār. After this Nammālvār sat under the tamarind tree and sang songs of praise of Nārāyaṇa. Madhura Kavi set tunes for them and sang them. Everybody who heard them was struck with wonder and stood still. Nammālvār spent his days under the tamarind tree in meditation and contemplation. At the age of 35 he entered heaven.