Nalayira Divya Prabhandham

NAALAYIRA DIVYA PRABHANDHAM

INTRODUCTION

The Nalayira Divya Prabhandham is a collection of 4,000 Tamil verses composed by the 12 Alvar saints, and it was compiled in an appropriate manner by the Vaishnavite Saint Sri Nathamuni, during the 10th century AD.

This work was written in the form of poems, which was sung by the 12 Alvar saints, and these divine songs are still sung by the Vishnu devotees even today, and especially during the Tamil month of Margazhi, songs from Nalayira Divya Prabhandham would be played in the temples through loud speakers, and also would be chanted by the Temple priests. In the Srirangam temple, the chanting of the Divya Prabhandham is still done regularly as a service to the god.

The Divya Prabandham contains songs in praise of Lord Vishnu, and also about his various avatars. Singing songs and listening to the Divya Prabandham songs is similar to drinking of the divine milk from the Holy Cow mother Kamadhenu, and it is also considered equivalent to the Holy Vedas, and the ancient Puranas.

Nathamuni was born in the present-day Kaattu Mannaar Koil, and from his childhood itself, he was an ardent devotee of Lord Vishnu, and used to visit the nearby Vishnu temples with his parents. During his teenage, once he had the divine vision of Lord Vishnu, and as per the instructions of Lord Vishnu, he compiled the Nalayira Divya Prabhandham in a proper manner.

Many Vaishnavite saints developed the habit of reciting the holy verses of Prabhandham, and they also insisted the devotees to recite it regularly, and they also conducted divine discourses, sung songs in the temples, in order to spread the “VISHNU BHAKTI” amongst the people.

Ancient people used to read this Prabhandham before eating their morning food, and they also inculcated the practice of reading the Prabhandham regularly to their children. By reciting the divine verses from Nalayira Divya Prabhandham, we would be relieved from all types of diseases, and we would get a good health with all kinds of prosperities in our life.

“OM”

WRITTEN BY

R.HARISHANKAR