This is the magnum opus of Nammalwar—the treasure of Vaishnavism. it consists of 1102 four lined verses or passurams. These appear in groups of eleven. One group, which is an exception has thirteen paasurams. Each group is known as a Thiruvaimozhi. Ten such groups is called a pathu (meaning ten in Tamil). Thiruvaimozhi therefore has 10 pathus that is 100 thiruvaimozhis and 1102 paasurams. The melody produces by chorus singing of these paasurams by devotees is a feast to the ears.
First Decad
vAdinEn (Glory of the Ashtaakshara Mantra) [948-957]
vAlimAvalaththu (Thiruppirithi) [958-967]
muRRamoothu (Thiruvathari) [968-977]
EnmunAki (ThiruvathariyAcchiramam) [978-987]
kalaiyunkariyum (ThirusaaLakkiraamam) [988-997]
vANilAmuRuval (NaimisaaraNiyam) [998-1007]
ankaNYAlam (SingavELkunRam) [1008-1017]
konkalarntha (ThiruvEnkatam 1) [1018-1027]
thAyEthanthai (ThiruvEnkatam 2) [1028-1037]
kaNNArkadalsoozh (ThiruvEnkatam 3) [1038-1047]
taniyanaL
1. kalayAmi kalidhvamsam kavim lOkadivAkaram |yasya gOBih prakASABih Avidyam nihatam tamah||
- Sree tirukkOTTiyoor nambi
i meditate on tirumangai AzhwAr who is also called parakAla kaliyan. He is like the Sun dispelling the dense darkness of ajnAna by his brilliant rays of Sree sooktis casting away the dOShas of kali age.
2. vAzhi parakAlan vAzhi kalikanri
vAzhi kuraiyaloor vAzh vEndan vAzhiyarO |
mAyOnai vAL valiyAl mandirankoL mangaiyarkOn
tooyOn SuDar mAna vEl ||
- Sree emberumAnAr
AzhwAr in his earlier years was a robber. Once near tirumangollai he was hiding along with his mates waiting for some wayfarer. BagavAn decided to bless him. So He came in the guise of a brAhmaNa groom with His newly wedded bride, both of them wearing a lot of jewelry. AzhwAr robbed them of their jewels except the ring on the toe of BagavAn. AzhwAr pulled it with his teeth and put all the jewels in a bag and tried to lift it but in vain. He was surprised and demanded at sword point to tell him what mantra He had employed. BagavAn said " I shall tell you the mantra" and did upadESa of aShThAkShara mantra. He revealed His true form of nArAyaNa.
3. nenjukku iruL kaDi deepam aDangA neDum piravi
nanjukku nalla amudam tamizh nannool turaihaL |
anjukku ilakkiyam AraNa SAram paraSamaya
panjukku analin pori parakAlan panuvalhaLE ||
- Sree koorattAzhwAn
The Sree sooktis of tirumangai AzhwAr are - like a lamp dispelling the darkness of the mind; amruta an antidote for the poison of samsAra. A good literary work; the essence of vEdas; a spark of fire to burn the other religious sects to ash.
4. engaL gadiyE rAmAnuSa muniyE
Sangai keDuttu ANDa tavarASA pongu puhazh |
mangaiyar kOn eenda marai Ayiram anaittum
tangum manam nee enakku tA ||
- Sree embAr
It is Sree rAmAnuja who was the sole cause for the popularity and development of divya prabandhas of AzhwArs. Hence here Sree embAr says that Sree rAmAnuja should bless him to have the capacity to read understand and remember the pASuras of not only tirumangai AzhwAr but of all others too.
tirumangai AzhwAr had direct upadESa of tirumantra from Sreeman nArAyaNa Himself. Hence it is but natural that he had the divya darSana of BagavAn with all His glories. He has special interest in archAvatAra of various temples starting from badarikASrama where the tirumantra was taught by nArAyaNa to nara.
