Pey Alvar (also spelt Peyalvar, Peialvar, Pey Azhwar, or Pei Azhwar) is one of the twelve ''

Alvar An alvar is a biological environment based on a limestone plain with thin or no soil and, as a result, sparse grassland vegetation. Often flooded in the spring, and affected by drought in midsummer, alvars support a distinctive group of prair ...

'' saints of South

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

, who are known for their affiliation to

Vaishnava Vaishnavism ( sa, वैष्णवसम्प्रदायः, Vaiṣṇavasampradāyaḥ) is one of the major Hindu denominations along with Shaivism, Shaktism, and Smartism. It is also called Vishnuism since it considers Vishnu as the ...

tradition of

Hinduism Hinduism () is an Indian religion or '' dharma'', a religious and universal order or way of life by which followers abide. As a religion, it is the world's third-largest, with over 1.2–1.35 billion followers, or 15–16% of the global p ...

. The verses of '' Alvars'' are compiled as ''

Nalayira Divya Prabandham The Naalayira Divya Prabandham ( ta, நாலாயிரத் திவ்வியப் பிரபந்தம், lit=Four Thousand Divine Hymns, translit=Nālāyira Divya Prabandham) is a collection of 4,000 Tamil verses composed by ...

'' and the 108 temples revered are classified as ''

Divya Desams A Divya Desam or Vaishnava Divya Desam is one of the 108 Vishnu and Lakshmi temples that is mentioned in the works of the Alvars, the poet-saints of the Sri Vaishnava tradition. Of the 108 temples, 105 are in India, one is in Nepal, and the la ...

''. Pey Alvar is considered third in the list of the three principal ''Alvars'', with the other two being

Poigai Alvar Poigai Alvar was one of the twelve ''Alvar'' saints of South India, who are known for their affiliation to Vaishnava tradition of Hinduism. The verses of ''Alvars'' are compiled as ''Nalayira Divya Prabandham'' and the 108 temples revered are ...

and

Bhoothath Alvar Bhoothath Alvar () was one of the twelve ''alvars, Alvar'' saints of South India, who are known for their affiliation to Vaishnava tradition of Hinduism. The verses of ''alvars'' are compiled as ''Nalayira Divya Prabandham, Naalayira Divya Pra ...

, collectively called ''Mutalamalvargal'' who are known to be born out of divinity. Pey Alvar composed hundred verses that are classified as ''

Munram Tiruvantati The Munram Tiruvantati () is a Tamil Hindu work of literature composed by Peyalvar, one of the twelve Alvars of Sri Vaishnavism. Comprising 100 verses, it is written in the poetic meter called the antati. It is part of the compendium of hymns c ...

'' and his composition is set in the ''

antati Antati ( ta, அந்தாதி, translit=Antāti) is a unique kind of Tamil poetry, constructed such that the last or ending word of each verse becomes the first word of the next verse. In some instances, the last word of the series of vers ...

'' style in which the ending syllable is the starting one for the next verse. As per Hindu legend, Pey Alvar was found in the lily flower in the pond of the Adi Kesava Perumal Temple in

Mylapore Mylapore, also spelt Mayilapur, is a neighbourhood in the central part of the city of Chennai, India. It is one of the oldest residential parts of the city. It is also called Tirumayilai. The locality is claimed to be the birthplace of the cel ...

. The site can be found in Arundale Street, Mylapore, Chennai. In Tamil, ''pey'' refers to one who is possessed and since the saint was madly attracted to Hindu god Vishnu, he got the name. As per legend, the three ''Alvars'' were once were confined in a small dark enclosure during a rain in

Thirukovilur Tirukoilur also spelt as ''Tirukkoyilur'' or ''Tirukovilur'' is a city and the headquarters of Tirukoilur taluk in Kallakurichi District, Tamil Nadu, India. The town is located on the southern bank of Thenpennai River and famous for Ulagala ...

and they experienced a fourth individual among them. They found out that it was god Vishnu and Poigai Alvar wished to see his face continuously but could view only from the simmering light of the lightning. With a view to maintain the continuity of light, Poigai instantly composed hundred songs wishing light to emerge. Pey Alvar and Bhoothath Alvar continued composing hundred songs each on Vishnu. The works of these earliest saints contributed to the philosophical and theological ideas of Vaishnavism. Along with the three Saiva

nayanmars The Nayanars (or Nayanmars; ta, நாயன்மார், translit=Nāyaṉmār, translit-std=ISO, lit=hounds of Siva, and later 'teachers of Shiva ) were a group of 63 Tamil Hindu saints living during the 6th to 8th centuries CE who were de ...

, their works influenced the ruling

Pallava The Pallava dynasty existed from 275 CE to 897 CE, ruling a significant portion of the Deccan, also known as Tondaimandalam. The dynasty rose to prominence after the downfall of the Satavahana dynasty, with whom they had formerly served as fe ...

kings of the South Indian region, resulting in changing the religious geography from

Buddhism Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and gra ...

and

Jainism Jainism ( ), also known as Jain Dharma, is an Indian religions, Indian religion. Jainism traces its spiritual ideas and history through the succession of twenty-four tirthankaras (supreme preachers of ''Dharma''), with the first in the current ...

to the two sects of

Alvars

The word ''alvar'' means the one who dives deep into the ocean of the countless attributes of god. '' Alvars'' are considered the twelve supreme devotees of

Vishnu Vishnu ( ; , ), also known as Narayana and Hari, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the supreme being within Vaishnavism, one of the major traditions within contemporary Hinduism. Vishnu is known as "The Preserver" within t ...

, who were instrumental in popularising

Vaishnavism Vaishnavism ( sa, वैष्णवसम्प्रदायः, Vaiṣṇavasampradāyaḥ) is one of the major Hindu denominations along with Shaivism, Shaktism, and Smartism. It is also called Vishnuism since it considers Vishnu as the ...

during the 5th-8th centuries A.D. The religious works of these saints in

Tamil Tamil may refer to: * Tamils, an ethnic group native to India and some other parts of Asia **Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil people native to Sri Lanka also called ilankai tamils **Tamil Malaysians, Tamil people native to Malaysia * Tamil language, nativ ...

, songs of love and devotion, are compiled as ''

'' containing 4000 verses and the 108 temples revered in their songs are classified as ''

Divya desam A Divya Desam or Vaishnava Divya Desam is one of the 108 Vishnu and Lakshmi temples that is mentioned in the works of the Alvars, the poet-saints of the Sri Vaishnava tradition. Of the 108 temples, 105 are in India, one is in Nepal, and the las ...

''.

Dalal Dalal may refer to: * Dalal, alternative name for the black grasswren of Western Australia * Dalal (name), Arabic and Indian name * Dalal Street, downtown Mumbai, India * Dalal (clan); see Mandothi See also * ''Includes persons with the forename ...

2011, pp. 20-21 The saints had different origins and belonged to different castes. As per tradition, the first three ''Alvars'', Poigai, Bhutha and Pey were born miraculously. Tirumalisai was the son of a sage, Thondaradi, Mathurakavi, Periyalvar and Andal were from the

Brahmin Brahmin (; sa, ब्राह्मण, brāhmaṇa) is a varna as well as a caste within Hindu society. The Brahmins are designated as the priestly class as they serve as priests (purohit, pandit, or pujari) and religious teachers (guru ...

community, Kulasekhara from '' Kshatria'' community, Nammalvar was from a cultivator family, Tirupanalvar from ''

panar The Panar are a Muslim community found in the state of Gujarat in India. History and origin The word panar in the Gujarati language means a weaver, the traditional occupation of the community. They claim to have come from Central Asia and settl ...

'' community and Tirumangaiyalvar from ''kallar'' community. ''Divya Suri Saritra'' by Garuda-Vahana Pandita (11th century AD), ''Guruparamparaprabavam'' by Pinbaragiya Perumal Jiyar, ''Periya tiru mudi adaivu'' by Anbillai Kandadiappan, ''Yatindra Pranava Prabavam'' by Pillai Lokam Jiyar, commentaries on ''Divya Prabandam'', Guru Parampara (lineage of Gurus) texts, temple records and inscriptions give a detailed account of the ''Alvars'' and their works. According to these texts, the saints were considered incarnations of some form of Vishnu. Poigai is considered an incarnation of ''Panchajanya'' (Krishna's conch), Bhoothath of ''Kaumodakee'' (Vishnu's Mace/Club), Pey of ''Nandaka'' (Vishnu's sword), Thirumalisai of ''Sudarshanam'' (Vishnu's discus), Nammalvar of ''Vishvaksena'' (Vishnu's commander), Madhurakavi of ''Vainatheya'' (Vishnu's snake, Seshanaga), Kulasekhara of ''Kaustubha'' (Vishnu's necklace), Periy of Garuda (Vishnu's eagle), Andal of Bhoodevi (Vishnu's wife, Lakshmi, in her form as Bhudevi), Thondaradippodi of ''Vanamaalai'' (Vishnu's garland), Thiruppaanalvar of ''Srivatsa'' (An auspicious mark on Vishnu's chest) and Thirumangaiyalvar of '' Saranga'' (Rama's bow). The songs of ''Prabandam'' are regularly sung in all the Vishnu temples of South India daily and also during festivals. According to traditional account by Manavala Mamunigal, the first three ''Alvars'' namely Poigai, Bhoothath and Pey Alvar belong to ''

Dvapara Yuga ''Dvapara Yuga'' ( Dwapara Yuga), in Hinduism, is the third and third best of the four ''yugas'' (world ages) in a ''Yuga Cycle'', preceded by ''Treta Yuga'' and followed by ''Kali Yuga''. ''Dvapara Yuga'' lasts for 864,000 years (2,400 divine y ...

'' (before 4200 BC), as per the details, all Alvars lived around 4300 BCE - 900 AD. Some modern scholars suggest that they lived during 5th - 8th century, although such estimates lack evidence. But it is widely accepted by tradition and historians that the trio are the earliest among the twelve ''Alvars''. Along with the three Saiva

, they influenced the ruling

kings, creating a Bhakti movement that resulted in changing the religious geography from

and

to these two sects of

in the region. The ''Alvars'' were also instrumental in promoting the Bhagavatha cult and the two epics of India, namely, ''

Ramayana The ''Rāmāyana'' (; sa, रामायणम्, ) is a Sanskrit literature, Sanskrit Indian epic poetry, epic composed over a period of nearly a millennium, with scholars' estimates for the earliest stage of the text ranging from the 8th ...

'' and ''

Mahabaratha The ''Mahābhārata'' ( ; sa, महाभारतम्, ', ) is one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India in Hinduism, the other being the '' Rāmāyaṇa''. It narrates the struggle between two groups of cousins in the Kuru ...

''. The ''Alvars'' were instrumental in spreading ''

'' throughout the region. The verses of the various ''Alvars'' were compiled by

Nathamuni Nathamuni, also known as Sri Ranganathamuni, (823 CE – 951 CE), was a Sri Vaishnava, Vaishnava theologian who collected and compiled the Divya Prabandha, Naalayira Divya Prabandham. Srinivasa Chari, S. M. (1994). Vaiṣṇavism, p.22-24. Mot ...

(824-924 AD), a 10th-century Vaishnavite theologian, who called it the "Tamil Veda".

Early life

In Tamil, ''pey'' refers to one who is possessed and since the saint was madly attracted to Hindu god Vishnu, he got the name. As per Hindu legend, Pey Alvar was found in the lily flower in the pond of the Adi Kesava Perumal Temple in

(historically called Manikaivaram), a suburb in

Chennai Chennai (, ), formerly known as Madras ( the official name until 1996), is the capital city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost Indian state. The largest city of the state in area and population, Chennai is located on the Coromandel Coast of th ...

. He is also called Mahadahvaya and Mylapuradapadhi.

2011, p. 302

Composition

As per Hindu legend, Vishnu appeared to the ''mutalam Alvars'' (first three ''Alvars'') at Thirukkoilur. It was day time, but it darkened and started raining heavily. The wandering Poigai found out a small hide out, which has a space for one person to lie down. Boodath arrived there looking for a hiding place and Poigai accommodated him, with both sitting together. In the meanwhile, Pey Alvar also came to the same place as all the three preferred to stand because of lack of space. The darkness became dense and inside the small room, they were not able to see each other. In the meanwhile, they felt a fourth person also forced his way among them. The three ''Alvars'' realised from the light of the lightning that the fourth one had a charming face that was sublime and divine. The trio could immediately realize that it was

who was huddling among them. Poigai wished to see Vishnu's face continuously but could view only from the simmering light of the lightning. With a view to maintain the continuity of light, he instantly composed hundred songs wishing the earth to be a big pot full of ghee like an ocean where the Sun could be the burning wick.

2011, p. 308

Tamil Tamil may refer to: * Tamils, an ethnic group native to India and some other parts of Asia **Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil people native to Sri Lanka also called ilankai tamils **Tamil Malaysians, Tamil people native to Malaysia * Tamil language, nativ ...

திருக்கண்டேன் பொன் மேனி கண்டேன் திகழும்
அருக்கனணி நிறமும் கண்டேன் - செருக்கிளரும்
பொன்னாழி கண்டேன் புரி சங்கம் கைக்கண்டேன்
என்னாழி வண்ணன் பால் இன்று

Transliteration Transliteration is a type of conversion of a text from one writing system, script to another that involves swapping Letter (alphabet), letters (thus ''wikt:trans-#Prefix, trans-'' + ''wikt:littera#Latin, liter-'') in predictable ways, such as ...

Tiruk Kanden Pon Meni Kanden- Thigazhum
Arukkan Ani Niramum Kanden-Seruk Kilarum
Pon Aazhi Kanden Puri Sangam Kai Kanden
En Aazhi Vannan Paal Inru

also sang 100 songs imagining to light the lamp constantly through ardent love for Him. Pey Alvar sang another 100 songs where he described the enchanting charm of the divine face and the association of Narayana equipped with chakra and sankha, and his divine consort goddess Lakshmi.

Chari Chari may refer to: Places * Chari River, in Central Africa * Chari-Baguirmi (disambiguation), in Chad * Chari Department, in Chad, one of three departments making up the region of Chari-Baguirmi * Moyen-Chari (disambiguation), in Chad * Chari, ...

1997, pp. 16-17 Pey Alvar composed hundred verses that are classified as ''Munram Tiruvantati''. Pey Alvar's composition was set in the ''

'' style. The word ''Andha'' means end and ''Adi'' means beginning. ''antati'' style has ending word or the syllable of each verse as the beginning word of the succeeding verse and the last word of the hundredth verse becomes the beginning of the first verse, making the hundred verses a true garland of verses. The works of these earliest saints contributed to the philosophical and theological ideas of Vaishnavism. The verses of the trio speak of

Narayana Narayana (Sanskrit: नारायण, IAST: ''Nārāyaṇa'') is one of the forms and names of Vishnu, who is in yogic slumber under the celestial waters, referring to the masculine principle. He is also known as Purushottama, and is co ...

(another name for Vishnu) as the supreme deity and they refer frequently to

Trivikrama Vamana (), also known as Trivikrama (), Urukrama (), Upendra (), Dadhivamana (), and Balibandhana () is an avatar of the Hindu deity Vishnu. He is the fifth avatar of Vishnu, and the first Dashavatara in the Treta Yuga, after Narasimha. ...

and

Krishna Krishna (; sa, कृष्ण ) is a major deity in Hinduism. He is worshipped as the eighth avatar of Vishnu and also as the Supreme god in his own right. He is the god of protection, compassion, tenderness, and love; and is one ...

, the

avatar Avatar (, ; ), is a concept within Hinduism that in Sanskrit literally means "descent". It signifies the material appearance or incarnation of a powerful deity, goddess or spirit on Earth. The relative verb to "alight, to make one's appearanc ...

s of Vishnu.

Mangalasasanam Mangalasasanam () refers to a Vaishnava concept in Hinduism, where a devotee offers their salutations and felicitations upon God due to a profound sense of concern for the latter, and also as an exercise of forgetting their sense of self. Hymns ...

There are 39 of his paasurams in the 4000 Divya Prabhandham. He has sung in praise of fourteen temples.

Notes

References

* * * {{Alvars Alvars Sri Vaishnava religious leaders Bhakti movement Vaishnava saints Tamil Hindu saints te:ముదలాళ్వారులు