Twelve Azhvars (Twelve Saints of Sri Vaishnavism)

This Book is the English version of Panniru Azhvargal written by a devotee of Ramakrishna Math. The life storeies of Vaisnava Acaryas and Azhvars are given in the book called Arayirappadi Guru Parampara Prabhavam written by Acarya Pinpazhagiya Perumal Jiyar. Tritiya Brahma Tantra Svatantra Parakala Yatindra Jiyar also has beautifully depicted their life-stories in his book, Muvayirappadi Guru Parampara Prabhavam. Both these books were taken as authoritative by the later Acaryas. Keeping these as the source books, we too have tried to reproduce the life-stories of the Azhvars in a simple language. In the Life-story of every Azhvar, a prelude, a hymn composed by the respective Azhvar, followed by an eulogy about the Azhvar written by Appillai are also included. The episode of the Acarya Nathamuni recieving the Divya Parbadham is also briefly descibed here for the benefit of the readers. The details of 108 sacred places (Divya Desams) the name of main Deities, the birth places of the Azhvars, their asterisms, the hymns composed by them are given in the annexures. we have used diacritical marks for Sanskrit and tamil names/words throughout the text to help the readers in pronouncing them correctly,