Nathamuni - Revision history

EulaMatos4236 at 18:37, 2 March 2026

2026-03-02T18:37:13Z

UpdateBot: robot: Update article (please report if you notice any mistake or error in this edit)

2021-12-25T17:46:45Z

robot: Update article (please report if you notice any mistake or error in this edit)

← Older revision		Revision as of 23:16, 25 December 2021
Line 6:		Line 6:

	==Birth and family==		==Birth and family==
	Nathamuni is generally considered to have been born in 823 CE and to have died in 951 CE. His birth name was Aranganathan however he was known as Nathamuni or literally the ''Saint lord'' (''Nathan''-lord, ''muni''-saint)<ref name="shastri">Kallidaikurichi Aiyah Nilakanta Sastri (1964). The culture and history of the Tamils, p.149</ref><ref name="padmaja">Padmaja, T. (2002). Temples of Kr̥ṣṇa in South India: History, Art, and Traditions in Tamil Nadu. Abhinav Publications. {{ISBN\|8170173981}} [https://books.google.com/books?id=F-_eR1isesMC&pg=PA70&dq=nathamuni+824&hl=en&sa=X&ei=xVEuUYDSCPC70AGtkIH4Aw&ved=0CC0Q6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=nathamuni%20824&f=false]</ref><ref>Subrahmanian, N., Hikosaka, S., Samuel, John G., & Thiagarajan P. (1998). Tamil social history, Volume 2, p.342. Institute of Asian Studies.</ref> An alternative view is that he was born in 582 CE and died in 922 CE.<ref name="aiyangar">Aiyangar, Sakkottai Krishnaswami (1911). Ancient India: Collected Essays on the Literary and Political History of Southern India, p.409, 413. Asian Educational Services. {{ISBN\|8120618505}} [https://books.google.com/books?id=htArUg0OMpcC&pg=PA409&dq=nathamuni&hl=en&sa=X&ei=-FAuUb_jIpLO0QGD-oGwCQ&ved=0CDgQ6AEwAg#v=onepage&q=nathamuni&f=false]</ref> Yet another view is that Nathamuni was born at [[Kattumannarkoil\|Viranarayana Puram]] sometime shortly after 907 CE and flourished in the 10th century.<ref name="neevel">Neevel, Walter G. (1977). Yāmuna's Vedānta and Pāñcarātra: Integrating the Classical and the Popular, p.15. Issue 10 of Harvard theological review. Harvard dissertations in religion. Scholars Press. {{ISBN\|0891301364}}</ref> The traditional view that he lived for than 400 years is untenable. It is likely that Nathamuni lived for slightly over a hundred years in that region controlled by the Chola kings before they rose to the peak of their greatness.<ref name="rajagopalac">{{cite book\|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4X6IDAEACAAJ&q=The+Vaishnavite+reformers+of+India\|title=The Vaishnavite reformers of India: Critical sketches of their lives and writings\|isbn=9781332877256\|last1=Chariar\|first1=T Rajagopala\|date=23 June 2016}}</ref> His birth star was Anusham.<ref>{{cite book\|title=Music rituals in the temples of South India, Volume 1\|first=Geetha\|last=Rajagopal\|publisher=D. K. Printworld, 2009 - Religion\|page=57}}</ref>		Nathamuni is generally considered to have been born in 823 CE and to have died in 951 CE. His birth name was Aranganathan; however, he was known as Nathamuni or literally the ''Saint lord'' (''Nathan''-lord, ''muni''-saint)<ref name="shastri">Kallidaikurichi Aiyah Nilakanta Sastri (1964). The culture and history of the Tamils, p.149</ref><ref name="padmaja">Padmaja, T. (2002). Temples of Kr̥ṣṇa in South India: History, Art, and Traditions in Tamil Nadu. Abhinav Publications. {{ISBN\|8170173981}} [https://books.google.com/books?id=F-_eR1isesMC&pg=PA70&dq=nathamuni+824&hl=en&sa=X&ei=xVEuUYDSCPC70AGtkIH4Aw&ved=0CC0Q6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=nathamuni%20824&f=false]</ref><ref>Subrahmanian, N., Hikosaka, S., Samuel, John G., & Thiagarajan P. (1998). Tamil social history, Volume 2, p.342. Institute of Asian Studies.</ref> An alternative view is that he was born in 582 CE and died in 922 CE.<ref name="aiyangar">Aiyangar, Sakkottai Krishnaswami (1911). Ancient India: Collected Essays on the Literary and Political History of Southern India, p.409, 413. Asian Educational Services. {{ISBN\|8120618505}} [https://books.google.com/books?id=htArUg0OMpcC&pg=PA409&dq=nathamuni&hl=en&sa=X&ei=-FAuUb_jIpLO0QGD-oGwCQ&ved=0CDgQ6AEwAg#v=onepage&q=nathamuni&f=false]</ref> Yet another view is that Nathamuni was born at [[Kattumannarkoil\|Viranarayana Puram]] sometime shortly after 907 CE and flourished in the 10th century.<ref name="neevel">Neevel, Walter G. (1977). Yāmuna's Vedānta and Pāñcarātra: Integrating the Classical and the Popular, p.15. Issue 10 of Harvard theological review. Harvard dissertations in religion. Scholars Press. {{ISBN\|0891301364}}</ref> The traditional view that he lived for than 400 years is untenable. It is likely that Nathamuni lived for slightly over a hundred years in that region controlled by the Chola kings before they rose to the peak of their greatness.<ref name="rajagopalac">{{cite book\|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4X6IDAEACAAJ&q=The+Vaishnavite+reformers+of+India\|title=The Vaishnavite reformers of India: Critical sketches of their lives and writings\|isbn=9781332877256\|last1=Chariar\|first1=T Rajagopala\|date=23 June 2016}}</ref> His birth star was Anusham.<ref>{{cite book\|title=Music rituals in the temples of South India, Volume 1\|first=Geetha\|last=Rajagopal\|publisher=D. K. Printworld, 2009 - Religion\|page=57}}</ref>

	Though there is difficulty in fixing Nathamuni's date of birth and age, he is considered to have lived during the lifetime of [[Madhurakavi Alvar]]'s Parampara.<ref name="Dasguptap94" /> ~~That~~ Nathamuni was in contact with [[Nammalvar]] is attested by the ''Guru-paramparā'', ''Divya sūri charita'', and ''Prappannāmŗta''.<ref name="Dasguptap94" /> The ''Prappannāmŗta'' also attests that Nathamuni was born in the village Viranarayana.<ref name="Dasguptap94" /> Viranarayana is today generally identified as [[Kattumannarkoil]].<ref name="neevel" /><ref>Jagadeesan, N. (1989). Collected Papers on Tamil Vaishnavism, p.126. Ennes Publications.</ref> Nathamuni is said to have died at [[Gangaikonda Cholapuram]].<ref>Es Vaiyāpurip Piḷḷai (1956). History of Tamil language and literature: beginning to 1000 AD, p.130. New Century Book House</ref> His father's name was Iśvara Bhaṭṭa and his son's name was Iśvaramuni.<ref name="Dasguptap94" /> His grandson was [[Yamunacharya]]<ref name="shastri" /> who was probably named in commemoration of a pilgrimage that Nathamuni took to the banks of the Yamuna along with his son (Iśvara Muni) and daughter-in-law.<ref name="rajagopalac" />		Though there is difficulty in fixing Nathamuni's date of birth and age, he is considered to have lived during the lifetime of [[Madhurakavi Alvar]]'s Parampara.<ref name="Dasguptap94" /> Once Nathamuni was conversing with his father about the legend of Prabandhams written by Alvars. His father, Ishvara Bhattar, exclaimed the Prabandhams were long lost, and it is not impossible to retrieve unless or until we don't have the grace of Narayanan. Hence, he got interested in this and had set to the pilgrimage to Kumbakonam Sarangapani Temple where main deity is worshipped as Aravamudhan. There, he heard priests singing 10 particular Pasurams dedicated to Aravamudhan (Sarangapani Temple main deity) by Saint Nammalvar. He was overjoyed hearing those and enquired it's details. But the priests stated that only 10 Pasurams was known to them out of 1,292 written by Nammalvar. Hence kept immense faith on the Lord Aravamudhan and he visited Thirukurgur, birth place of Madhurakavigal, the disciple of Nammalvar. He enquired about the Prabandhams written by Nammalvar to Madhurakavigal's direct descendants who lived at Thirukurgur. There, the descendants of Madhurakavigal gave 10 Pasurams written by Madhurakavigal by the name Kanninun Siruthambu. They also gave information to Nathamunigal that, whoever sings these 10 Pasurams with dedication, will get contact with Nammalvar himself at Alvarthirunagari, the birth place of the saint himself. But they also questioned him how will he know the count, for which Nathamunigal explained, once he finish singing these 10 Pasurams 12,000 times, Nammalvar himself will come and he need not bother about the count. He kept full faith on Nammalvar and started singing the Pasurams with dedication under the Tamarind tree under which Nammalvar himself sat 4,000 years ago (in relation with Nathamunigal's period). Once he completed 12,000 times, Lord Aravamudhan advised Vishvaksenar (the head or the chief of the army of Lord) to go and bless the Saint Nathamunigal again as Nammalvar (Nammalvar is the avatar of Vishvaksena). Thus, Nammalvar himself came in front of Nathamunigal and granted him all the 4,000 Pasurams of all Alvars instead of just 1,292 written by him. He came back with immense happiness and thanked Aravamudhan and Nammalvar a lot. Nathamunigal thus revived the Nalayira Divya Prabandham, hence he became the first Acharya of Sri Vaishnava tradition of Sanatana Dharma. Nathamunigal is considered to be an incarnation of a Nityasuri in Vaikunta named Gajananar. His grand disciple is Ramanuja himself, who is considered as an incarnation of Adiseshan.

			The relationship between Nammalvar and Nathamuni is attested by the ''Guru-paramparā'', ''Divya sūri charita'', and ''Prappannāmŗta''.<ref name="Dasguptap94" /> The ''Prappannāmŗta'' also attests that Nathamuni was born in the village Viranarayana.<ref name="Dasguptap94" /> Viranarayana is today generally identified as [[Kattumannarkoil]].<ref name="neevel" /><ref>Jagadeesan, N. (1989). Collected Papers on Tamil Vaishnavism, p.126. Ennes Publications.</ref> Nathamuni is said to have died at [[Gangaikonda Cholapuram]].<ref>Es Vaiyāpurip Piḷḷai (1956). History of Tamil language and literature: beginning to 1000 AD, p.130. New Century Book House</ref> His father's name was Iśvara Bhaṭṭa and his son's name was Iśvaramuni.<ref name="Dasguptap94" /> His grandson was [[Yamunacharya]]<ref name="shastri" /> who was probably named in commemoration of a pilgrimage that Nathamuni took to the banks of the Yamuna along with his son (Iśvara Muni) and daughter-in-law.<ref name="rajagopalac" />

	It is believed that his other names were Sadamarsana Kula Tilakar, Sottai Kulaththu Arasar and Ranganatha Acharya.<ref name="rajagopalac" />		It is believed that his other names were Sadamarsana Kula Tilakar, Sottai Kulaththu Arasar and Ranganatha Acharya.<ref name="rajagopalac" />

imported>SdkbBot: General fixes, removed erroneous space

2021-06-21T23:13:10Z

General fixes, removed erroneous space

New page

{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2020}}
{{Use Indian English|date=August 2020}}
[[File:NathamuniAalavandar.jpg|thumb|Sriman Nathamunigal and Sri Aalavandar in Kattumannarkoil]]
{{Vaishnavism}}
'''Sri Ranganathamuni''', popularly known as Sriman '''Nathamuni''' (823 CE–951 CE), was a [[Sri Vaishnava|Vaishnava]] theologian who collected and compiled the [[Divya Prabandha|Nalayira Divya Prabandham]].<ref name="Dasguptap94">{{cite book |title=A History of Indian Philosophy |volume=3 |year=1991 |first=S. N. |last=Dasgupta |publisher=Motilal Banarsidass |isbn=9788120804142 |pages=94–96 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jI2PUAa8B8oC}}</ref><ref name="chari">Srinivasa Chari, S. M. (1994). Vaiṣṇavism, p.22-24. Motilal Banarsidass Publishers. {{ISBN|8120810988}} [https://books.google.com/books?id=evmiLInyxBMC&pg=PA22&dq=nathamuni+824&hl=en&sa=X&ei=xVEuUYDSCPC70AGtkIH4Aw&ved=0CDMQ6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q=nathamuni%20824&f=false]</ref> Considered the first of [[Sri Vaishnava]] ''āchāryās'',<ref name="chari"/><ref name="shastri"/> Nathamuni is also the author of ''Yogarahasya'',<ref name="desikachar">Desikachar, T.K.V. (2010). The Heart of Yoga: Developing a Personal Practice, p.231. Inner Traditions, Bear & Co. {{ISBN|1594778922}} [https://books.google.com/books?id=U1tV9F9kArUC&pg=PA231&dq=nathamuni&hl=en&sa=X&ei=-FAuUb_jIpLO0QGD-oGwCQ&ved=0CEwQ6AEwBg#v=onepage&q=nathamuni&f=false]</ref> and ''Nyāyatattva''.<ref name="chari"/><ref name="shastri"/>

==Birth and family==
Nathamuni is generally considered to have been born in 823 CE and to have died in 951 CE. His birth name was Aranganathan however he was known as Nathamuni or literally the ''Saint lord'' (''Nathan''-lord, ''muni''-saint)<ref name="shastri">Kallidaikurichi Aiyah Nilakanta Sastri (1964). The culture and history of the Tamils, p.149</ref><ref name="padmaja">Padmaja, T. (2002). Temples of Kr̥ṣṇa in South India: History, Art, and Traditions in Tamil Nadu. Abhinav Publications. {{ISBN|8170173981}} [https://books.google.com/books?id=F-_eR1isesMC&pg=PA70&dq=nathamuni+824&hl=en&sa=X&ei=xVEuUYDSCPC70AGtkIH4Aw&ved=0CC0Q6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=nathamuni%20824&f=false]</ref><ref>Subrahmanian, N., Hikosaka, S., Samuel, John G., & Thiagarajan P. (1998). Tamil social history, Volume 2, p.342. Institute of Asian Studies.</ref> An alternative view is that he was born in 582 CE and died in 922 CE.<ref name="aiyangar">Aiyangar, Sakkottai Krishnaswami (1911). Ancient India: Collected Essays on the Literary and Political History of Southern India, p.409, 413. Asian Educational Services. {{ISBN|8120618505}} [https://books.google.com/books?id=htArUg0OMpcC&pg=PA409&dq=nathamuni&hl=en&sa=X&ei=-FAuUb_jIpLO0QGD-oGwCQ&ved=0CDgQ6AEwAg#v=onepage&q=nathamuni&f=false]</ref> Yet another view is that Nathamuni was born at [[Kattumannarkoil|Viranarayana Puram]] sometime shortly after 907 CE and flourished in the 10th century.<ref name="neevel">Neevel, Walter G. (1977). Yāmuna's Vedānta and Pāñcarātra: Integrating the Classical and the Popular, p.15. Issue 10 of Harvard theological review. Harvard dissertations in religion. Scholars Press. {{ISBN|0891301364}}</ref> The traditional view that he lived for than 400 years is untenable. It is likely that Nathamuni lived for slightly over a hundred years in that region controlled by the Chola kings before they rose to the peak of their greatness.<ref name="rajagopalac">{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4X6IDAEACAAJ&q=The+Vaishnavite+reformers+of+India|title=The Vaishnavite reformers of India: Critical sketches of their lives and writings|isbn=9781332877256|last1=Chariar|first1=T Rajagopala|date=23 June 2016}}</ref> His birth star was Anusham.<ref>{{cite book|title=Music rituals in the temples of South India, Volume 1|first=Geetha|last=Rajagopal|publisher=D. K. Printworld, 2009 - Religion|page=57}}</ref>

Though there is difficulty in fixing Nathamuni's date of birth and age, he is considered to have lived during the lifetime of [[Madhurakavi Alvar]]'s Parampara.<ref name="Dasguptap94" /> That Nathamuni was in contact with [[Nammalvar]] is attested by the ''Guru-paramparā'', ''Divya sūri charita'', and ''Prappannāmŗta''.<ref name="Dasguptap94" /> The ''Prappannāmŗta'' also attests that Nathamuni was born in the village Viranarayana.<ref name="Dasguptap94" /> Viranarayana is today generally identified as [[Kattumannarkoil]].<ref name="neevel" /><ref>Jagadeesan, N. (1989). Collected Papers on Tamil Vaishnavism, p.126. Ennes Publications.</ref> Nathamuni is said to have died at [[Gangaikonda Cholapuram]].<ref>Es Vaiyāpurip Piḷḷai (1956). History of Tamil language and literature: beginning to 1000 AD, p.130. New Century Book House</ref> His father's name was Iśvara Bhaṭṭa and his son's name was Iśvaramuni.<ref name="Dasguptap94" /> His grandson was [[Yamunacharya]]<ref name="shastri" /> who was probably named in commemoration of a pilgrimage that Nathamuni took to the banks of the Yamuna along with his son (Iśvara Muni) and daughter-in-law.<ref name="rajagopalac" />

It is believed that his other names were Sadamarsana Kula Tilakar, Sottai Kulaththu Arasar and Ranganatha Acharya.<ref name="rajagopalac" />

==Life history==

=== Compilation of the ''4000 Divya Prabandhams'' ===
He spent time travelling in [[North India]].<ref name="Dasguptap94" /> He came to know about Nalayira Divya Prabhandam, but he heard only 10 hymns. He wanted the rest. He recited 12,000 times, Kanninun Siruthambu, a poem in praise of [[Nammalwar]]. Nammalwar appeared and gave the 4000 hymns (Nalayira Divya Prabhandam). He was the one who brought back the 4000 hymns. In addition to teaching the hymns to his two nephews at [[Srirangam]], he introduced them into the Srirangam Temple Service at the [[Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple, Srirangam]] where he was the Temple Administrator.<ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.hindu.com/2007/09/28/stories/2007092855041100.htm | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080820222008/http://www.hindu.com/2007/09/28/stories/2007092855041100.htm | url-status=dead | archive-date=20 August 2008 | title=First Preceptor | date=28 September 2007 | newspaper=[[The Hindu]] | access-date=23 April 2008}}</ref><blockquote>''The story goes that Nathamuni, while at the Vishnu temple at Kattumannar Koil his native place, heard some Brahmins from the Southern end of the Peninsula recite Tamil verses of Satakopa addressed to the Vishnu God of Kumbhakonam and was charmed with their sense and diction. He also found that these verses concluded with the words "These 10 out of the thousand, composed by Satakopa". Nathamuni thus placed in the track of research seems to have finally recovered the whole of Satakopa's works and then rearranged them and the extant works of the other Alwars into four collections of about a thousand stanzas each.''<ref name="rajagopalac" /></blockquote>

=== Other contributions ===
The ritual of worship as followed in Vishnu Temples is based on two early standard works. The first being ''Vaikhanasa Sutra'' which probably belongs to the Krishna Yajurveda school. The other is the ''Panchratra Agama'' which belongs to the extensive ''Tantra'' literature, believed to have been composed by Narayana himself. The Agama has a peculiar philosophy of its own, the Bhagavata Cult, which is very old and is referred to in the Mahabharata and ''Badarayana Sutras''. Nathamuni, made a provision for the recitation of Tamil vedas on appropriate occasions during the main festivals of the lord.<ref name="rajagopalac" /> He is thought to be the originator of the [[Araiyar Sevai]].<ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.hindu.com/fr/2007/10/26/stories/2007102651260600.htm | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071028182459/http://www.hindu.com/fr/2007/10/26/stories/2007102651260600.htm | url-status=dead | archive-date=28 October 2007 | title=Rare event: Srinivasarangachariar performing Araiyar Sevai at Sri Mahalakshmi Temple, Besant Nagar | date=26 October 2007 | newspaper=[[The Hindu]] | access-date=23 April 2008}}</ref>

== Anecdotes ==

=== The court dancer ===
Nammazhwar's songs are sung to this day at Srirangam and other places of where Vishnu is worshipped. Nathamuni is said to have set them into music after his discovery of these verses. During that period, a dancing girl sang songs in the same celestial tune (in which Nathamuni set the prabandhams into music) at the court of the Chola king in ''[[Gangaikonda Cholapuram|Gangaikondacholapuram]].'' The tune was rare and could not be appreciated by the common folk and hence the king slighted the dancer. The dancer travelled to the [[Kattumannarkoil|Veeranarayanapuram]] vishnu temple and sang before God in the same celestial tune. This was appreciated by Nathamuni who understood the nuances of the tune. On hearing that Nathamuni himself had appreciated the dancer's singing, the king visited the temple and enquired why Nathamuni had appreciated that unfamiliar tune. To display his prowess, Nathamuni ordered several cymbals to be sounded and determined the weight of the cymbals from the pitch of the sound that they produced. This impressed the king and he accepted the superiority of the celestial tune.

There is an inconsistency in this anecdote. During the time of Nathamuni (late 9th century), ''[[Uraiyur]]'' was the capital of the Chola kings, and [[Gangaikonda Cholapuram|Gangaikondacholapuram]] had not been founded yet. However, it is possible that the site of the city was used as an alternative capital or had a palace that was frequented by the kings.<ref name="rajagopalac" />

=== ''"Uyyakondar" -'' his disciple Pundarikaksha ===
One of Nathamuni's most illustrious disciples was Pundarikaksha, who hasn't left any literary work behind him. It is believed that Nathamuni had a vision where he foresaw the birth of his grandson [[Yamunacharya]] and deputed Pundarikaksha to be his spiritual guru (who in turn deputed his disciple ''Ramamisra'' to guide Yamunacharya).

It is said that Nathamuni once asked Pundarikaksha to escort his wife ''Aravindappavai'' to the residence of her father ''Vangi-purathachi.'' On reaching the house of Vangi-purathachi he was served stale food as he was from an inferior caste among Brahmins (Choliah). Yet he never resented the apparent slight and indignity, but accepted it cheerfully. When Nathamuni heard of this incident, he realised that it was a mark of ''high spiritual'' advancement and called him by the name of '''''Uyyakondar - “Savior of the new dispensation”.''''' <ref name="rajagopalac" />

== References ==
{{reflist}}

==Further reading==
*{{cite book |last=Bartley |first=C. J. |year=2002 |title=The theology of Ramanuja: realism and religion |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-0-7007-1459-9 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Og7MoH69mPUC}}
*{{cite book |last=Flood |first=Gavin |title=An Introduction to Hinduism |publisher=Cambridge University Press |year=1996 |location=Cambridge |pages=132–136 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KpIWhKnYmF0C |isbn=0-521-43304-5}}

== External links ==
* [http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9069320/Srivaisnava#259890.hook Srivaisnava - Britannica Online]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20050127182708/http://www.hindu.com/fr/2004/12/31/stories/2004123102371300.htm Vedanta Ramanuja Mahadesikan]
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MbXtyeDAQVg Kattumannarkoil Temple, Sriman Nathamunigal and Sri Aalavandar life history by Sri U.Ve.Asthagothram Kachi Kidambi T.Sreenivasachari Swamy]
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_u6TMnOMwEc {{authority control}}]

[[Category:Sri Vaishnava religious leaders]]
[[Category:Medieval Hindu religious leaders]]
[[Category:Hindu philosophers and theologians]]
[[Category:Indian theologians]]
[[Category:Hindu studies scholars]]
[[Category:Scholars from Tamil Nadu]]
[[Category:Tamil scholars]]
[[Category:10th-century Indian scholars]]
[[Category:People from Cuddalore district]]