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Book Review
Legacy of the Azhwars
ALWARARA VAIBHAVA: T. K. Aiyangar; Copies can be had from the author, 20/3, South End `E' Cross, 9th Block, Jayanagar East, Bangalore-560089. Rs. 150.
IT IS generally assumed that Ramanuja, Sankara and Madhwa propounded the Visishtadwaita, the Adwaita, and the Dwaita schools. This nomenclature however is the work of modern scholars. Even Vivekananda could not completely figure out the so-called Visishtadwaita system.
He has written that Ramanuja concedes some remote unity. Had he learnt Tamil and enjoyed the Azhwars' poems in the original he would have found that the Sareera-Sareeri bhava, the bedrock of Visishtadwaita, was totally different, unique and complete in itself, and embraced the unity of all creations.
The Azhwars and their followers including Nathamuni, Alavandar and Ramanuja have always referred their system as Srivaishnavism.
The compositions of the Azhwars numbering about 4000 verses are known as the "Naalaayira Divya Prabhandam". The verses in simple Tamil explain what the Vedas, Upanishads and Vyasa's Brahmasutras say.
Ramanuja went to Kashmir to study the commentaries of Tanka, Dramida and other ancient Rishis for writing his own commentary of the Brahmasutras. Ramanuja and later Vedanta Desika have said that they could understand many difficult portions of the Vedas only through a study of the Divya Prabhandam.
It is in this background that one should study the life and work of the Azhwars and this is what exactly the author has tried to tell his readers. The times when the Azhwars lived, whatever little is known of their life, and the essence of their poems are all given in a concise form.
Some ideas expressed by the author here and there are inadequate. Azhwar is not just a person who has surrendered to the Lord. He is defined as one who is immersed in the auspicious qualities of the Lord (Bhagawad gunangalil aazhangal pattavar). Andal is unique — she could even order the Lord to do what she wants. There are also some proof errors, which should have been corrected by someone familiar with the Tamil language.
G.D.
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