
There is a long time gap between Thirumangai Alvar (the last alvar) and Nathamuni. Nathamuni was born in Veera Naarayanapuram (Veeranam) or present-day Kaattu Mannaar Koil. The collection, once thought to have been lost, was organized in the form of an anthology by Nathamuni. Nammalvar self-identifies as a lovelorn gopi pining for Krishna.

Prominent among its 4,000 verses are the over 1,100 verses known as the Tiruvaymoli or Thiruvaaymozhi ("words of the sacred mouth"), composed by Nammalvar (Kaari Maaran, Sadagopan of Alwarthirunagari Temple) and which forms the third portion of the overall Divya Prabandham. The Divya Prabandham is recited along with the Vedas, and it is given equal status to the Vedas, largely due to the efforts of Ramanuja who enshrined the Divya Prabandham on the same pedestal as the Vedas. It's also recited in some North Indian Vaishnavite temples, such as Badrinath. In many temples - Srirangam, for example - the chanting of the Divya Prabandham forms a major part of the daily service. The Tamil Vaishnavites are also known as Ubhaya Vedanti (those that follow both Vedas, i.e., the Sanskrit Rigveda, Yajurveda, Samaveda and Atharvaveda, as well as the Tamil-language Tiruvaymoli, a work which many South Indian devotees regard as the Tamil Veda).

The Alvars sang these songs at various sacred shrines known as the Divya Desams. The Divya Prabandham sings the praise of Narayana (or Vishnu) and his many forms.


The works were lost before they were collected and organized in the form of an anthology by Nathamuni. The work, an important liturgical compilation of the Tamil Alvars, marks the beginning of the canonization of 12 Vaishnava poet saints, and these hymns are still sung extensively today. It was compiled in its present form by Nathamuni during the 9th – 10th centuries. The Nalayira Divya Prabandham ( Tamil: நாலாயிரத் திவ்வியப் பிரபந்தம், romanized: nālāyira divya prabandham) is a collection of 4,000 Tamil verses (Naalayiram in Tamil means 'four thousand') composed by the 12 Alvars.
