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Avatharikai Saram:
The Supreme Lord Sriman Narayana, seeing that the samsaris were floundering and caught in the samsaric ocean, wishing that they understand and reach Him, gave them their body and senses and followed that with the Veda sastras, His own avataras and then gave them the Azhvars. Of these Azhvars, the first three Azhvars began the work that is collectively known as the Nalayira Divya Prabandham. The fist three Azhvars - Poygai Azhvar, Bhudhaththazhvar and Peyazhvar respectively wrote the the Mudhal Thiruvandhadhi, Irandam Thiruvandhadhi and Moonram Thiruvandhadhi.

Poygai Azhvar was born in the divine nakshatram of Thiruvonam in the month of Aippasi, as the amsam of the Lord's conch Panchajanya, in the divine desam of Thiruvekka in Kanchipuram, in a lotus flower. Just as Brahma appeared in the lotus flower and gave the Vedas, so too Poygai Azhvar appeared in a lotus and gave the Divya Prabandham. Just as the Sun appears, so too Azhvar appeared in this world.

He has been celebrated by Nammazhvar as "senjchoR kavi" and by Thirumangai Azhvar as "senthamizh pAduvAr". Thiruvarangaththamudhanar celebrates Poygai Azhvar in his Ramanuja Nutrandhadhi as "varuththum puRaviruL mARRa em poygaip pirAn maRaiyin kuruththaiyum senthamizh thannaiyum kUtti onRath thiriththanReriththa thiruviLakku".

The first three Azhvars are always immersed in the Lord in His form in the paramapadham. In addition, they are also immersed in His archa form in Thiruvengadam (Thirumalai) and in His avatara form of Trivikrama.

Through his mudhal thiruvandhAdhi, Poygai Azhvar explains the state of "para bhakti". Bhudhaththazhvar, in his iraNdAm thiruvandhAdhi, explains the state of "para njAna". Peyazhvar, in his mUnRAm thiruvandhAdhi, explains the state of "parama bhakti". All three azhvars explain and show all these three states, but it can be said that each has a greater interest in one of the three. Together, the three prabandhams are to be considered as a single sastra.

Poygaiyazhvar Thiruvadigale Sharanam
Azhvar Emberumanar Jeeyar Thiruvadigale Sharanam

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