Nanjiyar

Nanjiyar (c. 1182-1287 ) was a Sri Vaishnava philosopher from present-day Tamil Nadu, India. He wrote a commentary on the Tamil-language text Tiruvaymoli.

Nanjiyar, originally known as Madhava, was born at Tirunarayanapuram in the Kaliyuga year 4214. (This corresponds to 1112 CE, and is chronologically absurd, as the legend describes him as a contemporary of Parashara Bhattarya, who had died 22 years earlier). Madhava was a prominent Advaita Vedanta scholar, and had two wives. A wealthy and charitable man, he was so proud that he sat on a throne.

Nanjiyar was also known as Periya-jiyar, Vedanti Mādhava-dāsa,

Works

Nanjiyar wrote a commentary on Tiruvaymoli, called Onpatinayirappadi ("9000 padis"), so-called after its 9000 padis or granthas (a unit comprising 32 letters).

In his commentary, Nanjiyar discusses objections to the sacred status of Tiruvaymoli, such as that it was composed by a low-caste man in a language not suitable for sacred purposes; its songs were recited by low-caste men and even women; these songs were not known outside the Tamil-speaking region where even those outside the Vedic faith honored them; the songs downgraded traditional ideals of Sanskrit-language tradition, such as kaivalya; and discussed topics such as sexual desire that were traditionally disapproved of.

Nanjiyar refuted these objections by stating that these alleged flaws were actually virtues: the Shudra author of Tiruvaymoli had accumulated so much merit in his past lives that Vishnu provided him divine inspiration and grace; the author's rendition of the meaning of the Vedas in Tamil allowed even those who were not entitled to read the Vedas (such as Shudras and women) to find salvation; the hymns are so excellent that even those following non-Vedic lifestyle accept them; even non-Tamils wished they knew Tamil just to be able to understand these songs; and the songs did not exclude traditional values but organized them in a proper hierarchy.

Nanjiyar and other Sri Vaishnava teachers promoted the view that revelation is fully expressed equally in Tamil and Sanskrit languages: the Sanskrit texts teach what the god has in mind, while the Tamil text Tiruvaymoli expresses the nature of god most clearly and perfectly to inspire and increase devotion.