https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nathamuni
Sriman NathamunigaL was born in 824 A.D in Aani anusham star, in Kaattumannargudi, at Veeranarayanapuram near GangaikoNda chaozhapuram. His other names were Sadamarsana Kula Tilakar and Sottai Kulaththu Arasar.
• He is originator of the Araiyar Sevai.
• Yamunacharya, the next Sri Vaishnava Acharya, is his grandson.
• Tamil poet Kambar recited the Ramavatharam before him for approval before it was included into the holy precincts
• Extraordinary efforts to recover 4000 Hymns from near oblivion.
• Arranged them as the Divya Prabandham, or Divine Collection,
• Set them to music and rejuvenated tradition of formally reciting them in temples.
Collecting and Codifying the 4,000 Hymns
http://immersedimmersed.blogspot.com/search/label/4000
He is notable for collecting and codifying the 4,000 hymns of the Alvars known as the "Naalayira Divya Prabhandham" in the Tamil Language. He introduced them into the Srirangam Temple Service where he was the Temple Administrator.
Sriman Naathamuni heard some devotees visiting his home town singing a few (11) Tamil songs starting with "aaraa amudhE adiyEn udalam" and ending with "... kuruhoor sadagOpan kuzhalil maliyach sonna Or AyiratthuL ippatthum, mazhalai theera vallaar kaamar maanEy nOkkiyarkE." (NammAzhwAr's Thiruvaaymozhi 5.8.1 - 5.8.11)
Sriman Nathamuni was greatly excited and enchanted with the exquisite beauty of the poems. He approached the devotees and enquired about its origin. The ending of the 11 poems, "aayiratthuL ippatthu,"(means this ten of the thousand) suggested that there are many more such poems (may be
thousand?).
Unfortunately, the devotees were unaware of any other poems besides the eleven they had just finished reciting. However, they suggested to Sriman Nathamuni that he may try enquiring in the town of thiruk kuruhoor, present day AzhwAr thiru nagari near thirunelvEli. So he set out to travel from aattumannarkudi to thiruk kurugoor, where he found one paraangusa daasar.
From him, Sriman Nathamuni learnt 11 more paasurams called kaNNinuN sirutthaambu. These were composed by Madhurakavi AzhwAr and all 11 paasurams are in praise of kurugoor SatakOpan(NammAzhwAr).
Paraangusa daasar suggested that he repeatedly recite this great kaNNinuN sirutthaambu (sung in praise of Sri Sadagopan- NammAzhwAr) in the hope of pleasing the Lord. Sriman Naathamuni took his advice sincerely and recited it about 12,000 times! It is said that NammAzhwAr was impressed with Sriman Nathamuni's persistence and appeared before him.
NammAzhwAr was so impressed that he revealed to Sriman Nathamuni not just the 1102 paasurams of his own "thiruvaay mozhi", but also all the rest of the paasurams composed by the other eleven AzhwArs.
Sriman nathamuni set these 4000 to tune and music and taught to Melai agatthAzhwAn and Keezhai agatthAzhwAn (his nephews) and propagated the 4000 in various Divya Desams. Nathamuni re arranged 4000 into four parts and introduced the same as part of recitation in Divya Desams, as part of worship.
Story
Sri NathamunigaL has unalloyed devotion to Sri Ranganthan. Once, Chozha Rajan (king chola), who is also a sishya of Nathmuni, came to pay his obeisance to Acharyan. He came in his chariot along with his few devis (wives).
When Raja got down with his wives, in such great ornaments, crown, and silk cloth, Sri Nathamuni for a moment lost himself and thought Sri Krishna with His devis have come from Dwarakai. He fell at the feet of the king to prostrate. The king was shocked and immediately sprung to lift Sri Nathamuni from the ground. Later he came to know of the mind of Sri Nathamuni, and why he fell at the feet.
Also, when on another occasion, the same king had completed discussing with Sriman Nathamuni and he took Acharya’s permission to leave. He started walking towards the chariot. When he was about to board, (as usual, the king used to call the chariot driver on whose shoulder he sets his foot to jump into the chariot), the driver was there for the king to jump in. After he jumped in, he saw below and it was Sriman Nathamuni’s shoulder. The king was stunned and got down to apologize to acharyan. “What have I done! Stepped on your shoulders! I have committed apacharam!”. Sriman Nathamuni then only came to this world. He had thought it is Sri Rama who had come by the chariot along with Sumanthrar. Hence, he offered his shoulders for Rama to step into the chariot.
That was Sriman Nathamuni’s unalloyed devotion. No acting.. No show.. No exhibitionism..
Disciples:
His five disciples were, pundarikaksha (uyya-k-kondaar); tiru-k-kurukai-k-kaavalappan; his nephews of the west house and of the east house whom he taught to recite the Tamil scripture in the celestial music system (deva-gaanam) and appointed them as the araiyar (psamodists); and tiru-k-kanna-mangai aandaan whom he first equipped with the esoteric of the twin sacred formula (dvaya-mantram) before imparting to him the fine sensibilities of the Tamil scripture.
Uyya-k-kondaar was charged with bringing up Nathamuni’s grandson yaamuna in the ‘sampradaayam’. Uyya-k-kondaar who sensed his own end approaching, did however discharge this responsibility without any deficiency, by deputing his own disciple Sriraama-misra (manakkaal nambi) on the assignment. Nathamuni’s school of eight-part yoga was represented solely by kurukai-k-kaavalappan on whose expiry.
His Works
http://www.srivaishnava.org/sva/natha.htm
Tiruvarasu
http://nathamunigal-tiruvarasu.blogspot.in/
Tube
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Nathamuni
Slides
http://www.slideshare.net/search/slideshow?searchfrom=header&q=Nathamuni
Sriman NathamunigaL was born in 824 A.D in Aani anusham star, in Kaattumannargudi, at Veeranarayanapuram near GangaikoNda chaozhapuram. His other names were Sadamarsana Kula Tilakar and Sottai Kulaththu Arasar.
• He is originator of the Araiyar Sevai.
• Yamunacharya, the next Sri Vaishnava Acharya, is his grandson.
• Tamil poet Kambar recited the Ramavatharam before him for approval before it was included into the holy precincts
• Extraordinary efforts to recover 4000 Hymns from near oblivion.
• Arranged them as the Divya Prabandham, or Divine Collection,
• Set them to music and rejuvenated tradition of formally reciting them in temples.
Collecting and Codifying the 4,000 Hymns
http://immersedimmersed.blogspot.com/search/label/4000
He is notable for collecting and codifying the 4,000 hymns of the Alvars known as the "Naalayira Divya Prabhandham" in the Tamil Language. He introduced them into the Srirangam Temple Service where he was the Temple Administrator.
Sriman Naathamuni heard some devotees visiting his home town singing a few (11) Tamil songs starting with "aaraa amudhE adiyEn udalam" and ending with "... kuruhoor sadagOpan kuzhalil maliyach sonna Or AyiratthuL ippatthum, mazhalai theera vallaar kaamar maanEy nOkkiyarkE." (NammAzhwAr's Thiruvaaymozhi 5.8.1 - 5.8.11)
Sriman Nathamuni was greatly excited and enchanted with the exquisite beauty of the poems. He approached the devotees and enquired about its origin. The ending of the 11 poems, "aayiratthuL ippatthu,"(means this ten of the thousand) suggested that there are many more such poems (may be
thousand?).
Unfortunately, the devotees were unaware of any other poems besides the eleven they had just finished reciting. However, they suggested to Sriman Nathamuni that he may try enquiring in the town of thiruk kuruhoor, present day AzhwAr thiru nagari near thirunelvEli. So he set out to travel from aattumannarkudi to thiruk kurugoor, where he found one paraangusa daasar.
From him, Sriman Nathamuni learnt 11 more paasurams called kaNNinuN sirutthaambu. These were composed by Madhurakavi AzhwAr and all 11 paasurams are in praise of kurugoor SatakOpan(NammAzhwAr).
Paraangusa daasar suggested that he repeatedly recite this great kaNNinuN sirutthaambu (sung in praise of Sri Sadagopan- NammAzhwAr) in the hope of pleasing the Lord. Sriman Naathamuni took his advice sincerely and recited it about 12,000 times! It is said that NammAzhwAr was impressed with Sriman Nathamuni's persistence and appeared before him.
NammAzhwAr was so impressed that he revealed to Sriman Nathamuni not just the 1102 paasurams of his own "thiruvaay mozhi", but also all the rest of the paasurams composed by the other eleven AzhwArs.
Sriman nathamuni set these 4000 to tune and music and taught to Melai agatthAzhwAn and Keezhai agatthAzhwAn (his nephews) and propagated the 4000 in various Divya Desams. Nathamuni re arranged 4000 into four parts and introduced the same as part of recitation in Divya Desams, as part of worship.
Story
Sri NathamunigaL has unalloyed devotion to Sri Ranganthan. Once, Chozha Rajan (king chola), who is also a sishya of Nathmuni, came to pay his obeisance to Acharyan. He came in his chariot along with his few devis (wives).
When Raja got down with his wives, in such great ornaments, crown, and silk cloth, Sri Nathamuni for a moment lost himself and thought Sri Krishna with His devis have come from Dwarakai. He fell at the feet of the king to prostrate. The king was shocked and immediately sprung to lift Sri Nathamuni from the ground. Later he came to know of the mind of Sri Nathamuni, and why he fell at the feet.
Also, when on another occasion, the same king had completed discussing with Sriman Nathamuni and he took Acharya’s permission to leave. He started walking towards the chariot. When he was about to board, (as usual, the king used to call the chariot driver on whose shoulder he sets his foot to jump into the chariot), the driver was there for the king to jump in. After he jumped in, he saw below and it was Sriman Nathamuni’s shoulder. The king was stunned and got down to apologize to acharyan. “What have I done! Stepped on your shoulders! I have committed apacharam!”. Sriman Nathamuni then only came to this world. He had thought it is Sri Rama who had come by the chariot along with Sumanthrar. Hence, he offered his shoulders for Rama to step into the chariot.
That was Sriman Nathamuni’s unalloyed devotion. No acting.. No show.. No exhibitionism..
Disciples:
His five disciples were, pundarikaksha (uyya-k-kondaar); tiru-k-kurukai-k-kaavalappan; his nephews of the west house and of the east house whom he taught to recite the Tamil scripture in the celestial music system (deva-gaanam) and appointed them as the araiyar (psamodists); and tiru-k-kanna-mangai aandaan whom he first equipped with the esoteric of the twin sacred formula (dvaya-mantram) before imparting to him the fine sensibilities of the Tamil scripture.
Uyya-k-kondaar was charged with bringing up Nathamuni’s grandson yaamuna in the ‘sampradaayam’. Uyya-k-kondaar who sensed his own end approaching, did however discharge this responsibility without any deficiency, by deputing his own disciple Sriraama-misra (manakkaal nambi) on the assignment. Nathamuni’s school of eight-part yoga was represented solely by kurukai-k-kaavalappan on whose expiry.
His Works
http://www.srivaishnava.org/sva/natha.htm
Tiruvarasu
http://nathamunigal-tiruvarasu.blogspot.in/
Tube
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Nathamuni
Slides
http://www.slideshare.net/search/slideshow?searchfrom=header&q=Nathamuni
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