Poigai Alwar

Alvar is a word that was used for the staunch devotees of Narayana or Lord Vishnu. There are 12 Alvars in history which are said to be between the 6th and 9th centuries. These Alvars are well-known in South India, and they are established in various temples as well.

Alvars were the devotees who composed hymns on Lord Vishnu and to admire the almighty. These hymns are compiled in "Divya Prabandham," and they are 4000 in number.

Today we will know Poigai Alvar, who is one of the twelve Alvar saints of South India. He was one of the prime alvars who were majorly connected with the Vaishnava tradition of Hinduism. The verses that the saints composed are known as Nalayira; the 108 temples revered are known as Divya Desam.

Poigai was one prime alvars with the other two alvars Bhoothath and Peyalvar; these three together were called Mutalamalvargal. It is believed that these three saints were born out of divinity. The verses that Poigai composed are 100 in number, and they are known as Muthal Tiruvandadhi. His compositions hint at Andhadhi style, where the ending syllable is the beginning of the next verse.

The history states that the first three alvars belonged to Dvapara Yuga before 4200 BC. It is believed that Poigai was very first found in a small pond near the Yadhotakaari temple at Tiruvekkaa. Since he was found at the pond, he was called poigai because, in Tamil, poigai means pond.

The legend of compositions of the verses goes like this. Once upon a time, all three alvars were stuck in a small dark space when it was heavy raining all around. During the rain, they all experienced the presence of a fourth person. They couldn't see his face, but they found out that it was Lord Vishnu. Poigai wished to see the face of Lord Vishnu, but he could only see the lightning which was happening due to the heavy rain.

Poigai wanted the light to remain to continue, and he composed a hundred songs on this desire. The other two alvars composed a hundred songs each on Lord Vishnu. This work of these saints was then contributed to the philosophical and theological ideas of Vaishnavism.

The Early Life of Alvar Poigai

Alvar Poigai was originated near a temple tank; he was found near a small pond and hence got the name. Piogai was also known by different names such as Ayonigi, Saro-yogi, Kasara-yogi, Poigai-piraan, Saravora Munindra, and Padma-muni.

There is a temple in Kanchipuram inside the Deva-Sarovar lake. There is a shrine of Poigai in this temple which is called an idol of Saroyogi. The posture remains in a meditative position with eyes closed. It is said that from childhood, Alvar was a staunch devotee of Lord Vishnu. At a young age, he knew all about Vaishnava speeches and followed Vaishnavite tradition.

The first three saints were said to be created miraculously without having any parents. The other nine saints were born and belonged to a family. Tirumizhisai was born in the house of a sage, Thondaradi, Mathurakavi, Peria, and Andal were brahmins, Kulasekhara was from a Kshatriya community, Namm was from a cultivator family, Tirupana belonged to Tamil Panar community, and Tirumangai from kalvar.

The Significance of Alwars

The ancient texts indicate that these saints were a form of Vishnu's incarnation. They were sent to the world to make the population aware of Vishnu and that he is the almighty. For example, Poigai is an incarnation of Krishna's conch, Bhoothath was an avatar of Vishnu's Mace, Pey was a form of Nandaka or sword, Thirumalisai was Vishnu's discus, Namm was an avatar of Vishnu's commander, Madhurakavi was the incarnation of Vishnu's eagle, Garuda, Kulasekhara of Kaustubha (Vishnu's necklace), Periy of Garuda, Andal of Bhoodevi (Vishnu's wife, Lakshmi), Thondaradippodi of Vanamaalai (Vishnu's garland), Thiruppaan of Srivatsa (An auspicious mark on Vishnu's chest) and Thirumangai of Saranga (Rama's bow).

The songs composed were kept in Prabandam are sung regularly in all the Vishnu temples of South India. They are also revered during festivals. It is believed that the first three saints even influenced the Pallava kings that created a Bhakti movement. As a result, the religious geography of Buddhism and Jainism changed to two sects of Hinduism.

The alvars are considered significant instruments in promoting the Bhagavatha cult as well as two epics of India, Ramayana, and Mahabaratha. The alvars also made a vast population aware of Vaishnavism throughout the region.