Nathamuni

Nathamuni, likely living in the late 9th to early 10th century CE, was a Tamil Vaishnavite sage revered in the Sri Vaishnava tradition of Hinduism. He is associated with Tamil Nadu in southern India and is regarded as a pivotal figure in shaping Sri Vaishnavism through his compilation and systematization of the Tamil canonical hymn collection known as the Naalayira Divya Prabandham.

Life and background: Traditional accounts describe him as a devoted scholar who sought to preserve and organize the hymns of the Alvars, the revered Tamil saint-poets devoted to Vishnu. He is said to have gathered, edited, and arranged these hymns into a coherent corpus, making them accessible for temple worship and devotional practice.

Contributions: The Naalayira Divya Prabandham comprises about 4,000 devotional hymns by the twelve Alvars. By collecting and organizing this corpus, Nathamuni provided the liturgical basis and doctrinal groundwork for the Sri Vaishnava tradition, complementing later Vedantic developments such as those articulated by Ramanuja.

Legacy: Nathamuni is venerated as an acharya within Sri Vaishnavism. His work cemented the centrality of the Divya Prabandham in temple liturgy, festival recitations, and devotional practice, and his influence is felt in Tamil Vaishnava theology and devotional literature.

Dates: Precise dates are uncertain, but most scholars place him in the late 9th to early 10th century CE. His legacy continues to be felt in Vaishnava worship and Tamil devotional literature.