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Re: Questions on Alvars

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Ravikanth V. Kothuri • August 7, 1995 


-----------------------kirtaniyah sada Hari---------------------------

On 7 Aug 1995, Eswar Josyula wrote:

> I have some basic questions on the "Alvars".
> 
> Is it Alvar or Alzvar or Azhvar?  What is the meaning of this word?
> What is the sanskrit equivalent of this word?
> 
> The number of Alvars is 12.  Who recognized these individuals as Alvars
> for the first time? Are there more to come?

I want to add more to this list.
How many of the Alvars are before Adi Sankaracarya?
Basically I was looking for devotees between 2500BC - 8th Century
(and trying to gaze the strength of the Vedic system during this period)
I know Chanakya was there (as forecasted in Bhagavatam) around 300 BC
But don't know if he a devotee. I only heard of his arthasastra and only
know of him as someone who has done his best to keep India's integrity
and uphold dharmic principles.

I still need to introduce myself to this group.
I am Kothuri Venkata Ravikanth doing my PhD in CS at UCSB.
Basically from Andhra. Born and brought up in Vizag. Now we
are settled in Secunderabad.

We are called "dravillu" in Andhra. We are supposed to have migrated 
from somewhere near Tanjavore (called  thangaimaans or something like 
that in there). Although we are supposed to be followers of Saivism,
my father is more devoted to Lord Venkateswara. Thanks to Prabhupada,
I too got interested in Vaishnavism and my childhood conviction (hearing
all the tales of Dhruva... from my mother) that bhakti to Narayana and
love of Krishna is the greatest, got reinforced as I read Gita.

Our gothra is "ratitarasa". I don't know anything else.
I am interested in knowing about the "thangaimaans" if anyone knows.
(btw, I don't know Tamil).
ravi
> 
> -Eswar
> 
>