The first of the twelve great आल्वार्स् . The Śaivite devotees of South India are called नायनार्स् and the Vaisṇavite devotees, आल्वार्स् . The word ālvār means, a devotee of God. The वैष्णव religion says that the twelve ālvārs are the incarnations of आदिशेष and गरुड the followers and the embodied deities of the Conch and the discus the weapons of विष्णु . It is mentioned in श्रीमद् भागवत that divine persons who are followers of विष्णु will incarnate on the earth in Kaliyuga and that their native places will be the banks of the holy rivers in द्राविड such as ताम्रपर्णी , कृतमाला ( वैगै ), पयस्विनी ( पापनाशिनी ) and कावेरी . It is stated about these divine persons in विष्णुमाहात्म्य that they would take birth in any caste and compose द्राविड songs and thereby propagate lofty truths. The collection of द्राविड songs thus composed by the ālvārs is called 'Divya Prabandha' (Divine Composition).

There are four thousand songs in four parts in the Divine composition and hence it has the name नालायिर प्रबन्धम् 'Four thousand composition'. The theme of the 1st and 2nd thousands is a secret known as ' तिरुमन्त्र ' (the divine spell). The third thousand is concerned with the " चरमश्लोक " (the verse of death) and in the fourth " द्वयमन्त्र " is dealt with. The तिरुमन्त्र (the divine spell) is the collection of of three words ओम् , नमः and नारायणाय .

ऽओम्ऽ and ऽनमःऽ are explained in the first thousand and the word नारायणाय in the second thousand of the composition. The चरमश्लोक ( थे वेर्से of death) is the last utterance of the songster-priest. It is a propagation of the theme of seeking refuge. The individual soul has to seek refuge under the universal soul, unconditionally. This is what is called ' प्रपत्ति . द्वयमन्त्र (the त्wओ फ़ोल्द् मन्त्र ) deals with the aim and the ways for the realisation of that aim. It would be possible only by the help of लक्ष्मी भगवती (the goddess लक्ष्मी ). It is a verse of only two lines.

The first and foremost among the आल्वार्स् is नम्माल्वार् . 'Tiruvāymoli' is his work. It had been predicted in वैष्णव पुराण that at the beginning of कलियुग . विष्णु Senānī named विष्वक्सेन would incarnate as नम्माल्वार् and that he would reinstate the वैष्णविते religion. It is hinted in ब्रह्माण्ड पुराण that नम्माल्वार् would incarnate in श्रीनगरी ( तिरुनगरि ) on the banks of river ताम्रपर्णी in the Kingdom of पाण्ड्य . As was fore-told नम्माल्वार् was born in तिरुनगरि . The present name of this place is 'Ālvār tirunagari'.

There is a traditional lore about the birth of नम्माल्वार् . There was a ruling chief named कारियार् in तिरुनगरि . उदयमङ्कयार् was his wife. The couple once went to the वैष्णविते temple near महेन्द्र mountain known as तिरुक्कुरुङ्कुटि temple and prayed to the god consecrated there called नम्बि , for a son. Reply was given through the priests that the god himself would take birth as their son. Accordingly उदयमङ्कयार् gave birth to नम्माल्वार् . Scholars say that the birth of नम्माल्वार् was on the 43rd day of कैल्युग that is in B.C. 3102.

नम्माल्वार् had another name पराङ्कुश . Some believe that he was the incarnation of portions of सेनेश and the jewel कौस्तुभ . Some say that there are portions of महाविष्णु , पञ्चायुध , आदिशेष and सेनेश in नम्माल्वार् . The वैष्णवितेस् have given नम्माल्वार् a lofty place. The infant born to कारियार् and उदयमङ्कयार् was not an ordinary one. Generally infants at birth are covered with a case of air called ' शठ '. Because of this they lose the memory of previous birth. But नम्माल्वार् had no शठ . So he got the name ' शठकोप '. The parents were amazed at the infant which lay still without beating its legs, and crying or sucking its mother's breasts. The bright infant was taken to the वैष्णविते temple on the twelfth day. Because of his difference from ordinary infants he was named मार . A golden cradle studded with jewels was hung on the branch of a tamarind tree and laying the child in it, the parents went home. That tamarind tree still stands there. The devotees believe that that tree also is a portion of आदिशेष .

नम्माल्वार् spent sixteen years under the tamarind tree without opening the eyes or uttering a single word. In the sixteenth year a wise man who could understand the dignity of नम्माल्वार् came there. The person was the मधुर कवि आल्वार् . After this नम्माल्वार् sat under the tamarind tree and sang songs of praise of नारायण . मधुर कवि set tunes for them and sang them. Everybody who heard them was struck with wonder and stood still. नम्माल्वार् spent his days under the tamarind tree in meditation and contemplation. At the age of 35 he entered heaven.