- Nayanars
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This article is about Shaivite poets of Tamil Nadu. For the ethnic group, see Nayanar (Nair subcaste).For other uses of the name, see Nayanmar.
The Nayanars or Nayanmars (Tamil: நாயன்மார்கள்) were Shaivite devotional poets of Tamil Nadu, active between the fifth and the tenth centuries CE. The Tamil Śaiva hagiography Periya Puranam, a volume of the Tirumurai, written during the thirteenth century CE, narrates the history of each of sixty-three Nayanars and the history of nine Thokai Adiyar.
Sundarar's eighth century work Tirutoṇṭar tokai lists 60 Shaiva saints[1] but gives none of the legends associated with them. In the tenth century CE Nambiyandar Nambi composed the Tirutoṇṭar Antādi, a sequence of interlocking verses the title of which can be rendered as the Necklace of Verses on the Lord's Servants. In this work Nambi and Sundarar, himself and his parents to the sequence, creating what is now the canonical list of sixty-three saints, each with a brief sketch of their legend.
Nayanars were from varied backgrounds, ranging from kings and soldiers to untouchables. The foremost Nayanars are Appar, Sundarar and Sambandar. Together with the twelve Vaishnava Alvars, the Nayanars are sometimes accounted South India's 75 Apostles of Bhakti because of their importance in the rise of the Hindu Bhakti movement.
They praised 275 of this deity's most holy temple abodes as the Paadal Petra Sthalams of the Shiva Sthalams on the continent.
Contents
The sixty-three Nayanmars
- Anaya
- Adipaththar
- Aiyadigal Kaadavarkon, Pallava King Aiyadigal Perumaanaar
- Amaraneedi Nayanar
- Appudhi Adigal
- Arivattaya
- Chandeshvara Nayanar
- DhandiyadigaL
- Enatinatha
- Eripaththa
- Eyarkon Kalikkaama
- Gananatha
- Idankazhi
- Ilayankudi maranar
- Isaignaniyaar - a woman
- Iyarpagaiar
- Kaari
- Kalikkamba
- Kaliya
- Kanampulla
- Kannappa Nayanar
- Karaikkal Ammaiyar a woman
- Kazharchinga
- Kazharir-rarivaar, Chera King, also Cheraman Perumal
- Kochengat Cholan, A Chola King
- Kootruva
- Kotpuli
- Kulachchirai
- Kungiliyak Kalaya
- Manakkanychaara Nayanar
- Mangayarkkarasiyar, a woman
- Meiporul Nayanar
- Murkha
- Murti
- Munayaduvaar
- Muruga
- Nami Nandi Adigal
- Narasingha Munayaraya
- Nesa Nayanar
- Ninra Seer Nedumaara
- Perumizhalaik Kurumba
- Pusalar
- Pugal Chola, A Chola King
- Pugazh Thunai Nayanar
- Saakkiya
- Sadaiya Nayanar
- Saththi
- Seruthtunai
- Sirappuli
- Siruttonda
- Somaachi
- Sundarar
- Sambandar (Tirugnaana Sambandar)
- Tirukkuripput Tonda
- Tirumular
- Thirunalai Povar Nayanar, popularly known as Nandanar
- Tirunavukkarasar, popularly known as Appar
- Thiruneelakandar
- Tirunilakanda Yaazpaana
- Tirunilanakka
- Uruttira Pasupati
- Vaayilaar
- Viralminda nayanar
See also
Notes
- ^ Dr R. Nagasamy. Siva Bhakthi. Chapter 2.
External links
References
Categories:- Hindu religious figures
- Nayanar saints
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