Nayanars


The Nayanars were a group of 63 saints living in Tamil Nadu during the 6th to 8th centuries CE who were devoted to the Hindu god Shiva. Along with the Alwars, their contemporaries who were devoted to Vishnu, they influenced the Bhakti movement in early medieval South India. The names of the Nayanars were first compiled by Sundarar. The list was expanded by Nambiyandar Nambi during his compilation of material by the poets for the Tirumurai collection, and would include Sundarar himself and Sundarar's parents.

History

The list of the Nayanars was initially compiled by Sundarar. In his poem Tiruthonda Thogai he sings, in eleven verses, the names of the Nayanar saints up to Karaikkal Ammaiyar, and refers to himself as "the servant of servants". The list did not go into the detail of the lives of the saints, which were described in detail in works such as Tevaram.
In the 10th century, king Raja Raja Chola I collected the volumes of Tevaram after hearing excerpts of the hymns in his court. His priest Nambiyandar Nambi began compiling the hymns into a series of volumes called the Tirumurai. He arranged the hymns of three saint poets Sambandar, Appar and Sundarar as the first seven books which he called the Tevaram. He compiled Manikkavasakar's Tirukovayar and Tiruvasakam as the eighth book, the 28 hymns of nine other saints as the ninth book, the Tirumandiram of Tirumular and 40 hymns by 12 other poets as the tenth book. In the eleventh book, he created the Tirutontanar Tiruvanthathi, which consisted of 89 verses, with a verse devoted to each of the saints. With the addition of Sundarar and his parents to the sequence, this became the canonical list of the 63 saints. In the 12th century, Sekkizhar added a twelfth volume to the Tirumurai called Periya Puranam in which he expands further on the stories of each of 63 Nayanars.
The Nayanars were from various backgrounds, including Channars, Vanniyar, Vellalas, Idayars, Thevars, oilmongers, Brahmins, Washermen, Harijan, and nobles. Along with the twelve Vaishnava Alwars, they are regarded as the important Hindu saints from South India.

List of Nayanars

Sundarar's original list of Nayanars did not follow any sequence with regards to chronology or importance. However, some groups have since followed an order for arranging their Nayanar temple images according to Sundarar's poem as well as the information from Nambi and Sekkizhar.
No.PersonNotes
1SundararBorn in Aadhi month, Swathi nakshathiram
2Tiru Neelakanta
3Iyarpagaiar
4Ilayankudi Maranar
5Meiporul
6Viralminda
7Amaraneedi
8Eripatha
9Yenathinathar
10Kannappa
11Kungiliya Kalaya
12Manakanchara
13Arivattaya
14Anaya
15Murthiyar
16Muruga
17Rudra Pasupathi
18Nandanar He is the only Dalit saint in the Nayanars
19Tiru Kurippu Thonda
20Chandeshvara
21Appar
22Kulachirai
23Perumizhalai KurumbaKurumbar
24Karaikkal AmmeiyarWoman saint who lived in the 6th century
25Apputhi Adigal
26Tiruneelanakka
27Nami Nandi Adigal
28Sambandar
29Eyarkon Kalikama
30Tirumular
31Dandi Adigal
32Murkha
33Somasi Mara
34Sakkiya
35Sirappuli
36SiruthondarArmy general of the Pallava king Narasimavarman I
37Cheraman PerumalModern historians identified Cheraman Perumal Nayanar as the Chera ruler Rama Rajasekhara. He is the first known ruler of the Cheras of Makotai
Born in Aadhi month, Swathi nakshathiram
38Gananatha
39Kootruva
40-
41Narasinga MuniyaraiyarMutharaiyar
42Adipaththar
43Kalikamba
44KaliaBorn in Aadhi month, Kettai nakshathiram
45Satti
46Aiyadigal Kadavarkon
47Kanampulla
48Kari
49Ninra Seer NedumaaraPandya king
50MangayarkkarasiyarQueen and consort of Nindra Seer Nedumaran
51Vayilar
52Munaiyaduvar
53Kazharsinga
54Idangazhi
55Seruthunai
56Pugazh Thunai
57KotpuliBorn in Aadhi month, Kettai nakshathiram
58Pusalar
59Nesa
60Sengenar
61Tiru Nilakanta Yazhpanar
62SadaiyaSundarar's father
63IsaignaniyaarSundarar's mother

Other saints

9th century poet Manikkavacakar was not counted as one of the 63 Nayanars but his works were part of the eighth volume of the Tirumurai.