Nayanars

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Manikkavacakar
.

The Nayanars (or Nayanmars;

Hindu saints living during the 6th to 8th centuries CE who were devoted to the Hindu god Shiva. Along with the Alvars, their contemporaries who were devoted to Vishnu, they influenced the Bhakti movement in early medieval South India.[2] 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.[citation needed
]

The Nalvar (lit. 'The Four') are the three foremost Nayanars

Manikkavacakar.[3]

History

The list of the Nayanars was initially compiled by Sundarar (Sundararmurthi). 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".[2][4][5] The list did not go into the detail of the lives of the saints, which were described in detail in works such as Tevaram.[6]

In the 10th century, king

Sekkizhar added a twelfth volume to the Tirumurai called Periya Puranam in which he expands further on the stories of each of 63 Nayanars.[1][2][4]

The Nayanars were from various backgrounds, including

Vaishnava Alvars, they are regarded as the important Hindu saints from South India
.

Many Kannada works, such has Nambiyannana Ragale and Tiru Nilakanta Devara Ragale, are written on Nayanars by Kannada poet Harihara. Sundara Murthy nayanar is known as Nambiyanna in Kannada literature.[citation needed]

List of Nayanars

The 63 Nayanars in a Shiva temple
Kannappa Nayanar

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.[4][8]

Part of a series on
Shaivism
Deities
Paramashiva

(Supreme being)
Shiva
Shakti
Scriptures and texts
Philosophy
Three Components
Three bondages
other aspects
Practices
Schools
Ati marga
Mantra marga

Saiddhantika

Non - Saiddhantika

Others
Scholars
Related
 Hinduism portal
List of 63 Nayanars
No.[8] Person Notes
1 Sundarar Born in Aadi month, Swathi nakshathiram
2 Tiru Neelakanta
3 Iyarpagaiar His name "Iyarpagai" means "Contrary to Nature"
4 Ilayankudi Maranar
5 Meiporul
6 Viralminda
7 Amaraneedi
8 Eripatha
9
Yenathinathar
 A Brave swordsman/general in Chola Military
10
Kannappa
 Believed to be a reincarnation of Arjuna
11 Kungiliya Kalaya
12 Manakanchara
13 Arivattaya
14 Anaya
15 Murthiyar
16 Muruga
17 Rudra Pasupathi
18 Nandanar (Thirunalai Povar)
19 Tiru Kurippu Thonda
20 Chandeshvara
21
Appar (Tirunavukkarasar)
 His efforts convinced the Pallava king, Mahendra- Varman I to take up Shaivism.
22 Kulachirai He became the Prime Minister of the Pandyan King Koon Pandiyan.
23 Perumizhalai Kurumba
24
Karaikkal Ammeiyar
 Nagarathar Woman saint who lived in the 6th century[9]
25 Apputhi Adigal
26
Tiruneelanakka
27 Nami Nandi Adigal
28 Sambandar A child prodigy Saiva Saint who lived only 16 years
29 Eyarkon Kalikama
30 Tirumular
31 Dandi Adigal
32 Murkha
33 Somasi Mara
34
Sakkiya
35 Sirappuli
36
Siruthondar
 Army general of the Pallava king Narasimavarman I
37 Cheraman Perumal Tentatively identified with Chera ruler
Rama Rajasekhara[10]

Born in Aadhi month, Swathi nakshathiram

38 Gananatha
39 Kootruva
40 Pugal Chola Chola King
41 Narasinga Muniyaraiyar
42 Adipaththar
43 Kalikamba
44 Kalia Born in Aadhi month, Kettai nakshathiram
45 Satti
46 Aiyadigal Kadavarkon
47 Kanampulla
48 Kari
49 Ninra Seer Nedumaara Pandya King
50 Mangayarkkarasiyar Queen and consort of Nindra Seer Nedumaran
51 Vayilar
52 Munaiyaduvar
53 Kazharsinga Tentatively identified with Pallava king Narasimhavarman II (Rajasimha)
54 Idangazhi
55 Seruthunai
56 Pugazh Thunai
57 Kotpuli
58 Pusalar
59 Nesa Nayanar Saliyar, weaver who donates clothes to Lord Shiva's devotees
60
Sengenar (Kochengat Chola)
61 Tiru Nilakanta Yazhpanar
62 Sadaiya Sundarar's father
63
Isaignaniyaar
 Sundarar's mother

Other saints

The 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.

In

Valluvar is worshipped as the 64th Nayanar.[11] Valluvar was also added as the 64 saint in the annual Mylapore procession of the 63 Nayanars since c. 1905.[12][13]

See also

References

  1. ^
    ISBN 81-7648-170-X
    .
  2. ^
    ISBN 978-0-8108-6445-0
    .
  3. ^ "Who Were the Nalvars? – Saivite Scriptures". Retrieved 13 March 2022.
  4. ^ a b c Sivananda, Swami. "Sixty-Three Nayanar Saints". The Divine Life Society Uttar Pradesh. 19. Tiru Kurippu Thonda Nayanar. Archived from the original on 23 November 2019.
  5. LCCN 70-924698
    .
  6. ^
    ISBN 3-447-01582-9
    .
  7. ISBN 0-253-35334-3
    .
  8. ^ a b Vanmikanathan, G. "The Sixty-Three Nayanars". Skandagurunatha.org. Archived from the original on 30 September 2019. Retrieved 20 April 2020.
  9. ISBN 81-260-2171-3
    .
  10. ISBN 978-0-19-809977-2
    .
  11. ^ Kannan, Kaushik (11 March 2013). "Saint poet's guru pooja at Tiruchuli". The New Indian Express. Tiruchuli: Express Publications. Retrieved 3 September 2020.
  12. ^ Karthik Bhatt (16–31 March 2020). "Arupathu Moovar – 110 years ago". Madras Musings. XXIX (23).
  13. ^ Pradeep Chakravarthy; Ramesh Ramachandran (16–31 August 2009). "Thiruvalluvar's shrine". Madras Musings. 19 (9).

Further reading

External links
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Nayanars&oldid=1195347791"