Nayanars

This article is about Shaivite poets of Tamil Nadu. For the ethnic group, see Nayanar (Nair subcaste).

The 4 foremost Nayanars with Manikkavacakar - collectively called the Nalvars: (from left) Sambandar, Appar, Sundarar, Manikkavacakar.

For other uses of the name, see Nayanmar.

The Nayanars or Nayanmars (Tamil: நாயன்மார்கள்) were devotional poets of Shiva in Tamil Nadu, active between the fifth and the tenth centuries CE. The Tamil Śhaiva (related to Shiva) 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 Adiyars.

Sundarar's eighth century work Thiruthoṇdar thogai lists 60 Shaiva saints 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 whose title can be rendered as the Necklace of Verses on the Lord's Servants. In this work Nambi adds 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 his 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.

The sixty-three Nayanmars

The 63 nayanmars in a Shiva temple

Kannappa Nayanar

1. Adipaththar - Fisherman caste
2. Aiyadigal Kadavarkon Nayanar, Pallava King Aiyadigal Perumaanaar
3. Amaraneedi Nayanar - Vellala caste
4. Anaya Nayanar - Shepard caste
5. Atputhi Adigal - Pallava Kshatriya caste
6. Arivattaya Nayanar - Vellala caste
7. Chandeshvara Nayanar - Brahman caste
8. Cheraman Perumal Kazharirtrarivaar, Chera King, also called as Kootruva Nayanar - Kshatriya caste
9. Dandi Adigal Nayanar - Brahman caste, and born blind
10. Enathinathar - Nadar Sudra caste
11. Eripaththa Nayanar
12. Eyarkon Kalikkaama Nayanar
13. Gananatha Nayanar
14. Idankazhi Nayanar - Irukku Velirs (Yadava) royalty
15. Ilayankudi Maranar - Maravar Kshatriya caste
16. Isaignaniyaar - a Brahman woman, and mother of Chandeshvara Nayanar
17. Iyarpagaiar - Vaishya caste
18. Kari Nayanar
19. Kalikkamba Nayanar - Vaishya caste
20. Kaliya Nayanar - Sekkar (Oil-monger) Sudra caste
21. Kanampulla Nayanar
22. Kannappa Nayanar - Hunter tribal
23. Karaikkal Ammaiyar - a Vaishya woman
24. Kazharchinga Nayanar - Kaadavar royalty of the Vanniyar caste
25. Kochengat Chola, A Chola King
26. Kotpuliyar Nayanar - Vellala caste
27. Kulachchirai Nayanar - Brahman mister to the Pandya king Ninra Sir Nedumara Nayanar
28. Kungiliyak Kalaya Nayanar - Brahman temple priest
29. Manakkanychaara Nayanar - Vellala caste
30. Mangayarkkarasiyar, a Brahman woman minister of the Pandya king Ninra Seer Nedumaara Nayanar
31. Meiporul Nayanar - Cheti Nadu King
32. Munayaduvaar Nayanar - Kshatriya caste, and mercinary soldier
33. Murkha Nayanar
34. Murti Nayanar - Vaishya caste
35. Muruga Nayanar - Brahman temple priest
36. Nami Nandi Adigal - Brahman caste
37. Nandanar Thirunalai Povar Nayanar, (popularly known as Nandanar) - Pulayar caste
38. Narasinga Muniyaraiyar Nayanar
39. Nesa Nayanar
40. Ninra Seer Nedumaara Nayanar - Pandya king, and former Jain
41. Perumizhalai Kurumba Nayanar
42. Pugal Cholar, Chola Monarch
43. Pugazh Thunai Nayanar - A Brahmin army-commander of the Chola dynasty
44. Pusalar - Brahman caste
45. Rudra Pasupathi Nayanar - Brahmin caste
46. Saakkiya nayanar - Vellala caste, and former Buddhist
47. Sadaiya Nayanar - Brahman caste, and father of Sundara Nayanar
48. Sambandar (Tirugnaana Sambandar) - Brahman caste
49. Saththi Nayanar - Vellala caste
50. Seruthtunai Nayanar - King
51. Sirappuli Nayanar - a Brahman
52. Siruthondar
53. Somaachi maara nayanar
54. Sundarar
55. Thirukkurippu Thondar - Vannar (Washerman) caste
56. Thiruneelakandar(kulalar)
57. Tirumoolar - Idaiyar or Shepard caste
58. Tirunavukkarasar, popularly known as Appar, Vellala
59. Tiruneela nakkar
60. Tirunilakanda Yaazpaanar
61. Vaayilaar - Vellala caste
62. Viranminda nayanar - Vellala caste

Sakya Bayanar was a former Buddhist and Kutruva Nayanar was a former Jain.

See also

• Manikkavacakar
• Nandanar
• Tamil mythology
• List of Shudra Hindu saints
• List of Dalit Hindu saints

External links

• Nayanmar temples map
• [1]
• [2]

References

• Lord Siva and His Worship
• Sixty-Three Nayanmar Saints.
• - 63 Nayanmar Stories
• Stories Of Nayanars PDF Download - In Telugu