Holy
Pilgrimage – Temples in Tamilnadu
State
Paadal Petra Sthalangal
Shiva Temples which are glorified in Tamil Tevaram hymns are the Paadal Petra Sthalangal and have been in existence for more than 1000 years because reference to these temples are found in Tevaram Hymns, composed and authored by the 3 Nayanamars - Thirunavukarasar, Sambandar and Sundarar who lived between 7th and 9th century A.D.Nayanars
The Nayanars or Nayanmars (Tamil: நாயன்மார்கள்) were shiva 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 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 the title of which 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 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.
The sixty-three Nayanmars
1. Adipaththar
2. Aiyadigal Kadavarkon Nayanar, Pallava
King
Aiyadigal Perumaanaar
8. Cheraman Perumal Kazharirtrarivaar, Chera King,
also called as Kootruva Nayanar
10.
Enathinathar
16.
Isaignaniyaar - a woman
17.
Iyarpagaiar
18.
Kari Nayanar
20.
Kaliya Nayanar
22.
Kannappa Nayanar
23.
Karaikkal Ammaiyar a woman
25.
Kochengat Chola, A Chola King
26.
Kotpuli Nayanar
30.
Mangayarkkarasiyar, a
woman
31.
Meiporul Nayanar
33.
Murkha Nayanar
34.
Murti Nayanar
35.
Muruga Nayanar
37.
Nandanar Thirunalai Povar Nayanar, (popularly known as
Nandanar)
39.
Nesa Nayanar
42.
Pugal Cholar, A Chola King
44.
Pusalar
46.
Saakkiya nayanar
47.
Sadaiya Nayanar
48.
Sambandar (Tirugnaana Sambandar)
49.
Saththi Nayanar
52.
Siruthondar
54.
Sundarar
55.
Thirukkurippu Thondar
(Vannar caste)
56.
Thiruneelakandar(kulalar)
57.
Tirumoolar
58.
Tirunavukkarasar, popularly known as Appar
59.
Tiruneela nakkar
61.
Vaayilaar
Tirunavukkarasar
Tirunavukkarasar (Tamil: திருநாவுக்கரசர்), (meaning King of the Tongue or Lord of Language), also known as Appar ("Father") was a seventh century Saivite Tamil poet-saint, one of the most prominent of the sixty-three Nayanars. He was an older contemporary of Sambandar. His birth-name was Marulneekkiyar: he was called "father" by Sambandhar, hence the name Appar.
Sundarar states in his Tiruttondartokai that Appar composed 4900 hymns of ten or eleven verses each, this is repeated by Nambiyandar Nambi and Sekkizhar, but only 3130 are available today These are collected into the Tirumurai along with the compositions of Sundarar and Sambandar, Appar having his own volumes, called Tevaram.
Early life
Details of Appar's life are found in his own hymns and in Sekkizhar's Periya Puranam (the last book of the Tirumurai). Appar was born in the middle of 7th century in Tiruvamur, Tamil Nadu, his childhood name for Marulneekiar. His sister, Thilagavathiar was betrothed to a military commander who died in action. When his sister was about to end her life, he pleaded with her not to leave him alone in the world She decided to lead an aesthetic life and bring up her only brother. He is regarded as a divine arrival of saint vageesar who was a great devotee and an inmate at lord sivan's kailasam. When the demon king ravana out of arrogance attempts to uproot kailasam that was on his way back to lanka, lord siva gently presses down the mountain with his right leg finger, that by itself has sucha profound effect on ravana that he nearly dies. at this point of time saint vageesar prays to lord siva to spare the demon so that he may be accounted for and taken to his abode by lord vishnu to whom the demon was a servitor.Conversion to jainism and return to Saivaism
During boyhood, Appar was very much interested in Jainism and started studying its scriptures. He went away from home and stayed in their monastery and was renamed Darmasena Appar had travelled to Patalipura in bihar to join a Jain monastery where he was given the name Dharmasena. "Seeing the transient, ephemeral world he decided to probe into truth through renunciation." After a while, afflicted by a painful illness, Dharmasena returned home.[ He prayed for relief at the Siva temple where his sister served and was cured. He was also involved in converting the Pallava king, Mahendravarman to Saivaism. This was also the period of resurrection of the smaller Shiva temples. Appar sanctified all these temples by his verses and was also involved in cleaning of the dilapidated temples called uzhavarapadai. He was called Tirunavukkarasu, meaning the "King of divine speech". ] He extolled Siva in 49,000 stanzas out of which 3130 are now available and compiled in Tirumurais 4-7. When he met Campantar, he called him Appar (meaning father). He is believed to have died at the age of 81 in Tirupugalur.Appar's Tevaram
Appar’s Tevaram hymns are grouped into three books, forming the fourth, fifth and sixth volumes of the Tirumurai, the Tamil poetic canon of Shaiva Siddhanta. The compilation of these books is generally ascribed to Nambiyandar Nambi (tenth CCE). Some of Appar's hymns set to various Panns, the melodic modes of Ancient Tamil music - the rest are set to Tirunerisai and Viruttam metres. In the last four decades of his life, he visited on foot no less than 125 shrines of Shiva, scattered over a territory of thousand miles. He was the only one of the four kuravars to visit the shrine at Tirukokarnam on the western coast of India. He sang 312 decads comprising 3056 stanzas of devotionAll the songs in the Tevaram (called pathikam, Tamil:பதிகம்) are believed to be in sets of ten. The hymns were set to music denoted by Panns and are part of the canon of the Tamil music. They continue to be part of temple liturgy today. Several of these poems refer to historic references pointing to the saint-poets' own life, voice of devotee persona, using interior language of the mystic Multi-vocal rheotoric is commonly used taking on personal emotions and genres and some voices of classical Sangam literature. Appar's poems dealt with inner, emotional and psychological state of the poet saint. The metaphors used in the poems have deep agrarian influence that is considered one of the striking chords for common people to get accustomed to the verse. The quote below is a popular song of Appar glorifying Shiva in simple diction.
"மாசில் வீணையும்
மாலையும் மதியமும்
வீசு தென்றலில் வீங்கிள வேணியில்
மூசு வண்டறை பொய்கையும் போன்றதே
ஈசன் எந்தை இணையடி நிழலே"
translating
to
"My Lord's twin feet are like the
sweet-sounding Veena
like the full-moon of the evening
like the gently breeze blowing from the South
like the young spring
like a bee-humming lake"
The
tendency to incorporate place names known to the folks in the idiom of the
poems is another characteristic feature of Tevaram. The poems also involved glorifying the feat of
Shiva in the particular location - the usage of locale continuously occurring
in the verses is a testament. According to Prentiss, the poems do not
represent social space as a contested space, the hymns represent the hymnists
were free to wander and to offer their praise of Shiva. The emotional intensity of the hymns represent
spontaneous expression of thought as an emotional responses to God Paadal Petra Sthalams are 275 temples that are revered in the verses of Tevaram and are amongst the greatest Shiva temples of the continent. The Divya Desams by comparison are the 108 Vishnu temples glorified in the poems of the contemporary Vaishnava Alvars of Tamil Nadu, India. Vaippu Sthalangal are places that were mentioned casually in the songs in Tevaram. The focus of the moovars hymns suggests darshan (seeing and being seen by God) within the puja (worship) offering. The hymnists made classificatory lists of places like katu (for forest), turai (port or refuge), kulam (water tank) and kalam (field) being used - thus both structured and unstructured places in the religious context find a mention in Tevaram.
Compilation
Raja Raja Chola I (ruled 985-1013 CE) embarked on a mission to recover the hymns after hearing short excerpts of Tevaram in his court. He sought the help of Nambi Andar Nambi, who was a priest in a temple. It is believed that by divine intervention Nambi found the presence of scripts, in the form of cadijam leaves half eaten by white ants in a chamber inside the second precinct in Thillai Nataraja Temple, Chidambaram. The brahmanas (Dikshitars) in the temple opposed the mission, but Rajaraja intervened by consecrating the images of the saint-poets through the streets of Chidambaram. Rajaraja thus became to be known as Tirumurai Kanda Cholan meaning one who saved the Tirumurai. Thus far Shiva temples only had images of god forms, but after the advent of Rajaraja, the images of the Nayanar saints were also placed inside the temple. ] Nambi arranged the hymns of three saint poets Campantar, Appar and Sundarar as the first seven books, Manickavasagar's Tirukovayar and Tiruvacakam as the 8th book, the 28 hymns of nine other saints as the 9th book, the Tirumandiram of Tirumular as the 10th book, 40 hymns by 12 other poets as the 10th book, Tirutotanar Tiruvanthathi - the sacred anthathi of the labours of the 63 nayanar saints and added his own hymns as the 11th book. The first seven books were later called as Tevaram, and the whole Saiva canon, to which was added, as the 12th book, Sekkizhar's Periya Puranam (1135 CE) is wholly known as Tirumurai, the holy book. Thus Saiva literature which covers about 600 years of religious, philosophical and literary development. In 1918, 11 more songs were found engraved in stone temple in Tiruvidavayil in a village close to Nannillam and it was the first instance found where Tevaram verses were found in inscriptionsThis however may have been out of context because as we see from earlier pallava dantivarman and kampavarman inscriptions, the singing of tirumurai in temples to the sounding of udukkai(small drum) and talam(cymbals).
In temple worship services
Tevaram was one of the sole reasons for converting Vedic ritual to Agamic puja followed in Shiva temples. Though these two systems are overlapping, Agamic tradition ensures the perpetuation of the Vedic religion's emphasis on the efficacy of ritual as per Davis. Odhuvars, Sthanikars, or Kattalaiyars offer musical programmes in Shiva temples of Tamil Nadu by singing Tevaram after the daily rituals. These are usually carried out as chorus programme soon after the divine offering. The singing of Tevaram was followed by musicals from the music pillars in such temples like Madurai Meenakshi Amman Temple, Nellaiappar Temple and Suchindram The singers of these hymns were referred as Tirupadiyam Vinnapam seyvar or Pidarar from the inscriptions of Nandivarman III in the Tiruvallam Bilavaneswara temple records. Rajaraja deputed 48 pidarars and made liberal provisions for their maintenance and successors. A few earlier records give details about the gifts rendered to the singers of Tevaram from Parantaka I of 8th century. A record belonging to Rajendra I mentions Tevaranayakan, the supervisor of Tevaram and shows the institutionalisation of Tevaram with the establishiment of a department. There are records from Kulothunga Chola III from Nallanyanar temple in South Arcot indicating singing of Tiruvempavai and Tiruvalam of Manickavasagar during special occasion in the temple. ] From the 13th century, the texts were passed on to the Odhuvars by the Adheenams or charitable establishments.The charitable establishments that ran on philanthropy of individuals and merchant caravans had come to be because after 13TH century C.E,the time of ancient nation states viz. cholas etc. was finished and the temples became only denominated, voluntary, charitable places. This is briefed by a 15th century.C.E., chidambaram temple inscription.During the time of cholas etc. the temple hymn service workers were known as uvacchar and marars. These terms are of very ancient origin and traceable to even early sangam timesSambandar
Sambandar, also called Thirugyana Sambandar, Tirugnana Sambanthar, Campantar, Champantar, Jnanasambandar, Gnanasambandar) was a young Saiva poet-saint of Tamil Nadu who lived around the 7th century CE
He is one of the most prominent of the sixty-three Nayanars, Tamil Saiva bhakti saints who lived between the sixth and the tenth centuries CE. Sambandar's hymns to Shiva were later collected to form the first three volumes of the Tirumurai, the religious canon of Tamil Saiva Siddhanta. He was a contemporary of Appar, another Saiva sain
Life
nformation about Sambandar comes mainly from the Periya Puranam, the eleventh-century Tamil book on the Nayanars that forms the last volume of the Tirumurai, along with the earlier Tiruttondartokai, poetry by Sundarar and Nambiyandar Nambi's Tiru Tondar Tiruvandadi. A Sanskrit hagiography called Brahmapureesa Charitam is now lost. The first volumes of the Tirumurai contain three hundred and eighty-four poems of Sambandar, all that survive out of a reputed more than 10,000 hymns.According to the ancient texts, Sambandar was born to Sivapada Hrudiyar and his wife Bhagavathiar who lived in Sirkazhi in what is now Tamil Nadu. They were Saivite brahmins. When Sambandar was three years old his parents took him to the Shiva temple where Shiva and his consort Parvati appeared before the child. His father saw drops of milk on the child's mouth and asked who had fed him, whereupon the boy pointed to the sky and responded with the song Todudaya Seviyan, the first verse of the Tevaram. At his investiture with the sacred thread, at the age of seven, he is said to have expounded the Vedas with great clarity. Sambandar attained liberation (mukti) in "Visaka Nakshtara" in the Tamil month of "Visakam" at the age of sixteen soon after his marriage.
In the first half of the seventh century, apart from Saivism, Jainism and Buddhism were among the popular faiths in south India. The Pandyan King Koon Pandiyan had converted to Jainism, which Sambandar had long expressed opposition to. His queen Mangayarkarasi invited Sambandhar after the king fell ill Sambandar performed music for the king, which is said to have cured the king's disease. Later, Sambandar reconverted the king back to Shaivism. With Sambandar's consent, the king is said to have massacred around 8000 Jains.
The ancient texts say that Samabandar brought two people back to life by singing hymns to them. One of those resurrected was the daughter of a business man, who offered her to Sambandar in marriage. He declined due to knowledge that he would soon die.
Shrines
An inscription of Rajaraja Chola I at Tiruvarur mentions Sambandar along with Appar, Sundarar and the latter's wife Nangai Paravaiyar.Temples revered
Paadal Petra Sthalams are 275 temples that are revered in the verses of Tevaram and are amongst the greatest Shiva temples of the continent. Vaippu Sthalangal are places that were mentioned casually in the songs in Tevaram. The focus of the moovars (first three poets) hymns suggests darshan (seeing and being seen by God) within the puja (worship) offering. The hymnists made classificatory lists of places like katu (for forest), turai (port or refuge), kulam (water tank) and kalam (field) being used - thus both structured and unstructured places in the religious context find a mention in Tevaram.The Tirumurai in worship services
Tirumurai was one of the sole reasons for converting Vedic ritual to Agamic puja followed in Shiva temples. Though these two systems are overlapping, Agamic tradition ensures the perpetuation of the Vedic religion's emphasis on the efficacy of ritual as per Davis. Odhuvars, Sthanikars, or Kattalaiyars offer musical programmes in Shiva temples of Tamil Nadu by singing Tevaram after the daily rituals. These are usually carried out as chorus programme soon after the divine offering. There are records from Kulothunga Chola III from Nallanyanar temple in South Arcot indicating singing of Tiruvempavai and Tiruvalam of Manickavasagar during special occasion in the temple. During the times of cholas and previous pallavas the hymn reciters and musicians were known as uvacchar(chanters) and marars. It is noteworthy that these terms are also traceable in sangam period works.Periya Puranam, the eleventh-century Tamil book on the Nayanars that forms the last volume of the Tirumurai primarily had references only to Tevaram and subsequently expanded to 12 parts and is one of the first anthologies of Tirumurai. One of the first anthologies of moovars hymns called the Tevara Arulmuraitirattu is linked to Tamil Saiva siddhantha philosophy by grouping ninety-nine verses into 10 categories. The category headings are God, soul, bond, grace,divine initiation, methodology, enlightenment, bliss, mantra and liberation - correspond to Umapthi's work, Tiruvarutpayan. Tirumurai kanda puranam is another anthology for Tirumurai as a whole, but primarily focuses on Tevaram. It is the first of the works to refer the collection of volumes as Tirumurai.
Review and analysis
There is strong dose of anti-Jain, anti-buddist and in general an anti- communal polemic in Tevaram poetry of Sambandar. This is only expected as we know from accounts as to how the saint was got incarnate out to destroy the excessive wickedness and duplicity perpetrated by rogue creeds.Sambandar is clear about his hatred for the evil and duplicity of the obsure communal creeds and the same opinion is expressed in the works of other divine incarnates of that period of both saiva and vaishnava path way According to Aiyangar, Manickavasagar's Tiruvackam partakes the characters of Tevaram hymners before him and express more intense form of devotion. Manikkavasagar, like sundarar and sambandar before him does not mince words while criticising the misinformation campaign of sramana( buddist and jain) communal creeds and in many places of tiruvasagam calls them senseless, duplicitous,deceitful and falseful(poy samayattar) The fervor of utterances, the appeals to God by the Tamils do not find clear expression in other part of India.Sundarar
Sundarar or Cuntarar or Sundaramurthi (Tamil சுந்தரர், 8th C.C.E.), also known as Cuntaramūrti, and affectionately Tampiran Tōzhan (Comrade of the Master (Shiva)) was one of the most prominent among the Nayanars, the Shaiva bhakti (devotional) poets of Tamil Nadu. He was a contemporary of Cheraman Perumal and Kotpuli Nayanar who also figure in the 63 Nayanmars. The songs of praise are called Thiruthondathogai and is the original nucleus around which the Periyapuranam is based. The Periya Puranam, which collects the legends of the Nayanars, starts and ends with him. The hymns of seventh volume of the Tirumurai, the twelve-volume compendium of the poetry of Tamil Shaiva Siddhanta, were composed by him.
Life
Cuntarar is unique among the Nayanars in that both of his parents are also recognised as Nayanars. He was born Nambi Arurar to an Adi Shaiva (temple priest) brahmin couple, Sadayanar and Isaignani, in the village of Tirunavalur. The ruler of the local kingdom (Thirumunaipadi-Nadu), Narasingamunaiarayar a chieftain, adopted him and brought up as his own son, attracted by the beauty of the child he saw playing in the street. Sundarar was a contemporary of great Pallava emperor Rajasimha who was also a nayanmar saint and also author of many devotional hymn works in tamil.A temple inscription in tiruvarur says that sundarar's father sadayan also a nayanmar saint belonged to the gotram or lineage of sage bharadwaja and his mother isaignani also a nayanmar saint belonged to the gotram or lineage of sage gautama. From epigraphs it is also inferred that a Sanskrit hagiography on sundarar namely sva swami mitra prabhandam translated as travelogues of he who became friend of lord is now not available.Legend states ] that while Cuntarar was being married, the service was interrupted by an old ascetic who asked for Cuntarar as his servant, claiming that Cuntarar's grandfather pledged him according to an ancient palm leaf manuscript in his possession. Cuntarar and those assembled at the wedding were outraged and called the old man a madman (piththaan: Tamil). But a court of Vedic scholars concluded that the palm leaf was legally valid. Crestfallen, Cuntarar resigned himself to servitude in the old man's household and, following him to Thiruvennainallur village, was led to the Thiruvarutturai Shiva temple.
The old man was said to be Shiva himself, who told him: "You will henceforth be known as Vanthondan, the argumentative devotee. Did you not call me a mad man just a short while ago? Begin your hymn addressing me 'O mad man!'".
Subsequently, Cuntarar moved around Tamil Nadu, visiting several Shiva Temples of Tamil Nadu. In Tiruvarur, in the Thanjavur district, he fell in love with a girl named Paravayar, of the Rudra Kanyakayar caste of female ascetics, and married her. sundarar was held in such a high regard by his contemporary nayanmar saints like viranmindar, kalikamanar etc. that he was offered royal treatment by those rich servitors. One another nayanmar saint namely kotpuliyar a velalala, praised for some superb services also offers sundarar hand of his daughter but the saint politely declines and instantly picks up the girl and puts in his lap and dedicates a hymn to siva in the end of which he says that he considers the girl equivalent to his daughter. The same treatment is accorded by the saint to yet another girl namely singati. In many hymns sundarar makes this declaration of love filled,gracious patronage to the children that he accorded.
In Thiruvottriyur, a sea-side suburb of Madras, he prayed at the Padampakkanathar/Thyagarajar/Vadivudaiamman Temple, where he saw a farmer's girl, Sangiliyar, who was preparing flower garlands and married her, promising never to leave.
Sundarar is also famous for declaring in many hymns that one reality of lord sivan is apprehended by selfless, dispassionate and attachment free service to him.He also declares that all beings are created equal by lord.
At avinashi an ancient saiva piligrim centre near present day coimbatore sundarar prayed to lord sivan to give back life to an eight-year-old boy who had died untimely many years ago. On hearing his hymn lord sivan bestowed his grace and the boy who was swallowed by a crocodoile was instanly returned by the same crocodoile.
The legend states that at Tiruvarur he recited the names of all sixty-three future Nayanars: this recitation is called Tiruttondar-Tokai. In it, he refers to himself as the servant of servants of these saints. His fame reached the ears of the Cheraman Perumal, who came to Tiruvarur. Both embarked on a pilgrimage. But Cuntarar became tired of life and was taken up to heaven by a white elephant. The king followed him on his horse. This occurred in "Swathi Nakshtra" in the Tamil month of "Aadi".
Compilation
Raja Raja Chola I (985-1013 CE) embarked on a mission to recover the hymns after hearing short excerpts of Tevaram in his court. He sought the help of Nambi Andar Nambi, who was a priest in a temple. It is believed that by divine intervention Nambi found the presence of scripts, in the form of cadijam leaves half eaten by white ants in a chamber inside the second precinct in Thillai Nataraja Temple, Chidambaram The brahmanas (Dikshitars) in the temple are supposed to have disagreed with the king by saying that the works were too divine, but Rajaraja is said to have prevailed. Rajaraja thus became to be known as Tirumurai Kanda Cholan meaning one who saved the Tirumurai. Thus far Shiva temples only had images of god forms, but after the advent of Rajaraja, the images of the Nayanar saints were also placed inside the temple Nambi arranged the hymns of three saint poets Campantar, Appar and Sundarar as the first seven books, Manickavasagar's Tirukovayar and Tiruvacakam as the 8th book, the 28 hymns of nine other saints as the 9th book, the Tirumandiram of Tirumular as the 10th book, 40 hymns by 12 other poets as the 10th book, Tirutotanar Tiruvanthathi - the sacred anthathi of the labours of the 63 nayanar saints and added his own hymns as the 11th book. The first seven books were later called as Tevaram, and the whole Saiva canon, to which was added, as the 12th book, Sekkizhar's Periya Puranam (1135 CE) is wholly known as Tirumurai, the holy book. Thus Saiva literature which covers about 600 years of religious, philosophical and literary development.This however may have been out of context because as we see from earlier pallava dantivarman and kampavarman inscriptions, the singing of tirumurai in temples to the sounding of udukkai(small drum) and talam(cymbals).
In temple worship services
Tirumurai was one of the sole reasons for converting Vedic ritual to Agamic puja followed in Shiva temples. Though these two systems are overlapping, Agamic tradition ensures the perpetuation of the Vedic religion's emphasis on the efficacy of ritual as per Davis. Odhuvars, Sthanikars, or Kattalaiyars offer musical programmes in Shiva temples of Tamil Nadu by singing Tevaram after the daily rituals. These are usually carried out as chorus programme soon after the divine offering. There are records from Kulothunga Chola III from Nallanyanar temple in South Arcot indicating singing of Tiruvempavai and Tiruvalam of Manickavasagar during special occasion in the temple. From the 13th century, the texts were passed on to the Odhuvars by the Adheenams or charitable establishments. The charitable establishments that ran on philanthropy of individuals and merchant caravans had come to be because after 13TH century C.E,the time of ancient nation states viz. cholas etc. was finished and the temples became only denominated, voluntary, charitable places. This is briefed by a 15th century.C.E., chidambaram temple inscription.During the time of cholas etc. the temple hymn service workers were known as uvacchar and marars. These terms are of very ancient origin and traceable to even early sangam times.Periya Puranam, the eleventh-century Tamil book on the Nayanars that forms the last volume of the Tirumurai primarily had references only to Tevaram and subsequently expanded to 12 parts and is one of the first anthologies of Tirumurai. One of the first anthologies of moovars hymns called the Tevara Arulmuraitirattu is linked to Tamil Saiva siddhantha philosophy by grouping ninety-nine verses into 10 categories. The category headings are God, soul, bond, grace, divine intiation, methodology, enlightenment, bliss, mantra and liberation - correspond to Umapthi's work, Tiruvarutpayan Tirumurai kanda puranam is another anthology for Tirumurai as a whole, but primarily focuses on Tevaram. It is the first of the works to refer the collection of volumes as Tirumurai
List of temples revered by Sundarar
Paadal Petra Sthalams are 275 temples that are revered in the verses of Tevaram and are amongst the greatest Shiva temples of the continent. Vaippu Sthalangal are places that were mentioned casually in the songs in Tevaram. The focus of the moovars (first three poets) hymns suggests darshan (seeing and being seen by God) within the puja (worship) offering. The hymnists made classificatory lists of places like katu (for forest), turai (port or refuge), kulam (water tank) and kalam (field) being used - thus both structured and unstructured places in the religious context find a mention in Tevaram
nstructured
places in the religious context find a mention in Tevaram.
|
Name of the temple
|
Location
|
Number of verses
|
Photo
|
|
Tiruvarutturai Temple
|
10
|
|
|
|
10
|
|
||
|
Turaiyurppesurar Temple
|
Thirunelvayil Arathurai
|
10
|
|
|
Turaiyurppesurar Temple
|
10
|
|
|
|
Thiruonakathan Thali
|
11
|
|
|
|
10
|
|
||
|
Thiruethikolpadi Temple
|
Thiruethikolpadi
|
11
|
|
|
63
|
|
||
|
Swarnapuresar Temple
|
Trikaduvaikarai Putur
|
11
|
|
|
Thiruanegathangavatham
|
11
|
|
|
|
Thirupoovanam
|
Thirupoovanam
|
8
|
|
|
Thirunatuthogai
|
Thirunatuthogai
|
11
|
|
|
Thiruthuraiyur
|
Thiruthuraiyur
|
11
|
|
|
Thirupachilasiramam
|
Thirupachilasiramam
|
12
|
|
|
Thirunatiyathangudi
|
Thirunatiyathangudi
|
10
|
|
|
Amirdhakalayeswarar Temple
|
11
|
|
|
|
Tirunaavaleswarar Temple
|
Thirunavalur
|
11
|
|
|
Thiruvelvikudi Temple
|
Thiruvelvikudi
|
10
|
|
|
Thirunindriyur Temple
|
Thirunindriyur
|
18
|
|
|
10
|
|
||
|
Kachi Metrali
|
10
|
|
|
|
Thirumazhamannipadikarai
|
Thirumazhamannipadikarai
|
10
|
|
|
Thirukazhipalai
|
Thirukazhipalai
|
10
|
|
|
10
|
|
||
|
Thirumuthukundram
|
Thirumuthukundram
|
21
|
|
|
10
|
|
||
|
10
|
|
||
|
10
|
|
||
|
Thirukurugavoor
|
Thirukurugavoor
|
10
|
|
|
Thirukarupariyaloor
|
Thirukarupariyaloor
|
11
|
|
|
Thiruidaiyatruthogai
|
Thiruidaiyatruthogai
|
10
|
|
|
Thirukodikuzhagar
|
Kodikarai
|
10
|
|
|
Agnipuriswarar Temple
|
Tirupugalur
|
11
|
|
|
10
|
|
||
|
Thirupanjeeli
|
11
|
|
|
|
Thiruvathigai Veeratanam
|
Thiruvatigai
|
10
|
|
|
Thiruthondathogai
|
Thiruthondathogai
|
11
|
|
|
Thirukanatumullur
|
Thirukanatumullur
|
11
|
|
|
Thirukachoor
|
Thirukachoor
|
10
|
|
|
Thiruvenjamakoodal
|
Thiruvenjamakoodal
|
10
|
|
|
Muthupathugangai
|
Muthupathugangai
|
10
|
|
|
Thiruamathur
|
Thiruamathur
|
11
|
|
|
11
|
|
||
|
Oorthogai
|
Oorthogai
|
10
|
|
|
Thirupandikodumudi
|
Thirupandikodumudi
|
10
|
|
|
10
|
|
||
|
Thiruppunavasal Temple
|
10
|
|
|
|
Thiruvalangadu
|
10
|
|
|
|
Thirukadaiyur Mayanam
|
10
|
|
|
|
20
|
|
||
|
Thirupungur
|
10
|
|
|
|
Thiruneedur
|
Thiruneedur
|
11
|
|
|
Thiruvazhkolliputhur
|
Thiruvazhkolliputhur
|
13
|
|
|
Thirukazhumalam
|
Thirukazhumalam
|
10
|
|
|
10
|
|
||
|
Thiruvegambam
|
Thiruvegambam
|
11
|
|
|
Thirukolakka
|
Thirukolakka
|
10
|
|
|
Thiruthinainagar
|
Thiruthinainagar
|
10
|
|
|
Masilamaiyisar Temple
|
15
|
|
|
|
Thiruvalivalam
|
Thiruvalivalam
|
11
|
|
|
10
|
|
||
|
11
|
|
||
|
10
|
|
||
|
Thiruvalampuram
|
Thiruvalampuram
|
11
|
|
|
Thiruthuruthi
|
Thiruthuruthi
|
5
|
|
|
Thiruvelvikudi
|
Thiruvelvikudi
|
5
|
|
|
10
|
|
||
|
10
|
|
||
|
11
|
|
||
|
10
|
|
||
|
Thiruparupatham
|
Thiruparupatham
|
10
|
|
|
10
|
|
||
|
10
|
|
||
|
Thiruchuzial
|
|
10
|
|
|
Thirukanapper
|
|
10
|
|
|
Thirukadalaiyootrar
|
|
10
|
|
|
Thiruparthaanpanankattur
|
|
10
|
|
|
Thirupanaiyur
|
10
|
|
|
|
Thiruveezhimizhalai
|
10
|
|
|
|
Thiruvenpakkam
|
|
11
|
|
|
10
|
|
||
|
Thirupukoliyur Avinasi
|
10
|
|
|
|
Cuntarareswarar Temple
|
Thirunaraiyur Chitteswaram
|
10
|
|
|
Tiruchotruturai
|
|
10
|
|
|
10
|
|
||
|
Thirunanipalli
|
|
10
|
|
|
Prakasheswarar Temple
|
11
|
|
|
|
11
|
|
||
|
Thirunodithan Malai
|
|
|
|
|
Tiruvadhigai
|
|
|
|
|
Manikkamenivaradhar Temple
|
Thirumaandakuzhi
|
|
|
|
|
|
||
|
Saptapreswarar Temple
|
Tirukolaka
|
|
|
|
Tirupungur
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||
|
Tiruvambar Maakaalam Temple
|
Tiruvambar (Ambal)
|
|
|
|
Agnipuriswarar Temple
|
Tirupugalur
|
|
|
|
Karinateswarar Temple
|
Tirunatiyathankudi
|
|
|
|
Manatunainatar temple
|
Tiruvalivalam
|
|
|
|
Padikalitta Eeswarar Temple
|
Arisirkarai Putur
|
|
|
|
|
|
||
|
|
|
||
|
|
|
||
|
|
|
||
|
Tirukkandiyur
|
|
|
|
|
Tirupundhuruti
|
|
|
Om Tat Sat
(Continued...)
(My
humble salutations to the great devotees
, wikisources and Pilgrimage tourist guide for the
collection )
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