The history of the development of bhakti may be broadly divided into three phases -: The first phase – From the Vedic period upto the composition of the Mahābhārata and the early parts of the Purāṇas. (upto 3rd Century CE)
The second phase – The period of the Āzhvārs and Nāyanmārs (3rd -8th Century CE)
The third phase – The bhakti movement (13th – 15th Century)
The first phase marked the theorization of the philosophy of bhakti. It was in the third phase that bhakti emerged as the fulcrum of the social and religious reforms and the redefinition of the Vedic religion with bhakti as its soul. Between the two phases lived the great saints and poets from the South of India, who were ordinary mortals subjected to the same weaknesses and infirmities like us, yet rose to the state of divinity by illustrating the qualities of ideal devotees enshrined in the sacred texts of the first phase through their lives and works and thereby inspired mass revolution that took place in the third phase. It is perhaps acknowledging their great contribution to the development of the philosophy of bhakti that the Bhāgavata-māhātmya of the Padma-Purāṇa refers to the Draviḍadeśa as the birthplace of Bhakti.
The term Āzhvār is explained as ‘those who ruled over the heart of the Lord’ or ‘those who were immersed in the bliss of divine experience. The 12 Āzhvārs were known for their exemplary devotion and exceptional poetic works. Placed between the 6th to the 10th Century, they were foremost among the devotees of Viṣhṇu. The Nāyanmars were a group of 63 saints who lived from the 6th to 8th century and who were devoted to Lord Śiva. The word Nāyanār, similar to the Sanskrit term Nāyaka, means ‘a leader’ or ‘a chieftain’and thus was suffixed to the names of the sixty-three saints. Collectively they are called the Nāyanmār (plural form of nāyanār). Together known as the ’75 apostles of Bhakti’, they Āzhvārs and the Nāyanmārs flourished in the Southern part of India, especially in the present-day Tamil Nadu around the same time and were instrumental in the revival of their respective sects through their lives and works. Śrī Rāmānuja (11th Century), who belonged to the scholastic tradition of Nāthamuni and Yāmunācārya, propounded the Viśiṣṭādvaita school of Vedānta by bringing together the philosophy of Vedānta and the teachings of the Āzhvārs. On the other hand, the philosophy of Śaiva- Siddhānta propounded by Meykandār (13th Century), Arulnandi Śivācārya (13th Century) and Umāpati Śivācārya (14th Century) was an integration of the Śivāgamas and the devotional works of the Nāyanmārs.
Traditionally it is believed that it was Nammāzhvār (Śaṭhakopa), who himself revealed the poems of all the twelve saints including himself unto Nāthamuni. It can therefore be inferred that twelve saints were regarded as a group even at that time. It is however Parāśara-Bhaṭṭa, the foremost among the disciples of Rāmānujācārya, who was one of the first persons to refer to these saints with their Sanskrit names in his ode to the lineage of Gurus. The names were Bhūta (Bhūtatāzhvār), Saroyogi (Poygai-āzhvār), Mahān (Pey-āzhvār), Bhaṭṭanātha (Periy- āzhvār), Śrī or Godā (Āṇḍāḷ), Bhaktisāra (Tirumaḷi Śai- Āzhvār), Kula Śekhara (Kulaśekara- Āzhvār), Yogivāhana or Munivāhana (Tirupaṇṇālvār) , Bhaktāṅghrireṇu (Toṅḍaradippoḍi-Āzhvār), Parakāla or Catuṣkavi (Tirumaṅgai-Āzhvār), Miśra (Madhurakavi-Āzhvār) and Parāṅkuśa or Śaṭhakopa (Nammāzhvār). One of the earliest sources on the lives of Āzhvārs is the Divya-Sūri Caritam of Garuḍavāhana Paṇḍita (11th Century). The other sources are Guruparamparā- prabhāvam of Pinbaḷagiya Perumāḷ Jīyar, the Prapannāmṛtam of Anantacārya and the commentaries on the Divyaprabandhas. Traditionally they are regarded as incarnations of the attendants and the symbols of Viṣhṇu.
The names of the Nayanmars were first enlisted by Sundara (8th Cent) in his Tiruttoṇḍar-togai. The list was expanded by Nambiyandar Nambi (10th Cent) to 63 by the inclusion of Sundara during his compilation of material by the poets for the Tirumurai collection in his Tiruttoṇḍar- antādi. The most elaborate account on the lives of the Nāyanmārs is the Tiruttoṇḍar- Purāṇam or Periya-Purāṇam, the magnum opus of Śekkizhār (12th Cent). Sanskrit works such as Bhakta-vilāsa attempt to re- tell the Periya-Purāṇam in the style of the Purāṇas ang give the Sanskrit names of these saints. Their names were Tirunīlakaṇṭar (Nīlakaṇṭha), Iyarpagai (Janeṅgitaprada), Māra (Iḷayāṅkuḍi Mārar), Satyārtha ( Meipporuḷ), Vīraminda (Viranmiṇdar), Amaranīti (Amaranīti), Dāraka (Eripatār), Dīra-nīṣāda (Kaṇṇappar), Kālanātha (Kuṅgiliya Kalayar), Enādinātha (Enādinātar) , Mā n a v i k r a m a (Mānakañjārar), Śaṅkulādāya (Arivāttāyar), Gonātha (Ānāyar), Mūrtinātha (Mūrti), Skandanātha (Murugar), Rudra Paśupati (Urudira Pasupati), Nanda (Nandanār/ Tirunāḷaippovar), Bhakteṅgitavettā ( T i rukurippu Toṇḍar), Caṇḍe Śvara (Caṅḍeśvarar), Tilakāvati (Tilakavati), Vāgīśa (Tirunāvukkarasar), Kulabandhana (Kulācāriyār), Kurumba (Perumizhalai Kurambar) , Punītavati (Karaikkāl Ammaiyār), Abdhuti (Appūti), Nīlanagna (Tirunīlanakkar), Navanandi (Naminandi), Jñānasambandha (Tirujñāna Sambandhar), Kalikāma (Kalikāmar), Mūlanātha (Tirumīlar), Daṇḍi ( Taṇḍī), Mūrkha (Mūrkar), Māra Somayājī (Somāsi Mārar), Śākyanāthar ( Śākyar), Naraśārdūla (Sirappuli), Dabhrabhakta (ŚiruttoṇḌar), Chera (Cheramān Perumāḷ), Gaṇanātha (Gaṇanāthar), Purāntaka (Kūtruvar), Satyadāsa (Poyyaḍimai illāda Pulavar), Dharma Ketana (Pugaḷ Coḷan), Narasiṁha (Narasinga Munayaraiyar), Atibhakta (Atibatar), Kalikampana (Kalikampanar), Kalanīti (Kalanīti), Śakti (Satti), Pañcapāda (AiyaḌigal Kāḍavarkon), Mālā Tṛṇaka (Kaṇampullar), Avikāri (Kārī), Sundara Pāṇḍya (Niṅṛasīr Neḍumārar), Vāyula ( Vāyilār), Śūrabhit ( Munaiyaduvār), Siṁhāṅka (Kaḷarsingar), AiḌaṅka (Iḍaṅgaḷi), Yuddhasakhā (Ceruttuṇai), Kīrtisakha (Pugaḷtuṇai), Śūravyāghra (Koṭppuli), Śambhudhyāyī (PūŚalār), MahileŚvarī (MaṅgayarkaraŚiyār), Bhaktipriya (Neśar), Śoṇākṣa (Kocceṅkat-Coḷan), Nīlakaṇṭha vaiṇika (Tirunīlakaṇṭa yāzhpāṇar), Jaṭila (Śaḍayār) – Jñānavati (IŚaijñāniyār), Sundara (Sundaramūrti).
Both the Āzhvārs and the Nāyanmārs belonged to the various socio-economic classes of their times, various āśramas, lived at different periods, the age when their spirituality matured was different, nor did they belong to a direct scholastic tradition, the sole commonality being unflinching devotion unto their Lords. Among the Āzhvārs, the first three viz. Bhūta, Saroyogī and Mahān were contemporaries and Bhaktisāra was their junior contemporary. Miśra was a contemporary and a disciple of Śaṭha kopa. Parakālawas also a contemporary of Śaṭhakopa. Godā was the foster daughter of Bhaṭṭanātha. Among the Nāyanmārs, Vāgīśa, Sambandha, Tilakāvati, Nīlakaṇṭha vaiṇika, Kulabandhana, Sundara Pāṇḍya, Mahileśvarī, Nīlanagna, Adbhuti, Dabhrabhakta were contemporaries. Sundara, Māra Somayājī, Vīraminda and Cera were contemporaries. Simhāṇka, and Yuddhasakhā, Mānavikrama and Kalikāma, Dharmaketanaand Dāraka were contemporaries. It is interesting to note that Kulaśekhara Āzhvār is identified withKing Sthāṇu Ravi Varmā KulaŚekhara of Kerala (844 CE – 883 CE), who was the successor of King Rāma RājaŚekhara (800 CE – 844 CE), who was none other than Chera Nāyanār.
Among the Ālvārs, all were gifted poets apart from being peerless devotees. However, among the Nāyanmārs, Vāgīśa, Sambandha, Mūlanātha and Sundara were poets, while some were radical devotees who were prepared to sacrifice anything for appeasing the Lord, while some amongst them rose to the state of being designated as Nāyanārs merely by rendering selfless services unto the devotees of the Lord.
The devotion of the saints
One of the most significant ideals of bhakti- marga is that “it is neither the mode of worship, nor the object offered nor its quality or quantity that matters to the Lord, it is devotion alone that matters to him”. This is well demonstrated by the lives of these saints. Godā propitiated Śrī Raṅganātha by offering her used garlands, Yogivāhana through his music and Bhaktāṅghrireṇu by preparing garlands for his beloved Lord. Among the Nāyanmārs, Dhīra offered flesh (eventually his eyes), Atibhakta offered a fish each day into the sea as an offering to Śiva and Śākya hurled stones at the liṅga as an expression of his devotion and thus secured Śiva’s grace.
Another significant idea advocated by the bhakti-scriptures is the veneration towards the devotees of the Lord and the emphasis on serving them. This too is exemplified by the Āzhvārs and Nāyanmārs through their lives and works. In order to prove the innocence of the Vaiṣṇavas who were accused of theft, Kulaśekhara put his hand in a pot containing a snake pledging their irreproachability even at the cost of his life, Parakāla even turned a dacoit to feed a thousand devotees everyday, the very name Bhaktāṅghrireṇu conveys his reverence towards the devotees of Śrīman Nārāyaṇa. The Nāyanmārs, on their part are known to have transcended their ordinary human disposition in serving the devotees, Bhakteṅgitaprada unhesitatingly offered his wife when she was sought by a devotee, Dabhrabhakta offered the meat of his only son when demanded by a Saiva ascetic, Satyārtha readily offered his life to the knife of his enemy who had disguised himself as a Saiva.
The essential attribute of bhaktivaśyatā (being subjugated by the devotees) of both Hari and Hara is illustrated by some of the incidents in the lives of these saints. The biographies of the Āzhvārs mention that when a disciple of Bhaktisāra was banished by the king of Kāñcī, for refusing to sing in his praise, Bhaktisāra also left the city and urged the deity of Tiruvekkā to follow him. Realizing that the deity had abandoned the shrine, the king pacified Bhaktisāra and invited him to return to Kāñcī. Again urged to return by the saint, the Lord with his retinue returned to his shrine at Tiruvekkā and earned the sobriquet of “Yathoktakārī” (who did what he was ordered to do). At Kumbhaghoṇa, when Bhaktisāra in one of his songs on Aparyātāmṛta (Sāraṅgapāṇi) expressing his presence and exhorted the Lord to speak to him, the deity rose from his reclining posture. As he rose, the Lord was stopped by the devotee and was asked to speak to him as he was. Even today the deity is seen in a reclining posture where the head is raised. Śiva, who was an ardent listener of the songs of Sundara, was once told by the love-lorn Sundara that he would sing only if Śiva would unite him with his beloved. The Lord accordingly visited the house of Paravā who was a courtesan as an emissary of Sundara and convinced Paravā’s mother to accept the alliance. Again when Sundara fell in love with Śṛnkhala, it was the same Lord who appeared in her dreams to convince her. When Śṛnkhala demanded a promise from Sundara of his constant companionship with her in the presence of the Śivaliṅga, Sundara asked the Lord to withdraw his presence from the liṅga which the Lord abided.
The Tamil Vedas
Saroyogī ,Bhūta and Mahān had written poems consisting of 100 verses each known as Mudal Tiruvantādi, Iraṇḍām Tiruvantādi an Mūṇḍrām Tiruvantādi respectively. Bhakti sāra composed Nānmugan Tiruvantādi of 96 verses and Tirucchandaviruttam of 120 verses. Śaṭhakopa composed four works viz., Tiruviruttam (100 verses), Tiruvāciriyam (7 verses), Periya Tiruvantādi (87 verses), Tiruvāimozhi ( 1102 verses). Miśra composed a short work of 11 verses that b e g i n w i t h Ka ṇ ṇ i n u ṇ S i r u tt ā m b u , Kulaśekhara composed the Perumāḷ Tirumozhi of 105 verses. Bhaṭṭanātha composed two works viz,. Tieupallāṇḍu and Periyāzhvār Tirumozhi of 12 and 461 verses respectively. Godā composed Tiruppāvai of 30 verses and Nāciyār Tirumozhi of 143 verses. Bhaktisāra composed two works viz., Tirumālai and Tirupaḷḷi Ezhucci of 45 and 10 verses respectively. Yogivāhana composed one work of 10 verses that begin with Amalanādipirān. Parakāla composed six works viz. Periya Tirumozhi (1084 verses), Tirukkuruntāṅḍagam (20 verses) , Tiruvezhukkūtrirukkai (1 verse), Siriya Tirumāḍal (40 verses), Periya Tirumāḍal (78 verses), Tiruneḍuntāṇḍagam (30 verses). These hymns which sum up to 4000 are collectively known as Nālāyira Divya Prabandhams (4000 divine compositions).
The hymns of Vāgīśa, Sambandha and Sundara are collectively known as the Devāram and this is regarded as the principal component of the Tirumurai, the sacred literature of Tamil Saivism. The Tirumantiram of Mūlanātha is the most well-known philosophical work on Saiva Siddhānta and forms the tenth section of the Tirumurai.
The Divyaprabandham and the Devāram hymns are held at par with Vedas by the Śrī Vaiṣṇavas and the Śaivas respectively and are often designated as the Tamil Vedas or Drāviḍa Vedas. An interesting account is given in the Prapannāmṛta about the origin of the Divyaprabandhams. The work mentions that Viśvakarmā pronounced a curse on Agastya that the Tamiḷ language designed by him would lose its sanctity and get reduced to the status of the language of the vile. Pleased by the austerities of Agastya, Viṣhṇu promises to revive the language through his manifestations through the Drāviḍa Veda and assures that the 4000 hymns would expound the purport of the Vedas. The Śivabhaktavilāsa also mentions of Sundara attaining the highest abode by singing of the great devotees who sang praises of Śiva in Tamil through his Tamil hymns.
The various shrines of Viṣṇu spread across Bhāratavarṣa that have been referred to in the Divyaprabandhams are known as Divyadeśams. 275 temples of Śiva that have been exclusively mentioned in the hymns of the Nāyanmārs are revered as Pāḍal Petra Sthalams (sacred places that have been glorified). Those temples which have been casually referred to in the hymns of the Nāyanār are known as Vaippu Sthalams. They are 147 in number.
Common devotional ideas
Several common ideas and expressions can be found in the hymns of both the Āzhvārs and the Nāyānmārs. A few of them are mentioned here:
One of the interesting common expressions by these saints is of their equal reverence to the two most ancient and elegant languages of Sanskrit and Tamil thus testifying the common heritage of both these languages and the symbiotic relationship shared by them. Kulaśekahra Āzhvār says – “When will I be able to praise Him in sweet Tamil and Sanskrit poetry?” Mūlanātha in the Tirumantiram says “He revealed the rich treasure of his compassion in Sanskrit and Tamil at the same time”
The Āzhvārs and the Nāyanmārs in their hymns emphasised the significance of the Āṣṭākṣara-mantra and the Pañcākṣara- mantra respectively. Bhaktisāra in the Tirucchandaviruttam says “People who think of the Lord reclining on the serpent- bed, recite his eight-syllabled mantra and worship his feet rule over the heaven”. “The five-letter word alone shows the path of grace”, says Mūlanātha.
Both the Āzhvārs and the Nāyanmārs held that the Lord is the embodiment of Love. Śaṭhakopa says “He is love incarnate to those who love him”, while Mūlanātha says “The ignorant say that Love and Śiva are different”.
Similar ideas are shared by both the Āzhvārs and Nāyanmārs about kīrtana and smaraṇa. “The day I did not sing of you, I was never born” says Vāgīśa. Bhaktisāra, on his part says “I was not born when I did not sing of you, after being born I never forgot”.
The illustrious lives and the immortal works of the Āzhvārs and the Nāyanmārs have not only influenced the religion and the society, but also have been a source of inspiration for literary and artistic works in Tamil,
Sanskrit and other Indian languages. Svasvāmimitra-prabandha and Jñānavilāsa- kāvya are Sanskrit poems on the lives of Sundara and Sambandha respectively, the Ānandakanda is a poetic account of the lives of the Nāyanmārs, the Viśvaguṇādarśa campu dedicates a section entirely to Śaṭhakopa. Āmuktamālyadā, the Telugu poem of Kṛṣṇa Deva Rāya celebrates the life of Godā. Nandanār-Caritam, the Tamil opera on the life of Nanda is noted for its excellence. Vipranārāyaṇa-caritram, the Telugu kāvya celebrates the life of Bhaktisāra. The life of Dhīra (Kaṇṇappa) has been glorified even by Śaṅkarācārya in his Śivānandalaharī and in later literature in various languages and artists across generations. Basava-Purāṇa, the Telugu magnum opus of Palkuriki Somanatha celebrates some of the prominent Nāyanmārs such as Amaranīti, Naraśārdūla, Kalikampa, Satyārtha and a few others.
Even while the tradition recognizes the number of Āzhvārs as twelve and that of the Nāyanmārs as 63, it must not be concluded that these exemplary devotees alone were the Āzhvārs or Nāyanmārs. Both the Śaiva and Vaiṣṇava traditions admit that every savant of the Lord and his devotee is fit to be known as an Āzhvār or a Nāyanār. With selfless love, complete surrender, servitude and the association with holy-men each one of us is potent to become an Āzhvār or a Nāyanār.
