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Saivism is a very ancient sect of Hinduism
with a known history of at least 3000 years. It is a historical fact
that though Saivism found its adherents in the early Vedic works such as
the Svetavatara Upanishad, it took shape mainly in southern India in the
remote past. Many great devotees of
Lord Siva
who hailed from the land of Tamils, enriched Saivism with their
devotional fervor and meritorious religious compositions.
They brought Hinduism out
of the closed door policy of Brahminism, and the exclusive domain of the
priestly class, into the open, by taking religion to the masses and
teaching them the path of selfless devotion as a way of salvation. They
countered the attacks from monastic religions like
Buddhism and
Jainism, and defied the social order of their times by often
initiating people from the lowest castes into Saivism. They created a
body of entirely new religious literature, of great devotional merit and
deep philosophical truths.
Just like many aspects of
ancient Indian history, there is little information about the early
Saiva saints, names like Agastya, Nakkiar and Kannappa, who shaped
Saivism into a great religious movement. They lived during post
Rigvedic and later Vedic periods. They were ardent devotees of
Lord Siva,
and remembered in the scriptures for their devotion and contribution to
Saivism.
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Kannappa -
Kannappa who lived in the region near Kalahasti in the present
day Andhra Pradesh. A hunter by profession, he was totally
dedicated to
Lord Siva. He worshipped Siva regularly every day, with
intense love, sometimes offering him such things as flowers and
even meat. He was so tremendously devoted; it was once said that
he plucked out one of his eyes and offered it to
Lord Siva
as a symbol of sacrifice. He tried to pluck out the other eye
also immersed totally in his devotion, when Lord Siva said to
have appeared in front of him and prevented him from proceeding
further.
Tirumular - An ardent
devotee of
Lord Siva, he lived sometime during the sixth century A.D,
was gifted with supernatural powers and composed about 3000
poems.
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Tirumular also known as Valluvar |
Jnana Sambandha - He was a disciple
of Appar. He is considered as the third greatest ancient teacher of
Saivism, who found the path of satputra marga or the path of the son. A
precocious child, he was dedicated to
Lord Siva
and Parvathi from a very early age. He and Appar toured many places in
South India and said to have performed many miracles. He composed many
beautiful poems extolling
Siva
and
Parvati. But only a few poems are available today. If Sambandha had
a great teacher in the form of Appar, he also had a great disciple in
the form of Tirunilakanda Yalpanar who accompanied him always in his
tours and sing along with him.
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Appar, Manackavasakar, Sundarar and Sambandar |
Sundaramurthi
- He is the last among the four
greatest ancient teachers of Saivism. He founded sahamarga or
the path of the friend. He led a very unusual life. He became a
renunciate just before his marriage and thereafter traveled to
many places singing songs in praise of
Lord Siva. But strangely after sometime, he married a
beautiful non Brahmin, maiden named Paravai. He stayed with her
for sometime as she was also a great devotee of
Lord Siva. But their association did not last for long. A
few miles north of Chennai, he married again, this time to a
Brahim virgin. Subsequently he lost vision in both of his eyes
and said to have suffered greatly. But he regained his lost
vision through intense spiritual discipline and devotion. He
composed many thousands of devotional poems of which very few
are available today. |
Appar -
A contemporary of the Pallava King
Mahendra1, and reckoned as the second greatest ancient teacher of
Saivism, he lived about 7th Century A.D. He is credited with the
discovery of dasamarga or the path of the servant in Saivism. Originally
a follower of Jainism he became subsequently a great devotee of
Lord Siva
and spent considerable time rendering bodily service (dasa seva) to
him. He also composed many poems out of which only a few area available
today. He is often compared to the legendary Prahlada for his devotion
to Lord
Siva.
Manikkavachaka -
First among the four greatest ancient
teachers of Saivism, he is considered as the founder of the path of
truth or 'sat marga'. Known for his intelligence from an early age, he
worked as a chief minister in the court of a Pandya king for sometime
before he became a true renunciate. Gifted with poetical abilities,
which earned him the title of Mannikkavachaka, which literally means he
whose utterances are gems, he composed many songs in honor of
Lord Siva.
His work Tiruvachakam is considered to be a pioneering work in Saivism.
| Ammaiyar from
Karikkal - Her devotion to
Lord Siva can be compared in someways with that of Mira Bai,
the famous devotee of
Lord Krishna. Born into a princely family, she was married
to a wealthy merchant at an early age. Seeing her devotional
fervor and spiritual yearning, her husband decided to leave her
to herself and married another woman. But Ammaiyar, though
devoted to
Lord Siva from an early age, could not overcome her
traditional respect and love for her husband initially. But
seeing her husband in his new role, she overcame that afterwards
and dedicated her life completely to
Lord Siva. She also composed many devotional poems which
reflect the depth of her devotion to
Lord Siva.
Auvai -
Another famous woman saint of
Saivism, she was endowed with great literary talents and
devotional fervor. She composed many verses which immortalized
her name in Tamil religious literature.
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Ammaiyar from Karikkal |
Meypporul Nayanar - A king by birth he
sacrificed his life out of live for
Lord Siva.
Sakya Nayanar -
Originally a Buddhist, he later embraced
Saivism and was said to have been blessed with a vision of
Lord Siva and
Parvati.
Nandanar -
An untouchable by birth, he was a great
devotee of
Lord Siva who won the recognition of many learned people and was
even admitted into the precincts of the Chidambaram temple which at that
time was not open to people from his caste.
Meykandar -
Initiated into Saivism at the early age
of three by a sage, he is credited with the composition of the famous
work Siva-Jnana-bodham, which contains twelve famous Siva Sutras or
aphorisms. Meykandar is known in the history of Saivism as the seer of
Truth and his life is a shining example of knowledge and devotion coming
together in total dedication to God.
Arundai Sivachariar -
He became a disciple of Meykandar, after
the latter opened his eyes in a famous encounter to the world of
devotion and self-surrender. He composed Siva-Jnana-sittiyar, according
to the wishes of his guru, explaining the truths hidden in the aphorisms
of the latter.
Marai-Jnanasambandar -
Arundai Sivachariar also remembered in
Saiva tradition for his initiation of Marai-Jnanasambandar into Saivism.
The latter though hailed from an untouchable caste was blessed with
great literary talent and devotional fervor.
Umapathi Sivam -
Marai-Jnanasambandar in turn initiated
another famous Saiva saint, named Umapathi Sivam and helped him attain
self-realization. Umapathi Sivam contributed greatly to Saiva literature
in Tamil. He wrote eight philosophical treatises on Saivism, apart from
a short biographical work on the famous 63 Saiva saints.
Pattinathar -
A rich merchant by birth, he turned to spiritualism in strange
circumstances when he realized that all his wealth would not accompany
him beyond his death. He along with his princely friend Bhadragiri
composed many devotional poems, exhorting people to renounce their
worldly ways and enter the world of devotion and self-surrender. He
lived about tenth century in Tamilnadu.
Arunagiri -
He lived about fifteenth century. Early
in his life, he led a very sinful life, giving himself up entirely to
the pleasures of the world. But later a great transformation took place
in him and he became a great devotee of
Lord
Murugan, the first divine child of
Lord Siva.
Tiruppugal is one of his famous compositions which known for its lyrical
beauty and devotional depths.
Tayumanavar -
He lived in the seventeenth century, and
belonged to the priestly family which was attached to the Siva temple at
Vedaranyam, in Tamilnadu. He lived and worked for some time at the court
of a Naik ruler from Tiruchinapalli, before he renounced his worldly
life and became a great devotee of
Lord Siva.
He expounded the philosophy of Saivism from a Vedantic point of view and
tried to reconcile the existing contradictions.
Lingayat Saints -
Mention may also be made of the five
famous Lingayat Saints of Virasaivism path, namely Sivaprakasa 1,
Santalinga, Kumaradeva and Sivaprakasa 2. They were men of great
religious and spiritual merit, who lived during the seventeenth century
and composed many religious songs and treatises.
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