South Indian Bhakti Saints – Alvars (Vaishnava) and Nayanars (Shaiva)
Medieval History › Bhakti and Sufi Movement · Topic 5.4
The Alvars were twelve Vaishnava poet-saints, including Andal, and the Nayanars were sixty-three Shaiva saints of the Tamil country, active from about the sixth to the ninth centuries. They rejected Jain and Buddhist austerity, preached love and devotion to Vishnu or Shiva in Tamil, ignored caste rigidity and shaped later Vedanta and temple worship.
5 min read · UPSC Prelims · History · Bhakti and Sufi Movement
At a Glance
- Alvars Twelve Vaishnava saints; Andal the only woman
- Nayanars Sixty-three Shaiva saints
- Language Tamil
- Alvar anthology Divya Prabandham, compiled by Nathamuni
- Nayanar texts Tirumurai and Periya Puranam
- Exam link UPSC Prelims, Medieval History: Bhakti and Sufi Movement
Where Does It Fit?
This is the fourth topic of the category on the Bhakti and Sufi movement. The previous topic covered the saguna saints of the north, and this topic goes back to the earlier Tamil saints who started popular Bhakti. The next topic covers Basavanna and the Virashaiva movement of Karnataka. Previous topic: Saguna Bhakti Saints (Tulsidas, Surdas, Mirabai, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu). The earlier setting is in Brahmanisation, Land Grants and Peasant Protest in the Peninsula.
Who Were the Alvars and Nayanars?
In short: the Alvars and Nayanars were Tamil saints who started popular Bhakti by teaching personal devotion to God in the local language.
The Shaiva Nayanars and the Vaishnava Alvars flourished in the Tamil kingdoms between the sixth and ninth centuries. They set aside the austerities that Jains and Buddhists preached and taught personal devotion to God as the means of salvation. They disregarded caste rigidity and carried their message of love to many parts of the south in the local language, Tamil. Some belonged to the lower classes. There was also a woman saint, Andal. Almost all of them ignored caste inequality, although they did not try to oppose the caste system as such, and the path of Bhakti they taught was open to all.
What Did the Alvars Leave?
| Feature | Detail |
|---|---|
| Number | Twelve by tradition, including Poygai, Bhutattalvar, Pey, Tirumalisai, Nammalvar, Madhurakavi, Kulasekhara, Periyalvar, Andal, Tondaradippodi, Tiruppan and Tirumangai; some traditions list ten |
| Anthology | Nalayira Divya Prabandham of about 4,000 verses, compiled by Nathamuni |
| Temples | The hymns praise 108 temples called Divya Desams |
| Philosophy | Their teachings underlie Vishishtadvaita Vedanta; Ramanuja drew on them |
| Andal | The only woman among the Alvars |
A series of acharyas led by Nathamuni collected and systematised the teachings of the Alvars and declared them equal to the Vedas. These early saints and their writings began to be worshipped in temples, and a set of rituals was built around them, many of which are still followed.
What Did the Nayanars Leave?
The writings of the Shaiva saints were collected in eleven volumes called the Tirumurai in the early part of the twelfth century, and these are considered sacred and looked on as the fifth Veda. Sekkilar, chief minister of a Chola king in the time of Kulottunga II (1133 to 1150), composed the Periya Puranam, a Tamil hagiography of the sixty-three Nayanars, and it became part of the canon. Four saints are named as the pillars of Shaiva Siddhanta: Appar, Sambandar, Sundarar and Manikkavacakar. According to tradition, the Pandya king at Madurai executed large numbers of Jain monks at the instance of the Shaiva preacher Sambandar. We do not know how widespread such instances were.
What Was the Social and Economic Effect?
The Bhakti movement won many Buddhists and Jains back to Hinduism and also won many tribals. Many tribals from the hills became settled farmers in river valleys, often on lands held by Brahmans, who introduced new farming techniques, or by temples, which absorbed tribal gods as supporters of Vishnu or Shiva. Expanded farming and new temple rituals strengthened rulers and local states such as the Chola state. Temples strengthened the Brahmans who supervised them and received land grants. Thus Bhakti had far-reaching economic and social consequences. As an analytical point, Tamil Bhakti was both a spiritual movement and a tool of state-building through temples.
What Is the Timeline of Tamil Bhakti?
| Period | Development |
|---|---|
| Sixth to ninth centuries | Alvars and Nayanars compose hymns in Tamil |
| Tenth century onward | Nathamuni and later acharyas collect and systematise the Alvar hymns |
| Early twelfth century | Shaiva hymns gathered into the eleven-volume Tirumurai |
| 1133 to 1150 | Sekkilar writes the Periya Puranam in the time of Kulottunga II |
| Eleventh century | Ramanuja joins Bhakti to the Vedic tradition |
These stages are approximate and some sources place the compilations earlier.
Why Were They Important for Later Bhakti?
The Alvars and Nayanars gave Bhakti its core features: devotion to a personal God, local language, and openness to all castes, as outlined in Origins and Features of the Bhakti Movement. They also supplied sacred texts and a philosophy for the Vaishnava and Shaiva traditions, and Ramanuja, who tried to join Bhakti and the Vedas, built on the Alvars. But because they sang in Tamil, their reach beyond the south was limited until later saints carried the message north.
Why Is This Topic Important?
- Start of popular Bhakti Basis of all later questions on Bhakti origins
- Texts Tirumurai and Divya Prabandham are frequent facts
- Temple link Shows the role of temples in medieval society
What Came Next?
The next topic covers Basavanna and the Virashaiva movement. Next topic: Basavanna and the Virashaiva (Lingayat) Movement.
Key People and Terms
- Alvar Vaishnava Tamil saint
- Nayanar Shaiva Tamil saint
- Andal The woman Alvar
- Nathamuni Compiler of the Divya Prabandham
- Tirumurai Shaiva canon
- Periya Puranam Sekkilar’s life stories of the Nayanars
Exam Corner
Points to Remember
- Twelve Alvars; sixty-three Nayanars.
- Andal was the only woman Alvar.
- Divya Prabandham compiled by Nathamuni.
- Periya Puranam by Sekkilar.
- 108 Divya Desams.
Do Not Confuse With
- Alvars and Nayanars Vishnu devotees versus Shiva devotees
- Tirumurai and Divya Prabandham Shaiva canon versus Vaishnava anthology
- Sambandar and Sundarar Two of the four great Nayanars
Memory Hook
Alvars sing of Vishnu, Nayanars of Shiva, Nathamuni gathers, Sekkilar writes the lives.
Mains Angle
Questions on the Tamil saints ask about their role in starting Bhakti. These points add depth.
- Message Personal devotion in Tamil
- Texts Divya Prabandham and Tirumurai
- Effect Temples, land grants and absorption of tribals
A Question You May Face
An original practice question, not a past paper question.
“Explain the contribution of the Alvars and Nayanars to the Bhakti movement and to medieval society in south India.”
How to Answer
- Saints Alvars and Nayanars.
- Teaching Devotion, Tamil, no austerity.
- Texts Divya Prabandham and Tirumurai.
- Society Temples and tribal settlement.
GS Relevance
Frequently Asked Questions
Who were the Alvars?
The Alvars were twelve Vaishnava poet-saints of the Tamil country, including Andal, the only woman among them. Their hymns of devotion to Vishnu are compiled as the Nalayira Divya Prabandham, and they praise 108 temples called Divya Desams.
Who were the Nayanars?
The Nayanars were sixty-three Shaiva saints of the Tamil country whose hymns formed the Tirumurai. Their lives were told in the Periya Puranam by Sekkilar, a minister of a Chola king, in the twelfth century.
Who compiled the Divya Prabandham?
Nathamuni compiled the Alvars' hymns, about 4,000 verses, as the Nalayira Divya Prabandham. He and later acharyas systematised their teachings and ranked them with the Vedas, and the verses came to be sung in temples.
What did the Alvars and Nayanars teach?
They taught personal devotion to Vishnu or Shiva as the means of salvation, set aside the austerities of Jains and Buddhists, ignored caste rigidity and used Tamil. Some belonged to the lower classes, and their path was open to all.
How did Bhakti affect society in the south?
Bhakti won many Jains, Buddhists and tribals into Hinduism, helped settle tribal people as farmers on temple and Brahman lands, and strengthened temples and local states such as the Chola state through land grants and new rituals.
PYQ Practice — Statement Analysis
1 Andal was the only woman among the Alvars.
The Alvars were Vaishnava saints.
2 The Nayanars were devotees of Vishnu.
They were devotees of Shiva.
3 The Divya Prabandham was compiled by Nathamuni.
It has about 4,000 verses.
4 The Alvars and Nayanars composed in Sanskrit.
They composed in Tamil.
Related Topics
Browse the full Medieval History index