The Nayanars were the sincere and ardent devotees of Lord Siva. They were saints from Southern India, especially Tamil Nadu, and were mostly responsible for development of Shaivism in the Middle Ages.

Simple devotees

Only a few Nayanars had made a study of the Hindu Agamas. The rest were simple Bhaktas only. They served the devotees of Lord Siva and absolutely surrendered themselves to their Lord. They were quite ignorant of philosophy. Many among Nayanars cleaned the temple premises, made garlands of flowers for the Lord, lighted the temple lamps, planted flower gardens, fed the devotees and performed other humble tasks around the temple. They regarded worship of Siva Bhaktas as superior even to the worship of Lord Siva Himself.

Role model of Devotion

True devotion is all what God wants. Kannappa, the hunter, illustrated this ideal. He was totally ignorant of Saiva doctrine,

Four Samayacharyas

The prominent Nayanars who were considered as the foremost among the 63 are Appar, Sundarar, Sambandar also known as Thirugnana Sambanthar, and Manikkavasagar. They are the four Grandmasters of the Shaivite Bhakti canon.

Similarly, the Alvars, who were twelve in number, exhibited greatest devotion to Vishnu.

Bhakti renaissance

The Bhakti literature that sprang from these four great Shaiv a saints of Tamilnadu has in no small measure contributed to the establishment and sustenance of a culture that broke away from the ritual-oriented Vedic religion and rooted itself in Devotion as the only path for salvation. Along with the Vaishnava literature of the Divya Prabhandham they helped to make Tamil religious life independent of a knowledge of Sanskrit.

63 Nayanars

• Aanaaya Nayanar.
• Adhipaththa Nayanar.
• Aiyadigal Kaadavarkon Nayanar, Pallava King Aiyadigal Perumaanaar.
• Amarneethi Nayanar.
• Appoodhi Adigal Nayanar.
• Arivaattaaya Nayanar.
• Chandesuvara Nayanar.
• DhandiyadigaL Nayanar.
• Enaathinatha Nayanar.
• Eripaththa Nayanar.
• Eyarkon Kalikkaama Nayanar.
• Gananaatha Nayanar.
• Idankazhi Nayanar.
• Ilaiyaankudimara Nayanar.
• Isaijnaniyaar, Female Nayanmar.
• Iyarpakai Nayanar.
• Kaari Nayanar.
• Kalikkamba Nayanar.
• Kaliya Nayanar.
• Kanampulla Nayanar.
• Kannappa Nayanar.
• Karaikkal Ammaiyaar, Female Nayanmar.
• kazharchinga Nayanar.
• Kazharir-rarivaar Nayanar, Chera King Cheramaan perumaaL.
• Kochchenkat Chola Nayanar, A Chola King.
• Kootrruva Nayanar.
• Kotpuli Nayanar.
• Kulachchirai Nayanar.
• Kungiliyak Kalaya Nayanar.
• Manakkanychaara Nayanar.
• Mangaiyarkkarachiyaar, Female Nayanmar.
• Meypporul Nayanar.
• Moorkha Nayanar.
• Moorthy Nayanar.
• Munaiyaduvaar Nayanar.
• Muruga Nayanar.
• Nami Nandhi Adigal.
• Narasinnga Munaiyaraiya Nayanar.
• Nesa Nayanar.
• Ninra Seer Nedumaara Nayanar.
• Perumizhalaik Kurumba Nayanar.
• Poosalaar Nayanar.
• Pugal Chola Nayanar, A Chola King.
• Pukazth Thunai Nayanar.
• Saakkiya Nayanar.
• Sadaiya Nayanar.
• Saththi Nayanar.
• Seruththunai Nayanar.
• Sirappuli Nayanar.
• Siruththonda Nayanar.
• Somaachi Maarra Nayanar.
• Sundaramoorthy Nayanar,
  
  
  
  Popularly known as Sundarar.
• Thirugnana Sambanthar, Popularly known as Sambanthar.
• Thirukkuripputh Thonda Nayanar.
• Thirumoola Nayanar.
• Thirunaalaippovaar Nayanar, Popularly known as Nandhanaar.
• Thirunavukkarasar, Popularly known as Appar.
• Thiruneelakanda Nayanar.
• Thiruneelakanda Yaazpaana Nayanar.
• Thiruneelanakka Nayanar.
• Uruththira Pachupathi Nayanar.
• Vaayilaar Nayanar.
• Viranminda Nayanar.

Related Links

• South India's 75 Apostles of Bhakti

References and External Links

Cited from Swami Sivananda's Lord Siva and His Worship;