Talk:The Nāyaṉmār Saints
From Hindupedia, the Hindu Encyclopedia
By Vishal Agarwal
From 500–900 CE, there lived in Tamil Nadu sixty-three saintly bhaktas of Śiva who came to be known as the Nayanmārs. More than a quarter of the Nayanmārs were Śūdras or so-called untouchables, and many of the remaining were Vaiśyas. This fact shows that in Hindu dharm, bhaktas and saints have arisen from all sections of society.
Around 1050 CE, Cekkilar compiled the writings and the biographies of these saints into twelve volumes. In this chapter, we shall study in brief the lives of a few Nayanmār saints.
In the Indian state of Karnataka, Sant Bāsavannā spread devotion to Śiva. One of his greatest disciples was a lady named Akkā Mahādevī, and we will also study her life and teachings.