Sundarar

Sundarar is referred to by many names. Sundarar (Chuntarar) means "the lovely, handsome one".[4][6] He was adopted by regional feudatory dedicated to Shiva, and that brought the name "Aruran".[4] Peers and the generations that followed him called him "Tampiran Tolan", which means "intimate companion, dedicated friend of the lord [Shiva]".[6]

Family of Sundarar (l->r): Sadaya Nayanar (father), Isaignaniyar (mother), Paravai Nachiyar (wife), Sundarar, Sangili Nachiyar (wife), Narasinga Muniyaraiyar (foster-father).

The Tevaram hymns compositions of Sundarar are a source of biographical information about him, as are the hagiographic texts written about him few centuries after he died.[4] Sundarar was born in Tirunavalur in a Shaiva Brahmin family to Sadaiya Nayanar and Isaignaniyar towards the end of the 7th century.[5] He was adopted by the Narasinga Munaiaraiyar Kashatriya family, a Pallava feudatory (Thirumunaipadi-Nadu, an adoption that gave him a luxurious childhood.[4]

Sundarar is unique among the Nayanars in that both of his birth parents are also recognized as Nayanars (poet-saints of Tamil Shaivism). They were temple priests and accepted the adoption request of the local feudatory. Once he came of age, his adopted family arranged his marriage. However, as the wedding party approached the local Shiva temple, states the traditional legend, an old man mysteriously appears and produces a palm leaf document. The document stated that Sundarar was bonded to serve him, the old man, his master. A court of elders then reviews the document and finds it authentic, demands Sundarar to serve the petitioner, who then mysteriously vanishes in the Shiva shrine. Sundarar views this as a command to cancel the wedding and serve Shiva in the Tiruvarur temple.[7][8]

Sundarar began his first poem (Tevaram VII.1.1) by addressing Shiva as Pittaa pirai chudi.. meaning O mad man..:[8][9][10]

Sundarar (left) with Paravayar (Paravai Nachiyar).

In the next stage of his life, Sundarar moved around Tamil Nadu, visiting Shiva Temples of Tamil Nadu. In Tiruvarur, he fell in love with a temple dancer named Paravayar, and married her.[3] After few years of married life, Sundarar visits the Siva temple in Thiruvottriyur, a sea-side suburb of Madras. There he meets and is enamoured by a peasant Vellala girl Cankali.[5] With the help of Shiva, this leads to Sundarar's second marriage, but only after his wedding vows include the promise of never leaving Cankali and Thiruvottriyur.[7] After marrying his second wife, Sundarar misses his first wife Paravai. He does not keep his word, and leaves for Tiruvarur. The broken vow causes him to go blind before he reaches Tiruvarur. His suffering thereafter are part of several Tevaram hymns.[12] As a blind man, he visits many Shiva shrines and sings there. Slowly in stages, he becomes closer to Shiva and recovers his sight.[13]

Scene of boy coming back to life from crocodile after Sundarar sings hymn—Wooden sculpture.

Another legends states that Cheraman Perumal – the king of the region now known as Kerala, heard of him and came to Tiruvarur. Both embarked on a pilgrimage together. He died during this pilgrimage.[14] Zvelebil estimates that Sundarar died about 730 CE.[5]

In his later hymns, he presents his spiritual discussions with Shiva on how to achieve both spiritual succor and material wealth in life. He seeks the latter to provide for his family and to pay for the charitable temple kitchen that fed hundreds of Shaiva pilgrims. Shiva becomes his patron king, grants him grain, gold and a flashing sword. This is embedded symbolism to inspire regional kings and wealthy patrons to support the spiritual and charitable works at Shiva temples.[15]

Om symbol Tirumurai Om symbol in Tamil
The twelve volumes of Tamil Śaiva hymns of the sixty-three Nayanars
Parts	Name	Author
1,2,3	Thirukadaikkappu	Sambandar
4,5,6	Thevaram	Thirunavukkarasar
7	Thirupaatu	Sundarar
8	Thiruvasakam & Thirukkovaiyar	Manickavasagar
9	Thiruvisaippa & Tiruppallaandu	Various
10	Thirumandhiram	Thirumular
11	Various
12	Periya Puranam	Sekkizhar
Paadal Petra Sthalam
Paadal Petra Sthalam
Rajaraja I
Nambiyandar Nambi

Like the Tevaram trio, Sundarar's hymns were passed on through the oral tradition for a few centuries. Sometime around 1000 CE, Raja Raja Chola I (985-1013 CE) heard short excerpts of Shiva hymns in his court. He then embarked on a mission to recover the hymns.[16] He sought the help of Nambiyandar Nambi, who was a priest in a Ganesha temple.[16][17]

Nambi, states the tradition, prayed before Ganesha for success in finding the manuscripts. Nambi found the scripts in the form of cadijam leaves half eaten by white ants in a chamber inside the second precinct in Thillai Nataraja Temple, Chidambaram. Tradition attributes this discovery to Shiva's intervention.[16][17] The temple priests of Chidambaram refused to let Nampi and king to take the manuscript from the temple. They said that their temple rules demand that this can only happen if the Tevaram trio come to the temple. The king then had stone idols of the three poet-saints built and brought them to the temple in royal procession. Once the Tevaram trio images were consecrated, the temple priests allowed Nambi to take the manuscript for his studies and compilation.[16][18] This, states Vasu, began the tradition of placing Nayanar statues in large Tamil Shiva temples.[18]

Nambi arranged the hymns of three saint poets Sambandar, Appar and Sundarar as the first seven books.[19] Sundarar's composition is compiled in the seventh volume of the Tevaram. It consists of 100 hymns, consisting of 1026 stanzas.[5]

Sundarar compositions have a signature last stanza, where he links his hymns to Shiva, the Vedas or a temple location, and the benefits of reciting or listening to that hymns.[20] For example, at the end of hymn VII.54:[21]

Sundarar shared the same respect as Sambandar and Appar for the Vedas. Together, they connected the Vedic ritual to the temple Agamic puja that is ever since followed in Shiva temples.[22][23] According to John Cort – a scholar of Jainism and Hinduism studies, the Agamic temple rituals perpetuate the Vedic practices. The efforts of the Tevaram trio and other Nayanars helped transform this "as the central element of the Saiva Siddhanta philosophical and theological system, and thus of Tamil Saiva soteriology", states Cort, by emphasizing the instrumentality and efficacy of the temple and its rituals. According to the Nayanars, the Vedic and the Agamic overlap, are alternate roads to the same spiritual end, both evoke a transformation in the devotee, with the difference that temple-based Saiva puja alone is emphasized.[23]

The Shiva temple-centered community tradition has thrived among Tamils since the times of Sambandar, Appar and Sundarar. Odhuvars, Sthanikars, or Kattalaiyars offer musical programmes in Shiva temples of Tamil Nadu by singing Tevaram after the daily rituals.[24] These are usually carried out as chorus programme soon after the divine offering. The singing of Tevaram was followed by musicals from the music pillars in such temples like Madurai Meenakshi Amman Temple, Nellaiappar Temple and Suchindram.[25] The singers of these hymns were referred as Tirupadiyam Vinnapam seyvar or Pidarar, from the inscriptions of Nandivarman III in the Tiruvallam Bilavaneswara temple records. Rajaraja deputed 48 pidarars and made liberal provisions for their maintenance and successors.[18]

Temple traditions

Sundarar's pilgrimage to Shiva temples and his efforts helped expand the Shaiva sacred geography in Tamil Nadu. Like Sambandar and Appar, Sundarar's hymns have been helpful in identifying and dating many of the old Shiva temples found in Tamil Nadu. These have been helpful to art historians, and for architectural, archaeological and religious studies.[29]

List of temples associated with Sundarar

Name of the temple Location Number of verses Photo Agatheeswarar Temple Purisai 63 Kripapureeswarar Temple Thiruvennainallur 10 Parangirinathar Temple Tirupparankunram 10 Turaiyurppesurar Temple Thirunelvayil Arathurai 10 Mahadeva Temple Thiruvanchikulam, Kerala 10 Thiruonakathan Thali Kanchipuram 11 Swetharanyeswarar Temple Thiruvenkadu 10 Thiruethikolpadi Temple Thiruethikolpadi 11 Thyagarajar Temple Tiruvarur 63 Swarnapuresar Temple Trikaduvaikarai Putur 11 Thiruanegathangavatham Kanchipuram 11 Thirupoovanam Thirupoovanam 8 Thirunatuthogai Thirunatuthogai 11 Thiruthuraiyur Thiruthuraiyur 11 Thirupachilasiramam Thirupachilasiramam 12 Thirunatiyathangudi Thirunatiyathangudi 10 Amirdhakalayeswarar Temple Saakkottai 11 Tirunaavaleswarar Temple Thirunavalur 11 Thiruvelvikudi Temple Thiruvelvikudi 10 Thirunindriyur Temple Thirunindriyur 18 Kolilinathar Temple Thirukkuvalai 10 Metraleeswar Temple Kanchipuram 10 Thirumazhamannipadikarai Thirumazhamannipadikarai 10 Thirukazhipalai Thirukazhipalai 10 Vajranadeswara Temple Thirumazhapadi 10 Thirumuthukundram Thirumuthukundram 21 Srikalahasti Temple Srikalahasti 10 Uyyakondan Thirumalai Temple Tiruchirapalli 10 Amirtagateswarar Temple Thirukkadaiyur 10 Thirukarugavoor Thirukarugavoor 10 Thirukarupariyaloor Thirukarupariyaloor 11 Thiruidaiyatruthogai Thiruidaiyatruthogai 10 Thirukodikuzhagar Kodikkarai 10 Agnipureeswarar Temple Tirupugalur 11 Sakshinatheswarar Temple Thiruppurambiyam 10 Neelivaneswarar Temple Thirupanjeeli 11 Thiruvathigai Veeratanam Thiruvatigai 10 Thiruthondathogai Thiruthondathogai 11 Thirukanatumullur Thirukanatumullur 11 Thirukachoor Thirukachoor 10 VenjamakoodalThiruvenjamakoodal Thiruvenjamakoodal 10 Muthupathugangai Muthupathugangai 10 Thiruamathur Thiruamathur 11 Kayarohanaswami Temple Nagapattinam 11 Oorthogai Oorthogai 10 Thirupandikodumudi Thirupandikodumudi 10 Thirumuruganatheeswar Temple Thirumuruganpoondi 10 Thiruppunavasal Temple Thiruppunavasal 10 Thiruvalangadu Thirvalangadu 10 Thirukadaiyur Mayanam Thirukkadaiyur 10 Thyagaraja Temple Tiruvottiyur 20 Sivalokanathar Temple Thirupungur 10 Thiruneedur Thiruneedur 11 Thiruvazhkolliputhur Thiruvazhkolliputhur 13 Thirukazhumalam Thirukazhumalam 10 Mahalingeswarar Temple Thiruvidaimarudur 10 Thiruvegambam Thiruvegambam 11 Thirukolakka Thirukolakka 10 Thiruthinainagar Thiruthinainagar 10 Masilamaiyisar Temple Thiruvaduthurai 15 Thiruvalivalam Thiruvalivalam 11 Tirunallar Saniswaran Temple Tirunallar 10 Masilamaniswara Temple Thirumullaivoyal 11 Vedaranyeswarar Temple Vedaranyam 10 Thiruvalampuram Thiruvalampuram 11 Thiruthuruthi Thiruthuruthi 5 Thiruvelvikudi Thiruvelvikudi 5 Jambukeswarar Temple Thiruvanaikaval 10 Vanchinadha Swamy Temple Srivanchiyam 10 Aiyarappar temple Tiruvaiyaru 11 Kedarnath Temple Kedarnath 10 Thiruparupatham Thiruparupatham 10 Thiruketheeswaram Thiruketheeswaram 10 Vedagiriswarar temple Thirukazhukundram 10 Thiruchuzial 10 Thirukanapper 10 Narthana Vallabeswarar temple Thirukoodalaiyathur 10 130px|center Thiruparthaanpanankattur 10 Soundareswararswamy Temple Thirupanaiyur 10 Veezhinathar Temple Thiruveezhimizhalai 10 Thiruvenpakkam 11 Thillai Nataraja Temple Chidambaram 10 Thirupukoliyur Avinasi Avinasilingeswarar temple, Avinasi 10 Sundareswarar Temple Thirunaraiyur Chitteswaram 10 Odhanavaneswarar Temple Tiruchotruturai 10 Thyagarajar Paravaiyundamandali Temple Tiruvarur 10 Thirunanipalli 10 Prakasheswarar Temple Nannilam 11 Naganatha Swamy Temple Tirunageswaram 11 Thirunodithan Malai Tiruvadhigai Veerataanam Temple Tiruvadhigai Manikkamenivaradhar Temple Thirumaandakuzhi Brahmapuresar Temple Sirkali Saptapreswarar Temple Tirukolaka Sivaloganathar Temple Tirupungur Mayuranathar Temple Mayiladuthurai Tiruvambar Maakaalam Temple Tiruvambar (Ambal) Agnipuriswarar Temple Tirupugalur Karinateswarar Temple Tirunatiyathankudi Manatunainatar temple Tiruvalivalam Padikasu Nathar Temple Arisirkarai Putur Sivagurunathaswamy Temple Sivapuram Adi Kumbeswarar Temple Kumbakonam Kabardeeshwarar Temple Thiruvalanchuzhi Kalyanasundaresar Temple Tirunallur Virataneswarar Temple Tirukkandiyur Pushpavananadheswarar Temple Tirupundhuruti Atmanadeswarar Temple Tiruvalamposil

• Shaiva Saint Sundarar, Norton Simon Museum
• Saint Sundarar with wife Paravai, Smithsonian