Essay, Biography or Paragraph on “Nayanmars” complete biography for Class 10, Class 12 and Graduation and other classes.

Nayanmars

Nayanmars were the devotees of Siva. They were strong in their conviction that all living beings are the servants of the Lord and that every kind of object is His possession. They were clear in their minds that the `Truth’ could not be otherwise. The word Nayanmars means ‘Leaders’ or ‘Chieftains’. They were raised to this status because of their unswerving allegiance to the Lord. Themselves servants of the Lord or of his servants, they came to be regarded as Lords.

There are three well-known works dealing with the lives of the Nayanmars : Sain Sundarar’s Tiruttondattokai, Nambiyanclar Nambi’s Tiruvandadi and SekkiLir’s Tiruttondar-puranam, popularly known as periya-puranam.

In the Nayanmars we have a remarkable company of men and women. A few are ascetics but most of them are house holders. Differing in age, caste, profession, literary attainment etc. They are united in one common factor – their total devotion to the Lord and/or his devotees. It is remarkable that they allowed nothing to come between them and their devotion. They swept aside all considerations of caste, sex, age or social status. They thought, acted and felt as the servants of the Lord and His devotees. Hence they are not bothered by considerations of  I and Mine.

The Nayanmars were so utterly dedicated to the Lord or His devotees that they had no thought for anything else, least of all, for themselves. In fact, as Manikkavachagar, a great Saivite poet, sings, ‘They seek not lordly life; they seek the company of none except that of devotees, even if they were to lose all worldly prosperity; and they accept stay even in hell, should the Lord will it that way?’ The love they cherish for the Lord gives them complete freedom from fear and inspires them with courage to face any danger. The devotees pray not for gold, wealth and enjoyment but for the Lord’s grace and love and righteousness.

The relationship between two intelligent entities could he one of the following: Master and Servant; Father and Son; Friend and Friend; Teacher and Pupil or Lover and Beloved. But the interesting thing that we find in the lives of Nayanmars is that each one of these promotes close intimacy. The lord is eager to serve His devotees; and so on.

The Nayanmmars are Saivites and the works dealing with their lives are considered a part of Saivite literature. Their lives can be said to illustrate the basic principles of Saiva Siddhanata, especially the course of religious discipline known as charya, Kriya, Yoga and Jnana. Though some of the Nayanmars are considered of the lower stages, a study of their lives reveals that they exemplified those stages for the guidance of aspirants in those stages. Appar is said to have followed dasa marga and exemplified charya, but some of his songs show his mastery of yoga and Jnana. Kannappar, was an illiterate hunter prince, his mode of worship was unconventional but his whole being vibrated with love for the Lord. Manikkavachagar and Adi Sankara have sung his praises. Devotees are praised because they radiate divine light. They ‘Practise the presence of God’ all the time and hence to be in their company is itself spiritually beneficial.

The History of Saivism certainly and the culture of the Tamils possibly would have been very different had it not been for the emergence of the Nayanmars who proclaimed the glory of their faith in God by steadfast devotion to Him and by service to His creatures. The systematisation of Saiva Sadhana followed the period of the Nayanmars and drew its authority from their lives and teachings.