Tevaram
Encyclopedia
The Tevaram denotes the first seven volumes of the Tirumurai
, the twelve-volume collection of Tamil Saivite devotional poetry. All seven volumes are dedicated to the works of the three most prominent Tamil
poets (known as Nayanar
s) - Campantar
(or Sambanthar etc.), Appar and Cuntarar (also Sundarar etc.). Appar and Sambanthar lived around the 7th century, while Sundarar lived in the 8th century. During the Pallava
period these three travelled extensively around Tamil Nadu
offering discourses and songs characterised by an emotional devotion to Shiva
and objections to Vaishnavism
, Jainism
and Buddhism
.
In the tenth Century AD, during the reign
of Rajaraja Chola I
, a collection of these songs was found abandoned in the Chidambaram
temple, along with other religious literary works, and collated by Nambiyandar Nambi
.
All the songs in the Tevaram (called pathikam in Tamil) are believed to be in sets of ten. The hymns were set to music denoted by Pann
s and are part of the canon of the Tamil music
. They continue to be part of temple liturgy today.
Tirumurai
The word Thirumurai literally means the sacred book. It is a compendium of songs or hymns in the praise of Shiva in the Tamil language...
, the twelve-volume collection of Tamil Saivite devotional poetry. All seven volumes are dedicated to the works of the three most prominent Tamil
Tamil language
Tamil is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamil people of the Indian subcontinent. It has official status in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and in the Indian union territory of Pondicherry. Tamil is also an official language of Sri Lanka and Singapore...
poets (known as Nayanar
Nayanar
Nayanar can refer to:*Nayanars, Shaivite saints from Tamil Nadu, India.*Nayanar , an honorific title used by certain clans of Nair caste from the north Malabar region of Kerala, India.*Nayanar, title used by Isai Vellalar of Tamil Nadu...
s) - Campantar
Campantar
Tirugnana Sampantar was a young Saiva poet-saint of Tamil Nadu who lived around the 7th century CE....
(or Sambanthar etc.), Appar and Cuntarar (also Sundarar etc.). Appar and Sambanthar lived around the 7th century, while Sundarar lived in the 8th century. During the Pallava
Pallava
The Pallava dynasty was a Tamil dynasty which ruled the northern Tamil Nadu region and the southern Andhra Pradesh region with their capital at Kanchipuram...
period these three travelled extensively around Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu is one of the 28 states of India. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu lies in the southernmost part of the Indian Peninsula and is bordered by the union territory of Pondicherry, and the states of Kerala, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh...
offering discourses and songs characterised by an emotional devotion to Shiva
Shiva
Shiva is a major Hindu deity, and is the destroyer god or transformer among the Trimurti, the Hindu Trinity of the primary aspects of the divine. God Shiva is a yogi who has notice of everything that happens in the world and is the main aspect of life. Yet one with great power lives a life of a...
and objections to Vaishnavism
Vaishnavism
Vaishnavism is a tradition of Hinduism, distinguished from other schools by its worship of Vishnu, or his associated Avatars such as Rama and Krishna, as the original and supreme God....
, Jainism
Jainism
Jainism is an Indian religion that prescribes a path of non-violence towards all living beings. Its philosophy and practice emphasize the necessity of self-effort to move the soul towards divine consciousness and liberation. Any soul that has conquered its own inner enemies and achieved the state...
and Buddhism
Buddhism
Buddhism is a religion and philosophy encompassing a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices, largely based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as the Buddha . The Buddha lived and taught in the northeastern Indian subcontinent some time between the 6th and 4th...
.
In the tenth Century AD, during the reign
Reign
A reign is the term used to describe the period of a person's or dynasty's occupation of the office of monarch of a nation or of a people . In most hereditary monarchies and some elective monarchies A reign is the term used to describe the period of a person's or dynasty's occupation of the office...
of Rajaraja Chola I
Rajaraja Chola I
Raja Raja Chola I born Arunmozhi Thevar , popularly known as Raja Raja the Great, is one of the greatest emperors of the Tamil Chola Empire of India who ruled between 985 and 1014 CE...
, a collection of these songs was found abandoned in the Chidambaram
Chidambaram
Chidambaram is a fast growing industrial city in Eastern part of Tamil Nadu and the taluk headquarters of the Cuddalore district. It is located in 58 km from Pondicherry, 60 km from Karaikal, and 240 km south of Chennai by rail...
temple, along with other religious literary works, and collated by Nambiyandar Nambi
Nambiyandar Nambi
Tirunarayur Nambiyandar Nambi was an eleventh-century Shaiva scholar of Tamil Nadu in South India who compiled the hymns of Sampantar, Appar and Sundarar and was himself one of the authors of the eleventh volume of the canon of the Tamil liturgical poetry of Shiva, the Tirumurai.Nambiyandar was...
.
All the songs in the Tevaram (called pathikam in Tamil) are believed to be in sets of ten. The hymns were set to music denoted by Pann
Pann
Pann is the melolic mode used by the Tamil people in their music since the ancient times. The ancient panns over centuries evolved first into a pentatonic scale and later into the seven note Carnatic Solfege...
s and are part of the canon of the Tamil music
Ancient Tamil music
The ancient Tamil music is the historical predecessor of the music of Tamil Nadu during the Sangam period, which evolved into classical Carnatic music by the 16th century.Many poems of the classical Sangam literature were set to music...
. They continue to be part of temple liturgy today.
External links
- Similar in both spirit and intonation
- Classical Notes: Musical people
- The Authenticity of Sthala Puranas (HinduDharma: Puranas)
- The poetic charm of Tamizh isai
- Tevaram Songs
- Dharmapuram Adhinam's web site giving the transliteration / translation of the 12 Tirumurais
- Digital Tevaram, an Indology CD released by the French Institute of Pondicherry, has the English translation of all Tevarams (1 to 7 Tirumurais)
- Digital Tevaram compiled by the French Institute of Pondicherry