Bhakti Literature — Study Notes

Overview

Bhakti Literature forms the devotional core of Tamil literary heritage and is a high-scoring topic in TN TET Language I. This movement, spanning roughly the 6th to 9th centuries CE, produced poetry that expressed intense personal devotion to the divine—either Vishnu (Vaishnavism) or Shiva (Shaivism). The compositions of the Alvars and Nayanars transformed Tamil from a classical literary language into a powerful medium of spiritual expression.

For TN TET, you must know the key saints, their works, the compilations (Divya Prabandham and Thirumurai), and the cultural significance of these texts. Questions typically test names, numbers, titles, and the association between poets and their compositions. Periyapuranam, as the hagiography of the 63 Nayanars, also appears frequently.

This topic connects Tamil identity with spirituality and has immense relevance for understanding Tamil Nadu's temple culture, art, and social reform dimensions of the Bhakti movement.

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Key Concepts

• **Bhakti Movement**: A devotional movement emphasizing personal surrender to God, accessible to all regardless of caste or gender. It challenged ritualistic Vedic religion and used vernacular Tamil.

• **Alvars**: Twelve Vaishnava poet-saints who sang in praise of Vishnu and his various forms. Their collective work is called **Nalayira Divya Prabandham** (4000 verses).

• **Nayanars**: Sixty-three Shaiva poet-saints devoted to Lord Shiva. Their hymns are compiled in the **Thirumurai** (twelve books).

• **Divya Prabandham**: The sacred collection of 4000 Tamil verses by the Alvars, compiled by **Nathamuni** in the 10th century. It is considered equivalent to the Vedas in Vaishnavite tradition (hence called "Tamil Veda" or "Dravida Veda").

• **Thirumurai**: The twelve-volume compilation of Shaiva devotional hymns. The first seven books are **Thevaram** (by Sambandar, Appar, Sundarar), the eighth is **Thiruvasakam** (by Manikkavasagar), and the twelfth is **Periyapuranam**.

• **Periyapuranam**: Written by **Sekkizhar** in the 12th century during the reign of Chola king Kulottunga II. It narrates the life stories of all 63 Nayanars and is the twelfth Thirumurai.

• **Social Impact**: Bhakti literature promoted equality, devotion over birth, and Tamil as a sacred language—countering Brahmanical exclusivity and attracting masses to temple-centered worship.

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Formulas / Key Facts

| Category | Details | |----------|---------| | **Alvars** | 12 saints; period: 6th–9th century CE | | **Nayanars** | 63 saints; period: 6th–8th century CE | | **Divya Prabandham** | 4000 verses; compiled by Nathamuni | | **Thirumurai** | 12 books of Shaiva hymns | | **Thevaram** | Books 1–7 of Thirumurai; authors: Sambandar (1–3), Appar (4–6), Sundarar (7) | | **Thiruvasakam** | Book 8; author: Manikkavasagar | | **Periyapuranam** | Book 12; author: Sekkizhar; 4253 verses | | **Female Alvar** | Andal (only woman among the 12 Alvars) | | **Nammalvar** | Greatest of Alvars; authored Thiruvaymozhi (1102 verses) | | **Thiruvaymozhi** | Called "Tamil Veda"; part of Divya Prabandham | | **Kannappa Nayanar** | Famous Nayanar who offered his eyes to Shiva |