Sundarar: The Nayanar Poet-Saint

Sundarar, also called Nambi Arurar and known in the tradition simply as Sundarar, meaning the beautiful one, is one of the principal Nayanar saints of Tamil Shaivism and one of the three poets whose hymns form the Tevaram. Traditionally placed in the early medieval period, he is closely linked with the great temple town of Tiruvarur and is remembered for a bond of close friendship with Shiva, whom he addressed with a striking warmth and familiarity. His hymns, together with those of Appar and Sambandar, hold a central place in the worship of Shiva and in the broader tradition of Shaivism. Many events of his life are known through tradition, yet his standing among the Nayanars is secure.

Key Takeaways

• Sundarar, also called Nambi Arurar, is one of the principal Nayanar saints of Tamil Shaivism.
• His hymns form one part of the Tevaram, the sacred Tamil hymns of the Nayanars.
• He is closely associated with the great Shiva temple town of Tiruvarur.
• Tradition remembers him for addressing Shiva with the warmth and familiarity of a close friend.
• He is one of the three Tevaram poets, alongside Appar and Sambandar.
• His hymn listing the Nayanar saints is honoured as a foundation of their collective memory.

The sections below explain his life as told by tradition, his friendship with Shiva, his Tevaram hymns and his continuing place in Tamil Shaiva worship.

Quick Facts

Who Was Sundarar?

Sundarar was one of the leading Nayanar saints of Tamil Shaivism, a poet and devotee who sang the praise of Shiva in Tamil and whose hymns form part of the sacred Tevaram. He is remembered for a devotion marked by closeness and a bold, affectionate relationship with the Lord.

His name, Sundarar, means the beautiful one, and he is also called Nambi Arurar after his association with Tiruvarur. Tradition pictures him as a saint who spoke to Shiva almost as a friend speaks to a friend, with trust, feeling and even gentle complaint. Although many episodes of his life come from sacred biography rather than documented record, his hymns survive and reveal a warm and deeply human devotion that has endeared him to generations of worshippers.

What Do the Names Sundarar and Nambi Arurar Mean?

The saint is known by more than one name, which helps readers recognise the same figure across texts and temples. Sundarar, meaning the beautiful one, is the name by which he is most widely known and reflects the tradition of his pleasing appearance and sweet hymns.

Nambi Arurar links him to Tiruvarur, the town with which his memory is closely bound, and he is also called Sundaramurti. In Tamil Shaiva writing and in temple tradition he appears under these names, and keeping them in mind helps a reader follow his story and distinguish him from the other Nayanar poets of the Tevaram. The variety of names is a common feature of the tradition and reflects the honour in which the saints were held.

When and Where Did Sundarar Live?

Sundarar is traditionally placed in the early medieval period, though the exact dates are given differently in various accounts, so it is wise to describe his era in general terms rather than fix a precise year. He lived and travelled in the Tamil country, a land rich in Shiva temples.

His memory is bound above all to Tiruvarur, a famous centre of Shaiva worship, and tradition also links him with other shrines that he is said to have visited and sung of. He is remembered as a saint who journeyed from temple to temple, composing hymns in praise of the Lord. Because his life is handed down chiefly through tradition, careful writers speak of his region and the places of his devotion with confidence while leaving precise chronology open.

Who Were the Nayanars?

The Nayanars were the saints of Tamil Shaivism, traditionally numbered as sixty-three, who expressed devotion to Shiva and helped shape the bhakti movement of southern India. They came from many backgrounds, showing that the worship of Shiva was open to all people.

Their lives and legends were later gathered into a famous collection, and the hymns of three among them, Sundarar, Appar and Sambandar, form the Tevaram. The Nayanars are honoured together in temple shrines and in the devotional life of the Tamil land. Sundarar holds a special place among them, both for his hymns and because tradition credits him with a hymn that names and honours the other saints, helping to shape the memory of the whole group.

Why Is Sundarar Counted Among the Tevaram Poets?

Sundarar is counted among the three Tevaram poets because a large body of hymns in praise of Shiva is attributed to him, placing him alongside Appar and Sambandar as a chief singer of the tradition. These three poets’ hymns together make up the Tevaram.

His portion of the collection is distinguished by its intimate and confident tone, in which the saint addresses the Lord with the ease of close friendship. The tradition values his hymns both for their devotion and for their poetic grace. His inclusion among the leading Nayanars rests on this body of song and on the example of his life. His verses continue to be recited in temple worship, keeping his voice alive within the living tradition of Tamil Shaivism.

Why Is Sundarar Called the Friend of Shiva?

Sundarar is often called the friend of Shiva because tradition remembers him for addressing the Lord with a remarkable warmth and familiarity, speaking to him as a trusted companion rather than only as a distant deity. This bold intimacy is a defining feature of his devotion.

His hymns are said to carry a tone of frankness, affection and even gentle reproach, as one might use with a close friend who is also deeply loved. The tradition cherishes this relationship as an image of the nearness that devotion can bring between the soul and God. Rather than diminishing reverence, this closeness is understood to express a deep trust in the Lord’s love, and it gives Sundarar’s poetry a distinctive and much-loved character.

What Is the Tevaram?

The Tevaram is the great body of Tamil Shaiva devotional hymns composed by three of the Nayanar saints, Sundarar, Appar and Sambandar, and it holds a central place in the worship of Shiva in the Tamil land. The hymns praise Shiva at the many temples the saints visited.

Arranged into several books, the Tevaram forms part of a larger Shaiva canon of sacred Tamil texts. Its verses are sung in temples by trained singers and are learned by devotees across generations. Sundarar’s portion of the Tevaram is marked by its warm and familiar tone. The collection as a whole is both a treasury of Tamil poetry and a living part of worship, linking the saints of long ago with the devotion of the present day.

What Are the Themes of Sundarar's Hymns?

Sundarar’s hymns are marked by a close and affectionate devotion to Shiva, in which the saint praises the Lord at his many shrines and speaks to him with the trust of a friend. The tone is warm, personal and often direct, reflecting a bond of deep feeling.

He sings of Shiva’s grace, of the beauty of the temples and of his own need for the Lord’s help, sometimes with a frankness that is unusual and much admired. His verses celebrate the presence of God in the sacred places of the Tamil land and call on devotees to seek refuge in him. For worshippers these hymns are both beautiful poetry and a guide to a devotion that is intimate, trusting and full of love for the Lord.

What Role Does Tiruvarur Play in Sundarar's Story?

Tiruvarur plays a central part in the story of Sundarar, for the great Shiva temple town is the place with which his memory is most closely bound, so much so that he is called Nambi Arurar after it. The town is one of the foremost centres of Tamil Shaiva worship.

The temple at Tiruvarur, dedicated to a form of Shiva, is counted among the most sacred sites of the tradition and is connected with several Nayanar saints. Sundarar’s hymns celebrate the Lord present there and at other shrines, and his association with the town has made it a special place of pilgrimage for devotees who honour his memory. Tiruvarur remains a living centre of Shaiva devotion and of the saint’s enduring legacy.

What Is Sundarar's Hymn on the Nayanar Saints?

Sundarar is traditionally credited with a famous hymn that names and honours the other Nayanar saints, offering his salutations to the devotees of Shiva who had gone before and around him. This hymn holds a special place in the memory of the tradition.

By listing the saints, the hymn became a foundation for the later gathering of their lives into a single sacred collection, and it expresses Sundarar’s humility in placing himself among the servants of the Lord. The tradition values it as both a devotional work and a record of the community of saints. Through this hymn Sundarar helped to shape the collective memory of the Nayanars, binding the individual devotees into a single honoured fellowship of Shaiva devotion.

How Was Sundarar Linked to Other Nayanar Saints?

Sundarar was linked to the wider circle of Nayanar saints both through his hymn in their honour and through the shared devotion that united the tradition. He is remembered as one of the three Tevaram poets, alongside the older saints Appar and Sambandar.

While each of the three is remembered as a distinct voice, with Appar known for humility, Sambandar for his gifts and Sundarar for his intimacy with the Lord, together they form the heart of Tamil Shaiva hymnody. Sundarar’s acknowledgement of the other saints shows the spirit of fellowship within the tradition. The bonds among the Nayanars, whether of friendship or of reverence across generations, are a cherished feature of their sacred biography.

How Is Sundarar Depicted in Art?

Sundarar is depicted in Tamil art, especially in bronze and stone, as a graceful and youthful devotee, often shown in an attitude of worship, in keeping with his name, which means the beautiful one. His images are found in many Shiva temples alongside those of the other saints.

The figure of Sundarar, together with the other Nayanars, is honoured in temple shrines where devotees pay their respects. The art expresses his devotion and his pleasing presence rather than any worldly rank. Such representations help worshippers remember the saints as living models of the devotional life. The care given to Sundarar in sacred art reflects the deep reverence in which he is held across the tradition of Tamil Shaivism.

How Do the Nayanars Compare With the Alvars?

The Nayanars, including Sundarar, are the Shaiva counterparts of the Alvars, who were the poet-saints of Tamil Vaishnavism, and the two groups together shaped the great bhakti movement of the Tamil land. Both sang in Tamil and expressed intense personal love for God.

Where the Nayanars sang the praise of Shiva, the Alvars sang the praise of Vishnu, yet the two movements shared a common devotional spirit and a common language of feeling. Comparing them helps readers see how the bhakti path flowered across different traditions in the same region and age. Sundarar stands within this wider flowering as one of the leading voices of Shaiva devotion, whose intimate hymns continue to move worshippers today.

Why Does Sundarar Still Matter Today?

Sundarar still matters today because his hymns remain central to Tamil Shaiva worship and because his devotion offers a lasting model of nearness to God. His verses are sung in temples and treasured as both poetry and prayer.

His bold and affectionate relationship with the Lord speaks to devotees who seek a personal and trusting faith, while his hymn in honour of the saints continues to shape the memory of the Nayanars. Scholars value his poetry as a landmark of Tamil literature, while worshippers find in it a guide to intimate devotion. Careful readers honour the context of his tradition and treat the sacred stories of his life as devotional belief, while recognising the enduring beauty of his hymns.

Sundarar Today

Sundarar today is remembered as one of the three Tevaram poets and one of the principal Nayanar saints of Tamil Shaivism, honoured at Tiruvarur and in temples across the Tamil country. His hymns continue to form part of the living worship of Shiva.

Through his poetry he gave the tradition a voice of warm and trusting intimacy, and through his hymn in honour of the saints he helped to bind their memory together. Many details of his story are tradition, yet the survival and use of his hymns give a clear and constant portrait of a devoted and affectionate saint. His legacy endures as a reminder that love, trust and closeness to God lie at the heart of the Shaiva devotional path.

Sources & Further Reading

• Ministry of Culture, Government of India (indiaculture.gov.in).
• Sahitya Akademi general references on Tamil devotional literature.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who was Sundarar?

Sundarar, also called Nambi Arurar, was one of the principal Nayanar saints of Tamil Shaivism and one of the three poets whose hymns form the Tevaram. He is remembered for his close and affectionate devotion to Shiva.

Why is Sundarar called the friend of Shiva?

Sundarar is called the friend of Shiva because tradition remembers him for addressing the Lord with great warmth and familiarity, as a trusted companion. This bold intimacy is a defining feature of his hymns.

What is the Tevaram?

The Tevaram is the great body of Tamil Shaiva devotional hymns composed by three Nayanar saints, Sundarar, Appar and Sambandar. It holds a central place in the worship of Shiva and is sung in temples to this day.

Why is Sundarar linked with Tiruvarur?

Sundarar is linked with Tiruvarur, a great Shiva temple town, so closely that he is called Nambi Arurar after it. The town is one of the foremost centres of Tamil Shaiva worship and of his memory.

What is Sundarar's hymn on the saints?

Sundarar is traditionally credited with a famous hymn that names and honours the other Nayanar saints. It became a foundation for the later gathering of their lives into a single sacred collection.

Who were the Nayanars?

The Nayanars were the saints of Tamil Shaivism, traditionally numbered as sixty-three, who expressed devotion to Shiva and helped shape the bhakti movement. Sundarar is counted among the three who composed the Tevaram.