________________
period
literature.
60 NAYANARS AND ALVARS. Brahminical religion looked forward eagerly to the day, when their religious leaders would be able to bring erring monarchs round to the true path of Dharmď and thus wipe the Nigranthas
out of the Tamt. country. The Hymnal With the rise of Saiva temples in South India in Tamil (5th century A.D.) there came into existence
a kind of Saiva religious literature 'in Tamil, mainly consisting of hymns in praise of the various local shrines. Each hymn is made up of ten or eleven stanzas in what is knowli' as Asiriyam metre, a composition peculiar to the early hymnologists. These hymns celebrate the miraculous deeds and sports of Siria. The superiority of Siva over the other Indian Gods is sought to be established therein. The importance of these hymns and their great superiority over the secular literature have been set forth by Umāpati Siva Chārya (1320 A.D.) in the followintg verse: -.“ Lo! They cannot be consumed by fire, will go up the current, vivify even bones, take out poison, subdue the elephant, make the stone float, and make the crocodile vomit the child it devoured.” By the time of Rāja Rāja Chola (984-1013 A.D.) the Saiva religious literature became so enormous and scattered that it was deemed urgently necessary to collect and arrange it. This importante task was•entrusted to Nambiāndār Nambi (975-1035 A.D.) & Gurukkal or Audisaiva Brahmin of Tirunaraiyur in South Arcot District. He collected and edited all the Saiva works into eleven Tirumurais or
