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In the end he died in Bhinnam la by observing the rituals of pious death (samllemkhan and samth r ).
Life sketches of the great aiva saints Tiru J nasambandhara and Tiru Appara
The names of Tiru J nasambandhara and Tiru Appara stand foremost amongst those who revived and re-established the aiva religion in southern India. Like they were the foremost saints for the revival and reestablishment of aiva religion in southern India, they are also considered as the foremost destroyers and fountainhead of the destruction of Jainism in southern India.
J
nasambandhara
had been addressed as J nasambandhara, M rtin yan ra and J nasambandhara in aiva literature. His name i.e. as Pillai Nayan ra is also found in the literature. Pillai N yan ra was born in a Brahmin family of village iy 1 in district Tanjaura.
To afflict mass conversion of Jains to aiva religion and to have mass killing of Jain monks in Madur, he used to roam everywhere singing his poems to try and instigate hatred for Jainism and Buddhism amongst people.
Both Tiru J nasambandhara and Tiru Appara were contemporaries. Combined efforts of these saints resulted in mass preaching of aiva religion in Tamilnadu. Tiru Appara, in the last part of his death and prior to his death gave up aiva religion and adopted Jainism again. He was the religious teacher of Pallavar ja Mahendra Varman-I, contemporary of Sundara Pandya. Prominent historian Dr A. Neelakamtha str estimates the time of Pallavar ja Mahendra Varman-I as 600-630AD. This by itself proves the time of J nasambandhara as first half of 7th century AD.
Life sketch of saint Tiru Appara
Being a follower of Jainism in his youth and as a c rya of an important Jain ma ha, he became a aiva saint. Tiru Appara then became instrumental by undertaking several activities in destroying the prevailing mass influence of Jainism in Tamilnadu and replacing the same with aiva religion. Forever, his name will be mentioned with
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