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Tevaram

Tevaram, also spelled Tevāram, is a collection of Tamil devotional hymns in praise of Lord Shiva. It is the core of the Tamil Saiva canon and forms the first seven books of the Tirumurai, the sacred Tamil Shaiva scriptures. The hymns were composed by three Tamil Shaiva saints—Sambandar, Appar (Tirunavukkarasar), and Sundarar—between the 7th and 9th centuries CE. The compilation and arrangement of these works into a canonical sequence were undertaken by the medieval scholar Nambiyandar Nambi in the 11th or 12th century, who organized the poems into the Tirumurai’s early sections.

The Tevaram hymns are predominantly in praise of Shiva as the supreme deity, described in devotional terms.

Influence: The Tevaram helped establish the Tamil Shaiva movement and the broader medieval Tamil literary tradition,

They
are
known
for
their
vivid
descriptions
of
temples
and
sacred
geography,
and
for
their
role
in
shaping
Tamil
bhakti
poetry
and
temple
worship.
A
significant
legacy
of
the
Tevaram
is
the
list
of
temple
sites
known
as
Padal
Petra
Sthalangal,
temples
that
are
cited
in
the
hymns.
Roughly
275
temples
across
Tamil
Nadu
and
beyond
are
traditionally
counted
among
these
sacred
sites,
forming
a
central
axis
of
Shaiva
worship
and
pilgrimage.
and
it
continues
to
be
read
and
performed
in
temple
rituals
and
religious
gatherings.
It
is
part
of
the
Tirumurai,
a
multi-volume
canon
of
Shaiva
scriptures.