Page:Tamil studies.djvu/245

218 Vishnu to be erected all over the land, Small bands of Brahmans from Upper India were induced by Tamil kings to settle here. Endowments of tax-free lands were made for their maintenance and worship in temples.

During this period which lasted for nearly four centuries and a half (from A. D. 500 to A. D. 950) the sixty-three Nayanmars of the Siva sect and the twelve Alvars of the Vaishnavas flourished. Some of these devotees who were also fine Tamil poets visited many of these temples, composer and sang extempore hymns before the deities. Each hymn consists of ten or eleven verses and is supposed to instil piety in the mind of its reader. The prominent poet-saints of the two sects, who have left behind them such hymns, are Tirunavukkarasu, Trignanasambandar and Sundarar, Tirumangaimannan and Nammalvar. Other poetical compositions of a secular and sectarian nature were not wanting. The best of its kind was written by Manikka Vachakar; the other writers were Karaikal Ammai, Kapila Deva, Parana Deva, Nakkira Deva, Cheraman Perumal, Kalladanâr, and Nambiyandar Nambi. It may be remarked here that the sacred literature of the Saivas in Tainil poetry was nearly thrice that of the Vaishnavas, the hymns of Sambandar alone being nearly as voluminous as all the works of the twelve Alvars put together. All these prove the greater popularity of Sivaisin among the Tamil people of South India.