[Fegasderty]

Must have lived during the early years of the seventh century AD That Sambandar is a contemporary of Appar and Siruttondar, otherwise known as Parañjotiyar, is evident from the legend in the Periyapuranam. We know Paranjötiyar was the Commander-in-chief of the Pallava King Narasimha Varnian I who distinguished himself against the Chãlukyas. According to inscriptional evidence, Narasimhavarman I succeeded Mãhêndravarman I in A.D. 630 and continued his rule to A.D. 660. Thus the age of Sambandar must be looked for sometime in the middle of the seventh century A.D.


The town of Siyãli in Tanjore District is recorded by tradition as a Noah's Ark. When the whole world was submerged under a great deluge, this was the only spot which was not affected by the waters of the flood. Hence its well-known name Tonipuram (literally Boat city). Besides, other names are given to the same city. In this ancient town of Sivãli was born Tirugna-sambandar. He was a Brahmin by caste. When he was three years old, his father took him to the temple tank, placed him on the bank and went for a bath. Perhaps feeling lonely the child cried ‘mama’, ‘ papa’, when Lord Siva and His Consort appeared before him and consoled him, Pärvati giving him milk of wisdom. When his parent saw him thus drinking milk out of a golden bowl and questioned the child as to who gave it to him, the boy pointed to the distant temple, and sang in praise of the Lord.

Thenceforward he became a great and devout bhakta. It was the desire of the youngster to visit places sacred to the Lord Siva. His father yielded to his wishes and took him from one place to the other always carrying him on his shoulder. As befits a dvija, his upanayanam ceremony was performed. He then visited many a place of pilgrimage and established his reputation by miracles. In the course of his religious tour, he met Appar at Tiruvilimilalai near Mãyavaram and helped to relieve the famine stricken people there. Both Swãmijis then proceeded to Vedãranyam where an invitation came to them from the Pãndyan Queen and Minister to visit their capital Madura, especially as the king was under the influence of the Samanas. Leaving Appar at Vëdãranyam, Sambandar repaired to Madura. With the connivance of the King, the Samanas set fire to the residence of Sambandar with no effect. When this was brought to the notice of the Swãmiji, he cursed the Pãndyan King to be attacked with burning fever. The Samanas tried all their resources to effect a cure, but with no success. At last the king prayed to Sambandar to relieve him of his fell disease, which he immediately did. Then an assembly by both Saivas and Samnas was convened to establish the superiority of either sect. After a number of tests in which the Samanas had an inglorious defeat, Saivism was accepted as the true religion by the king.

After this, Sambandar set out on pilgrimage and visited many places preaching and singing and working miracles until he came back to his native home. There he responded to the wishes of his father and consented to get himself married in the old Vedic style. But at the very early age of sixteen the revered Swãmiji became one with the Holy of Holies. This ãcãrya is generally taken to have flourished in the first half of the seventh century. To the same period belongs Appar Swamigal who was a contemporary of Sambandar. While the latter’s collection of hymns forms the first three Holy books (Tirumurai), Appar’s are the next three Holy books of the Thevaram.

Sambandar praises the little town of Tönipuram by twelve different names. For every name he sings one stanza, each one of these stanzas consisting of the same lines repeated four times. The ordinary reader who sees only the surface is apt to think that this repetition is but for the sake of greater emphasis and nothing more. But it should be understood that the whole thing is pitched in a high key and the repetition has a mystic force and hidden meaning and produces a wonderfully powerful effect.

The four lines of each stanza which admit of different interpretations would not produce the intended effect, namely, to bring out the full force and significance, if rendered in any other medium than the ancient Tamil language, and hence would not be of much interest to the common reader. Under these circumstances we refrain from any elaborate exposition of these stanzas. But it may be noted here that the language is mystic or as stated at the outset, mysticism here is of the formal kind.