Today is the last day of the last month (फल्गुण मास, पङ्गुणि) of the तमिऴ् calendar for स्मार्त-s & शैव-s. What is the significance of the last day of the year from a शैव perspective? Now, some of you may know the 63 नायन्मार्, the 63 saints of शिव in the तमिऴ्-शैव tradition.

The 63 are known as “तनि-अडियार्” or “individual servitors”. These 63 are individuals who were born at a particular place at a particular time. Their names are all clearly known. The 63 is a fixed set of individuals. It does not change. Nobody can add to the 63.

Now, each of these 63 शिवभक्त-s has a date for their respective गुरुपूजा, which is the day a particular नक्षत्र falls within a particular month of the तमिऴ् calendar for each of the 63. This is traditionally believed to be the day that individual नायनार् attained शिवपद.

The purpose of the गुरुपूजा is to remember that particular शिवभक्त & pay one’s heartfelt respects to them. But, what about worthy शिवभक्त-s, who are before the time of the 63 or after, including even today. Do we commemorate them as well? If so, when?

Besides the 63 individuals, we also have 9 distinct groups of शिवभक्त-s, who are known as “तॊगै-अडियार्”, the “grouped devotees”. Unlike the individuals who took birth & left at particular intervals, the groups remain in this world. Even now.

Now, 8 of the 9 groups are honored today. Who are they?

1. पॊय्यडिमैयिल्लाद-पुलवर्
2. भक्तराय्प्-पणिवार्
3. परमनैयेप्-पाडुवार्
4. चित्तत्तै-शिवन्पाले-वैत्तार्
5. तिरुवारूर्प्-पिऱन्दार्
6. मुप्पोदुम-तिरुमेनि-तीण्डुवार्
7. मुऴुनीऱु-पूसिय-मुनिवर्
8. अप्पालुम्-अडि-चार्न्दार्

पॊय्यडिमैयिल्लाद-पुलवर् - The scholars without false servitorship
नम्बियाण्डार् नम्बि informs us that these scholars belonged to a special तमिऴ्-सङ्घम् (an assembly of the very finest तमिऴ् scholars) consisting of कपिलर्, नक्कीरर् & परणर्, as well as 49 other scholars.+

What was special about them? While previous such assemblies convened by kings focused on the worldly imperatives of अऱम्, पॊरुळ् & इन्बम् (धर्म​, अर्थ & काम​), this assembly focused solely on वीडु (मोक्ष​) & studied the treatises concerning the attainment of शिव​'s grace.+

कपिलर्, नक्कीरर् & परणर् are 3 of the several authors of the 11th book of the तिरुमुऱै collection, which is the तमिऴ् शैव​ canon. You can read their sacred verses here: http://thevaaram.org/en/thirumurai_1/songview.php?thiru=11&Song_idField=11001&padhi=001

These & the 49 other scholars; their scholarship was in the service of what they realized to be permanent & true. Thus, they are the scholars whose erudition was without false servitorship.

Let us remember these great scholarly शिवभक्त​-s today with this verse of नक्कीरर्- http://thevaaram.org/en/thirumurai_1/songview.php?thiru=11&Song_idField=11009&padhi=040&button=Please+go
"Word & meaning are wick & ghee; with the good lamp of my tongue, I light this verse for the one on कैलाश​ with a woman as a portion [of his body].

Image Source: http://panniruthirumurai.org/books/11ththirumurai4/11ththirumurai4-1.pdf (Page 220)

Tamizh-reading dhArmikas, Please visit their site: http://panniruthirumurai.org 

भक्तराय्प्-पणिवार् - They who will serve as devotees
They know only two things:
1. भक्ति to शिव
2. भक्ति to शिवभक्त​-s
Their लक्षण​-s are beautifully described by सेक्किऴार्, the author of the 12th & final book of the तिरुमुऱै canon, which chronicles the glories of the 63 & 9.

http://thevaaram.org/en/thirumurai_1/songview.php?thiru=12&Song_idField=1258&padhi=72&startLimit=1&limitPerPage=1&sortBy=&sortOrder=DESC
Whenever they see one with love for शिव​ (a शिवभक्त​), they are shy due to humility. But they also feel sheer joy of being in a शिवभक्त's presence. They go after शिवभक्त-s like calves their mothers, speaking words with humility & sweetness.

http://thevaaram.org/en/thirumurai_1/songview.php?thiru=12&Song_idField=1258&padhi=72&startLimit=2&limitPerPage=1&sortBy=&sortOrder=DESC Wherever & whoever performs शिवपूजा-s, these शिवभक्त​-s go there (as beautifully illustrated above). What happens as a result?

When the भावन (the devoted state of mind)​ & दृष्टि (the look) of those assembled there (the worshiper & others gathered there to watch) falls upon them, they receive such फल​-s that they reach a station that is higher than the highest.

http://thevaaram.org/en/thirumurai_1/songview.php?thiru=12&Song_idField=1258&padhi=72&startLimit=3&limitPerPage=1&sortBy=&sortOrder=DESC

Have you seen a pot of milk boiling & frothing at the top, ready to spill? Imagine if this pot of milk was inexhaustible. With an insatiable love that spills over like the pot of boiling milk, these शिवभक्त​-s serve शिव & his servitors.

This is their तपस्, that makes them attain the feet of शिव​, which is rare for even कमलासन & शेषशायी to attain.

http://thevaaram.org/en/thirumurai_1/songview.php?thiru=12&Song_idField=1258&padhi=72&startLimit=4&limitPerPage=1&sortBy=&sortOrder=DESC

"Whatever deeds I do with this body, may they reach the feet of the god who has the bull-banner (वृषभध्वज​)", with such a thought they perform all the services to the god who sports a white ear-ring. They never enter a womb again; these peerless ones.

http://thevaaram.org/en/thirumurai_1/songview.php?thiru=12&Song_idField=1258&padhi=72&startLimit=5&limitPerPage=1&sortBy=&sortOrder=DESC

They listen only to stories pertaining to शंकर​ & due to their love for महादेव​ that others cannot understand, the god who sports the गंगा, अर्धचन्द्र & the स्वर्णद्रु flowers, they reach the his flowery feet.

http://thevaaram.org/en/thirumurai_1/songview.php?thiru=12&Song_idField=1258&padhi=72&startLimit=6&limitPerPage=1&sortBy=&sortOrder=DESC

Their speech becomes incoherent because of their love for शिव​. With their joyful hearts melting, the tears of love they shed wash away the mark of the stainless, sacred ash on their chests. Their hairs stand in ecstasy; those great ones full of virtues.

http://thevaaram.org/en/thirumurai_1/songview.php?thiru=12&Song_idField=1258&padhi=72&startLimit=7&limitPerPage=1&sortBy=&sortOrder=DESC

Whether they are standing, seated, lying, walking, eating, sleeping, awake or blinking, they never forget the flowery feet of the god who dances in the assembly--The dancer of तिल्लै (चिदम्बरम्)

http://thevaaram.org/en/thirumurai_1/songview.php?thiru=12&Song_idField=1258&padhi=72&startLimit=8&limitPerPage=1&sortBy=&sortOrder=DESC

And it finally ends by saying that they are those who adore the god of तिरुवारूर्, the incomparably sublime & beautiful त्यागराज​. Their glory is such that it makes this world looks resplendent. Let us remember them today.

Image source for the last picture: http://panniruthirumurai.org/books/11ththirumurai4/11ththirumurai4-2.pdf (Page 12 of PDF)

परमनैयेप्-पाडुवार् - They who only sing of the supreme

http://thevaaram.org/en/thirumurai_1/songview.php?thiru=12&Song_idField=1259&padhi=72&startLimit=2&limitPerPage=1&sortBy=&sortOrder=DESC

Here, सेक्किऴार् states that whether तमिऴ् or संस्कृत or any other देशभाषा they are well-acquainted with, they sing of शिव​ alone, that dancer of चिदम्बरम्.

Image source: http://panniruthirumurai.org/books/11ththirumurai4/11ththirumurai4-2.pdf (Page 14 of PDF)

चित्तत्तै-शिवन्पाले-वैत्तार् - They who place their चित्त (mind) on शिव alone

http://thevaaram.org/en/thirumurai_1/songview.php?thiru=12&Song_idField=12600&padhi=72&button=Please+go

In the सिद्धान्त system, the 5acts of शिव (creation, preservation, dissolution, concealment, grace) are performed via his 5 agents, the 5 कारणेश्वर​-s (causal lords): ब्रह्मा, विष्णु, रुद्र​, महेश​, सदाशिव​. सेक्किऴार् refers to that doctrine here.

The above illustration is an attempt at showcasing this doctrine. Practicing धारण​ (contemplation) as per शैव​योग​शास्त्र​-s, such as the योगपाद​ of the कामिकागम & other scriptures, they gradually cross all these 5 stations and attain the state of शिव​, the cause of the वेद​.

Image source: http://panniruthirumurai.org/books/11ththirumurai4/11ththirumurai4-2.pdf (Page 16 of PDF)