The Hymns OF the Tamil Saints

Composed by three poet-saints between the sixth and eight centuries A.D., the Tevaram Hymns are the primary scripture of Tamil Saivism, one of the first popular large-scale devotional movements within Hinduism. Indira Peterson eloquently renders into English a substantial portion of these hymns, which provide vivid and moving portraits of the images, myths, rites, and adoration of siva and which continue to be loved and sung by the millions of flowers of the Tamil Saiva tradition. Her introduction and annotations illuminate the work's literary, religious, and culture contexts, making this anthology a rich sourcebook for the study of the South Indian popular religion.