The
four Saivite Saints, namely திருஞானசம்பந்தர், திருநாவுக்கரசர், சுந்தரமூர்த்தி
நாயனார் and மாணிக்கவாசகர் are hallowed as ‘The Masters of Religion’. The
hymns of these Saints and the devotional outpourings of the other Saints
of that age are accepted as the Canonical literature of Saivism. Their
works collected by Nambi Andar Nambi are classified into 12 HOLY BOOKS
and are known as பன்னிருதிருமுறைகள். This lesson deals in general with
the history, the background and the other details of the devotional literature
known as பன்னிரு திருமுறைகள். Book 12 of பன்னிரு திருமுறை is treated separately
in lesson 4. தேவாரம் and திருவாசகம் which constitute Books 1 to 8 are
dealt with exclusively in lesson 3.