Compilations of devotional literature By the tenth century the compositions of the Alvars were compiled in an anthology known as the Nalayira Divyaprabandham (“Four Thousand Sacred Compositions”). The poems of Appar, Sambandar and Sundarar form the Tevaram , a collection that was compiled and classified in the tenth century on the basis of the music of the songs. Source Source The chaturvedin (Brahmana versed in the four Vedas) and the “outcaste” This is an excerpt from a composition of an Alvar named Tondaradippodi, who was a Brahmana: You (Vishnu) manifestly like those “servants” who express their love for your feet, though they may be born outcastes, more than the Chaturvedins who are strangers and without allegiance to your service. Ü Do you think Tondaradippodi was opposed to the caste system?
Shastras or devotion? This is a verse composed by Appar, a Nayanar saint: O rogues who quote the law books, Of what use are your gotra and kula ? Just bow to Marperu’s lord (Shiva who resides in Marperu, in Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu) as your sole refuge. Ü Are there any similarities or differences in the attitudes of Tondaradippodi and Appar towards Brahmanas?