Poet Harihara & Tamil Nayanmars

    Tamil Heritage Trust's (THT for short) flagship annual event is known as Pechu Kacheri. This annual event usually spans 2 to 3 days. In 2025, the event was scheduled for 20/Dec and 21/Dec on Nayanmars and Aazhwars respectively. Per THT, the scope and focus of this event was: 

The theme for Pechu Kacheri 2025 was "Deiva Tamizh - Nayanmars & Azhwars" where several speakers explored the lives and times of the Saiva and Vaishnava saints, their works, their lasting influence on the Tamil language and much more.

This aside, it's worth exploring the influence of "Periyapuranam" on the much revered Kannada poet, Harihara(2). Periyapurana, a 11th century work by Sekkizhaar, provides brief life sketches of the 63 shaiva saints (Nayanaars). 

In this context, it is worth reading the full article by Prof.T.N.Sreekantaiya, Head of the Department of Kannada, University of Mysore, as published in the Dr.R.P.Sethu Pillai Silver Jubilee Commemoration Volume dated 13th April, 1961 with a foreword from the then Vice-Chancellor of the University of Madras, Shri.A.Lakshmansamy Mudaliar.

For starters, here are some snippets from that article, authored by Prof.T.N.Sreekantaiya, titled, "THE KANNADA POET HARIHARA AND TAMIL LITERARY TRADITION"(1). This felicitation volume is a compilation of research articles by learned scholars from varied fields and, another set of articles penned by Dr.R.P.Sethu Pillai's contemporaries. 

In the words of T.N.Sreekantaiya, 

"Years ago, when I became interested in the lives and the devotional hymns of the great Tamil Saivite saints and, of Sundaramurti Nayanar in particular, I heard from a Tamilian friend the following popular epigram in Tamil (Tamil version in mine)

"சம்பந்தன் தன்னைப் பாடினான் 

சுந்தரன் பொன்னைப் பாடினான் 

என் அப்பன் என்னைப் பாடினான்'

"Sambandar praised himself; Sundarar praised Me for self; My Appar praised Me Myself.(3)" 

Further, in the same article, T.N.Sreekantaiya cites "...Harihara's poem on Sundaramurthi Nayanar, entitled Nambiyannana Ragale", which according to him, "is the longest poem in the series consisting of 19 cantos".

References:

(1) https://archive.org/details/ra-pi-sethupillai-silver-jubilee-souvenir-part-1-introduction-and-english-articles/page/97/mode/1up

(2) https://shastriyakannada.org/database/english/literature/HARIHARA%20HTML.htm

(3) Sourced from the book, "Hymns of the Tamil Saivite Saints" by F.Kingsbury and G.E.Philips (printed at THE WESLEYAN MISSION PRESS from Mysore and published as part of THE HERITAGE OF INDIA SERIES).