Sambandar

Sambandar, Thirugnana Sambandar, was a Tamil Shaiva poet-saint of the 7th century, one of the most revered of the Nayanars. Tradition says he began composing hymns to Shiva as a small child and died young; his hymns form the first three books of the Tevaram. According to Shaiva tradition he converted the Pandya king of Madurai from Jainism to Shaivism, an episode that symbolises the decline of Jainism in the Tamil country.