The Son of God Shiva: Life and Hymns of the Early Medieval Tamil Saint Sambandar

A comprehensive study of the religious hymns of one of the legendary saints of South India - Sambandar (7th century), belonging to the tradition of the 63 Nayanars (6th-12th centuries). The author introduces readers to rare and previously little-studied material in Tamil - filled with the extraordinary miracles of Sambandar's life and his inspired hymns praising God Shiva as the universal Absolute, represented in a specific visible form. Special attention in the study is given to the system of sacred images and the poetic structure of these hymns.