What is aintham vedham?

Aintham Vedham (ஐந்தாம் வேதம்), also known as Thirumurai, is a collection of twelve Shaiva devotional texts in Tamil. It is considered the fifth Veda in the Tamil Shaiva Siddhanta tradition. These texts are the primary source material for understanding Shaivism in South India.

The Thirumurai was compiled by Nambiyandar Nambi during the reign of Raja Raja Chola I in the 10th-11th century CE. It contains the hymns of the sixty-three Nayanars (Shaiva saints), as well as other devotional compositions. The collection is divided into twelve books, each with its own name and content.

Important subjects covered in the Aintham Vedham include:

• Devaram - The first seven books containing the hymns of the first three Nayanmars - Appar, Sambandar, and Sundarar. (Devaram)
• Thiruvasagam - The eighth book composed by Manikkavasagar. (Thiruvasagam)
• Thirukovaiyar - Also composed by Manikkavasagar, found in the eighth book. (Thirukovaiyar)
• Thiruvichaippa - The ninth book containing hymns by various authors. (Thiruvichaippa)
• Thirumandiram - The tenth book composed by Thirumular. (Thirumandiram)
• Thiruthondar Thogai - A list of the 63 Nayanars and their short biographies is found in the tenth book. (Thiruthondar%20Thogai)
• Periya Puranam - The eleventh book, also known as Thiruttondar Puranam, narrates the lives of the 63 Nayanars in detail. (Periya%20Puranam)
• Various other works that compose the twelfth book which includes works by Nambiyandar Nambi and others.