The correct option is Appar, Sambandar, and Sundarar.
Explanation
The Tamil Bhakti movement (c. 6th-9th century CE) was spearheaded by two main groups of saints: the Nayanars (devotees of Shiva) and the Alvars (devotees of Vishnu). The hymns composed by the 63 Nayanars were later compiled into a twelve-volume anthology known as the Tirumurai by Nambi Andar Nambi in the 10th century.Detailed Analysis:
- Andal, Tondaradippodi, and Nammalvar is Incorrect: Andal, Tondaradippodi, and Nammalvar were Alvars (Vaishnavite saints). Their devotional hymns are collected in the Nalayira Divya Prabandham, not the Tevaram.
- Appar, Sambandar, and Sundarar is Correct: The Tevaram specifically refers to the first seven volumes of the Tirumurai. These volumes consist exclusively of the hymns composed by the three most prominent Nayanars: Appar (Tirunavukkarasar), Sambandar (Tirugnanasambandar), and Sundarar (Sundaramurti). These three saints are collectively revered as the Moovar (The Three).
- Manikkavachakar, Basavanna, and Karaikkal Ammaiyar is Incorrect:
- Manikkavachakar is a major Nayanar saint, but his works, Tiruvasagam and Tirukkovaiyar, constitute the eighth volume of the Tirumurai.
- Basavanna was a 12th-century social reformer and saint associated with the Virashaiva movement in Karnataka (Vachana literature).
- Karaikkal Ammaiyar was an early Nayanar poet, but her works are found in the eleventh volume of the Tirumurai.
- Ramanuja, Shankara, and Madhva is Incorrect: Ramanuja, Shankara, and Madhva were philosophical Acharyas who founded the Vishishtadvaita, Advaita, and Dvaita schools of Vedanta, respectively. They primarily wrote commentaries in Sanskrit, distinct from the vernacular Tamil poetry of the Bhakti saints.
Key Takeaway:
The Tevaram comprises the first seven volumes of the Shaiva canon (Tirumurai) and contains the poems of Appar, Sambandar, and Sundarar.