Karuvur Devar is one among the nine devotees who sung the divine Tiruvisaippa, the ninth Tirumurai. His compositions form the third set in Tiruvisaippa. Since he was born in the town of Karuvur, he is called Karuvur Devar. His original name is not known. He lived between the 10CE and 11CE. (He was a contemporary of the Chozha emperors Rajaraja and Rajendira). He was a Vedic brahmin. He learnt well the Vedas and arts. He was an expert in singing very melodious Tamil hymns. He was devoted to the Supreme Lord Shiva and obtained spiritual direction from the Siddhar Bhoganathar.  He practiced Shiva Yoga and attained many marvellous powers (siddhi-s). He remained unattached. Unshaken by ego, he wandered in forests and hills like a mad man and begged for his food.

He went on a pilgrimage through the north Bharata lands. On his way back he went through the Kongu, Tondai and Nadu states to reach the southern Pandya kingdom. He arrived at Tenn-Tiruppudai Marudur on the banks of the river Tamiraparani. The river was in spate. Karuvur Devar from the other bank cried “narumpu natha!” Just as the cow responds to the call of the calf, the Lord turned to him and said, "Come!". The flood in the river subsided. The flood of his devotion swept him to the Lord. The Guru of all gurus blessed this scholar with initiation at His Feet. Karuvur Devar worshiped the radiant Lord at Gandishwaram (near Shri Vaikuntam) and at Tirunelveli. 

Karuvur Devar went to Tirukutralam and stayed there for a while. Later he went to the Podigai hills where he met and was blessed by Rishi Agastyar. Meanwhile the great emperor Rajaraja was building a giant temple for the Lord at Tanjavur. For the installation of the Lord’s murti, the “ashtabandhana marundu” (the cementing material) was not hardening, which made the king anxious. Karuvur Devar’s spiritual guide, Bhoganathar, called him to Tanjavur. There this great siddhar, worshipping the Lord, made the cementing material harden, thus completing the Holy installation. He then went to salute Shri Ranganathar and returned to Karuvur. The orthodox people of the town, who recognised only the external appearances and not his spiritual merits, mocked the Siddhar. They troubled him in many ways. One day acting as if he was afraid of them, the brave siddhar decided his time had come. He went to the sanctum of the Anilai shrine and merged with Lord Pashupatishwarar.

Karuvur Devar’s works form the single largest composition among the nine authors of Tiruvisaippa. He has sung ten pathikams one each on Tillai (“Koyil”), Tirukalandai Adhithishwaram, Tirukizhkottur Maniyambalam, Tirumukathalai, Tirailokkiya Sundaram, Gangaikonda Cholishwaram, Tirupuvanam, Tiruchattiyakkudi, Tanjai Rajarajishwaram and Tiruvidaimarudur.

Har Har Mahadev

See Also:
1. Agastyar 
2. Thirumurai Kanda Chozan - Rajarajan 
3. திருவிசைப்பா