alvaru meaning in english

[Drav.] n. A Vaishnava name for a saint. The Alwars or saints were twelve in number and are considerd to have been incarnations of the attendants, arms, or insignia of Vishnu: each of them wrote a portion of the “Dravida Prabandham,” or “Tamil Veda” help in greater veneration that the original Sanskrit Veda, of which it is, in fact, an ancient Tamil translation (Ellis.) The paramayogivilasamu is a history of these personages. A hawk is sometimes called garudalvaru.