The correct answer is: A. The twelve Alvars were Tamil poet-saints, who lived between 6th and 9th centuries AD and espoused ’emotional devotion’ or bhakti to Visnu-Krishna in their songs.
The Alvars were a group of 12 Tamil poet-saints who lived between the 6th and 9th centuries AD. They were devotees of Vishnu and their songs, known as Divya Prabandham, are considered to be some of the most sacred texts in Vaishnavism. The Alvars were born into different castes and social backgrounds, but they were all united by their devotion to Vishnu. Their songs express a deep emotional attachment to Vishnu and his consort Lakshmi. They also describe the beauty of the natural world and the joys of love and devotion. The Alvars are considered to be among the most important figures in the development of Vaishnavism.
The 63 Nayanars were Tamil Shaivite saints who lived between the 6th and 10th centuries AD. They were devotees of Shiva and their songs, known as Tevaram, are considered to be some of the most sacred texts in Shaivism. The Nayanars were born into different castes and social backgrounds, but they were all united by their devotion to Shiva. Their songs express a deep emotional attachment to Shiva and his consort Parvati. They also describe the beauty of the natural world and the joys of love and devotion. The Nayanars are considered to be among the most important figures in the development of Shaivism.
The statement “The 63 Alvars saints were the Shiva devotional poets, who lived between 5th and 10th centuries” is incorrect. The 63 Nayanars were Tamil Shaivite saints who lived between the 6th and 10th centuries AD. The 12 Alvars were Tamil Vaishnava saints who lived between the 6th and 9th centuries AD.