Is Viṣṇu Naṭarāja? yes, according to the (Vaiṣṇavasaints of the Tamil country) Viṣṇu is Naṭaraja. Thepan-Indian tradition associates two important formsof Viṣṇu with dance. They are Kāliyamardana andrāśaknḍa, merry making sports ofKṣīs.According to the Cilappatikāram(Kaṭalāṭukātai 11. 37–63) Viṣṇupresents mal while fighting with ademon, alliyam (a group dance) atthe time rendition of KaṆsa, kuṭamas Trivikrama, pēṆi as the eunuchKāmadeva, an aspect of Viṣṇu, andpāvai is performed by Tiru,Śrīdevī, consort of Viṣṇu. This seems to be anancient tradition (c. 5th century A. D.), reiteratedby the . The areVaiṣṇava mystics of the Tamilbhakti age, in total twelve innumber. They have contributed enormously toliterature, grouped under the heading,Nālāyiratiwiyapirapantam “4000Melodious Hymns” (cf. Hardy 1983: 247–50; Settar1993: 223–40; Kalidos 1993: 181–88). The twelve are authorsof 24 literary pieces, dated during the 5th–9thcenturies A.D. The are groupedunder three chronological heads as follows: