 The "azhwars" were also instrumental in promoting the Bhagavatha cult and the two epics of India, namely, "Ramayana" and "Mahabaratha".The "azhwars" were instrumental in spreading "Vaishnavism" throughout the region.The verses of the various "azhwars" were compiled by Nathamuni (824-924 AD), a 10th-century Vaishnavite theologian, who called it the "Tamil Veda".