Sundarar was born in Tirunavalur in a Shaiva Brahmin family to Sadaiya Nayanar and Isaignaniyar towards the end of the 7th century. He was adopted by the Pallava feudatory family of Naracinka Munaiyaraiyar, an adoption that gave him a luxurious childhood and the last name "Arurar" after Shiva in Tiruvarur.
Sundarar's early life was marked by his birth into a Shaiva Brahmin family in Tirunavalur during the late 7th century. His adoption by the Pallava noble family of Naracinka Munaiyaraiyar had a profound impact on his upbringing, granting him a life of luxury and the surname "Arurar" as a testament to his devotion to Shiva.