Saiva Siddhanta texts are known as Tirumurais, and Tirumoolar’s Tirumandiram that is placed as the tenth Tirumurai is accepted as the first authentic text on the Saiva Siddhanta sastras. Encyclopaedic in nature, it contains the essence of the nine agamas and is classified as the nine tantras. In the section known as Payiram, Tirumoolar has revealed certain biographical details such as his good fortune to live in Kailasa for ages together and be a direct witness to Siva’s infinite glories, pointed out Dr. Sudha Seshaiyan in a discourse. “Thani koothu kandu ezhukodi yugam irunthene,” is how he describes his life as a Siva yogi. By the unique grace of Siva whom he often refers to as Nandi, he has been endowed with the Siva yoga and Siva anubhava that transcends the limits of what is accepted as knowledge and ignorance in worldly parlance. He states that his mission is to bring to the people the glory of Siva and Saivism.
The hymns are a combination of stotras and sastras. Stotras sing the praise of God and reveal His greatness so that the common man is inspired to worship Him, to understand that this alone is the purpose of one’s existence. Stotras stir bhakti, while the sastras describe the modes of worship. The term mantra means that which protects the person who chants it and believes in it. It has the divinity to uplift those caught in samsara and lead them towards Siva anubhava.
The depth of truth embedded in the hymns can strike with unexpected force when one goes beyond the apparently simple words and ideas. He has shown how to worship Siva in one’s inner self and also as an external act. He has the supreme consciousness of the Lord who is all pervading and he impresses this truth so that people can see Him inhering in individual selves and consciousness.
