The cause of Saivism

Tiruvalluvar speaks of the greatness of the father who begets good sons who are established in good conduct. Sivapadahridayar, the father of Gnanasambandar, is extolled by Sekkizhar as one such father who upholds the values and conduct that make human beings noble, pointed out Sri B. Damodhara Dikshitar in a discourse. The account of the lives of the Saivite saints in the Periyapuranam shows that each one of them illustrates the value of devotion and emancipation of the soul in its search for the Supreme Being. It was a time when Saivism starts to lose its hold owing to the popularity of other faiths such as the Samana and Buddhism. This trend must have made a deep impact on many staunch Siva bhaktas and Sivapadahridayar, is one such devotee who prays to Siva for Saivism to take root in the hearts of people. He does penance to beget a good son who would rekindle faith in Saivism. A true Saivite is a seeker of truth who knows that all faiths are stepping stones. His inherent righteous conduct is tempered by unflinching faith and belief in Siva. The salient features of other faiths are subsumed in Saivism and by fostering Saivism there would be no cause to oppose other faiths. Saivism’s credo is similar to that of a farmer who removes only those shoots etc that hinder the growth of crops and leaves aside those that are harmless. The advent of Gnanasambandar is thus a landmark for the cause of Saivism. His birth is momentous for bringing about a parallel revival of Tamil language that is in the throes of decline around the same period. If Gnanasambandar’s songs inspire faith in Siva, they are also masterpieces that sensitise people to the vast aesthetic richness of Tamil language, literature and culture. With great pride this saint ends his songs with genuine adoration of both Siva and Tamil.