Great Devotees of Lord Siva 16

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normal">he entered into the mortal frame of Mulan. Rishi Tirumular desired

to see Agastya Rishi in Pothia hills in South India. So he left Kailasa and

went southwards. On the way, he visited many Saivite shrines. When he came to

Tiruvavaduthurai, he took bath in the river Kaveri and went to the temple. He

went round the temple twice and offered prayer to the Lord. When he was walking

along the bank of Kaveri, he saw a herd of cows shedding tears. He found out the

cause: the cow-herd lay dead. The Siva Yogi became very compassionate when he

saw

the condition of the cows. He entered into the body of the cowherd and drove the

cows homeward. When he reached the cowherd’s house, the wife of Mula approached

him, but he would not permit her to touch him. He said: ‘Oh lady, I am not your

husband. Adore Lord Siva and attain Liberation.’ She was much afflicted at heart

and spent a sleepless night. Then those who saw him said that he was a great

Yogi. The Siva Yogi who entered the body of Mula sat in meditation and entered

into Samadhi. He came down from his Samadhi and proceeded to enter into his old

body. He did not find the body in the place. Through his Yogic vision, he found

out that Lord Siva wanted that he should write a book on Saiva philosophy which

would be useful to the people of South India and He hid his body for this

purpose.

Rishi Tirumular understood His wish and returned toTiruvavaduthurai. He

worshipped the Lord and sat under the near-by peepul tree in deep meditation.

He was in Samadhi for three thousand years. But, every year, he would come down

from Samadhi and compose a stanza: thus, in three thousand years he wrote three

thousand stanzas. This book is called Tirumantiram, one of the most

authoritative works embodying the Siva doctrine. Tirumantiram is distilled

essence of Vadas, Upanishads, Saiva Agamas and Puranas. His work became the

foundation upon which the later structure of Saiva Siddhanta

philosophy was built.

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Rishi Tirumular gives a description of the fruits that can be obtained by the

practice of the eight limbs of Raja Yoga. The Yogi obtains the blessing of Uma

(Divine Mother) and attains Amarapati by the practice of Yama (self-restraint).

He attains Sivapadam by the practice of Niyama (religious canons). He hears

Nadam by the practice of Asana (pose). He attains a stage by the

practice of Pranayama (restraint of breath) in which all the gods eulogise him.

He attains the form of Siva by the practice of Pratyahara (abstraction of

senses) and the gods become confused as they cannot differentiate him from

Siva. He can go anywhere including the worlds of Brahma and Vishnu by the

practice of Dharana (concentration). He can walk into any place just as one can

walk on earth. He attains the abode of Brahma, Vishnu, Rudra and Indra by the

practice of Dhyana (meditation). He frees himself from all the Upadhis or

fetters and unites with Lord Siva (Tat Padam) by the practice of Samadhi

(Superconscious state). The Lord’s mission

had thus been fulfilled. Then, Rishi Tirumular went back to Kailasa.

Tirumantiram : verse 85

Bliss To Humanity All the world may well attain the Bliss I have

received, If the name of the Lord chanted by the great ones is

repeated, Within the heart will arise a thrilling unstruck sound Which, when

practised, will lead to realisation. Sivaya Namah

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