("holy declarations") Manikkavachakar, a Tamil
poet-saint who was a fervent follower (bhakta) of the deity Shiva, created a
collection of poems in the ninth century.
Manikkavachakar's writing is inspired by the Nayanars (a
group of sixty-three Shaiva poet-saints who lived in southern India during the
seventh and eighth centuries), yet he is not considered one of them since he
lived about a century after the final Nayanar, Sundara murtti.
The hymns in the Tiruvachakam attest to Manikkavachakar's
profound devotion to Shiva, and they may be considered as the conclusion of the
preceding devotional (bhakti) tradition in their ardent zeal.
Manikkavachakar's hymns also served as the foundation for
the development of the philosophical system known as Shaiva Siddhanta, making
him a significant figure in southern Indian Shaivism.
Glenn Yocum's Hymns to the Dancing Siva, published in 1982,
has further material.
Also see Tamil epics and Tamil language.
