Manikkavacakar

Manikkavasagar (Tamil: மாணிக்கவாசகர் Māṇikkavācakar [ mɑ ː ɳik ː ə ˌ ʋɑ ː səɡər ] ) was a shivaitischer saint and poet from Tamil Nadu, who lived between the 6th and 9th century. He is considered one of the most appreciated Shivaite poet - saints. Although he was not among the sixty-three Nayanmar, the eighth book of his poetry contains Tirumurai.

The dating Manikkavasagars lifetime is uncertain, according to legend, he was either minister at the court Varagunas II ( 862-885 ), or he lived in the 6th century as a member of a farm in Madurai. He went to Chidambaram to where meditation and devotion to Shiva to maintain. In Chidambaram, in the depths of the temple, he merged according to tradition with Shiva, which is why he is considered also in the Shaiva Siddhanta as one of the greatest mystics.

Manikkavasagar authored two major works, the Tirukkvaiyar and Tiruvasagam. The first focuses on the love between Shiva and the soul as poem with four hundred stanzas. The second work consists of fifty-one hymns, representing the Shaiva Siddhanta. In this work, the soul is described, which is on a journey on which she goes through different forms until it is human. In human life, it is then the soul possible to achieve Moksha, in that Shiva appears in the Guru. Manikkavasagar describes in this work also Shiva himself, as not male and not female, all-encompassing at the same time as immanence and transcendence, creator and creation. Manikkavasagar describes the worship of Shiva as the supreme religion and Moksha as a mystical union with Lord Shiva

The Tirumurai, which includes gaskets are Manikkavasagars, is considered canonical works of the Shaiva Siddhanta.