Manikkavacakar

Manikkavacakar
Manikkavacakar
	Manikkavacakar, Chola bronze, 12th century India, at the Linden Museum, Stuttgart
Personal life
Born	Vaadhavoor Adigal; Tiruvadhavoor
Honors	Nalvar saint
Religious life
Religion	Hinduism
Philosophy	Shaivism Bhakti
Religious career

Manikkavacakar was a 3rd-century Tamil saint and poet who wrote Thiruvasagam and Thirukkovaiyar, books of Shaiva hymns. Tamil scholars and researchers share that he was a minister to the Pandya king Nedunjeliyan II (3rd Century CE) and lived in Madurai (or) he was a minister to the Pandya king Arikesari (6th Century CE ).

He is revered as one of the Nalvar ("group of four" in Tamil), a set of four prominent Tamil saints alongside Appar, Sundarar and Sambandar.^[1] The other three contributed to the first seven volumes (Tevaram) of the twelve-volume Saivite work Tirumurai, the key devotional text of Shaiva Siddhanta. Manikkavacakar's Thiruvasagam and Thirukkovaiyar form the eighth volume. These eight volumes are considered to be the Tamil Vedas by the Shaivites, and the four saints are revered as Samaya Kuravar (religious preceptors)^[2]

His works are celebrated for their poetic expression of the anguish of being separated from God, and the joy of God-experience,^[2]^: 48 with ecstatic religious fervour.^[3] In his expression of intimacy to God, Manikkavacakar mirrors the sentiments expressed by his fellow Bhakti period saints referring to the Lord as the "Divine Bridegroom" ^[4] or the Nityamanavaalar ("Eternal Bridegroom"),^[5] with whom he longed to be united in "divine nuptials".^[6]

^ Verma, Rajeev (2009). Faith & philosophy of Hinduism. Delhi, India: Kalpaz Publications. p. 153. ISBN 9788178357188.
^ ^a ^b Ponnaiah, V. Dr (1952). The Saiva Siddhanta - Theory of Knowledge. Annamalainagar: Annamalai University. p. 43. Retrieved 4 June 2022.
^ Subramanian, V. K. (2006). 101 mystics of India. New Delhi: Abhinav Publications. p. 57. ISBN 9788170174714.
^ Singh, Upinder (2008). A history of ancient and early medieval India : from the Stone Age to the 12th century. New Delhi: Pearson Education. p. 617. ISBN 9788131711200.
^ Vanmikanathan, G (1985). Periya Puranam - A Tamil classic of the great Saiva saints of South India. Chennai: Sri Ramakrishna Math. p. 50. ISBN 9788171205196. Retrieved 4 June 2022.
^ Sadarangani, Neeti M. (2004). Bhakti Poetry in Medieval India: Its Inception, Cultural Encounter and Impact. Sarup & Sons. p. 17. ISBN 978-81-7625-436-6.

[1] Verma, Rajeev (2009). Faith & philosophy of Hinduism. Delhi, India: Kalpaz Publications. p. 153. ISBN 9788178357188.

[Ponnaiah-2] Ponnaiah, V. Dr (1952). The Saiva Siddhanta - Theory of Knowledge. Annamalainagar: Annamalai University. p. 43. Retrieved 4 June 2022.

[101mystics-3] Subramanian, V. K. (2006). 101 mystics of India. New Delhi: Abhinav Publications. p. 57. ISBN 9788170174714.

[4] Singh, Upinder (2008). A history of ancient and early medieval India : from the Stone Age to the 12th century. New Delhi: Pearson Education. p. 617. ISBN 9788131711200.

[5] Vanmikanathan, G (1985). Periya Puranam - A Tamil classic of the great Saiva saints of South India. Chennai: Sri Ramakrishna Math. p. 50. ISBN 9788171205196. Retrieved 4 June 2022.

[6] Sadarangani, Neeti M. (2004). Bhakti Poetry in Medieval India: Its Inception, Cultural Encounter and Impact. Sarup & Sons. p. 17. ISBN 978-81-7625-436-6.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]