Thiruvasagam

Thiruvasagam (Tamil: திருவாசகம், romanized: tiruvācakam, lit. 'sacred utterance') is a volume of Tamil hymns composed by the ninth century Shaivite bhakti poet Manikkavasagar. It contains 51 compositions and constitutes the eighth volume of the Tirumurai, the sacred anthology of the Tamil Shaiva Siddhanta.

Legend has it that Manikkavasakar was appointed as minister by king Arimarttanar and sent to purchase 10,000 horses from horse traders^[1] but spent the money building a temple in Tirupperunturai.

As the legend goes, Thiruvasagam is the only work which is signed as well as written by Shiva in guise of a Tamil man when narrated by Manikkavasagar. The poet chased the writer but without success but the palm leaf manuscript had been seen inside the locked sanctum sanctorum of Thillai Nataraja with the Lord's signature.

^ More, J. B. Prashant (1 January 2004). Muslim Identity, Print Culture, and the Dravidian Factor in Tamil Nadu. Orient Blackswan. ISBN 9788125026327 – via Google Books.

[1] More, J. B. Prashant (1 January 2004). Muslim Identity, Print Culture, and the Dravidian Factor in Tamil Nadu. Orient Blackswan. ISBN 9788125026327 – via Google Books.

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