Sivapuranam

Sivapuranam is being part of the Saiva work ‘Thiruvachakam’, written by the Saiva Saint Manickavachakar who is believed to have lived during the end of 9th Century A.D. It needs no other explanation than the saying:

"thiruvAchakaththukku urukAdhAr oru vAchakaththukkum urukAr"

திருவாசகத்திற்கு உருகாதார் ஓர் வாசகத்திற்கும் உருகார்

(people who do not melt (with bhakthi) at hearing thiruvAchakam, will not be able to enjoy (melt) any other song(statement) )

Sivapuranam is forming first part of Thiruvachakam. The hymn, with its 95 lines (Kalivenba poetic format), draws a detailed account on the origin, appearance and characters of Lord Shivas, the primes deity of Saivites. Further the work explains that the soul is in association with an entity called Anava (anavam) from beginningless period. Anava is not ego and it is a malam (an impurity) associated with the soul . It is the source of all negative qualities like ignorance, ego etc,. Under its bondage, the soul was unable to know itself and the God above it. The all-merciful God, Lord Siva, wanted to free the soul from the grip of Anava. The text is simple and understandable to most of the Tamil speaking devotees.