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Thirumoolar is one of the greatest mystics that India has
produced in its long history, Tirumoolar, was a great saint, traditionally allotted a date of 3000 BC and said to have lived
for 3000 years, but is assigned by historians to the period between the 1000 BC to 800 BC by scholars.
A Shiva saint Sundaranathan, a vedha scholar from Kailash, wanted
to visit and stay with sage Agasthyar at the podhikai mountains which is modern day Tamil Nadu(India). He started on his journey
southwards, praying at holy temples - Kedar, Shirshailam, Thirukkalththi, Alavanam, Kanchi taking holy bath in sacred rivers
like Ganga, reached river Cauvery. After taking bath in the holy river and praying at the temple Thiruvavaduthurai, continued
his journey southwards and then went back to srilanka to his destination Podhikai Hills.
Nearing the outskirts of the village Chaththanur of Cholanadu, he
saw a herd of cows in great distress. Their herdsman (Idayan) by name Moolan has died on the banks of the river and the cows
were in grief. The Yogi realizing that the cows would be consoled only if Moolan comes alive, a splendid sidhdha through his
yogic powers transmigrated his Atma to the body of Moolan through air, hid his own body nearby and he rose as thirumoolar.The
relieved cows grazed happily on the riverbanks and went back to the village in the evening cared by Thirumoolar.
Thirumoolar waited till all the cows entered their respective houses.Moolan's
wife saw him going to a mut (a place where bhakthas live) instead of their house. To her laments,the learned elderly people
of the town told the girl that Moolar has entered the shivayoga.
Sitting under the shade of Arasu tree in ultimate shivayogam
he gave the holy Thirumandhiram which consists of over 3000 verses each verse sung every year before he attained salvation.
These verses given out by him spontaneously every now and then when he came back to consciousness from his trance, are his
invaluable contribution to all future generations. The legendary beauty of it is that he came back to consciousness only once
a year. The interesting legend about this is one of the greatest mysteries of ancient Tamil history.
Thirumandiram, is indeed a spiritual encyclopaedia. It
contains a synthesis of all knowledge right from the Upanishad times down to the then-modern days of devotional revival, goes
through all the maze and mystery of yoga and tantra, contains very strong criticisms of idol worships, condemns external gymnastics
of occult practices, and expounds the esoteric significance of almost every kind of ritual and tradition. He even wrote in
Thirumandiram about the various stages of development of a baby in its mothers womb. It is profound to the core, set in simple
and cryptic style. The careful and rhythmic way in most of the verses can be enjoyed if one knows Tamil language. He is said
to have absorbed the teachings of Shri Patanjali Maharishi.
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