Thirumoolar
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Thirumoolar also spelt Tirumular or Thirumular (also known a Sundara Natha) is one of the 18 Siddhars. His main work is Thirumandhiram, that describes various aspects, from Science, Medicine, Human aspects of Life, The Divine - especially Lord Shiva and many others.
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[edit] Mystic
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, though assigned by historians to the period between the 1000 BC to 800 BC by scholars.[who?]
A Shiva saint Sundaranathan, a vedha scholar from Kailash, wanted to visit and stay with sage Agasthyar at the podhikai mountains in modern day Tamil Nadu. He started on his journey southwards, praying at holy temples - Kedar, Shirshailam, Thirukkalththi, Alavanam, Kanychi - taking holy bath in sacred river Ganga, and reached river Cavery. After taking a bath in the holy river and praying at the temple Avaduthurai, he 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 (also Mulan) had 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 came alive, so using his yogic powers he transmigrated his Atman to the body of Moolan, and hid his own body nearby and the cowherd Moolan rose as Thirumoolar. The relieved cows grazed happily on the riverbanks and went back to the village in the evening cared for by Thirumoolar.
Thirumoolar waited till all the cows entered their respective houses. Herdsman Moolan's wife saw him going to a mut (a place where bhakthas live) instead of to their house. To her laments, the learned elderly people of the town told her that Moolar has entered the shivayoga.
[edit] Amazing Legend
His magnum opus Thirumandhiram 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 posterity. 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.
[edit] Thirumandiram, his magnum opus
Thirumandiram is indeed a spiritual encyclopaedia. It contains a synthesis of all knowledge right from the Upanishadic 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 ritualistic idolatry, pours out forthright condemnations of the external gymnastics of occult practices, and expounds the esoteric significance of almost every kind of ritual and tradition. It is profound to the core, set in simple and cryptic style. The lilting Tamil in most of the verses can be enjoyed if one knows the language. Like the Upanishads it admits of several meanings at the same time. He, along with other yogis - namely Sivayoga mammuni, Pathanjali, Viykamarar, (see 4.Guru parampariayam, Thirumanthiram 67th verse) - received a lesson from NANDHI.
He even wrote in Thirumandiram about the various stages of development of a baby in its mother's womb.
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