Glossary

Tamas is the lowest of the three Gunas (qualities - Sattwa, Rajas and Tamas). Tamas is a force which promotes darkness, dissolution, death, destruction, ignorance, sloth, and resistance.

Thayumanavar or Tayumanavar, Tamil: தாயுமானவர் (1705–1742), pronounced Thāyum-ānavar, is one of the spiritual giants and a Tamil philosopher from Tamil Nadu, India. Thayumanavar's key teaching is to discipline the mind, control desires and meditate peacefully. He went on to say that "it is easy to control an elephant, catch hold of the tiger's tail, grab the snake and dance, dictate the angels, transmigrate into another body, walk on water or sit on the sea; but it is more difficult to control the mind and remain quiet".

Thiruvachakam (Tamil: திருவாசகம், lit. "sacred utterance") is a volume of Tamil hymns composed by the ninth century poet ManickaVachagar. It contains 51 compositions and constitutes the eighth volume of the Tirumurai, the sacred anthology of Tamil Saiva Siddhantha.

Legend has it that Manikkavasakar was appointed as minister by King Arimarttanar and sent to purchase 10,000 horses from Arab traders but spent the money building a temple in Tiruppanthurai.

Thiruvachakam is the only work which is signed by lord Siva.