xiii SEKA HAAR Sekizhaar was born in a village called Kunrathur near Madras in the 12th century A.D. While he was very young there was a questionaire which contained the question. “What are they which are bigger than mountain, sea and universe.” Readily came the answer from Sekizhaar who quoted three kurals of Thiruvalluvar. The Chola King who was extremely pleased of the reply appointed him as his minister. It seems the Chola King Anapaya was engaged in studying the jain kavya, Jivaka chinthaamani and Sekizhaar advised him to study instead the stories of Saiva saints. The Chola king requested him to write the stories of Saiva saints and accordingly Sekizhaar went to Chidambaram. He prayed to Lord Nataraaja, got the clue “Ulagelaam” by the Grace of the Lord and improvised the Periya Puraanam in verses. The name given to it by Sekizhaar was THIRUTH THONDAR PURANAM. Sundara Murthi Swaamigal wrote the Thiru Thondath Thogai which simply mentions the names of the sixty-three Saiva saints and the nine groups of Saints. It was elaborated by one Nambi Andaar Nambi, the compiler of the Thirumurais during Rajaraaja Chola I in a poem called Thiru Thondar Thiru Anthaathi which consists of 84 verses. Sekizhaar's Periya Puraanam was based on these two texts and the Thevaaram of the three canonised Saiva saints of Kara ikka al Ammaiyaar Sera maan Perumaal and others. From the time of Sekizha ar’s Peria pura anam it has influenced to a great extent the lives and thoughts of all Saivities in Tannil Nadu. Sekizhaar lived during the time of Kulothunga Chola II in the 12th century A.D, and Umapathi Sivaacharya one of the four Saiva Samaya Sanathana Acharyaas has written a minor poem called Thirut honda Puraana Varalaaru, which gives an elaborate rendering of the history of Sekizhaar and his extent work the Periyapura a na m. After writing this Puraanam Sekizhaar retired from public life and spent the rest of his days at his birth place. Long live the name and same of Sekizhaar i
