The Periya Puranam is a classical Tamil scripture that describes the lives of 63 Saivite saints.Down through the centuries it has had immense influence over the devotional tradition of Saivism in South India. The Periya Puranam (Tamil:பெரிய‌ புராண‌ம்), that is, the great purana or epic, sometimes called Tiruttontarpuranam (“Tiru-Thondar-Puranam”, the Purana of the Holy Devotees) is a Tamilpoetic account depicting the legendary lives of the sixty-threeNayanars, the canonical poets of Tamil Shaivism.

The twelve volumes of hymns of the sixty-three Parts Name Author 1,2,3 Tirukadaikkappu 4,5,6 7 Tirupaatu 8 & Tirukkovaiyar 9 & Tiruppallaandu Various 10 11 Various 12 The Periya Puranam (: பெரிய‌ புராண‌ம்), that is, the great purana or epic, sometimes called Tiruttontarpuranam ('Tiru-Thondar-Puranam', the Purana of the Holy Devotees), is a poetic account depicting the lives of the sixty-three, the canonical poets of Tamil. It was compiled during the 12th century. It provides evidence of trade with West Asia The Periya Puranam is part of the corpus of Shaiva canonical works. Compiled and wrote the Periya Puranam or the Great Purana, (the life stories of the sixty-three, poets of the God ) who composed the liturgical poems of the, and was later himself canonised and the work became part of the sacred canon. Among all the hagiographic Puranas in, Sekkizhar's Tiruttondar Puranam or Periyapuranam, composed during the rule of Kulottunga Chola II (1133-1150) stands first. Contents • • • • • Background [ ] Sekkizhar was a poet and the chief minister in the court of the King,. Kulottunga Chola II, king Anabaya Chola, was a staunch devotee of Lord Natraja at.

He continued the reconstruction of the center of Tamil Saivism that was begun by his ancestors. However Kulottunga II was also enchanted by the courtly epic, an epic of erotic flavour ( sringara rasa) whose hero, Jivaka, combines heroics and erotics to marry eight damsels and gain a kingdom. In the end he realises the transiency of possessions, renounces his kingship and finally attains Nirvana by prolonged austerity ( tapas).

[ ] In order to wean Kulottunga Chola II from the heretical Jivaka Cintamani, Sekkizhar undertook the task of writing the Periyapuranam. [ ] Periyapuranam [ ] The study of Jivaka Cintamani by Kulottunga Chola II, deeply affected Sekkizhar who was very religious in nature. He exhorted the king to abandon the pursuit of impious erotic literature and turn instead to the life of the Saiva saints celebrated. The king thereupon invited Sekkizhar to expound the lives of the Saiva saints in a great poem. As a minister of the state Sekkizhar had access to the lives of the saints and after he collected the data, he wrote the poem in the Thousand Pillared Hall of the temple. Legend has it that the Lord himself provided Sekkizhar with the first feet of the first verse as a divine voice from the sky declaring 'உலகெலாம்' (ulakelam: All the world). [ ] This work is considered the most important initiative of Kulottunga Chola II's reign. Programma dlya sumo ev3.

Although, it is only a literary embellishment of earlier hagiographies of the Saiva saints composed by and, it came to be seen as the epitome of high standards of the culture, because of the highest order of the literary style. [ ] The Periyapuranam is considered as a in and immediately took its place as the twelfth and the last book in the Saiva canon. It is considered as one of the masterpieces of the and worthily commemorates the Golden age of the.