Thiruvasagam

Thiruvasagam (Tamil: திருவாசகம், romanized: thiruvācakam, lit. 'sacred sayings') is a volume of Tamil hymns composed by the 3rd century Saivite poet Manikkavacakar. It contains 51 compositions and constitutes the eighth volume of the Thirumurai, the sacred anthology of the Tamil Saiva Siddhanta. Legend has it that Manikkavacakar was appointed as minister by king Arimarttanar and sent to purchase 10,000 horses from horse traders but spent the money building a temple in Tirupperunthurai. As the legend goes, Thiruvasagam is the only work which is signed as well as written by Siva in guise of a Tamil man when narrated by Manikkavacakar. The poet chased the writer but without success but the palm leaf manuscript had been seen inside the locked sanctum sanctorum of Thillai Nataraja with the deity's signature.