Lord Siva written Thiruvasagam as sung by Manickavasagar

Tiruvasagam authored by Saint Manickavasagar occupies the eighth place in the order of the 12 Saivite hymns. The word Ettu in Tamil means number eight and also catching. It is difficult even for the best spiritual scholars to understand the depth of Tiruvasagam called Ettanthirumurai meaning that its depth of substance could not be caught easily. The popular saying in the Saivite World that one who is not touched by Tiruvasagam would not and cannot be touched by anything is a scholarly verdict pronounced by the enlightened on the greatness of this book. Saint Manickavasagar graces in the form of Guru in the Athmanadhaswami temple of Thillai Thiruperundurai. This is a temple built by the Saint Himself.

During the stay of Saint Manickavasagar here, Lord Shiva came to him in the guise of a Shiva devotee and expressed his wish to hear him sing the praise of the Lord.  The Saint was too happy to please the devotee.  Lord Shiva wrote the songs of the saint with the note “written as sung by the saint” and put His signature as Tiru Chittrambalam Udayar and placed it in the shrine of Lord Nataraja and disappeared.  Vedic Scholars sought the explanation and meaning of the songs from the saint, who simply showed the Lord and said that He was the substance and meaning of the songs.  So saying, the saint merged with the Lord.  Based on this event, Lord Athmanathaswami appears as a Shiva devotee in front of the temple.  Saint Manickavasagar stands before the Lord with folded hands.

Guru form: The temple has many similarities with the temple in Tiruperundurai.  The Shivalinga in the sanctum is facing south.  Also, it is not in complete in shape.  There are only the feet of Mother in Her shrine.  Devotees offer the steam of cooked boiled rice and bitter gourd as nivedhana to Lord.  Saint Manickavasagar, generally seen standing in Shiva temples, graces here in a standing form.  Special pujas are performed to Lord Athmanadhaswami on the Manickavasagar Guru puja day.  It is on this day, the Lord Shiva-Saint merger event is also celebrated.

Sage Vyakrapada was staying in Chidambaram to have the dance darshan of Lord Nataraja in Chidambaram when his son Upamanyu was hungy and crying.  Lord Shiva brought the milk ocean here to feed the child.  This is the Parkadal theertham.  The temple is on the northern bank of this spring.  Lord Yoga Dakshinamurthi graces in the front mandap in a sitting form.  Celebrated saivite saints Gnanasambandar, Appar, Sundarar grace in the Bana form of Shivalinga.

Thillai Kali and Guru Namashivaya temples are nearby.

Saint Manickavasagar served as chief minister of king Arimardhana Pandiyan.  He had the initiation from Lord Shiva at Aavudayarkoil (Pudukkottai district).  Lord Shiva played many miracles for the saint as changing the foxes to horses and causing heavy floods in River Vaigai to show the greatness of the saint.  These events are beautifully portrayed in the saivite epic Tiruvilayadal Puranam written by Paranjothi Munivar.  The saint came to Chidamabaram and stayed in a hermitage but could not forget Athmanathar in Tiruperundurai.  The saint built a temple for Lord Shiva there too.   He named the Lord Athmanathar and Mother as Yogambal.  This temple was named Thillai Tiruperundurai.