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Meykaṇṭār (Meykaṇḍār)

  • Living reference work entry
  • First Online:
Hinduism and Tribal Religions

Part of the book series: Encyclopedia of Indian Religions ((EIR))

  • 37 Accesses

Synonyms

Meykanda-Devar; Meykandan; Meykantan

Definition

Meykaṇṭār was a teacher of Śaiva Siddhānta doctrine who composed the Tamil-language text called the Civañāṉapōtam (lit., “Aphorisms on Knowledge of Śiva”) (sometimes Sanskritized as the Śivajñānabodham). In 12 pithy statements, the work summarizes the basic doctrine of Śaiva Siddhānta. The work has been of enduring importance in Tamil Nadu and has attracted several commentaries.

Life

According to legend, Acciyutaṉ, a chieftain from a village near Tiruveṅkāṭu in the Tanjore area, prayed to Śiva for a child. One day he found an infant near a temple tank and adopted him as a gift from God. He named the child Cuvētavaṉa-perumāl after the name of Śiva as the Lord of Cuvētavaṉam (transliteration of the Sanskrit Śvetavana; Tiruveṅkāṭu in Tamil). Impacted by rumors that the child was low-caste, Acciyutaṉ handed him over to the care of his brother-in-law who lived in Tiruveṇṇainallūr. The boy soon attracted the attention of a sage called...

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References

  1. Nallaswami Pillai JM (trans) (1913) Śivajñānasiddhiyār of Aruṇandi Śivāchārya. Meykandan Press, Madras

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  2. Siddalingaiah TB (1979) Origins and development of Saiva Siddhanta up to the 14th century. Madurai Kamaraj University, Madurai

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  3. Zvelebil KV (1975) Tamil literature. EJ Brill, Leiden

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  4. Swamy BGL (1975) The Gōḷaki school of Śaivism in the Tamil country. J Indian Hist 53(2):167–201

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  5. Irattiṉacapāpati V (ed) (1988) Meykaṇṭa Cāttiraṅkaḷ. Madras University, Chennai

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  6. Prentiss KP (1996) A Tamil lineage for Śaiva Siddhānta philosophy. Hist Relig 35(3):231–257

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  7. Ganesan T (ed and trans) (2003) Śivajñānabodha with the Laghuṭīkā of Śivāgrayogī. Śrī Aghoraśivācārya Trust, Chennai

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Religious Studies Department, University of Denver, Denver, CO, USA

    Ginni Ishimatsu

Authors
  1. Ginni Ishimatsu
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Ginni Ishimatsu .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Dept of Anthropology, The University of North Texas Dept of Anthropology, Denton, Texas, USA

    Pankaj Jain

  2. The Graduate Theological Union , Berkeley, California, USA

    Rita Sherma

  3. Jamia Millia Islamia, Centre for the Study of Comparative Reli Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi, India

    Madhu Khanna

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Ishimatsu, G. (2018). Meykaṇṭār (Meykaṇḍār). In: Jain, P., Sherma, R., Khanna, M. (eds) Hinduism and Tribal Religions. Encyclopedia of Indian Religions. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-024-1036-5_643-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-024-1036-5_643-1

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht

  • Print ISBN: 978-94-024-1036-5

  • Online ISBN: 978-94-024-1036-5

  • eBook Packages: Springer Reference Religion and PhilosophyReference Module Humanities and Social SciencesReference Module Humanities

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