शिवज्ञानबोध (मेय्कण्डार - शैव सिद्धान्त का आधारभूत दार्शनिक सूत्र ग्रन्थ)

NOTE ON THE AUTHOR.
“He who translated and commented on Sivagnana Botham,
whose knowledge was imparted by Nandi and his disciples, for
the purpose of obtaining Salvation, by pointing out the way to
proceed from the knowledge of the body full of sorrow, to the
knowledge of the soul, and thence to the knowledge of the Supreme
Spirit, enshrined in the Maha Vakya, just as the glorious sun,
enables our sight by dispelling the deep darkness from the vast
surface of this earth ;
“He, who under the name of Swethavana lived in
Thiruvennainallur, surrounded by the waters of the Pennar ;
“He, who left all false knowledge knowing it to be such and
was therefore called Meikanda Deva ;
“He is the Lord whose feet form the flower worn on the
heads of even the holiest sages.”
Such is the brief Sirappu Payiram which is usually affixed
to the Tamil edition of the book, giving particulars of the name
and place of the author and the merit of his work.
The author who translated in Tamil, Sivagnana Botham and
commented on it was called in early life Swethavana and after
he attained spiritual eminence was called Meikanda Deva
(meaning Truth finder) and he lived in Thiruvennainallur
situated on the banks of the lower Pennar, about 20 miles
from Panruti on the S. I. R. line. To this brief account
tradition adds the following particulars. One Atchuthan of
Pennagadam Village near Thiruvenkadu or Swethavana in