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

xii SIVAGNANA BOTHAM.
Tanjore District, was long childless and he prayed incessantly to
Swethavana Ishwara for the boon of a child. One morning
he went early to the temple tank and bathed in the tank and
when he got up finishing his prayers, he discovered lying on the
steps of the tank a new born babe whom he at once pressed to his
bosom, and praising God for his mercy to him, took it home and
gave it to his wife. And these two were bringing it up. Being
the gift of Swethavana Ishwara, the child was named Swethavana.
In course of time, however, his caste people began to murmur
against Atchutha, saying that he is bringing up a low born found-
ling. The parents were in very deep sorrow on this account, and
when Atchuthan's brother-in-law had come to him on a visit
from Thiruvennainallur and he offered to take the boy with him
and bring him up, they glady consented and the babe's home
became Thirnvennainallur from its 3rd year. It happened, how-
ever, that the child was dumb from its birth, but the bent of its
mind was discovered in its very play which consisted in making
Sivalingam of sand and becoming absorbed in its contemplation.
One day, a Siddha, a Jivan Mukta, passing by that way, saw the
child in its play and was at once attracted towards it, and observ-
ing the child's advanced spiritual condition, he touched it with
Grace, altered its name to that of Meikanda Deva, and instructed
the child with the Divine Philosophy contained in Sivagnana
Botham, and ordered it to translate the same in Tamil and let the
world know its truth. The sage, however, retained his silence till
his fifth year was past, during which interval it is stated he was
receiving further instruction from God Ganesha of Thiruvennai-
nallur, who was called Polla Pillayar, and the abstract of the
Sutrams and the various arguments called Churnika is said to
have been imparted to Meikanda Deva by Polla Pillayar. How-
ever, after his fifth year, he began to speak out and preach his
Sivagnana Botham and he attracted a very large body of disciples.
In those days, there lived in Thiruthoraiyur, a famous pundit and
Philosopher named Arulnanthi Sivachariar, well versed in all the