Tamil Saivism and The Trascending Message of Ramalinga Swamy

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A study of Tamil Saivism and the Philosophy of Ramalinga Swamy undertaken thirty five years ago was pursued at King's College, University of London in 1974-75 when I did my post-doctoral studies under the able guidance of Professors E.G. Parrinder and Fredhelm A. Hardy. Dr. Parrinder helped me learn the indepth values in Comparitive Religion while Dr. Hardy impressed upon me the significance of textual exegesis in History of Religion. It was a delightful exercise for me to translate the Saivite texts and render the poems of Ramalinga Swamy and the Tamil Siddhas in blank verse in English.

As a token of my indebtedness to both of them I have dedicated the present work which represents a revised version of the original monograph.

I have tried to make an objective presentation of Saivite beliefs and highlight the Bhakti and Siddhi elements in the writings of Ramalinga Swamy, the synthesis of which he claims to be the 'most excellent way' This I have called the transcending message.

I am thankful to the Christian Literature Society for publishing Tamil Saivism in Tamil with two more chapters and the Christian Institute for the Study of Religion and Society for bringing out a booklet on Ramalinga Swamy in 1972. I am also thankful to Messers. Motilal Banarsidass, Publishers who brought out an earlier version of the chapter on Ramalinga Swamy under the title The Mission and Message of Ramalinga Swamy in 1990.

I wish to express my grateful thanks to Dr. John Samuel, Director, Institute of Asian Studies for publishing the book in its present form and also for commending the same with a foreword.

**Contents and Sample Pages**