Verse work in praise of Murugan, Hindu deity; retold.

This book is a translation of the Tamil sthala Purana of Tiruvannamalai composed in the 17th century by Saiva Ellappa Navalar, with special reference to the Arunachala Mahatmya, a section of the Sanskrit Skanda Purana, which is one of its major sources.

The Tamil Devotional Classic Periya Puranam or “The Great Epic” by Sekkizhaar is the saga of the sixty-three Nayanmars or servitors of the Lord who not only lived for Him, on the other hand, adored Him in delightfully distinct ways. Lord Shiva whom these Saiva-Siddhantins worshiped is not a sectarian deity but the supreme creator preserver and destroyer of the Universe who comes in human form from time to time and ‘plays’ with these servitors when their devotion gets incandescent. These Nayanmars consists of devoted men and women of all ages and range from tribal hunters to emperors of vast domains. Caste, community, wealth, and status do not count with them even as they do not with the Lord. The trials and tribulations they cheerfully undergo and the incredible sacrifices they make for the Lord’s sake take our breath away. To pursue their stories is to inhale the air of sanctity and blessedness. Sri G.Vanmikanathan who has rendered the highlights of the original epic from Tamil to English with a racy running commentary is an experienced litterateur who has a number of other devotional works to his credit.

Sekkilar's Periya Puranam deals with the lives and times of 63 Naayanmaars who dedicated their lives in the service of alord Shiva and His devotees. The trials and tribulations faced by these saints leaves us wonder-struck. These tales also shows that the Lord is beyong the clutches of caste and creed as these Naayanmaars belonged to various castes and a few were even women. This makes the Puranam's appeal universal. This is rendered in a simple readable English prose form by an engineer turned scholar, Sri. S. Ponnuswamy. This work is sure to introduce the epic to and enthuse the readers of the present day generation to learn more about it.

This is a concise English version of the Tamil Saivite scripture Tiruvilaiyadal Puranam which was composed by Paranjyothi Munivar and it is one of the triad of Saivite Puranas in Tamil.This Puranam narrates 64 divine plays of Lord Shiva. The translator, Dr. T. N. Ramachandran, has translated this great legendary work into a powerful prose narrative, besides translating a few selected poems from each episode into English, preserving the original devotional and spiritual tenor.Sri S. Rajam, a renowned musician and an eminent artist, has brought out the divine players alive in his colourful paintings and sketches tracing the progress of events in each episode.