By Dr. Devdutt Pattanaik - Author, Speaker, Illustrator, Mythologist
About a thousand years ago, we are told that the Chola king was drawn to a Jain epic called Jivaka Chintamani. It tells the story of a young man’s erotic and valiant adventures, who eventually becomes a Jain monk. To prevent local kings from becoming monks, a Tamil devotee of Shiva decided to compile and present stories of Shiva worshippers called as Nayanars known for their fierce aggressive devotion. This gave rise to the Periya Puranam in the 12th century. It lists 63 saints of Shiva.
