Siva Prakasar

Siva Prakasar (also Ṣiva Prakāṣa or sometimes Ṣiva-prakāṣa Dēṣikar) was a Tamil poet and philosopher who lived during the late 17th and early 18th centuries.

He contributed more than 34 Tamil books, the most well-known of which is the Nanneri, a work dealing with moral instruction.

He also wrote "Yesu Matha Niragaranam " (The Refuting of the Religion of Jesus) after defeating Christian heretics Roberto Nobili and Beschi in polemic debates.

His father Kumara Swamy Desikar was a respected spiritual leader, being the archaka and Dikshithar for the People of Thondaimandalam.

Swaminatha Desikar converted to Christianity, changed his name to Susai and married Gnasounthari.

To learn Tamil Grammar, Sivaprakasar along with his brothers Karunai Prakasar, Velaiyar went to Thirunelveli and found Valliyur Thambiran as their master.

The pandit taught him everything he knew, but when Sivaprakasa Swamigal tried to pay for his tuition fees, he refused, saying that he would like to have the payment in a different sort.

Sivaprakasa Swamigal accepted the assignment, located the rival scholar, and challenged him to compose spontaneous verses, on a specified topic that they would both pick, that had no labial sounds in them.

The scholar was unable to compose even a single verse with this restriction, whereas Sivaprakasa Swamigal managed to produce thirty-one venpas on the prescribed theme.

To defeat the arrogant Poets he sang " Tiruchendur Neerotta YamahaAnthathi “ Sivaprakasa Swamigal travelled widely all over Tamil Nadu.

Great poet Sivaprakasar, who was blessed as ‘Sivanuputhichelvar’ by the grace of Aadhi Sivagnaana Balaya Swamigal has composed thirty two volumes of poetry in praise of Lord Shiva and Sri Sivagnana Balaya Swamigal.In the following five works of significance, he explains us the wisdom of his guru, which he had experienced personally.

It was originally composed when a Virasaiva scholar, Chamarasa, was challenged by Vaishnavas to produce a work that was greater than either the Mahabharata or the Ramayana.

The result was Prabhulinga Leele which is a biographical anthology of vachana verses praising Lord Siva in myriad ways.

Chamarasa subsequently composed Prabhulinga Leele in eleven days, after which he presented it at the court of the Vijayanagara Emperor Devaraya II in 1436, where it was approved by both the monarch and the scholars who had challenged him.