Thirumoolar’s Ashtanga Yoga

Thirumoolar’s Ashtanga Yoga

Yogi Thirumoolar is a Tamil yogi who is one the main 63 Nayanars and one of the 18 Siddhars.

Thirumoolar has authored this seminal yogic text called Thirumandiram which consists of 3000 verses, and it forms a part of the key text of the Tamil Shaiva Siddhanta. This is considered one of the best and most important scripture in Tamil language.

As most scriptures and literature are like advice and teachings sage Thirumoolar’s writings are more of his own experience and the verses are written in a way as if he is talking to you directly. He is one of the true yogis who explains his own journey and experiences of Ashtanga yoga, which he describes as Siva yoga. His teachings of yoga and the reference to its therapeutic benefits is more detailed than any other yogis including sage patanjali and any other scriptures in yoga.
Thirumandiram is comprised of nine Tantras. The nine Tantras consist of various aspects of human life. Tantra three explains in great details about Ashtanga Yoga, the eight limbs of yoga path.  No other yogic literature or yogis has explained so much detail about the therapeutic effects of the yoga practice.  In many sutras he elaborates how regular practice of Ashtanga Yoga helps balance all three elements in our body, preventing and curing various ailments in our body and mind.

Sage Thirumoolar explains yoga and sex under the name of pariyanga yoga- the yogic practices for men and women to enjoy their sexual life, tridhosa and its imbalance and how to balance the tridhosa in our body.

His message to the whole humanity and the essence of this yogic text is very simple, which is god is love and love is god. Every yoga practitioner should read Thirumandiram to learn not just about yoga but about the vast depth of knowledge about human life itself and to understand the path of self-realization.