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 valient 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 worshipers known 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.

The number 63 is significant, because in Jain tradition, there are 63 great heroes or Mahapurusha: 24 Tirthankaras, 12 Chakravartis and 9 sets of the triad Vasudeva, Baladeva and Prati-Vasudeva. Devotees of Shiva were filled with passion. But this passion was not erotic; it was violent. And this violence was not for personal glory but a mark of submission to divine authority.