Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi, in his boyhood days, read the Periya Puranam, the life history of the 63 Saiva saints. He would also stand before the Shrine of the Saints in the Madurai Meenakshi temple and pray for the descent of grace so that His devotion might also increase and become perpetual like that of the 63 Saints.

Later in Tiruvannamalai, during discussion with devotees, he would, with emotion and devotion, often refer to the lives of these saints. Many publications of the Ashram, such as ‘Talks’, ‘Letters’, ‘Day by Day with Bhagavan', and several reminiscences of devotees, reveal this aspect of Bhagavan in detail.

The Tamil Periya Puranam is a detailed record by Sekkizhar, the 11^th-century minister of the Chola kingdom. The Sanskrit version, Siva Bhakta Vilasam in Skanda Upa Puranam, is a narration by Sage Upamanyu to the other Sages in the 8^th century, in Kailas. When Sundara Murti Nayanar, himself one of the 63 saints and also a brief biographer of Saiva saints, returned to Kailas in the 8^th century, in the form of an effulgence, the Bhakti vilasam of all the 63 saints was revealed by the Sage Upamanyu there.

Bhagavan copied certain portions from Siva Rahasyam and Brahma Kaivarta Puranam, dealing a few details about Jnana Sambanda and Sundara Murti Nayanars that are not found in the above two major works.

There is a Malayalam version of Siva Bhakta Vilasam by one Taruvattu Ammalamma, published in 1908, with a few variations in the names and life details of the 63 saints. The translator refers to a Sanskrit version of Harasarma Muni as a narration by Sages Agastya and Suta in Skanda Upa Puranam. In a copy of this Malayalam version preserved in the Ashram library, two sheets in the handwriting of Bhagavan with the names of the 63 saints in Tamil and the contents in Malayalam are pasted with a photo of Bhagavan. This book is provided here in pdf and audio forms for the benefit of devotees.

Note : Siva Bhakta Puranam – in Malayalam, an independent translation based on Periya Puranam and Siva Bhakta Vilasam – Vol. I is published by Ramanasram in 2018.

* Siva Bhaktha Vilasam – Malayalam Book Pdf (Download Here)