Śiva's Demon Devotee

An exploration and translation of the work of Hindu poet-saint Kāraikkāl Ammaiyār. The Hindu poet-saint Kāraikkāl Ammaiyār describes herself as a demon, accompanying the god Śiva as he dances in the cremation grounds. She is believed to be the first to write devotional poetry to Śiva in the Tamil language and is considered the first of the sixty-three Tamil poet-saints. Written in the sixth or seventh century, her beautiful poetry presents the path of love and service that brings liberation. In