Summary

Linga is the phallus symbol, the form Śiva is traditionally worshipped in. It literally means any 'mark' or 'sign'. Cidambaram is the name of the town in the State of Tamil Nadu in India, the only temple where Śiva is worshipped as the chief deity in a human form, as Nataraja (the King of Dance). 'Cidambaram' literally means 'Consciousness-space' or 'mental space'. Consciousness in essence, Śiva constantly dances on the stage or space that is himself. This dance appears as the ever-changing world Cidaṃbara liṅga means, "The symbolic sign worshipped at “Cidaṃbaraṃ” or "The symbolic sign conceived in the mental space". Similar in all respects to the Lingastakam of Śaṅkara, this work in Sanskrit in the Totakam metre. Guru, once, at the request of his disciple Śivalinga Svami made a visit to Cidambaram Temple. The piece was dictated to the disciple just after the visit. The date could be between 1887 and 97.