Cekkilar's Periyapuranam is the twelfth book. It is different from the rest in the sense that it details the lives of Saivaite saints. Being a popular and favorite faith of Tamilnadu, Saivism has attracted the attention of scholars of other religions too. Other scholars also, for example Kingsbury, attempted to render into English some of the stanzas of this hymnal literature. Thus it has proven to be a subject for translation and research.
Comparative religion is a subject gaining ground in recent times.
This gives scope to study a religion side by side the other religions. This sort of comparative study brings people together, forgetting that they belong to different followings. It is obvious from this that Saivism of Tamilnadu is a proper and rich subject for research, both at the national and the international levels. Nationally it can be compared with other faiths flourishing in this country. Internationally speaking, it is a subject to be studied in depth to understand the people and the culture of Tamilnadu.