The four who are known as Santana Acharyas are Meikandar, Arunanti Sivacharya, Maraignana Sambandhar and Umapati Sivam.

Shivajnana Bodham is hailed as the foremost of Saiva Siddhanta Satras known as Meikanda Satras. It was written by Meikandar. The Saivite tradition of Santana Guravar began with him. Meikandar's disciple was Arunanti Sivacharya. His disciple was the Maraignana Sambandar. He was born in the Samavedic tradition in the Parasara gotra at Pennaagadam on the banks of the Vellar (Niva river).  He received Upadesa from Arunanti Sivacharya. He lived in Thirukkalancheri, northeast of Chidambaram.  Prominent among his disciples was Umapati Shiva, the fourth in the tradition of the Santana Guravar.  Another one is Arul Namachivayar, also known as Machuch Chettiar. There is no known books authored by Maraignana Sambandhar.

At that time, it was customary to honor Dikshitar, who was the chief among the Thillai Three Thousand, with drums and lighted candles.  Even if it is daytime, these are brought as a mark of respect.  One day, Umapati Shiva was sitting on a palanquin after completing the worship at the temple, and proceeding with all these honors. When Sambandhar, the mystic who was sitting in the field of a house, saw this, he said, "Look at the daylight blind going on a fallen tree!" and laughed.  When Umapati Shiva heard it, the seed fell into his mind and the fire took hold of it.

He immediately jumped from the palanquin and fell at the feet of the Maraignana Sambandhar and asked him to accept him as a disciple.  The sage got up and started walking without saying a word.  Umapati Shiva followed him.  Sambandhar, who had gone some distance, stood at the door of a house, where they poured starch on his hands.  Maraignana Sambandhar drank the starch while holding it in his hands.  Then the pulp flowed through his hands. Umapati took it in his hands and drank it saying that it was Guru Prasad.  From that day he became Maraignana Samabandhar's ardent disciple.

Nenjuvidu tutu is a book written by Umapati Shiva out of his devotion to the mystic Guru.

He lived in Tirukkalancheri and attained moksha there.  The seer lived in the 16th century. Tirukkalancheri is currently known as Singharath Thoppu.  Here is the Mutt of the sage Maraignana Sambandhar and the Mahadeva Temple of Tirukkalancheri.  The mutt itself houses the Samadhi of the mystic.  The mutt and the Samadhi are under the charge of Thiruvavaduthurai Atheenam.

See Also:
1. santhAnak kuravar
2. aruNan^dhi chivAchchAriyAr
3. umApathi shivAchchAriyAr