dakSiNAmUrti stotra, and Tamil and Kashmir zaivisms

[Sudalaimuthu Palaniappan]

In a message dated 5/30/99 3:52:52 AM Central Daylight Time,
vsundaresan at HOTMAIL.COM writes:

> You could read Natalia Isayeva's "From
>  early Vedanta to Kashmir Saivism" for an excellent discussion of the two
>  non-dual traditions. However, while there is a good discussion of
>  philosophical issues, I seem to remember that there is little mention of
>  historical cross-influence in this book.

In a footnote in p. 136 Isayeva writes, "In a striking simile found in one of
the zaivite texts, ziva keeps coming to the soul as an unknown, dark lover
who only after some time becomes gradually "recognized" and accepted; only
then the real merging together becomes possible, and the soul "melts away"
(vilIyate) into ziva's entity."

There is no reference given.  However, when I read this, it brought to my
mind so many suggestions of Tamil devotional poetry of nAyan2mArs and AzvArs.
Does anybody know if there any non-Tamil precursors for the use of such a
simile?

Regards
S. Palaniappan