Maiporul Nayanar stands 5th in the list of 63 Nayanmars. Maiporul Nayanar was a pious king ruled
over the kingdom of Chedi in Thirukovilur near Thiruvannamalai. He was brave
and a righteous king. He fought many battles and was always victorious. There
was peace and plenty in his kingdom. People worshipped him as the living God.
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Maiporul Nayanar was well versed in
the Agamas. He was an ardent devotee of the Lord Shiva. He adorned the Shiva
devotees [Shivan Adiyaars] with matted locks, Rudraksham and sacred ashes with
great devotion. According to the king serving the Shivan Adiyaars is equal to
serving Lord Shiva and he preached the same to his people.
Meiporul Nayanar saw everything as Sivamayam. Siva Bhaktas enjoyed absolute freedom in his country, they were honoured by the king and the people alike. Though he ruled the kingdom as the king, his mind was always at the Lord’s Feet. Daily, special prayers and festivals were conducted in the temples in his realm.
Maiporul Nayanar’s fame soon spread
far and wide. This evoked the jealousy of Muthanathan, the king of the
neighbouring state. He collected a big army and attacked Nayanar several times,
but he was repeatedly defeated. So, Muthanathan resorted to foul play.
One day, he disguised himself as a
Siva Yogi (for he knew that Nayanar had supreme devotion to Siva Bhaktas) and
entered the palace at night. The gatekeepers did not question him but allowed
him to proceed. Dathan, the faithful and intelligent servant of Nayanar, was
guarding the bedroom in which the king was sleeping. When the Siva Yogi
approached the bedroom, Dathan tried to stop him from disturbing the king’s
sleep; but the Yogi refused to listen, saying: ‘I have some important and
special message for the king in the Olaichuvadi [Palm Leaf Manuscript] so I
cannot wait.’ So, Dathan had to allow the Yogi to enter the bedroom of the
king, though he was a little suspicious.
Nayanar’s wife got up fast, finding
a Siva Yogi in the room, quickly awakened her husband. The Siva Yogi told the
king that the message in the olaichuvadi is a great secret, revealed by the
Lord Shiva, and that only the king was entitled to hear it. At once the king
sent even the queen away and prostrated before the Yogi, ready to receive the
secret. At that moment, the Siva Yogi, who was none other than the jealous king
Muthanathan, quickly stabbed Nayanar on his back, with a knife he had kept
hidden.
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Hearing the scream of the King, Dathan
entered the room, found the king on the floor in a pool of blood and
Muthanathan with a knife in his hand. He was ready to strike down Muthanathan,
when the dying Meiporul Nayanar said: ‘Datha, he is our man. He has the
appearance of a Siva Yogi and so must be honoured as one. Do not harm him.
Kindly escort him to the borders of our kingdom and see that he is unharmed.’
Dathan obeyed the commands of his master. As he was escorting Muthanathan, the
people tried to attack Muthanathan, but, as soon as Dathan told them of the
king’s commands, they withdrew, admiring the supreme devotion of their king.
Thus, Muthanathan was safely escorted out of the kingdom. Dathan hastened back
to the palace to convey this news to the dying king who was eagerly waiting for
it.
As soon as Dathan conveyed the news to the king, the Nayanar called all his Ministers and relatives to his bedside and spoke to them as follows: ‘It is our duty to serve the Bhaktas. They must be honored and worshipped at all times and under all circumstances. Let our people walk in the footsteps of the Siva Bhaktas. Let the country be flooded with Siva Bhaktas. By their blessings, let peace and prosperity reign in our land.’ With these words, he closed his eyes and meditated on Lord Siva.
Birth Month: Karthigai
Star: Uthiram
Mukthi Sthalam/Place:
Veerateshwarar Temple, Thirukovilur
Read more about Nayanmars here...
தென்னாடுடைய
சிவனே போற்றி!
எந்நாட்டவர்க்கும்
இறைவா போற்றி!
நற்றவா உன்னை நான் மறக்கினும், சொல்லும் நா நமச்சிவாயவே.
Even if I
were to forget you, my tongue would always utter your name, Namashivaaya.
OM
NAMAH SHIVAYA
THIRUCHITRAMBALAM
Have a great day and keep reading
until then I am signing off...
