Thiru Kungiliya Kalayar Nayanar

Thiru Kungiliya Kalayar was born in Thirukadavoor/Thirukayur located on the river banks of Cauvery.  It is one of the famous villages in the Chola Kingdom where the well-known temple of Lord Shiva – Sri Amritha Ghateshwarar and his consort Goddess Abirami is situated.

Nayanmars - An Introduction

Stories of all Nayanmars

List of all Nayanmars

                                    Image source: Google images

Kungiliya Nayanar was a Brahmin and a staunch devotee of Lord Shiva.  His wife was also equally devoted to Lord and they lived a righteous life.  He carries a pot of sambrani/incense [Kungiliyam – is the gum from the kungiliyam tree which is a natural incence] – a substance burned for pleasant fragrance with him.   He made it a regular practice to keep burning incense for its fragrance before lord Shiva and treated it as a service.  He served the devotees of Lord with great passion.  He spent a large part of his wealth in the service to Lord.  Gradually, he found it difficult to meet the minimum daily expenses in the family.  He sold all his properties and nothing remained, still he continued his sincere service to Lord.

                                     Image source: Google images

One day, seeing the unending poverty at home Kungiliya Kalayar’s wife handed Kalayar with her Mangalya Sutra/Maangalyam (A sacred chain worn by married woman) which was only thing left with her.  Kungiliya Kalayar without any hesitation went to the market to sell the sacred chain of his wife, in order to get some rice, vegetables to wave off the hunger of their children.

 The most compassionate Lord wanted to test the devotion of Kungiliyar and spread his glories to this world.  Lord disguised in the form of an incense seller and appeared before Kungiliya Kalayar.  Seeing the incense with an exceptional fragrance, Kungiliya Kalayar totally forgot any of the requests his wife has made for the purchase of provision.  He instantly, gave the Mangalya Sutra to the incense seller and returned with sacks of sambrani/kungiliyam.  He marched towards the temple and started to burn the kungiliyam in front of lord Shiva.

                                     Image source: Google images

Kungiliya Kalayar’s wife patiently waited for her husband to return home with the provisions.  The whole day passed without any news of him.  She put the children to sleep and continued waiting for her husband. She continued to pray for her husband’s safe return.  On that night, Lord Shiva appeared in her dream and blessed her with all the prosperity for their sincere devotion to Lord.  She abruptly woke up from the sleep and was amazed to see all kinds of richness in their home.  The whole house was transformed into an expensive and attractive looks. Once again, she wholeheartedly sang praising the glory of Lord.  She rushed to cook an elaborate and delicious meal for the whole family and waited for her husband’s return.

Nayanmars - An Introduction

Stories of all Nayanmars

List of all Nayanmars

Kungiliya Kalayar who was in the temple immersed at the devotion to Lord, suddenly heard a divine voice instructing Kungiliya Kalayar to return home and have an elaborate meal with his family.  Kungiliya Kalayar was not aware of the hours he had spent before the deity, started to follow the divine instruction.  When he reached home, he was astounded to see the splendid beauty and its grandeur with the grace of Lord.  Soon, the devotees of Lord assembled and sang praising the glory of Lord.  Kungiliya Kalayar and his wife served them with utmost respect and honour.  He continued his divine service to Lord with the enormous wealth.  He firmly believed that the wealth belongs to almighty Shiva and it should be utilized only to the service of Lord.

Kungiliya Kalayar made a visit to the temple of Lord Aruna Satesar, Thiruppanandal.  This is the temple where Thadaka - daughter of a demon worshipped Lord Shiva for an offspring.  Seeing her unparalleled devotion, Lord Aruna Satesar worshipped in the form of Lingam made a sharp bend for Thadaka so that she could decorate the Lingam with the flower garlands.   Many of the villagers tried to straighten up the Lingam with their mighty force; unfortunately none of them were successful. 

The King was deeply distressed at this and desired to set straight the Lingam.   Kungiliya Kalayar genuinely concerned about the King and wanted to eradicate his agony.  He tied a rope on his neck and the other end on the Lingam; he gently pulled out and straightened the curve of the Lingam.   Everyone was amazed at the devotion of Kungiliya Kalayar and deities showered flowers upon him.  Kungiliya Kalayar continued his divine service to Lord and finally attained the Abode of Lord Shiva.

Birthplace: Thirukadavoor/Thirukadaiyur

Star: Aavani Moolam

Nayanmars - An Introduction

Stories of all Nayanmars

List of all Nayanmars

OM NAMAH SHIVAYA

THIRUCHITRAMBALAM

Thiru Poosalar Nayanar

Thiru Poosalar is the eight century Nayanar saint and is counted 58^th in the list of 63 Nayanmars. Poosalar was an ardent devotee of Lord Shiva and always desired to build a beautiful temple for the alimighty.

Thiru Poosalar hailed from a town called Thiruninravur. He was a great devotee of Lord Siva and longed to build a temple for his Lord, though he was a very poor man. He roamed far and wide to get the required funds, but his efforts were not fruitful. He was desperate and distressed beyond words.

Nayanmars - An Introduction

Stories of all Nayanmars

List of all Nayanmars

Suddenly a thought struck him. "Why do I not attempt to build a temple for my Lord in my heart?" He determined to do so. He studied the Agama Sastras and consulted knowledgeable Sivacharyas. The thought got shape in his mind to build a grand temple for the lord almighty.

image source: google images

He gathered requisite materials in his mind. He approached rich donors and collected huge amounts from them-all in his mind. Expert architects were approached who formulated designs, plans and drawings. He collected artisans, renowned sculptors, labourers and tools. He did not even leave small details, however trivial it might appear on first sight! His thoughts were occupied only with the construction of a grand temple for the Lord and determined to complete the task with great devotion.

On an auspicious day, the corner (foundation) stone was laid according to the rituals. With infinite love and meticulous care he had the temple built brick by brick, stone by stone, pillar by pillar, sculpture by sculpture, day and night, unseen by anyone.

Layer by layer, from the base to the top, the temple was nearing completion. He planned the huge Rajagopuram, other four towers, one each for the four directions, North, East, West and South. He supervised the construction devotedly. The rounded dome, the ancillary pillars, pavilions, shrines and the sacred kalasams were all made ready, worked on the wall sides and niches. Shrines for the Divine Mother, the Lord's Consort, Vinayaka, Muruga, main deity, Durga were completed. Walls and prakarams were laid. The temple tank was dug and filled with clean water fit for abihsekham (anointing)

At last, the temple was fully completed. It was grand, mighty and a rare sight to behold! He consulted the priests, discussed with them in great detail and fixed an auspicious date for the Mahakumbhabhishekam (consecration) of the temple. ..

The Kadava king of Kanchi who was also a great devotee of Lord Shiva had built a magnificent temple of granite, marble, red and black stones. The king decided to perform the Kalsabhishekam on the same date, on which Poosalar had mentally chosen for the installation of the Lord in his temple.

image source: google images

The Lord wanted to show the king the superiority of Poosalar’s great devotion. So, the Lord appeared in the king's dream the night before the sacred consecration date. The king was thrilled. But, the Lord asked him to postpone the installation ceremony in his temple. The Lord explained that He had to be present at the installation and consecration ceremony fixed by His dear devotee Poosalar of Thiruninravur on that same date! That was far more important!

Nayanmars - An Introduction

Stories of all Nayanmars

List of all Nayanmars

The king woke up from sleep and was intensely eager to have the darshan of the devotee mentioned by the lord and also to have a look at the great temple built by Poosalar, which he considered to be more superior to the temple he built.

                                                       image source: google images

The King moved on to Thiruninravur in search of the temple. The king could not find any temple and so he enquired about the whereabouts of Poosalar. The King spotted Poosalar in the town and asked him about the temple. He also told him about the words of the Lord in his dream.

Poosalar was in tears. He was deeply touched by the grace of the Lord. He told the king that the temple he built was in his mind. The king was surprised to hear this. He admired Poosalar’s devotion and fell at his feet and started to worship him. Poosalar installed Lord Shiva in his heart/hridayam temple and continued to worship till he attained Lord Shiva’s abode.

The King later on built a temple in Thiruninravur – Hridayaleeswarar Temple( the lord who resides in heart) and made the dream of Poosalar Naayanar come true.

                                 Hridayaleeswarar Kovil - Thiruninravur

                                 image source: Google images

Nayanmars - An Introduction

Stories of all Nayanmars

List of all Nayanmars

OM NAMAH SHIVAYA

THIRUCHITRAMBALAM

28. Tiruneelanakka Nayanar

Tiruneelanakka Nayanar  was a Nayanar saint, venerated in the Hindu sect of Shaivism. The life of Tiruneelanakka Nayanar is described in the Periya Puranam by Sekkizhar (12th century), which is the Tamil account of the 63 Nayanars. Tiruneelanakka Nayanar is the twenty-eighth in the list of 63 Nayanars. 

Nayanmars - An Introduction

Stories of all Nayanmars

List of all Nayanmars

                                image courtesy :google images

 Tiruneelanakka Nayanar was born in Sattamangai (Thirusathamangai/Satthamangkai), currently called Seeyathamangai, is in Nagapattinam district in Tamil Nadu. The Ayavantheeswarar temple dedicated to the god Shiva, stands in this town. Tiruneelanakkar was born in a family of Brahmins whose duty was to recite the vedas and perform the rituals as per the text. As an expert in the Vedas, he was a staunch devotee of Shiva and served his devotees, by washing their feet and welcoming them to his home.

Once on the day of Poornima (the full moon day), Tiruneelanakka and his wife went to Ayavantheeswarar temple. While Tiruneelanakka was performing his daily ritual worship of the lingam (the aniconic form of Shiva worshipped as the central icon in temples), a spider fell from his web on the lingam. The wife blew away the spider, wherein some saliva could have fallen on the lingam. In some versions, she goes a step further and spits on the spot where the spider falls. This action was in accordance with the tradition of spitting on a part of a child where the spider fell so as the poison of the spider does not spread in the body.

     image courtesy: Google images

Tiruneelanakka considered her action as an insult and asked the wife what she had done. She replied she just blew away the spider as per tradition. The infuriated Brahmin said that she had contaminated the lingam by her saliva, as per Agamic scriptures and she should have removed the spider by some other means. The Brahmin offered rituals to purify the lingam and apologized to the god. Further, he abandoned his wife in fury.

Nayanmars - An Introduction

Stories of all Nayanmars

List of all Nayanmars

While the wife spent her night in the temple, Tiruneelanakka went home and slept. Shiva appeared in Tiruneelanakka's dream. While a part of the body was normal, rest of it was swollen by the spider's poison. Shiva remarked that his normal area was where Tiruneelanakka's wife had blown/spat. Tiruneelanakka realized that devotion (love) was superior to rituals. In the dawn, he went dancing to the temple and worshipped Ayavantheeswarar. He returned with his wife. Tiruneelanakka continued to serve Shiva and his devotees with love.

Having heard of the child saint Sambandar's glories, Tiruneelanakka visited to meet him in person. Tiruneelanakka heard that the Nayanar Sambandar accompanied by another Nayanar Tiru Nilakanta Yazhpanar and an entourage of devotees were coming to Sattamangai. Tiruneelanakka decorated Sattamangai for welcoming Sambandar and hosted him at his home. He honoured Sambandar with due respect. Tiruneelanakka made numerous arrangements for Sambandar to spend the night at his house.

Sambandar also suggested that Yazhpanar and his wife - who were travelling minstrels and composed music to Sambandar's hymns - be given accommodation. The caste-conscious host was uneasy inviting the Shudra (low-caste) couple of Tiru Nilakanta Yazhpanar and his wife home. After insistence by Sambanar, the host gave them a place to sleep near the homa kunda, the fire altar used for sacrifices. The fire of homa kunda shone brightly in the night, giving testimony to the couple's devotion. Tiruneelanakka discerned that devotion is superior to caste barriers too.

                                                      

Sambandar

image courtesy: google images

Sambandar accompanied Tiruneelanakka to the Ayavantheeswarar temple and composed a hymn in honour of the god and his host Tiruneelanakka Nayanar. Tiruneelanakka wanted to accompany Sambanar on his travels, but the child saint instructed Tiruneelanakka to stay in Sattamangai and serve Ayavantheeswarar and his devotees.

After few years, Sambandar invited Tiruneelanakka Nayanar to his wedding in Thirumana Nallur (presently known as Achalpuram). Tiruneelanakka officiated as the presiding priest of the wedding ceremony. After the wedding, Sambandar, his bride and the wedding party went the Shivaloka Thyagar temple of Shiva, in Thirumana Nallur. Sambandar prayed to Shiva, seeking salvation. Shiva appeared as a blazing flame and granted his wish. Then Sambandar, his bride and all the wedding guests, including Tiruneelanakka Nayanar merged in the Light of Shiva.

Nayanmars - An Introduction

Stories of all Nayanmars

List of all Nayanmars

OM NAMAH SHIVAYA

THIRUCHITRAMBALAM

The Story of Nandanar- Thirunaalai Povaar Nayanar- Nayanar for whom Nandhi stepped aside

OM NAMAH SHIVAYA

                                 image courtesy: Google images

Nandanar, also known as Thirunalaippovaar, was a Nayanar saint and is eighteenth in the list of 63 Nayanars. Like the other Nayanars, he was a great devotee of the Lord Shiva.

Nayanmars - An Introduction

Stories of all Nayanmars

List of all Nayanmars

Nandanar’s  exact date is not known, but he probably lived in the seventh or eighth century. The story of Nandanar and his devotion appears in the Periya Puranam of Sekkilar [12th century], which is the Tamil account of the sixty-three Nayanmar [Shaivite] saints. Nandanar’s story was made famous by Gopala Krishna Bharati in his Nandanar-Charitra. In the nineteenth century this was sung in every village in Tamil Nadu.  Gopalakrishna’s version, which added a few details to that of Sekkizhar, is given below.

Nandanar was born in village Adhanur in Thanjavur district in Tamil Nadu in a low caste (Dalit) family.  He worked as a bonded labourer for a land owner of the Vedhiyar caste. Since their caste was engaged in making drums using animal skin (called Parai in Tamil), this caste is also referred to as Parayar. Apart from  these Nandanar also made string intstruments  like Veena and Yaazh and skin covering for instruments like Berigai. From very early age, Nandanar was a great devotee of Lord Shiva, though his people worshipped village Gods like Karuppan, Chamundi etc. 

As an untouchable,  Nandanar was not permitted to enter the village temple, but yearned to visit it. He used to play the yazh (an instrument) and sing devotional songs from some distance away.  He desired to go to the temple in Tiruppungur to worship the deity Shivaloganathaswami  and one day managed to reach there. Nandanar stood outside the temple and wanted to have a glimpse of Lord Shiva. The idol of the big bull Nandi which normally is in front of Lord Shiva, in Shiva temples was not allowing him to have the glimpse of the almighty. On Shiva’s command, the Nandi moved a few feet to the right, so that Nandanar could view the lingam. Nandanar was estatic. In Thiruppungur, he heard about the great Natraja temple in Chidhambaram and about the cosmic dance of Lord Shiva.

                                 image courtesy: google images 

Returning to his village, filled with great joy,  Nandanar was determined to go to Thillai (Chidambaram). Every day he would say, ‘I will go tomorrow’, and thus he earned the name Thiru Nalai Povaar, ‘The divine one who will go tomorrow’, and is still known by that name.  Finally he approached his Vedhiyar landlord for permission, who told him to worship the gods of his own caste. Nandanar did not give up. Once again he asked the landlord, who said he would permit him if he had finished ploughing in 40 velis of land (250 acres) in one day, which was an impossible task. Nandhanar was heartbroken and started to pray in desperation to the Lord.

The next day, Nandanar went out to the fields to plough the land which was a humongous task, but to his surprise the whole field was ploughed and ready for sowing seeds. The Landlord was shocked and amazed and realised that Nandanar was not a simple devotee of Lord Shiva.

Nayanmars - An Introduction

Stories of all Nayanmars

List of all Nayanmars

By the grace of Shiva this was done, so Nandanar was extremely excited and set off for Chidambaram. But after reaching Chidambaram, he could see the smoke of the fire rituals being done in every home. On hearing these rituals and Vedas sung everywhere, Nandanar felt that he should not even go into the town as he would make the place ‘unholy’. So he went around the town numerous times, felt very sad and finally slept outside the town. He had a wonderful dream in which Lord Shiva ordered him to walk through fire. Lord Shiva wanted to show the world that Nandanar was like pure gold which comes out more shining when put through fire.

                                  image courtesy: Google images

Meanwhile Lord appeared in temple priests' (dikshitars) dream and ordered them to create a sacrificial fire at a place outside the town. The surprised priests went to the place and created a sacrificial fire and Nandanar understood that this was the fire the Lord Shiva had asked him to walk through. Nandanar walked through the fire uttering Lord Shiva’s name. Everyone was surprised to see that he came out with glowing figure with the sacred ash smeared on his body and he appeared like a divine being, with a divine aura glowing around him.

On witnessing this miraculous act, the priest took Nandanar inside the temple. Nandanar with great devotion uttering Lord Shiva’s name, entered the garba griha and just vanished into thin air. Shri Nandanar, the great devotee of Lord Shiva, amalgamated with almighty.

                                                        Nandanar image courtesy: Google images

He has been praised by Ramalinga Swami, Mahatma Gandhi, Swami Sivananda, and several others, and is perhaps the most well-known of the Nayanars. In 1910 Swami Sahajananda established the Nandanar School and Nandanar Matha  at Chidambaram in his memory.

Nayanmars - An Introduction

Stories of all Nayanmars

List of all Nayanmars

OM NAMAH SHIVAYA

THIRUCHITRAMBALAM