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Home > Devotees > 63 Nayanmar Stories
The history of Moorthy Nayanar
pANdiya kingdom was famous for developing the
literature in thamiz by having chaN^gam.
madhurai was the capital of the kingdom with huge
buildings and prosperity. It has the gigantic temple of
sun^dharEshwarar in the center of the city, which housed
the thamiz chaN^gam.
In the merchant tradition of that
magnificent city came the marvelous devotee mUrthiyAr. For the
Lord who has sandal like body, he undertook the service of
providing sandal everyday without any break. Then the
vaduka king from the north killed the pANdiya king in
the battle and captured the kingdom. As he followed the jainism
and practised intolerance, he troubled and tortured the true
devotees of Lord Shiva. Inspite of the heavy hurdles put by the
horror hearted king, mUrthiyAr continued the service to the
satisfaction without pause. The determination and dedication of
the devotee drowned the devilish acts of the king. Irked by this
he blocked all the ways through which mUrthiyAr can get the
sandal. mUrthiyAr couldn't get the sandal required for the
service. Disappointed but not going down in the determination he
ground his hands instead of sandal on the stone that is used for
grinding. With the skin pealed, bones and nerves coming out, with
blood flowing out like the love that flows in his heart,
he continued. (Is he grinding the source of reincarnation !!).
The Lord not bearing this, raised the sound, "Out of the
determination of love you did this, don't continue this ! The
king who brought these troubles will be dead soon. Then you rule
the kingdom and reach our world". Shocked and surprised mUrthiyAr
stood up. Like the sorrows disappear in the presence of the
blissful Lord, his wounds and pain disappeared and he became as
bright as the Sun.
The king who never knew holiness
died and reached the place he deserved , the Hell. The next
morning the ministers were worried as the king died without
leaving any offspring to rule the country. So they decided to
send an elephant, eyes tied, with a garland to select the new
king. They worshiped and sent the elephant eyes tied. It roamed
around the city and came near the tower of the temple. Meanwhile
mUrthiyAr decided as it was Gods order, he will take up the
service of ruling the kingdom and came out of the temple, stood
near the tower. It was the picture of mighty saluting the
magnificent when the majestic elephant saluted mUrthi n^AyanAr,
garlanded him, took him on its head as he had the feet of God on
his head. The entire city roared with instruments sounding with
the pleasure of the people. The rising of the sun of mUrthiyAr
over the mountain of the elephant drove away the darkness of fear
in their mind. The ecstatic procession reached the palace.
mUrthiyAr said to the ministers and courtmen, "If the
fragrance of shaivism spread then I am ready to rule the
country". All of them agreed it as a boon. He further said that
even if he becomes the king he would have holy ash as the sandal,
holy ornaments of devotees as the valuable ornaments of the king
and the matted hair as the crown. The lusture of outside beauties
don't ruffle the true devotees. When he has the feast of bliss in
his heart, why should he bother for the liquor of transient
pleasures ? He continued the worship of the Lord who never
worships anybody, ruled the kingdom with the shaivismof the Lord who never
worships anybody, ruled the kingdom with the shaivism
illuminating the hearts of the people. As he ruled with holy ash,
rudhrAksham and matted hair as the ornaments he is
praised mummaiyAl ulakANda mUrthiyAr (mUrthiyAr who
ruled the world with three (holy) things). Then he gave the
kingdom to the successor and joined the sandal fragrant feet of
Almighty. Let the determination of mUrthiyAr in doing the service
and the simplicity and unperturbedness of mind even when he
became the king stay in the mind.
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