mUrthi nAyanAr
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 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.
- gurupUjai : Adi - kruththikai
- Born place of mUrthy nAyanAr
pukazch chOza nAyanAr
The center from which the venturous early chOzas, who had fluttered their flag in the cliffs of Himalayas, ruled was uRaiyUr. As it was the capital, it had the movement of courageous corps and all the four kinds of fighting forces. It had the array of beautiful cliff-high houses. As the crown at the center is the temple of the crescent headed God, pa.nchavarNeshwarar, who showed Himself in five colors to a sage in this colorful city. It is now at the center of the city thiruchchirAppaLLi.
pukazch chOzar whose name has got fame in it and whose deeds were fountain of fame was a king who ruled from that famous city. He was an emperor with the kings of the entire region keen on saluting his valor and accept his rule. But he was a slave of the shambhu and His selfless slaves. Shaivism spread its fragrance over the far reaching frontiers of his state. Temples of the Three eyed Lord had timely worships with tremendous devotion. The needs of devotees were taken care of by the caring king before they cared to ask. Peace and prosperity were predominant in that place and in the minds of the people. His respect for the devotees was so great that when his royal elephant was killed by eRipaththar for straying down the flowers meant for the feet of God, he bowed down before eRipaththar and said, "It is not sufficient to just kill that elephant for the crime done, please kill me too".
Once he went to karuvUr, the traditional city of chOzas, accompanied by courtmen and beloved relations. He bowed in front of the Lord in karuvUr whose bow is the great mountain, before going to his bungalow. The gems of the empires were submitted to him by the kings who surrendered to his strength and love. He came to know that only one king adhiakan volunteered the trouble of not accepting his empire. As it was the tradition of the kings he ordered his four forces to overrun the fort of the foe. The powerful, plenty in number and courageous army of pukazch chOzar powdered the fort of enemy in the fight. They brought the heap of heads to show their valor to the king. He was petrified to see a head with plaited hair which is a mark of the devotee.
Though it was the custom of the kings of olden days to fight and enlarge the frontiers, our peerless king felt it was a crime that had happened. He said in all sadness, "Is it the way I am ruling the empire ? Even after seeing the matted head of a devotee how am I still governing, with grayed fame ?". He ordered the ministers to guide the new king, his son, in the right path of God and to the gloom of them he decided to give up his life. He, smeared in holy ash, held the matted haired head in a golden plate and entered the fire with the glory of the God quenching his heart. He entered the feet of Lord unreachable for nonbelievers with the increase of enchanting of his fame. Let the devotion of pukazch chOzar in which that king bowed to eRipaththar for the mistake of his elephant, and out of which he sacrificed his body for the mistake of his soldiers stay in the mind.
knr--
If God brings you to it, He will bring you through it.
Happy moments, praise God.
Difficult moments, seek God.
Quiet moments, worship God.
Painful moments, trust God.
Every moment, thank God
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