63 Nayanmars !! Life of Thirumula Nayanar !!


Jai Sriman Narayana !!

 
Jaya Jaya Sankara Hara Hara Sankara !!

 

Photo courtesy: shaivam.org

Un Udambir Piravividin Thirthulakathor Uyya
Gnana Muthal Nangumalar Nannirumanthiramalai
Panmaimurai Orandukku Kondraga Paramporulum
Yenai Ranitharai Ondravanthan Yeanaeduthu


 

Thirumula Nayanar was a Shiva Yogi, travelled extensively through the sacred land of Mount Kailash and arrived on the southern parts of India with a desire to be with Sage Agastya in Podhikai Malai.  On his way from North, he visited many famous temples of Lord Shiva.  He had dharshan of Lord Kedarnath and Lord Pasupathinath  in Nepal.  Thirumlar had holy dip in Ganges and preceded towards south, he arrived at Sri Sailam and worshipped Sri Mallikarjuna Swamy, and resumed his journey to Thiru Kalahasthi.  He stopped in Kanchipuram and worshipped Lord Shiva in Ekambaranthar Temple and moved to Thiruvadhikai – Ashta Veerattanam – Sri Veerattaneshwarar Temple.  He visited the sacred land of Lord Chidambaram; he stayed there for quite some time and worshipped Chidambaranathar with his consort Goddess Thillai Nayaki.  He arrived on the banks of River Cauvery and had holy dip in River Cauvery; he visited Abathsahayeshwarar Temple of Lord Shiva situated in Aduthurai.



Thirumula Nayar worshipped Lord Abathsahayeshwar in this temple; he praised the glories of Lord and halfheartedly resumed his spiritual journey towards Podhikai Malai with a deep desire to meet Sage Agastya.  Not too far from this place, Thirumula Nayanar arrived at the river banks of Cauvery.  There he found herds of cattle pathetically encircled the dead body of a cowherd with their painful moaning and cries and licking the lifeless body of the cowherd now and then.  The most compassionate Shiva Yogi who firmly believed that Love is Lord deeply moved at the fondness of these animals, he decided to put an end to their desolation.  With the yogic practices he transformed his soul into the body of ‘Mulan’ – the cowherd and Shiva Yogi attained a state of Samadhi.  The cowherd was brought back to his life at the mercy of Shiva Yogi.  Instantaneously Mulan rose to his feet, seeing the warmth of the cattle’s around Mulan was jubilant and cattle were moved around him with delight.  At the time sundown, the cattle were slowly withdrawn from the river bank and returned to their nest safely.


 

The cowherd Mulan’s wife was anxiously waiting for her husband’s return.  At last, she was happy to find him checking on cattle.  She hurried to her husband and touched him.  But, Mulan was shocked to see her close to him; he refused to accept her as his wife.  He moved out of his house and stayed in an isolated place.   She was alarmed; with tears streaming on her cheeks and mounting pain went back to her home.  She had no offspring or relatives to comfort her.  She lamented at her fate, spent a sleepless night.  The villagers arrived for her rescue, listened to her heart breaking stories.  They promised her that they will be back with an appropriate resolution for this serious issue.


 

Soon the villagers found Shiva Yogi (Mulan) who was engrossed in an absolute bliss, in a world of renunciation.  He was in a state of divine bliss where there was no place for attachment or materialism.   They realized that it was neither Mulan’s fault nor his wife.   Later the villagers comforted Mulan’s wife that he had experienced the heavenly state of Shiva Yoga which made him beyond reachable.  Thirumula Nayanar rose from meditation and walked through the banks of river Cauvery searching for the place where he found the body of cowherd.  Soon he realized that it was the desire of Lord Shiva to remain him as Thirumular to compose the sacred verses of ‘Thiru Manthiram’.  He composed sanctified verses of ‘Thiru Manthiram’ sitting under the shade of peepal tree in an ultimate bliss of Shiva Yoga in the Temple of Lord Abathsahayeshwarar in Aduthurai.  He lived 3000 years in a state of Samadhi and engaged in composing the divine script ‘Thiru Manthiram’ and finally attained the Abode of Lord Shiva.


 

In the Tamil month Aippasi Ashwini is widely celebrated as Guru Puja Day, the day Thirumula Nayanar attained the Abode of Lord Shiva. 

 
Jaya Jaya Sankara Hara Hara Sankara !!

 
Jai Sriman Narayana !!




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