kaṇṇappa nāyaṉmār (10) gurupūjai

Between the 6th and 9th centuries, in South India, there existed 63 ardent devotees of Bhagavan Shiva, collectively known as the Nayanmars. These devout individuals, hailing from various walks of life including potters, fishermen, farmers, merchants, priests, hunters, and washermen, created devotional songs still sung by followers around the globe. Among these Nayanmars, Appar, Sambandar, and Sundarar, known for their Thevaram hymns, along with Manikkavasagar, are distinguished as the Samayacharyas or the ‘The Four’ (nAlvar) revered teachers of the faith. They were instrumental in promoting the Shaiva Siddhanta philosophy and culture, effectively challenging the spread of Jainism and Buddhism. Their teachings centered around the concept that Shiva embodies love, and that embracing love for all beings and existence is essential in connecting with Shiva, the Supreme Being.

Nagan, a skilled king of hunters from Uduppur in Pottapi Nadu, was a devout follower of Bhagavan Subramanya. He and his wife, Tattai, were blessed with a child named Tinnanar, who was believed to be the reincarnation of Arjuna. Tinnanar, raised as a hunter, excelled in archery and succeeded his father as the king at a young age. Despite his occupation, he practiced non-violence towards young ones, females, diseased animals, etc. and spiritually, he had already eliminated inner vices like lust, anger, greed, vanity, jealousy, etc.

One day, Tinnanar chased a pig that had escaped its net, leading to an intense pursuit that ended with Tinnanar killing the pig. Exhausted and thirsty, he and his companions sought water and rest. Tinnanar experienced a profound spiritual transformation as he climbed a nearby hill, losing his body consciousness and feeling an overwhelming love for Bhagavan Shiva. On the hill, he found a temple dedicated to Bhagavan Shiva and was moved to tears, feeling a deep connection with the deity.

Tinnanar’s devotion led him to bring food to the temple daily, offering the best pieces of meat after tasting them himself. His actions disturbed his friends and family, who thought he had gone mad. One day, the temple’s priest, Shivagochariar, was horrified to find the temple desecrated by Tinnanar’s unconventional worship, which included water from his mouth for ‘Abhishekam’, and decoration of the Lingam with flowers worn on his head!

Despite Shivagochariar’s efforts to purify the temple and conduct traditional worship, Tinnanar continued his practices, standing guard at the temple entrance after each of his rituals.

Shivagochariar prayed for intervention, and Bhagavan Shiva appeared in his dream and instructed him to witness Tinnanar’s actions. On the sixth day, while at his usual quest to gather food for Bhagavan Shiva, Tinnanar encountered ominous signs. In his selfless devotion, Tinnanar was more concerned for the deity than for himself and these signs sparked a fear that something untoward had befallen Bhagavan! Upon reaching the temple, he was devastated to find blood flowing from the deity’s right eye. In his grief, he dropped all the worship items and tried to treat the deity’s eye with herbs, but the bleeding persisted. Driven by a thought of equivalent sacrifice — ‘flesh for flesh’ — he removed his own right eye with an arrow and placed it on the deity, and the bleeding miraculously stopped. Overwhelmed with joy and dancing in ecstasy, he now noticed the deity’s left eye bleeding. He was clear on how to stop this bleeding — but how would he place the second eye having lost his vision? He planted his foot over the deity’s left eye on the Lingam to guide himself! Just as he was about to extract his left eye, Bhagavan Shiva intervened, grasping his hand and affectionately addressing him as Kannappa (thrice), thus transforming Tinnanar into Kannappar. Bhagavan held him close, restoring his vision and granting him a divine status. Shivagochariar, the temple priest, witnessed this act of supreme devotion and understood its true nature.

The story also carries a deeper, symbolic meaning. Tinnanar’s journey represents the spiritual conquest over inner evils, including ego (symbolized by the wild pig). Accompanied by representations of good and evil (Nanan and Kadan), Tinnanar’s pursuit of the pig signifies the battle with one’s own vices and the embrace of positive samskaras (impressions). The culmination of his journey, where he chooses to worship Bhagavan alone, symbolizes the ultimate renunciation of even good tendencies for pure, unadulterated devotion. Tinnanar’s willingness to sacrifice his own eyes for the deity epitomizes complete self-surrender, the pinnacle of devotion that leads to divine revelation and realization.