INTRODUCTION
Murthi Nayanar, is a Shiva Devotee and is one among the 63 Nayanars.
LIFE
Murthi Nayanar was born in Madurai and he was a merchant. He was an ardent devotee of Lord Shiva and he used to serve Shiva by offering sandalwood paste in order to apply it to the idol of Lord Shiva in the temple. The then ruler of Pandya kingdom was a strict follower of Jainism. He tried to convert Murthi Nayanar also to Jainism. But he remained in Shaivism and continued applying the sandalwood paste to Lord Shiva in the temple. The Jain king stopped the supply of sandalwood to his kingdom in order to stop Murthi Nayanar’s service to Lord Shiva. But, the great Murthi Nayanar used his own blood instead of sandalwood and started applying it to Lord Shiva. Pleased by his sincere devotion, Lord Shiva appeared before him and blessed him to be the Pandiyan King.
Soon after the death of the Jain king, the royal elephant garlanded Murthi Nayanar, and he became the king of Madurai. Though he was a king, he lived a simple life and ruled the kingdom in a proper manner and the spread of importance of Shaivism among the people. After his death, he reached the holy abode of Kailasa and attained MUKTHI.
IMPORTANCE
Due to his sincere bhakti, lord shiva made him as the king, and after becoming a king, he ruled Madurai in a proper manner, and during his period, all the people in his kingdom were lived happily and peacefully, and they were not suffered from mental and physical diseases and from poverty, and the people loved him very much and followed the principles of shaivism and worshipped Lord Shiva. Every day pujas were conducted in all the shiva temples in a proper manner and people were praised about his glory and greatness.
Let us worship the great nayanar saint and be blessed.
“OM SREE MURTHI NAYANARE NAMAHA”
“OM NAMAH SHIVAYA”
WRITTEN BY
R.HARISHANKAR