Viralminda Nayanar

VIRALMINDA NAYANAR

INTRODUCTION

Viralminda Nayanar is a Nayanar saint, and considered as one among the 63 Nayanars. He was a staunch devotee of Lord Shiva and gave good respect to his devotees.

LIFE

Viralminda Nayanar was born in Kerala, and he belongs to vellalar caste. He honoured the shiva devotees in a proper manner and provided food to them in his home. He visited many shiva temples and reached Thiruvarur, and went to Thyagaraja Temple, temple of Lord Shiva. According to him, shiva devotees must be worshipped before worshipping Lord Shiva in the temples. Once, Sundarar, came to the Thyagaraja shrine and worshipped Lord Shiva without giving salutation to shiva devotees. This act of Sundarar made Viralminda to get angry with Sundarar and also with Lord Thyagaraja who had allowed sundarar to worship him before worshipping his devotees. He also tried to attack sundarar with a powerful weapon, but sundarar was safeguarded by Lord Shiva.

He was also taken an oath of not entering Thiruvarur. Viralminda settled in the village near Thiruvarur. And he provided food to the devotees on a daily basis, and would check with them about their native place. He would kill them if they belonged to Thiruvarur with his weapon. Once, Lord Thyagaraja, transformed himself as a shiva devotee and came to Viralminda’s house. When Viralminda heard that the devotee belonged to Thiruvarur, he tried to kill him with his weapon. The devotee crossed the limits of Thiruvarur and shown his true form as Shiva and blessed Viralminda for his sincere devotion. He was granted SALVATION after his death.

Viralminda Nayanar is worshipped in the Thiruvarur Thyagaraja temple. He is worshipped on Thiruvathirai, and also he is worshipped along with the 63 Nayanars in the shiva temples.

IMPORTANCE

Viralminda was a great nayanar who had given more respect to the shiva devotees than Lord Shiva. He spent his entire life in providing necessities for the shiva devotees and took care of them in a proper manner. He also conducted various pujas and abhishekhams in the shiva temples and worshipped him sincerely.

Let us try to cultivate such a kind of sincere bhakti from him and be blessed.

“OM SREE VIRALMINDA NAYANAMARE NAMAHA”

“OM NAMAH SHIVAYA”

“OM SAKTHI PARASAKTHI”

WRITTEN BY

R.HARISHANKAR