சுந்தரமூர்த்தி நாயனாரின் பக்தித்திறம் (The Piety of Sundaramurthy Nayanar)

Abstract

Saivism is a religion that has Lord Shiva as the ultimate deity. Among those who developed Saivism, 63 Nayanmars are the most notable figures, and Sundaramurthy Nayanar, one of the Nayanmars, is considered one of the Naalvar. We believe that Sundarar is the incarnated son of Sadayanar and Isainyaniyar in Tirunavalur. He received the appellation 'Vanthondan' when Lord Shiva himself came in person and prevented his marriage. The name was bestowed on Sundaramurthy Nayanar for his harsh speech to Lord Shiva. When asked to sing in Tamil, Sundaramurthy Nayanar started singing with the word 'pitta' included in the lyrics, which was a form of his reprimand to Lord Shiva. This event made Lord Shiva convert Sundamurthy Nayanar, a slave, to the Lord’s companion. This study is carried out with the primary aim of exploring the devotion found in Thevaram, which the glorious Sundaramurthy Nayanar blessed. This paper explores his piety under three subtopics: ‘Guru Bhakti', 'Shiva Bhakti' and 'Adiyar Bhakti'.