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lost the bowl and offered to replace it with a new clay bowl. However, the agitated ascetic refused and accused the potter of stealing his precious bowl. Upon much persuasion, the ascetic ordered
Tirunilakanta to take a dip in the temple tank and swear by taking his hand on the head of his son. When the potter told the yogi that he was childless, the ascetic suggested that he do so by swearing on his wife's head. But, Tirunilakanta refused to do so, due to his vow, the incensed left and appealed to the
343:. After the Tirunilakanta incident, the form of Shiva was renamed as Ilamai-yakinar. The temple has a shrine for the Tirunilakanta Nayanar and his wife Ratnasalai. The Thai Vishakha day is believed to be the day of Tirunilakanta Nayanar's test of devotion. The day is marked by a temple festival when the tale of the Nayanar's test are ritually enacted in the temple tank. Separated couples or couples with disputes in the marriage are prescribed to pray in the temple for a happy married life.
224:
story - which was concealed from the world till then - about his private life and his vow to the assembled
Brahmins and the ascetic. The old couple immersed themselves in the holy waters and emerged as a young couple as they rose up. The awestruck Brahmins looked in disbelief. The ascetic disappeared. In the sky, Shiva appeared with his consort
201:. Traditionally, a Hindu married woman does not address her husband by his name. It is not clear by what she meant, but her husband took the meaning that she refrained him from touching all women ("us") by the name of the god Nilakanta. The Nayanar pledged not to touch any woman from that day, even in his thoughts.
212:(mendicant). He was welcomed and worshipped by Tirunilakanta Nayanar. Upon inquiry by the aged potter about what he can do for the ascetic, the ascetic gave him his "precious" earthen begging bowl and told the potter to keep it safe till he returns. The yogi left; Tirunilakanta kept the bowl in a safe location.
223:
The
Brahmin court heard both sides and ordered the potter to swear his innocence in the holy tank. Tirunilakanta and his wife entered the temple pond, each holding an end of a bamboo stick. The ascetic objected and suggested the potter hold his wife's hand. Ultimately, the potter revealed the whole
196:
Once, Tirunilakanta
Nayanar enjoyed pleasure with a prostitute. The news reached the wife before he reached home. The enraged wife fulfilled all her duties but did not allow her husband to touch her. When he tried affectionately touch her to placate her, she refused his advances and said 'Would you
215:
After a long time, the yogi returned and demanded his begging bowl. Tirunilakanta looked for the bowl in the place he kept it and then searched the whole house in vain. Shiva had actually made the begging bowl disappear. The worried
Nayanar prostrated before the mendicant and told him that he had
188:
of potters. He made earthenware pots and other containers. He was a devout devotee of Shiva and distributed clay bowls to devotees of Shiva, free of cost. He and his wife specially revered the
Nilakanta (Tirunilakanta, "Blue Throated one") form of Shiva, who drank the
204:
While the wife carried out all the responsibilities of a wife to
Tirunilakanta Nayanar, they never touched each other. They lived in different quarters in the house and fulfilled Tirunilakanta's vow in secret. The couple became old.
260:(11th century) says that Tirunilakanta Nayanar observed sexual abstinence with his wife and as an aged man, regained his youth with his wife by "God's grace". A maxim by Sivadevayya, also known as Visweswara Siva Desika, the
317:). He receives collective worship as part of the 63 Nayanars. Their icons and brief accounts of his deeds are found in many Shiva temples in Tamil Nadu. Their images are taken out in procession in festivals.
197:
touch us (me) .... Tirunilakanta.' While the wife meant that her husband does not touch her, she used a pronoun, which also meant "us". Tirunilakanta could be interpreted as the name of the husband or god
335:, which is believed to the site of the test of Tirunilakanta Nayanar by Shiva. The Ilamaiyakinar temple dedicated to Shiva stands on the banks of the tank. The temple is said to be built by the devotee
256:, a hymn to Nayanar saints, calling him "the blessed potter" and the first Nayanar mentioned in the hymn and the only one whose caste affiliation is stated. While describing the Nayanars,
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in childhood, Sundarar in youth and
Gundaya (Tirunilakanta Nayanar) in old age; if one has no faith in Shiva then "his birth is burden and life is futile".
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and blessed the couple. Pleased by the couple's devotion and sexual restraint, Shiva took them to his abode
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The
Religion and Philosophy of Tēvāram: With Special Reference to Nampi Ārūrar (Sundarar)
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In
Chidambaram, west of the main Nataraja Temple lies the temple tank called
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The images of the Nayanars are found in many Shiva temples in Tamil Nadu.
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The Tyāgarāja Cult in Tamilnāḍu: A Study in Conflict and Accommodation
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141:. He is generally counted as the second in the list of 63 Nayanars.
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198:
185:
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Proceedings and Transactions of the All-India Oriental Conference
261:
209:
671:
667:
339:, long before Tirunilakanta Nayanar's times and was also as
313:(lunar mansion). He is depicted with folded hands (see
496:(4 ed.). Sivanandanagar: The Divine Life Society.
149:
The life of Tirunilakanta Nayanar is described in the
252:(8th century) venerates Tirunilakanta Nayanar in the
448:. Advaita Ashrama: the Ramakrishna Order started by
85:
71:
66:
56:
44:
39:
23:
439:"Glimpses of Holy Lives: Every Saint Has a Past …"
414:Glimpses of Tamil Culture: Based on Periyapuranam
162:(12th century), which is a hagiography of the 63
232:, where they are said to have lived ever young.
558:Mor̲appākkam Appācāmi Turai Araṅkacāmi (1990).
452:. September 2003. pp. 45–7. Archived from
683:
8:
508:Poems to Śiva: The Hymns of the Tamil Saints
625:. Asian Educational Services. p. 209.
360:
358:
356:
298:Tirunilakanta Nayanar is worshipped in the
690:
676:
668:
510:. Motilal Banarsidass. 1991. p. 331.
208:Once, Shiva disguised himself as a Shaiva
31:
20:
181:, patron of Shaivism. He was born in the
484:
482:
480:
478:
476:
474:
352:
391:"The Puranam of Tirunilakanta Nayanar"
291:(1810–1896) wrote a short opera named
279:(a poem with more than hundred lines)
7:
562:. University of Madras. p. 945.
537:. Motilal Banarsidass. p. 206.
433:
431:
429:
427:
425:
423:
369:. Penguin Books India. p. 281.
248:One of the most prominent Nayanars,
595:Indian Music: History and Structure
531:Rajeshwari Ghose (1 January 1996).
220:priests of the temple for justice.
169:Tirunilakanta Nayanar belonged to
14:
622:South Indian Shrines: Illustrated
416:. Koodal Publishers. p. 77.
293:Tirunilakantha Nayanar Charitram
367:Hinduism: An Alphabetical Guide
331:(tank of the young Nayanar) or
193:poison and saved the universe.
272:(1199-1260), part of his lost
1:
619:P. V. Jagadisa Ayyar (1982).
647:"Sri Ilamaiyaakinaar temple"
306:, when the moon enters the
283:says that one must be like
1091:
494:Sixty-three Nayanar Saints
1029:
706:
412:K. Nambi Arooran (1977).
281:Siva-devadhimani Satakamu
30:
133:saint, venerated in the
175:Thillai Nataraja Temple
598:. BRILL. p. 118.
329:Ilamai Nayanar thirtam
245:
986:Thirukkurippu Thondar
365:Roshen Dalal (2011).
289:Gopalakrishna Bharati
243:
177:dedicated to the god
99:Tirunilakanta Nayanar
25:Tirunilakanta Nayanar
1034:Paadal Petra Sthalam
578:. 1955. p. 358.
270:Kakati Ganapati Deva
264:and minister of the
16:Nayanar, Hindu saint
1039:Thiruthondar Thogai
459:on 24 December 2014
333:Vyaghrapada thirtam
327:(tank of youth) or
590:Emmie Te Nijenhuis
393:. T N Ramachandran
246:
1062:
1061:
632:978-81-206-0151-2
544:978-81-208-1391-5
517:978-81-208-0784-6
450:Swami Vivekananda
446:Prabuddha Bharata
376:978-0-14-341421-6
341:Thiruppuleeswarar
258:Nambiyandar Nambi
254:Tiruthonda Thogai
173:, famous for its
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831:Chēramān Perumāḷ
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127:Thiruneelakandar
101:, also known as
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821:Karaikkal Ammai
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155:Periya Puranam
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123:Tirunilakantar
115:Tiru Nilakanta
107:Tirunilakantha
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295:on his life.
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103:Tirunilakanta
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19:
995:
971:Somasi Mārar
936:Pugaḻ Thunai
906:Muniyaraiyar
886:Munaiyaduvar
836:Kochengannār
786:Isaignaniyar
756:Aenātinathar
654:. Retrieved
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621:
614:
594:
584:
574:
568:
559:
553:
533:
526:
507:
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493:
461:. Retrieved
454:the original
445:
413:
407:
395:. Retrieved
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366:
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328:
321:
319:
315:Anjali mudra
297:
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98:
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67:Organization
18:
1021:Viranmindar
966:Siruttondar
956:Seruthtunai
931:Pugal Chola
826:Kalarsingar
811:Kanampullar
801:Kalikkambar
791:Iyarpagaiār
741:Arivāttayar
711:Adipaththar
656:24 December
463:24 December
397:21 December
337:Vyaghrapada
300:Tamil month
236:Remembrance
171:Chidambaram
50:Chidambaram
1006:Nilanakkar
871:Meiporulār
851:Kulachirai
771:Gananāthar
766:Kalikkāmar
347:References
119:Nilakantan
105:(spelt as
72:Philosophy
1049:Tirumurai
991:Tirumular
981:Sambandar
961:Sirappuli
916:Nedumārar
896:Naminandi
816:Kannappar
761:Eripathar
746:Chandesar
721:Amarneedi
716:Aiyadigal
651:Dinamalar
311:nakshatra
160:Sekkizhar
1075:Nayanars
1069:Category
1001:Yālpānar
976:Sundarar
951:Saktiyār
946:Sākkiyar
941:Sadaiyār
921:Kurumbar
901:Nantanār
841:Kutruvar
776:Idangaḻi
700:Nayanars
592:(1974).
492:(1999).
308:Vishakha
285:Siriyala
266:Kakatiya
250:Sundarar
191:Halahala
164:Nayanars
139:Shaivism
137:sect of
129:) was a
76:Shaivism
61:Hinduism
57:Religion
40:Personal
1054:Tevaram
1016:Vāyilār
926:Pusalar
891:Murugar
876:Murkhar
856:Kalayar
846:Kotpuli
781:Māranār
324:thirtam
322:Ilamai
230:Kailash
226:Parvati
218:Brahmin
183:Kuyavar
131:Nayanar
90:Nayanar
806:Kaliya
736:Apputi
726:Āṉāyar
629:
602:
541:
514:
373:
277:sataka
274:Telugu
92:saint,
86:Honors
80:Bhakti
911:Nesar
881:Murti
751:Dandi
731:Appar
457:(PDF)
442:(PDF)
268:king
199:Shiva
186:caste
179:Shiva
151:Tamil
135:Hindu
796:Kāri
658:2014
627:ISBN
600:ISBN
539:ISBN
512:ISBN
465:2014
399:2014
371:ISBN
304:Thai
262:guru
210:yogi
145:Life
121:and
45:Born
698:63
302:of
158:by
117:),
1071::
649:.
473:^
444:.
422:^
355:^
166:.
113:,
109:,
78:,
691:e
684:t
677:v
660:.
635:.
608:.
547:.
520:.
467:.
401:.
379:.
125:(
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