Muruga Nayanar or Muruka Nayanar is the 15th Nayanar saint. Traditional hagiographies like ''

Periya Puranam The ''Periya‌ Purāṇa‌m'' (Tamil: பெரிய‌ புராண‌ம்), that is, the ''great purana'' or epic, sometimes called ''Tiruttontarpuranam'' ("Tiru-Thondar-Puranam", the Purana of the Holy Devotees), is a Tamil poet ...

'' (13th century CE) and '' Thiruthondar Thogai'' (10th century CE) describe him as a great devotee of the Hindu god

Shiva Shiva (; , ), also known as Mahadeva (; , , Help:IPA/Sanskrit, ɐɦaːd̪eːʋɐh and Hara, is one of the Hindu deities, principal deities of Hinduism. He is the God in Hinduism, Supreme Being in Shaivism, one of the major traditions w ...

. He is described to have lived an ascetic life, filled with austerity and selfless devotion to Shiva, spending his time in collecting flowers from woodlands and decorating the Shiva Lingam with garlands and coronets.

Hagiographical account

Muruga Nayanar was born in a

Brahmin Brahmin (; ) is a ''Varna (Hinduism), varna'' (theoretical social classes) within Hindu society. The other three varnas are the ''Kshatriya'' (rulers and warriors), ''Vaishya'' (traders, merchants, and farmers), and ''Shudra'' (labourers). Th ...

family in a coastal village called Thirupugalur or Thirupukalur or Pumpukalur in

Chola Nadu Chola Nadu is an ancient region spanning on the current state of Tamil Nadu and union territory of Puducherry in southern India. It encompasses the lower reaches of the Kaveri River and its delta, and formed the cultural homeland and political ...

, now located in Thirumarugal Taluk,

Nagapattinam District Nagapattinam District is one of the 38 districts of Tamil Nadu state in southern India. Nagapattinam district was carved out by bifurcating the erstwhile composite Thanjavur district on 19 October 1991. The town of Nagapattinam is the district ...

Tamil Nadu Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is the southernmost States and union territories of India, state of India. The List of states and union territories of India by area, tenth largest Indian state by area and the List of states and union territories of Indi ...

. His daily routine was to leave home in the early morning and roam around the woodland to collect the colourful and fragrant flowers like lotus, champaka, jasmine, konrai etc. While plucking flowers he used to chant the ''Panchakshara''

mantra A mantra ( ; Pali: ''mantra'') or mantram (Devanagari: मन्त्रम्) is a sacred utterance, a numinous sound, a syllable, word or phonemes, or group of words (most often in an Indo-Iranian language like Sanskrit or Avestan) belie ...

. He would get back home and tie up the flowers into beautiful garlands and coronets to adorn the Shiva Lingam (Agnishwara) and his consort

Parvati Parvati (, , IPA: /Sanskrit phonology, pɑɾʋət̪iː/), also known as Uma (, , IPA: Sanskrit phonology, /ʊmɑː/) and Gauri (, , IPA: /Sanskrit phonology, gə͡ʊɾiː/), is one of the principal goddesses in Hinduism, revered as the Devi, ...

. He was in the habit of visiting the temple at least three times daily. Muruga Nayanar is described as a contemporary of other Nayanars like

Sambandar Sambandar (Tamil language, Tamil: சம்பந்தர், Romanization, romanized: ''Campantar''), also referred to as Thirugnana Sambandar (Tamil language, Tamil: திருஞானசம்பந்தர், Romanization, romanized: ...

(Tirugnaana Sambandar),

Thirunavukkarasar Appar (), also referred to as Tirunavukkaracar () or Navukkarasar, was a seventh-century Tamil Shaiva poet-saint. Born in a peasant Shaiva family, raised as an orphan by his sister, he lived about 80 years and is generally placed sometime betwee ...

Sundarar Sundarar (), also referred to as Chuntarar, Chuntaramurtti, Nampi Aruran or Tampiran Tolan, was an eighth-century poet-saint of Tamil Shaiva Siddhanta tradition of Hinduism. He is among the Tevaram trio, and one of the most prominent Nayanars, ...

, Thiruneelakandar and Tirunilakanda Yaazpaanar Nayanar. When Sambandar and Thirunavukkarasar, two of the most prominent Nayanars, visited the Thirupugalur temple, Muruga Nayanar warmly welcomed them and took them home. Spending time with them and listening to their hymns, Muruga Nayanar was elated. Sambandar appreciated Muruga Nayanar's devotion to Shiva and developed thick friendship with him. Sambandar invited Muruga Nayanar to his wedding in Nallur Perumanam. After the wedding, Sambandar, his bride and other Shiva devotees went again to Nallur Perumanam temple of Shiva. Sambandar prayed to Shiva, seeking salvation and sang a hymn called ''Panchakshara Pathikam''. Shiva appeared before him and granted his wish. Then Sambandar, his bride and all the wedding guests, including Muruga Nayanar merged in the Light of Siva. The Tamil month Vaikasi, star Moolam (nakshatra) is observed as Muruga Nayanar's Guru pooja day in all Shiva temples.

References

{{Nayanars Nayanars