KOYILNET

History & Sacred Legend

Sundaramurthi Nayanar flourished in the 8th century. He was a great devotee of Lord Siva. He is one of the Tamil Samaya Acharyas (four Tamil religious Teachers). Sundaramurthi Nayanar sang the glories of Lord Siva at all the sacred places that he visited. These hymns are called Thevaram. They have been collected into a book-form. All devotees sing the Thevaram even today. The hymns sung by Sundarar, Appar or Tirunavakkarasu, and Tirujnana Sambandar are called Thevaram. The hymns of Manickavachagar are called Thiruvachagam.

Sundarar had the Sakhya Bhava or the attitude of a friend towards the Lord. He freely demanded of the Lord whatever he wanted. He did not do so with selfish desire, however. Whatever he asked for was for the sake of those who were dependent on him. He lived only eighteen years.

Sundaramurthi Nayanar was born in Thiru Navalur where the entire atmosphere was full of spiritual vibrations and Saivism was well established. In this place, there lived a pious, devout and respected Brahmin by name Sadaiyanar whose ancestors were all ardent devotees of Lord Siva. Isaignaniar was his dutiful wife. She gave birth to a divine child whom the parents named 'Nambi Arurar' after its grandfather.

In his previous incarnation Arurar was Alala Sundarar, who was an ardent devotee of Lord Siva. When the Milky Ocean was being churned by Devas and Asuras, a deadly poison began to spread on the surface of the ocean threatening the existence of all beings. Then Alala Sundarar collected that poison in his hand and gave it to Lord Siva Who drank it for the protection of the world. Hence, Sundarar got the word Alala (for Halahala, the poison) prefixed to his name.

Once when Alala Sundarar was living by the side of Lord Siva in Mount Kailas, serving the Lord and bringing flowers from the garden for His worship, he cast a lustful look at Aninditi and Kamalini, the attendants of Goddess Parvathi who had also gone to the garden to collect flowers for the divine Mother’s worship. They, too, fell in love with him. Lord Siva, through His divine vision, understood all that had happened in the garden. He called Alala Sundarar and decreed that they take human birth on earth to work out their worldly desires, promising to save him when the time was right.

The boy grew up under royal care of King Narasinga Munaiyar. At the proper age, the parents arranged his marriage, but Lord Siva appeared as an aged Brahmin claiming Arurar as His bond-slave under an ancient deed executed by his grandfather at Tiruvennai Nellur. After establishing His claim, the Lord revealed His true form at Tiru Arul Turai temple and blessed Sundarar with the title 'Vanthondan' and asked him to sing His glories starting with 'Pitha Pirai Soodi'.

Throughout his earthly life, Sundarar performed countless divine miracles with Lord Siva's grace—turning bricks into gold at Tirupugalur, retrieving gold thrown into the Manimukta river at the Tiruvarur temple tank, feeding famine-stricken devotees, restoring eyesight after losing it at Tiruvotriyur, bringing back to life a boy swallowed by a crocodile at Avinasi, and finally ascending to Kailasa upon a white celestial elephant alongside Cheraman Perumal Nayanar.