Nayanmar Overview
| Nayanmar | Tirugynana Sambandar |
|---|---|
| Birth Place | Sirkazhi |
| Category | 63 Nayanmar (Saivite Saints) |
| Tradition | Saiva Siddhanta / Tamil Bhakti Movement |
History & Sacred Legend
In sacred Sirkazhi, Sivapada Hridayar and Bhagavathiar prayed fervently for a worthy son to revive Saivism. The Lord blessed them with a radiant child. When taken to the temple tank at age three, the crying child was directly fed the Milk of Divine Wisdom (Jnana Paal) in a golden cup by Mother Parvathi Herself in the company of Lord Thoniappar. From that sacred moment, he was hailed as Aludaiya Pillaiyar and Tiru Jnana Sambandar, bursting into ecstatic, divine Thevaram hymns.
Bestowed with golden cymbals from Lord Siva at Tirukkolakka and a pearl palanquin at Tiru Arathurai, Sambandar journeyed across Tamil Nadu accompanied by the gifted lutist Tiru Neelakanta Yazhpanar. Through divine Padigams, Sambandar cured incurable ailments, relieved severe famines, produced inexhaustible wealth for Vedic sacrifices, caused male palmyra trees to bear fruit at Tiruvothur, and brought Poompavai back to life from her preserved ashes at Mylapore.
Invited to Madurai by Queen Mangayarkarasiar and Minister Kulacchirai Nayanar, Sambandar healed the Pandyan King's virulent fever with sacred Vibhuti after rival ascetics failed. He triumphantly won both the fire test (where his sacred palm-leaf hymnal remained unharmed in blazing flames) and the water test (where his hymnal floated upstream against the swift Vaigai current), permanently restoring Saivism across the realm.
At the tender age of sixteen during his wedding at Nallur Perumanam, Sambandar sang the Panchakshara Padigam, praying for ultimate liberation. A boundless cosmic Siva Jyoti manifested from the sanctum, and Sambandar, his bride, and the entire wedding gathering seamlessly merged into the infinite effulgence of Lord Siva.