MURTHI NAYANAR

INTRODUCTION
Murthi Nayanar, is a Shiva Devotee and is one
among the 63 Nayanars.
LIFE
Murthi Nayanar was born in Madurai and he was a
merchant. He was an ardent devotee of Lord
Shiva and he used to serve Shiva by
offering sandalwood paste in order to apply it to
the idol of Lord Shiva in the temple. The then ruler
of Pandya kingdom was a strict follower
of Jainism. He tried to convert Murthi Nayanar also
to Jainism. But he remained in Shaivism and
continued applying the sandalwood paste to Lord
Shiva in the temple. The Jain king stopped the
supply of sandalwood to his kingdom in order to
stop Murthi Nayanar’s service to Lord Shiva. But,
the great Murthi Nayanar used his own blood
instead of sandalwood and started applying it to
Lord Shiva. Pleased by his sincere devotion, Lord
Shiva appeared before him and blessed him to be
the Pandiyan King.
Soon after the death of the Jain king, the royal
elephant garlanded Murthi Nayanar, and he
became the king of Madurai. Though he was a
king, he lived a simple life and ruled the kingdom
in a proper manner and the spread of importance
of Shaivism among the people. After his death, he
reached the holy abode of Kailasa and attained
MUKTHI.
IMPORTANCE
Due to his sincere bhakti, lord shiva made him as
the king, and after becoming a king, he ruled
Madurai in a proper manner, and during his period,
all the people in his kingdom were lived happily
and peacefully, and they were not suffered from
mental and physical diseases and from poverty,
and the people loved him very much and followed
the principles of shaivism and worshipped Lord
Shiva. Every day pujas were conducted in all the
shiva temples in a proper manner and people were
praised about his glory and greatness.
Let us worship the great nayanar saint and be
blessed.
“OM SREE MURTHI NAYANARE NAMAHA”
“OM NAMAH SHIVAYA”
WRITTEN BY
R.HARISHANKAR