63 Nayanmars - 8 Eripatha Nayanmar

8  

Eripatha Nayanmar

Karuvur was one of the main cities of the Chola Kingdom and was a very sacred place situated on the banks of river Ambiravathi. Karuvur had a beautiful Shiva temple called Pasupatheesvarar temple. Eripathar Nayanar lived in Karuvur and daily worshipped Lord Pasupatheesvarar with great faith and devotion. His one aim in life was to serve Siva bhaktas and to provide protection to them. He always carried an axe, to protect Shiva devotees and miscreants from  trying to harm Siva bhaktas.

In Karuvur, there lived an old man who was a great Shiva devotee and his name was Sivakami Adiyar. Sivakami Adiyar was a great devotee who used to get up early in the morning and after bath collect the fresh flowers and strung them into garlands and take them to offer to Lord Shiva in his shrine.

On a Maha Navami day, Sivakami Adiyar as usual after having collected the flowers in hte basket made his way back home so as to make garand land take it to the temple. On the way to the temple , the  State elephant was also returning from its bath in the river Cauvery with two mahouts on its back and three escorts taking it back to the palace. The elephant on seeing the Sivakami Adiyar in the opposite direction charged at him and pushed the garland to the ground and pushed him and ran away.

Sivakami Adiyar was shocked that all the flowers were scattered on ground and now how would he worship his Lord Shiva. He ran behind the elephant with all his might but could not catch it and he was left feeling exhausted and fell down. Eripathar Nayanar happened to come that way seeing Sivakami Adiyar distress , he got angry and came to know how the royal elephant had wasted all the flowers. He was angry at the elephant and wanted to punish it. He ran towards the way that elephant ran after some time he was able to catch up with the elephant which was trampling everything. HE took his axe and cut the elephant in a single stroke. He also killed the mahouts and escorts as they also watched in silence the misdemeanour of the elephant.

The death of the royal elephant reached the King, Pugazhchola Mananan and he reached the spot with his entourage. He enquired the people who had killed the royal elephant . In olden days killing of royal elephant meant harm for the ruling king or creation of Opposition. Pugazhchola manannan on hearing that Eripatha nayanar had killed the elephant. He knew that Eripathar must not have killed the elephant if it had not been a trouble to people.

Pugazhchola mannan immediately felt at the feet of Eipatha Nayanar and said,” O humble soul, Please Kill me as I am the owner of the mad elephant which inflicted great trouble on Sivakami Adiyar. You have punished the elephant and mahouts in a righteous mannner” Pugazhchola mannan took out a sword to cut his throat.

Eripatha Nayarnar was amazed at the simplicity and humbleness of the King. He was filled with sorrow and grief that he had killed the elephant ,mahout and escorts. Eripathar Nayanar stopped the king and got the sword from his hands and tried to kill himself .

An oracle asked Eripathar to stop cutting his throat and both Eripathar and Pugazhchola mannnan hugged each other and Lord Shiva revived the Elephant, two mahouts and three escorts to live again. Eripathar continued to be moral support to Shiva devotees till he reached Shiva Loka.