Saints are always completely devoted to God. Their connection with God is constant, said R. Narayanan, in a discourse. Tears flow from their eyes when they think of God. In the Kanchi Puranam, it is said that tears flowed from saint Thirunavukkarasar’s eyes like a waterfall.
Manickavachagar said that his hairs stood on end when he thought of Lord Siva. Poosalar Nayanar was a devotee of Lord Siva, who wanted to build a magnificent temple for Him. But he lacked the wherewithal to do so. But who was to prevent him from constructing a temple in his heart? So he visualised a temple in his heart for the Lord. The temple took shape gradually, and he even imagined what the consecration was going to be like. The Lord appeared in the dream of the Pallava King and asked him to postpone the date of consecration of his temple because the Lord was going to enter the temple of Poosalar Nayanar on that day. Thus the temple visualised by the Nayanar was more important to the Lord than the actual temple which the king built, showing how complete devotion captures His heart. For Vayilar Nayanar, his heart itself became the temple, for the Lord was enshrined in his heart. Saint Thirunavukkarasar says that the Lord will think of no temple as greater than the heart of true devotee who worships Him. Thilakavathiyar, the sister of Thirunavukkarasar, lost her parents and her betrothed, and yet lived for the sake of her brother and to serve the Lord’s devotees. Birth in Thiruvarur, and death in Varanasi guarantee moksha. If one worships in Chidambaram, or thinks of deity of Thiruvannamalai, or hears the name Madurai being uttered, one attains moksha. While where we are born or die is not in our hands, we can turn our thoughts towards Lord and attain moksha.
