Saint Thirunavukkarasar was given the name Marul neekkiyaar by his parents. Thirugnanasambandar called him Appar. Sekkizhar, author of Peria Puranam which records the lives of the 63 Nayanmars, refers to him as Vageesar. Thirunavukkarasar considered it his foremost duty to serve Lord Siva and His devotees. He undertook the task of cleaning up temples, expecting no reward for his efforts. He uprooted thorny bushes and weeds in temples. Thirunavukkarasar was not deterred by the difficult nature of the work.
Thirunavukkarasar saw Lord Siva as his father and his mother, said Malayaman in a discourse. That was not all. To him, Lord Siva was his maternal uncle and maternal aunt. Siva was, in his eyes, a likeable girl, an invaluable object, a city that provided succour, guru who guided him in his spiritual journey, a precious pearl, and the One who created everything. He saw Siva as every kind of relative.
Thirunavukkarasar had no regard for the pomp and glory of kings. When asummons came to him from the king, he ignored it. He would not bow before the king. To him, Lord Siva was the only Master. The enraged king ordered that Thirunavukkarasar be cast into a lime kiln. He remained in the kiln for seven days and emerged unharmed. He was then asked to consume poison, but to the saint even poison was as nectar and he did not die. An elephant was sent to trample the saint, but the elephant circumambulated the saint and did not hurt him. When all attempts failed, the saint was tied to a stone and flung into the sea. But the rope tying him broke due to Lord Siva’s grace and the saint did not sink. The rock to which he was tied floated like a boat.
Thus, the Lord in whom the saint placed his trust came to his rescue at all times.
