All of us are in constant pursuit of divine blessings and try various measures to obtain the same. However, the 63 Saivite Nayanmars have shown us that God will always come to the aid of those who exemplify utter devotion by reposing total faith in Him, said P. Swaminathan in a discourse.
All the 63 saints were from various walks of life and none is greater than the other. They were living examples of proponents of bhakti and Saranagati (total surrender). None of them accumulated material wealth, but invested on spreading the word of God, regardless of the challenges and adversities encountered by them.
Many parents often test their children, in order to help them excel in pursuit of knowledge or sports. Similarly, God tests those who love Him. The life of Kulachirai Nayanar is a case in point. Born in a small hamlet near Aranthangi, he went on to become a renowned administrator and a Nayanmar. His devotional feats are celebrated in the works of Sundaramurthy Nayanar and Ottakoothar, among others. Kulachirai Nayanar, a staunch devotee of Siva, dedicated his life to serving the sivanadiyars and his inherent bhakti, integrity and innate honesty increased manifold, resulting in the Pandya King appointing him as his Prime Minister. The king who was married to Mangayarkarasi, sister of Tirunavukkarasar, had moved away from Saivism, with severe repercussions for his subjects. With Mangayarkarasi’s support, Kulachirai Nayanar succeeded in bringing Tirungnanasambandar to Madurai, whose various acts restored the king, hitherto called hunchback Pandiyan, to Saivism. His debilitating illness miraculously left him. A cure for the hunchback condition was also effected, all thanks to the rendering of devotional songs on Siva. God never fails to offer His blessings to the true devotee.
