The 63 Nayanmars (Saivite saints) were drawn from all walks of life, from prince to pauper. What unified them was their complete faith in Lord Siva, which they expressed by serving Sivanadiyars (devotees of Siva) with utmost humility. They were staunch believers in the principle of serving devotees as a better way of showing their faith in Siva, said P. Swaminathan in a discourse.
Munaiyaduvar Nayanmar is one such unique Nayanmar. Born in Needur, near Mayavaram in Nagapattinam district of Tamil Nadu, he used the remuneration from his vocation as a mercenary to feed Siva’s devotees. Munaiyaduvar literally means one who emerges victorious over enemies in warfare. One may wonder if a mercenary — one who joins any side in a war for payment — can be viewed as someone who is on the side of dharma, and can be hailed as serving the Lord. It is well established that Munaiyaduvar was highly regarded. He offered his services only to those armies where the leader had fought and lost in a just cause. Before every assignment, he conducted a thorough enquiry into the cause of the dispute, and only if he was convinced that there was injustice, would he extend his support. He was always victorious and with his earnings, he fed the adiyars and also donated the rest for the upkeep of temples.
Sundarar extolled him thus: “Servitor to Munaiyaduvar, the noble man of the spear of felling nature am I.” Renowned Saivite scholar Nambiandar Nambi further expanded this saying, “The people say: The chief of Nedoor, Munaiyaduvar, received wages from persons who had consistently lost in war, and fought and gained victory for them; and gave away all the great riches thus gained to the kinsmen of the Lord who bent as a bow the hill called the good golden Meru.”