imported>Marcocapelle: removed parent categories of Category:Nayanars

2021-05-24T09:44:33Z

removed parent categories of Category:Nayanars

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{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2019}}
{{Use Indian English|date=August 2019}}
{{Infobox Hindu leader
|name= Pugazh Thunai Nayanar
|image= Pugazh Thunai Nayanar.jpg
|caption =
| religion = [[Hinduism]]
|birth_place= [[Alagaputhur]]
|birth_name=
|death_date=
|death_place=
|philosophy= [[Shaivism]], [[Bhakti]]
|honors= [[Nayanars|Nayanar]] saint
|footnotes=
}}

'''Pugazh Thunai Nayanar''', also known as '''Pugazhthunai Nayanar''', '''Pugalthunai Nayanar''', '''Pukazhtthunai Nayanar''', '''Pukazhtthunaiyar''' and '''Pukalttunai''', was a [[Nayanars|Nayanar]] saint, venerated in the [[Hinduism|Hindu]] sect of [[Shaivism]]. He is generally counted as the fifty-sixth in the list of 63 Nayanars.<ref name="Dalal2011">{{cite book|author=Roshen Dalal|title=Hinduism: An Alphabetical Guide|date=2011|publisher=Penguin Books India|isbn=978-0-14-341421-6|page=281}}</ref>

==Life==
The life of Pugazh Thunai Nayanar is described in the ''[[Periya Puranam]]'' by [[Sekkizhar]] (12th century), which is a hagiography of the 63 Nayanars.<ref name="Dalal2011"/><ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.shaivam.org/english/sen_th12_pukazthunai.htm | title=The Puranam of Pukazhtthunai Nayanar
| publisher=T N Ramachandran |access-date=17 December 2014}}</ref>

Pugazh Thunai Nayanar was born in Seruviliputhur (Ceriviliputthur), presently known as [[Alagaputhur]] and located in the [[Thanjavur district]] of the Indian state of [[Tamil Nadu]]. He belonged to Adi Shaiva sub-sect of Shaivism and belonged to the [[Brahmin]] (priest) caste. The Nayanar was a staunch devotee of [[Shiva]], the patron god of Shaivism. He worked as the [[pujari]] (temple priest) at the Shiva temple. The temple is identified as [[Padikasu Nathar Temple]] of Alagaputhur. As per his daily priestly duties, he used to bathe (see [[Abhisheka]]) the [[Lingam]] (aniconic image of Shiva and central icon in the temple) with cool and fragrant water.<ref name="Peterson2014"/><ref name="swami"/><ref name="padikasu"/>

Once, a famine struck the region and however continued to fetch water and worship the god. His body became emaciated. Finally, he succumbed to the pangs of hunger and fainted; the pot of water fell on the lingam and broke. Shiva appeared in Pugazh Thunai Nayanar's dream and said that he would leave a gold coin daily as a "daily wage" so that the Nayanar can sustain himself till the end of the famine. Pugazh Thunai Nayanar found a gold coin daily at the foot of Lingam. He continued his services even after the famine till end of his life, when he attained [[Kailash]], the abode of Shiva after death.<ref name="Peterson2014"/><ref name="swami">{{cite book | author = Swami Sivananda | author-link = Swami Sivananda | title = Sixty-three Nayanar Saints | edition = 4 | publisher = The Divine Life Society | year = 1999 | location = Sivanandanagar }}</ref><ref name="padikasu">{{cite web | url=http://temple.dinamalar.com/en/New_en.php?id=346 | title=Sri Padikasu Nathar temple | publisher=[[Dinamalar]] | access-date=17 December 2014}}</ref>

==Remembrance==
[[File:Sri Kokarneshvarar Temple in Tirukokarnam.JPG|thumb|The images of the Nayanars are found in many Shiva temples in Tamil Nadu.]]

One of the most prominent Nayanars, [[Sundarar]] (8th century) venerates Pugazh Thunai Nayanar in the ''Tiruthonda Thogai'', a hymn to Nayanar saints. He is described to devoted his life to the feet of Shiva, who dances as snakes and his tiger skin around his waist sway. Sundarar also recalls the legend of Pugazh Thunai Nayanar in a hymn in honour of the Padikasu Nathar Temple (Arisirkaraiputtur).<ref name="Peterson2014">{{cite book|author=Indira Viswanathan Peterson|title=Poems to Siva: The Hymns of the Tamil Saints|date=2014|publisher=Princeton University Press|isbn=978-1-4008-6006-7|pages=325–6, 335}}</ref>

Pugazh Thunai Nayanar is also worshipped with his wife Lakshmi in the front [[mandapa]] of the Padikasu Nathar Temple. His descendants continue to serve as the temple priests. In honour of Pugazh Thunai Nayanar's tale, devotees place two coins at the foot of the lingam and take home one of the coins.<ref name="padikasu"/>

Pugazh Thunai Nayanar is worshipped in the [[Tamil month]] of [[Shraavana|Avani]], when the moon enters the [[Ashlesha (nakshatra)|Ashlesha]] [[nakshatra]] (lunar mansion). He is depicted with folded hands (see [[Anjali mudra]]) and sometimes holding a pot of water. He receives collective worship as part of the 63 Nayanars. Their icons and brief accounts of his deeds are found in many Shiva temples in Tamil Nadu. Their images are taken out in procession in festivals.<ref name="Dalal2011"/>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Nayanars}}

[[Category:Nayanars]]

Pugazh Thunai Nayanar - Revision history

imported>Marcocapelle: removed parent categories of Category:Nayanars