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{{Short description|Venerated Hindu}}{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2019}}
{{Use Indian English|date=August 2019}}
{{Infobox Hindu leader
|image= Sakkiyar.jpg
|caption =
| religion = [[Hinduism]]
|birth_date= 7th Century CE
|birth_place= Tirucchangamangai
|death_date=
|death_place=
|philosophy= [[Shaivism]], [[Bhakti]]
|honors= [[Nayanars|Nayanar]] saint
|footnotes=
}}

'''Sakkiya Nayanar''' ({{circa|7th century CE}}; known colloquially as '''Chakkiya Nayanar''', '''Sakkiya''', '''Chakkiya''', '''Sakkiyar''', '''Chakkiyar''', and '''Sakkiyanar''') was a [[Nayanars|Nayanar]] saint, venerated in the [[Shaivism|Shaiva]] sect of [[Hinduism]]. He is generally counted as the thirty-fourth in the list of 63 Nayanars. He was a [[Crypto-Hinduism|crypto-Hindu]] posing as a Buddhist, practicing [[Shaivism|Shaivam]] in secrecy.<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> He was reported to have worshipped Lord [[Shiva]], his patron god, by hurling stones at his iconography.

==Hagiographical account==
The life of Sakkiya Nayanar is described in the ''[[Periya Puranam]]'' by [[Sekkizhar]] (12th century), which is a hagiography of the 63 Nayanars.<ref name="Dehejia1988"/> Sakkiya is one of the six Nayanars from the region of [[Tondai Nadu]] and lived around the time the [[Pallava]] dynasty ruled the area.<ref name="Ayyar1982">{{cite book|author=P. V. Jagadisa Ayyar|title=South Indian Shrines: Illustrated|year=1982|publisher=Asian Educational Services|isbn=978-81-206-0151-2|page=85}}</ref> He is considered a historical figure from the 6th century CE, pre-dating Appar [[Tirunavukkarasar]] and [[Sambandar]], both dating from the 7th century CE.<ref name="Dehejia1988"/>

Sakkiya Nayanar was born in the rural village of Tiru Changa Mangai, modern-day Sangaramangai, [[Nagapattinam District]], [[Tamil Nadu]], India. The village at the time was dominated by Tamil Buddhists, followers and contemporaries of the Pallava prince [[Bodhidharma]]. Religious tensions were strife during this period, with attacks on Hindus being a regular occurrence. Sakkiya and his family were agricultural land owners from a Hindu [[Vellalar]] background, albeit they did become assimilated for their own safety and started posing as Buddhists. In keeping in line with the rest of the Buddhist populace as well as being legitimately interested in spirituality, he went to [[Kanchipuram]] and studied at a monastery, eventually becoming a Buddhist monk (''[[Bhikshu]]''). Sakkiya was well-versed in Buddhist theology and philosophy. This is also the origination of his name Sakkiya, a Tamil derivation of [[Shakya]], the name of the clan of the [[Buddha]] belonged to. However, Buddhism did not relinquish his thirst for knowledge and enlightenment. So, he embraced Shaivism, however, he did not give up the garb of a Buddhist monk and continued to dress in saffron garments as he was convinced that external appearances did not matter for self-realization. Sakkiya then realised that Shaivism was the true path to salvation and became a devotee of the god [[Shiva]], eventually accepting Shaivism. He realised that the Shaiva philosophy of "the deed, doer, its effect and the controller of the effect" was the most accurate and Shiva was the Truth he was seeking.<ref name="Dehejia1988">{{cite book|author=Vidya Dehejia|title=Slaves of the Lord: The Path of the Tamil Saints|year=1988|publisher=Munshiram Manoharlal|isbn=978-81-215-0044-9|pages=155–6}}</ref><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>

Sakkiya commenced the worship of the [[Lingam]], Shiva's aniconic symbol. One day, he unconsciously threw a stone at the lingam with great devotion. The next day, Sakkiya felt that it was Shiva's divine wish that he worship Shiva by throwing a stone a day at the lingam as an offering. Sakkiya realized that God will accept any offering which is offered to him with great devotion. Sakkiya would not have food without throwing a stone at the lingam daily. Once, Sakkiya forgot his daily stone worship and was about to partake food. However, he remembered his daily duty and unmindful of hunger, rushed to the temple and threw a pebble at the lingam. Pleased, Shiva appeared before him, blessed him and took him to [[Kailash]], the god's eternal abode.<ref name="Dehejia1988"/><ref name="swami"/>

==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, Appar Tirunavukkarasar (7th century) alludes Sakkiya in a hymn to Shiva where deeds of various saints are recalled. The hymn says how Shiva made Sakkiya worship Him by throwing a stone before having his ''kanji'' (porridge) and abandon the eating of rice. Shiva also granted Sakkiya to do service as a Shaivite <ref name="Parmeshwaranand2004">{{cite book|author=Swami Parmeshwaranand|title=Encyclopaedia of the Śaivism|url=https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_HQvbJDacNDMC|year=2004|publisher=Sarup & Sons|isbn=978-81-7625-427-4|page=[https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_HQvbJDacNDMC/page/n57 51]}}</ref>

Sakkiya Nayanar is depicted with a top-knot or flowing matted hair and with folded hands (see [[Anjali mudra]]). A holy day in his honour is observed on the twenty-sixth day of the [[Tamil calendar|Tamil month]] of [[Margashirsha|Margazhi]], generally coincides with 10 January.<ref name="Dehejia1988"/> The moon enters the [[Pūrva Ashādhā]] [[nakshatra]] (lunar mansion) on this day. 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]]
[[Category:Former Buddhists]]
[[Category:Converts to Hinduism]]

Sakkiya Nayanar - Revision history

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