imported>Marcocapelle: removed parent categories of Category:Nayanars

2021-05-24T09:46:59Z

removed parent categories of Category:Nayanars

New page

{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2019}}
{{Use Indian English|date=August 2019}}
'''Satti Nayanar''' ('''Shatti Nayanar''', '''Chaththi Nayanar'''), also known as '''Satti''' ('''Sathi'''), '''Sathiyar''', '''Shakti Nayanar''', '''Shakti''', '''Shaktiyar''' ('''Saktiyar'''), '''Sattiyandar''' and '''Thiru-Saththi Nayanar''', is a [[Nayanars|Nayanar]] saint, venerated in the [[Hinduism|Hindu]] sect of [[Shaivism]]. He is generally counted as the 45th 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> Satti Nayanar is described to cut off the tongue of whoever talked ill of his patron god [[Shiva]] or Shiva's devotees.

==Life==
The life of Satti Nayanar is described in the ''[[Periya Puranam]]'' by [[Sekkizhar]] (12th century), which is a hagiography of the 63 Nayanars.<ref name="Dalal2011"/> Satti Nayanar was a [[Vellalar]], a caste of agricultural land owners.<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|page=155}}</ref> Satti Nayanar belonged to Varinjiyur, presently in [[Tiruvarur District]] in the Indian state of [[Tamil Nadu]]. Little is known about this Nayanar. He was a devotee of the god [[Shiva]], the patron god of Shaivism and honoured Shaivas, the devotees of Shiva. He did not tolerate any one who spoke ill about Shaivas and cut off the person's tongue. He is said to forcibly pull out the tongues of the "blasphemous sinners" with tongs and cut them off with sharp knife called ''satti'', which gave him his name - Satti Nayanar. Shiva is said to blessed him for his service.<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="ramachandran">{{cite web | url=http://www.shaivam.org/english/sen_th12_satthi.htm | title=The Puranam of Satthi Nayanar | accessdate=9 December 2014 | author=T N Ramachandran}}</ref>

Some [[Kannada]] and [[Sanskrit]] inscriptions state that Satti Nayanar (sometimes called ''Shaktinatha'') had taken a vow to slay all non-Shaivas, not only those who slandered Shaivas. However, no tradition actually records him killing any individual.<ref name="Araṅkacāmi1990">{{cite book|author=Mor̲appākkam Appācāmi Turai Araṅkacāmi|title=The Religion and Philosophy of Tēvāram: With Special Reference to Nampi Ārūrar (Sundarar)|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=a3sOAAAAYAAJ|year=1990|publisher=University of Madras|page=1034}}</ref> Though the blasphemers are not explicitly identified in the narrative, they are interpreted to be [[Jain]]s or [[Buddhist]]s.<ref name="YandellPaul2013">{{cite book|author1=Keith E. Yandell Keith E. Yandell|author2=John J. Paul|title=Religion and Public Culture: Encounters and Identities in Modern South India|date=2013|publisher=Taylor & Francis|isbn=978-1-136-81808-0|page=248}}</ref> Satti Nayanar may sometimes be depicted severing the tongue of a Jain monk. In folk tradition, he is called Kalacittia.<ref name="Mīn̲āṭcicuntaran̲ār1976">{{cite book|author=Te. Po Mīn̲āṭcicuntaran̲ār|title=Tamil: A Bird's-eye View|page=70|year=1976|publisher=Makkal Nalvaal̲vu Manr̲am}}</ref>

==Assessment==
According to [[Swami Sivananda]], the narrative of Satti Nayanar besides exalting the Nayanar saint, also touches upon the topic of [[blasphemy]]. The tale teaches that one should not speak ill of, revile or disparage holy men and devotees of God. The narrative emphasizes that not only talking ill of devotees is a sin, but also hearing to such profanity is harmful. Sivananda does not advocate the violent means of the Nayanar, but suggests that one should exit the place immediately, avoiding listening to the blasphemy.<ref name="swami"/>

Dr. D. Dennis Hudson, Emeritus Professor of World Religions at [[Smith College]] identified twenty-four Nayanars, including Satti Nayanar, displaying "violent and fanatical devotion" and contrasts it with the "saintly devotion" in the ''[[Bhagavad Gita]]''.<ref name="Hiltebeitel1989"/> These acts denote the "unusual and paradigmatic" love of the Nayanars for Shiva. The absolute nature of these acts, that go beyond the boundaries of convention and custom, makes them praiseworthy. Satti Nayanar's violence is justified by the maxim: "the sins of the devotees of the Lord are virtues whereas even the good actions performed by those without love are vices."<ref name="Hiltebeitel1989">{{cite book|first=Alf |last=Hiltebeitel|author-link=Alf Hiltebeitel|title=Criminal Gods and Demon Devotees: Essays on the Guardians of Popular Hinduism|date=21 September 1989|publisher=SUNY Press|isbn=978-0-88706-982-6|pages=373–7, 400|chapter= Violent and fanatical devotion among the Nayanars: A Study in the Periya Puranam of Cekkilar}}</ref><ref name="FortMumme1996">{{cite book|author1=Andrew O. Fort|author2=Patricia Y. Mumme|title=Living Liberation in Hindu Thought|date=1 January 1996|publisher=SUNY Press|isbn=978-0-7914-2705-7|page=236}}</ref> The Nayanar is also excused since the narrative blames the victim to be the instigator of the attack, by his actions.<ref name="ShackleSnell1992">{{cite book|author1=C. Shackle|author2=Rupert Snell|title=The Indian Narrative: Perspectives and Patterns|year=1992|publisher=Otto Harrassowitz Verlag|isbn=978-3-447-03241-4|page=107}}</ref>

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

Satti Nayanar may be depicted cutting a person's tongue with a sickle or knife. A stone panel in the [[Airavatesvara Temple]], the 12th-century Shiva temple in [[Darasuram]] built by the Chola king [[Rajaraja Chola II]] depicts him doing so with a sickle.<ref name="BalasubrahmanyamNatarajan1979">{{cite book|author1=S. R. Balasubrahmanyam|author2=B. Natarajan|author3=Balasubrahmanyan Ramachandran|title=Later Chola Temples: Kulottunga I to Rajendra III (A.D. 1070-1280)|page=239|year=1979|publisher=Mudgala Trust}}</ref> A shrine in his honour is built in his home town of Varinjiyur.<ref name="ramachandran"/>

Satti Nayanar is specially worshipped in the [[Tamil month]] of [[Ashvin|Aippasi]], when the moon crossed into the [[Pushya]] [[nakshatra]] (lunar mansion).
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]]

Satti Nayanar - Revision history

imported>Marcocapelle: removed parent categories of Category:Nayanars