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{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2019}}
{{Use Indian English|date=August 2019}}
{{Infobox Hindu leader
|name= Somasi Mara Nayanar
|image= Somasi mara.jpg
|caption =
| religion = [[Hinduism]]
|birth_date= 7th century CE
|birth_place= [[Thirumakalam]]
|birth_name=
|death_date=
|death_place=
|philosophy= [[Shaivism]], [[Bhakti]]
|honors= [[Nayanars|Nayanar]] saint,
|footnotes=
}}

'''Somasi Mara Nayanar''', also known as '''Somasi Maranar''', '''Somasi Marar''', '''Somasimarar''' and '''Somasira Nayanar''', is a [[Nayanars|Nayanar]] saint, venerated in the [[Hinduism|Hindu]] sect of [[Shaivism]]. He is generally counted as the thirty-third 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> He is also called '''Marar''', '''Maran''' and '''Mara Nayanar''', names he shares with [[Ilayankudi Maranar|Ilayankudi Mara Nayanar]]. The two Nayanars are generally differentiated by the prefixes "Somasi" and "Ilayankudi". He was a contemporary and devotee of [[Sundarar]] (8th century CE).

==Hagiographical account==
The life of Somasi Mara 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_somasi.htm | title=The Puranam of Somasi Maara Nayanar | accessdate=12 December 2014 | author=T N Ramachandran}}</ref> He is regarded as a historical figure, who was a contemporary of one of the most prominent Nayanars, [[Sundarar]] and is dated to the 7th century.<ref name="Dehejia1988"/>

Somasi Mara Nayanar was a [[Brahmin]], member of the priest [[caste]]. He was a temple priest. He was born in Thiruvambar (also known as Ambur, Ambar, Tiruvambur), currently known as [[Ambal]], [[Nagapattinam district]] in the Indian state of [[Tamil Nadu]].<ref name="Dehejia1988"/>

[[File:Sundarar.JPG|thumb|150px|Somasi Mara was a devotee of Sundarar.]]
The ''Periya Puranam'' narrates that Maran was a great devotee of the god [[Shiva]], the patron of Shaivism. He was a practitioner of soma-[[yajna]]s (sacrifices), which earned him the epithet Somasi. He served all devotees of Shiva, unmindful of his creed or caste. He believed that daily one must recite the [[Om Namah Shivaya|Panchakshara]] [[mantra]] of Shiva. He went to [[Tiruvarur]] and befriended Sundarar. He became a devotee of Sundarar and served him. By serving Sundarar, Somasi Mara Nayanar is said to have acquired the grace of Shiva.<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=179–80}}</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> Somasi Mara Nayanar challenged the rigid caste rules of that era. He not only intermingled with non-Brahmins, which was a taboo in that era, but also served them.<ref name="swami"/>

Another episode from the life of Somasi Mara Nayanar is told in legends and temple lore, but not in the ''Periya Puranam''. The legend is practically associated with the Sri Mahakalanathar temple, dedicated to Shiva, in the Nayanar's home-town Thirumakalam. Somasi Mara was living in the town with his wife, Susheelai. Mara wanted to perform a soma-yajna in honour of Shiva and wanted Shiva to attend it to accept the ''havir'' (oblations are that burnt in the [[Homa (ritual)|fire sacrifice]] of the yajna). He wanted the aim of Sundarar to call Shiva. However, Sundarar was suffering from cough, so he sent [[Solanum trilobatum|thoodhuvalai]] leaves (the traditional cure for cough, cold and asthma) to Sundarar every day. On enquiring about the herbs, Sundarar was informed by his wife Sangiliyar about his benefactor who sent them every day. Sundarar met Somasi Mara Nayanar, who requested him to invite Shiva to the yajna on his behalf.<ref name="Dehejia1988"/><ref name="dinamalar"/>

At Sundarar's behest, Shiva promised to attend the sacrifice in the [[Tamil calendar|Tamil month]] of [[Vaisakha|Vaikasi]], when the moon crossed into the [[Ashlesha (nakshatra)|Ayilya]] [[nakshatra]] (lunar mansion). Scholars and sages from far-off places attended the sacrifice, hearing that Shiva would attend it. Shiva arrived with his wife [[Parvati]] and sons [[Ganesha]] and [[Kartikeya]] in the disguise of an outcaste ([[Dalit]]) or tribal family. He arrived with four [[Vedas]] (scriptures) as dogs and a dead calf. The inauspicious presence of an outcaste family was thought to have defiled the sacrifice. Somasi Mara Nayanar and all the guests, were taken aback by the sight, finally Ganesha assumed his true form and informed the Nayanar about the true identity of the outcastes. The overjoyed Nayanar worshipped the outcaste Shiva and offered him the ''havir''. After the sacrifice, Shiva appeared with Parvati in his true form and blessed Somasi Mara Nayanar, according him the status of a saint.<ref name="Dehejia1988"/><ref name="dinamalar">{{cite web | url=http://temple.dinamalar.com/en/new_en.php?id=356 | title=Sri Mahakalanathar temple | publisher=[[Dinamalar]] | accessdate=12 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.]]

Somasi Mara Nayanar is depicted with a shaven head and with folded hands (see [[Anjali mudra]]).<ref name="Dehejia1988"/> He is sometimes depicted with a sacrificial ladle in his hand. Sundarar refers to him as Somasi Maran of Ambar in a hymn to Nayanar saints.<ref>{{cite book|title=Poems to Śiva: The Hymns of the Tamil Saints|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GPmq8fcOa9wC&pg=PA331|year=1991|publisher=Motilal Banarsidass |isbn=978-81-208-0784-6|pages=330–1, 333}}</ref>

A holy day in his honour is observed on the Vaikasi Ayilya day <ref name="Dehejia1988"/> The Vaikasi Soma Yaga festival of Sri Mahakalanathar temple is celebrated the Vaikasi Ayilya day with ritual re-enactment of Somasi Mara Nayanar's soma-yajna (soma yaga).<ref name="Dehejia1988"/><ref name="dinamalar"/>

Somasi Mara Nayanar 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:7th-century Indian people]]

Somasi Mara Nayanar - Revision history

imported>Marcocapelle: removed Category:7th-century people; added Category:7th-century Indian people using HotCat