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Story of Shiva And Sage Vyaghrapada – One Blessed With Feet of a Tiger

Vyaghrapada means one with the feet of a tiger. Sage Vyaghrapada was an ardent devotee of Lord Shiva. He was the son of Rishi Madhyandina. To attain the blessings of Shiva, he started performing prayers, puja and intense penance in a forest.

He was adamant that he wanted to give the freshest of flowers as offerings but bees always defeated him. They sucked the nectar out of flowers before he could reach them.


Seeing his devotee’s troubles, Shiva blessed the Sage with eyes, claws, and feet of a tiger. Thus the sage was able to move at lightning speed through the forest. He could freely move without bothering about thorns, sharp stones, bushes and other wild animals.

Vyaghrapada continued with his penance and pleased with his devotion Shiva appeared before him and he performed the Ananda Thandavam before the sage.

This story is mainly of Tamil origin and in some retellings; Vyaghrapada is not a sage but a Shiva gana.

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