Kannappan was a Shaivite saint who attained liberation
through pure devotion. His story proves that what matters is devotion and not
rules, customs and rituals.
Kannappan was a hunter who once discovered a Shivling. He
did not know the rules and rituals associated with worship. He followed his instincts
and performed worship as per his rough lifestyle.
He did not follow the orthodox rituals. He offered flesh of
the animal that he had hunted. He sometimes offered blood. At other times, impure
water. However, he was true in his devotion and never wavered from his devotion
what ever happened in his life.
A Brahmin also discovered the Shivling and started
performing rituals as per tradition. He found the offerings of hunter to be of
vile nature.
The Brahmin also discovered that the hunter defiled the
flowers he offered to Shiva.
The Brahmin then complained to Shiva.
Shiva then decided to show the Brahmin the depth of Kannappan’s
devotion.
One day when Kannappan appeared to make his daily offerings,
he found that blood was pouring from that part of the Shivling, which was supposed
to be the eye of Shiva.
Without hesitation, Kannappan gouged out his own eye and
offered it to the god.
Then the second eye of Shiva began to bleed, Kannappan got ready
to repeat his heroic performance again.
Shiva then appeared before him, stopped him, and took him to
Kailash with him.