Kungiliya Kalaya Nayanar is revered as the eleventh among the 63 Nayanars, the great devotees of Lord Shiva. His life is a testament to unwavering devotion and the miraculous ways in which divine grace can manifest. Two significant legends illustrate his deep faith and the divine interventions he experienced.
The Story of Incense Offering
Kungiliya Kalaya Nayanar was a devout follower of Shiva who made it his life's mission to constantly burn incense before the deity at the Amritaghateswarar Abhirami Temple. Shiva, pleased with Kalaya's steadfast service, decided to test his devotion.
Over time, Kalaya's wealth began to dwindle. Despite losing his money and possessions and being forced to sell his properties to feed his starving family, Kalaya continued his ritual of burning incense in the temple. When all his valuables were gone, only his wife's gold thali (a necklace given to a bride by the groom in a Hindu wedding, symbolizing her marital status) remained. Understanding the depth of her husband's devotion, his wife removed her thali and gave it to him to sell and bring home some rice, despite the cultural inauspiciousness of a married woman removing her thali.
As Kalaya set out to sell the thali, Shiva, disguised as a Kungiliya merchant, approached him and offered incense in exchange for the gold necklace. Unmindful of his family's dire situation, Kalaya accepted the offer and returned to the temple to burn the incense. His wife, meanwhile, put their children to bed and prayed fervently to Shiva.
Shiva, moved by the couple's devotion, appeared in the wife's dream and promised to restore their wealth. The next morning, she awoke to find their house filled with valuable objects. Overwhelmed with gratitude, she sang praises to Shiva and prepared a meal, awaiting Kalaya's return.
In the temple, Shiva appeared before Kalaya, who was lost in a trance of devotion, and blessed him. He instructed Kalaya to return home. When Kalaya arrived, he found his home transformed into a mansion filled with wealth. Many devotees had gathered, and Kalaya, true to his generous nature, served them and distributed his newfound wealth among them.
The Miracle at Aruna Jadeswarar Temple
Another tale links Kungiliya Kalaya Nayanar to the Aruna Jadeswarar Temple, a Shiva temple in Thiruppanandal. Kalaya longed to visit this temple, which housed a unique lingam (an aniconic representation of Shiva) that was bent.
According to legend, a female devotee named Thadaga once attempted to garland the lingam. When her upper sari slipped, she tried to garland the lingam with one hand while holding her sari with the other. Moved by her devotion, Shiva bent his neck (the shaft of the lingam) to make it easier for her to complete her offering. The lingam remained in this bent posture, despite numerous attempts to straighten it.
When the Chola king undertook renovations of the temple, he was distressed by the bent lingam. Kalaya offered to help. He tied one end of a rope around his neck and the other around the lingam, risking suffocation. Chanting the sacred Panchakshara mantra and burning incense, he gently pulled the rope. Shiva, pleased with Kalaya's devotion, caused the lingam to straighten.
These stories of Kungiliya Kalaya Nayanar reflect his unwavering faith, selflessness, and the divine reciprocation of his devotion. His life continues to inspire countless devotees, emphasizing the power of sincere devotion and the grace of the divine.