INTRODUCTION
Vayilar was a Nayanar saint and the follower of the principles of Shaivism. He is considered as one among the 63 nayanars. He is an ardent devotee of Lord Shiva.
LIFE
Vayilar was born and brought up in Mylapore, Chennai. He belongs to vellalar caste. He was a staunch devotee of Lord Shiva. He was born as a dumb person. Vayilar was not interested in worshiping Lord Shiva by going to temples but instead of that, he performed worship on his mind.
Vayilar constructed a temple to Shiva in his mind itself. The mind temple contained golden doors for the god and contained spacious halls. Numerous ornaments were adorned to the god and the goddess in the temple. He bathed the Lingam by waters and poured milk and honey on the lingam. He also conducted homams in his mind temple and worshiped his mind temple day and night. He even didn’t take proper food and slept properly but always kept thinking about his mind temple and worshiping the god from his mind itself. He also provided food to the devotees of Lord Shiva, and attended them in a proper manner. Even though, he didn’t physically worship the god in the temples, and physically served food to the shiva devotees, due to his sincere devotion on god, he attained MUKTHI and reached the abode of Lord Shiva, the kailash.
Sundarar praises Vayilar nayanar as the precious gem among the nayanars, and tells that the nayanar saint didn’t cared about his handicap in the body but always thought and worshiped Lord Shiva from his mind.
A shrine is dedicated to Vayilar in the Kapaleeshwarar Temple in Mylapore. Vayilar is worshipped in the Tamil month of Markazi.
Let us worship the great nayanar saint and be blessed.
“OM SREE VAYILAR NAYANARE NAMAHA”
“OM NAMAH SHIVAYA”
“OM SAKTHI PARASAKTHI”
WRITTEN BY R.HARISHANKAR
