Nayanar 9: Yenathinathar (Enatinata)

The ninth saint in the list is Enatinata Nayanar. Arurar sings, “Enati natanran atiyarkkum atiyen”— ‘I am the servant of the servants of Enatinata [Yenathinathar]’, giving no further particulars. Nampiyantar Nampi states he belongs to Eyini which Cekkilar identifies as Eyinanur, a fortified old city in the Cola country. Nampiyantar calls him ‘Ilakkula tipan’— the light of the Ila community. Ila means Ceylon.

One wonders if he has anything to do with Ceylon. But Cekkilar makes him Ilakkulac canrar, which term is interpreted as referring to the toddy drawers. He is made to teach the princes, the art of sword. Aticura, his agnatic relation, became envious and challenged Enati for a duel. The saint accepted the challenge and he was about to win when seeing the ashes on the head of his enemy which the latter purposely disclosed at the proper juncture, Enatinata allowed himself to be killed pretending to fight to the end, so that no blot might fall on Aticura whose head was shining with the sacred ash.

Enati was a title given to the heroic or victorious commanders from the time of the Tamil Cankam by the three great Royal families of the Tamil land. This Enatinata must be one of such recipients of the title. Since Arurar does not mention anything further, one may not be wrong in assuming that he was one of Enali title holders of his time. Manavamma, from the Ila country or Ceylon, we know from Mahavamsa, had been at the Pallava court and also was commanding an army to help Narasimha as against the ruler of Vatapi. One wonders whether Arurar was referring to one such commander.