Nayanar 15: Murthiyar (Murti)

The third verse in Thiruthondathogai starts with the phrase, “Mummaiyal Ulakanda” and the first saint described in this verse is Murti Nayanar [Murthiyar], the 15th saint in the list. Arurar sings: “Mummaiyal Ulakanda Murttikkum atiyen”—‘I am the servant of Murti, who ruled the world with the three’. This makes it clear that the saint must have been a king. Saying that he would prefer death to conversion to Jainism, this saint rubbed away his elbow for preparing sandal paste for God and ruled thereafter the world from Maturai. This is all that Nampiyantar says about this saint.

Cekkilar gives greater details which throw some light on the dark period of the Kalabhra interregnum mentioned in the Velvikkuti grant when the Pandyas ceased to rule at Maturai.

Murti, a Vaisya, belonging to the merchant community, used to offer sandal paste to the Lord. There was from the north an invasion of the city by the ‘Vatuka Karunataka king’ who was suffering from land hunger. The usurper was a Jain and persecuted the Shaivites so much that Murti found it impossible to get even a piece of sandal wood. He used his own elbow to rub on the sandal stone. The usurper died. The elephant sent out to pick up a king brought Murti on its head.

‘Mummai’ or ‘the three’ with which Murti ruled the world are explained as the sacred ash, the rudraksa, and the matted hair. This shows a period of Jain and Shaivite opposition which was unknown in the days of Cilappatikaram. The Sanskrit and Kannada traditions call him Murtinatha and Ulaghandamurti; the latter name must have been taken from Thiruthondathogai. According to these traditions, he was a Shaivite Brahmin who drove away an Andhra Buddhist usurper from Madura to Karnata country. Buddhism instead of Jainism opposes Shaivism in these traditions.