Nayanar 19: Tiru Kurippu Thonda (Tirukkuripputtontar)

The 19th saint is Tirukkuripputtontar [Tiru Kurippu Thonda]. Arurar’s words are “Tirukkuripputtontartam atiyarkkum atiyen”—‘I am the servant of the servants of him who serves knowing the mind of the Lord or the mind of the Bhaktas’. The word ‘Tiru’ is used by Arurar with reference to Tirunilakantar, Tirunalaippovar, Tirukkuripputtontar, Tirunavukkaracar, Tirumular, Tirunilakantattup panar, probably in praise of the idea conveyed by the word following it in all these names.

Cekkilar explains this word Tirukkuripputtontar as ref ering to this saint because he served the Shaivite Bhaktas, intuitively knowing their mind (v. 112). This must be one of the ideals of the Shaivites of that age. When we come to the story of this saint we find it represents a very restricted sphere of this kind of activity.

Nampiyantar Nampi states that this saint swore that if the rain did not stop so as to enable the clothes to be washed and dried, he would die dashing his head against a stone. Nampiyantar Nampi makes him a resident of Kacci and a member of the Ekalaiyar community or a washerman. According to Cekkilar this saint undertook to wash the soiled garments of Shaivites, free. An old Shaivite, no other than God Shiva Himself came with a dirty rag which the saint offered to wash and return before sunset. A heavy downpour of rain prevented this promise being fulfilled, when the saint dashed his head against the stone on which he washed the clothes.

The stories of Nandanar, Anayar and Tirukkuripputtontar show that Shaivism was capturing the mind of the lowliest of the low and that Shaivism promised Shiva’s Grace to all, irrespective of caste or service. The name of this saint is wrongly translated as Vicharabhakta, and wrongly written as Tirukurutondanayanar in the Sanskrit and Kannada works which state that the saint attempted to cut his own throat as against the Tamil tradition that he dashed against the stone.

The Darasuram temple has a sculpture representing this story. On the right side, we have probably a Shaivite Bhakta with a walking stick in the act of giving something probably a cloth. He is clothed from the hip to the heels. In front of him stands Tirukkuripputtontar carrying the cloth on his left shoulder. He is almost naked but for his loin cloth thus showing his inferior status. On the left hand, we find him standing and washing the cloth on a stone. On his right and above his head we find the heavy rains. On the right side of this representation of rain we find the saint dashing against the stone and we see a hand probably that of Shiva preventing this act.