Nayanar 25: Apputhi Adigal (Apputiyatikal)

The 25th saint is Apputiyatikal [Apputhi Adigal]. Arurar sings, “Orunampi Apputi atiyarkkum atiyen". Appar praises Shiva’s feet as the flower on the crown of Apputi, “Ancippoyk kalimeliya alalompum Apputi Kuncippuvay ninra cevatiyay” He also speaks here of Apputi worshipping the fire of sacrifice, “Alalompum Apputi”, thus making it clear that Apputi was a Brahmin. This reference to Apputi in Appar s hymn must have been in the mind of Arurar.

Nampiydntar makes him a native of Tinkalur which Cekkilar points out is next to Tiruppalanam in singing of which Appar refers to Apputi.

According to Nampiyantar, Apputi was a great devotee of Tirunavukkaracar, naming even his charitable water-shed, after this great saint. Nothing more is known from Nampiyantar’s works.

Cekkilar, however, describes how Tirunavukkaracar was surprised to know that Apputi had named his chilaren, his charities, his cattle, weights and measures after Tirunavukkaracar. He was invited by Apputi to dine at his house. One of his sons whilst cutting a plantain leaf for Appar was bitten by a serpent and died. Hiding the corpse in a corner, Apputi and his wife prepared to feed the saint but the latter asked for the son when the truth had to be told. The saint sang the hymn, “Onrnkolam” and brought the dead boy to life. That particular hymn unfortunately does not contain any specific reference which might suggest this miracle, though by the time of Cekkilar this must have become a popular tradition. As Nampiyantar does not mention this miracle Arurar also could not have known this.

The Sanskrit and Kannada traditions calling Apputi Nayanar as Appadinayanar or Tadbhakti, mention that he, in his admiration of Vianisa, called his sons, cows and even inanimate objects of his household after the name of Vagisa. It has to be noted that here no mention is made of the miracle. In the name Apputi, ‘A’ is only a demonstrative prefix of the noun ‘Puti’ (of that great renown) and the inscriptions give a number of people who had this name Puti. The wife of Kannaradeva was Puti Matevatikal.