Nayanar 27: Nami Nandi Adigal (Naminanti Atikal)

The 27th saint is (Nanti) Naminanti [Nami Nandi], and Arurar s words are, “Arunampi Naminanti atiyarkkum atiyen”. The description ‘Aru-nampi’ shows that he is an important saint. Tirunavukkaracar himself calls him Nampinanti, whom he describes:

“Arain tatittontar anipponarur akattatakkip
Parur parippattam pankuni uttiram parpatuttan
   Nampinanti
Nir al tiruvilak kittamai nilna tariyumanre”

This description is praised by Cekkilar himself. The Sanskrit and Kannada traditions summarize the main event of his life as consisting in lighting the lamp with water for oil in response to the mocking reply, ‘light the lamp with water before your Shiva’, given by the Jainas when he begged of them for some oil for light. His name is found in them as Neminandi.

But Appar always speaks of him as Nanti. The same version of the story is given by Nampiyantar who makes the saint a native of Emapperur, which according to Cekkilar is in the Cola country. The miracle, however, even according to Nampiyantar takes place only at Thiruvarur. Cekkilar makes him a contemporary of Tanti. He gives further details about the story of Naminanti, probably based on the verse of Appar mentioning Pankuni Uttiram. Nami-nanti went along with the crowd in the procession of the Lord of Thiruvarur. On his return when his wife requested him to offer the worship at the sacrificial fire before having his supper, he said that he had to bathe and cleanse himself because he had touched all and sunary, coming in the crowd. He ordered his wife to bring water for the bath. In the meanwhile he fell asleep overcome by fatigue.

In the dream that arose the Lord showed him that all the people of Arur were Sivaganas. He woke up and repented for having considered himself impure. Though this episode is not mentioned anywhere else in the previous literature, this brings out once again that Shaivism did not care for rules of untouchability. The Darasuram sculptures are found to represent the story of his lighting the lamp with water. In the right half of the sculpture we find Naminanti drawing water in a pot from a pond. In the other half we see a temple with a vimana in front of which we find a pillar-like lamp-stand with a series of lights placed one above the other which Naminanti is in the act of lighting after pouring probably the water carried from the pond.

The name Nanti (Nandi) has become of immense significance after Tirumantiram, even as the other word Nata (Natha). They seem to imply a special line of yogic saints or siddhas and the description of Naminanti by Campantar becomes, therefore, full of meaning: “Avitanil ancotukki ankanan enru atarikkum naviyal cir Naminantiy Adigal”. The five senses were controlled spiritually and the real spirit or the soul of souls was loved and revered as Shiva Himself. That was the great saint Naminanti (Nami-nandi) whose tongue also moved with glory.