Sandigeshwarar - History of Nayanmars - Fierce Disciples of Lord Shiva

Once there lived Echathathan and Pavithra who had a divine son called Visarasarumar at the place called Thirusei Gnallur, in the ancient Tamil Nadu, India. Visarasarumar had been later raised to the divine position as 'Sandigeshwarar', who has been placed in the inner corridor of lord Shiva's temple as the final deity to whom we report about our prayer and ask to recommend him to fulfill it, by conveying it to lord Shiva.

When he was at the age of five, he had been mastered in 'vedas and agamas', which are the guidelines for the uplift of mankind. At the age of seven, his parents arranged the ritual of 'Upanayana' called 'Poonul marriage', which was the custom among the brahmins to wear a holy thread along the shoulder and waist.

Before the pandits had started the rituals, Visarasarumar began to tell all the the things, which could have been supposed to be told by the pandits. All the pandits astonished about this prodigy. But Visarasarumar was firm in his state that lord Shiva's holy feet would have been the ultimate source of all vedas and agamas.

Day by day, Visarasarumar's divine search had grown that he thought that lord Shiva would be the ultimate shelter of the souls which had been taken birth as per their good and evil deeds, which one who had done in their previous birth.

Visarasarumar had been constructing a Shiva's temple, it's corridors, flagstaff, presiding deity (moolavar), tower etc. only by sand, like children had been playing with sand. After having constructed the temple, he plugged the flowers of blossoms for the decoration of lord Shiva.He prepared pots for filling the milk,Which had been poured into it by the cows themselves. But, the quantity of the milk given to their owners,however didn't get short of it.

All those activities of Visarasarumar's had been watched by some villagers regularly and they thought that he was playing like children with the milk, he had got from the cows. They reported it to the owners of the cows and they ordered to bring his father Echathathan, in order to make notice about his son activities.

On heard about his son's drama of worshiping lord Shiva made up of sand, he apologized about his son's activities to all the owners. He wanted to know the fact, followed his son on the next day and hided himself at the back of a huge tree. From there he began to watch his activities.

Visarasarumar, without having noticed that the person in front of him was his father, cut the both legs of his father and began to continue the prayer, as if there had been nothing happened. Having seen this fierce devotion, Lord Shiva with His consort Sri Parvathi devi had appeared before Visarasarumar, accompanied with all His 'Bootha Ghanas' (demon warriors of lord Shiva).

Having seen the dharshan of lord Shiva, Visarasarumar, didn't know what to do and stood like a statue. Then lord Shiva embarrassed him and said that thereafter He (Shiva) would be the father of Visarasarumar, even he had known that the person who disturbed the Shiva pooja was his father.

After being embarrassed by lord Shiva, Visarasarumar's body had been glowing like gold. Visarasarumar was made as the leader of all His (Shiva's) devotees and had offered him with a garland of flowers called 'Kondrai', which had been around the neck of lord Shiva. Again, Visarasarumar had been honored by giving him the name of 'Sandeesar' ( also called as Sandigeshwarar) and allowed him (Visarasarumar) to sit near by Him in His corridor as a deity.

Even, having done the sin of disturbing the Shiva pooja, Echathathan and his family had reached the heaven as he had the privilege of having Visarasarumar as his son. Likewise Visarasarumar also got one of the places of 'Nayanmars', as he had known well that the person who had disturbed the Shiva pooja, should have been punished, even though that the person was his father. Thus Visarasarumar had become the son of Lord Shiva as well as to become one of the deities called 'Sadigeshwarar'.