The Lord as the destroyer of Kamadeva, with merely a glance of the third eye between His brows, is enshrined in the famous town of Tiruchenkattankudi. From that town hailed a man of incredible deeds - Paranjyotiyar. He was well trained in Ayurveda, Samskrita and the use of weapons. As he matured, he understood that everything culminated at God's feet and he nurtured steady devotion towards them. Serving the devotees of the Lord, he took up the position of the General of the king's army. He won the battle of Vathapi exhibiting his courage, brilliance and knowledge. When the king was marveling at his magnificent performance, the ministers reminded him that Paranjyotiyar was the servitor of the Three-eyed Lord, there was nobody who could defeat him. The king felt remorse that he had sent a devotee of the crescent moon adorned Lord to the battlefield. Upon his return, the king showered him with many gifts and gave him leave to serve the Lord. Paranjyotiyar returned to his town and spent his time serving Shankara at the Ganapatishwaram temple. He got married to Venkattu Nangai who was a worthy devotee in her own way.

Before he would have his meal for the day, Paranjyotiyar would host a feast for the devotees of God adorned by feathers, flowers and the flowing stream. This was his ritual and his hospitality was well known in all the directions. Being humble while serving the famed devotees of the Lord, he came to be known as Sirutondar (Small Servitor). While he continued his service to the Lord, he and his wife were blessed with a child. They named him Chirala Devar. To celebrate the birth of the child, who was the fruit of their austerities, the devotee arranged a grand festival for the entire town. With the sound of the Vedas reverberating, he conducted all the birth rituals for the newborn and also donated liberally. The child was brought up with utmost care by his parents. When he was three years old, he was sent to school to learn the arts. During that time, Tirugnana Sambandhar the Sun that has risen to drive away the illusions of false religions and enlighten the world with Shaivam, the prodigy, had arrived in that town. Holding onto his soft feet, Sirutondar saluted him. The saint stayed at his place for a few days and he praised the honest and whole-hearted service of Sirutondar in the hymn he sang there.

Lord Shiva wanted to demonstrate that great people are capable of doing deeds which are extraordinary for others to even think about. His matted hair tied in a cluster (jata) in place of His loose matted locks; crescent shaped stripes of Holy ash adorning His forehead in place of the growing crescent ornament; floral earrings in place of the snakes; a string of shining white stones in place of the garland of skulls; a piece of cloth in place of the elephant skin; concealing His blue throat, with unlimited grace in His eyes, a smile on His lips, beautiful limbs, holding up a spear and a kazhal (anklet) on His feet; drawing everyone to salute that form, the Supreme appeared as a Bairagi (renunciate). He who feeds the entire world came as a hungry Bairagi enquiring about Sirutondar’s house. Only his wife was there at home at that time. The Bairagi announced Himself and asked if He had indeed come to the house of the servitor of the Lord who feeds devotees daily. The chaste Tiruvenkattunangaiyar came out, saluted and replied that her husband had gone out. She invited Him inside the house. The Bairagi turned it down saying that He would not come inside a house where a woman was alone. Immediately the humble lady told Him that as her husband did not find any devotee that day to host, he had gone in search for one and would be really happy if he knew that a devotee had come on his own. She went into the interior portion of her house and entreated Him to sit inside the house. While the Lord appreciated her morals, He did not enter the house without the devotee being present and said he would wait for him under a tree near the temple.

To the sincere servant who came back dejected, unable to find any devotee, Sirutondar’s wife informed him about the devotee from the north, the Bairagi, who was waiting under the tree at the temple. With great zeal, he went to the Bairagi and saluted. The Bairagi asked, "Are you the great small servitor?" The humble servitor replied that though he did not deserve to be praised as a devotee, out of mercy, the devotees of the Lord addressed him thus. He invited the Bairagi home saying that it was the fruit of all his good deeds, if He would come to his house. The sage from the north, apprised him that the food He wanted was very difficult to prepare. He laid out his requirement - he wanted a living being to be cooked, a human whose age did not exceed five, had no physical deficiency, should be the only child of the family and the child’s parents should cook the meal happily! The devotee of peerless dedication assured Him that there was nothing in the world that is impossible to provide for devotees. Saluting Him he returned home, and informed his wife about the type of meal the Bairagi had asked for. They together decided to cook their loving young son for the devotee as food. The father went and brought the child from school. He bathed him, cleaned his body completely. With the mother holding the child’s hands and legs and the child savouring this great deed, the father performed the unimaginable, he cut off his head! The couple of harmonious thoughts was not sad. They were happy about serving the devotee. Discarding the head considering that it would not be good for a feast, the loving mother cooked the rest of the body with the other food items. Then the superior servant invited the sage to accept the feast, begging forgiveness for any delay in preparing the feast. Washing the Feet that had kicked Death, they sprinkled that holy water on themselves and throughout the house. The principled wife served the rice, meat and all the food on a plate over a white cloth. The sage asked them whether they cooked all the parts of the child. They replied in affirmative but said that they had left the head out as it would not be good for the feast. But the playful Lord said He would have liked that too. Worry overcame that wondrous couple, but it vanished when their helper, Sandanathar, came forward and said that she had cooked the head too thinking that it would be useful when the devotee eats, and served it too. 

Now the Lord ordered Sirutondar to bring a devotee to partake in the feast with Him. He searched everywhere but was unable to find one. To the worrying Sirutondar, the Bairagi said that as he himself was a good devotee he could eat with Him. When Sirutondar was about to begin eating what his wife had served, the Bairagi stopped him asking what the hurry was when He Himself, who ate once in six months, had not started. He then asked him to call his son. Shocked, the devotee replied his son would not be helpful. But the sage refused to eat without his son being present. Highly anxious, the devotee went outside and called out to his son loudly. His caring wife also called out the child by name, "Oh! my dear child, Chirala! Come fast to make the devotee have his feast !!" Who can know how the grace of God acts!! Their son came running as if he was returning from school. The couple embraced and kissed him thinking they could now be blessed by the devotee accepting their feast! When they came inside the house, they were shocked to see the Bairagi as well as the cooked meat had disappeared. Ridding all their worries, severing their bonds, removing their very source of birth, the Bairagi who disappeared, now appeared on the Holy Bull with the Daughter of Himalayas and the young beautiful son Murugan. Blessing the devotee, his beloved wife and their loving son the Lord, His inseparable shakti and the Their Son who destroyed Surapadman, blessed them with a place at their feet, the ultimate fruit for great deeds. Let the marvellous dedication of Sirutondar stay in the mind.

Guru Pooja: Chitrai / Bharani or Mesha / Bharani

Har Har Mahadev

• Birth place of Chiruthonda Nayanar
• The puranam of Sirutthonda Nayanar in English Poetry
• சிறுத்தொண்ட நாயனார் புராணம் - செய்யுள்
• சிறுத்தொண்ட நாயனார் புராணம் உரைநடை
• सिरुतोंडर नायनार दिव्य चरित्र 

See also:
1. Thirugnanachambandhar

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