In the cultured kingdom of the Pallavas is the town of Mayilapur (Mayilai, Mayilapuri, Mylapore), which is now part of the city of Chennai. This is the same place where Tirugnana Sambandhar resurrected the young girl Pumpavai from the ashes by the grace of Lord Shiva.

Mayilapur by the sea was a rich town where even the ripples of the sea appeared like millions of pearls washing ashore. The rising red Sun on the horizon appeared as the vermillion adorning the forehead of women. The white moon appeared to anoint the temple of the Lord with its rays as white as the milk from cows. The sound from the hordes of devotees that came to pray at this temple drowned even the sound of the sea. The formless Lord appeared in the form of the linga in that temple for the benefit of the worlds.

In that town lived a yogi, Vayilar belonging to the famed old vayilar-clan. His life is the perfect illustration of the hymn of Tirunavukkarasar in which he says "For the Lord of Tiruvaiyaru there is no temple other than the mind of the servitors who serve Him; love Him; prostrate in front of Him." Vayilar built one such attractive temple for that Lord, who is attractive simply being adorned with snakes and skulls.

Vayilar built a temple out of his thoughts and consecrated God in its altar; his devotion became the bright light that illuminated the altar chasing away the gloom; his bliss the scented water that anointed the Almighty; his love the offering and the songs in praise of Shankara his service. Daily, his heart blossomed and flourished in that prayer. He immersed himself in the worship of the Lord with the wholeness of his offering that was a result of his flawless love.

The ultimate goal of any devotee is to be absorbed completely in that bliss called Shiva. A devotee in that state is already liberated and aspires for nothing. Vayilar's internal worship continued through his entire life. He attained the greatest reward that yogi-s aspire for - merging with the Greatest Yogi who sits under the shade of the Banyan tree. Let the perfection of internal worship attained by Vayilar Nayanar stay in the mind.

Guru Pooja: Margazhi / Revati or Dhanur / Revati

Har Har Mahadev

• Birth place of vAyilAr nAyanAr
• The puranam of Vaayilaar Nayanar in English Poetry
• வாயிலார் நாயனார் புராணம் - செய்யுள்
• வாயிலார் நாயனார் புராணம் உரைநடை
• वायिलार नायनार दिव्य चरित्र 

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