The Life
Murti Nayanar was a devout merchant of Madurai, capital of the Pandya realm, who took upon himself the sacred service of grinding sandalwood into paste each day to anoint Lord Shiva. When a Karnataka king seized Madurai and, hostile to Shaivism, cut off all supply of sandalwood, Murti was left with nothing for his beloved service. Undaunted, he pressed his own elbow upon the grinding stone and ground it down, wearing away skin, flesh and bone to yield paste for the Lord. Shiva, moved by such devotion, appeared and foretold the tyrant's imminent death, commanding Murti to rule the land. When the throne fell vacant, Murti became king, governing with holy ash, rudraksha and matted locks and spreading Shaivism. He is praised as 'Mummaiyaal Ulakanda Moorthiyar' and honoured among the Arupathimoovar.