The Life
Thirukurippu Thonda Nayanar was a washerman of the Vannar community in Kanchipuram, the Pallava capital, who devotedly washed clean the garments of Shiva's devotees without payment, seeing the Lord in each of them. To test him, Shiva came as an aged, ragged Shaiva mendicant and gave his single tattered cloth to be washed, insisting it be returned dried by that very evening, for he could not bear the night's cold. But the Lord conjured a sudden downpour, and the cloth could not be dried in time. In despair at failing a devotee, the saint began to dash his head against the washing stone to end his life. As he did, the rain turned to a shower of flowers, and Shiva appeared with Uma upon the bull to bless him with eternal life at his feet. He joins the Arupathimoovar.