The Story of Meipporul Nayanar

In the kingdom of Chedi, there lived a just and kind king named Meipporul Nayanar. He was a dedicated follower of Shiva, and his greatest respect was reserved for Shiva's devotees. He believed that anyone who wore the sacred ash and rudraksha beads was to be honored and served.

A neighboring king named Mutthinathan, who had repeatedly failed to defeat Meipporul in battle, decided to use this devotion against him. He hatched a wicked plan: he would disguise himself as a Shiva devotee.

One night, Mutthinathan smeared his body with sacred ash and tied his hair in a knot, just like a holy man. He then hid a knife inside a book and went to Meipporul's palace. The guards, seeing him in the attire of a Shiva devotee, bowed respectfully and allowed him to pass.

Mutthinathan eventually made it to the king's private chambers. The king's personal guard, Datthan, asked the visitor to wait, but Mutthinathan insisted on seeing the king immediately, claiming he had traveled from the Himalayas with a rare scripture. The queen woke the king, who was overjoyed to see a devotee and bowed to him.

Mutthinathan told the king he had a secret teaching to share, but they had to be alone. Meipporul kindly asked his wife to leave, then sat and bowed before the disguised enemy. Seizing the opportunity, Mutthinathan pulled out the hidden knife and stabbed the king.

Datthan, who had been suspicious of the visitor, rushed in with his sword. But Meipporul, wounded and bleeding, stopped him, saying, "Datthan, he is one of us." The king ordered his guard to safely escort the imposter to the edge of the kingdom. Datthan, though heartbroken, obeyed his king's final command.

Meipporul Nayanar, having shown unconditional respect for the symbols of his faith even to his own killer, passed away. Because of his profound devotion and tolerance, he was granted a place at Shiva's feet in heaven. His story teaches that true faith means loving the symbols of your god, no matter who wears them.