The Story of Sirutonda Nayanar

In the town of Tiruchenkattankudi, lived a valiant general named Paranjyotiyar, who served the Pallava king. He was a brilliant warrior and a master of many arts, but his true passion was his devotion to Shiva. After winning a major battle, the king, realizing that Paranjyotiyar's success was due to his faith, released him from his duties so he could serve the Lord full-time.

Paranjyotiyar returned home and dedicated his life to worshipping Shiva and serving his devotees. He was known for his humility and would not eat his own meal until he had first hosted a devotee for a feast. His sincere service earned him the name Sirutondar, meaning "small servitor." He and his wife, Venkattu Nangai, were later blessed with a son named Chirala Devar.

To test his devotion, Shiva appeared at his door one day disguised as a fearsome renunciate, or Bairagi. Sirutondar was away, but his wife humbly welcomed the guest. The Bairagi refused to enter the house, saying he would only wait under a tree near the temple for Sirutondar to return.

When Sirutondar came back, he rushed to meet the Bairagi and invited him home for a meal. The Bairagi, however, laid out a shocking condition: he would only eat a meal prepared from the flesh of a five-year-old boy who was the only child of his parents, and the parents themselves had to cook the meal.

Without a moment of hesitation, Sirutondar and his wife, seeing this as a divine command, agreed. They went to their son's school, brought him home, and with love in their hearts, they prepared him for the sacrifice. They performed the unimaginable act, cooking their own son to fulfill the Bairagi's demand.

When the meal was ready, the Bairagi asked Sirutondar to call his son to eat with them. Sirutondar, with a heavy heart, explained that it was not possible. But the Bairagi insisted, and Sirutondar and his wife, driven by an unshakeable faith, went outside and called for their son. To their astonishment, Chirala Devar came running back as if he had just returned from school.

When they returned to the house, the Bairagi and the cooked meal had vanished. In their place stood Shiva, with his consort Parvati and their son Murugan. The Lord, pleased with Sirutondar's extraordinary devotion and his complete lack of attachment to worldly things, blessed him, his wife, and their son, and granted them a place in his eternal home. Sirutondar's story is an extreme example of the ultimate sacrifice and unwavering faith.