[Advaita-l] Devotion of a Hunter - Padma Purana, etc.

[V Subrahmanian]

Devotion of a Hunter - Padma Purana, etc.

The story of 'Kannappa Nayanar' in the Tamil Saivite literature is very
famous. Even Shankaracharya has alluded to this story in his
Sivanandalahari:

//  https://www.sringeri.net/2011/01/31/upadesha-lahari/bhakti-part-1.htm

 मार्गवर्तितपादुका पशुपतेरङ्गस्य कूर्चायते
गण्डूषाम्बुनिषेचनं पुररिपोर्दिव्याभिषेकायते ।
किञ्चिद्भक्षितमांसशेषकबलं नव्योपहारायते
भक्ति: किं न करोत्यहो वनचरो भक्तावतंसायते ॥

Kannappa Nayanar once beheld a Sivalinga in the forest. He could see that
the Sivalinga had not been worshipped for long by anyone. He decided to do
the worship himself. But he did not have any materials for worship. Seeing
that the Sivalinga was fully covered by dust, Kannappa wanted to clean it.
Lacking anything else to wipe it, he used his sandals for removing the dust
from the Linga. There was a river which flowed nearby. Kannappa had no
vessel to fetch water from the river for the sacred ablution. His mouth
became the vessel to carry the water. He spat the water on the Linga and
the Abhishekam was over. He thought for a moment as to what he should offer
to the Lord as Naivedya. He decided to offer the meat of the animal which
he had hunted just a little earlier. Ishwara happily accepted all these
acts of His sincere devotee. Why? Because, Kannappa was extremely devoted.
Though the story is not over, at this juncture, I wish to warn some people
who might think that they can also do Puja in an unorthodox way as did
Kannappa. They may also do so, provided they are capable of performing the
most astonishing act that Kannappa subsequently indulged in. In that case,
Ishwara may accept the worship of such people notwithstanding their
heterodoxy.

After the worship was over, Kannappa noticed that tears of blood were
flowing copiously from one eye of the Lord’s image. Kannappa was shocked.
Thinking that there was something wrong with one of His eyes, Kannappa
forcefully plucked his own eye and fixed it on the defective eye of the
Lord. Then he noticed that Bhagavan’s other eye started bleeding. Kannappa
immediately cut out his second eye and placed it on the second defective
eye of Ishwara. Ishwara became immensely pleased with His devotee and
appeared before him. Kannappa was instantaneously blessed with Moksha. This
was the result of Kannappa’s sincere devotion. //

A story similar to the above is found in the Padma Purana Uttara Khanda
Chapter 151. The version is somewhat different here when compared to the
above. The story is found in the Skanda and Brahma Puranas.

In this link https://cloudup.com/cRNocsHtsaB on p.2864 one can read the
story in English.

Concept courtesy:

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=427121287884841&set=a.113321375931502&type=3&theater


I have not yet checked the version of the story in the Skanda and Brahma
purana-s.


Om Tat Sat