ERIPATHA NAYANAR

Eripatha Nayanar was born in Karuvur (Karoor). He was a devout Shiva Bhakta who always carried an axe to slay anyone who harmed the Shiva Bhaktas.

In that city, there lived a Siva Bhakta by name Sivakami Andar. He was very regular in his daily worship of Lord Siva. Early morning would find him in the garden after bath, collecting flowers, making garlands for taking to the temple and offering to the Lord Pasupatheesvarar. This was his routine.

One day, Sivakami Andar was going to the temple as usual to offer flowers to his beloved Lord Shiva. Just then the King’s elephant attacked him, and the flowers fell from his basket scattering the flowers all around. Sivakami Andar was heartbroken as he could no longer offer the flowers to the Lord.

Eripatha Nayanar instantly slayed the elephant and the mahouts who had neglected their duty. The King, who was also a Shiva devotee, rushed to Eripatha Nayanar and told him that he too was part of this unfortunate incident as the elephant belonged to him. He gave his own dagger to Eripatha Nayanar ordering him to kill him as he did not deserve to be alive.

Eripatha was stunned to see the King’s devotion to the Lord and hence decided to cut his own throat as self-punishment for putting the pious King in such a difficult situation. Just as he was about to do this, a voice from Heaven was heard: ‘Oh noble souls! All this is Pasupatheesvarar’s Leela, so that the world recognizes the sincere devotion of his true Bhaktas, like you”. Soon the elephant and the Mahouts came back to life and with the Lord’s blessings, Eripatha got a place in Mount Kailash!

References:
shaivam.org
http://www.dlshq.org/download/nayanar.htm