IYARPAGAI NAYANAR

Iyarpagai Nayanar of Kaveri-Poompattinam, was a very generous man and offered alms in plenty, to the Shiva yogis. Lord Shiva wanted the entire world to know about this benevolent nature of Iyarpagai and decided to put him to a test.

One day, He came to Iyarpagai’s house in the disguise of a Shaiva Brahmin. He requested Iyarpagai to give him his wife so that she could stay with him and serve him. Iyarpagai agreed without any hesitation and his wife too did not utter a single word. The three of them left for the Yogi’s home.

The village people were enraged when they came to know about this. Iyarpagai, who had accompanied them as a bodyguard, attacked all the people including his own kith and kin who objected to this. When they almost reached the Brahmin’s town, Iyarpagai bowed to the Brahmin with respect and left without turning back even once.

Suddenly he heard the Brahmin calling out his name. When he rushed back, the Brahmin was not to be seen anywhere. He had disappeared and only his own wife was to be seen. In the next instant, Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvathi appeared before the couple and blessed him.

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