Ajay Kumar at 17:54, 12 August 2023

2023-08-12T17:54:28Z

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{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2018}}
{{Use Indian English|date=April 2018}}
'''Mangayarkkarasiyar''' ([[Tamil language|Tamil]]:மங்கையர்க்கரசியார்) was one of the 63 [[Nayanmars]] or holy [[Saivite]] saints who are revered in [[South India]]. She is one among the only three women who attained this distinction. Her devotion to [[Shiva|Lord Shiva]] is recounted in the hagiographic poem [[Periyapuranam]] compiled by [[Sekkizhar]] as well as in the Tiruthondar Thogai written by the poet-saint [[Sundarar]].

== Birth and Life ==
Mangayarkkarasiyar was born as a [[Chola]] princess in [[Pazhayarai]]. Her real name was Maani.{{cn|date=July 2023}} She married the [[Pandyan|Pandyan Dynasty]] King [[Koon Pandiyan]] who ruled [[Madurai]]. She came to be known as "Mangayarkkarasiyar" (meaning queen of the women in [[Tamil language|Tamil]]) on account of being an ideal Queen who commanded great respect and admiration among her subjects.<ref>{{cite web|title=மங்கையர்க்கரசியார்|url=http://temple.dinamalar.com/news_detail.php?id=1967|publisher=Dina Malar|accessdate=19 February 2014}}</ref>

== Devotion to Lord Shiva ==
She was an ardent devotee of [[Shiva|Lord Shiva]] and remained a staunch [[Shaivite]] in [[Madurai|her country]] which was becoming increasingly influenced by [[Jainism]]. Her husband, [[Koon Pandiyan|the Pandyan King]] had converted to [[Jainism]] and this worried her a lot. The King became a Jain fanatic and even forbade her to wear [[Vibhuti|Thiruneeru]] on her forehead.
Hindus suffered persecution and Having converted the king, the Jain monks started to wield greater power in the kingdom. She feared that if left unchecked, the spread of Jainism would wipe out [[Shaivism]] entirely from [[Madurai]]. Her only solace was the Prime Minister of the kingdom, [[Kulachirai Nayanar]] who still remained a staunch [[Shaivite]]. The Prime Minister sympathized with the Queen and they were both deeply concerned about the spread of [[Jainism]] and the atrocities committed by the Jain monks in [[Madurai]].

The Queen and the Prime Minister were struggling to find a way to get rid of [[Jainism]] and bring [[Shaivism]] to its prior prominence in the kingdom. But their efforts were in vain because of the King's fanaticism. During this time, she heard news that [[Appar]] and [[Sambandar]] had committed a miracle in the [[Vedaranyeswarar Temple]] by opening and closing the temple doors with their devotional verses. Having failed in all her attempts, the Queen made up her mind to seek the help of [[Appar]] and [[Sambandar]]. She dispatched the Prime Minister to invite [[Appar]] and [[Sambandar]] to [[Madurai]].<ref>{{cite book|last=Nair|first=Kunhi Krishnan|title=Sages Through Ages : India's Heritage|year=2007|publisher=Bloomington, IN : AuthorHouse, ©2007|page=67|isbn=9781434334480|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=f9y9kd3FePgC&q=mangayarkarasiyar&pg=PA67}}</ref>

[[Appar]] and [[Sambandar]] accepted the Queen's request and came to Madurai. They faced a lot of obstacles from the Jain monks
on their way but successfully overcame them. King [[Koon Pandiyan]] had been ailing from incurable [[boil]]s for a long time and also had a hunchback. He got the name Koon Pandiyan because of his hunchback. The Jain monks tried their best to cure the King with their medicines but to little avail. [[Sambandar]] cured the king of his boils by singing hymns and applying [[Vibhuti|Thiruneeru]] on the king's body. The king was also cured of his hunchback and came to be known as Ninra Seer Nedumaara Nayanar<ref>{{cite web|title=Staunch devotion|url=http://www.hindu.com/2009/05/15/stories/2009051551401300.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140227201813/http://www.hindu.com/2009/05/15/stories/2009051551401300.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=27 February 2014|work=[[The Hindu]]|date=2009-05-15|accessdate=19 February 2014}}</ref>(meaning 'one who stands tall and erect' in [[Tamil language|Tamil]]).

[[Sambandar]] had earned the King's devotion and the King immediately reconverted to [[Shaivism]]. With the King's reconversion, [[Jainism]] was wiped out completely and [[Shaivism]] regained its prior prominence in the kingdom. For their role in the spread of [[Shaivism]], the Queen, the Prime Minister and the King were each individually included in the list of [[Nayanmars]] and their tales were rendered in the hagiographic poem [[Periyapuranam]] compiled by [[Sekkizhar]] as well as in the Tiruthhthondar Thogai written by the poet-saint [[Sundarar]].

== References ==
{{reflist}}

== External links ==
* [http://www.shaktipeethas.org/travel-guide/topic214.html Nayanmar temples map ]
* [http://www.arunachala-ramana.org/forum/index.php?topic=2630.0 ]
* [http://nayanmars.netne.net/ ]

{{Nayanars}}
{{Pandya dynasty}}

[[Category:Nayanars]]
[[Category:Indian female royalty]]
[[Category:People from Madurai]]
[[Category:Pandyan dynasty]]
[[Category:Hindu female religious leaders]]
[[Category:Ancient Indian women]]

Mangayarkkarasiyar - Revision history

Ajay Kumar at 17:54, 12 August 2023