|
Page14
There is another very interesting and devotional legend connected with Kalahasti, namely the story of a great Saivite Bhakta called Kannappa. Kannappa was a hunter who was called Tinnappa before
he became a saint, and be lived in the forest hunting animals. He was a great Bhakta of
the Lord, and he used to offer the flesh of the animals to the Lord first as sacrament
after tasting if they were good enough to be offered to the Lord. To test his sincerity
and devotion, the Lord one day made it appear as if water was dropping from the eye of the
Lingam, Tinnappa.
Thought that some one had harmed the Lord, and immediately without any
hesitation removed one of his own eyes and offered it to the Lord in place of the one from
which water was flowing. The water from the eye of the Lord stopped at once. After some
time Tinnappa noticed that the other eye of the Lord was also affected. He at once began
to remove his other eye also to offer it to the Lord as he did with his first.
|
