Lord brought the puja item for Thirugnana Sambandar

In his Thevaram hymn, saint Tirugnanasambandar describes the mastery of Lord Shiva as a singer, dancer and wearing serpent ornaments.  Yet He holds a begging bowl and resides in a Kalli forest praised by devotee scholars.   This is the 18th Shiva temple in Thondai Mandalam region praised in Thevaram hymns.

Lord Shiva appears in the temple as ‘Shakti Dakshinamurthy’ in separate shrine. He is holding the Nectar Pot and the palm leaves in His left hands embracing Mother. Sage Brugu is nearby worshipping the Lord.

Sri Shiva Nandeeswarar Temple, Tirukallil, Tirukandalam-601 103, Oothukottai Taluk, Tiruvallur district.

Sage Brugu has the habit of worshipping Lord Shiva only.  He went to Mount Kailash to worship the Lord.  Lord was with Mother Parvathi.  The sage worshipped Lord only ignoring Mother which hurt Her.  Mother sat very close to Lord to make the sage worship her also.  But the sage took the form of a fly and circumambulated Lord Shiva only.  To teach the sage a lesson that Shiva and Shakti are but one, Lord granted darshan in the Arthanareeswara form – half male and half female.  Yet, the sage still thought that Shiva alone was supreme.

The sage then came down to earth on a pilgrimage and reached this place.  He worshipped the Shivalinga once worshipped by Sage Agasthya with Kallil flowers.  Lord Shiva told the sage that Shiva and Shakti were inseparable and one power alone could not act.  Lord kept Mother on His lap.  The sage understood the truth.

The sage begged the pardon of Ambica for his folly.  Too pleasant with the prayer of the sage, Mother said that he would always be in a state of bliss – Anandam.  Hence, as bliss boon giver, Mother is called Anandavalli.  Mother’s shrine is facing east left of Lord’s shrine.  The left hand of mother shows Her feet while the right is assuring the devotees of all prosperities.

Saint Tirugnanasambandar continued his pilgrimage from Tiruvenbakkam.  On the way, he left puja items on the banks of Kuchasthalai river and went for a bath but could not find them on return.  When he came to this place, he found the baggage in tact near the Swayambulinga.  Lord told Sambandar that he brought the baggage to make him visit this place.  Sambandar sang in praise of Lord.

The temple is situated on the banks of Kuchasthala River.  A lamp is ever burning in the shrines of Lord and Mother that never extinguishes.  As Brugu worshipped Lord with Kalli flowers, He is also named Tirukalleeswarar and the place Tirukallil.  Lord Sri Balasubramanya’s shrine is in between those of Lord and Mother, as he granted darshan to Sage Agasthya.  This is called Somaskanda form.  Lord Balasubramanya-Muruga is holding the Japamala in the right hand and the theertha Kalasa – water pot- in the left with the attributes of Lord Brahmma.

Nandhi in the temple has its own significance.  Lord is named after him as Shiva Nandi Easwarar and the sacred spring Nandi Theertham.

Lord Sundara Vinayaka and Sri Anjaneya are in the prakara while serpent deities-Nagar and Navagrahas the nine planets are under the gooseberry tree.  Those who have lost their belongings perform abishek to Bhairava with Chilli powder hoping to get them back and perform abishek with milk after recovery.

The ground level of north went deeply down due to the weight of the crowd gathered to witness the wedding Lord Shiva and Mother Parvathi.  Lord Shiva asked sage Agasthya to go to south to balance the earth level equally.  Sage Agasthya implored the Lord that He should grant him the wedding darshan at any place he asks for. The sage was relaxing at Tirupalaivanam.  Lord appeared in the dream of the sage and showed this place.  Lord Shiva granted not only His wedding darshan but also the Somaskanda darshan along with Lord Muruga.  Agasthya prayed to Lord that this darshan should ever be available to all devotees. Granting the boon to Sage Agasthya, Lord Shiva rose from here as Swayambu Linga and assumed the name Shiva Nandi Eeswara.

Moolavar: Shiva Nandeeswarar
Urchavar: Somaskandar
Amman: Anandavalli
Thala Virutcham: Kalli
Theertham: Nandi Theertham
Agamam: Shivagama
Old year : 1000-2000 years old
Historical Name : Tirukallil
City : Tirukandalam
District : Thiruvallur

Thirumurai 1.119

திருக்கள்ளில்

பாடல் எண் : 1

முள்ளின்மேன் முதுகூகை முரலுஞ் சோலை
வெள்ளின்மேல் விடுகூறைக் கொடி விளைந்த
கள்ளின்மே யவண்ணல் கழல்க ணாளும்
உள்ளுமே லுயர்வெய்த லொரு தலையே.

பாடல் எண் : 2

ஆடலான் பாடலா னரவங்கள் பூண்டான்
ஓடலாற் கலனில்லா னுறை பதியால்
காடலாற் கருதாத கள்ளின் மேயான்
பாடெலாம் பெரியார்கள் பரசு வாரே.

பாடல் எண் : 3

எண்ணார்மும் மதிலெய்த விமையா முக்கண்
பண்ணார்நான் மறைபாடும் பரம யோகி
கண்ணார்நீ றணிமார்பன் கள்ளின் மேயான்
பெண்ணாணாம் பெருமானெம் பிஞ்ஞ கனே.

பாடல் எண் : 4

பிறைபெற்ற சடையண்ணல் பெடைவண் டாலும்
நறைபெற்ற விரிகொன்றைத் தார்ந யந்த
கறைபெற்ற மிடற்றண்ணல் கள்ளின் மேயான்
நிறைபெற்ற வடியார்கள் நெஞ்சு ளானே.

பாடல் எண் : 5

விரையாலு மலராலும் விழுமை குன்றா
உரையாலு மெதிர்கொள்ள வூரா ரம்மாக்
கரையார்பொன் புனல்வேலிக் கள்ளின் மேயான்
அரையார்வெண் கோவணத்த வண்ணல் தானே.

பாடல் எண் : 6

நலனாய பலிகொள்கை நம்பா னல்ல
வலனாய மழுவாளும் வேலும் வல்லான்
கலனாய தலையோட்டான் கள்ளின் மேயான்
மலனாய தீர்த்தெய்து மாதவத் தோர்க்கே.

பாடல் எண் : 7

பொடியார்மெய் பூசினும் புறவி னறவம்
குடியாவூர் திரியினும் கூப்பி டினும்
கடியார்பூம் பொழிற்சோலைக் கள்ளின் மேயான்
அடியார்பண் பிகழ்வார்க ளாதர் களே.

பாடல் எண் : 8

திருநீல மலரொண்கண் டேவி பாகம்
புரிநூலுந் திருநீறும் புல்கு மார்பில்
கருநீல மலர்விம்மு கள்ளி லென்றும்
பெருநீல மிடற்றண்ணல் பேணு வதே.

பாடல் எண் : 9

வரியாய மலரானும் வையந் தன்னை
உரிதாய வளந்தானு முள்ளு தற்கங்
கரியானு மரிதாய கள்ளின் மேயான்
பெரியானென் றறிவார்கள் பேசு வாரே.

பாடல் எண் : 10

ஆச்சியப் பேய்களோ டமணர் குண்டர்
பேச்சிவை நெறியல்ல பேணு மின்கள்
மாச்செய்த வளவயன் மல்கு கள்ளில்
தீச்செய்த சடையண்ணல் திருந்த டியே.

பாடல் எண் : 11

திகைநான்கும் புகழ்காழிச் செல்வ மல்கு
பகல்போலும் பேரொளியான் பந்த னல்ல
முகைமேவு முதிர்சடையன் கள்ளி லேத்தப்
புகழோடும் பேரின்பம் புகுது மன்றே.

if anyone meditates daily on the feet of the god in Kaḷḷil where on the wood apple tree flags made of cloth are found, occuring in the gardens where on the trees which have thorns;
the old rock-horned owl cries.
it is a certainty that he will attain eminence

Civaṉ dances, sings and adorns himself with cobras.
the dwelling place of the god who has no other eating plate except the skull.
great people will praise all the greatness of the god in Kaḷḷil who does not consider any other place except the cremation ground for his dance.

the supreme yōki who sings the four Vētam-s which are full of music, who has three eyes whose eyelids do not close and who shot an arrow on the three forts of his enemies.
who smears on his chest sacred ash beautiful to look at.
who is in Kaḷḷil our Lord who adorned himself with a peacock`s feather has both male and female forms in one body.

the chief who has a crescent on his caṭai.
the chief who has a black neck, who desired a garland of blossomed koṉṟai having honey on which the female bee hums.
who is in Kaḷḷil.
is in the minds of devotees who have restrained them from going astray.

to be received by the residents of that place with fragrant things;
flowers, and words which are not deficient in magnificence.
Civaṉ who is in Kaḷḷil which is surrounded by water on the bank of which gold in deposited.
is the chief who wears in his waist a white loin-cloth.

Civaṉ who receives the alms which does good to those who give it.
who is capable of wielding a battle-axe which gives a fair victory, and a trident.
has a skull which is his begging bowl.
who is in Kaḷḷil.
removing the spiritual impurities of the people who have performed great penance, only he will join them.

if the devotees smear their bodies with sacred ash sumptuously.
if they wander in the places having drunk the honey god from jungles.
and if they utter loud sound ignorant persons will ridicule the nature of the devotees of the Lord in Kaḷḷil which has fragrant flower gardens.

Kaḷḷil where the blue nelumbo flowers unfold their petals is the place which the chief with a big blue neck, in whose chest the part of the tēvi who has bright eyes, like the beautiful blue nelumbo flower, a sacred thread of three strands and sacred ash are combined, always desires.

Civaṉ who is difficult even to be thought of by Piramaṉ who is in a flower of lines and Māl who measured the worlds which were his property as if right.
the Lord in Kaḷḷil which is a rare shrine those who know him will speak about him as a great god.

the talks of the buddhists who behave like pēy and who are fit to be ridiculed and of the low amaṇar are not proper paths.
(people of this world) worship the perfect feet of the chief who has a caṭai resembling fire in colour, and who is in Kaḷḷil which has great and fertile fields of increasing yield.

Pantaṉ who has brilliance like the sun;
who has the increasing wealth of spiritual knowledge and who is a native of Kāḻi which is praised by the people of the four quarters.
To those who praise Kaḷḷil of the Lord who has a caṭai of mature growth to which fragrant buds are attached.
supreme happiness and fame will reach them.