Kannappa

Originally a hunter, Kannappar offered his devotion to a shiva lingam by making simple offerings and eventually sacrificing one of his eyes. As he prepared to offer the second, Shiva appeared from the linga, granting him liberation.

Narrative

Kannappa was born in present-day Andhra Pradesh as Thinnan (transl. strong, powerful). His father was the village chief, and he came from a hunter family.

Kannappa's devotion to Shiva began when he discovered the vayu linga (embodiment of air) while hunting in the forest. He offered the aniconic representation of Shiva whatever he could, including water from his mouth and meat from his hunts. These acts, while unconventional, were accepted by Shiva due to the hunter's sincerity and pure heart. Kannappa once noticed that the lingam was bleeding from one of its eyes. Without hesitation, Kannappa plucked out one of his own eyes and placed it on the lingam to stop the bleeding. When the other eye of the lingam began to bleed, Kannappa prepared to offer his remaining eye. To ensure he could correctly place his eye, he marked the spot with his foot. Moved by this act of devotion, Shiva appeared and stopped him, restoring both his eyes and granting him liberation. The vayu linga is worshipped at the Srikalahasteeswara temple in Andhra Pradesh.