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SRI
KALAHASTI - SRI KALAHASTEESWARA |
Legend of Bhakta Kannappa :
There was a tribal hunter called Thinna in
the forest. On his way in hunting he comes across a Shiva linga abandoned in the woods.
Feeling sorry for it, he decides to take care of it and starts offering raw meat of the
animals he hunted as food for the linga. Impressed with his devotion and innocence Shiva
accepted the offering. This continued for a few days.
Then returned the Brahmin who actually was
visiting the linga for offering his prayers once in a week to find all the scattered
pieces of meat. The proud Brahmana blames and even goes to the extent of scolding Lord
Shiva for accepting all this, without waiting for him. Lord Shiva then asks the Brahmin,
who sat in protest, to comprehend the depths of Thinna’s devotion.
On the following day, to test Thinna’s
devotion, Shiva makes one eye of the linga to bleed. The innocent Thinna tries to cure it
with all the herbs of his knowledge. Having failed he ends up replacing it with one eye of
his. But then the other starts bleeding. Thinna without a second thought opts to offer his
second eye too. Pleased with his devotion he blessed Thinna with moksha and then onwards,
Thinna was referred to as "Bhakta Kannappa".
( NOTE : Kannu in Telugu mean Eye )
It is also said that this Thinna is none
other than Arjuna of the Pandavas who was promised moksha by Shiva then.
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