Thread by @HinduMediaWiki

Bhakta Kannappa-Arjun Punarjanma

Arjuna was born again as thinnadu when he could not attain Shivasayujya in the life. Thandai & Nathanatha are the parents of thinnadu. Born into the Boya family, he went hunting daily. One day, after hunting, he fell asleep under a tree.

While sleeping, he dreamt that Mahashiva appeared and told him to go to a temple a short distance away. When he woke up from his sleep a moose appeared. He ate it and went hunting for it and reached place called Mogaleru(River bed of Swarnamukhi river)

There he saw exactly the Shiva lingam he had seen in his dream. Seeing the Lingam with happiness he said "Ayya, Shivayya! If you love us, come to our house. "
When Mahasiva did not come, he sacrificed food and never stayed at home.

The youngster spent his time in the service of Shiva Linga. In the morning, he sweeps and cleans the place where the Shiva lingam is. He brings water by mouth and anoints the Shivalinga. He brings as many bilvas as he can in his hand and decorates the linga.

The meat brought by the hunter was offered as an prasad. A devotee named Sivagochara from the same village did not like the way he ate. Bringing water by mouth and pouring it on the Shiva lingam and offering meat was all disgusting. "Mahasiva, I cannot see this outrage.

Not only is it sinful to do, it is horrible to watch .. It is better to die than this . '' he lamented, banging his head on the Shivalinga and dying.Mahasiva smiled and said '' Stop! . don't be in a hurry . hide here and see what is going on. ''. Sivagochara did as Mahasiva said

He went behind the shivling and stood there.Then he brought water by mouth and anointed the Shivalinga as usual. He adorned it with bilvapatras and offered the meat as an offering and worshiped it. However, Lord Shiva did not accept the offering made to him.

Why this happened, he was thinking deep and looked sadly as if he was rejecting him. On the other hand, tears are flowing from Shiva's eyes in the shiv lingam.
Tinnadu could not bear to see the tears dripping from Shivas eyes.

Tinnadu ran and fetched the leaves of the medicinal plant, knocked it over the stone, and blindfolded it. On the other hand, blood is leaking from the second eye. Tinnadu could not bear anymore. He removed his eye with the arrow and set it to Mahasiva

But, then within no time the first eye started to bleed.
Further, Tinnadu said sadly, "Shiva, do not think. He said I will take out my second eye .." and place it too. To stop the blood flow, he kept his foot on shivas eye and took out his own eye to place it on shiva.

Seeing all this shivagochara was surprised. Seeing the apaara bhakti of Tinnadu he blessed him and said the story of this bhakti will be given utmost importance and will be hailed for yugas together. From then Tinnadu became Bhakta Kannappa for offering his eyes to the Lord.

Thinnadu is also considered one of the 63 Nayanars or holy Saivite saints, the staunch devotees of Shiva. Eeshwara appeared before Dinna and restored both his eyes. He made Thinna one of the Nayanmars and he was called as Kannappan or Kannappa Nayanar.

The Shivlinga is vayu bhoota linga - Shree Kalahasteeshwar to whom Kannappa offered prayers 🙏🏼