Although we say that we believe in God, it takes only the slightest setback in life, for us to have doubts about whether He will save us. But jnanis never have any doubts about God, or His readiness to save His devotees. We see how Saint Thirunavukkarasar faced every threat to his life calmly, placing his trust in Lord Siva. His staunch faith was rewarded, for the Lord stepped in to rescue him from every danger to his life, said Sarala Rajagopalan, in a discourse.
When summoned by the Pallava King, Thirunavukkarasar replied that just because he lived in the Pallava country, it did not mean that he would be worshipful towards the king who ruled the country. Thirunavukkarasar said he would bow before none but Lord Siva. When the enraged king cast him into a lime kiln, Thirunavukkarasar did not flinch. He just kept his faith in the Lord, and emerged unscathed. The king then tried to poison him, but he consumed the poisoned food gladly, and survived this attempt to kill him too. Again, it was the Lord’s mercy that saw him through. Elephants were sent to trample him down, but the elephants circumambulated him and worshipped him. He was then tied to a huge stone, and thrown into the sea, but instead of sinking, the stone floated like a boat, and the saint was saved from harm by the grace of Lord Siva. The namah Sivaya mantra saved him, as it will save all those who place their trust in Lord Siva. But not content with merely worshipping the Lord, the saint also undertook the difficult task of clearing the paths that led to temples of thorns and stones, which would hurt the feet of devotees of the Lord. This must have been backbreaking work, but the saint was unmindful of physical discomfort, for he was toiling for the sake of Lord Siva’s devotees.