he saw god in everyone.

Thayumanavar was a minister in the court of the Nayak King Chokkanatha. One day, he crumbled a palm leaf manuscript that he had been reading. Those around him were shocked, because it was an important manuscript pertaining to administrative affairs. They asked him why he had crushed the manuscript. He said, “The garment of Goddess Akilandeswari in the Thiruvanaikka temple has caught fire. I wanted to put out the fire, and while trying to do so, I didn’t notice that I had crushed the palm leaf manuscript.” The men were puzzled. How could Thayumanavar know about a fire in the temple, when he was not there?

And even assuming he did know of a fire, how could he put out the fire when he was not present in the temple? How could a fire be put out by someone far away from the scene? The men did not believe Thayumanavar’s explanation, said Malayaman, in a discourse. They thought he had lost his sanity. They decided to inform the king about what had happened. When they reached the palace, a messenger came to the king with the news that the garment of the Goddess had caught fire, but had also miraculously died out on its own. The king guessed that Thayumanavar must have been responsible for the fire being put out. His respect for Thayumanavar increased.

In course of time, Thayumanavar renounced worldly life and became a sanyasi. He wore only a loin cloth. Even in winter, he did not use winter clothing. Moved by the sight of the sanyasi with no winter clothing, the king gave a shawl to Thayumanavar.

Some days later, the king noticed a woman wearing the shawl. “Why did you give that shawl to her?” he asked Thayumanavar. The saint replied, “I saw Goddess Akilandeswari shivering in the cold, and I presented the shawl to her,” showing that he saw God in everyone.

from web.....

Thayumanavar's key teaching is to discipline the mind, control desires and meditate peacefully. He went on to say that "it is easy to control an elephant, catch hold of the tiger's tail, grab the snake and dance, dictate the angels, transmigrate into another body, walk on water or sit on the sea; but it is more difficult to control the mind and remain quiet".

Thayumanavar was a respected scholar in both Sanskrit and Tamil and was a minister to the King in Trichinopoly in South India. His name hails from the name of the deity of the Rockfort Temple in Trichinopoly. When he became god-minded he quit his job and began roaming, preaching Shaiva-siddhanta philosophy and Shiva worship. His songs are full of the divine bliss which he enjoyed and transmitted in abundance. The songs on the theme of the Atman craving for the union with the Supreme, are famous for their authenticity, simplicity and easily remembered language. He is also known for his unceasing emphasis on the unity of all paths to God and of all religions, and, in particular, on the unity of Vedanta and the Shaiva siddhanta.

Ever-permanent, without any blemish, without any ignorance, without support, ever-full, undecayingly pure, far as well as near, like the Light beyond the three luminaries (Sun, Moon and Fire), the One Charm that includes all, overflowing with Bliss, undiscernible to mind or speech, standing as the Colossus of Consciousness—on that vastness of the beginning of Infinite Bliss, let us meditate.