The Life
Murkha was born in Thiruverkadu in Tondai Nadu, a devout servant of Shiva who vowed to feed the Lord's devotees without fail. He lavished his whole inheritance on these feasts until nothing remained. To keep his vow he mastered the dice and became a gambler, but the people of his own town would not play him. So he wandered from town to town, deliberately losing the early throws to draw large stakes, then winning great sums which he spent entirely on feeding Shaivas. Any opponent who cheated or refused to pay he struck down with his dagger without hesitation, earning the name Murkha, 'the fierce.' Sustained by this single-minded service, he worshipped at Thiruvarur on his way to Kudandai (Kumbakonam), where at last he attained the feet of Shiva.