Kannappa was a simple forest hunter who came to love a Shiva shrine. Knowing no rituals, he offered what he had: water carried in his mouth, and meat he thought was his finest food, laid down with all his heart.
One day he saw the stone idol's eye begin to bleed. Without a thought, he plucked out his own eye and pressed it to the idol to heal it. When the second eye began to bleed, he raised his hand to give that one too.
Shiva appeared at once and stopped him, overcome by such pure devotion. The learned priests who had scorned the rough hunter bowed their heads.