Nithyakalyana Perumal Temple, Thiruvidandai – Legends
Varaha Avatharam:
As per
Hindu legend, Vishnu's gatekeepers Jaya
and Vijaya are cursed by sages
that they would be born as asuras (demons) during their next birth. They were
born on earth as Hiranyaksha and Hiranyakashipu to sage Kashyapa and his wife Diti. The demon
brothers on account of their powers take control of the universe. The elder
brother Hiranyaksha practises penance and obtains boon from Brahma which makes him invincible by any animal or human.
Hiranyaksha captures earth, personified as goddess Bhudevi and hides her under ocean.
All the
celestial deities and sages went to Vishnu for rescue. Since Hiranyaksha did
not include the boar in the list of animals that can slay him, Vishnu assumes
this form with huge tusks and goes down to the primordial ocean. Hiranyaksha
obstructs Varaha and the pair has a strong duel. Varaha lifts the
earth on his tusks, which would go on to be the most common figurine
representation of Varaha.
The two
fought each other with their mace, with Varaha emerging victorious after a
thousand-year duel. Varaha emerges from the ocean with the earth in his tusks
and repositions her in her original spot. The earth goddess Bhudevi falls in love with Varaha, whom he is believed to
have taken in his lap in this place. It is also believed that a number of
maidens waited to marry the smart looking boar Varaha.
Sthalasayana Perumal:
As per
another legend, a king by name Harikesarivarman used to visit the temple every
day from Mahabalipuram and wanted to settle at this place. Vishnu was
pleased by his devotion and appeared as Sthalasayana Perumal at Mahabalipuram -
the legend is associated with the Thirukadalmallai temple at Mahabalipuram.
Story behind the name Thiruvidandhai:
During
the Hindu epoch called Thretha Yuga, Mahabali - the son of King Meganaathan -
was ruling his kingdom in a righteous way. The Asuras (demons) Mali, Malyavan
and Sumali and others sought the help of Bali to fight the Devas (gods). Bali
declined to help them and the demons fought alone and were defeated by the
Devas. They again came to King Bali for help and he obliged them this time.
Bali won the war but was afflicted with the Bramha-hathi dosha (sin of
killing). He came to the area where the Thiruvidanthai Nithya Kalyana Perumal
Temple is currently for relief. Bali performed a severe penance to win over
Lord Vishnu.
Pleased
with his penance, Perumal appeared before Bali in his Varaha Rupa (boar
incarnation). Sage Kuni and his daughter performed a penance for Lord Narayana
(Vishnu) to gain entry into Sorgam (Paradise). Kuni succeeded in attaining
Sorgam but his daughter failed to do so. Maharshi Narada, the prime devotee of
Vishnu, told the young girl that as she was unmarried she could not attain
Sorgam. He requested one of the rishis (sages) to marry her. Kalava
Maharshi married her and they gave birth to 360 girls. The sage performed a
penance and begged Lord Narayana to marry his daughters but Narayana did not come.
One day,
a Brahmachari (bachelor) came there saying that he was on a Divyadesa Yatra to
all the Vishnu temples in the land. As he was very handsome, like Narayana, the
sage requested him to marry his daughters. The traveler agreed and married the
girls, one by one every day. On the last day, he showed his true form for he
was none other than Narayana in the form of Varaha. All the 360 daughters
merged into Akhilavalli Thayar who is seated in the left lap of Varaha Swamy.
As Perumal seated Akhilavalli in his Left Lap ('Tiru' in Tamil refers to
Lakshmi or Akilavalli and 'Ida' refers to Left Side) the place came to be known
as Tiru-ida-vendhai which later changed as Thiruvidandhai.
