Mahalingeswarar Temple,
Thiruvidaimarudur – Legends
Brahma Hathi Dhosham:
The legend of
a Chola prince who killed a Brahmin and was in turn,
pursued by his spirit (Brahmmahathi), is associated with the temple. The Chola
prince, it is believed, entered the Mahalingeswarar Temple and prayed to Lord Shiva for
relief from the clutches of the spirit of the dead Brahmin
or Brahmmahathi. The Chola prince made his way out through another
entrance thereby saving himself. Some sources associate the legend
with Pandya king Varaguna Pandyan. It continues till day where
people take the second entrance to exit the premises after worship.
There is a sculpture
of Chola Brahmmahathi on the eastern premises in one of the
inner gopurams (tower gateway). Pandyan King, Varaguna, who,
according to tradition, lived in the seventh century A.D. Once he went for
hunting in a nearby forest and when he started back home, dusk had already
fallen. The horse, fatigued by the hunt, was anxious to get back to the
stables, and literally flew over the path. Meanwhile an aged Brahmin, also
travelling through the forest, had called it a day and was lying fast asleep
under the shelter of a large tree.
Unfortunately, the path which
the King’s horse took was led over the very place where the old man lay
sleeping. The hooves of the horse crushed his chest, and he perished on the
spot. So fast was horse that the King had no inkling of this terrible calamity.
Only when the soldiers following him saw the dead Brahmin and informed him, did
the King come to know of the tragedy. He lost no time in observing the penances
and sacrifices ordained in the shastras for absolution from this sin; but the
damage was done Brahmmahathi (spirit of the dead Brahmana) clung to him all the
more tightly.
In despair, the King sought the
help of Lord Sundareswarar of Madurai. One day, when he was circumambulating
the shrine, a divine voice stated him that a Chola King will invade your
Kingdom soon. Fight him and he will be defeated. As he flees back to his
country, chase him without harming him. He will lead you to Thiruvidaimarudur
where Lord Shiva himself worshipped his own image. The Sin clinging to you now
will leave you by praying to Lord Shiva there. The King then visited the temple
at Thiruvidaimarudur as per the divine guidance and prayed to Lord
Mahalingeswarar.
He entered the temple through
the Eastern entrance and the Brahmmahathi could not enter the temple and waited
outside the temple for the King to return. As advised by Mahalingaswamy,
the King left by the Western Gopuram (Tower) and hence got rid of the Brahmmahathi
dosham and the Brahmin’s ghost. The Brahmmahathi is waiting outside still
in the south ornamental entrance (south Torana Vayil) with head disheveled and
face immersed betwixt the knees. The king was relieved of his malady. So,
one should make it a point to enter through the main entrance to Shiva shrine,
then to Goddess shrine and return by a different entrance to get rid of one’s
Dhoshams.
Lord Shiva worshipping himself:
Sage Agasthya, along with the other sages came to
Idaimaruthur and performed Tapasya meditating on Goddess Umadevi. Goddess Uma
also appeared before the sage. The sages accordingly worshipped the
Goddess and requested that they would like to see the Lord also. Umadevi,
for the sake of the sages, went in Sivatapasya. The Lord granted her wish
and appeared before her and the sages. After appearing before them, the Lord
began worshipping the Jyothi Lingam.
The surprised Umadevi asked the Lord: “O
Lord! It is the practice that Brahman and other deities worship
thee. But, thou art worshipping thine own self!” The Lord replied:
“Uma Devi! We are the Ultimate who worship and accept
worship. It is because these sages have forgotten to worship us, we
are worshipping ourselves. That is why I’m worshipping myself.”
The Legend says that from that day onwards the sages
performed worship according to the Kaamika Law and received great
benefits. Generally, in all Shiva temples, the main deity will have a
specific name but here it is called Mahalingam (Big lingam) since legend says
that Lord Shiva worshipped himself here in the process of teaching
and demonstrating the Saivite worship procedures to the seven great sages.
According to Hindu mythology, at the end of every Yuga,
there is a huge flood called Maha Pralayam occurs and the whole world immerses
in a deluge on account of the wrath of Hindu god Shiva for the sins committed by humans in earth. Lord
Brahma prepared himself for the next cycle of creation. He put all the seeds
from which creation would sprout in amrita (the elixir of immortality) along
with four Vedas and Puranas and kept them together in a clay pot. On top of the
pot, he placed a coconut with mango leaves and wrapping around the pot’s neck a
sacred thread. He then placed the pot on the peak of Mount Meru in the
Himalayas.
When the Maha Pralayam started, it destroyed all
living creatures on the earth. The Amutha Kalasa also got displaced and started
floating on the seas for years. Eventually when the Pralayam stopped, the
Kalasa settled in Kumbakonam. The drops of nectar are believed to have fallen
onto five shrines around Kumbakonam, namely Mahalingeswarar Temple at Thiruvidaimarudur,
Airavateshwarar Temple at Darasuram, Naganathar Temple at Tirunageswaram, Swaminathaswamy Temple at Swamimalai and Sundareswarar Temple at Koranattu Karuppur.
Pattinathar and Badragiriyaar:
The life-history of Pattinathar
and Thiruvidaimarudur temple has close connection. Pattinathar has sung
many songs on the Lord Maruthavaanar of this temple. His disciple is
Badragiriyaar, who was a King once upon a time, renounced everything and became
the disciple of Pattinathar. Both the guru and the disciple went on pilgrimage
to all the Siva temples, came and stayed at Thiruvidaimarudur.
Pattinathar never kept even a
begging bowl. On the other hand, the disciple had a begging bowl and
also a dog. Once, the Lord disguised as a Shiva devotee came and asked alms to Pattinathar.
Pattinathar informed him that he himself was a beggar and did not have anything
to offer. Further, he informed that there was a family man near the west tower
of this temple, who can offer you something.
The Lord went to that place and
begged Badragiriyaar, who realized and felt sad that the begging bowl and the
dog had made him a family man. Thinking so, he threw the bowl on the
dog. The begging bowl broke and the dog also died. The Lord
then appeared before him and granted Moksha to Badragiriyaar and also to the
dog. The place where this incident occurred could be seen even
today. It is called the Naayatiyaar Koil in the East Maada
Street.
Jyothirmaya Mahalingam:
Lord Shiva is believed to have
appeared as a flame to please Agastya and other sages who were
performing penance. Lord Shiva is said to have emanated from the heart of
Parvathi. Since Shiva raised out as a flame to the sages, the presiding deity
is also referred as Jyothirmaya Mahalingam. It should be noted that
historically Shiva was worshipped as Jyothi, the sacred flame and with the
course of time, Jyothirlinga temples were developed.
Thiruvidaimaruthur:
Marudhur is derived from the
name of the holy tree, namely Marudha. The Sthala Vriksham (temple
tree) is Marudha. This temple is classified as Madhya Arjunam,
called Idai Marudhu meaning central Marudhur. Thus, the place came to
be called as Thiruvidaimarudur. The Mallikarjuna Swamy Temple, Srisailam is called Thalai Marudhu (meaning top Marudhur) and Tirupudaimaruthur Temple at Ambasamudram in Tirunelveli District is called Kadai Maruthu (meaning lower Marudhur).
Lord Shiva appeared as Child Krishna:
To the sage Kashyapa, the Lord
of Idaimaruthur, Lord Maruthavaanar has appeared as
child Krishna.
First Pooja performed to Lord Shiva here:
The pooja is first performed to
Mahalingaswamy in this temple and then only to Vinayakar. Here Vinayagar himself
is worshipping Lord Shiva.
Lord Shiva appeared as Ardhanareeswarar to Sage
Markandeya:
Lord Shiva blessed Markandeya by
appearing before him in the form of Ardhanareeswarar.
Sacredness of Thiruvidaimaruthur:
Once when Parvathi Devi
playfully blind folded Lord Shiva, the whole universe was in total darkness and
deep trouble but Thiruvidaimarudur alone was illuminating as a fire with the
Jyothirmaya Sri Mahalinga Swamy.
Jeeva Samadhi of Sri Sridhara Ayyaval:
Sri Sridhara Ayyaval of
Thiruvisainallur, a great scholar of Sanskrit of 17th century, got
into Jeeva Samadhi in the form of Jyothi Swaroopa at the sanctum of this temple.
Lord Shiva uttered Sathyam Advaitham to Adi Shankara:
When Aadhi Sankara visited
Thiruvidaimarudur, he desired that the Mahalingam at the temple should itself
declare the truth of Advaita so that the doubt in regard thereto lingering in
the minds of some people might be dispelled. In response to the Jagathguru’s
prayer, the Lord Siva appeared out of the Mahalingam, raised the right hand,
and proclaimed the truth of Advaita three times thus: “satyam advaitam; satyam
advaitam; satyam advaitam”. A vimana over the entrance of the local Sankara
Matha was put up, and within it were installed sculptured figures of the
Mahalingam with the right hand raised and of Adi Sankara with palms joined. In
the central courtyard of the Matha a shrine was constructed and in it was
installed Sankara-paduka.
People worshipped Lord Shiva here:
Mother Uma, Vinayaka, Muruga, Lord
Vishnu, Brahma, Rudra, Lakshmi, Chandran, Saneeswarar, Saraswathi, Kaali, Vashishta,
Agasthya, Pattinathar, Badragiriyaar, Romarishi, Kapila, Markandeya
Rishi, Sivavakiya (Siddhar), Adi Shankaracharya, Sridhara Venkatesa Ayyaval,
Bodhendra Saraswathi (59th Peedathipathi of Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam),
Varaguna Pandya, Sukeerthi, Veerasena, Chitrakeerthi, Uvanasuvan, Maandada,
Vasuman, Anjatthuvasan, Nandagan, Vedas, Arunagirinathar, Karuvur Thevar,
Sambandar, Sundarar, Appar, Manickavasagar and Airavata (Elephant vehicle of
Indra) worshipped Lord Shiva here.
Other Names:
The place was also called as called
Shenbagaranya, Saktipura, Tapovanam, Muktipura etc.
