Sarangapani Temple, Kumbakonam
– Legends
Sarangapani:
As per legend, there was a
dispute among the rishis about the benefactor of Yagna which they were
performing. They were confused whom to give more importance among the trinity (Lord
Shiva, Lord Brahma and Lord Vishnu). The Rishis could not come to a conclusion.
Rishi Bhrigu was unable to decide the benefactor of the Yagna. Rishi Bhrigu was
unable to decide the benefactor of the Yagna. Hence, they sent Brighu Maharishi
to test the Trinities and select the best one among them.
First, Brighu Maharishi went to Kailasha
(abode of Lord Shiva). Nandi is said to have stopped him from going inside
because Lord Shiva and Parvati were enjoying their private moment then. Bhrigu
loses his temper and curses that Lord Shiva would be worshipped only in Linga
form. Next, he went to Brahma Loka (abode of Lord Brahma). Lord Brahma was busy
reading the scriptures, in a very arrogant way without bowing.
Lord Brahma paid no attention
towards the Bhrigu. Bhrigu was angry with disrespect shown by Lord
Brahma, cursed him that no one so forth shall worship Brahma in Kaliyuga. So, angrily
he went at last to Vaikunda (abode of Lord Vishnu). Lord Vishnu was fast
asleep. Maharishi tried to wake him up, but Lord was in deep
sleep. Bhrigu kicked Lord Vishnu extremely hard right on his chest, where
goddess Mahalakshmi lives, to trigger him.
Lord Vishnu woke up
and immediately touched Bhrigu’s feet enquiring if the sage had hurt his feet
while kicking him. Lord Vishnu said that his chest can endure the force but the
Bhrigu feet were not so strong and far too delicate. Seeing the decorum of
Lord Vishnu, Bhrigu was moved and declared Lord Vishnu to be the greatest.
It is said that the mark of Bhrigu’s foot is still visible on Vishnu’s
chest known as the Sri Vatsam.
Rishi was impressed by his
composure and decided to dedicate the Yagna to Lord Vishnu. However, Goddess
Lakshmi was very angry over what occurred and left Vaikuntha to Karavirapura
(Kolhapur). She settled in Kolhapur.
Maha Lakshmi is said to have observed strict penance in Kolhapur
for several years until upon hearing the news of her husband being married to Tirumala
Padmavati, another avatar of Mahalaskhmi.
Lord Vishnu had a fight with
Padmavathi and once again he was left alone. Mahalakshmi came to know about the
news of Lord Srinivasa's marriage from Naradha. She became very angry and
started to search Lord Srinivasa who had fled to Kumbakonam, to escape from Mahalakshmi's
angry. To avoid her anger, Vishnu resided in the underground chamber in the
temple as Pathala Srinivasa. Goddess Maha Lakshmi searched Lord
Srinivasa everywhere but her effort gave her no fruits.
In the meanwhile, the sage
Bhrigu sought his apology and requested Mahalakshmi to be born to him as
Komalavalli in his next birth. The sage was born as Hema Rishi and performed
penance to attain Mahalakshmi as his daughter. Lord Vishnu was pleased by the
penance and he wished the sage to get Lakshmi as his daughter. Lakshmi emerged
from the Potramarai tank among thousand lotuses and was thus named Komalavalli
(the one who emerged from lotus).
The place thus is revered as the
Avatara Sthala (birth place) of Mother Komalavalli (Lakshmi). Brighu
Maharishi took rebirth as Hema Maharishi for his sin of kicking Mahalakshmi who
resided in Lord Vishnu Chest. He found Komalavalli and started to raise her as
his own daughter. When she reached marriageable age, Hema Maharishi performed intense
penance and pleaded Lord Vishnu to accept Mahalakshmi. Lord Vishnu granted his
wish.
Lord Vishnu emerged out from
Vaideeka Vimanam contained in the Pranava Vimana of Sri
Rangam on a Makarsankranti day. Lord Vishnu descended to earth as
Aravamudhan in a chariot drawn by horses and elephants from his abode Vaikuntha. He
stayed in the nearby Someswaran
Temple to convince Lakshmi to marry him and the couple
eventually got married. As Komalavalli was angry with Lord Srinivasa who
has a standing posture to soothe her anger Lord Vishnu now adapted the sleeping
posture of Ranganatha of Sri
Rangam and became Sarangapani
in Kumbakonam.
The name Sarangapani (one
who has the bow in his hand) derives from the Tamil
word Sarangam meaning bow of Vishnu and Pani meaning hand. As
Lord Vishnu came to wed Mother holding a bow (Saranga), he came to be called as
Sarangapani. Goddess Mahalakshmi repented for her mistake and from then
onwards she took a vow that she would never leave her husband. Hence even today
she never leaves out of her chamber. Hence, he came to be called as Padi Thanda
Pathini.
Recovery
of Nalayira Divya Prabandham by Nathamunigal:
Vaishnavite Saint Natha Muni, who lived in Kattumannar
Koil, was responsible for bringing back the Nalayira Divya
Prabandham that had been previously lost to the world. Veera Narayana Perumal,
the presiding deity at Kattumannar Koil, is the Lord who asked Nathamunigal to
collect and spread the sacred verses of the Azhwars. The Nalayira Divya
Prabandham is a collection of 4,000 Tamil verses composed by the 12
Azhwars. Prominent among them are the 1100+ verses known as
the Thiruvaimozhi, composed by Nammazhvar which forms the third portion of
the overall Divya Prabandham.
Many modern academics place the Azhwars date between 5th
and 10th century CE, however traditionally the Azhwars are
considered to have lived between 4200 BCE – 2700 BCE. For a period of several
centuries after the last Azhwar, the priceless 4,000 verses were lost without
any trace. Then came Nathamunigal during the 9th – 10th centuries
(the first of the Acharya Parambara) who was born and lived in Veera
Narayanapuram, the present day Kattumannar
Koil.
Nathamunigal, who mastered himself in Vedas at a young
age, was very attached to Veera Narayana Perumal and spent most of his time
performing daily poojas for the Lord here. One day, while he was performing his
daily poojas, he heard a set of devotees who had come here from Thiru
Narayanapuram of Melkote (Karnataka) reciting the Paasuram of Aaraavamudhe of
Nammazhvar which praises the Lord of Kumbakonam.
The recital ended with the mentioning “Aayiraththul
Ippaththu” (these 10 out of the 1000). Captivated by these pasurams,
Nathamunigal wanted to know the remaining 990 but they did not know anything
about them. A restless Nathamunigal went to Kumbakonam, where Lord Aravamudhan
asked him to go to Thiru
Kurugur. Thiru
Kurugur is the birthplace of Nammazhvar (Kurugur Sadagopan is the
birth name of Nammazhvar).
Nathamunigal proceeded to Thirukurugur
or Azhwar Thiru Nagari (one of the Nava
Thirupathis of Thirunelveli), the birth place of Nammazhvar, seeking
the 1,000 verses. The people there also did not know anything, but they told
him about “Kanni nun Siruthaambu”, the 11 pasurams of Madhurakavi Azhwar, a
deep disciple of Nammazhvar. Nathamunigal, then went to Thirukkolur
nearby (another Nava
Thirupathi of Thirunelveli), the birth place of Madhurakavi Azhwar
but again he could not get any clue out from there.
He came back to Thirukurugur
and sat under the tamarind tree where Nammazhvar sat from birth to 10+ age
without any food and water. Nathamunigal recited the 11 pasurams 12,000 times.
Pleased with his penance, Nammazhvar granted him not only his 1,000 pasurams,
but the entire collection of 4,000 pasurams of all the Azhwars. Veera Narayana
Perumal then called Nathamunigal back to Kattumannar
Koil where the Vaishnavite Savant chanted and shared
the Nalayira Divya Prabandham with the world.
Thus, Nathamunigal of Kattu
Mannar Koil, was instrumental in bringing back to the world the 4000
verses of the Azhwars. He also initiated the Vaishnava Sampradaya from here. After
the period of 12 Azhwars from Poigai Azhwar to Thirumangai Azhwar, the Acharya
Parambara starts with Nathamunigal as the Mudhal (first)
Acharya. Some of Nathamunigal disciples include Uyyakondan, Thiru
Kannamangaiaandan and Deivanayagaandan.
Lord Vishnu performed last rites to his devotee:
A devotee Lakshmi Narayanswami
served Lord throughout his life. He is the one who built the Rajagopuram
of the
temple. But he was childless. He reached the Lotus feet of Lord on a
Deepavali day. Anyone having no heir to perform the last rites would go to
hell, according to shastras. But Lord cannot ignore his devotee. He
performed the last rites for his devotee. Next day, when the temple was opened,
people saw him with a wet dhoti and his sacred thread (Poonool in Tamil and
Yagnopavita in Sanskrit) changed on the right shoulder, Darba in hands in
rite-performing manner. This event is followed in the
temple on Deepavali days during the midday puja, but devotees are not
allowed to see this puja.
Uthaana Saayee:
Once, Thirumazhisai Alwar visited
this
temple to have a dharshan of Aravamudha Perumal. He was very much
impressed by his beauty and wanted to have a chat with him. Seeing the sleeping
posture of the Lord, Thiru Mazhisai Azhwar questioned if his tiredness was the
reason for him to be lying down in his sleeping posture. After hearing this, it
is believed that the Lord slightly raised his posture to greet the Azhwar.
Feeling the guilt of having caused strain on the Lord, Thiru Mazhisai Azhwar
asked him to remain in the same posture. Lord remained in the posture permanently.
To this day, one can see the Lord in a slightly raised reclining posture (Uthaana
Saayee).
நடந்த கால்கள் நொந்ததோ நடுங்கு நில மேனமாய்
கிடந்த மேய் குலுங்கவோ விலங்கு மால் வரைசுரம்
கடந்த கால் பரப்பிக் காவேரிக் கறைக் குடந்திஆயுள்
கிடந்த வாரே எழுந்திருந்து பேசு, வாழி கேசவனே
கிடந்த மேய் குலுங்கவோ விலங்கு மால் வரைசுரம்
கடந்த கால் பரப்பிக் காவேரிக் கறைக் குடந்திஆயுள்
கிடந்த வாரே எழுந்திருந்து பேசு, வாழி கேசவனே
No Swarga Vasal in this
Temple:
Most of the Divya Desa
temples have Swarga Vasal (Paramapada Vasal) open on the Vaikuntha
Ekadasi day occurring in December-January. But there is no one such in this
temple as Lord Vishnu came to this
Divya Desa directly from his Vaikunda. The very worship of Perumal
Lord Sarangapani would take devotees to salvation. It is also believed
that passing through the Uttharayana and Dakshinayana entrances is no different
from the Swarga Vasal passing.
Kumbakonam is the birth place of Mother
Komalavalli. After the marriage Lord chose to stay here itself with his
consort (i.e. in his mother-in-law’s house). Hence, he is called as Veettodu
Mappillai. Hence, Mother is dominant in the temple. The
first worship goes to Mother only. As a philosophy, as Mother is first for
all respects, to establish this rule, the way to Perumal shrine is also
structured accordingly. The Go Puja (puja to cow) is performed in
Komalavalli Thayar shrine. Pujas to Lord are offered only then.
Maha Pralaya:
As per
another legend, during the great deluge, the pot of nectar came down swirling.
The pot of nectar fell down into different pieces as Shiva shot his arrow at
the pot. The nectar is believed to have relieved lives in the planet. The
various places where the nectar spilled are
