Mangalanathaswamy Temple, Uthirakosamangai - Legends
Uthirakosamangai:
Legend
says that this is the place where Siva transferred the knowledge of the Vedas
to Parvathi, his consort. Uthiram means upadesam or teaching and kosam is
secrets or in depth knowledge. Parvati was the Mangai or lady and so the place
became known as Uthira Kosa Mangai.
Manickavasagar saving Vedas:
Mandodhari,
a princess wanted to marry only a Shiva devotee and waited patiently and prayed
to Lord Shiva. Lord Shiva decided to meet her and asked the sages in the
ashrams to take care of the Agamas, a part of the Vedas, and said that he would
collect them on his return. The Lord appeared before Mandodhari as a child. The
ten-headed Ravana, a great Shiva Bhaktha (believer), came there and touched the
child, knowing that it was a manifestation of Lord Shiva.
The Lord
wanted to test Ravana and became a ball of fire that scorched the earth. The
sages, unable to protect the holy book given by the Shiva, jumped into the tank
nearby, the Agni Theertham and died. However, Manickavasagar, the Tamil saint
and poet, courageously withstood the fire and saved the scriptures. The Lord
blessed Mandodhari and fulfilled her wish and helped her to marry Ravana.
The Lord
also graced Manickavasagar in this Linga form. The sage is supposed to still be
present in the temple in the Linga form. This temple is the 22nd sthalam (holy
place) which is mentioned in the songs of the Thevaram, the first seven
volumes of the Thirumurai, the twelve-volume collection of Tamil Saivite
devotional poetry.
Lord Shiva cursing Manickavasagar in his previous birth:
Manickavasagar
was a Gandharva, a semi-divine being in his previous birth. While Lord Shiva
was explaining some important piece of the Vedas, this Gandharva was distracted
by a beautiful flying object in the sky. Shiva cursed him to take a human
birth. Then Manickavasagar came to this place, worshipped Shiva and sung 16
beautiful songs which are known as Ponnunjal, the golden swing.