Ashtabujakaram (Sri Aadhikesava Perumal Temple),
Kanchipuram - Legends
Story behind Ashtabhuja Perumal:
As per
Hindu legend, once there was an argument between Saraswathi, the consort of Brahma and Lakshmi on superiority. They went to Indra, the king of celestial deities. Indra judged Lakshmi as
superior and not satisfied with his argument, Saraswathi went to her husband,
Brahma. He also chose Lakshmi to be the superior one. Saraswathi was unhappy
with the decision and decided to stay away from Brahma.
Brahma
did a severe penance praying to Vishnu and did an Aswamedha Yagna.
Saraswathi was still angry that the yagna, which usually is done along
with consorts, was done alone by Brahma. She tried to disrupt the penance in
various ways, but Vishnu interfered in all her attempts. After all the demons
were killed by Vishnu, who were sent by Saraswati to destroy the yagna (penance) done by Brahma, she finally sent a ferocious Sarpam (snake).
Lord Vishnu took the form of Ashtabhuja Perumal holding 8
different weapons to kill the snake. The snake is found on the Vayu end of
the yaaga sala as "Sarabeswaran" in this temple.
Gajendra Moksham:
Another
legend associates this temple to Gajendra moksham given by Vishnu to
the elephant king Gajendra. Yogi Mahasandan decided to renounce his life in this
earthly world and to reach the lotus feet of Lord Vishnu. He plunged into
penance for the purpose. Mahasandhan had such powers equal to Indira the king
of Devas. Indira was shocked by the penance of Mahasandan and sent
alluring beautiful women of his world to entice Mahasandhan to spoil his
penance. They could not move the yogi.
Finally,
Indira came in the guise of male elephant and succeeded in his design. The
yogi enticed by the beauty of the elephant, took the form of an elephant
himself and wandered in the forest till he reached Salagramam for a bath. The
yogi elephant was able to recollect his penance and the defeat he suffered
then. It began visiting the Divya Desas, worshipped Perumal and
sought a remedy for the folly it committed.
Sage
Mrikandu advised the elephant to go to Kanchi and worship Lord Varadaraja
Perumal to realize its wish. It so happened that the elephant came
to Lord Ashtabhuja Perumal temple and began worshipping him 14,000 flowers each
day. As it could not get sufficient flowers one day, it began plucking
flowers from a nearby tank and was caught by a crocodile. As
Gajendra did in the past, this elephant cried ‘Aadhi Moolame’ for
protection. Lord, as he saved Gajendra in the past, appeared before the
yogi elephant on his Garuda, cut the crocodile with his discus and granted
salvation to the yogi elephant.