Velleeswarar Temple, Mylapore – Legends
Sukracharya got his eyesight back by praying to Lord
Shiva here:
According
to popular legend, when the king Mahabali was about to grant Vamana, an incarnation of Vishnu, gifts of land as part of Yagna Dhana, Sukracharya, the preceptor of the Asuras, tried to stop him as he suspected foul play. But Bali
was insistent that he cannot stop Dhanam to a young Brahmmachari Brahmin. Sukracharya,
then changed his form to that of a bee and went into the nozzle of the Kamandalam
blocking water flow. Lord Vamana on seeing this, pricked the nozzle with a Dharba
grass, which blinded Sukracharya. Sukracharya meditated upon Shiva at this
place in Mylapore and got his eyesight back. Velli means Sukra and Velleeswarar
is Lord of Sukracharya. You can see the statue form of Sri Sukra worshipping
the Lord here in this temple.
Sage Angirasa worshipped Lord Shiva here:
Sage
Angirasa worshipped Lord Shiva here.
Sarabeswarar:
The
legend is that Vishnu in his incarnation as Narasimha destroyed the
indestructible Hiranya Kasipu and established the credence of the child devotee
Prahaladha. But even after the event, he was so ferocious that nothing could
pacify him - even the heart-warming prayers of Prahaladha and Lakshmi. So,
Shiva's help was sought. Shiva, having failed through his intermediaries, had
to assume the form of a Sarabam, characterized by both an animal and human form
with four hands, eight legs, two wings, a beak of that of a falcon and fierce
flaming eyes, to mollify the angry Narasimha. The two wings were Kali and
Durga. Shiva embraced Narasimha in a tight hold and cooled his temper by
fanning his two wings till Narasimha gradually calmed down and assumed the Yoga
posture. So Saraba is considered as Shiva.
