Virudhagireeshwarar Temple, Virudhachalam – Legends
Oldest
Mountain:
As per Hindu Mythology, when Brahma thought of creating
the earth, he created water. Lord Vishnu happened to cut down the evil
Madhukaidavas. The cut pieces of the bodies floated on water created by Lord
Brahma. On seeing that Brahma prayed to Lord Shiva to create the earth out of
the hardened compound from the water and the flesh of the bodies. Lord Shiva
appeared as a mountain. Lord Brahma who did not know this created many
different mountains. As they did not have space to exist, he was sorrowful. The
Pranava God appeared and conveyed Lord Brahma the truth through gestures.
Brahma worshipped Lord Shiva who was the form of mountain.
Lord Shiva created the earth combining the flesh and the
water compounded in a hardened form. He called it medhini. He gave space for
the mountains of Brahma. He told Brahma that he was not different from the
mountain. The mountains of Brahma came into being after that mountain. Hence
the mountain of Shiva was named Pazha malai (old mountain). According to him,
that Pazhamalai would be hard pressed on the earth appearing as Shiva Linga
above. Those who worshipped it would get all they wished for. Thus, the oldest
of all mountains is invisible, but the top layer of it is said to appear in the
river-bed of Cuddalore at Vayalur, about four km north of Virudhachalam.
Place
for Salvation:
It is the faith of the devotees that salvation is surety
if he/she is born in the place, or live in the place, or pray the Lord here, or
even thinking of him even while elsewhere and die in this place. One of the
above five criteria will free him/her from the cycle of births and deaths.
Virudhachalam
unaffected by Pralaya:
When the world was destroyed by pralaya floods, it is
said that this holy place - Virudhachalam stood unaffected and fully alive.
1008
Shiva Shrines:
Of the 1008 Shiva shrines of the country considered in
high esteem, four lead this divine list of which Virudhachalam is one.
Etymology:
Vriddha means ancient – Achalam the hill. Virudhachalam
means an ancient hill. In chaste Tamil this is mentioned as Mudhu Kundram in
Thevaram hymns. During the days of Saivite Saints Appar, Gnanasambandhar and
Sundarar, the place was known as Pazhamalai in Tamil and changed to the
Sanskrit version Virudhachalam in the days that followed.
Sage
Vibasithu paid the labours with Vanni leaves:
Sage Vibasithu had a dip in the Manimuthar river and
undertook the renovation of this temple. He gave the workers the leaves of the
Vanni tree which later changed into coins to the value due to the workers based
on the quantum and quality of his work, is a story believed by generations of
devotees. The Vanni tree is 1700-year-old, say researchers.
Mattru
Uraitha Vinayaka:
Saint Sundarar was on a fund-raising mission to feed the
devotees on the Panguni Uthiram festival in Tiruvarur. Sundarar passed through
this place without singing the glory of the Lord. He was stopped by the Lord and
made him sing. Then, Lord of this temple donated 12,000 gold coins to
Sundararar. Beware of robbers on the way, he placed all the coins in the
Manimuthar River and collected it in the tank in Tiruvarur. This is a strange
precaution.
Money placed in a river cannot be collected from a tank
that has no link with each other. But this miracle happened. Thus, came the
proverb, “losing in the river and searching in the tank”. Sundarar wanted to
test the touch of the gold he took from the tank in Tiruvarur. Lord proved the
quality of the gold with Lord Vinayaka as a witness who confirmed the touch.
Hence, Vinayaka in the inner prakara of the temple is praised as Mattru-touch,
Uraitha-confirmed, Vinayaka- Mattru Uraitha Vinayaka.
Significance
of Number Five here:
Number five has a significance in this temple. Murthis
are five – Lords Vinayaka, Muruga, Shiva, Shakthi and Chandikeswara. Lord is
praised by five names – Virudhagireeshwarar, Pazhamalai Nathar,
Vruddhachaleswarar, Mudhu Kundreeswarar and Vruddhagiri. There are five
Vinayakas in the temple – Aazhathu Vinayakar, Mattru Uraitha Vinayaka,
Muppillayar, Dasabhuja Ganapathy and Vallabha Ganapathi. Five Rishis had the
darshan of Lord – Romesa, Vibasiddhu, Kumaradeva, Nada Sharma and Anavardhini.
There five towers in the temple at east, west, south,
north and Kandarathithan (a Chola king) gopuram. There are five prakaras –
called Thiruchutru in Tamil They are Kailaya, Vanniyadi, 63 Nayanmar Chuttru
and Panchavarna Chuttru. There are five Kodimarams - flag post with five
Nandhis – Indra Nandhi, Vedha Nandhi, Athma Nandhi, Maalvidai Nandhi and Dharma
Nandhi. There are five inner Mandaps – Artha, Idaikazhi, Thapana, Maha and Isai
Mandapams.
Outer Mandapams are 20 pillar mandapam, Deeparadhana,
100 pillar mandapam, Vipachithu and Chitra mandapam. Five-time puja is followed
in the temple - Thiruvanandal, Kalasanthi, Uchi Kala, Sayaraksha and Arthajama
at scheduled times from early morning till night. The temple has five cars-Raths
for Lords Vinayaka, Muruga, Pazhamalai Nathar, Mother Periyanayagi and Sri
Chandikeswara. The place has five names – Tirumudhu Kundram, Vruddha Kasi, Virudhachalam,
Nerkuppai and Mudhugiri.
Virutha
Kasi:
It is one of the places giving salvation to the
departed. It is even considered holier than Holy Kasi i.e. Varanasi. As
believed in Kasi, here too Mother Viruthambigai places the departed souls on her
lap and fan them with the pallu of her Sari while Lord Shiva chants the
Namasivaya mantra in the ears of the dead ensuring his/her salvation. Hence in
olden days people of Virudhachalam never bothered to undertake a pilgrimage to
Varanasi when they become old and weak. As a result, this place is also come to
known as Virudhakasi. It is also claimed that the benefit measure is a little
bit more here than Kasi, hence the saying “Kasiyil Veesam Adhigam in
Virudhakasi”.
Ashes of
the dead turning into Stone:
The ashes of the dead when dissolved in Manimuthar River
change into a stone and stay underneath, according to Sthalapuranam.
Mother
Peria Nayaki fed King of Karnataka:
During his visit to this place, the king of Karnataka
suffered due to hunger. Mother Peria Nayaki, as a young woman fed him with milk
and named him Kumara Deva.
Lord
Shiva danced for his own joy here:
Lord Shiva as Nataraja danced in Thillai for a contest.
He played here for his own joy.
Mother
appeared to Guru Namshivayar as old woman and young woman:
Viruthambigai means Goddess of elderly age. Devotee Guru
Namshivayar stayed in this place for a night on his way to Chidambaram. He was
very hungry and called Mother with a verse with a word Kizhathi. Mother Periyanayagi
came there as an old woman and replied that Kizhavi-old woman cannot bring
food, only young woman can. The devotee sang another verse describing the
youthfulness of Ambica. She appeared as a young beautiful woman and fed the
devotee and thus came to be known as Balambika – young Mother.
Maasi
Magam:
Maasi Magam is an important festival. It is believed
that Vibasithu Munivar sought the darshan of Lord Siva, through the
Nandi. On the sixth day of the Masi Magam festival, Lord Vriddhagiriswarar,
along with his Consort Goddess Viruthambigai, appeared before Vibasithu
Munivar.
Story
behind the construction of the temple:
The construction of the temple, by itself, has an
interesting legend. Vibasithu Munivar, it is said, happened to find the earring
that belonged to Lord Kubera's daughter. The jewel, dear to her, was dropped on
the lap of Vibhasithu, by a bird. Kubera's daughter announced a reward of all
her remaining Jewellery in return for her earring. Vibhasithu gave the earring
and with the reward he constructed the temple.