Yoga Narasimha Perumal Temple, Narasingam, Yanaimalai
– Legends
Yoga Narasimha:
According
to the Sthala Purana for the Madurai Koodal Azhagar Temple, sage Romasa had installed the Narasimha idol in a cave in the
hill. And the 87th chapter of the Uttara
Kanda of the Brahmanda
Purana says the sage did penance on
the banks of the Padma Thadagam, as it was filled with lotus flowers, near the
Gajagiri Kshetram (the present Anaimalai) seeking progeny, and
wanted the Lord to appear in his Narasimha avatar. The Lord appeared as Ugra Narasimha and the heat that
emanated from him was unbearable.
Even the
celestials were affected by it and they all came to Gajagiri Kshetram and
prayed to the Lord to calm down. The Lord could not be pacified and then they
sought the help of Prahlada, whose arrival quietened him to some extent. They
prayed to the Goddess Mahalakshmi, who also took her abode in him as Narasingavalli,
after which he became Yoga Narasimha. The Lord later granted the boon sought by
the sage.
Chakra Theertham:
According
to another legend, Lord
Siva was afflicted by Brahma Hathi Dosham (a curse that
descends upon a Hindu if he murders a Vedic Brahman) after he plucked one of the five heads of Lord
Brahma. He was relieved of it after he
took a bath in the holy water source there, also known as Chakra Theertham, and
he worshipped Lord Narasimha. It is believed that taking a dip in the Chakra
Theertham, which is near the temple, rids one of all sins.
Thiruvilayadal Puranam:
The Thiruvilayadal Purana, written by Perumbatta Puliyur Nambi and later amended
by Paranjothi Munivar, says that the Chola king, who could not win the battle against the
Pandya ruler, sought the help of Jains. They created a giant elephant using their mystic
powers and directed it to kill the Pandya king and destroy his capital. But the
Pandya prayed to Lord Siva to save him and his capital. The Lord sent to him
the "Narasinga Asthram" (the eight-lettered word Namo Narayana),
which turned the elephant into a hill. To commemorate this event, a stone
elephant was installed in Madurai near the Vaigai facing the north, which is found near the
Yanaikkal bridge even today.
Etymology:
This hill
is in the shape of an elephant hence it is called Yanaimalai (elephant hill).
This place is mentioned as the Gaja Giri Kshetram, Narasingam or Hasthigiri.
Pulasthya Maharishi penance on this place:
Pulasthya
Maharishi, the great grandfather of Lankan King Ravana is said to have
undertaken penance at this place and had darshan of Lord Narasimha.
