Anantheeswarar Temple, Chidambaram – Legends
Throughout all of eternity Lord Vishnu rests on Shesha,
the Cosmic Snake, in Vaikuntha. Once his weight suddenly seemed to have greatly
increased. Shesha asked Vishnu “why are you so much heavier, Lord?” The Lord
answered “I have had a vision of Shiva doing his Cosmic Dance. I have expanded
with happiness at the sight.” Shesha requested Vishnu to tell him all about
Shiva’s Dance. And Lord told him everything as follows. In the forest called Dharukavana
live a community of Rishis or Seers in a hermitage. Through the performance of rituals,
they had achieved great knowledge and power, but they had not realized the
importance of Divine Grace.
Lord Shiva requested Lord Vishnu to accompany him to
enlighten the Rishis, by showing them human power and knowledge were helpless
without intervention of Divine Grace. To accomplish this purpose the two
deities applied their power of Maya or Illusion. Shiva entered the hermitage of
the Rishis as Bhikshatana or a Mendicant. With dazzling beauty, wearing only a
mendicant’s sandals, the wives and daughters of the Rishis fell madly in love
with him, forgetting everything else, and completely loosing themselves.
Vishnu transformed himself into a beautiful woman called
Mohini, and an alluring dancer. As soon as the Rishis saw Mohini dance before
them, they too lost all sense and rationality and with desire burning in their
hearts they followed Mohini around like madmen. When some of the Rishis
realized what was happening they became enraged and started a great magical
fire sacrifice against Lord Shiva-Bhikshatana. First, they called from the fire
– A tiger, but when tiger attacked Lord Shiva he laughed, and killed the
ferocious animal with his hands, tearing off its skin and wearing it for a loin
cloth.
Next the Rishis send poisonous snakes, which he draped
around his arms and neck, as jewelry. Then, Shiva prepared to perform his
Cosmic Dance. His two other arms appeared and his third eye shone in his
forehead. The Rishis called a fierce dwarf from their magical fire, but Shiva’s
dancing foot simply took him for a pedestal and danced. Finally, the Rishis
send the fire itself to destroy the Cosmic Dancer, but he just took it on to
his left hand. And from the mantras that the Rishis used against him he made
his anklets.
Then, the Lord danced his Tandava or Cosmic Dance. Its
full power made the Rishis fall to the ground. It made Lord Vishnu shake, and
even Parvati, the goddess consort of Shiva, who joined them to witness her husband’s
dance, was overcome with fear. But the Lord danced smiling, showing his raised
foot. The Rishis understood the Lord’s Divine Grace, and attained realization.
They started to dance themselves and all of creation danced with them.
After Vishnu has told Shesha about his vision of Shiva’s
Cosmic Dance, Shesha longs for only one thing: to see Shiva’s dance himself.
Vishnu grants him permission to leave him for a while, so Shesha too will be
able to experience Shiva’s dance. After Shesha performed austerities for long
ages, Shiva appeared before him, and offers him the fulfillment of any wish.
Shesha has only one wish: to witness Shiva’s Tandava.
In fulfillment of Shesha’s wish, Shiva announced to him
that he will dance at the appropriate and tangible moment on earth in the Sabha
in the Thillai forest. This forest is situated on the middle point of the
earth, and constituted its heart centre, the Lotus Space. Through it passes the
main energy Nadi, or vein, of our mother planet. This place is called Cit
Ambara, the Ether of Consciousness. Shiva told that he, Shesha, would be born
on earth from human parents, and that he would be called Patanjali.
After growing up he will travel to Thillai, where he
will meet another saint, called Vyakrapada the Tiger footed. And both will
perform tapas and worship, until the appointed time for Shiva to perform his
Cosmic Dance in the Sabha has arrived. All these things foretold by Shiva to
Shesha come to pass. As Patanjali reached the Thillai forest he found on the
southern bank of the lotus pond the saint Vyakrapada, worshipping the Moolasthana
Linga and performing austerities.
Vyakrapada had come to the Thillai forest following the
advice of his father, the Rishi Madhyandina. To worship the Moolasthana Linga
he used to gather flowers in the early morning, but however early he collected
the flowers, insects had already damaged them. Deeply upset that his worship
was not as complete or perfect as he aimed for, he cried to Lord Shiva to help
him. In answer to his prayer Shiva gave him tiger claws for hand and feet,
enabling him to find his way through the thick forest at night to gather
flowers long before daybreak, before the insects could inflict their damage.
From then on, both saints did the worship and the
austerities together, as they waited for the appointed time for Shiva to dance
in the Sabha. As that time approached also the 3000 munivars (later called
Deekshithars) arrived in the forest to await the Lord’s dance. Patanjali was
also called as Ananthan. Hence the Lord is called as Anantheeswarar.
During Ramavathara, Patanjali accompanied Sri Rama as
Lakshmana. As he is the author of Yoga Sutras, those studying and practicing
this art, worship him in the temple for gaining proficiency in the art. Barring
Tiruvarur, it is believed that all Shiva powers in the Shiva temples the world
over confluence in Chidambaram. All the sages would attend Arthajama Pooja at
Chidambaram Nataraja Temple and attend Uchi Kaala Pooja at this Temple.