Nageswara Swamy Temple,
Kumbakonam – Legends
Maha Pralayam:
According to Hindu mythology, at
the end of every Yuga, there is a huge flood called Maha Pralayam occurs and the
whole world immerses in a deluge on account of the wrath of Hindu god Shiva for
the sins committed by humans in earth. Lord Brahma prepared himself for
the next cycle of creation. He put all the seeds from which creation would
sprout in amrita (the elixir of immortality) along with four Vedas and Puranas
and kept them together in a clay pot. On top of the pot, he placed a coconut
with mango leaves and wrapping around the pot’s neck a sacred thread. He then
placed the pot on the peak of Mount Meru in the Himalayas.
When the Maha Pralayam started,
it destroyed all living creatures on the earth. The Amutha Kalasa also got
displaced and started floating on the seas for years. Eventually when the
Pralayam stopped, the Kalasa settled in Kumbakonam. Then Lord Shiva took the
form of a hunter (Kirata Murthy) and split open the pot with his arrow. The
life on earth started flourishing again. It is believed that when Lord Shiva
opened the pot with his arrow, the pot broke and fell in various places across
the earth. Each of these items became Shiva Lingas and temple has been
established later.
These Temples are;
1. Adi
Kumbeswarar Temple (place
where the Amrutha Kalasa stayed). It is believed that Lord Kirata Murthy (Lord
Shiva) himself made a Shivalingam with the broken pieces of the Kalasa by
mixing nectar and sand with it. He worshiped this lingam and stayed back in
this place. The Shivalingam is in the shape of the neck of a pot (Kudamukku in
Tamil).
2. Someswarar
Temple (place where the string (Uri/Sikkam) fell.
3. Nageswarar
Temple (place where the Vilva leaves tied to the Kalasa fell).
4. Abhimukeswarar
Temple (place where the Kalasa’s coconut fell).
5. Gauthameswarar
Temple (place where the sacred thread of Kalasa fell).
6. Koneswarar
Temple, Kudavasal (place where the rim of the Kalasa fell)
7. Sakkottai
Amirthakalasa Nathar Temple (place where the mid-portion of the
Kalasa fell). Since the pot (locally called kalayam) arrived here, it was
called Kalayanallur.
8. Banapureeswarar
Temple (place where Lord Shiva broke the Kalasa with his arrow).
9. Aadhi
Kampatta Viswanathar Temple (place where the flowers of the Kalasa
fell).
10. Kalahastheeswarar
Temple (place where Chandan of the Kalasa fell).
11. Ekambareswarar
Temple (place where the balance items of Kalasa feel).
12. Kottaiyur
Kodeeswarar Temple (place where some drops of the nectar fell).
Nageswarar:
As per Hindu mythology, Adiseshan
(the king of serpents) holds the earth in its place. As the weight grew due to
the sins committed by the wicked, he could not bear the excess weight and felt
exhausted. He visited Mount Kailash and begged Lord Shiva to bless him
with the adequate energy needed to do his job. Lord promised him the
energy to hold the earth with a single head (Adisesha has 1000 heads).
Adisesha, with the blessings of
Lord Shiva came to this part of Kumbakonam where one leaf of Vilwa fell from
the nectar pot. He installed a Linga here and worshipped the Lord. As
Nagaraja the king of snakes worshipped the Lord here, He is praised as Nageswarar.
The water body in the temple is called as Naga Theertham.
Holier than Kasi:
Kumbakonam is considered more
sacred than Varanasi (Kasi). A sin committed at normal places can be washed
away by visiting a nearby holy place. A sin committed in one of the sacred
places is washed away by performing a pilgrimage to Varanasi. However, if any one
commits a sin in Varanasi can only be washed off in Kumbakonam. Similarly, any
sinful act done at Kumbakonam is washed away there itself.
Surya Theertham:
Lord Surya is said to have
worshipped here to regain his lost splendor. Hence, the temple tank came to be
called as Surya Theertham. Hence, this
Temple is also considered as Bhaskara Kshetram.
Kudanthai Keezha Kottam:
As this
temple is situated on the eastern side of Kumbakonam, the temple is
known as Kudanthai
Keezha Kottam (Keezha means eastern side and Kottam means temple).
Other Names of this place:
The place was called as Vilva
Vanam, Surya Kottam and Keezha Kottam in ancient times.
People worshipped Lord Shiva here:
It is believed that Adiseshan, Surya,
King Nala, Daksha and Karkotaka worshipped Lord Shiva here.
