Sri Sadguru Swamigal Madam,
Marudhanallur, Thanjavur
Sri Sadguru Swamigal Madam is a Hindu religious mutt dedicated to Dakshina Bajan Sampradaya located in Marudhanallur, a village in the outskirts of Kumbakonam, in Thanjavur District in Tamil Nadu.
Legends
& History
Sri Bodhendra Swamigal, Sri
Sridhara Ayyavargal and Marudhanallur Sri Sadguru Swamigal are considered as
the trinities of Dakshina Bajan Sampradaya. They insisted that Nama Sankirthana
is the simplest form of worship of Lord to attain salvation in this
Kaliyuga. Sri Sadguru Swamigal original name was Shri Venkatarama
Desikar. He was born in Thiruvisanallur in 1777 CE in a Telugu Brahmin
family in Thiruvisainallur. He did not speak up to the age of 3 and the worried
parents took him to different temples for getting relief. At that
time, a saint visited his house and the parents sought his help.
The elderly person said that
Venkataraman is a very noble soul and he would propagate the Bakthi culture all
over the country. He took the child and uttered Rama Namam in his right
ear and immediately Venkataraman started talking. In due course, the
parents performed his Brahmopadesam and later marriage with
Janaki. Though he was a Grahastha, he was more a
Sanyasi. He also learnt the scriptures from his father and also
became an expert in classical music. He had a great affinity towards
Ramayana in his young age itself.
He cultivated the habit of
chanting Rama Nama continuously. He followed the path of his father performing Vedic
rituals and Shraddha as livelihood. Once, he had to perform a Shraddha
ritual in a house nearby village. He started chanting Rama Nama in
the early morning hours and it took him long hours to complete in the
evening. Instantly he remembered the Shraddha ceremony he was agreed
to perform. He was alarmed, hurried to the house in order to beg for
forgiveness. Surprisingly, the man in that house greeted him with utmost
reverence and thanked him for his dedicated performance of the shraddha
rituals.
In a moment, Venkataraman was in
a state of ecstasy, he reverently remembered the compassion of Lord. After the
sad demise of his father, Venkataraman took the responsibility of taking care
of the family; he journeyed to nearby villages to teach the children Veda, his
disciples were brilliant, and it helped him to earn more and more
students. Shortly, Venkataraman found it difficult to allocate time
for Rama Nama Japam, so he discarded the family life and left to Ayodhya.
He immersed in chanting Rama
Nama Japam and engaged in Uncchavruthi, eventually he reached Andhra Pradesh. There
he found mass of people travelling to Thirupathi singing Rama Nama and dancing
to the tunes in a state of bliss. The very moment he had decided to bring
awareness and Bakthi cult among the people of Tamil Nadu, he decided to
incorporate the compositions / Sampradaya of great saints and holy men of North
and the compositions / Keerthana of saints of South.
On that night Sri Bodhendra
Swamigal appeared in his dream, advised him that he has realized the purpose of
his life and he need not go back to Ayodhya. Further, Bodhendra Swamigal
instructed him to return to Thiruvisanallur to spread Nama Bakthi. Venkataraman
sincerely followed the instructions of his Acharya and returned to Marudhanallur. He
constructed a spectacular form of Dakshina Bajan Sampradaya, incorporating the
stunning compositions of Sri Jayadevar’s Ashtapadi, compositions of Sri
Bodhendra Swamigal, Sri Sridhara Ayyaval, Bhadrachala Ramadasar, Thyagaraja,
Purandaradasar, Tukaram etc.
A mutt was established in Marudhanallur
and Dakshina Bhajana Sampradaya was taught to the people at
large. Gradually he was known by Marudhanallur Sri Sadguru Swamigal. Marudhanallur
Sri Sadguru Swamigal visited to Govindapuram to worship the Samadhi Sthalam of
Sri Bodhendra Swamigal. He was unable to locate the Samadhi Sthalam, he
was disconsolate remained fast for nine days, without moving a bit immersed in
chanting the Rama Nama.
On the tenth day, he regained
conscious and hurried to the banks of river Cauvery. There he kept his ears on
the ground as if listening to something, he continued the search and eventually
he heard the loud majestic voice of his Aacharya’s Rama Nama Japam. Marudhanallur
Sri Sadguru Swamigal approached the ruler of Tanjore (Sarfoji) and magnificent
Samadhi Sthalam was constructed in its place. On the previous night
the King had a dream in that Lord Anjaneya informed that Lord Rama was on his
way to meet him.
King Sarfoji fallen at the feet
of Marudhanallur Sri Sadguru Swamigal and attained blessings. Marudhanallur Sri
Sadguru Swamigal performed many mysterious events those were truly
mesmerizing. One day when he was doing Nama Sankirthana, he heard
that his wife Janaki passed away. Instead of feeling sad, he was
happy that she was fortunate enough to reach the Lotus Feet of Rama before him.
Once, a person Balakalochan was
sarcastic at Swamigal while Swamigal was attending
Uncchavruthi. Soon Balakalochan was afflicted with excruciating
stomach ache. His wife begged for forgiveness to Swamigal. The
compassionate Swamigal gave the holy water from his vessel. After
consuming the holy water Balalochan got rid of the stomach ache and became the
disciple of Marudhanallur Sri Sadguru Swamigal. Balakalochan
composed marvelous verses praising his Acharya ‘Athade Parabramam’ stands as
Guru Vandanam in Dakshina Bhajana Sampradaya.
Marudhanallur Sri Sadguru Swamigal
devoted all his for forty years of life in spreading the Bakthi cult through
the soul stirring Nama Sankirthana, attained Samadhi at the age of
forty. Swamigal shaped a unique form of Bhajana Sampradaya, incorporating
the compositions of various saints and holy men of different states and adding
mesmerizing effects with the various musical instruments of divinity into
it. In this way, he introduced an exceptional form of worship of
Lord and created an enormous awareness amongst the public.
Marudhanallur Sri Sadguru
Swamigal marvelously shaped the Dakshina Bajan Sampradaya for the occasions of
performance of Radha Kalyanam, Sita Kalyanam, Rukmini Kalyanam etc. and in a
short span of time it became widely celebrated among the people. One day when he
was meditating, a disciple came that side and he could see Rama and Seetha
sitting by the side of Swamigal and after some time, they entered into the body
of the Yogi. When a non-believer heard about this, he wanted to test
it. One day, when Swamigal was resting, the non-believer peeped through
the window.
There he saw Rama and Seetha
relaxing. But the luminosity was such that he lost his eye sight. When he
narrated the incident to Swamigal, he prayed on his behalf and ensured that he
got back sight. At the age of 41, Swamigal realised that his days in this earth
were over and entered Samadhi when his disciples were chanting the Rama
Namam. This has happened on the Shukla Paksha Ashtami of Tamil month
Chithirai (Apr-May, waning moon period). Marudhanallur Sri Sadguru
Swamigal attained Samadhi at Thiruvaduthurai Sri Jagathrakshaka Perumal Temple
in the year 1817, on the previous day of Rama Navami.
Madam
Opening Time
The Madam remains open from 09.00
AM to 11.30 AM and from 05.00 PM to 07.30 PM.
Connectivity
The Temple is located at about 4
Kms from Enanallur, 4.5 Kms from Kumbakonam Railway Station, 5 Kms from Kumbakonam
Bus Stand, 5 Kms from Nachiyar Kovil, 6 Kms from Kumbakonam, 42 Kms from Thanjavur
and 100 Kms from Trichy Airport. Marudhanallur is situated on Kumbakonam to
Needamangalam Route. Town Bus facilities are available from Kumbakonam.