Somanatha
Swamy Temple, Keezh Pazhayarai – Legends
Waxing & waning of the Moon:
As per legend, Chandra married Daksha's
27 daughters. Among his 27 wives, Chandra was especially fond of his fourth
wife, Rohini, and spent most of his time with her. The other wives resented his
indifference to them and complained about it to their father. This angered
Daksha immediately cursed Chandra that he would gradually fade away. Chandra worshipped
Lord Shiva here to get relief from Daksha curse. Lord Shiva could not reverse
Daksha's curse. However, he softened the curse for Chandra. He would face the
curse for 15 days of the month and the remaining 15 days he would be growing to
larger extend. Thus, the waxing & waning of the Moon (Poornima & Amavasya)
was born.
Nectar Drops becoming Lingam, Goddess & Holy
Spring:
As per legend, Garuda, the eagle
vehicle of Lord Vishnu, got a nectar pot from Indra and passed through this
place to free his mother from slavery. He was intercepted by some
demons when three drops of nectar fell on this
place. The three drops became a Shivalinga, Mother Goddess and a
holy spring. Garuda bathed in the spring and worshipped Lord Shiva here. He won
the demons with the blessings of Lord Shiva. The spring made by Garuda came to
be called as Jatayu Theertham.
Amaraneedi Nayanar:
Amaraneedi Nayanar was a Nayanar saint,
venerated in the Hindu sect of Shaivism.
He is generally counted as the seventh in the list of 63 Nayanars. The life of
Amaraneedi Nayanar is described in the Periya
Puranam by Sekkizhar (twelfth century), which is a
hagiography of the 63 Nayanars. Amaraneedi Nayanar was born in Pazhayarai,
the ancient capital of the Chola kingdom. He was a Vaishya,
member of the merchant caste. Amaraneedi was a trader of gold, jewels
and clothes.
Amaraneedi was a staunch devotee
of Shiva,
the patron god of Shaivism. He donated food and clothes to
devotees of Shiva. He would especially gift Kowpeenam (loin-cloth)
to Shaiva ascetics. Once, the merchant visited the Kalyanasundaresar Temple of Nallur (Tirunallur) dedicated to
Shiva, to attend the temple festival. He worshipped at the temple and stayed at
Nallur for a few days. One day, Lord Shiva came to Amaraneedi's house disguised
as a Brahmin Brahmachari (a
celibate member of the priest caste). The young Brahmachari had matted hair and
wore only a Kowpeenam.
He was adored with the Tripundra (Shaiva
marks on the forehead) and carried a staff with two Kowpeenams on it. The
Brahmachari told Amaraneedi that he had come having heard of the merchant's
generosity. Amaraneedi asked him for a chance to serve him, the Brahmachari lad
consented and kept one of his dried Kowpeenams in the merchant's custody and
left for a bath. While Amaraneedi kept the Kowpeenam in a safe place, Lord Shiva
caused it to be mysteriously disappear.
When the Brahmachari returned,
he asked for his dried Kowpeenam for a change of dress as his other Kowpeenam
on his staff was drenched in the rain. Amaraneedi could not find the Kowpeenam
where he left it and searched the house in vain. The dejected Amaraneedi
returned with his wife and kin and another Kowpeenam. He apologised and
prostrated before the Brahmachari and offered a Kowpeenam of a superior
quality. The enraged Brahmachari refused to accept it and after much
persuasion, demanded a Kowpeenam equal in weight of the lost Kowpeenam.
In a weighing scale, the
Brahmachari placed his wet Kowpeenam from the staff in a pan and Amaraneedi
placed his Kowpeenam in the other pan. As the Brahmachari's Kowpeenam was
weightier, he started putting all the Kowpeenams he had. Then he added silken
and cotton garments, but the Kowpeenam pan did not rise from the ground.
Finally, Amaraneedi started to add all his wealth, including gold, silver and
jewels, in the other pan. After Amaraneedi realized all his wealth could not
match the weight of Kowpeenam, he asked the Brahmachari if he, his wife and
child can ascend the pan.
On consent of the Brahmachari,
he circumbulated the pan and implored Shiva that his devotion and service was
true, the pans should become equal in weight. He recited the Panchakshara mantra,
dedicated to Shiva and got into the pan. Immediately, the pans were balanced.
Men and celestial beings showered the devotee with flowers. The Brahmachari
disappeared and Shiva appeared with his consort Parvati and
blessed the family. The family had become the possessions of Lord Shiva. The
weighing scale converted into a heavenly chariot and transported them to Kailash,
Shiva's abode.
Besides the Periya Puranam,
the tale is told in the temple lore of the Kalyanasundaresar Temple.
Kalyanasundaresar, the presiding form of Shiva, is said to have tested
Amaraneedi Nayanar in the guise of the Brahmachari boy. The tale of Amaraneedi
(called Iruvadandari in the account) is also recalled in the thirteenth-century Telugu Basava
Purana of Palkuriki Somanatha in brief and with
some variation. Shiva is said to have come disguised as a devotee and given his
blanket and loin-cloth for safe keeping. At the end, only Iruvadandari ascended
the pan and was made a pramatha, an attendant of Shiva.
One of the most prominent
Nayanars, Appar (Tirunavukkarasar,
7th century) dedicates a hymn to Amaraneedi Nayanar, recalling his tale while
praising the temple of Nallur. Another famed Nayanar, Sundarar (8th
century) venerates Amaraneedi Nayanar in the Tiruthonda Thogai, a hymn to
Nayanar saints. He is described adored with a soft jasmine garland. Amaraneedi
Nayanar is worshipped in the Tamil
month of Aani,
when the moon enters the Purva Phalguni nakshatra (lunar
mansion). He is depicted with a crown and folded hands. He receives collective
worship as part of the 63 Nayanars.
Mangaiyarkarasi Nayanar:
Mangaiyarkarasi Nayanar was
a Nayanar saint,
venerated in the Hindu sect of Shaivism.
She is one among the only three women who attained this distinction. Her
devotion to Lord
Shiva is recounted in the hagiographic poem Periyapuranam compiled
by Sekkizhar as
well as in the Thiru Thondar Thogai written by the poet-saint Sundarar.
Mangayarkkarasiyar was born as a Chola princess
in Pazhayarai.
Her real name was Maani. She married the Pandyan
Dynasty King Koon
Pandiyan who ruled Madurai.
She came to be known as
Mangayarkkarasiyar (meaning queen of the women in Tamil)
on account of being an ideal Queen who commanded great respect and admiration among
her subjects. She was an ardent devotee of Lord Shiva and
remained a staunch Shaivite in her
country which was becoming increasingly influenced by Jainism.
Her husband, the Pandyan King had converted
to Jainism and
this worried her a lot. The King became a Jain fanatic and even forbade her to
wear Thiruneeru on
her forehead.
Hindus suffered persecution and having
converted the king, the Jain monks started to wield greater power in the
kingdom. She feared that if left unchecked, the spread of Jainism would wipe
out Shaivism
entirely from Madurai. Her only solace was the Prime Minister
of the kingdom, Kulachirai Nayanar who still remained
a staunch Shaivite.
The Prime Minister sympathized with the Queen and they were both deeply
concerned about the spread of Jainism and
the atrocities committed by the Jain monks in Madurai.
The Queen and the Prime Minister
were struggling to find a way to get rid of Jainism and
bring Shaivism to
its prior prominence in the kingdom. But their efforts were in vain because of
the King's fanaticism. During this time, she heard news that Appar and Sambandar had
committed a miracle in the Vedaranyeswarar Temple by
opening and closing the temple doors with their devotional verses. Having
failed in all her attempts, the Queen made up her mind to seek the help
of Appar
and Sambandar.
She dispatched the Prime Minister to invite Appar and Sambandar to Madurai.
Appar and Sambandar accepted
the Queen's request and came to Madurai. They faced a lot of obstacles from the
Jain monks on their way but successfully overcame them. King Koon
Pandiyan had been ailing from incurable boils for
a long time and also had a hunchback. He got the name Koon Pandiyan because of
his hunchback. The Jain monks tried their best to cure the King with their
medicines but to little avail. Sambandar cured
the king of his boils by singing hymns and applying Thiruneeru on
the king's body.
The king was also cured of his
hunchback and came to be known as Ninra Seer Nedumaara Nayanar (meaning one who
stands tall and erect in Tamil). Sambandar had
earned the King's devotion and the King immediately reconverted to Shaivism.
With the King's reconversion, Jainism was
wiped out completely and Shaivism regained its prior prominence in
the kingdom. For their role in the spread of Shaivism,
the Queen, the Prime Minister and the King were each individually included in
the list of Nayanmars and their tales were rendered in
the hagiographic poem Periyapuranam compiled by Sekkizhar as
well as in the Tiruthhthondar Thogai written by the poet-saint Sundarar.
People worshipped Lord Shiva here:
It is believed that Aadhi Sesha, Ganga and Kamdhenu’s daughter Vimali had worshipped Lord Shiva here.
