Vyasa Santhaleeswarar Temple,
Kanchipuram – Legends
Once Sage Vyasa, who is credited with composition and
recitation of eighteen Puranas including Mahabharata and Skanda Purana, entered
into an argument with other Sages as to who is the Supreme Lord. Sage
Vyasa insisted that Lord Vishnu is the supreme and none else. To prove
his point, he arrived at Kashi along with ten thousand disciples. He took bath
in Panchaganga, offered worship at Bindu Madhav temple of Lord Vishnu and
started singing praises of Lord Vishnu.
Then along with his disciples he started reciting Vishnu
Bhajans and reached Vishwanathar temple. His recitations reached a crescendo
and he started dancing around the temple, all the while singing praises of Lord
Vishnu, with one hand raised. Hearing this, Nandi immobilized the raised
hand of Sage Vyas and made the latter speechless. Soon Lord Vishnu
arrived at the spot and told Sage Vyas that the latter had committed a
crime.
It is Lord Shiva who is the ultimate God and the divine
powers which Lord Vishnu possesses have been given by the former. Sage
Vyasa, through his gestures, expressed that his hand and tongue were
immobilized and pleaded with Lord Vishnu for restoration of the movement of his
limb and tongue. Lord Vishnu gently patted the larynx of Sage Vyas and the
latter started singing praises of Lord Shiva.
Nandi observed this and cast a glance at the immobilized
hand of Sage Vyas and soon mobility returned to the hand as well. Realizing his
mistake, Sage Vyasa came to Kanchi, installed Shiva Linga here and worshipped
Lord Shiva. As Sage Vyasa worshipped Lord Shiva here, the
place came to be called as Sarnthasayam
and Lord came to be called as Vyasa Santhaleeswarar.