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Friday, October 22, 2021

Airavateshwarar Temple, Veerakkan – Legends

Airavateshwarar Temple, Veerakkan – Legends

Chola King Veerasenan stayed in Veerakkan during the renovation of Thiruppanandal Temple:

Thadagai, a staunch Shiva devotee was unable to place her garland to Lord Shiva of Thiruppanandal Aruna Jadeswarar Temple one day as her upper sari slipped. She held the sari by one hand and tried to place the garland by other yet could not. Lord Shiva obliged his devotee by leaning his neck for her. The girl was happy to place the garland on the Lord. Since that day, the Shivalinga was always in a leaning posture. When a Chola king named Veerasenan renovated this temple, he tried to straighten the leaning posture of Shiva Linga with the help of his soldiers, but he could not succeed.

They even used elephants to pull the Shivalinga to set it in order but failed. The king learned about Saint Kungiliya Kalaya Nayanar of Thirukkadaiyur and his devotion towards Lord Shiva. He called him here and sought his help. This Nayanar was famous because his worship always involved the use of the fragrant smoke of Kungiliyam (Benzoin). He tied a rope to the Lingam and to the other end of the rope he tied a knife. He wrapped the end with the knife to his neck and started pulling gently.

He prayed to the Lord that in case he failed to straighten the lingam in this process, the Lord Shiva should take his life. Even as the rope tightened around his neck, the Nayanar did not flinch. Lord Shiva did not want to test Nayanar any further and returned the Lingam back to its straightened position. The king paid rich tributes to Nayanar and honoured him with gifts. It is said that Veerasenan along with his army stayed in Veerakkan during the renovation of Thiruppanandal Temple.

Chandikeswarar:

Chandikeswarar is one of the 63 Nayanmars. He is the only Nayanmar with the Eswara title. He is considered to be the guardian of the temple belongings. Hence, devotees clap their hands to show that they are leaving the temple empty-handed. It is also customary to leave even the sacred ash inside the temple itself. According to Periyapuranam, he was born into a Brahmin family in Seignalur (Senganur) and was called Visarasarman. His parents were Echa Dattan and Pavitrai. He learnt all arts in his young age.

His Upanayanam (sacred thread ceremony) was performed when he was seven. He had no thoughts in mind but Lord Shiva alone. One day when Visarasarman was playing with his friends, he saw a cowherd beating a cow with a stick that attempted to hit him. Visarasarman told the cowherd that beating a cow was sin as all the 33 crore gods were considered to reside in her and she is very important for survival of humans as well as for the continuance of rituals. He offered to take forth the task of herding the cows from then on.

The cow herd readily agreed as he was tired of managing unruly animals. So, from the next day Visarasarman took up cow herding as his duty and cared for the cattle. As he was as kind as a mother, the cows produced plenty of milk. It is said that Visarasarman used to graze the cows in Veerakkan. As Visarasarman was always drowned in Shiva thoughts, he made a Linga with the sands of Manniyaru River, installed it under an Aathi tree and performed pujas and abishek with the milk he got from the cows.

The cows also gave high measures of milk to their owners too. Those who saw Visarasarman performing abishekam to Lord with the milk of the cows complained that he was wasting the milk meant for yajnas. His father too saw him doing pujas abishekam from a hiding. The angry father beat him and upset the milk pots. As Visarasarman was deep in his worship, not knowing the person upsetting the milk pots, attacked him with a stick, still continuing his worship. 

The stick turned into an axe and cut the legs of the father. Lord along with Mother Parvathi granted darshan to Visarasarman and said that he cut his father’s legs because of his devotion and thenceforth he would be his father and honoured with Kondrai flower garland. He was wearing then. Lord also named him Chandikeswara. It is believed that Chandikeswarar attained salvation at nearby Thiruvaippadi on a new moon day on Shivrathri.