Thiruvahindrapuram - Sthala Puranam!!

Jai Sriman Narayana!!



'Hey Thiruvahindrapuram poiyirukkayadi'.  This is what I heard from my friend, mom-like, my Guru immediately after picking the phone.  I said ' Illaye, knonjam sollungo...kekkaren'.  She said ' You should go there, we had been to cuddallore for a marriage I have been thinking so long that I have to visit Thiruvahindrapuram Devanatha Perumal.  Finally I got the chance to visit the temple, Hayagreeva Perumal, Oushadhagiri, Shesha Theertham etc.. '.  My interest to listen her to flow of stories had no bounderies.  I told her, ' Tell me elaborately I will listen to you....'.  She continued ' Nee engadi pona vaccation time la....Srirangathila Ramanujar boothaudal pathaya...".   I said "Oh no....................I left out to see the Acharayan...my bad luck...".  She consoled me saying that 'Vaikunda ekadashim bothu va...I will be there only."  I answered I will try to be there for Vaikunda ekadashi otherwise I will make it while going to Kumbakonam and Tanjore Temple Trip.  Our conversation did not end...it continued for sometime explaining her Tour and finally she asked me to provide more information about the  sthala puranam of Thiruvahindrapuram.  I collected information from all the sources I could and it is dedicated to her my friend, my mom-like, Guru (Veena Teacher).

Presiding deity – Devanatha Perumal/Devanayaka Perumal

Thayar – Hemambujavalli Thayar/Senkamalavalli/Vaikuntha Valli/Amburuvasini/Bargavi

Mangalasasanam by Thirumangai Alwar and Periya Alwar

Sannidhi’s - Rama, Venugopala, Chakrattalvar, Pallikonda Perumal, Rajagopalan, Lakshmi Narasimhan, Aheendrapuranathan, Andal, Garuda, Vishvaksena, Alvars, Acharyas, particularly Sri Vedanta Desikar

Theertham – Shesha Theertham

Nadhi – Garuda Nadhi

Desika  Krithis – Gopala Vimsathi,Haygreeva Stothram, Raghuveera Gadhyam,Achutha sathakam,Navamanimaalai and Mummanikovai

Thiruvahindrapuram located 5kms West of Cuddalore.  One of the 108 Divya Desams of Lord Maha Vishnu.  Arjuna  ( Villikku Arjunan, Sollukku Arunagiri)  has taken penance at this temple, from this it is very clear that the temple existed from the date back to Mahabharatha.

The history goes on like…..

Garuda and Adishesha’s hurried to collect water to quench the thirst of Lord Devanatha, Shesha was the first to appear with the Shesha theertham.   Meanwhile, Garuda who had gone to collect water from Viraja Nadhi entered Madhu vanam where a rishi was engrossed in deep penance.  The muni had in his kamandalam the Viraja Thirtham seeing which Garuda automatically tilted the same and diverted the water inside towards Oushada giri where the Lord Devanatha was waiting to quench his thirst.  But Garuda became crestfallen on realising that Adishesha had already obtained water for the Lord. On seeing this Garuda was sad and to cheer him up, the Lord chose water from Garuda Nadi for his thirumanjanam (holy bath) and from Sesha Tirtham for nivedanam (offering).   Lord Deavanatha Perumal who cheers up one and all, found an appropriate solution by declaring that henceforth Shesha theertham would fulfill the wishes of all people and will grant Moksha to all people who bathe in it while the river brought by Garuda would be known as Garuda Nadhi and will be considered equivalent to the Holy Ganges. It is believed that the water brought by Adishesha was Patala Ganga theertham. Even till this day the Shesha theertam is located in the premises of the temple and the temple kitchen uses this water to prepare all the neivedhyams for the Lord.

Another noteworthy point is that in this divya desam has the practice of pouring milk into the Shesha Thirtham.  People offer pepper,salt, milk, honey, turmeric and others into the Sesha Tirtham as part of their prayers and still it is indeed a divine wonder that the water is used for preparing the daily nivedanam to the Lord.

Another story related to the temple goes thus: Brighu maharshi found a girl child on a lotus whom he reared with love and affection. He named the child as Bharghavi (daughter of Brighu). Note that there are only 2 places where the Thayar is named Bharghavi-Thiruvahindrapuram and at Adanoor.  The Thayar was also called Hēmâmbujanayaki as she was found on a golden lotus. From childhood,the girl was always thinking of her Lord and finally Lord Narayana himself came to Brighu Maharishi for permission to marry Bharghavi.  To save Brighu from the sadness of seperation from his foster daughter the Lord permitted him to continue to stay at this place with Perumal and his daughter in Thiruvahindrapuram.  Bhrighu maharishi is seen to the left of Lord Dēvanâtha in the Garbagriha.

Thayar also known by the name Tharanga Mukha Nâyaki- Thayar as a girl was very fond of going to the seashore and watch the waves always and hence the name for her fondness towards the sea.

To the right of the main sannidhi is Lord Rama’s sannidhi where the “Kathora Sukumara” Raghuveeragadyam was composed. The beauty of Rama with the arrow in his hand resting on the ground,while that of Lakshmana’s arrow held upright by him as though ready to protect Rama and Sita from any danger .  One interesting feature is that Lord Anjaneya is not in his customary posture of folded hands or kneeling down, but his fingers are touching his nose (as we stand when we approach our Acharyan!)

Thiruvahindrapuram is found in all the 3 postures namely standing posture - Lord Devanatha, sitting posture - Lord Ahindrapuranathan and the reclining posture as in the mighty causal ocean - Lord Ranganatha



Standing Posture of Lord Mahavishnu with Sri Mahalakshmi



On the  opposite side to the main sannidhi of Lord Ahindrapuranatha with Adishesha howering over his head, and  sannidhi of Bhasyakaran, Kulashekara Alwar, Thirupan Alwar and Thirukachinambigal.

On the other adjoining side of the main sannidhi and the above sannidhis is Swami Deshikar’s sannidhi to the left of him are Lord Ranganathar sannidhi, Andal and the sannidhi of the Alwars.

Oushadagiri hill consists of 73 steps to be precise which are quite very easy to climb unlike the steep and uneven steps to Lord Yoga Narasimha at Melkote to obtain the blessings of Lord Lakshmi Hayagrivar. Sri Lakshmi Hayagreevar, the Supreme deity for all wisdom and guru of Sri Saraswathy, at this hill. The herbs found on Oushadagiri have got indeed medicinal value owing to the fact that when Anjaneya was on his way to Lanka carrying the Sanjeevani Hill some herbs dropped down onto Oushadagiri.

Thirumangai Alwar composed 10 pasuram about Devanatha Perumal of Thiruvahindrapuram

 

Sitting posture of Lord Mahavishnu with Sri Mahalakshmi

Please visit www.celextel.org for the stotras and see the enormous service of Sri.P.Ramachander  to our hindu religion.  Fortunately, I found this site few years back got all the lyric of Vedas and Stotras for my son in English. 

 Jai Sriman Narayana!!