Thechi Mandaram Tulasi Pichakamalakal Charthi
Guruvayurappa Ninney Kani Kanenam
Mayilpeeli Choodi Kondum, Manja Thukil Chuttikondum
Manikuzhal Oothi Kondum Kani Kanenam
Guruvayur /Bhooloka Vaikundham / Dwaraka of South situated at the heart of the town Guruvayur, State of Kerala.
Presiding deity: Lord Guruvayoorappan/Lord Krishna
Pushkarani – Rudra Pushkarani
Worshipped by – Lord
Vayu, Sage Bruhaspathi, King Janamejaya, Sage Athreya,
Sannidhis – Lord Ganesha, Sri Ranganathar, Sri Anjaneya, Lord
Ayyappa
Festivals - Krishnashtami, Vaikundha
Ekadashi, Kumbha Ustavam
The great Epic Mahabharath describes the glories of Lord
Krishna; Sage Dattathreya was narrated to King Janamejaya son of King Parikshith.
King Parikshith was left his mortal coil due to snake bite as cursed by the
sage. King Janamejya out of grief scarified several thousands of reptiles
while mourning for the death of his father. Soon he was
afflicted with Leprosy due to the sin of killing innocent reptiles. Sage
Dattathreya advised the King to worship Lord Guruvayurappan in this temple for
41 days. King Janamejaya arrived in this temple with Sage Athreya and
worshipped Lord Guruvayurappan for forty one days, engaged in severe
austerities. Lord Krishna was pleased at the devotion of King Janamejaya,
the most compassionate Lord Guruvayurappan appeared in his dream and embraced
him leaving no trace of Leprosy.
The myth about the origin of the sacred idol worshipped in
the temple was King Suthapa and his chaste wife Prishni were childless couple
prayed to Lord Brahma for a virtuous offspring. Lord Brahma offered them
an idol of Lord Krishna and instructed them to continue their worship.
The King Suthapa and his wife Prisni continued worship of this idol for several
years. At the devotion of the couple, the most pleased Lord Vishnu
appeared before them. The devoted couple requested Lord Vishnu to born as
a child for them. The compassionate Lord who has always been meekly
accepts the requests of His devotees agreed to the appeal of the pious couple and
offered boons that the Supreme Lord would take birth as the son of this virtuous
couple in their remaining three births. The Supreme Lord incarnated
on this Earth as Prisnigarbha to this couple in their first birth.
Prishnigarbha taught the importance of ‘Brahmacharya’ to the world. The
second time Lord was born as Vamana (Dwarf) to this divine couple Sage Kashya
and Adithi. The third time Lord incarnated as Lord Krishna born to Devaki
and Vasudeva. Lord Krishna himself worshipped this sacred Idol in his
Kingdom Dwaraka for several years. When Lord had completed the purpose of
his incarnation as Krishna, before leaving this Earth instructed Uddhava to
safeguard the idol before the sea water engulf the city of Dwaraka.
Uddhava an ardent devotee and a minister in the assembly of Lord Krishna
requested the Rajaguru/ Brahaspathi and Lord Vayu to installed the sacred
idol on the banks of Rudra
Pushkarani, where Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati underwent severe
penance. Thus, the place where the sacred idol of Lord Guruyaurappan was
installed by Guru Brihaspathi and Lord Vayu came to known as ‘Guruvayur’.
Vishwakarma, the supreme Architect built this temple at the request of Guru
Brihaspathi and Lord Vayu.
Srimad Narayaneeyam written by Melpathur Narayana Bhattathiri
is considered as a precise form of Srimad Bhagavatham. Sri Bhattathiri’s
guru and mentor Sri Achyutha Pisharadi was afflicted with rheumatism and had a
terrible life, after completion of studies Sri Bhattathiri accepted the pain
stricken disease and offered his fine health as ‘Guru Dakshina’ to his mentor.
Ezhuthachan, a good friend of Sri Bhattathri
advised him to starts from ‘Meenil thottu thudaguga’, was indicating the Matsya
Avathar of Lord Vishnu. Sri Bhattathiri with utmost reverence and faith
on Lord Guruvayurappa started his great work ‘Narayayaneeyam’, visualizing each
incarnations of Lord Vishnu before him, it was approved by Lord
Guruvayurappan. The compassionate Lord revealed his divine forms whenever
Sri Bhattathiri struggled with pain and in search for words, proved him that he
was right by all means. Srimad Narayaneeyam contains 100 Dasakas, at the
end of each Dasakam Sri Bhattathiripad earnestly prays with his heart out to
Lord Guruvayurappa for the recovery from the illness. The
divine composition of Sri Bhattathiri contains the essence of Srimad
Bhagavatham which would provide ultimate Salvation from the cycles of birth and
death.
‘Gnanappana’ is an enthralling composition of Sri Poothanam
Namboothiri , an ardent devotee of Lord Guruvayurappan was written in Malayalam
is a true revelation of purpose of Life on Earth.
Vilwamangalam Swamigal and Kururamma were passionate devotees
of Lord Guruvayurappan, the compassionate Lord used to converse with him for unparalleled
devotion of Vilwamangalam. Kururamma had the fortune of serving Lord
Krishna as a child in her home helping her in household chores.
There was an interesting myth
associated with the lucky red seeds /Kunthumani/Manjadi Kuru offered to Lord
Guruvayurappan in this temple. There was
an aged women, a passionate devotee of Lord Guruvayurappa was lived in a
village far off from Guruvayur. She was
so keen to visit the temple of Guruvayur, but she was too old and was so poor
to conduct a pilgrimage and furthermore she had no one to accompany her. Her thoughts were filled with the devotion to
Lord, she picks up the lucky red seeds fallen from the tree right in front of
her house with a sincere thought that she would submit these seeds as a present
to Lord at whatever time she visit the temple.
She has nothing to offer to Lord other than these lucky seeds, so she meticulously
cleans the seeds and kept it safely and sincerely wished to submit those seeds
to Lord Guruvayurappa. One day, she
gathered all her courage and left to Guruvayur.
She had to travel a long way; soon she was exhausted due to her old age,
she was too tired and her feet were unsteady but her thoughts were immersed in
the compassion of Lord and wholeheartedly desired to present those lucky red
seeds before Lord. She continued her
journey for several days, walking through the rough path ways and finally
arrived at the temple of Guruvayur. It
was an auspicious day, the King who was ruled this city proposed to conduct a
special visit to this temple with a stately contribution, an elephant to the
temple. So the entire premise of the temple
was filled with the King’s men, deterring ordinary people off from the temple
ground. Unfortunately, the old lady who
was amidst the crowd with the bag
closely attached to her chest was pushed away by the King’s men, eventually she
fell down on the ground and the bag full of lucky red seeds stretched all over
the place. She was become inconsolable and
tears overflowing. Soon, the people
started to run off different directions as the elephant was got wild. The elephant entered the premise and reduced
the belongings into rubble, the authorities were too concerned. Shortly, they were realized the reason for
the horrible happenings. Immediately a
mysterious voice heard from the sanctorum revealed that Lord was extremely discontented
the way His zealous devotee/ the old woman was treated and ordered to bring
those lucky red seeds before Him. Later, the old lady was picked up from the
ground and requested for forgiveness, she was brought to the sanctum with all
honors and her red seeds were offered to Lord.
Within a flash of seconds, the elephant has come back into normal state
of serenity. Offering lucky seeds to
Lord Guruvayurappan is as ongoing process in this temple to commemorate the
above glorious incident.
Jai Sriman Narayana !!
