chaaruchandraavatamsinii

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This is the 19th name of shrii miinaaxii ashhTottaram. The word

"chaaru" means agreeable, lovely, pretty, beautiful. In this

context "chaaru-chandra" means a moon that does not wax or wane,

which is very beautiful to look at, like the crescent which is

shaped like a nice ornament. And "avatamsa" means ring shaped

ornament. SHE wears crescent of the moon as an ornament. In this

respect, SHE shows HER aikyam with Lord shiva. That is why SHE is

chandrakalaadiishwarii and lalitaasahasranaama praises HER as

chaaruchandrakalaadharaa.

 

This name can be interpreted as SHE wears chandra which is very

pleasing to look at during paurnamii as HER ear rings. As one of

the meaning of avatamsa is ear-ring.

 

This has a support from the life of abhiraami-bhatta.

abhiraami-bhatta (AB) is a great devotee of ambaaL. He used to

sit in meditation almost all the time in the thirukkaDavur

abhiraami temple. To the worldly people, saints intoxicated with

the love of God appear mad. In reality, it is the worldly men who

are mad to forsake the greatest joy that is God and seek vulgar

satisfaction in petty pleasures such as wine, woman and wealth.

 

One day when the king visited an and the temple, AB was there

absorbed in meditation and was unmindful of the king. King was

bhakta himself. He saw the tejas in AB and asked others about

him. They replied he is semi-mad and follows forbidden methods of

worship. But the king was unable to believe this. So he went to

AB and asked him what was the tithi on that day. Deeply absorbed

in meditation and always keeping is eyes on ambaaL whose face is

beautiful like flawless full moon, AB replied it was paurnamii.

Unfortunately according to the mundane calendar, it was

amaavasya. King thought may be others are correct and went away.

 

 

After sometime, some of the well wishers of AB informed his

mistake and he felt very bad. He thought ambaaL let him down.

As a penance and asking HER to correct his mistake, He erected a

plank supported by 100 ropes and with a fire pit beneath and

started singing the majectic abhiraami andaadi, as he was singing

each verse, he cut away one of the ropes. King and others heard

at this with wonder. But the best is yet to come. When he was

singing the 79th verse, ambaaL appeared to him. SHE threw HER

ear-ring on the sky and in the place of moon it shined for all to

see. So great was his bhakti and so great was HER grace. SHE

asked him to complete the work and disappeared. This is the

incident behind abhiraami andaadi. Since HER ear-ring appeared as

moon, we can say full moon is indeed HER ear-ring. (I am sorry

for a very brief summary of the story).

 

 

AUM chaaruchandraavatamsinyai namaH

 

(Comments and corrections are welcome)