thiruk kaNNan kudi - part 3 - dAmOdharan

[Guest guest]

thiruk kaNNan kudi - dAmO udharan - the one who got tied up

 

My namaskArams to the thirup pAtha kamalangaL of the baktha kOdi

bAgawathALs.

 

thAmam - means kayiRu or rope or that which ties

one or boNdage

 

utharam - means - hip or lower hip.

 

The one who relieved everyone from their bondage gets tied up

around HIS hip by a rope that yashOdhA tied around HIM. Hence HE

is also known as "dAmOdharan".

 

Sri Vasishtar was very special in terms of HIS Sri Krishna bhakti.

It is even cited often as "Sri Krishna prEmi VasishtAya nAmA" by

learned scholars in literatures. Sri Vasishta used to mould the

thiru uruvam or (statue) of Sri Krishna in "butter" and due to his

bhakti kavacham he will keep it solidified and will not let it

melt down. He used to consider such, as his divya mangaLa

vigraham and worship Lord Sri Krishna in his dyAnam. He was doing

such intense worshipping for a very long time. Lord Sri Krishna

had HIS thiru uLLam to bless his worshipping. One day Lord

assumed the form of Sri nanda gOpalan, a small boy and visited Sri

VasishtA's place. While Sri VashistA was in his dyAnam, Lord

grabbed the divya mangaLa vigraham (made in butter) and swallowed

it. Sri Vasishta realised through his "thabO valimai" that the

boy is none other and Sri Krishna HIMself. However Lord Sri

Krishna in the form of the boy, started to run after seeing Sri

VasishtA's realisation. It is said in purAnam that Sri VashistA

started to chase him and run after HIM.

 

While this is going on, in a nearby place known as Sri

Krishna AraNyam (Sri KrishnA's jungle), many Rishis were doing

penance under the maghizam tree seeking the blessings of Lord Sri

Vishnu. On seeing the chase through their nyAna drishti, (divine

vision) the rishis realised that it is Lord Sri Krishna who is

coming running towards their place. It is said in the purAnam

that they all focussed their bakthi and made it as a "pAsak

kayiRu", ie. "a rope made of love" and tied HIM up right there in

that place. Is this agianst all the norms of the sAshthram ? It

is only HIS "nirhEthuka kadAksham" that the Lord will bestow HIS

"thiru aruL" to HIS seekers. ('mAm "eKam" saraNam vrajA'). It is

reminded here of Sri nammAzhwAr's verses "piditthEn koL sikkanavE"

(I got you entangled with my grip of bhakti and pAsam and I pray

to keep as such or "koL"). It is Lord who made HIMself bonded by

yasOdhA's love, in Sri Krishna avathAram due to HIS nirhEthuka

kripA and it is Lord who got HIMself tied up by HIS own.

 

Lord explained to the RISHIS that HE is being chased by

Sri VasishtA and hurried them to ask and get whaever boon they

want atonce. In an unanimous voice all the rishis prayed to the

Lord that HE stay in that place and give darshan to everyone as

similar to how they were blessed with HIS darshan. Lord consented

to their prayers and stood there and then.

 

Sri Vasishta arrived at the place rapidly and saw the Lord

standing there in 'kattunda kOlam' (as dAmodharan ie as one who got

tied up) and immediately fell at HIS holy feet and grabbed them

firmly. Within that moment of Sri VasishtA's saranAgathi here, the

raja gOpurams and vimAnams were created. Lord BrahmA and dEvas

rushed to this place to see the param poruL being tied up in this

place as daModharan. On HIS command they did brahmOrsavam and

other festivites to this kshEthram. Since Sri Kannan (Sri

Krishnan) was tied up and had to stay here for ever, this place

earned the name "kaNNan kudi" (kudi has many meanings but here it

means the place the Lord HIMself took refuge into the boNdage made

by the rishis). This is a very sacred kshEthram as this is where

Sri VasishtA did saranAgathi at the holy feet of Lord Sri

dAmOdharan.

 

 

Sri Sri lOkanAyaki samEtha Sri dAmOdharan

thiruvadikaLE saraNam

Sampath Rengarajan

 

note: The flow of these series is laid out such that the thala

purAnam will be covered initially. The reference to thirumangai

AzwAr and his pAsurams on this kshEthram are dealt at the end with

a continuation to his thOndu through the episode of HIS thiru

avathAram thirup paNI in this kshEthram that were related to Sri

Rangam temple construction. adiyEn will also deal in some detail

about the thirup paNi of thiru mangai in thiru arangam at the end

of these series.