TherazhundhUr Divya Desam : Part 2

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Day of start of this article ,

Prabhava Samvatharam , VaikAsi 9

Sarva EkAdasi Dinam , UthirattAthi Nakshathram

May 23 , 1987

 

KshEthram's Location

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ThErazhundhUr is one of the 40 divya desams of

ChOzha Naadu . Thirumangai was born at the village of

ThirkkurayalUr , which is not too far away. Thirumangai

was very fond of the divya desams near his birth

place and in that tradition has sung movingly of

the ArchA murthy of Therazhandhur . This sthalam

is between Mayavaram ( MyaalAduthurai ) and KumbakONam

on the main railway line to Madras .One must alight

at Kuttaalam rail halt and reach the temple , which

is one mile away ( One of our dear members , Sri Srini Kuttalam

currently at Dallas , TX is originally from Kuttalam ).

We can also approach this divya desam via a town bus

from Mylaaduthurai/Mayavaram .

 

KshEthra VisEshams

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The PerumAL's name here is Aamuruviyappan ; the ThAyAr's name

is Sengamalavalli ; the vimanam is Garuda VimAnam . Garuda BhagavAn

stands to the left of the Lord in the garbhagraham instead of in

his usual sthAnam in front of the Lord . The sthalam's river is

Cauvery . PerumAL faces east and is giving us His darsanam

in the standing posture . He is prathyaksham to King Uparisravasu ,

Cauvery MaathA , Dharma Devathai , Sage Agasthiyar and

Periya Thiruvadi ( Garudan ) .The river Cauvery turns northward

in this divya desam and is known as Uttara Vaahini here

for that reason . Few miles from here , Cauvery reaches

sangamam with the Ocean .

 

Thirumangai AzhwAr's mangaLAsAsanam

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Thirumangai was overtaken by the fertility of the divya

desam (nila VaLam ) nourished by the rich waters of Cauvery river

( neer VaLam ) and most of all by the sanctity of this divya desam ,

where Aamuruviappan has taken his permanent residence . AzhwAr

could not forget this divya desam and thus celebrated the glory

of this divua desam in four of his six prabhandhams :

Periya Thirumozhi ( 41 Paasurams) ,ThirunedunthANdakam

( Paasurams 15 & 26) , SiRiya Thirumadal( 39) and

PeRiya Thirumadal ( 61) . All in all, there are 45

paasurams relating to this divya desam . AzhwAr celebrates

with joy the dhana , dhAnya samruddhi and Vaidhika Sri of

this divya desam .

 

Sthala PurANam

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ThiruvazhundhUr is another name for this divya desam derived from

the original name of ThErazhundhUr or the place where the chariot

got stuck . Before the time of KrishNAvathAram , there was a VishNu

BhakthA , who was born in the Kshathriya Vamsam and he performed

AarAdhanam for Sriman NaarAyanan in the special way prescribed

by PaancharAthra Aagamam . He attained Moksha Siddhi and resided

in Sri Vaikuntam as a Vasu . Because of his spiritual glory , he had

the power to travel by the celestial route ( upari sravan ) in

whichever celestial route he chose without interruption . Thus ,

this Vishnu Bhakthan came to be known as Uparisravasu .

 

Uparisravasu was adept in Dharma sAsthrAs . He was asked

once to adjudicate a dispute on the intrepretation of

Dharma SaasthrAs by the Sages , who did not agree with

the position taken by the DevAs about a ritual in a famous

Yaj~nam .The dispute was about the type of havis to be offered

in that Yaj~nam. DevAs felt that the Cow's flesh had to be

offered . The Sages were repulsed over that thought and pointed

out that flesh free Pishta pasu ( a replica of the cow made

out of flour ) has to be offered . The disputants approached

Uparisravasu and asked him to listen to their arguments

and serve as a judge settle the dispute by pointing

the correct Saasthraic method to adopt .They selected him

because of his erudition and impartiality .

 

Uparisravasu heard the arguments from both sides .

He recognized that the position of the sages

was the correct one and yet he sympathized with the DevAs .

He had dharma sankatam . Much against his wish to rule

in favor of the Sages , he chose to support the position

of the DevAs . Thus he lost his sense of impartiality .

The sages were angered by the slip from dharmam

by Uparisravasu and cursed him to end up in

the nether world (PaathALam ). His chariot which

until then could move uninterrupedly in the sky

descended rapidly with Uparisravasu and got stuck

in front of Aamuruviappan Sannadhi . The KshEthram

took the name of ThEr-azhundhina-Oor or ThErazhundhUr .

 

Dharmam and Vedam coming together at TherazhundhUr

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There may be another reason for the aerial chariot to be

stuck in front of Aamuruviappan . "Aamuruvi " means

KaNNan , who is very fond of Cows . It appears

as though the Lord of this divya desam out of His vaathsalyam

for the Cows and calves decided to punish the king , who

erred in judgement in a matter dealing with His dear Cows .

After all He is Gosakan or the friend of the Cows .

He grounded the aerial chariot of the king at the boundary

of His divya desam . He wanted to illustrate the Sreyas

of the Vedic Sages and became Prathyaksham to Sage

AgasthyA ; Lord also wanted to illustrate the importance

of Dharamam and made himself visible ( prathyaksham )

to Dharma devathai and Veda savrUpi , Garudan . He also

placed Garudan on His side to illustrate the importance

of Vedic sacrifices ( Yaagams and Yaj~nams ) and the need

for the practise of the correct way prescribed by

the Vedams and SaasthrAs . (Additional information on

the tight connection between Vedam and Dharmam are

covered in an article of mine entitled Rtham in

the Bhakthi archives of September 17 , 1998 ).

 

Garudan's Importance at TherazhundhUr

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The Lord decided to give a special place of honor

( sama peetam ) for Garudan here . Normally , Garudan

stands in front of his Lord with folded hands and

awaits his Yajamaanan's orders . The thre divya desams ,

where Garudan stands next to the Lord or at a special sannidhi

not in front of the Lord are : ThirunaRayUr ( kall Garudan ),

Sri VilliputthUr and ThErazhundhUr . Garudan

has a special distinction at these three sthalams.

 

Here at ThErazhundhUr , Our Lord wants to remind us

that Garudan is Dharma Garbha Vedha svarUpan by

asking him to stand next to Him inside the garbhagraham .

Garudan has a special relationship to Rtham or Dharmam .

All the Dharmams are housed inside the Vedhams . That

is our Oupanishadhic SiddhAntham ( darsanam based

on Upanishads ).

 

The Vedha SvarUpam of Garudan has been celebrated by

Swami Desikan in Garuda PanchAsath as " yath PakshasthA

ThrivEdhi -- thridhAmana Vaahana Indra: " . In His wings

( paksham ) , the three VedhAs ( thri vEdhi ) are residing .

In garuda DaNdakam again , Swami Desikan saluted Garudan

(VainathEyan ) as Vedha Purushan : GaruDam akhila vEdha

needa athirUDam --eedE ", Here , Swami Desikan described

Garudan as the Vedha Purushan sititng inside the cage made of

all the VedhAs . Swami Desikan recognized Garudan

as the essence of Dharmams deriving their roots

and authenticity from the Vedams . Garudan serves

symbolically as the essence of Vedic dahrams from

which Uparisravasu slipped .

 

Aamuruviappan seems to be having another message

to us .He wants us to understand the sacredness of

the Sages rooted in Vedhic Observances . Illustating

the ancient adage , " DharmO visvasya Jagadha: prathishtA .

VedhO akila Dharma moolam ", Aamuruviappan honored Garudan

in an exceptional manner at His divya desam .Garudan has also

been saluted as " ThridhAmna Vaahana Indra : " . This

salutation has special meaning at ThErazhundUr . The three

sthAnams of Sriman NaarAyaNA are : The Milky Ocean ,

Sri Vaikuntam and the HEARTS OF THE SAGES (JN~AANIS).

Hence the Lord has been hailed as ThridhAmnan . The Lord's Indra

Vaahanan ( VisEsha Vaahanam ) is Garudan . The Lord of

Garudan is seated as garuda Vaahanan at the heart lotuses of

the Sages with joy .Hence to let the world know about the greatness of

the Sages , whose life is rooted in Dharmams and anushtAnams

based on them , Aamuruviappan elevated Pakshi Raajan , the Veda

Svarupi to an elevated position just next to Him at ThErazhundhUr .

This is the VisEsha MariyAdhai for Garudan at this divya desam .

 

AzhundhUr aNNal ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam ,

Oppiliappan Koil Varadachari Sadagopan