Greatness of Thula Cauvery

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The month of Thula or Aippisi, is famous for the birth of Mudalalwars and

Sri Pillai Lokacharyar. However, it is also great because of the boon

given to Goddess Cauvery.

 

"ShaTShaShTi kOti tIrthAni dvisaptha bhuvanEShu cha.

KEshavasya AjnayA yAnti thulAmAse marudvridhAm"

 

Sixtysix crores of sacred waters in all the fourteen worlds, come stay in

Cauvery, in the month of Thula by the order of Lord Keshava says Agneya

purANa. Cauvery river is very important for sri vaishnavas because

association with Ranganatha in Adi, madhya and anthya ranga kshetras.

 

Has any purvacharya composed stotrams eulogizing cauvery? Here and there

we find one or two mentions but it was Sri Parasara Bhattar who realised

the significance and adored her and devoted nearly fifteen bhakti filled

slokams in SriRangarajastavam in the invocatory verses. He considered

Cauvery, perhaps, as his grand mother because cauvery is the mother of

Ranganayaki Thayar and Ranganayaka is her son-in-law as stated in

"dugdhAbdhir janakO janayaham iyam ShrirEva puthrI vara: Srirangesvara

Etadarhamiha ..." in SriRangarajastavam and Ranganayaka and Ranganayaki

are parents of SriParasaraBhattar as stated in " srirangaraja

kamalApadalAlitatvam" We plan to cover all of them in this month by

posting in the lists, if possible. At the outset it is interesting

to read through the following article regarding Cauvery as an

introduction as it may interest the bhagavaytas.

 

 

 

THE CAUVERY IN MYTHOLOGY

 

 

 

Londoners do not attach sanctity to the Thames, nor Americans to the

Hudson. But to Indians, the Ganges, the Jumna, the Godavery, the Cauvery,

are sanctified. Their waters may give food, may give wealth, may give

light to the nation. But they are not dear on that account. They are

sacred because their waters purify and sanctify the body, and liberate the

soul.

 

The legend of the Ganges is well known. Born from Vishnu's feet,

descending through Bhagiratha's prayer, lost in the coils of Shiva's head,

and flowing thence for the salvation of the myriads.

 

 

The mythology of the Cauvery is not so simple, or so well-known.

 

 

Kavera, an ancient king, performs tapas. Brahma becomes visible to him,

and asks his desire. Kavera wants moksha, salvation. Brahma says that he

will not give him moksha, but will give him a daughter who will give him

moksha. That daughter is known as Cauvery, alias Lopamudra. Then

Lopamudra wants to serve the world, and performs tapas.

 

At the same time, young Agasthya is performing tapas. God becomes visible

to Agastya, and asks him what he wants. Agastya wants moksha. God says,

"No, you must marry first Lopamudra, and afterwards have moksha." He then

becomes visible to Cauvery and asks her what she wants. She wants to

become a river and sanctify mankind. God says, "Agastya will come and

marry you, and take you South, where you can become a sacred river."

 

Agastya then marries Lopamudra, and takes her South, and settles at

Sahyadri in Coorg. Later on a great storm arises, and Lopamudra is

transformed into Cauvery.

 

People who think of Cauvery forget the great story about Lopamudra. Once,

on a travel, Agastya is ill and unconscious, on the road, and Lopamudra

has to carry him on her shoulder in the dark. Unfortunately, the dangling

foot touches some holy person on the road, and he angrily curses, "Let the

man whose foot touched me die before sunrise". Lopamudra hears the words

and swears, " if I am a woman of Pativrathya (chastity), let not the Sun

ever rise." Next day, the Sun, great saviour of the world, does not rise,

and the world is plunged in darkness. The Devas are in consternation, and

Brahma and Indra come and beg Lopamudra to lift the ban. She tells them

about the curse, and says that the ban could not be lifted unless her

husband's life is assured. They grant Agastya immunity from the curse, and

long life, and she lifts the ban. That Lopamudra becomes the Cauvery. A

great woman, and a great river!

 

 

Having become a river, Cauvery has another wish, and prays to God,

 

" Sire, of all rivers in the world, Ganga is said to be the most sacred.

Make me greater than her."

 

-

 

God replies,

 

"Ganga is sacred because she starts from my feet. You become more sacred,

by having myself near you." So, at Seringapatam, at Sivasamudram, and at

Srirangam, shrines of Ranganatha adorn the bosom of Cauvery and sanctify

her.

>From then on, during the millenniums that have elapsed, the 450 miles of

her course, from Sahyadri to the eastern sea, have been studded with

temples, lingas, kshetras and teerthas, gathering mystic tradition for

purifying the body, illuminating the mind, and liberating the soul. Shiva

and Parvati claim that they both got each other by bathing in Cauvery.

Harischandra, the victim of Viswamitra, Nala, the victim of Karkotaka,

recovered their kingdoms by bathing in the Cauvery. Indra and Chandra,

becoming accursed owing to their lapses, bathed in the Cauvery and became

normal. Rama made Vibheeshana bathe in the Cauvery in order to wash off

the pollution of Ravana's contact. Krishna advised Arjuna to bathe in the

Cauvery in order to attain Subhadra. Bhrigu and Kundina become

Gotra-Rishis by bathing in her. Yagnyavalkya, Bodhayana, Apastamba attain

intellectual illumination through her grace.

 

 

Therefore it is rather presumptuous to attempt to speak of her spiritual

greatness in less than a quarter of an hour.

 

 

Agneya Purana says,

 

 

"If Shesha, with big thousand mouths, spoke for 10,000 years, he could not

finish recounting the glory of the Cauvery."

 

"Just as food is the best of charities, Moon is the best of planets. Sun

is the best among the lustrous, Cauvery is best among the rivers."

 

 

The Mahabharata declares,

 

"The Ganges purifies a person in 3 nights, Yamuna in 5 nights, Goutamee in

7 nights, Krishnaveni in 4 days, Tunga in 10 nights, and Hemakoota in 5

nights. The Cauvery purifies immediately even the prospective sins till

death."

 

 

The Puranas affirm,

 

"There are five means of wiping out the five capital sins and attaining

salvation: the Purusha-Sookta among the Vedas, the Geeta in the

Mahabharata, the Gayatri among mantras, Ekadasi among Vratas, and, among

river-baths, bathing in the Cauvery in the month of Tula (Aippisi), in the

presence of Ranganatha.

 

 

Mahadeva tells sage Gowtama,

 

 

Maidens who bathe with due sanctity in the sacred waters where the

paschima vAhini (westward flowing branch) mingles with the dakshina vAhini

(southward flowing ) on the auspicious day of the week, Friday, and

devoutly worship Goddesses Ramaa and Umaa with flowers, will get happily

married, and be blessed with children and grandchildren. And men who bathe

in those sacred waters on Sundays in the morning, facing the Sun, will

attain all the four vargas, dharma, artha, kama and moksha.

 

 

In an eloquent peroration Agneya Purana says,

 

"Punya cannot be obtained without straining the body. Therefore he who

would bathe in the Cauvery should observe these restraints. Bathing

without observing the rules will only remove superficial dirt. The body is

like a bubble, and is the abode of much filth. Yama is alert, always

watchful for loopholes. Morning and evening are enemies which wear away

life. Therefore, you should not, you should not, you should not, waste the

day. The body is in your command; the senses are not bad. Rivers are

easily accessible, and afford sanctity. Autumn is an auspicious season.

The man who fears naraka should drive away the demon of sleep, awake at

daybreak, and bathe in the waters of the Cauvery. I tell you again and

again, with raised right hand, "Cauvery, best of rivers, flows

incessantly, capable of destroying all sins. Those who bathe in it,

without worldly desires, will attain Heaven by mere bathing."

 

 

Such, in brief, is the Cauvery in Hindu mythology!

 

 

G. R. Josyer

 

 

( Extracted from a talk at AIR, Mysore, on 2-7-1951)

 

 

 

 

 

Adiyen

Ramanuja dasan

Ramanuja