Response to the Question on Sankham being at the right hand of ThirukkOvalUr PerumAL

[Guest guest]

SrI:

 

Dear All :

 

There was recently a question on the non-traditional positions of Sanku and

Chakram in the hands of Lord Thiruvikraman of ThirukkOvalUr . Here is my

response for general information .

V.Sadagopan

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In this dhivya desam of Thrivikraman , the Sankam is indeed on the

right hand as with Lord ParthasArathy at ThiruvallikkENi . Sankam is

the symbol of divine Jn~Anam and stayed also as the working "tool "

for the divine Charioteer to help Parthan . There are two reasons

for the altered position of Paanchajanyam in the hands of the Lord (

Moolavar only ) at ThirukkOvalUr . Sthala PurANam

******************** At ThirukkOvalUr , He responded to the tapas of

Sage MrugaNDu ( Father of Sage MaarkandEyar) at this place directed

by Brahmaa . When the Lord appeared before him , Mrugandu maharishi

asked for the boon of being blessed with the darsanam of the Lord as

He appeared during ThrivikramAvathAram , since he was not living in

those days of Vibhavam . Our Lord obliged and stayed in that form at

the request of the Maharishi to bless other devotees with that

Thrivikrama Form with Sankham on the right hand and chakram on the

left . Further ,

Our Lord was not going to destroy MahA Bali with the chakram but was

intent on placing His sacred foot on his head to push him to PathALam

, when there was no place to measure with the third step . Swamy

Desikan's explanation in Sri DEhaLeesa Sthuthi

**************************************************************** In

the 5th SlOkam of theis SthOthram on ThirukkOvalUr EmperumAn , Swamy

Desikan gives a hint : Chakrasya dhaithyA-dhanujaadhishu VAAMA

BHAAVAM Sankhasya chAsritha janEshvapi DAKSHINATHVAM vyaktham

pradarsayasi GopapurAdhirAja vyathyasya noonam anayO: karasamprayOgam

Chakram is on the Vaama hastham ( Left Hand). Sankham is on the

DakshiNa hastham ( Right hand) . Swamy Desikan uses the double

meanings of Vaama BhAvam and DakshiNathvam here . Vaama Bhaavam means

fierceness as well as the left side . DakshiNathvam means right side

as well as YathOkthakArithvam ( following the wish of His devotees ,

who have sought His protection ) . The reversal of the weapons in

the hands of the Lord are a message to the asurAs . The changes form

the weapon's traditional positions ( Chakram on the right hand and

Sankham on the left hand ) are clearly shown by the Lord according

to Swamy Desikan : Dhaithya dhanuja aadhishu Chakrasya Vaama

BhAvam , aasritha janEshu

******************************* Aasritha janEshu DakshiNathvam

anayO: kara samprayOgam

************************************************** vyakthasya

vyaktham pradarsayasi noonam Vyaktham means clearly ( without any

confusion) . Our Lord Thrivikraman shows clearly the Vyathasya kara

SamprayOgam ( differences in the traditonal weapon positions on His

hands). The detailed commentary on Sri DehaLeesa Sthuti and its

Vedic connotations can be accessed at : http://www.sadagopan.org

under the section on Swamy Desikan's SthOthrams ( # 17 in the list ).

NamO ThrivikramAya , V.Sadagopan