Fwd: Saranagathi Emailing: 2004062501490400.htm

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The Lord waits on the riverbank

 

 

 

 

 

The Moolavar and Utsavar deities with Consorts and Andal ... the holy spot needs

a facelift. — Pic. by M. N. Srinivasan

 

WHILE THE Lords in places such as Srirangam, Tirupati, Azhagarkoil, Nachiarkoil

(Thirunaraiyoor) and Thirukannapuram have been offered garlands of hundreds of

verses by Azhwars, there are places like Kapisthalam, in Thanjavur District,

which are mentioned in a single poem, and others — Thirunindravoor and

Thirukkoodal (Madurai) for example — about which only a passing reference is

made in the Divya Prabandam verses. While preceptors have dedicated to the Lord

of Kapisthalam a single verse by Thirumazhisai Azhwar in his "Naanmukan

Thiruvanthathi," there is no reference at all about the place or the Lord

enshrined there in it. But it has been concluded that the name of Aatrankarai

Kidakkum Kannan (the Lord on the banks of the river) refers to the Lord in this

holy place, which is one of the Pancha Krishnaranya Kshetrams.

Preceptors have hailed the quality of the Lord in Kapisthalam as the remover of

one's sins (Paapa Vimochakatvam). The holy place of Kapisthalam is linked to the

legend of the Lord saving an elephant from the jaws of death thereby exhibiting

His attribute of Paapa Vimochakatvam or removal of one's sins. According to

legend, Pandya King Indradyumnan, an ardent devotee of Lord Narayana, earned the

wrath of Sage Durvasa (some scholars say that the sage was Agasthya) who cursed

him to become an elephant. He told him that he would remain a devoted elephant

offering a lotus to the Lord daily. He also told him that he would be liberated.

A celestial, Huhu, was cursed by Devalar, to be born as a crocodile and when it

caught hold of the elephant the latter raised an alarm and the Lord rushed on

His Garuda mount and slew the crocodile. This incident took place, according to

scriptures, in Kapisthalam, and the holy water source here is known as Gajendra

Pushkarni. The Utsavar idol is known as

Gajendra Varadan. However the Moolavar is known by the name of Aatrankarai

Kidakkum Kannan as mentioned by Thirumangai Azhwar.

According to the sthalapuranam, the place got the name Kapisthalam, as the Lord

gave darshan to Hanuman (the word "Kapi" means monkey) here.

Kapisthalam is situated three km from Papanasam on the Thanjavur-Kumbakonam

route via Tiruvaiyaru, between the rivers Kollidam and Cauvery. The temple is

rather small with a single prakaram and a Rajagopuram.

The Moolavar is found in the Bhujanga Sayanam pose under the Kanagakruthi

Vimanam. Besides the Gajendra Pushkarani there is another holy water source

known as Kapila Theertham. The Goddess, Ramamani Thayar, is worshipped in a

separate shrine to the right of the main sanctum sanctorum. She is also known by

the pure Tamil name of Potramaraiyaal. There are shrines for Yoga Narasimhar,

Sudarsana, Garuda and the Azhwars.

Gajendra Moksham festival is celebrated on a grand scale in the Tamil month of

Panguni. The ancient temple presents a pitiable sight today due to lack of

patronage and long years of neglect. The temple is in urgent need of repair

though the recently whitewashed small Rajagopuram presents a slightly healthy

look.

 

T. A. SRINIVASAN