Legends associated with the Lord Guruvayoorapan

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LEGENDS

 

1. SANKARACHARYA'S FORCED LANDING

 

Once Sankaracharya was on his aerial journey to Shringeri. While

above Guruvayur he smiled at the pompness and vividity of the

procession of Sreebhootha Bali (feeding celestial attendants) and

tried to pass the temple without making any obeisance to the Lord.

Suddenly he came crashing down and the procession stopped there at

the northwest corner. He soon recovered and saw the Lord in all his

royalty. Realizing the cause of his fall, Sankaracharya prostrated

before the Lord and tried to win the Lord's favour by chanting 8

slokas in praise of Govinda, known as Govinda Ashtakam. The small

opening in the roof over the North- West courtyard is in

commemoration of this event. Sankaracharya is believed to have

instituted the Mandala Vilakku (lighting of lamps for 41days).

 

2. MANJULAL

 

Manjula was a virtuous and devout Variyar caste girl. Every night she

used to bring garlands for the Lord. One day she was late and the

temple got closed. She could reach only up to the banyan tree (from

where elephant race starts during Utsavam), and started feeling

guilty. Poonthanam(namboothiri-priest), on his way back from the

temple saw her crying near the banyan tree. He comforted her and said

that she could place the garland on the stone at the foot of the

banyan tree, since the Lord is everywhere.

 

She was convinced, kept the garland there and happily went home. Next

day morning, the Melsanthi removed all the garlands from the idol,

but one garland remained stuck on the idol. The devotees were puzzled

but Poonthanam realised last night's event. It was the garland,

which

Manjula had placed on the stone at the foot of the banyan tree.

 

Poonthanam told the story to everyone and then the garland slipped

down from the idol. Devotees started chanting the name of the Lord

and struggled to collect the flower from the garland. Worshipers went

to the banyan tree to make their obeisance. Since then, the banyan

tree came to be known as Manjulal.

 

3. ANAYOTTAM OR ELEPHANT RACE

 

Once Guruvayur was a Keezhedam (subordinate temple) of

Thrikanamathilakam (Trikkunavay). The festival of Trikkunavay used to

finish two days before the beginning of Guruvayur Utsavam. The

elephants used to come from Trikkunavay for the Guruvayur utsavam.

Once they refused to send their elephants to Guruvayur for not making

payment in time. The elephants were chained but they broke the chain

and ran to Guruvayur without the mahouts on that night. From that day

onwards the elephants used to leave Trikkunavay on Punarvasu to reach

Guruvayur in time for the festival. Trikkunavay was destroyed by the

Dutch in 1755. To keep the reminiscence of this unusual event, the

elephant race (aanayottam) is conducted every year and this marks the

beginning of the Guruvayur Utsavam. The elephants run from Manjulal,

(the banyan tree half a kilometer away from the eastern entrance to

the temple) enter the temple, take 7 rounds and touch the flagstaff

in the end. The first elephant to touch the flagstaff will be given

special treatment inside the temple on the days of Utsavam and will

get the privilege of carrying the Lord's thidambu for the procession.

 

 

4. VILLWAMANGALAM'S VISIONS

 

Villwamangalam's devotion and dedication towards the Lord was such

that he could have visions of the Lord, independent of the image.

Wherever he went, he had visions. He visualised Vishnu, Siva, and in

Guruvayur it was Unnikrishna and the Lord's other disguises.

Whenever

he came to Guruvayur for darshan, the Lord granted him vision from

the Sanctum-Sanctorum (central shrine). One day he did not get the

Lord's vision from there. He went around the temple in search of

the

Lord. The sound of tinkling of bells from the northern chuttambalam

attracted his curiosity. He peeped in and saw Unnikrishna dancing

there. From that day onwards this place came to be known as Nritham (

Nrithappura or dancing hall).

 

On another occasion also, he could not see the Lord's vision in

the

central shrine. Later he found the Lord sitting amidst the Marar boys

(drummer's boys) and sharing feast with them, as the Lord was fond of

the feast given to the Marar boys. It later became an important

offering with the devotees.

 

A third time also, he failed to have the Lord's vision in the

central

shrine. It was night time and the Krishnanattam was being staged in

the courtyard. The saint ultimately found him on the stage with

the 'gopikas'. Since then, Krishnanattam came to be staged in the

northern bahyankana (outer courtyard) instead of the eastern

bahyankana. And it begins only when the central shrine is closed

after the last pooja at night.

 

 

5. KURURAMMA, VILLWAMANGALAM II AND THE LORD

 

Kururamma was a childless widow. She adopted Unnikrishna as her son

and gave Him a lot of motherly love. Villwamangalam also saw the Lord

in the form of Unnikrishna but the Lord always preferred Kururamma

for her devotion.

 

Once an old Brahmin with severe stomach ache approached

Villwamangalam for relief. Villwamangalam could not cure him and told

that the pain is the result of his past karma. Dispirited and

dejected he unknowingly reached Kururamma's house. Kururamma

thought

he is hungry and offered him some food. The Brahmin said that he

could not eat any food because of his stomach ache, which even

Villwamangalam could not cure. After listening to his grievances, she

told the Brahmin to have a bath in the tank, in the name of Lord.

After his bath, he was served food. He realized that his stomach ache

had disappeared. He ate the food and expressed his gratitude to

Kururamma

 

One day Kururamma was washing her cloths. A few drops of water

unintentionally fell upon Chemmangatt Amma, another lady of the

locality who had finished her bath. She felt polluted and took a

second plunge in water to purify. She sarcastically told Kururamma

that now she was doubly clean and stated that today Villwamangalam

would be coming to her illam (house of a Brahmin) for bhiksha (alms).

By this she wanted to show her acquaintance with the saint

Villwamangalam. Kururamma replied that saint would only come to her

illam and not in Chemmangatt's illam. Kururamma sent a member of

her

family to invite the saint, but he apologetically refused since he

had promised Chemmangatt earlier. After his daily worship,

Villwamangalam started for Chemmangatt's house for the bhiksha.

But

the pilot who was to lead his way by blowing conch to announce his

presence could not produce any sound from his conch (shankh). It was

a bad omen and Villwamangalam was bewildered. Then he remembered his

refusal to Kururamma's offer in the morning, and decided that it

is

the Lord's wish that he should go to Kururamma's illam. On

this

thought itself, the conch started functioning and filled the air with

its resonant sound. The saint then turned his steps towards

Kururamma's house. The Lord was always partial to Kururamma.

 

 

 

- From the book 'Krishna Leela'