DivyaDesam– Lord Vishnu | One of the DivyaDesamVishnuSthalam |
Region | Pandiya Naadu |
Pandiya Naadu | 1stVishnuSthalam |
HISTORY:
Presiding
Lord Vaishnava Nambi-Azhagia Nambirayar is gracing from the sanctorum facing
east. The Vimana-tower above the temple is of Panchaketa Vimana design. Lord
Shiva and Gajendran had worshipped Nambi in the temple.
There
lived one Nambaduvan, belonging to a backward community at the foot of Mahendragiri
hills, was a staunch Vishnu devotee. He was sad that he could not have the
darshan of the Lord Azhagia Nambi even from outside the temple as the flag
post-Kodimaram was shielding the sanctum sanctorum. To oblige Nambaduvan, Lord
asked the flag post to move a little to enable the devotee to have His darshan.
We see the flag post in the temple slightly moved to a side.
The temple also houses the shrines of Lord Shiva and Lord Bhairava as a symbol
of Saiva-Vaishnava harmony. When pujas are performed to Lord Nambi, to
ascertain whether pujas are performed to Lord Shiva also, a priest nearby would
ask “anything short for Lord’s beloved friend”. The other one will reply
“nothing”. This is in vogue even today.
Lord
Nambi is praised in the Mangalasasanam hymns of Nammazhwar, Tirumazhisai
Azhwar, Tirumangai Azhwar and Periazhwar. Periazhwar was no less an avatar of
Lord Nambi Himself. Thirumangai Azhwar was directed by Srirangam Lord
Ranganatha to go to Tirukurungudi where Nambi would grant him salvation he wished.
Lord Nambi graces in four forms, standing, sitting, reclining and walking.
Kurangam
in Tamil means Mother Earth-Bhoomadevi. As Mother prayed here on Perumal, the
place is also known as Kuranga Kshetram. Lord Vishnu condensed (Kurukuthal in
Tamil) his huge Varaha Avatara form here situated on the banks of Nambi River
while with Mother Mahalalakshmi, the place is named Kurungudi. When He took the
Vamana (Dwarf) Avatar and then grew touching the sky, the spring that came out
of his anklet is named Silambaru, Silambu-anklet, according to ancient
scriptures.
Earth
was retrieved by Lord Vishnu with His Varaha Avtar when demon Hiranyaksaha
tried to take it away. Mother Earth sought the guidance of Lord Varaha to reach
him. Lord said that he could be reached through music. A problem arose between
a man of backward community and a ghost. When the ghost tried to devour the
man, he promised the ghost to come back to it after singing the praise of Lord
as it was a sacred Kaisika Ekadasi day. The man attained salvation that day as
he sang the praise of Lord and ghost too attained salvation as it heard the man
singing the praise of Lord.
Kaisika Puranam:
Kaisika
Puranam revolves around Nambaduvan, a low caste person belonging to the Baanar
family, his unflinching faith in Lord Nambi and how he was instrumental in
liberating a Rakshasha from a curse and helping him attaining Vaikunta Moksham.
The Kaisika Puranam is also a perfect case study on the values of life and how
it is important to keep up one’s promise at the cost of anything, including
one’s own life.
Being
a low caste person, Nambaduvan was embarrassed to enter the temple during the
day (similar is the story of ThirupaanAzhvaar who, born in a ‘lower’ caste,
would not enter the Srirangam Ranganatha temple and would sing praise of the
Lord from the banks of the Cauvery). Every night, he would walk several miles
to the Thiru Kurungudi Nambi temple, and for hours together would stand in
front of the temple with a Veena in his hand and sing praise of Lord Nambi. And
before dawn, he would leave the temple.
One
night, as he was making his way to the temple, a Brahmma Rakshasha stopped him
and wanted him for dinner. Undaunted by this sudden turn of events, Nambaduvan,
who had the purest of devotion for Lord Nambi, requested the Rakshasha to allow
him to go to the temple for a night, so he could keep up his Kaisika Ekadesi
Vratha, with the assurance to come back the next morning after singing praise
of Lord Nambi, one last time.
Unable
to convince the Rakshasha, Nambaduvan talks about Sathya Sankalpam: “The world
was created through ‘Promises’ and continues to exist as a result of trust in
each other.”
Nambaduvan
made 18 promises that night to the Rakshasha. Through these promises, narrated
beautifully in the Kaisika Puranam as part of this lengthy discussion between
Nambaduvan and Brahmma Rakshasha, one comes to know of the different sins we
commit every day in our lives as a result of not adhering to some of the basic
values in life.
17
promises later and not having got the nod from the Rakshasha, Nambaduvan
requests the Rakshasha to let him go to the Nambi temple with this 18th
promise: “If I do not return, I would have committed the biggest sin that
exists – that of comparing and equating Lord Narayana with others. And I will
become a sinner who will never get Moksham from this cycle of births.”
This
extraordinary promise moved the Rakshasha and he let him go. After having spent
the entire night (possibly for the last time) in front of Kurungkudi Nambi, he
made his way back to the Rakshasha as promised.
On
his way back, Lord Nambi, disguised as an old Brahmin, sought the reason for
his rushing back much in contrast to his usually slow and thoughtful walk, and
on hearing him out condemned Nambaduvan as a fool and offered protection from
the Rakshasha.
Nambaduvan
rejected this offer, as fulfilling the promise was more important to him than
his own life. “I will even give up my life but I will never go back on my word.
I have given him a promise and I have to fulfil it. Hence, I will have to go
back to the Rakshasha and if he has to take me as his prey, so be it.”
On seeing Nambaduvan, the Rakshasha wondered as to how he could come back,
despite being under the threat of being consumed. Even more to his surprise,
Nambaduvan came close to the Rakshasha and offered himself as his prey.
By now, the Rakshasha had changed his mind. He did not want Nambaduvan’s body
anymore. He rather directed Nambaduvan to share the fruits of the entire songs
that he had thus far sung in praise of Lord Nambi. After several exchanges,
where Nambaduvan repeatedly offered himself as the prey and Rakshasha continued
asking for the fruits of the songs, the Rakshasha explained the reason for his
current Rakshasha status – He was a Brahmin by name Soma Sharma in his previous
birth. His arrogance, as the all knowing, led him to miss a mantra in a Yagna
and he was cursed to this current Rakshasha form by the Devas. And that only
the purest of the Nambi devotees had the power to relieve him from his curse -
and why he wanted to listen to Nambaduvan’s praise of Lord Nambi.
Nambaduvan
shared with him the ‘Kaisika’ verses, which he had sung that very night in
front of Lord Nambi. Just listening to these verses helped the Rakshasha attain
Vaikunta Moksham.
|
Moolavar |
Sri Nindra Nambi Perumal |
|
Ambal |
Sri Kurungudivalli Nachiyaar |
|
Theertham |
: Nithya Pushkarini, Thiruparkadal Theertham |
Lord grants all the
wishes.
Chithirai
Vasanth Utsav in April-May, Vaikasi Jeshtabishekam in May-June, Aavani Pavithra
Utsav in August-September, Purattasi Navarathri in September-October, Aipasi
Swing festival in October-November, Thai float festival in January-February,
Panguni Brahmmotsavam in March-April are the festivals celebrated in the
temple.
HOW
TO REACH:
Valliyur
is 42 km from Tirunelveli. Buses to Tirukungudi are available from Valliyur.
TEMPLE
ADDRESS:
Sri
Azhagia Nambirayar (Vaishnava Nambi) Temple,
Tirukurngudi,
Tamil Nadu – 627 115.
LOCATION:
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