Significance
- · Birthplace of Chandikeswarar (Chandesvara Nayanar).
- · Lord Muruga prayed to His father and got the Pashupatha Astra to fulfill His mission to vanquish the demon Surapadman.
- · Fragment of the holy Mount Meru fell in this place.
- · Sung by Thirugnanasambandar – 1 pathigam
This temple is located on the Kumbakonam – Anakarai route. Travelling
from Kumbakonam, after reaching the place Cholapuram, there will be a small
road on the right side (with an arch at the entrance) which leads to this
temple at about 1 km from the road. More details given below.
Lord Siva: Satyagireeswarar
Ambal (Goddess):
Sakhideviammai
This temple is open from 7.00 a.m. to 9.00 a.m. and from
5.30 p.m. to 7.00 p.m. Two more paadal petra sthalams – Thirupananthal and
Thiruvoipadi are located close to this temple (within 2 or 3 kms range).
Those who
visit Lord Shiva temple would not have failed to worship Chandikeswarar who is
seated on the right side of the main sanctum, but not many might know about the
transformation of Vichara Sharma, a simple but ardent devotee into Chandikeswarar
by the grace of Lord Shiva. This miracle happened in Sengaoor, a small village
on the outskirts of Kumbakonam.
Vichara Sarman was born in Senganoor,
which was famous for Vedic recitations, Tapas, and Siva Bhakti. He was a
prodigy, even at the age of five he had learnt the Vedas, and all the Agamas by
himself. He wanted to attain final emancipation in the current birth.
One day, Vichara Sarman was walking along a road with his
friends. He noticed a cowherd cruelly beating a cow because it had slightly
pushed him with its horn. Vichara Sarman could not endure this. He was greatly
moved and spoke to the cowherd: ‘Oh ignorant man? Do you not know that the cow
is worshipful and divine? All the Devas dwell in her. She is indispensable for
all religious activities. It is our sacred duty to tend and protect the cows.
Whoever harms the cow is hurled into the hell. Whoever worships the cow wins a
place in heaven or in Siva’s Abode. You have committed a great sin today.
Hereafter, you need not tend to the cows: I will do that myself.’ Vichara
Sarman took the work upon himself from that day.
The cows grew healthier due to the care and kindness
showered by Vichara Sarman on them. There was so much of surplus milk after supplying
to the villages, that Vichara Sarman, who loved Lord Siva and His worship,
decided to perform Abhishekam for Lord Siva daily. He used to sit under a tree
on the bank of the manniyar river, construct a Siva Lingam from the river mud
and offer the milk, to bathe the Lingam. Then he would perform Archana with the
flowers. The cows were giving plenty of milk both to Vichara Sarman and to the
Brahmins. This routine was going on regularly until he was noticed by others.
One day, when Vichara Sarman was doing this Puja, a villager
happened to pass by, and he watched all the proceedings. He commplained to the
village community that Vichara Sarman was wasting precious milk on mud and his
father Ecchadattan was duly summoned and reprimanded to correct his son’s behavior.
The father was shocked and wanted to ascertain the facts by himself. So, the
next day, he followed Vichara Sarman at a distance without his knowledge. When
Vichara Sarman began pouring milk on the improvised Siva Lingam, the father,
without understanding the son’s wonderful devotion, hit him with a stick. The
boy was so much absorbed in his Puja that he did not even feel pain. Then, the
father, getting still more angry, knocked the milk-pot down. It was then that
Vichara Sarman realised that his father was interfering with his worship and
had committed an unpardonable offence against Lord Siva (Siva Aparadham). He at
once took a stick and hit his father’s leg: by the will of the Lord, the stick
was transformed into an axe. Again, by His will, it killed the father. It was
to test the depth of Vichara Sarman’s devotion. He was so engrossed in the
worship, that he did not mind what had happened and continued the worship.
Lord
Siva was immensely pleased with the intensity of Vichara Sarman’s devotion and
appeared before him, with Parvathi. Vichara Sarman prostrated before the Lord
and he was embraced by the Lord. That very instant, Vichara Sarman attained the
divine Form of Lord Siva. The Lord removed a garland from His own neck and put
it around Vichara Sarman’s. He had attained Saroopya Mukthi (liberation, with
the attainment of the form of the Lord). The Lord said: ‘My child, you cut your
own father’s leg for My sake. Now, I am Your Father. From now on you will be
called as Chandikeswarar. You worshipped Me with food, clothes and flower
garlands. In the same manner, you will also be worshipped.’ Thus, he was
conferred the title of Eswara by the Lord himself. Hence he is being worshipped
in a separate small shrine in every Shiva temple. He is also revered as one
among the 63 nayanmars of Shiva. No sin attached to him, for having killed his
own father, because of his supreme devotion to the Lord. His father, too,
because he was killed by such a great devotee of the Lord, was purged of the
sin of interfering with His worship, and reached the Abode of Lord Siva.
As
per the legend, a small piece of Mount Meru (holy mountain that was used for
churning the ocean of milk) fell at his place, the temple is built appearing as
if on a hill facing east. In the contest
between Adisesha and Vayu regarding their prowess, the former held the Meru
Mount tightly. Vayu blew violently to
break the mount. A small piece fell at
this place. Hence, the place was named
Satyagiri.
