Mannargudi
Afternoon we proceeded to
Mannargudi. The temple is famous as Sri
Krishna Raja Gopalam. The other information about the temple is that the
deity is actually the Gopala Sundari.
This is a unique method of 'deitification'
in Sri Vidya Sampradaya where the
central deity (Lalitha Tripurasundari)
assumes the bhakta’s ‘mano icchha rupam’.
We asked the Archaka about the Koil Varalaru and he described the Vaishnava Agama Sampradayam that is
followed. We asked about the ‘Sri Chakram’.
He said that the only chakram he knows is in his hands – The ‘Sudarsanam’. We again asked about the
story of Krishna standing on the Sri Chakra and pat comes the reply that he doesn’t know about it
even though some people do ask about this information.
Oothukkadu Siddhar an exponent in Music as many people know him,
was a highly exalted person spiritually. He is said to have been instructed in ‘Vidya’ by none other than Lord Sri Krishna himself in the ‘Bala Rupam’ (Child Form) on whom a
temple is present in the Oothukkadu village. He is probably the first person to
compose a Navavaranam – which is on Kanchi Kamakshi. This was named as Kamakshi Navavaranam. He also lived
slightly before Dikshitar’s time and is said to have had the Sampradaya Diksha from none other the Sri Bhaskararaya Makhin. His Samadhi is
at Kumbakonam and close to Darasuram. When we went there in 2006, sadly the
place was dilapidated and close to falling down. In the Mangala Kriti in Kamakshi
Navavaranam, he expressly states that he stands in front of Sree Akhilandeswari to ensure he attains
the brother of Haladhara ie Krishna himself. The line reads as ---
‘Haladharaanujam Praptum Vayam Dehi Dehi Sri Akhilandeshwari Guruguha
Janani’
There are no clear translations
possible for the actual meaning or the exposition of the word ‘Praptum’ here. The closest one word is
Attain. Those in the Maarga may, by
the blessing of Sri Guru, find the
inner meaning and be blissful…..
Dikshitar also has sung a
composition Srividya Rajagopalam
primarily on this method. The great Malayali Saint – Sri Vilwamangala Swamiar (also known as Leelasukar), whose Samadhi is just on the back street of Ananda Padmanabha
Swamy Temple
in Trivandrum,
also has sung about the deity and a certain connection on the same sampradayam with Guruvayoor as well. The
information about the Srividya
Rajagopalam has been well explained by the Sri L Girish Kumar, Director of
The Shripuram Tantra Research Centre at Irinjalakuda, in one of his discourses
on Devi Mahatmyam at the Ramakrishna
Mission Vyttila, Ernakulam.
Tiru Alangudi
From the great temple complex we
proceeded to Tiru Alangudi – The Guru
Kshetram in the Nava Graha Temples.
Guru Peyarchi (Transit) was about to
happen in about another 2 weeks time and naturally this was an important
occasion at the temple. Dakshinamurthy is the Guru Sannidhi here. The temple always has a festive surrounding and
it was no different this time as well. There was a small girl singing upon a
makeshift mandapam in the complex at
right angles to the main deity – Apath
Sahayeshwarar also known as Aranyeswarar
and the lingam is swayambhu. The
Goddess Sannidhi of – Yelavarkuzhali
(also known as Umai Ammai) is also
visible at the main Darsanam area.
As it became late in the evening
we decided to retire back to our comforts at the Hotel Gnanam at Tanjavur and
mentally prepare for the further travels for the next day.
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