tirukkoshtiyur divya desam The pictures presented here are reproduced from Dinamalar.com ThirukkOshTiyUr (also known as tirukkottiyur) is the birthplace of tirukkottiyur nambi (one of the gurus of Sri RAmAnuja). Sri Ramanuja was initiated into the tirumanthiram at this shrine by his guru tirukkoshtiyur nambi. In addition, this temple has the reputation of the ashtakshara manthram (Om namo narayanaya) being broadcast to all the devotees by Sri RAmanuja from the top of the temple tower (vide infra). This town is located between KAraikkuDi and Sivagangai, near tiruppattur in Sivagangai district in ThamizhnADu. Temple Details: The temple town is located in Sivagangai district near tiruppattur on the highway between Karaikkudi and Sivagangai. The presiding deity is called uragamellanaiyan ( ) in a reclining posture facing east. The goddess s name is tirumamagal naccyar ( ), with other names such as nilamamagal ( ), and kulamamagal ( ). The festival idol goes by the name SowmyanArAyaNa perumal ( ) in standing posture. The temple pond is called devapushkarini ( ), and the crown structure over the sanctum is called ashtanga vimanam ( ). A separate sanctum exists for tirumamagal nacciyar. Temple timings are: 6 AM to 12 noon and 4 PM to 8 PM. There are six daily worship services.
Special Features: PeriyAzhwAr visualized this place as AyarpADi (where Krishna was born). He named the presiding deity as uragamellanaiyan in one of his pasurams and the name has been used thereafter. Another name, perhaps a morphed form of tirukkoshtiyur is tirukkottiyur ( ), has also been in vogue, which means the place where sins were eradicated (tirukku + OTTiyUr; means sin and means eradicated place). Selvanambi (chief priest and adviser of the then king VallabhadEvan) lived here who patronized PeriyAzhwAr. PeriyAzhwAr mentions him in one of his pasurams (as ). Idols for RAmAnuja and tirukkottiyur nambi are found at the third level of the vimanam. During the Muslim invasion the festival idol of SowmyanArAyaNa perumal (made of pure silver) was taken away to KumbakONam for safekeeping and reinstalled later in the sanctum. ashtanga vimanam Sri RAmAnuja The vimanam has four levels. At the lower level there is narthana Krishna (dancing). At the first level SowmyanArAyaNa perumal is found in Sayana kolam. In the second level it is upendra narayana in standing posture, and in the third level it is paramapada nathar in the sitting posture. deva pushkarini uragamellanaiyan Legends: In ancient times there was a sage by name Kadamba rishi who performed intense penance in this place to have a vision of lord narayana. Indra, the chief of celestials, gave the rishi an idol of SowmyanArAyaNa permal for worship and that is believed to be the one currently held in the temple.
The ashtanga vimanam was supposed to have been built by the celestial architect Vishwakarma and Mayan, his counterpart among the demons. The other ashtanga vimanam that is famous is in tirukkudal (Madurai). In order to eliminate the demon HiraNya kasipu who was troubling celestials and humans with immense power gained from the boons from Brahma, the celestials and the gods gathered in tirukkottiyur away from the influence of the demon to devise a plan. Lord narayana came down to this place, according to popular belief, and assured the gathered celestials that he would annihilate hiranya kasipu. Upon request from those gathered there he showed that form of Narasimha with which he would get rid of the demon. There are sanctums for Narasimha in different postures. The place got the name of tirukkoshtiyur from the word goshti which means group. This shrine also has the moniker, Badri of the south. Festivals: Prominent festivals celebrated are: float festival in the month of masi (Feb-Mar), BrahmOtsavam in Chittirai (Apr-May), vasantotsavam in May-Jun, navaratri, Vaikuntha EkAdasi, and AdippUram. Ramanuja s encounter with tirukkoshtiyur nambi: Ramanuja wanted to understand the implication of the 66 th Slokam in Chapter 18 of Bhagavat Gita. Accordingly he, upon the advice of his guru tirukkachchi nambi, went to see tirukkoshtiyur nambi going by foot from Srirangam. But the nambi would not give him audience easily and would send him back in order to instill maturity and humility in Ramanuja. This was repeated 17 times. Then on his 18 th attempt Ramanuja was able to meet the nambi and the latter took him as his disciple and taught him the true meaning of the Slokam (given below) and the meaning of ashtakshara (Om namo narayanaya) manthram. Bhagavat Gita: Chapter 18, Slokam 66 Sarva-dharmaan Pari-tyajya Maam-ekam Sharanam Vraja
Aham Tvaa Sarva-paapaebhya-o Moekshayishyaami Maa Shucha Meaning: Giving up everything else, seek shelter in me alone. I will save you from the effects of all sins. Never be unhappy. But the nambi also imposed a condition that Ramanuja must not divulge this to anybody who has not gone through elaborate efforts to learn it. Ramanuja, however, went to the temple tower and proclaimed to all assembled devotees the meaning of the SlOkam and the path to salvation against the wishes of his guru. The nambi upon learning this got offended and cursed Ramanuja that he would go to hell. Ramanuja replied that he was happy with that if other people would get salvation. That opened nambi s eyes and he embraced Ramanuja and gave him the title emberumanar. tirumamagal nacciyar Festival idols MangaLAsAsanam: This shrine is featured in 39 pasurams (22 by PeriyAzhwAr, 13 by tirumangai AzhwAr, 2 by BhUdattAzhwAr, 1 by PEyAzhwAr, and 1 by Thirmazhisai AzhwAr). Let us dwell on 2 pasurams both by PeriyAzhwAr here.. ---PeriyAzhwAr (NDP 368) PeryAzhwAr tirumozhi 4.4.9 kombinar pozhilvayk kuyilinam kovindan kunampadu sir sembonar madilsuzh sezhungazhani yudait tirukkottiyur
nambanai narasinganai navinrettu vargalaik kandakkal embirantan sinnangal ivarivar enru AsaigaL tirvane. Meaning: In the dense orchards, the cuckoos sing the glory of Krishna. The devotees sing the praise of the lord in tirukkottiyur which is surrounded by fertile fields and fortified with golden-hued walls. If I encounter the devotees who worship and sing the praise of the lord Narasimha here I will reconcile these devotees are the true representatives of the lord and that will fulfill my life desire. The following pasuram is the very first pasuram (after PallANDu) by PeriyAzhwAr describing tirukkottiyur as the birthplace of Krishna calling it AyarpADi. That was because when he visited this shrine they were celebrating the birth of Krishna there with the whole town gleaming with festivities which made him think he was in gokulam.. NDP 13; PeriyAzhwAr tirumozhi 1.2.1 vanna madangal suzhtiruk kottiyur kannan kesavan nambi pirandinil enney sunnam ediredir tuvidak kannan mutram kalandu alarayitre Meaning: PeriyAzhwr imagines tirukkottiyr as AyarpADi where Krishna was born. He describes what it looked like when Krishna was born in nandagopan s house in gokulam. He says, In the town tirukkottiyur surrounded by several mansions, Krishna was born.the spraying of oil and turmeric powder (to celebrate Krishna s birth) by those present made the entire courtyard a sludge ground Listen to Janaki Ramanujam sing the above pasuram and a couple more here. https://soundcloud.com/sethu-subramanian/01-vannamadangal-mohanam-periyazhwar-pasuram Sethuraman Subramanian mahakavi@gmail.com