Day: July 25, 2015

SRI STHALASAYANA PERUMAL, MAHABALIPURAM

by Kazhiyur Varadan, posted in Uncategorized

SRI NILAMANGAI NAYIKA SAMETHA

SRI STHALASAYANA PARABRAHMANE NAMAH

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This Srivaishnava Divya desam is located near the shores of Bay of Bengal. Mamallamallapuram now corrupted as Mahabalipuram is Varaha kshetram and a  famous tourist centre.

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The sculptures speak volumes about the contributions of Chola,Pandya , Vijayanagara kings to this place  and it was an important trade center.  

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This holy place also  glorified as   Thirukadalmallai  is the birth place of  the great Bhoodath Azhwar which is  55kms away from Chennai and one of the 22 Thondai naadu divya desam

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STHALASAYANA PERUMAL IN BHUJANGA SAYANAM(Reclining) FACING EAST

UTSAVAR    ULAGU UYIYA NINDRAN

THAYAR    NILAMANGAI THAYAR

THEERTHAM   :   PUNDRIKA PUSHKARINI, GARUDA NADHI, BAY OF BENGAL

VIMANA               :   PUNDARIKA

MANGALASAASANAM   :   

THIRUMANGAI AZHWAR(20 pasurams-1088-1107),

BHOODATH AZHWAR       (7 pasurams),

THIRUMZAHISAIZHWAR( NO 861)

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Legend reveals about  a  devotee  Sage Pundarika who  was on a piligrimage visiting various shrines, reached this place.  He was amazed to see  numerous 1000 petaled lotuses  in a pond. He immediately desired to offer them to Lord Ksheerabadhrinathan lying  at the milk ocean and this desire was also endorsed by asareeri( heavenly voice).

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The sage was so immersed in bhakti that he started his way to Ksheerasagaram and as the ocean, Bay of Bengal was obstructing his path, he left the garland of flowers near the shore and  in the divine mood , attempted to  empty the ocean  which was an impossible task. This is as similar to the devotion expressed by the  the great Kulashekhara Azhwar who marched towards the sea to fight with the rakshasas along with Lord Rama  .

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Pleased with the sage’s devotion, Perumal  appeared  as an old Brahmin  and took the audience of the sage .  The sage requested the Brahmin to take care of the flowers and left to Mahabalipuram to fetch some food. 

Bharat Kund,Nandigram

When the sage returned he was astonished to see Perumal lying on the floor on Adisesha with the garland of flowers near His Thiruvadi.  The sage  glorified  Perumal and pleaded  the Lord to continue to stay in this place and give darshan.  Thus, we can see the Perumal lying on the floor and the sage seated near His Thiruvadi.The temple priests were kind to explain about the sthala puranam .Adiyen offers humble obeisances to them .

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Adiyen Ramanuja dasan

LORD  VITTALA   PLAYS  ROLE OF A BARBER FOR HIS DEAR DEVOTEE SENA NAYI

by Kazhiyur Varadan, posted in Uncategorized

Sena Nayi  was a barber by profession who lived near Pandharapur  .A  very pious and god loving used to get up early in the morning, have his bath, perform his poojas and only then look at his occupation and other domestic affairs. Sena was also the king’s barber and would have to go to the palace whenever the king called him. One day as Sena was performing his pooja in his house, the king’s messenger came looking for Sena.

Sena was immersed in his prayers . His  wife  knew he will not  entertain anyone disturbing him during his worship to LORD  . She politely told  the king’s messenger that he was not at home.

Sena’s neighbor who was also a barber on seeing his wife lying ,   calmly  went and complained to the king, that Sena was  very much at at home .  He also submitted  to do the job himself.

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The  king got angry on listening to  him .He  sent the guards to arrest Sena. Knowing what was in the king’s mind LORD KRISHNA immediately appeared in  the form of Sena and came to  palace. The moment the king saw  him, his anger disappeared.He got attracted to his magnetic personality . Without battling his eyelids he was watching the beautiful form of sena smiling cheerfully and working with the dressing kit .

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When Sena touched him ,  the king was filled with amazement.  The feeling was something new . He had never felt the soothing touch . He watched him without any  words . the beauty attracted him . His glance was something divine  . Sena went on  with his job . He  then shaved the king and shampooed his head.  It was heaven for the King .The cool feeling along with the fragrance made the King top of the world .

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The king felt very happy and told him that he was  the best barber in town and should remain with him in the palace forever . Sena then started  applying the fragrant  oil to  the body of the  king.

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As Sena was collecting  the oil from a  vessel , the king  could see the reflection of Lord Krishna in the  oil. He was amazed on seeing this and unable to understand whose reflection that blue eyed lad was being reflected in the oil   . That cheerful divine smile made him ecstatic wanting him for more and more of his form .  He lost all consciousness and was absorbed in the form of  LORD that he was seeing in the oil bowl. The men in the kings assembly started laughing at the king looking at his stage and told him that it was already afternoon and that he should go and have his bath.

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The king  looked at  Sena  and politely pleaded him to remain  forever .  Sena  requested the King for  a break to inform his family home  so that  he would return quickly. The king  pleased with him  gave him  a handful of gold coins . Lord  took the coins, placed it in the bag in Sena’s house and disappeared.

The king after finishing his bath came and  commanded his servants to  get Sena at once as he  was in a  different state  of mind and could neither  eat  nor dress up or  sleep  . The royal servants immediately went to Sena’s house and  pleaded  him to reach  the palace immediately.   The real Sena  was too scared to see the King for his act of non reporting to the King .  Taking his bag, Sena immediately came to the palace. On seeing Sena entering the palace the king got up and greeted him . He pleads him to reveal that divine form he exhibited few hours ago . Sena was  astonished . He then ordered his servants to bring the bowl of oil and saw Sena’s reflection in it, but was disappointed that he could not see the form he had seen in the morning. Sena  understood  what had happened in the morning  His eyes were filled with tears .Sobbing uncontrollably he  told the king that it was LORD  KRISHNA who had graced him .He was sad that LORD had to take his role to save him from King’s punishment .

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The king  rushed up to Sena and  thanked him for his devotion and told him that he had the fortune to have darshan of the  Lord due to his association . Sena then saw the coins that god had put in his bag and distributed them to the Brahmans. Sena then took leave from the king and decided to serve the LORD permanently at Pandharapur

All glories to the DIVINE BARBER ..
All glories to Sena …

Hare Krishna
Adapted from Bhaktha Vijayam