Thirumandiram written by Tirumular is my favorite work. The book is most certainly one of the magnum opus of Ram Krishna Matam and is a treasure trove of priceless spiritual information. Upon being exposed to this timeless work it is not any surprise that I developed a burning desire to visit Thiruavaduthurai ,the place where the great sage Thirumular composed this ethereal work.
The legend says that the sage in his previous life was the great Sundarar himself. When Sundarar was traveling in the form of an anu(atom) in the air he witnessed a very poignant scene. A cowherd had died and his body was surrounded by a herd of cows lamenting over their master's death. Moved by this sight the sage Sundarar practiced the technique of transmigration and thus his soul entered the body of the cowherd Moolan. The Almighty's ways are indeed inconceivable and mysterious. Who but him the lord of the serpents would have known that this act of transmigration orchestrated by him would result in the composition of one of the greatest works of Saiva Siddhanta ever!
The process of finding the exact location of the temple was a herculean task indeed. Battling against the scorching heat of the April sun, finally ,by the grace of the lord ,we reached the temple.As the temples usually open only at 4:00 pm we had to wait an hour or so. Outside the temple there were a lot of small statues of various gods and goddesses such as Varahi, Maheshwari, Brahmi, Koumari ,Bhairava etc. Then after waiting for sometime finally the temple pujari arrived and opened the temple doors.The Nandi of the temple is huge.Though the temple is said to be under the control of the Aadheenam it is in a very pitiable condition.Sadly, apathy and neglect seem to desecrate the holiness of the place. The shiva linga in this temple is a svayambhu lingam and he is called Gomukthishwarar. This is because the goddess ,who had taken the form of a cow, worshiped lord shiva and finally the lord appeared before her and she ,shedding her cow form, attained her original divine form.
The name of the goddess of this temple is Oppillaamulaiammai. Besides lord shiva and goddess parvathi there is also a shrine dedicated to the saint Thirumular who composed Thirumandiram
in this very temple.
Tirugnanasambandar, Appar and Sundarar have sung devaram here. Arunagirinathar has sung a thiruppugazh here.
There is reference to this temple in Thiruvasakam,Thirumandiram,Periya Puranam and Thiruvisaipa.
To fulfill ones desires:
"Marayavan Oru Maanivandadaya....."
Sundarar Devaram
To live in prosperity:
"Idarinum thalarinum...."
Thirugnanasambandhar
Let us pray to Gomuktheeshwarar and Oppillaamulaiammai for their blessings.
NAMA SHIVAYA
