VARAGUNAMANGAI
Perumal: Vijayasanar
Thayar: Varagunavalli
Vimanam: Vijayakotivimanam
Pushkarani: Devapushkarani
Prathyaksham: For Agni
Once there lived a king called Vishwasakan on the banks of the river Cauvery at Dharmapuri. He was a great devotee of Vishnu. The king was truthful, generous and virtuous. One day suddenly Sage Sanathkumara appeared before him. The king warmly welcomed him and questioned him thus. “ Oh Great sage. Iam highly fortunate that you have come to me to bless me. I have heard that a merit ( a punya) done at a punyakshetra gets a hundred fold. Which kshetra is it? I want to do danam ( generously donate) to deserving people at that kshetra. It is said that a punya done at at a punyakala ( apt time) , at a punya desha( apt place), to a deserving person begets its fruit immediately.”
Immediately Sanathkumara said “ There is a kshetra near SriVaikuntam on the banks of river Tambraparni. It is known by the name Varagunamangai. There was a fisherman there. His only aim was to have a good catch of fish. He was incompassionate towards them. One day as he was sitting on the banks of the river a snake bit him and he died instantly. His body lay there in the forest and was food to eagles. Still the Devas from Devaloka took him there. I was stunned at this. What had he achieved to be taken in a divyavimana, I wondered. The Devas clarified to me that this fisherman had done annadanam at this kshetra. Still I wondered how this could be possible because he was an incompassionate sinful fisherman. The Devas showed his body being eaten by eagles. This itself was indirectly an annadanam. If it could be considered as annadanam though the danam was done by a sinner of his sinful body to an undeserving bird, because of the punya kshetra, then what to talk of a deserving meritorious person donating pure food to a deserving person! Hence go to varagunamangai and liberally donate.” Thus advised by Sanathkumara the king went to Varagunamangai and established an agraharam there. There he donated to the sadhus food, clothes, gold and money. Pleased by the meritorious deeds of king Vishwasakan Vijyasanan, the Lord appeared before him. The King extolled Him and built a beautiful temple for the Lord. The Lord blessed him too.
A Pandyaking too worshipped the Lord here for begetting a son and was blessed with a virtuous male child. Hence he named the child Varagunapandyan. VaragunaPandyan inturn also served the Lord. Hence the name of the kshetra—varagunamangai. Those who worship the Lord here will beget valorous and good children like Varagunapandya.
No comments:
Post a Comment