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thiru viN Nagaram - oppiliappan koil - part 8 - puNNiya theerththangaL

From the Bhakti List Archives

Sampath Rengarajan • August 25, 1997 


It is the resolve of a prapanna that one must not ask for anything
after surrendering at the holy feet of the Lord. The following post may
conatin references to many fruits that one can attain from either
dipping in these holy theerththAs or even think about them. This is
presented for the benefit of crores of sAmANyALs who may do so
and march on in their spiritual ladder, eventually leading them
to attain the Lord thiruviN NagarAn's  holy feet.
*****************************************************************


           ahorAthra pushkaraNi

Once a brahmin by name dEvasarma was living in this area.
He has mastered his understanding of vedas. He is born in
the clan of Sri baradhWaja muni. Once he happened to see
the daughter of saint Jaimini in their gurukulam. He fell
in love with her and forced her and consummated with her.
Hearing the plight of his daughter saint jaimini cursed the
brahim to become a a type of bird known as "kirownchi". There must
be some reason for the saint to choose this bird uruvam for
the erred brahmin. dEvasarma realised his mistake and fell at the
feet of the saint and pleaded for his forgiveness and requested
for the cure. Saint asked him to go to mArkaNdEya kshEthram once he
became a bird and stay on the branhces of the tree on the shores
of the pushkaraNi and that the viMochanam will be provided there.

One midnight this branch was broken by a strong wind in a cyclone and
the bird and the branch fell into the pushkaraNi. Once the holy water
of the pushkaraNi came into contact the body of the bird devasarma regained
his human form. Once he fell in that pushkarani the deivika vimAnam
also appeared and and he boarded for srivaikundam. Just then the
water God varunan's deputies turned up and tried to stall him saying
"No one is allowed to take bath or a holy dip after the first jAmam in the
night, since you violated this law you must be punished". Then Sri vishnu
dhoodhAs
appeared and advised varuna's deputies that "devareer, without knowing the
specialities of this pushkarani why are are you saying such ? One can take a
dip in this pushkarani both in day and night. if you must have doubt go and
ask your leader Sri varuna devan. For now you cannot stop anyone who have
boarded thsi daivika viManam for srivaikundam" and they left. Since then
everyone came to know of the speciality of this tank. The name of this
theerththam is also known to
suit the speciality ie . "ahoRaartha" pushkaraNi. The thulasi chedi on the
western banks of this temkple is the avathAra sthalam of mother boomadEvi.
Those who sit here and meditate ashtAksharam and provide "arusuvai akAram"
(anna dhAnam with all the special ingradients of a feast), dhakshinai and
thAmboolam to others will be cleansed of all his sins and will
certainly reach Srivaikundam. One must do a snAnam in this holy pushkarani on
Tuesday, Friday, saturdays and sravanam days and pray to lord Oppiliapppan will
certainly reach srivaikundam.

During the thai month sravanm the  theppOrsavam is celebrated
in this tank where perumal and thAyAr appears together in the
theppam in the night(*).

                       Saarnga theerththam
On south western side of the temple there is a puNNiya theerththam.
The power of this theerththam is such that it will give the
desired boon to those the moment they think of this theerththam ie..
even prior to travelling to this theerththam and actually doing a snAnam in
this thErthatham. It is said that this theerththam is a crore times
special as compared to dhanuskOdi where Sri Ramar dwelled for sometime.

                      Soorya theerththaM
On the western side of the Saarnga pushkarani, soorya theerththam  is situated.
 Those who can think or see or hear about this theerththam will  certainly
attain narKathi. It is said that Lord Shiva did snAnam in ahorathra pushkarani
prior to getting relieved from the brahma haththi dhosham (brahmS kabAlam was
struck in shivas fingers and it would not go untill Lord Vishnu relieved him of
that sin) he obtained the curse by cutting of Lord brahma's head. Shiva had to
do a severe poencance as advised by parvathi at thiruk kaNDiyoor and got this
sin cured by hara sAba viMochana perumAL. Lord Shiva and his entire army did
snAnam in this pushkaraNi on a sunday of thirk kArthigai month and sougt the
relief  from the sins of killing parvathis father dakshan. After this it is
said that Lord shiva continued to do penance at the banks of soorya theerththam
seeking the blessings of Lord Sriman nartayana ,(as Lord oppiliappan) and
attained thEjas. While shiva was doing penance it seems soorya devan  appeared
and attended to the maintenance work of this tank. It is beleived that all the
devas are doing snAnam in this theerththam everday even now. Those who do
snAnam  in this theerthathm on the sundays of thiruk karththikai month and pray
to lord oppiliappan will attain all the narkathis ie good fotune and good life.
It is also believed that  those who do snAnam here and go without worshipping
lord oppiliappan  will goto hell for sure.


                        indra theerththam
        On the north eastern side of thiruviNNagarappan, there is a pushkarani
 Once Indran did snAnam here and prayed to Lord oppiliappan to get the sin he
acrued  due to his mischief with ahalyai. It is beleived that those who do
snAnam here   and worship the Lord will attain all the effects of performing
various yAhAs.


                      Brahma theerththam
There is a puskarani on southern side of inthra theerththam. Once one of
the holy soul did snAnam here and worshipped lord Oppiliappan and attained
the brahma patham (one of the several brahmas). Hence it is neamed after him.

                        DhAKshina gangai
 This is also known as nAttAru. It is the vishnu maya or the viraja river. once
gangai, godavari and yamuna requested brahma to tell a way they  can cleanse
all the sins deposited on them by various badhdha jivathmas. Brahma said,
"vishnu maya known as viraja river is flowing in booloiogam as kauveri and they
are flowing as a garland for the Lord in few places of which Sri SArangapAni
perumAl of thirukkudanthai is a very special one. You both must enter one of
the southern branch of such kauveri from there and enter  mArkaNdEya kshEthram
and become two folded. Once you are there, you must serve the lord
thiruviNNakran for HIS thirumanchanam. Then you will be cleansed from all the
sins.". This is later proved from the fact that azhwars praised this Lord as
thiruvikaraman HIMself from whose holy feet this river itself orginated. Thus
gangai came here and resided in nAttAru. The thirumanchanam for the Lord is
performed mainly from the theerththam of this river even this day.

                  dhakshina gOdhAvari
On the southern side of nAttAru there is a river and is the second fold
of nAttAru known as dhaksina gangai.

                Dhakshina yamunai
On the southern most of these rivers there runs a river known as "ari sol
aaru". This is currently called as "arasalAru" in tamil. While many of the
above theerththams cleanse the sins of many badhdha jivatams and even devas and
shivas and brahmas  from their sins, these 3 northern rivers are here to
cleanse their own deposit of sins and as well to provide instant releif for
those  who do snAnam here and worship lord oppiliappan.


Sri BoomadEvi samEtha Sri Oppiliappan thiruvadikaLE charaNam
Sampath Rengarajan

More to come