thoo nilA muRRam - part 9 - KumbakONam
From the Bhakti List Archives
• May 30, 1999
thoo nilA muRRam - part 9 - KumbakONam Dear bAgawathAs, Many millions of years ago, it was the time for the praLayam in the cyclic kalpam. Lord Sriman nArAyaNA ordered Lord Sri brahma to do certain kainkaryams. One of the most important was that Lord BrahmA should first make a pot using the wet sand from thiru chERai. The wet sand was first mixed with amirtham and the raw sand was made into a pasty form. Using this mixture, Lord Sri BrahamA was asked to creat a pot. The pot was molded thus Sri BrahmA. Sri brahmA was asked to fill in some portions of the pot with the amirtham itself. The "gene" that is the cause for all creations was kept in the centre. All the vEdas were kept surrounding this gene. This pot was closed tightly. This most precious pot was kept on top of the "hub" of the entire universe namely the "mEru parvatham". It was on the "ucchi" or on top most point of mEru parvatham. Then, after several years praLayam took place. The great floods was covering the entire universe and was consuming anything that was seen or on its path. The mEru itself submerged and the holy pot started to float. The holy pot didnot get affected in anyway due to this praLaya veLLam. The holy pot or kudam slowly drifted and drifted and it reached the chOla dEsam. As the floods receded after the praLayam the kudam or the pot descended down into the poRRamaRai tank. After many years when dEvAs pleaded to Sri ArA amuthan the amirtha kudam revealed itself by oozing out through its nose. The outflow of amitham was in such awy that the whole univesre was wet, due to this overflowing of amirtham from poRRAmaRai tank. Since this "kumbam" oozed out amirtham through its nose, in sanskrit it is known as kumba kOanm (*) and in tamil it is known as "kuda mookku" or kudanthai. It is presended in the kumbakOana mahAthmiyam as follows. "kumbasya koNathO yasmin soothApooram vinisrutham thasmAtthu thath patham lOkE kumbakOnam vathanthihi" 12th chapter, 1st slokam. This core part of the city is now close to atleast an approximate area of 8 square miles. Sri kOmaLa vaLLi thAyAr samEtha Sri ArA amudhan thiruvadikaLE saraNam Sampath Rengarajan (*) - In 60's when there was an movement against use of all hindi letters in tamilnadu state and caste names as well. The names that were written hindi letters in all the public places and railway stations were darakened with a black coat as mark of protest. Ever since many sanskrit or vada mozhi names were changed to tamil equivalent. Howvever, for some reason even untill today this name kumbakonam is being considered as a tamil equivalent not as sanskrit original. Hence this name is still the name of this city. However, many tamil magazines and newpapers address this city as "kudanthai" in pure tamil. Pure tamil form of kumbakonam as considered by many tamil scholars is "kuda mookku". ******************************************************************* ----------------------- Where to Send Donations ----------------------- INDIA: Members of the group in India, Europe, Bahrain, Kuwait and Rest of the Middle East, and elsewhere in boolOgam may send their donations to: Cheques are payable to "The Secretary and Treasurer", mail to : Tiruppani committee", Sri L.Rajagopalan, MABT, Retd Pricipal, (Committee member) 12, Besant Road, KUMBAKONAM 612 001 UNITED STATES & CANADA: Checks should be made payable to "SMSA, Inc" Sri Vaishnava Seva Samithi c/o Smt. Nagu Satyan 7821 West Alder Drive Littleton, CO 80128-5522 Please write "Sarnga Pani kainkaryam" on the cheque. All donations are elegible for tax deductible in their respective countries where applicable ****************************************************************** _______________________________________________________________ Get Free Email and Do More On The Web. Visit http://www.msn.com