Kumbakona Mahimai

[G. Soundara Rajan]

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Anya kshetram krutham pApam punya kshethra vinashyathi
punya kshetra krutham pApam kasi kshetra vinashyathi
kasi kshetra krutham pApam kumbakonae vinashyathi
kumbakonae krutham pApam kumbakonae vinashyathi

- Thirukkudanthai kshetra mahatmiyam

Meaning:

Wherever we commit papam, it will vanish, when we visit punya kshetrams. PApam committed in punya kshetrams will vanish in Kasi. Papam committed in Kasi will vanish in Kumbakonam. Papam committed in Kumbakonam will vanish in Kumbakonam itself.


SnAthvA sahyasuthajalae susikamAboothva japAthikramai:
hoothvaknow cha havi: kruthethara kiram kruthvacha parayanam
nathva swarngadharam bhavamayaharam, sthuthvachatham
bhakthika:
sreshta: kAlamamee shipanthi bahava: Sree kumbakonath vijA:

(Slokam 460) By Sree VenkatAthvari

The visargam ' : ' is to be pronounded as hA as in nama:
People of various varnas in Kumbakonam, take bath in Kaveri, which has more sanctity than Ganges, do penance, japams, yAham, agnihothram etc. daily, render parayanam of ubhayavedhantham, spending their days, worshipping Sree Sarngapani perumal alies Aaravamudhan.

Courtesy: Azhvargal KaNda AarAvamudhan pamphlet by 'VAINAVAN KURAL'

Kumbakonam is a nice place, which is very near my place of birth. The affinity I have towards Kumbakonam, made me post this thread pls.

Only 'Yadh bhadhram than ma asuva' expands as 'Loka: samastha; sukino bhavanthu'. One is micro and the other is macro. Is it not?

I tried to type the quote in Tamizh also, but I am yet to master the art. In this board, how to get Tamizh? I like to be guided pls.

 

[Sabesan Narayanaswami]

Very nicely brought out Mr Soundara Rajan.I have a terrific fascination for Kumbakonam.It is such a wonderful place.very centrally located for all temple visits,birth place for all brass vigrahams and utensils,eversilver ware,flowers,sandal powder and a very tasty thanjavur Saappadu.So much so I used to wonder why Thanjavur is still the district HQ.A great injustice to Kumbakonam.I used to stay in Kumbakonam whenever I go that side and memories have always been very pleasant.My father spent his childhood there,and used to take pride of the intelligence of the locals due to cauvery water.He used to quote Rt Hon Sastry whose English even Britishers used to admire.

 

[RVR]

I tried to type the quote in Tamizh also, but I am yet to master the art. In this board, how to get Tamizh? I like to be guided pls.

You can try this

w3 Tamil Web Keyboard (w3Tamil WK) - w3 ????? ???? ?????????? - w3Tamil.com

Or alternatively you can go to your gmail, activate tamil by clicking `அ' and start typing the tamil words in english itself and when you `enter' after every word, translated tamil will appear.

All the best

 

[Sabesan Narayanaswami]

இந்த லெட்டரை தமிழில் ஜிமெயில் டைப் பண்ணி கட் அண்ட் பேஸ்ட் பண்ணி இருக்கேன் ,
சபேசன் நாராயணசுவாமி
please type in English eg indha for first word etc and so on..

 

[Sabesan Narayanaswami]

I must thank Mr R.Venkataramani for this.

 

[Sabesan Narayanaswami]

This topic should come under General Discussions.

 

[anandb]

Very well said, Mr. Soundara. I too feel quite nostalgic about Kumbakonam where I have been many times in my childhood. There is a sthalapuranam relating to Kumbhakonam which makes it very holy as narrated by the Paramacharyal. I am giving that below.

During the great deluge Brahma prepared himself for the next creation. He put all the seeds in amrtha (elixir of immortality) and kept them together in a mud pot to the chanting of mantras. With due ceremony, he placed a coconut with mango leaves on it and invested the same with the sacred thread. He then placed the pot on the summit of Meru. When it came floating in the waters of the deluge, Paramesvara wished to recommence creation. Then the coconut on the pot was dislodged in the storm and fell into the water. At once the water receded revealing the land there. This spot is 4 miles to the north-west of Kumbhakonam. The deity here is called “Narikelesvara”, (narikela means coconut). Then the mango leaves fell off. The water there receded revealing land. This place is called Thirupurambayam, 4 miles north-west of Kumbhakonam. “Payam” (or bayam) is “payas”, that is water, but in this context deluge. “Puram” means outside or beyond something. So “Thirupurambayam” means “outside the waters of the deluge”. The sacred thread (sutra) also got loosened from the pot and fell off. The deity in the place where the sutra fell is “Sutranatha”.

The kumbha (pot) had a nose in addition to a mouth – like a kamandalu. The pot with the amrta was also similar. Since the pot with the elixir and the seeds in it were not overturned on their own, Paramesvara decided to break it with his arrow so as to bring out its contents. The place where he discharged his arrow is called “Banapuri” now known as “Vanatturai”. The deity here is “Banapurisvara” and the spot where the mouth of the pot fell in pieces is “Kudavayil” (Kudavasal). Paramesvara wanted the amrta to be discharged in the sastric manner from the nose of the pot. The place where the nose broke and the elixir fell is holier than other places. It is called “Kumbhakonam” – “Kumbha” is pot and “Kon” means nose. In Tevaram, the place is referred to as “Kudamukku”. Here the mud pot itself came to be the lingam even today. “Kumbhesvara” is the name of the deity. The Mahamagam pond is the spot where the amrta first fell.

The fact that amrtha first fell in Kumbhakonam gives it a hallowed status. So the Vaisnava deity here, Sarangapani, is called “Ara-Amudan” by the Azhvars and the Vasihnavas consider Kumbhakonam as Kudandai”

The Acharya's discourses are like a one stop destination for all kinds of info.

 

[DURGADASAN]

Kumbakonam- a temple town. It is filled with temples. Unfortunately, I have visited only thiruageswaram and oppiliappan koil alone. Mahamaham one is enough to claim kumbakonam for its heights...