The Nectar of Thiruppugazh

Govardhana is a 8km long hill located near the town of Vrindavana in the Mathura district of Uttar Pradesh. It is believed that thousands of years ago, Lord Krishna lifted up this hill and held it over His head with his little finger for 7 days to protect the inhabitants of the town from the wrath of rain God Indra. It was customary for the people of Vrindavan to pay annuual tribute and obeisance to Indra for bringing them good vegetation and greenery, thus providing them and their cattle with abundant food. When Krishna saw the preparation for this annual event, he debated with his father and the villagers whether this was indeed necessary. He felt that all human beings should merely do their 'dharma' to the best of their ability and not pray or conduct sacrifices for natural phenomenon. He told them to worship the Govardhan mountain as it was His own manifestation.

ராகம் : நாட்டை குறிஞ்சி தாளம் : (8½) 2½ + 1½ + 1 + 1½ + 2 ஆனாத பிருதிவிப் பாச நிகளமும் மாமாய விருளுமற் றேகி பவமென வாகாச பரமசிற் சோதி பரையைய டைந்துளாமே ஆறாறி னதிகமக் க்ராய மநுதினம் யோகீச ரெவருமெட் டாத பரதுரி யாதீத மகளமெப் போது முதயம நந்தமோகம் வானாதி சகலவிஸ்த் தார விபவரம் லோகாதி முடிவுமெய்ப் போத மலரயன் மாலீச ரெனுமவற் கேது விபுலம சங்கையால்நீள் மாளாத தனிசமுற் றாய தரியநி ராதார முலைவில்சற் சோதி நிருபமு மாறாத சுகவெளத் தாணு வுடனினி தென்றுசேர்வேன்

Tirugnana Sambanthar is one of the most prominent of the sixty-three Nayanars who lived between the 6-9 CE. His poems form the first three volumes of the Tirumurai, the religious canon of Tamil Saiva Siddhanta. In the first half of the seventh century, apart from Saivism, Jainism and Buddhism were among the popular faiths in south India. The king Koon Pandian had embraced Jainism, but the queen Mangaiarkkarasi and his minister Kulachirai Nayanar were both Shaivites. The King became a Jain fanatic and did not permit the queen even to wear Thiruneeru on her forehead. Hindus suffered persecution and having converted the king, the Jain monks started to wield greater power in the kingdom. The queen and the minister minister Kulachirai Nayanar were struggling to find a way to get rid of Jainism and bring Shaivism to its former glory in the kingdom. During this time, the queen heard the news that Appar and Sambandar had performed the miraculous task of opening and closing the doors of the

Jayadratha, the king of Sindhu, and the husband of Dhritarashtra's only daughter Dushala, sides with Duryodhana in the Kurukshetra War. Jayadratha once tries to abduct Draupadi while they were serving the 12-year exile in the forest, but is held captive by the Pandavas who leave him alive after shaving his head. Desiring to avenge his humiliation, Jayadratha performs penance and. as a boon, asks Shiva for the power to defeat the Pandavas. Shiva grants Jayadratha the power to hold all the Pandava brothers at bay for one day in battle - all except Arjuna. Jayadratha's father, Vriddhakshatra hearing a incorporeal prophecy that his son's head would be beheaded, obtains a boon that the head of the person who causes his son's head to fall on the ground would get blown up.

Of the five assemblies where Lord Shiva is said to have danced, the first is at Thiruvalankadu vadaaranyeswarar ( திருவாலங்காடு வடாரண்யேஸ்வரர் )temple and is called 'Ratna Sabhai'. In this temple, it is customary to give 'tirtham' like in other Vishnu temples. This is to commemorate Shiva reviving the devas with the water from the Ganges on his matted head when they had swooned due to the unbearble heat caused at the dance contest between Shiva and Kali.

Sundarar was a great friend of the king of Chera Kingdom called Cheraman Perumal in the present Kerala. Cheraman Perumal, the king, accorded Sundaramoorthy a royal welcome. The friends spent joyful days together in the palace. Sundaramoorthy then took leave of Cheraman Perumal. By now he had gone weary of worldly life and wanted to merge in the effulgence of Lord Shiva. He prayed to the Lord to break all his bonds. Shiva asked Indra to send his elephant Iravada to bring Sundaramoorthy skyward to Kailasa. Sundara mounted the great white elephant and paid a last visit to his trusted friend Cheraman at Tiru Anjaikkalam ( திருவஞ்சைக்களம் ), located in the vicinity of Kodungallur, near Thrissur. On learning about Sundara's itinerary, Cheraman wanted to accompany him; so he mounted his horse and whispered the Panchaakshaara into his ear. It was his belief that Shiva's mantra, the Panchakshara, was more potent than the Lord himself. The horse swiftly rose up and circled Sundara

Saint Arunagirinathar spent much of his life at Tiruvannamalai which was under the rule of Prabhu Deva Raya II in the second quarter of the 15th century. The king was a great patron of art and literature and had many scholars in his court, the chief among them being Sambandan. Sambandan was a devotee of goddess Kali and had obtained a boon that for a period of twelve years, she would appear anytime he invoked her. The king also had a great respect for Arunagirinathar owing to his extraordinary love for Lord Murugan and his compassionate attitude towards Villiputturar. This made Sambandan feel envious and he decided to get rid of Arunagiri. Sambandan tried to convince the king that Arunagirinathar was not as great as he was assumed to be. He further challenged that he could ask Goddess Kali, his Ishta Devata, to appear in an open assembly. If indeed Arunagiri was great, he should similarly be able to manifest his Ishta Devata Murugan too. Whoever failed to do so should leave the kin