Brahmapureeswarar Temple - Where The Lord Resides In Three Different Forms!



In this blog, we will read about a temple where Lord Shiva is worshipped in three forms - Brahmapureeswarar with His consort Devi Sthira Sundari, also known as Tripura Sundari, Periyanaayakar with His consort Periyanaayaki, both the deities on a Thoni (meaning boat), thereby giving the name Thoniappar to the Lord and finally, Sattainathar, also known as Vadakunaathar or Bhairavar. Brahmapureeswarar is in the form of a shiva-lingam while Thoniappar and Bhairavar are in the form of deities. The temple is located in Sirkali, Tamil Nadu. It is believed that 22 water-bodies are associated with this temple.

The temple is based on the legend of Sambhandar, one of the most prominent devotees of Lord Shiva. He is credited with the literary work of Thirumurai, a highly revered scripture dedicated to Lord Shiva. The first three volumes of this scripture are made up of hymns composed by Sambhandar in dedication to the Lord. 

When Sambhandar was just three years old, his parents brought him to the temple. It is believed that when the child, in hunger, cried for milk, Devi Parvathy Herself fed him Her milk. When the child's parents saw drops of milk on his face, they asked him about who gave him the milk. Sambhandar pointed to the sky and sang a hymn which became the opening verse of the holy literature named Thevaram. At the age of 7, when Sambhandar had his thread-ceremony (Janeu/Upanayanam), he recited the Vedas with clarity. Sri Shankaracharya himself has praised Sambhandar in his work, Soundarya Lahiri, as a child bestowed with the divine milk of knowledge. 

There is a shrine for Sambhandar in the temple dedicated to the incident of the saint-child receiving the milk of wisdom from the Goddess Herself. 

There are various legends about the different forms of Lord Shiva here. Lord Brahma is said to have worshipped the Lord here, thereby giving the name Brahmapureeswarar. During one of the biggest deluges to hit earth, Lord Shiva is said to have collected all the 64 arts (called as Kalaa in Tamil) in a Thoni (boat) to preserve them for the next Yuga. This earned Him the name Thoniappar. The three forms of the Lord are placed on ascending high levels - Brahmapureeswarar at the ground, Thoniappar at the middle and Bhairavar at the top. 

It is believed that seven temples of Lord Shiva form the seven cardinal points of the state of Tamil Nadu and at the centre of these seven temples, lies the Mahalingaswamy temple at Thiruvidaimarudar. The seven temples are: Chidambara temple, Chandikeshwarar temple of Tirucheingalur, Velai Vinayagar temple of Thiruvalanchuzi, Muruga temple of Swamimalai, Brahmapureeswarar temple of Sirkali (the temple in this post), Sooryanaar temple at Sooryanar Kovil and Apatsahayeswarar temple at Alangudi. 

Om Namaha Shivaaya! Om Devyai Namaha!


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