Vedanam 2023

  There was a king named Uttanapada who had two wives – Sunithi and Suruchi. Sunithi had a son named Dhruv and Suruchi’s son was named Uttama. For some reason, the king favoured Suruchi more. He spent more time with her and Uttama. One day Dhruv saw the king playing with Uttama in the garden. The boy sat on the king’s lap and was being pampered by the king. Dhruv too wanted to sit on his father’s lap. He approached the king and was about to sit on his lap when he was rudely pulled away by Suruchi. She said to him nastily. “You might be the son of a king, but you are clearly not his favoured son. Only my Uttama has the right to sit on his father’s lap. If you so desire, then pray to the Lord to make you my son in your next birth. Now go away from here!” Dhruv, totally heart-broken, looked at his father for some kind of intervention. When the king remained silent, the child ran to his mother and cried in her lap. Sunithi consoled the weeping Dhruva. “Do not cry, child. As Sur...

Picture Courtesy: Tamilnadu Tourism Today we will read about Abathsahayeswarar temple which is located in Ponnur, Mayiladuthrai district, Tamil Nadu. The presiding deity is Lord Shiva in the form of Abathsahayeswarar who is also referred to as Agnipureeswarar and His consort is Devi Perianayaki. The temple has been constructed such that for five days during Panguni Utharam (the day when Lord Shiva married Devi Parvathi, also the day when Lord Ayappa manifested on earth), the rays of the sun fall on the deity of the temple.  Legend has it that a demon named Taraka was wreaking havoc on earth. The Devas sought the help of Lord Shiva. However the Lord was deep into meditation and did not respond to their pleas. To stir the Lord, the Devas told Manmatha to strike the Lord with his arrow which could induce passion in any being. When Manmatha, the messenger of love, shot his arrow on Lord Shiva, the Lord opened his eyes and such was the power in them that Manmatha was burnt to ashes. His...

  The sons of Diti grew in power. They did severe penance and meditated on Lord Brahma for many years. Finally the Lord blessed them with His vision and asked them what they desired. Hiranyakashipu, one of the Asuras, asked for immortality. However Lord Brahma said that nobody could be immortal. The Asura, modifying his request said. “Grant me this boon, Lord, that no god or man, no weapon, nothing created by you should kill me. Neither during the day nor during the night, neither in the earth, nor in the sky, neither inside the house, nor outside – I should not die under such conditions.” It seemed that Hiranyakashipu indeed had thought about all possibilities! Lord Brahma granted him his boon. Emboldened by their powers, the two asuras Hiranyakashipu and Hiranyaksha set out into the world and wreaked havoc everywhere. They kept hearing the name of Lord Narayana and hated Him with vengeance. They made it their purpose to defeat Him. Hiranyaksha entered the abode of Varuna, the...

  In this article, we will read about not one, but three temples which are together considered as a single Divya Desham of Maha Vishnu. The set of temples is referred as Thanjai Mamanikoil and is located near Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu. Maha Vishnu graces the devotees in three forms: Neela Megha Perumal, Manikundra Perumal and Veera Narsimha Perumal. All these temples are located at very short distances from each other.  The temples' legends are as interesting as the temples. Once upon a time, there lived three Asuras in the earth named Thanjagan, Thandagan and Gajamukhan. These three demons worshipped Lord Shiva and asked Him for immortality. Lord Shiva blessed them that they could be defeated only by Maha Vishnu and by no one else.   The Asuras grew arrogant with their new-found power and started harassing everyone on the earth. At that time, many places on the earth were facing draught and famine. But there existed one place where the earth was still fertile and bloomi...

  Vaikuntha is said to be the abode of Lord Mahavishnu. There are seven gates to cross if one wants to reach Vaikuntha. Once, it so happened that the sons of Brahma – Rishi Sanaka, Rishi Sananda, Rishi Sanatana and Rishi Sanatkumara felt an intense desire to see Lord Vishnu. They crossed the six gates that led to the holy abode and were at the seventh and final gate when they found themselves stopped by none other than Jaya and Vijaya, the door-keepers of Vaikunta. “No one can enter now.” The door-keepers said threateningly stepping in front of the Rishis. Overcome with the desire to see Mahavishnu, the Rishis ignored their command and tried to walk past the doorkeepers. This time, they both placed their staffs in front of the Rishis, and again said. “No one can enter, like we said before.” Nothing angers the mind like unfulfilled desire. The Rishis felt insulted by the door-keepers. Their action angered them. The Rishis said – “Perhaps your close presence beside the Lord h...

  During his travels, Vidura came to the Ashram of Maitreya Rishi and requested him to narrate the various leelas of Lord Narayana. Maitreya Rishi began his narration with the beginning of a new cycle of creation. A deluge had submerged the earth. Lord Narayana was in Yoga Nidra after the Pralaya, having absorbed the entire Universe into Him where it lay in dormancy. There was a state of equilibrium for a long while. Then the concept called Time caused some disturbance in the equilibrium. Out of the navel of Narayana, there arose a thin stalk which grew into an enormous lotus and illuminated its surroundings with its brilliance. Into this lotus, entered another form of Narayana named Brahma. Finding Himself all alone, Brahma looked around in all directions, and in every direction He looked, He sprouted a new head. All He could see was a vast endless expanse of water around, and all He could hear was the sound of the waves crashing against each other. He looked downwards and reali...

Today we will read about a Divya Desham of Maha Vishnu which has been mentioned in the Brahmanda Puraana. The temple is called Soundararaja Perumal temple which has Sounderaraja Perumal as the presiding deity and Soundaravalli as His consort. The temple is located in Nagapattinam, Tamil Nadu.  The place Nagapattinam was initially a forest named Sundararanyam. It is a most blessed place, for it has been a place of worship for many devotees. In the Tretha Yug, Dhruva, the child-devotee of Maha Vishnu came here and meditated upon the Lord to get His divine vision. It is also said that Maha Lakshmi too meditated here to be united with the Lord during Tretha Yuga. In the Sathya Yuga, Markandeya Maharishi did penance here. Lord Brahma Himself is said to have worshipped Maha Vishnu in this place. On the auspicious day of Maasi Magham which is celebrated sometime around February - March when a full moon appears when the Magham Nakshatra is dominant, Maha Vishnu is said to have appeared bes...