Sri
Ramajayam.
Dasaratha performed ‘puthra kaameshti yagam’ under
instruction and guidance of Maharishi Rushya singar who was the son of
Maharishi Vikanda. Maharishi Vikanda had his ashram in the vakulaaranya
kshetram where he was performing daily aradhanam to Karunaakaran and His
consorts.
On return
from Lanka on their way to Ayodhya, Perumal, Piraati and Ilaya Perumal visited
the ashram of the Maharishi. On request of the Maharishi the trio have taken
the Archa vrattam and are till date ushering their blessings to the devotees.
This Kshetram was later ruled by the Cholas andwas
donated to Brahmins who mastered all the four Vedas. The place thus used to
have the name ‘Chaturvedi mangalam’ and today it is named after the Chola king
who built a beautiful temple there for Perumal and also gifted this kshetram
to the scholars- Mathurandhaka cholan.
Later during British rule the lake nearby developed a
breech due to the floods and all attempts by the administration to seal it
proved futile. The prayers of the locals to save their lives, lands and cattle
were answered by the divine couple; acknowledging that the floods were
controlled only by the divine grace of The Lord the collector announced
several grants to the temple administration and even made personal donations
for its renovation. Since then the Perumal here is called ‘Eri Kaatha Ramar’
(The Rama who guarded the lake.)
The reason why Perumal of Madhuranthakam is called Eri
Kaatha Ramar may sound fascinating to common men; it is only an ostensible
reason. The real one for the Perumal being so called is the particular
incident, which saved the JagathAcharya Ramanujar for us the Sri Vaishnavites.
In this slokam of ‘Embaar’:
LakshminAdhAkya sindhow
sadaribulatha:
PrAbya
kAruNyanIram
NAthAdhrAvabyashingcath
thadhanu
RaghuvarAmbOjacakshurjarAbyAm
/
Gathva thAm yAmunakyAm
sariDhamatha
YathIndrAkyapadhmAkarEndhram
Sampurya praNisasyE
pravahathi
BahuthA desikEndhrabramowkai
//
[Lakshminathan being the ocean, the water of grace was
consumed by Sadagopan and then shed on Nathamuni the mountain; this water
through the two falls Pundarikaksha or Uyyakondar and Ramamisrar or
ManakkalNambi reached the Grand River Yamunaacharya or Alavandar. From this
river through five achryas such as Periya Nambi being the five canals the
water of grace reached Ramanuja the lake. Through seventy-four
simhasanathipathies the sluices the water continues to gush through for the
benefit of the plants like us the jivas]
Ramanuja is described as a lake from where we the
plants get our life force through our acharyas.
We learn from Guruparampara Prabavam that when
Ramanuja went to Sri Rangam to become the disciple of Yamunacharya he was
faced with the shocking news of the demise of Swami Alavandar. Ramanuja came
back to Perumal Kovil and insisted that Thiru Kachhi Nambigal be his acharya.
This request was declined and so Ramanujar again set out for his journey to
Sri Rangam after bidding farewell to Kanchi. Periya Nambigal met him on his
way at Madhuranthakam. Ramanuja did not want to miss the opportunity of being
initiated into Sri vaishnavam and hence prayed for Hithobadesam. Periya
Nambigal said that he would perform the ritual in Hasthigiri at Kanchi.
Ramanuja convinced his acharya expressing his fear learning from his
experience after the death of Yamunacharya. Periya Nambigal at this temple of
Raghunanthan of Madhuranthakam performed Pancha samaskaram in accordance with
Pancharathra Agamam to Ramanuja and taught him regarding prmaanam, prameyam
and pramaatha. As this Rama saved Ramanuja the lake (from his fear of losing
his life without being initiated in Sri vaishnavam) He is rightly called as
Eri kaatha Ramar.
The temple is situated in a calm and serene atmosphere
located on the Grand South Trunk road and about sixty kilometres from Chennai
towards Tiruchi. After the Chakrathalwar and Vedanta Desikar sannidhis, we may
proceed to the Thayar Sannidhi. Sita piraati has a thani sannidhi only inthis
temple. Janakasya puthri in this temple is named as Janakavalli Thayar. The
jagan maatha grants us the permission to proceed to the main temple on our way
during our perambulation we can have the darshan of Andal and senai naathan.
The main sannidhi is a treat to our eyes (body)mind
and soul. We can see Ramachandra murthy in the middle, Piraati to His right
and Ilaya Perumal to His left. Perumal has his Kothandam in His left handand
a bow in His right. With the same right hand Perumal is seen to be holding
Piraati’s hand (Perhaps signifying that They both are in the Iswaraghoshti)
for this reason Perumal is also called Kalyana Raman here. Piraati’s head is
slightly reclined towards Perumal (like the women of those days who bow their
head down when in company of her husband expressing shyness). The trio give us
the ‘Pranava artha vivaranam’ or the explanation of Om (A, U and Ma).
Karunaakaran and His consorts the Aradhya deivam of
Vikanda Maharishi has his Gadhai in His left hand and shows abayam through His
Right Hand. The Divaya Mangala Vigrahams of Perumal, Piraati and Ilaya Perumal
and a narthana Krishnan are also there in this sannidhi along with
Karunakaran. Archanai and Puarppaadu are done only to Karunaakaran. The Rama
Lakshmana Seethai has purapaadu just on two days during a year and all other
utsavams are for only Karanukaran. It is very very difficult for a personto
come out of this sannidhi.
This essay will not be complete if a description of
the next sannidhi is not given. Here Ramanuja is seen clad in white vasthram
with anjali mudra. Periya Nambigal shows a chin mudra typifying the pancha
samaskaram that was performed by Periya Nambigal to Ramanuja here in this
place when Ramanuja was still in samsara ashrama. The chakra and conch used to
perform the tapa samaskara are kept in this sannidhi and aradhanam is
performed to the Krishna given to Ramanuja during the yaga samskaram. What a
place of historic and philosophical importance to us the sri
Vaishnavites.
Then there is the Lakshmi Nrusimhan sannidhi and a
temple tank next to which is the Thiruvadi sannidhi. Near the temple is the
Ahobila Mutt’s famous Veda patasala to continue the tradition whichonce
brought this place the name Chaturvedi Mangalam.
Mangalam Kosalendraya Mahniya
gunabthaye
Chakravarthy thanujaya
sarvabowmaya mangalam //