The Margandeyar Puranam tells us the bravery act of Lord Shiva
under “காலனை உதைத்தது (Kaala Samharam)”. This
is supposed to taken place in Thirukadaiyur near Mayiladuthurai. And the
varalaru comes as below.
Puranam:
The great Kasiba Munivar, grandson of Brahma, tells the story of great devotee of Lord Shiva named Margandeyar to his sons and daughters. Let’s first know about why he narrates this story to them.
There was an arakkan(demon) named Asurendran. After the great clan of demons are killed by the lords. Asurendran was very worried about his demolishing demon clan. So he called his daughter named Surasai or Maya, to do something to increase the numbers of demons. He asked her to marry Kasiba Munivar by cleverness. She promised to her father to do so. Surasai was a very clever and highly skilled girl in all the mayajalams(magic) and other arts. Kasiba Munovar was at thavam(meditation) in Kandamadanagiri. She went there and by her skill she changed the surrounding forest into a beautiful garden with colorful and fragranced flowers. She created beautiful deer to run all around and stood before him with astonishing beauty. He fell in love with her and wanted to marry her. Surasai agreed under the condition that he should make love with her in the form she takes in each yamam(part of a day).
In the first yamam, she became beautiful girl and Kasibar a handsome guy. Out of this serkkai came Surabadhman, and from their sweat came 30,000 demons
In the second yamam, she became Lioness and Kasibar a Lion. Out of this serkkai came Singamugan with face of Lion, 1000 heads and 2000 hands, and from their sweat came 40,000 demons
In the third yamam, she became female Elephant and Kasibar a Male Elephant. Out of this serkkai came Taragasuran with elephant face and from their sweat came 40,000 demons
In the fourth yamam, she became female goat and Kasibar a male goat. Out of this serkkai came goat headed Asamuki and from their sweat came 30,000 demons.
Thus the demon clan got their main four Asuras and more number of demons. Kasibar felt very sad on his act and thought of telling them stories on greatness of God, the ultimate powerful Shiva. So, he started to tell them the story of Margandeyar.
Margandeyar:
Very long ago, there was a place named Kadagam, where a Brahmin named Kucchaga Munivar lived with his wife. They had a son named Kausigan. He was very devoted to the Lord. He got permission from his parents and went to forest to perform meditation(Thavam). He meditated for long time, that the animals thought him to be a piece of wood and come and scratch their body with him. The Lord was very pleased and he appeared before him and blessed him and named him “Mirugakandui”( மிருக கண்டூய்). He went back home and narrated his parents about his meeting with the God. They were very happy and asked him to end his Brahmacharyam(bachelorhood) and get into Grahastham(family life). He first refused and then said he will marry if he gets a girl with these conditions. His conditions about the girl where,
1. He doesn’t want the girl who is either very black or very white
2. He doesn’t want the girl who is the only daughter of the family
3. He doesn’t want the girl who laughs before the speech nor cries before speech
4. He doesn’t want the girl who always goes to neighbourhood
5. He doesn’t want the girl who has short hair or long hair
6. He doesn’t want the girl who doesn’t have brothers and sisters
7. He doesn’t want the girl who has her name as name of mountain, hill, river or tree.
His parents agreed to his conditions and after a long search, they found Usathiyar Munivar in the forest named Anaamayam. He had a daughter by name Virudambigai. She satisfied all the above conditions. When they fixed the marriage, the girl fell into a well when chased by a mad elephant and died. Then the Kucchaga Munivar did a big yagam and raised her up again by giving her life. She then married Kausigan alias Mirugakandui. They got a son by name Mirugandeyan. He married a girl Maruthuvadhi.
These couple did not have child for a long time. They prayed to God at various places. They went to Kasi and took bath in the holy “Sakkara” Theertam (now known as Manikarnika ghat). God appeared before them and asked them “What they want?” They replied that need a child. The God answered them that, he would give them a son for which they have to choose an option from the two. The God gave the options as, whether they need a good son with only 16 years of life, or a bad son with 100 years of life. The parents were very embarrassed and they choose the first option of having a good son of 16 years. They were happy to have a son but were terribly sad that he would die at the age of 16. They came home and had son as the God promised them. They name him Margandeyan (மார்கண்டேயன்).
Margandeyar grew up as a very good son and learned all the Vedas and puranams and had a great devotion and love for Lord Shiva, the ultimate exiler. The parents never told him about his short span of life. Margandeyar was very attached and devoted to his parents. He noticed a great sorrow in his parents faces when he attained his sixteenth age. When he asked his parents the reason for their sadness, they explained him about the option of God and their option of having him. He replied that he would again go to the God and change this for his old parents. Margandeyar went to various abodes/shrines of Shiva and worshipped him to cancel his death at this age as his old parents would be left with no one to look after at their old age. And it’s his duty as a son to be with them at their old age and that he cannot see his parents be in sorrow because of him.
Worshiping various temples he reached Thirukadayur near Kumbakonam, Tamil Nadu. He was so attracted by the God there and stayed there for long time and worshipped the Amirthagadeswarar(Shiva) there. He worshipped with total surrender and dedication. He meditated near the God for long hours. When the day of his death came, the dreadful lord of death Yama came himself to take his life. Normally, the yamadudhas come for taking the life of the human beings. Yama comes only for the special persons. The yamadudhas are not even able to go near Margandeyar due to his meditational power (thavavalimai). When Margandeyar came to know that Yama has come with his dark buffalo and pasakkayaar- பாச கயிறு (the rope of taking life), He ran towards the deity of shivalingam and hugged him tightly and refused to come with Yama. He cried to God to save him. Yama was terribly angry and throwed the pasakayar on Margandeyar to take his life (it is said that when pasakkayar is thrown on somebody, it takes their life). The rope fell over the great Lord Shiva, who is the supreme power of all. The angry Lord Shiva came out of the lingam and gave a kick to Yama. Yama with his buffalo and his army fell away into ashes in a place called Thirukadavoor Mayanam. Then he raised Margandeyan and said that he was pleased by his devotion and love towards him. He blessed him to stay at the age of sixteen forever and never have death. Margandeyar thanked the Lord and went back to his parents to tell them the miracle. They were very happy and thanked God for the blessings on their son.
Later the Bhooma madha who is not able to bear the weight of people as there is no death due to Yama’s non existence, prayed to Shiva to let Yama back to do his work and lessen down the burden of her. The great karunamoorthy Shiva let his life back and told him not to touch Margandeyar henceforth and also the sivanadiyar who prays to him devotedly. That’s why they say that sivadhudhas come to take the sivanadiyars to siva logam when they die. Thus Margendeyar has seen three Brahmas until now. (How? – Click here to know)
Thus Maha Mrityunjaya Stotra is also attributed to Markandeyar. Trayambaka Mantra also known as Mahamrityunjaya Mantra is a verse of the Yajurveda. It is in Rudram and it is as follows:
"Tryambakam yajaamahe sugandhim pushti-vardhanam | Urvaarukam iva bandhanaan mrityor muksheeya maamritaat ||"
No comments:
Post a Comment