Adbhuta Narayana Perumal Temple, Thirukkadithanam
Thirukkadithanam
Photo: Richard Mortel from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia · CC BY 2.0 · via Wikimedia Commons
One of the five Pancha Pandava Divya Desams; attributed to Sahadeva.
Sthala Purāṇam
Thrikkodithanam, near Changanassery in Kottayam district, is the Divya Desam where the Lord is worshipped as Adbhuta Narayanan (also called Amritha Narayanan), with the Thaayar known as Karpagavalli. The presiding deity stands in Nindra Thirukkolam (standing posture), facing east. The Vimanam is the Punniyakoti Vimanam and the temple tank is the Bhoomi Theertham. As one of the five Pancha Pandava shrines of the Chengannur region, this temple is associated with Sahadeva, the youngest Pandava, who is believed to have worshipped here and installed the image during the brothers' pilgrimage after the Mahabharata war, when each Pandava consecrated a tutelary form of the Lord along the banks of the Pamba. The principal sthala purana centers on King Rukmangada of the Surya dynasty, a famously righteous ruler devoted to the observance of Ekadasi Vratha (fasting on the eleventh lunar day); the Lord is said to have granted his darshana (pratyaksham) here, the legend illustrating the merit of Ekadasi observance. In the Nalayira Divya Prabandham, the temple was sung by Nammalvar, who glorified Adbhuta Narayanan in his hymns, securing the shrine's place among the 108 Divya Desams of the Sri Vaishnava tradition. The temple is built in characteristic Kerala architectural style.
Mangalāśāsanam — the Āḻvār pāsurams
The Lord Adbhuta Narayanan (Amirthanarayanan) with Karpagavalli of Thirukkadithanam is glorified in 11 pāsurams by:
Thirukkadithanam (Thirukkodithanam / Thrikkodithanam in Changanassery, Kerala), the abode of Adbhuta Narayana Perumal, is one of the thirteen Malai Nadu Divya Desams. Its Mangalasasanam was sung exclusively by Nammalvar, who dedicated an entire decade of eleven pasurams to it in his Thiruvaaymozhi (the 8.6 decade beginning 'elliyum kaalaiyum', Nalayira Divya Prabandham verses 3502-3512). In these verses the Alvar describes the tulasi-garlanded Lord dwelling among prosperous devotees and worshipped day and night, and movingly declares that Emperuman, though He owns many divine abodes, regards Thirukkadithanam and the Alvar's own heart as His cherished, native home.
எல்லியும் காலையும் தன்னை நினைந்தெழ, நல்ல அருள்கள் நமக்கேதந் தருள்செய்வான், அல்லியந் தண்ணந் துழாய்முடி யப்பனூர், செல்வர்கள் வாழும் திருக்கடித் தானமே.
elliyum kAlaiyum thannai ninaindhezha, nalla aruLgaL namakkE thandhu aruLseyvAn, alliyan thaNNan thuzhAy mudi appanUr, selvargaL vAzhum thirukkadiththAnamE.
Thirukkadithanam, where the wealthy (devotees) reside, is the town of the Lord (appan) who wears a cool, beautiful thuLasi (tulasi) garland; He is the one who graciously bestows His good blessings on us so that we rise up meditating on Him both at night (elli) and in the morning (kAlai), i.e., constantly without distinction of time.
திருக்கடித் தானமும் என்னுடைச் சிந்தையும், ஒருக்கடுத் துள்ளே உறையும் பிரான்கண்டீர், செருக்கடுத் தன்று திகைத்த அரக்கரை, உருக்கெட வாளி பொழிந்த ஒருவனே.
thirukkadiththAnamum ennudaich chindhaiyum / orukkaduththu uLLE uRaiyum pirAn kaNdIr / serukkaduththu anRu thigaiththa arakkararai / urukkeda vALi pozhindha oruvanE
Behold the Lord (pirAn) who holds equally dear, and dwells alike within, both Thirukkadithanam and my heart (chindhai) — He is the peerless one (oruvan) who, in that ancient war, rained arrows (vALi) upon the bewildered demons (arakkar) until their very forms were destroyed.
மாயப் பிரானென வல்வினை மாய்ந்தற, நேயத்தி னால்நெஞ்சம் நாடு குடிகொண்டான், தேசத் தமரர் திருக்கடித் தானத்தை, வாசப் பொழில்மன்னு கோயில்கொண் டானே.
māyap pirāṉeṉa valviṉai māyndhaṟa, nēyatthiṉāl nenjam nādu kudikoṇḍāṉ, thēsath thamarar thirukkadith thāṉatthai, vāsap pozhilmaṉṉu kōyilkoṇ ḍāṉē.
The wondrous benefactor (mAyap pirAn), out of His love (nEyam), took my heart (nenjam) as His abiding dwelling so that my mighty sins (val vinai) were utterly destroyed; He has taken as His temple (kOyil) Thirukkadithanam — the destination of the radiant immortals (amarar / nithyasUris), set amid fragrant groves (vAsap pozhil).
elliyum kaalaiyum...
The opening verse of Nammalvar's decade on Thirukkadithanam (Tirukkodittanam). The Alvar sings that the Lord, wearing a fragrant wreath of tulasi (thuLasi) blossoms, dwells together with the fortunate, prosperous devotees at Thirukkadithanam, worshipped joyfully night and day (elliyum kaalaiyum), and that He bestows His grace and everything else upon those who take refuge. Across the decade the Alvar marvels that although Emperuman has countless glorious abodes, He treats the Alvar's own heart and Thirukkadithanam as His native, hereditary home and shows great affection there.
More verses & references (1)
- The whole eighth-hundred sixth decade (Thiruvaaymozhi 8.6, beginning 'elliyum kaalaiyum'), comprising eleven pasurams (Nalayira Divya Prabandham verses 3502-3512), is Nammalvar's Mangalasasanam for Thirukkadithanam, glorifying Adbhuta Narayana Perumal (Amrutha/Adbhuta Narayanan) of this Malai Nadu shrine and the closeness the Lord feels for this place and for the devotee's heart. — Nammalvar, Thiruvaaymozhi 8.6 (3502-3512) · source ↗
Tamil text & meaning sourced from divyaprabandham.koyil.org and other Śrī Vaiṣṇava authorities — please cross-check the linked source for the canonical reading.
Read the pāsurams ↗Gallery
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