Kola Valvil Ramar Temple, Thiruvelliyangudi
Thiruvelliyankudi
Photo: Richard Mortel from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia · CC BY 2.0 · via Wikimedia Commons
Sthala Purāṇam
The Kola Valvil Ramar Temple at Thiruvelliyangudi, near Kumbakonam, is the twenty-second Divya Desam, where Vishnu is worshipped as Kola Valvil Ramar, also known as Srinivasan, with Maragathavalli Thayar. The name Kola Valvil Ramar evokes Rama bearing a beautiful bow; the Lord appears in a graceful form, his conch and discus held by Garuda. The sthala puranam tells of the celestial architects Viswakarma and Mayan, who quarrelled over whose skill was the greater. Brahma told Mayan that Viswakarma had earned merit by building Vaikuntha, and that to attain equal stature Mayan must raise an abode near the Kaveri resembling Vaikuntha. Mayan searched and chose Thiruvelliyangudi, where the sage Markandeya was performing penance, and there Vishnu manifested as Sringara Sundaran, the beautiful deity. The temple is revered as a Vaishnava Shukra Kshetra: Shukracharya, the planet Venus called Velli, who lost an eye while obstructing Mahabali's gift to the Vamana, did penance here to regain his sight; the light he gained is said to glow still as the lamp Nethra Deepam, and from Shukra's worship the place is named Velliangudi. The Lord granted darshan to Shukra, Brahma, Indra, Parasara, Mayan, Markandeya, and Bhoomi Devi, after several of whom the temple theerthams are named. The vimana is the Pushkalavartha Vimanam. Thirumangai Alvar sang ten pasurams here.
Mangalāśāsanam — the Āḻvār pāsurams
The Lord Kola Valvil Ramar (Srinivasan) with Maragathavalli of Thiruvelliyankudi is glorified by:
Thiruvelliyangudi (Kola Valvil Ramar / Srinivasan) is a Chola Nadu Divya Desam revered in the Nalayira Divya Prabandham by Thirumangai Alvar, who sang ten Mangalasasanam hymns (Periya Thirumozhi) on the reclining Lord. The kshetram is associated with Sukra (Venus). Exact Tamil verse text was not verbatim-confirmed from the sources consulted.
ஆய்ச்சியர் அழைப்ப வெண்ணெயுண்டு ஒருகால்* ஆலிலை வளர்ந்த எம்பெருமான்* பேய்ச்சியை முலையுண்டு இணைமருதிறுத்துப்* பெருநிலமளந்தவன் கோயில்* காய்த்தநீள் கமுகும் கதலியும் தெங்கும்* எங்குமாம் பொழில்களின் நடுவே* வாய்த்தநீர் பாயும் மண்ணியின் தென்பால்* திருவெள்ளியங்குடியதுவே
āycchiyar aḻaippa veṇṇeyuṇḍu orukāl* ālilai vaḷarnda emperumāṉ* pēycchiyai mulaiyuṇḍu iṇaimarudiṟuttup* perunilamaḷandavaṉ kōyil* kāyttanīḷ kamugum kadaliyum teṅgum* eṅgumām poḻilgaḷiṉ naḍuvē* vāyttanīr pāyum maṇṇiyiṉ teṉpāl* tiruveḷḷiyaṅguḍiyaduvē
The temple of my Lord — who once ate butter when the cowherd-women (Aychchiyar) called out to Him, who lay as a baby upon a banyan leaf during the deluge, who drank the life from the demoness Putana, who snapped the twin marudhu trees, and who measured the whole wide earth (as Trivikrama) — is the one that lies on the southern bank of the river Manni where good water flows, set amid groves everywhere full of tall fruiting areca, plantain and coconut palms: that place is Thiruvelliyangudi.
கறவைமுன்காத்துக் கஞ்சனைக்காய்த்த* காளமேகத்திருவுருவன்* பறவைமுன்னுயர்த்து பாற்கடல் துயின்ற* பரமனார் பள்ளிகொள் கோயில்* துறைதுறை தோறும் பொன்மணி சிதறும்* தொகுதிரை மண்ணியின் தென்பால்* செறிமணிமாடக் கொடிகதிரணவும்* திருவெள்ளியங்குடியதுவே
kaRavai mun kAththuk kanjanaik kAyththa kALamEgath thiruvuruvan, paRavai mun uyarththu pARkadal thuyinRa paramanAr paLLikoL kOyil, thuRai thuRai thORum pon maNi sidhaRum thoguthirai maNNiyin thenpAl, seRi maNi mAdak kodi kadhir aNavum thiruveLLiyangudi adhuvE
The reposing-temple of the Supreme One — He of the dark-cloud-hued divine form, who long ago guarded the cattle (as Krishna), who blazed in wrath against Kamsa, who raised His bird Garuda as His banner, and who reclines upon the Ocean of Milk — is on the southern bank of the river Manni, whose massed waves scatter gold and gems at every bathing-ghat, where the banners atop the close-gem-studded mansions reach up to touch the rays of the sun: that place is Thiruvelliyangudi.
More verses & references (1)
- Thirumangai Alvar sang Mangalasasanam on Kola Valvil Ramar (Srinivasan) of Thiruvelliyangudi in his Periya Thirumozhi — ten verses. The Lord reclines (Bhujanga Sayanam) facing east; he is celebrated as the Vaishnava Sukra Kshetra, having appeared in marriage-posture grace to Sukra (Venus) and other devotees. Exact verse text not verbatim-confirmed. — Thirumangai Alvar, Periya Thirumozhi · source ↗
Tamil text & meaning sourced from divyaprabandham.koyil.org and other Śrī Vaiṣṇava authorities — please cross-check the linked source for the canonical reading.
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