Thirukurunkudi
In Thirukurunkudi there are 5 Vaishanava Nambi temples . These 5 temples together make a Pandiyanadu divyadesham and it’s near Thirunelveli .
The adivaram temple consists of Lord Azhaghiya Nambi in standing sitting and sleeping postures . Thayar is named as Kunrunkudi valli .
Thiruparkadal Nambi temple is just 1kms from Thirukurunkudi temple is a small temple . Here the Lord is short diety with four hands hence it’s called as Vamana shethram .
Malai mel Nambi temple is in a dense forest up on a hill with Nambiyaru streaming in between about 9kms from adivaram temple . Forest department jeep service are provided to reach this Nambi temple from 9 am to 3 pm . It’s an adventurous trip visiting Malai mel nambi temple . Once reached you will realise how scenic this place is, with amazing breeze , the sounds of birds and water flowing .There are lots of monkeys so avoid keeping flowers , Other than that they dont harm you .Though we have visited this temple thrice were fortunate to visit Malai mel Nambi twice . During once due to floods we couldnot make it up .
Kaisika Puranam revolves around Nambaduvan, a low caste person belonging to the Baanar family, his unflinching faith in Lord Nambi and how he was instrumental in liberating a Rakshasha from a curse and helping him attaining Vaikunta Moksham. The Kaisika Puranam is also a perfect case study on the values of life and how it is important to keep up one’s promise at the cost of anything, including one’s own life.
Being a low caste person, Nambaduvan was embarrassed to enter the temple during the day . Every night, he would walk several miles to the Thiru Kurungudi Nambi temple, and for hours together would stand in front of the temple with a Veena in his hand and sing praise of Lord Nambi. And before dawn, he would leave the temple.
One night, as he was making his way to the temple, a Brahmma Rakshasha stopped him and wanted him for dinner. Undaunted by this sudden turn of events, Nambaduvan, who had the purest of devotion for Lord Nambi, requested the Rakshasha to allow him to go to the temple for a night, so he could keep up his Kaisika Ekadesi Vratha, with the assurance to come back the next morning after singing praise of Lord Nambi, one last time.
Unable to convince the Rakshasha, Nambaduvan talks about Sathya Sankalpam: “The world was created through ‘Promises’ and continues to exist as a result of trust in each other.”
Nambaduvan made 18 promises that night to the Rakshasha. Through these promises , narrated beautifully in the Kaisika Puranam as part of this lengthy discussion between Nambaduvan and Brahmma Rakshasha, one comes to know of the different sins we commit every day in our lives as a result of not adhering to some of the basic values in life .
17 promises later and not having got the nod from the Rakshasha , Nambaduvan requests the Rakshasha to let him go to the Nambi temple with this 18th promise
“If I do not return, I would have committed the biggest sin that exists – that of comparing and equating Lord Narayana with others. And I will become a sinner who will never get Moksham from this cycle of births.”
This extraordinary promise moved the Rakshasha and he let him go. After having spent the entire night (possibly for the last time) in front of Kurungkudi Nambi, he made his way back to the Rakshasha as promised.
On his way back , Lord Nambi , disguised as an old Brahmin , sought the reason for his rushing back much in contrast to his usually slow and thoughtful walk, and on hearing him out condemned Nambaduvan as a fool and offered protection from the Rakshasha .
Nambaduvan rejected this offer , as fulfilling the promise was more important to him than his own life. “I will even give up my life but I will never go back on my word. I have given him a promise and I have to fulfil it. Hence, I will have to go back to the Rakshasha and if he has to take me as his prey, so be it.”
On seeing Nambaduvan, the Rakshasha wondered as to how he could come back, despite being under the threat of being consumed. Even more to his surprise, Nambaduvan came close to the Rakshasha and offered himself as his prey.
Brahmma Rakshasha attains Moksham
By now, the Rakshasha had changed his mind . He did not want Nambaduvan’s body anymore . He rather directed Nambaduvan to share the fruits of the entire songs that he had thus far sung in praise of Lord Nambi . After several exchanges , where Nambaduvan repeatedly offered himself as the prey and Rakshasha continued asking for the fruits of the songs , the Rakshasha explained the reason for his current Rakshasha status – He was a Brahmin by name Soma Sharma in his previous birth. His arrogance , as the all knowing , led him to miss a mantra in a Yagna and he was cursed to this current Rakshasha form by the Devas. And that only the purest of the Nambi devotees had the power to relieve him from his curse – and why he wanted to listen to Nambaduvan’s praise of Lord Nambi.
Nambaduvan shared with him the ‘Kaisika’ verses, which he had sung that very night in front of Lord Nambi. Just listening to these verses helped the Rakshasha attain Vaikunta Moksham.
Nammalwar Periyalwar Thirumangai alwar and Thirumazhisai alwar has sung praising this Lord .
Thiruvattapaarai
The story of Thiruvattaparai is very engaging & interesting . It was a time when Sri Ramanuja was in Kerala region and his fame was spreading far and wide. Lot of people there became disciples of Sri Ramanuja (amongst whom VadugaNambhi was close to Ramanuja), which couldn’t be tolerated by the Nambhoodhiris there. So the Namboodhiris with their black magic, move Ramanuja to Thiruvattaparai overnight (just a hill separates this place from Kerala). The next day, the unsuspecting Ramanuja , thinking he is in Kerala , wakes up calling his disciple, “Vaduga.. Vaduga..“. The Nambhi (Lord Vishnu) of Thirukurungudi, immediately appears before Sri Ramanujar as Vaduga Nambhi and renders service to His favourite Acharya. Ramanujar had the habit of keeping Thirumaan to Vaduga Nambhi . On the eventful day too, Ramanujar keeps Thiruman , but for the Supreme Lord himself. Both then go to the main temple to worship the moolavar. The Perumal in the guise of Vaduga went past the dwajasthambam , entered the garbhagriham and vanished. Later when Ramanuja goes to temple, he sees the Thiruman on the deity’s still fresh and exactly as he had kept for Vaduga Nambhi . Sri Ramanuja begged His pardon , but the Lord told him that He was not satisfied with His own Avataras and that he wanted to take the form of a Sishya too , as a Sishya to a great Acharyan and to get upadesam from him . He requested the Acharyan to preach Him the Thirumanthiram or Mahamanthiram . Accordingly Ramanuja sat on a pedastal befitting his dignity and the Lord seated himself at a lower level in an obedient posture with his right ear just below the face or mouth of Sri Ramanuja. Even to-day we can see the great teacher and the Lord in this position in the Ramanujaa’s temple at Thiruvattapaarai .
Nammalwar Periyalwar Thirumangai alwar and Thirumazhisai alwar has sung praising this Lord .
Thirumangai alwar moksham petra sthalam . Thirumangai alwar and his wife Kumudhavalli attained moksha at Thirukkurungudi. After performing kainkaryam at Srirangam , reached Thirukkurungudi as directed by Lord Ranganathar . After reaching Thirukkurungudi, he rendered Thirumadhil (Castle) and pushpa kainkarya until he attained mosksha. Atlast Thirumangai alwar and Kumudhavalli on attaining moksha were burried at this place which later termed as Thirumangai alwar Thiruvarasu. It is situated about a kilometre from the main Nambi temple surrounded by sugarcane and paddy fields that add a beauty to the Sannidhi .
The sculptures in the adivaram temples are mindblowing .
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