Therazhundur Amaruviappan Temple Story: Where the Chariot Stopped and Bhagavan Came
Devaadi Raja Perumal temple, also called Amaruviappan
temple, is in Therazhundur village of Mayiladuthurai district in Tamil Nadu. It
is dedicated to Bhagavan Vishnu, who is worshipped here as Amaruviappan. His
consort Mahalakshmi is called Sengamalavalli Thayar. The temple is one of the
108 Divya Desams, the holy places of Vishnu praised by the Alvars in the
Naalayira Divya Prabandham. These Alvar saints lived between the 6th and 9th
centuries CE, and their Tamil hymns are considered as the Tamil Veda by the Sri
Vaishnava tradition. The temple is built in the Dravidian style.
The Story Behind the Name Therazhundur
The name comes from two Tamil words. "Ther" means
chariot and "azhundur" means the place where it sank or got stuck. So
Therazhundur means the place where the chariot was stuck. There are three
versions of this story in the sthala purana.
In the first version, King Uparichara Vasu did severe
penance for many years and Brahma gave him a boon to travel in the sky in his
chariot. While he was flying over this place, the chariot fell in the water and
the water splashed on Sage Agastya, who was doing tapas there. The sage got
angry and cursed that the chariot will remain stuck here.
In the second version, Uparichara Vasu gave his judgement in
favour of the devas in a dispute with the sages. The sages cursed him that his
chariot cannot go further, and it stopped at this place.
In the third version, the queen requested the king to come
down and worship Bhagavan Vishnu at this place. The king did not listen and
continued flying. By the divine power of Bhagavan, the chariot was held here.
This version teaches that no worldly power, even the power of flying, can go
beyond the will of the Supreme.
Krishna and the Cows
Another story is about Brahma and Bhagavan Sri Krishna. Brahma took away the cattle and the cowherd boys of Krishna to test
him, as told in the Bhagavatam. Krishna created many cows and boys exactly like
the earlier ones, so no one in Gokulam noticed any change. When Brahma
understood that these were all forms of Krishna, he felt ashamed and
apologised. He prayed to Krishna to make his abode in this place.
Because Krishna came here for the sake of the cows, the
deity is called Amaruviappan, meaning the one who is surrounded by cattle. In
the sanctum, the deity is shown with cows around him.
Prahlada and Kaveri
Prahlada was a great devotee of Vishnu. After Narasimha
avatar killed his father Hiranyakashipu, Prahlada became afraid of the fierce
form of Narasimha. Amaruviappan appeared here in a calm form and consoled him.
Here we can understand that Bhagavan is fierce towards adharma but gentle
towards his bhaktas.
There is also a belief that Kaveri, the river goddess,
wanted relief from the curse of Sage Agastya. She prayed to Amaruviappan, and
Bhagavan was pleased with her devotion and appeared before her.
Importance and Symbolism
The cows in this temple have deep meaning in Hindu dharma.
The cow stands for gentleness, giving and the support of life. Bhagavan
standing among the cows shows that he protects those who depend on him, which
is the idea of sharanagati, complete surrender. The stuck chariot shows that
ego and pride get stopped, while devotion makes a person reach the goal. The
Brahma story teaches that even the highest being can make a mistake, but
Bhagavan forgives one who apologises sincerely.
Unique Aspect of the Temple
The most special feature is the deity shown with cattle
around him, which is not common in Divya Desams. The temple is also connected
with a village name that records a chariot story. Devotees pray here for
protection of family and cattle, relief from curses and peace of mind.