Saranathan Temple is in Thirucherai, a small village near
Kumbakonam in Tamil Nadu. It is dedicated to Bhagavan Vishnu, who is worshipped
here as Saranathan, and his consort Mahalakshmi is called Saranayaki. This
temple is one of the 108 Divya Desams. These are the holy places of Vishnu
praised in the Nalayira Divya Prabandham, the Tamil collection of hymns
composed by the Alvar saints between the 6th and 9th centuries CE. Thirucherai
is also called Sara Kshetram, and the reason for this name is explained in the
stories below.
The Story of the Sand Pot
As per Hindu belief, when the end of a yuga came and the
world had to be dissolved, Brahma became worried. He is the creator, so he
needed a safe way to keep all the Vedas and all the things required for srishti
(creation) during the Mahapralaya. He went to Bhagavan Vishnu and asked for a
solution.
Bhagavan Vishnu told him to keep everything inside a strong
mud pot. Brahma tried clay from many places, but the pots did not stay strong.
At last, he took sand from Thirucherai and made the pot. This pot protected all
the Vedas and the materials of creation through the dissolution. Because this
place saved everything that is needed for life to begin again, it got the name
Sara Kshetram. "Sara" here means essence, and the place is seen as
the protector of the essence of creation.
The Story of Kaveri and Ganga
There is another story connected to this place. Once, all
the rivers came to Brahma and asked which among them is the greatest. Brahma
explained the incident of the Vamana avatar. Bhagavan Vishnu came as a small
Brahmin boy to King Mahabali, asked for three steps of land, and then grew as
Trivikrama. He placed his third foot on the head of Mahabali. In another part
of this event, his raised foot is said to have touched the Brahmanda, and
Brahma washed that foot, and the water became the holy river Ganga. Based on
this, Brahma said Ganga is the holiest of all rivers.
Goddess Kaveri also wished to have the same status as Ganga.
She did a very hard penance for this. To test her devotion, Bhagavan Vishnu
came before her as a small child. Kaveri did not know who the child was, but
she looked after him with care and love like a mother. Bhagavan Vishnu was very
pleased. He showed her all his ten avatars and told her to go to Sara Kshetram
and take a holy bath in the Sara Pushkarani, the temple tank. He also gave her
a boon that in the Tamil month of Tula (Aippasi, October-November), she would
be considered greater than Ganga.
Importance and Symbolism
The name Saranathan means "the Lord of refuge",
though here we say Bhagavan who gives shelter to all. The word
"Sharanagati" (surrender) is a main teaching in Vaishnavism. It says
that a devotee who gives up ego and takes refuge at the feet of Bhagavan is
protected by him. The story of the sand pot shows this teaching clearly. The
Vedas, which are the base of dharma, were kept safe by Bhagavan's grace, not by
the effort of Brahma alone.
The Kaveri story shows that sincere devotion and service,
even to a child without knowing who he is, gets the highest result. It also
teaches that Bhagavan sees the heart and not the status. Kaveri became equal to
Ganga because of her bhakti and not because of her name.
The sand and the pot also have meaning. A pot made of earth
is simple, yet it carried the most precious knowledge. This reminds us that the
Vedas are preserved by the humble and dedicated, and that the body, though made
of earth, can hold divine knowledge when used with devotion.
Special Aspects of the Temple
Thirucherai is considered a Pancha Sara Kshetram, that is, one among five Sara Kshetrams connected with Vishnu and Kaveri. The temple is also unusual because five forms of Bhagavan's consort are worshipped together here. Along with Saranayaki, there are Mahalakshmi, Bhudevi, Neeladevi, and Kaveri Nachiyar, the last being Kaveri herself shown as a devotee. This is a rare feature in Divya Desams. The main image of Saranathan Perumal stands in a standing posture, facing east. The Sara Pushkarani is the main holy tank, and bathing here in the month of Aippasi is considered very auspicious, especially during the Tula Snanam, when many devotees take a dip in the Kaveri.
Thirucherai Saranathan Temple preserves two important
teachings: that Bhagavan protects all who surrender to him, and that devotion
is greater than status. For devotees visiting the Kumbakonam region, this
temple is an important stop, especially in the Tamil month of Aippasi.