Sunday, November 19, 2017

Nedungalanathar Temple, Thirunedunkulam – Literary Mention

Nedungalanathar Temple, Thirunedunkulam – Literary Mention
It is one of the shrines of the 275 Paadal Petra Sthalams, a group of Shiva Sthalams glorified in the early medieval Thevaram poems by Tamil Saivite Nayanar Tirugnanasambandar. Four Saivite Saints and Saint Arunagirinathar had sung the glory of the Lord of the temples in their hymns. This temple is 125th Devaram Padal Petra Shiva Sthalam and 8th Sthalam on the south side of river Cauvery of Chozha Nadu.
Thirunedungalam ‘Easan’ graces us to experience happiness without any suffering. This is exemplified by Thirugnana Sambandar in his verse ‘Thirunedungalam Padhigam’ in which he repeats the last line in each of the stanzas “Idarkalavai Nedungalam Meviyane” (remove the suffering Thou the maker of Nedungalam). This temple is of great antiquity and is included in the kshertavenba of the Tamil saint, the Ayyadigal Kadavarkon, who should be ascribed to the days before Appar and Sambandar.
Tirugnanasambandar has sung 10 hymns on the deity, which are found in Thevaram. Tirugnanasambandar describes the features of the deity as:
பாங்கினல்லார் படிமஞ்செய்வார் பாரிடமும் பலிசேர்
தூங்கிநல்லார் பாடலோடு தொழுகழலே வணங்கித்
தாங்கிநில்லா அன்பினோடுந் தலைவநின்றா ணிழற்கீழ்
நீங்கிநிலிலா ரிடர்களையாய் நெடுங்களமே யவனே.