PURANIC -TIME HISTORY

             

 The Yamuna river is one among the most sacred of the rivers that run in Bharata or India from ancient times. Praised to be on par with Yamuna and hence known as ‘Thenyamunai’ (Southern-Yamuna)and also as the ‘Vellhar’ river. Situated on the northern-banks of this holy-river is the Venerated-place known as ‘Thittakudi’. Since the holy venerated Saint,Sage and ‘Brahmarishi’ and the son of the Creator Lord Brahma,’Vashista’ who in chaste-Tamil is known as ‘Vathitta’ munivar lived here,this place is known as ‘Thiruvathittakudi’. The venerated now in its shortened-form is known as ‘Thittakudi’. This place is 13 kilometers east of ‘Tholludhoor’ near Trichy on National Highway – 45. It also lies 12 kilometers west of ‘Pennadam’ which lies on the Villupuram – Trichy railway-line. There also frequent bus-services from Virudhachallam to Thittakudi.

 In ancient-times,Lord Brahma’s son Vashista Munivar stayed here in the Tiger-forest that existed then and performed penance. He married the Virtuous-lady Arundhati and together led a pure dharmic-life here.

 The heavenly blessed-cow ‘Kamadhenu’ who could provide anything that one wished for,appeared here from heaven and grew up here in Vashista’s ashram. One day as it was grazing in the forests,its hoof it struck a termite-hill and on seeing blood oozing out from it, swooned and fainted! Later,to stem the flow of blood,it stood and secreted copious amount of its own milk upon the termite-hill. Upon realizing this,Vashista went there and noticed that the termite-hill indeed concealed a ‘Suyambulingam’ ( Linga that originated by itself). He requested Kamadhenu to build a temple over the Linga. Kamadhenu immediately did as per his request. This indeed is the present day ‘Karpagraham’ or the Sanctum-Santorium that is enscombed within the Temple. On the outer-side of the Nataraja-Temple and on the upper-reaches there now exists a small sculptured-statue showing Kamadhenu secreting its divine-milk over the Siva-Linga.                                                                                                            

Vashista Munivar performed pujas for the Siva-Linga for a very long time and attained divine-wisdom. During that time Lord Rama’s ancestor the Emperor Manu came here,prayed and got the grace and blessings of Vashista and further requested that he alone should kindly consent to be the ‘Kula-Guru’ (family-Guru or Master) for his ‘Surya-Vamsam’ or the ‘Solar-dynasty’. The Sage graciously accepted to the request. Upon the Sage’s request,the Emperor’s soldiers,cut down the trees and cleared the dense tiger-forest and built a new city at the place. This place is now indeed ‘Thiruvathittakudi’ or ‘Thittakudi’ as it is presently known.

 All the foremost ‘Rishis’ who were well versed in the Vedas and Agamas,came over here and settled here. Many a king,prince and learned-person came here to study the Vedas and the other ‘Kalai’ known as the “64 arts” or “64 branches of knowledge” which included

astronomy,astrology,painting,sculpting,engineering,dance,music and sports like archery,sword-fencing,horse-riding,wrestling etc.,. The whole surrounding area constantly reveberated

with the sound-vibrations of the Vedic-mantras chanted day and night by the pupil and Teacher! Since ‘Vidhaya’ or knowledge was taught here,it also became known as ‘Vidhyayaranyapuram’. The Emperor Manu further did a splendid job by extending the work done by Kamadhenu upon the request of Vashista. He built four walls,three ‘Gopurams’ (towers) which greatly pleased the Lord and thereupon The Most Gracious Vaidyanatha Swamy and Most Gracious Asanambigai Amman appeared before Manu and blessed him. The Emperor appealed to the Lord that the “Needhi-Nool” (“book of Justice”) written by him should be followed by the all the beings of the ’14 worlds’ ( there are “7 upper worlds” and “7 lower worlds” (our solar-system is the 7^th one known as ‘bhulogam’ or ‘bhuloka’ in the “upper-worlds”, hosting “18 ganangal” or “18 heavenly-hosts” which include ‘Devas’ – Angels; ‘Asuras’ – Titans; Kinnarvas & Ghandarvas – celestial dancers and bards or musicians; man etc.,).  The Lord kindly and graciously accepted and thus was born the present day ‘Manuneedhi-nool’ which is still practiced and followed.

  Sage Vashista stayed here and by praying to The Most Gracious Vaidyanathar and Asanambigai and by performing penance here for a very long time,came to be widely known as ‘Rajarishi’ or the “King of Rishis”. He attained Kamadhenu the divine-cow and was the Kula-Guru of Emperor Manu,Dasaratha and Lord Rama. He also attained the divine-wisdom to write the exalted –text known as ‘Jnana Vashistam’. He explained the texts to Lord Rama which is considered to provide a higher wisdom to even that of the Bhagavad Gita!                                                                                                                              

 If one were to pray to the Lord who is enshrined here at Thittakudi:

“  fruits of committed sins would not come

   Bad-yielding thoughts would not dawn

  If one lived,prayed or even thought (of the Lord)

  He would provide the kingdom of heaven!”         – from the ‘Sthala-Puranam’ (Origin & history of the Temple).