Kochchengatchozha Nayanar

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Kochchengatchozha Nayanar

Wuraiyur....

Being the capital of The Chozha Empire, it was the most flourishing metropolis in the whole world.

In a cool and dense forest on the banks of the river Cauvery, a magnificent ‘Venn Naval’ (Jamun or Jambul) tree stands as if it is touching the sky. Manifested on His own, Easan is seated under it. All the wild animals and other creatures venerate Him.

A white elephant coming there one day gets deeply perturbed by seeing leaves littering on and around the sacred body of Easan.  It rushes to the nearby Cauvery River and filling its trunk with water returns and does Abhishekam of Easan with that.   Washed afresh with the water Easan looks radiant. The elephant makes it a routine to clean up the area and does Abhishekam attracting the attention of all the people nearby. As Easan has manifested under Venn Naval tree, He is being hailed as Jambukeswarar. One of those days, a spider is born in one of the branches. It makes its own web to catch insects as its prey.  One day it sees Iraivan seated under the tree with great intensity not even bothering to eat its prey.  Perturbed by seeing a lot of leaves falling on His body as the wind blow, it decides to weave its web above Easan’s body like a canopy and starts praying to Him.  As it is feeling happy that it has protected Easan from falling leaves, it sees the white elephant approaching Easan and stopping in front of Him. Seeing the spider’s web above Easan, it blows out the water from its trunk. Seeing that the web is obstructing the water from falling on Easan, it gets angry and destroys the web by tearing it off with its trunk.  Spider jumps off and escapes from getting stamped by the elephants. The elephant goes back to the river and brings again a trunkful of water and does Abhishekam. It plucks the flowers from a nearby plant and decorates Easan with them. Going on its knees it raises its trunk and gives a resounding trumpet as a mark of veneration. Seeing all these things, the spider again goes about making its web over the head of Easan. The next day, the elephant comes and seeing the web again destroys it and does its routine work of doing Abhishekam, decorating with flowers and bowing to Him. The spider gets angered by its act of destroying its web.

The Spider (to itself)

I am making this web so that no litter falls on Easan. How dare this elephant destroy it? Let me see what happens tomorrow. If it repeats the same act, I will surely punish it. 

It goes on with its prayer to Easan. Not knowing about this development, the next day the elephant starts destroying the web. The spider enters into its trunk and reaches its forehead and starts biting it. Unable to bear the spider’s bite and also not able to dislodge it from its trunk, the elephant banks its head and trunk on the floor and dies. The spider also dies in the process.

Both of them appear in front Easan who looks at them with great compassion.

Easan  

Vellai Yanaye! You disturbed the penance of the spider by destroying its web taking it as a sacrilege to Me! Still your devotion to Me is laudable. From now on onwards, this place of worship will be called Thiruanaikka. I grant you eternal life without rebirth.

Silandiye! Since you wanted to kill the elephant out of anger, I grant you another birth. Because of your unflinching devotion to Me, you are blessed to become the king of this land. Whosoever worships Me will worship you and the Vellai Yanai also.

Easan disappears.

   ******

In the palace of Chozha king at Wuraiyur...

 The king seated on the throne gets up and rushes to welcome an adiyavar who enters, gives him a seat of honour and stands bowing with his hands folded close to his chest in great piety as if he were a servant. Everyone is shocked to see their great king bending his back in servitude to the adiyavar! Adiyavar is highly elated by the great regard shown to him by the king.

The King (respectfully)

May I know where Adiyavar is coming from?

Adiyavar

 Subadeva Chozha Mannare! I am coming from Thillai.

Mannar (going rapturous on hearing the word Thillai)

Have you had the darisanam of the dancing Easan of Ponnamblam? How blessed am I to see you!

He prostrates in front of the Adiyavar and gets up.  With his hands folded in supplication he looks at the Adiyavar.

Adiyavar (noticing the ecstasy in the king’s countenance)

Manna!  You have been undertaking a penance for a long time for begetting a son. The Easan of Thillai has sent you a message. You must go to Chandratheertham and pray to the nearby Jambukeswarar, who was worshipped by the Vellai Yanai and Silandi.  Your virtuous wife will beget a son of great glory ‘if she exerts to deliver’.

 Adiyavar leaves the palace and disappears into the thin air!

     ******

The palace of Wuraiyur...

The queen is in labour... The midwives are attending to her. The Royal astrologers are deeply engrossed in calculating the auspicious time for the birth of the child. Restless as any expectant father would be, Subadevar is walking up and down. An astrologer comes near and waits for the king’s permission to speak.

Mannar

Go ahead! 

Astrologer

Mamannare!  If your son were to be born just now, he would die immediately. In case the delivery can be delayed by a Nazhigai, just one Nazhigai, the son you will beget will be the noblest one and spread the glory of Thiruneeru throughout the world!

 Shocked, the king sends this information to the labour room inside. Though undergoing very severe pain, the queen still manages to smile on getting this news. 

Kamlavathi (the queen)

She dispatches one of her maids to tell the king that her son will be born only after one Nazhigai.

She then looks at the other attendants and midwives.

Kamlavathi

Tie up and suspend my feet it from above. My head must be held down.

The midwives tie up her legs and suspend it from above as ordered. Kamlavathi, the queen is bearing her extreme agonizing labour pain for one full Nazhigai. As the time fixed by the astrologers pass, her feet are brought down and the baby with reddish eyes is delivered safely. 

Kamlavathi (looking at the baby as a proud mother0

Has my son become Kochchengan? (King with red eyes) 

She blesses the baby by touching his head and the next moment breathes her last!

 Hearing the news the king runs inside and sees his dead queen and the son who will rule the world as predicted by Adiyavar.

Mannar (unconsciously)

Did the adiyavar intended to give a clue as to what is in store by saying that your virtuous wife would beget a son of great glory ‘if she exerts to deliver’?

Mannar (picking up the baby and looking at its face)

As named by your mother, let Kochchengan remain as your name!

The people assembled bless the new born by hailing “Long live Kochchengan”.

   *******

Smearing his whole body with thiruneeru Kochchengan lives keeping Easan at his heart all the time even as a toddler. One day, Subadevar calls his young son sporting thiruneeru on his forehead and takes him along to the Royal assembly.  As the arrival of the king is heralded by the guard, all the ministers Senapatis and others stand up.  The mannar walks straight to the Royal throne along with his son. He bows to the Royal throne and the Royal Baton and turns around and bows to all those assembled.  The assembled people are a bit confused as all his acts are unusual. He lifts up his son and places him on the throne. He removes the crown from his head and places it on his son’s head and hands over the Royal Baton to him. He then bows to his son to whom he has handed over kingdom. The ministers, Senapatis and others are dumbfounded by this act.  Bowing to all those assembled once again, Subadevar leaves the Royal assembly. The people stand stupefied seeing the king retiring to the forest after abdicating his kingdom without speaking a word! 

    *****

Chengatchozhan, surrounded by his retinue, is bowing in great ecstasy in front of Easan under the Venn Naval tree. Iraivan looks at the stately youth with a crown on his head and a sword at his waist who is none other than His adiyavar. A wink of Easan creates a great gust of wind and the dried up leaves from the branches of the tree start falling.  Seeing this, he quickly spreads his upper garment with his hand above Easan so that the leaves do not fall on Iraivan.  A blinding lightening in the sky makes him close his eyes for a moment. In that split second,   the happenings that were enacted a long time ago flash through his mind.  That he, as a Silandi has been making   a canopy over Easan by his web and a Venn Yanai destroying it....He becoming furious enters its head through the trunk and biting it... Venn Yanai banging its head on the floor and dying along with it... He also recollects that he is destined to be born again as has been responsible for the death of Venn Yanai due to his fury and has been born as a king due to his extreme devotion to Easan...

As he opens his eyes, he prostrates in front of Easan who is as radiant as million suns!

 Chengatchozhan (in tears of ecstasy)    

I have realised the reason for my birth! From now on, my only mission is to build a Thirukovil for Easan here.

He bows to Easan and there is tremendous brightness in his face!

    *****

The work for the construction of Thirukovil at Thiruanaikka starts immediately. Chengatchozhan immerses himself in the construction work day and night. The sanctum sanctorum and a mantapam in front of it are built first. The construction of inner Praharam around it is also completed. There are six more of them to be built further. The construction comes to a stop as there are no more resources available in the treasury of the king. The workers engaged in the construction also return to their native places with a heavy heart as they are not getting wages. Deeply perturbed by these developments, Chengatchozhan remains within the confines of his palace in solitude and silence. The ministers are saddened seeing the condition of the king and pray to Easan for help.

 One fine day an Adiyavar reaches Thiruanaikka. He goes around the various villages where the construction workers are living asking them to return to work.  They all come assemble in front of the sannathi. Adiyavar comes there and addresses them.

Adiyavar

 Makkale! Let the sacred construction of the Thirukovil resume without any break. I guarantee that I will pay you all whatever is due as wages on completion of the work.

The construction work resumes in a fast pace and the balance six praharams and a grand Rajagopuram are completed soon. After completing the work in all its grandeur, the workers gather with great enthusiasm and gusto to receive their wages from the adiyavar. Showing the same zest, the adiyavar asks them to stand in a line and distributes a handful of thiruneeru from his hand bag to each of them.  As realise that they have got only thiruneeru as wages, their commotion stops.  Shocked, they all look at the Adiyavar   who disappears in the sky from their sight. Bewildered they all look at their palms again only to see that the thiruneeru has transformed into gold that too as per their due wages! With hand cupped in prayer all of them march towards Wuraiyur.  Seeing the crowd of workers walking towards the palace in batches, the locals also fallow them out of curiosity.  All the happenings in Thiruanaikka are narrated to the mannar.   He breaks his solitude and comes in front of the people.

Kochchengatchozhar   

Knowing my predicament, has Easan come to Thiruanaikka to complete the stalled construction work of Thirukovil?  You are all highly blessed to have seen Him and be in His presence. I bow to you all.

He prostrates in front of all the construction workers and gets up.  Seeing their king bowing to them, they are moved to tears. The mannar also sheds tears of joy.

Overcome with great emotion, the assembled people of Wuraiyur hail the Panchakshara mantram “Om Namasivaya” repeatedly.

     ********

During the reign of Kochchengatchozhar, the kingdom prospers in all fronts so also the prosperity of the subjects. A large number of Sivalayams are built under the direct supervision of the king. The existing temples are also renovated. Funds and other arrangements are earmarked for the conduct of pujas   during six times a day. The whole land is reverberating with the sounds of Onkaram and Panchaksharam.    

One day the mannar goes to Thillai...

The whole town wears a festive look to welcome him. He is received by the Thillaivazh Anthanars at the entrance with full religious welcome and auspicious music.  He is led inside followed by the people. All of them reach the Sannathi of Nataraja Peruman! Kochchengatchozhar is in raptures as he sees the Easan in His dancing pose.  He realises that Easan by His lowered left hand, indicates that the foot of His is the place to attain Mukti.   He raises both his hands and joins them above his head and chants “Om Namasivaya” and runs towards the sannathi.   The sound of conch shells reverberates aloud and a huge Jyothi erupts inside. Kochchengatchozhar merges unto the Jyothi.

     ***

Thirukailayam...

 Easan is seated with Annai on the Nandi vahanam.

In front of Him, with his hands raised and joined above his head and chanting “Om Namasivaya”, stands

Kochchengatchozhar with his eyes closed.

Easan   (hailing him)

Kochchengatchozha Nayanare!

The Chozha mannar opens his eyes and on seeing the Emperor of the entire universe in front runs and falls on His feet!

 Iraivan (blessing him)

 You have demonstrated to the world the greatest truth:  that the sole aim of being born is to realise Iraivan alone!

 Your name and fame will remain as long as this earth remains.

Whosoever worships ME will worship you as well.

 There is a shower of flowers from the heavens.

Thiruchchitrambalam