Essay name: Sucindrasthala-mahatmya (critical edition and study)
Author:
Anand Dilip Raj
Affiliation: University of Kerala / Department of Sanskrit
The essay studies in English the Sucindrasthala-mahatmya which represents a significant Sthalamahatmya from South India detailing the origins and development of the Trimurti temple at Suchindram in Tamil Nadu. The study reveals its legends, customs, and religious practices.
Chapter 1 - Sthala-mahatmyas of South India
23 (of 39)
External source: Shodhganga (Repository of Indian theses)
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known as vyakralaya. She did severe penance on lord Siva and got liberation. This story proclaims the greatness of sivabhakthi. Sixth chapter describes bhasmamÄhÄtmya. Here is the story of a person who got rid his leprosy by bhasmadaraṇa. The author says about the importance of bhasma in the following verse. अधिवà¥à¤¯à¤¾à¤§à¤¿à¤¯à¥à¤¤à¤¾à¤¨à¤¾à¤‚ à¤� à¤à¤¸à¥à¤®à¥ˆà¤µà¥Œà¤·à¤§à¤‚ परमॠ| तसà¥à¤®à¤¾à¤¤à¥� à¤à¤¸à¥à¤®à¤¾à¤£à¥à¤¸à¤‚सà¥à¤ªà¤°à¥à¤¶à¤¾à¤¦à¥à¤µà¤¿à¤·à¤¦à¥‹à¤·à¥� विनशà¥à¤¯à¤¤à¤¿ || [adhivyÄdhiyutÄnÄá¹� ca bhasmaivauá¹£adhaá¹� param | tasmÄt bhasmÄṇusaṃsparÅ›Ädviá¹£adoá¹£o vinaÅ›yati || ] 6-27 The story of Parasurama appointing various priests and all other officers for the daily pujas and other functionaries of the temple is told in this chapter which has 51 verses. The seventh chapter starts with a sloka describing about the origin of gangathirtha. Parasurama by his penance succeeded in making Siva to appear before him. He told Siva about the mortality and pity of human life. There is a description about the human biological factors like pregnancy, delivery etc. Parasurama requests lord Siva to create a tirtha which destroys all of the sorrows of humanity. On his request Siva created Tirtha from his kaparda in presence of deva, kinnara, Yaksha, Rakhasa, Pannaga, siddha and manuja. Parasurama proclaims that, when dharma declains and adarma spreads the only remedy is Sivabhakthi. From the story of Vyakhrapadamuni the place got the name Vyakhrapadapuram. Vyakhrapada teaches Sivrahasya to the niradha a sage from Panchaladesa. He says that Siva is the supreme reality. 32
