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 4 - Sucindrasthalamahatmya: a critical study
29 (of 74)
External source: Shodhganga (Repository of Indian theses)
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Nattalam and pray Lord Vishnu. At that occasion the narration of the story of Gajendramoksa takes place. The Gajendra of SSM is a pious devotee of lord Visṇu who is calm and quite. The crocodile catched him when he was plucking the Lotus from lake which was the dwelling place of crocodile. Hearing the prayers of Gajendra Visṇu killed the crocodile and saved the elephant. Then the elephant asked Viṣṇu for a suitable place for him to worship the lord. Visṇu advised him to go to the place which is known as Nakrapattanam. According to the poet this place is the Nattalam. He uses the famous puranic story to glorify the temple of Viṣṇu in Nattalam. V.Madhukaitabhas The story of Devi Bhagavatha is used for the propagation of the glory of the parakkai temple. The nineteenth chapter of SSM describes the story of Madhukaitabhas. The birth of them from wax of the ears of Lord Viṣṇu, is in the first Skanda of Devi Bhagavata. Theft of the Vedas is described in tenth Skanda of the same text. The slain of them by Lord Vishnu is described in detail in the first Skanda of Devibhagavata. The author of SSM uses all these stories and proclaims the glory of Parakkai temple. Brahma visited that temple and prayed Madhusudana the chief deity of the temple. This is elaborately described on the 20th Chapter of SSM. Parasurama Parasurama, one of the avataras of Lord Visṇu and considered as a ciranjivin. Parasurama is not only a Purāṇic figure, but he is still living in 152
