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CHIDAMBARAM MAHATMYAM
Throughout all of eternity Lord
Vishnu, the preserver, rests on Shesha, the Cosmic Snake, in Vaikuntha. Once his weight suddenly seemed to have greatly
increased. Shesha asked Vishnu “why are you so much heavier,
Lord?” The Lord answered “I have had a vision of Shiva
dancing his Cosmic Dance. I have expanded with happiness at
the sight.” Shesha requested Vishnu to tell him all about
Shiva’s Dance. And Lord Preserver told him everything.
In the forest called Daruvanna live
a community of Rishis or Seers in a hermitage. Through the
performance of rituals they had achieved great knowledge and
power, but they had not realized the importance of Divine
Grace. Shiva requested Vishnu to accompany him to enlighten
the Rishis, by showing them human power and knowledge
were helpless without Divine Grace. To accomplish this
purpose the two deities applied their power of Maya or
Illusion.Shiva entered the hermitage of the Rishis as
Bhikshatana or Mendicant. With dazzling beauty, wearing only
a mendicant’s sandals
or padukai, the wives and daughters of the Rishis fell madly
in love with him, forgetting everything else, and completely
loosing themselves.
Vishnu transformed himself into a
beautiful woman called Mohini, and an alluring dancer. As
soon as the Rishis saw Mohini dance before them, they too
lost all sense and rationality and with desire burning in
their hearts they followed Mohini around like
madmen.
When some of the Rishis realized
what was happening they became enraged and started a great
magical fire sacrifice against Shiva-Bhikshatana. First they
called from the fire tiger, but when it attacked Lord Shiva
he laughed, and killed the ferocious animal
with his hands, tearing off its skin and wearing it for a
loincloth. Next the Rishis send poisonous snakes, which he
draped around his arms and neck, as jewelry. Then Shiva
prepared to perform his Cosmic Dance. His two other arms
appeared and his third eye shone in his forehead. The Rishis
called a fierce dwarf from their magical fire, but Shiva’s
dancing foot simply took him for a pedestal and danced.
Finally the Rishis send the fire itself to destroy the
Cosmic Dancer, but he just took it on to his left hand. And
from the mantras that the Rishis used against him he made
his anklets. Then
the Lord danced his Tandava or Cosmic Dance.
Its full power made the Rishis fall
to the ground. It made Vishnu shake, and even Parvati, the
goddess consort of Shiva, who joined them to witness her
husbands dance, was overcome with fear. But the Lord danced
smiling, showing his raised foot. The Rishis understood the
Lord’s Divine Grace, and attained realization. They started
to dance themselves and all of creation danced with them.
After Vishnu has told Shesha about
his vision of Shiva’s Cosmic Dance, Shesha longs for only
one thing: to see Shiva’s dance himself. Vishnu grants him
permission to leave him for a while, so Shesha too will be
able to experience Shiva’s
dance.
After Shesha performed austerities
for long ages, Shiva appeared before him, and offers him the
fulfillment of any wish. Shesha has only one wish: to
witness Shiva’s
Tandava.
In fulfillment of Shesha’s wish,
Shiva announced to him that he will dance at the appropriate
and tangible moment on earth in the Sabha in the Tillai
forest. This forest is situated on the middle point of the
earth, and constituted its heart centre, the Lotus
Space. Through it passes the main energy nadi, or vein, of
our mother planet. This place is called Cit Ambara, the
Ether of Consciousness. Shiva told that he, Shesha, would be
born on earth from human parents, and that he would be
called Patanjali. After growing up he will travel to Tillai,
where he will meet another saint, called Vyagrapada the
Tigerfooted. And both will perform tapas and worship, until
the appointed time for Shiva to perform his Cosmic Dance in
the Sabha has arrived.
All these things foretold by Shiva
to Shesha come to pass. As Patanjali reached the Tillai
forest he found on the southern bank of the lotus pond the
saint Vyagrapada, worshipping the Mulasthana Linga and
performing austerities. Vyagrapada had come to the Tillai
forest following the advice of his father, the Rishi
Madhyandina. To worship the Mulasthana Linga he used to
gather flowers in the early morning, but however early he
collected the flowers, insects had already damaged them.
Deeply upset that his worship was not as complete or perfect
as he aimed for, he cried to Lord Shiva to help
him. In answer to his prayer Shiva gave him tiger claws for
hand and feet, enabling him to find his way through the
thick forest at night to gather flowers long before
daybreak, before the insects could inflict their damage.
From then on both saints did the
worship and the austerities together, as they waited for the
appointed time for Shiva to dance in the Sabha. As that time
approached also the 3000 munivars (later called Deekshithars)
arrived in the forest to await the Lord’s
dance.
When that day arrived, it was
announced with the sound of drums and conches. A rain of
flowers fell from heaven, and in the Sabha appeared a light
of a thousand suns and moons. In the middle of this light
mass appeared Shiva’s form, dancing his Ananda
Tandava, and showing his Lotus Foot. His is an un-earthly
beauty, while his peaceful smile shines on all. He was
together with Parvati, who witnessed his dance. All those
present, Devatas, demons and humans rejoiced, almost
fainting, and all joined in his dance, dancing themselves.
Then Shiva offered the two saints
to make a wish. They wished that Shiva would forever perform
his Ananda Tandava or Dance of Bliss in the golden Sabha of
Chidambaram, for the entire world to experience. So that any
human who desired this could also reach His lifted Lotus
Foot and realize liberation.
Soon after the king Sveta Varman
came to the Tillai forest. This king was forced to give up
his kingdom after being infected with a skin disease called
‘white spot’, a form of leprosy. Lord Nataraja ordered the
two saints Vyagrapada and Patanjali to let the
king take a bath in the lotus pond, now called the Shiva
Ganga, that he may be healed. After re-emerging from the
water the king’s skin had become golden, his name becoming
Hiranya Varman or ‘golden coloured’. And he was taken to the
Sabha to see Nataraja’s Ananda Tandava. Overtaken with
emotions the king fell on earth and offered his life-long
service to the Dancing Shiva.
He was consecrated by the 3000
munivars, and received from Vyagrapada the Tiger banner,
signifying his kingship and valor. The king then rebuild
beautifully the temple and the city around it. And
established the main festivals of the yearly cycle in the
temple. |
