devanayaka panchasat

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Eleventh SlOkam of SrI DevanAyaka PanchAsath
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theerTair-vrutham vrujina dhurgathi nAsaNArhai:
Sesha KshamA VihagarAja Virincha-jushtai:
Naata ThvayA nathajanasya bhavaoushadhEna
prakhyAtham Oushadha girim pranamanthi dEvA:

Extended Meaning
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This slOkam refers to the four Theerthams
mentioned in the Sthala PurANam of this dhivya dEsam.
Oh Lord DhaivanAyaka ! At ThiruvahIndhrapuram , You play
the role of an unfailing medicine(oushadham) that cures
the virulent disease of SamsAram that attacks the ChEthanams .
Because of your role as this parama Oushadham ,the hill at
Thiruvahindhrapuram in front of Your temple is also
known as Oushadha Giri to acknowledge Your vital role
as the never-failing medicine for samsAric diseases .
Around this sacred Oushadha Giri are the four holy theerthams
( assembly of waters)for which the respective Devathais are
AdhisEshan, BhUmi DEvi, Garudan and Brahma Devan. These four
theerthams are revered therfore as Sesha, BhUmi , Garuda
and Brahma Theerthams . The fortunate ones , who take a dip in
these four theerthams or have the sprinkling of waters from
these four theerthams have their sins destroyed and acquire
spiritual eminence of the highest order . These four theerthams
are " Vrujina dhurgathi naasanArha " theertha raasis .Oh Lord of
Thiruvayindhai! The DevAs worship with reverence this sacred
abode of Yours , which is surrounded by these four holy theerthams.

Additional Comments
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These four theerthams have the power to destroy (spiritual)
poverty (dhurgathi) and all kinds of sins ( vrujinam ). They
are linked with AdhisEshan (Sesha:) , Bhumi Devi (KshamA),
Garudan (Vihaga Raajan) and Brahma devan ( Virincha). These
theerthams are located around the reputed (prakhyAtham)
Oushadha Giri at the Lord's Dhivya desam , where the Lord
Himself plays the role of the powerful medicine for those
Bhaktha Janams , who surrender to Him ( natha janasya
Bhava OushadhEna ThvayA PrakhyAtham Oushadha Giri Theertai:
vrutham).The DevAs prostrate before this Oushada Giri , which
acquired its name as a result of the Lord staying near it
as the Supreme Medicine for SamsAric diseases ( ThvayA
prakhyAtham Oushadha girim dEvA: Pranamanthi ).

ThiruvahIndhrapuram has all the auspicious lakshaNams of
a dhivya dEsam in that it is surorunded by a sacred hill
(Oushada Giri) , sacred river ( Garuda Nadhi)and sacred
Theerthams ( BhUmi , Brahma and other theerthams).

References to the Four sacred waters in the Sthala PurANam
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According to the Thiruvayindhai Sthala PurANam , SrIman
NaarAyaNan was thirsty after a big battle with
asurAs and the two nithya sooris around Him --AdhisEshan
and Garudan) rushed to fetch water to quench the thirst of
their Lord. There was a competition between the two
as to who was going to succeed in bringing
the needed water FIRST. AdhisEshan struck the earth with His
tail and out gushed the waters . Garudan used His beak to make
a big scratch on the earth and a river flowed at the sacred
feet of Lord DevanAthan. By the time , Garudan competed His task ,
He noticed that AdhisEshan had already delivered the water
to quench the Lord's thirst . The Lord recognized the great
devotion of the two nithya sooris ( AdhisEshan and Garudan)
and named the waters created by AdhisEshan and Garudan
as Sesha theertham and Garuda nadhi/theertham . Sesha
theertham is present today at this dhivya dEsam as waters
in a sacred well inside the temple . Garuda Nadhi flows at
the foot of the Lord and the Thirumanjana theertham comes
from there.

The name of Thiru Ahindhrapuram was chosen by the Lord
for His dhivya desam (Puram) to recognize the exceptional
kaimkaryam performed by Ahindhran (AdhisEshan) here.

Brahma Theertham
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Brahma Devan performed penance at this dhivya dEsam and
created a PushkaraNi for His anushtAnam . That PushkaraNi
acquired the reputation similar to the VirajA river at
SrI Vaikuntam and the Lord pleased with the austere
penance of BrahmA appeared before him on the banks of
this saced theertham , which acquired the name of Brahma
Theertham later.

BhUmi Theertham
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At one time, Bhumi Devi was burdened with the increased
population of asurAs , who delighted in tormenting the sages
and saadhu janams. Bhumi Devi apepaled to Her Lord for
reducing the burden of carrying the asurAs. The Lord responded
and destroyed the asurAs and lightened the load of BhUmi DEvi .
She arrived at ThiruvahIndhrapuram , where the Lord was resting
from the rigors of the just-concluded battle with asurAs. Bhumi
DEvi created a pond full of lovely flowers for the Lord's
sport and helped to remove His weariness and fatigue.
That holy assembly of waters is known as BhUmi Theertham
today.

The Lord as Vaidhya NaarAyanan at ThiruvahIndhrapuram
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In this eleventh slOakm of SrI DeavanAyaka PanchAsath,
the Lord is saluted by Swamy Desikan as : " natha janasya
bhava oushadhan" ( the supreme medicine for the chethanams
who suffer from Bahva rhogam).

The slOkam section of SrI VishNu SahasranAmam relating to
the Lord as Bhava rhOga oushadhan is:

Trissamaa saamagah Saama nirvANam bhEshajam Bhishak

The Lord , who is eulogized by the three Saamans
( Brihath , Ratantara and Vaama-dEvya Saamans)engages
in Saama gAnam Himself (Saamagan) dispells the bhava rhOgams .
He thus becomes the effective medicine(BhEshajam)
and the Physician (Bhishak) , who administers that
Vedic medicine. Swamy ParAsara Bhattar quotes a
passage from Sthava rAjam in this context :

NaarAyaNAth RishigaNA: taTA SiddhA: mahOragA:
DevA DEvarshayascchaiva Yamm vidhu: DUKKHA BHESHAJAM

(" The groups of Rishis , SiddhAs , the great serpent kings
and godly seers came to know of this medicine for the disease
of SamsAram (Bhava RhOgam) from NaarAyaNa (and as NaarAyaNa )".

That Bhava RhOgam is asAdhyam or formidable and is not
easily cured by any means other than by the Lord Himself
standing in as UpAyam and UpEyam . He becomes the Oushadham
at the foot hills of Oushadha Giri at ThiruvahIndhrapuram
and blesses the suffering SamsAris with Dhivya Jn~Anam
about His Roopam, DhivyAthma Svaroopam, anantha kalyANa
guNams and Vaibhavam . The result of that chikithsai
(medical Treatment by the Supreme Physician ) is the destruction
of all the sins and dhurgathi . The power of karmAs to
yield fruits is arrested ( KarmANAm Phala-janana sakthi vinAsam).
The Lord blesses the karma-bound jeevan to enjoy Him ,
realize Him as the Sarva Loka SaraNyan and accepts their
SaraNAgathi and grants them ParamAm Gathi .From Dhurgathi
referred to by Swamy Desikan in this slOakm , the jeevan
attains the ParamAm Gathi as the Muktha Jeevan . This miracle
performed by the Lord (ParAvaran: ParE avarE yasmAth sa:
ParAvara:) is saluted by one of the Mundaka Upanishad
manthrams:

bhidhyathE Hrudhaya granTis-cchidhyanthe Sarva-samsaya:
ksheeyanthE chAsya karmANi tasmin dhrushtE ParAvarE
--Mundakam: 2.2.9

"When that ParamAtman , who is the Self of all bodies
both superior and inferior is realized , THE KNOTS OF
THE HEART GET UNTIED , ALL DOUBTS BECOME CLEARED AND
THE KARMAAS OF THIS JEEVAN BECOME DESTROYED".

Locking their mind in Him , the Aanandhamaya Vigrahan
free from even the smell of samsAra , the wise ones(DheerA:)
realize this Parabrahman/ParAvaran and are freed from their
karmAs :

tath vij~nAEna paripasyanthi dheerA:
Aanandharoopam amrutham yadhvibhAthi
--Mundakam: 2.2.8

Lord DevanAthan of ThiruvahIndhrapuram is MangaLAnAm Param
( The embodiment of Supreme auspiciousness) . He is samastha
hEya prathyaneekan ( free of any and all blemishes); He is
Pavithran (Purity embodied);He is an ocean of nectar (amrutha
mahOdadhi).

Any thing associated with this AanandhAmrutha Svaroopan
becomes sanctified . The four theerthams of ThiruvahIndhrapuram
are no exceptions to this doctrine.

In the next posting , the anugrahm of Devathvam that
BhakthAs attain at ThiruvahIndhrapuram are saluted by
Swamy Desikan.
Today , let us enjoy the 12th slOkam of SrI DevanAyaka PanchAsath
which refers to the high status attained by the BhakthAs of
Lord DevanAthan of ThiruvahIndhrapuram. The bhakthAs of
the Lord attain Devathvam or Deva BhAvam or Dhaivee sampadh
for Moksham as a result of their visEsha Bhakthi for
Lord DevanAthan is the Upadesam of Swamy Desikan
in this slOkam with links to the 16th chapter of
SrImad Bhagavadh GitA .As "nisarga Suhrudh " ,
He displays His aasritha Vaathsalyam and elevates
them to the status of DevAs.