Kumbakonam or Kudanthai
According to Hindu philosophy, a particular period is ended with the pralaya-deluge. Brahma the creator has the responsibility of recreating the universe again. The present cycle of creation was to be done by Brahma, therefore He had placed the seeds of creation during the last deluge along with Amertha-nectar in a pot called kumbam in Sanskrit. The coconut was placed on the mouth of kumbam and was sanctified with a yagnopavetha before the deluge. During the deluge, the kumba had floated from the Himalayas down south and settled in a place presently located in Tamil Nadu. Since the kumba had come to rest and the Amertha-nectar had flown through the nostril of the Kumba the location is known as Kumbakonam. In Tamil kumba is known as kudam and nostril as mooku hence the place is known as Kudanthai in Tamil.
According to legend, Lord Shiva in disguise as a hunter came to the location and broke the kumba with the arrow. The Amertha-nectar had fallen on a spot and a water body - tank was created. The tank is known as Mahamaha theertham. Once in twelve years on a particular day (in the solar month of masi - Feb-Mar) it is considered auspicious to take a bath in the tank. People from all over India come to take a bath during this time to Kumbakonam.
The place where the kumba came to rest and Lord Shiva appeared to ensure the recreation of the current cycle of creation is presently where the Kumbeswar temple is located. The maha maham tank is just around two kilometers.
Potramarai theertham
A variant of this is that the nectar spills in two places in Kumbakonam, one forming Mahamaha theertham and the other Potramarai theertham. The Potramarai theertham tank is just in front of Sri Kumbeswar temple and just back to Sri Sarangapani temple. The Potramarai theertham had been claimed by both Saivets (followers of Lord Shiva) and Sri Vishnavets (followers of Lord Vishnu). On the banks of this theertham, there are two beautiful small temples for Lord Anjaneya. The legends of the temples are very interesting.
Sri Vijayindra Tirtha (1490 - 1592)
Sri Vyasaraya who had built 732 temples for Lord Anjaneya had initiated a brilliant young man into
sanyasa under the name "Sri Vishnu Tirtha." He was considered an incarnation of Sri Vibhudendra
Tirtha was Vidya-Guru of Sri Sripadaraja-Sri Madwachariya. This young sanyasi with virtue and
master of all the sixty-four arts, had been on pilgrimage and was returning from Rameswaram via
Kumbakonam.
The Kumbakonam Mutt was headed by Sri Surendra Tirtha then. Sri Surendra Tirtha, a devoted dwitha philosopher was debating the dwitha philosophy with one of the scholars. He felt that he was not convincing the scholar of the supremacy of this philosophy. He prayed to God to give him the strength to debate. He was directed to hold the debate the next day and ask the new sanyasi to come the next day to continue the debate. The next day in the morning Sri Vishnu-Thirtha came to Kumbakonam Mutt on his return from Rameswaram. Sri Surendra Tirtha had told him about the direction of the divine order to continue the debate with the scholar. Accordingly, Sri Vishu Tirtha debated with the scholar and won the debate. On wining the debate, Sri Vishnu Tirtha was given the name Sri Vijayindra Tirtha by Sri Surendra Tirtha. Then Sri Vishnu Tirtha came to be known as Sri Vijayindra Tirtha.
On the second round, the divers again came out from Potramarai theertham with some more shaligrams and idols of Lord Anjaneya. Now the disciple had no other go but to accept that the tank belongs to Lord Sarangapani temple.
On the request of Sri Surendra Tirtha requested Sri Vyasaraya Tirtha to spare Sri Vijayindra Tirtha to head the Kumbakonam mutt. Accordingly, he was made head of the Kumbakonam Mutt. For nearly fifty years in the mid-sixteenth century, he stayed in Kumbakonam and spread the dwitha philosophy.
Potramarai theertham ownership
The Potramarai theertham had been claimed by both Saivets and Sri Vishnavets. During Sri Vijayindra Tirtha's time, there were claims and counterclaims as to whether the Potramarai tank belonged to the Sri Adhi Kumbeswar temple or the Sri Sarangapani temple.
It is said that disciples of Sri Linga Rajendran (a Saivet guru) had claimed that the tank belonged to Sri Adhi Kumbeswar temple as there are many Shiva symbols drowned in the tank and the Sri Vishnavet’s claims were wrong. The news spread, an argument ensued, and Sri Vijayindra Tirtha was requested to mediate. While it is known that the disciples were in rage since their guru was defeated by Sri Vijayindra Tirtha, it was agreed that the next day the "lingas" of the Saivet symbols would be fished out from the tank. If any such symbols were to be found the tank would be said to be the property of Sri Adhi Kumbeswar temple.
Miracle of Sri Vijayindra Tirtha
To achieve this, the disciple drowned a few vigraha of Nandi and Linga in the tank overnight.
The next day in the presence of the gentlemen of the Kumbakonam, divers were asked to fish out any
symbols they could find in the tank. Before the divers were to plunge into the tank water they took
the blessings of the Sri Vijayindra Tirtha. In the first round, the divers came out with a few
shaligrams and idols of Lord Anjaneya. Since the disciple had put a few Nandi and Linga in the
tank the previous night, he did not agree at first and wanted the search to continue. In the second
round, the divers again came out with some more shaligrams and idols of Lord Anjaneya. Now the
disciple had no other go but to accept that the tank belongs to Lord Sarangapani temple.
One such vigraha of Lord Anjaneya had been installed by Sri Vijayindra Tirtha on the Northern bank of the Potramarai tank wall. The people of Kumbakonam worshipped this Lord Anjaneya from the day of installation.
Temple for Lord Anjaneya
Lord Anjaneya Vigraha installed by such a great saint, Sri Vijayindra Tirtha who happens to be a disciple of great saint Sri Vyasaraja Tirtha, has been now made a temple with the help of philanthropies Sri K.G.Sarangapani Chettier and Sri K.G.Ananthapadmanabha Chettier. Today the temple houses shrines of Lord SriRama, Sri Lakshmana, and Sri Sita.
The Lord is seen with His right hand raised in Abhaya mudra, left hand is holding the sowgandika flower and resting on the left thigh. The lonkoolam (tail) is raised above the head. The eyes are glowing and bestowing blessings on the devotees.
Location of the temple: "Sri Veera Anjaneya temple, Potramarai tank, Kumbakonam"
Experience
Though the murthi is small the Lord Anjaneya here is sure to energise the devotee with power to win the worldly mighty.
SRI HANUMAN THINKS DIFFERENTLY, THINKS FAST
THINKS AHEAD AND ACTS FOR SURE
Ed [July 2007]
Updates: [Jan 2025]