Sri Chandrasekaraswami Temple History - Part X

What you see above is yet another view of the moola vimanam of the Chandrasekaraswamy Temple, and the ornamental engravings in one of the panels.
(photo courtesy – Early Chola Art – S.R. Balasubrahmanyam)

Some of the images in the vimana, have been affected by nature - rains, and sunshine, but are fairly visible.

The Tiruchendurai Temple has the deity in ‘chandrasekara moortham’. According to the ancient manuscript ‘Siva Parakramam’, there are sixty four forms of Lord Siva, and Chandrasekara belongs to the group ‘Uma Kesa Murthy’, and the others in this group are Somaskanda, Rishabaarooda, and Gangadhara et al.

The legend says that Daksha gave in marriage to the charming Chandra, his twentyseven daughters (the twentyseven stars), on condition that Chandra should love and treat all twentyseven girls alike, and should not show special favours to anyone in particular.
However, Chandra did not keep his promise, and treated Aswini and Rohini specially and neglected all others (there is a second version that he gives the place of pride to Rohini alone).. Naturally the other girls are disappointed and complained to Dakshan, who speaks to Chandra and gives him a warning that he should mend his ways, otherwise he will face the displeasure of Daksha. For awhile Chandra treats all alike, but then goes back on his words – angered by Chandra’s act, Daksha curses Chandra and says that all his charms will go down day by day. Chandra’s brightness starts waning day by day and when he becomes the size of the ‘crescent moon’ Chandra surrenders himself before Lord Siva and pleads with him to restore his charm and beauty.. Lord Siva responds to Chandra’s appeal, and immediately adorns his forehead with the ‘crescent moon’ -- when Chandra pleaded again, Lord Siva advises him that he cannot prevent the waning aspect, but as a special favour to Chandra, assures him that he will grow back to the full charm in an identical period. This is the waning and waxing aspect of Moon.

Chandra was cursed by Daksha, because he broke his promise to treat all the girls alike, but when Chandra realized his mistake, and penitently surrendered before the Lord, he became eligible for a normal life, and that is why Lord adorned him on his forehead… that is the legend behind the “Chandrasekara Murthy”

Knowingly or unknowingly if one were to commit a mistake, and later realizes the fault, he/she should surrender before the Lord to absolve oneself of the wrong deed, and Lord is sure to grace one by his kindness. (excerpts from Siva Murthys 64 – by Thellaru Mani)

The legend circulating around our villages on this, according to Sri Shanmugasundara Sivacharya of the Chandrasekaraswamy Temple in Tiruchendurai, is also on identical lines, but with a change. Dakshayani, the eldest of Dakshan’s daughters was given in marriage to Lord Siva, and there is another episode about Daksha and Siva resulting in the annihilation of Daksha. The daughters very close to Chandran were Krithika and Rohini, and that when Chandran surrendered to the Lord , he appeared along with Uma in an embrace, astride Nandi, in the vrishabarooda/vrshabhantika mode and gave him asylum by adorning Chandran on his forehead.

It is said that Tiruchendurai also was a ‘paadal petra sthalam’ but that the paadal was lost; the nayanmars have sung the praise of the nearby temples, Kulittalai, Thiruvanaikoil, and when they have some so close, would they have missed Tiruchendurai? This has been haunting me all the while.

(to be continued)

-Sethuraman