When anyone from Siddha Marga hears the word ‘Anantha Sayanam’, they become silent with reverence, pray and prostrate Agastya within. The rest will feel very happy and ask a lot of questions. The difference is due to the ‘thinking’.
The landscape that was called as Anantha Sayanam or Anantha Puri is the present day’s Thiruvananthapuram or Trivandrum. The city is named after the deity Anantha Padmanabhan, hence Thiru Anantha Puram (the term Thiru denotes its holiness, greatness).
Our Gurudeva Agastya has a significant role in this temple formation. When we know how much efforts have gone in to in making this temple, through the grace of God, a respect with an amount of fear creeps in. This post is to illustrate just that.
Let us allow ourselves a few questions first.
- Why did the Chera kings devoted to Thiruvattar Adhi Keshava Perumal, ruling the Chera kingdom want to build another temple, what’s the reason, necessity?
- Thiruvithankur Maharaja who ruled Chera kingdom with Padmanabhapura as the capital, suddenly decides to shift the capital to Thiruvananthapuram, constructs the temple, builds his palace, brings in the people and gives them all the facilities. Why? Who made him decide so?
- Before all these, why did Lord Narayana choose this place Anantha Kadu (kaadu – forest) and sat there?
- Unlike other Vishnu temples, one can have the darshan of the lord only through the Moondru Vasal (three gates, literally). Why?
- Unlike other temples, why was the Moolavar vigraha made with 10008 Saligrama’s?
When we know the answers to these questions, we may think ‘only’ about the Lord when entering this temple. We won’t think of searching for the gate where the ‘wealth’ is. As said earlier, there will be a fear and respect when entering.
The decision of Lord Narayana to be in Anantha Forest was made in Mount Kailash! Yes, when everyone gathered for Shiva-Parvathi’s wedding, it is Lord Shiva Himself who expressed this to Lord Narayana, as per Shiva Purana.
That expression is what we see as the temple today. As our Gurudeva Agastya played a vital role in this temple formation, the curiosity to know was natural. The details were very interesting and wonderful, so this post is born.
The great Guru Agastya blessed with His grace too.
~ stay blessed!
Featured image courtesy: Round The Places