Friday 29 April 2011

Ganesa Worship Part 2

The sage Agastya is known as the Tamil Muni. He brought one of the seven holy rivers to South India. It was contained in a pitcher. But Ganesa played a trick on him by taking the form of a crow and and toppling the pitcher of Agastya. This released the river and it ran out as the Kauveri River towards the sea, enriching, on its way, Karnataka and TamilNadu. The enraged Agastaya chased after the crow, which then took the form of a boy. Agastya went to knock hard on the boy's head. Just then Ganesa showed His true form to Agastya. Agastya was shocked with the sacrilege that he was about to have committed. In atonement of his act, Agastya knocked hard on his own fore-head. It was thus that the Pillaiyar Kuttu was born.

Ganesa also stopped Ravana, the Lord of Langka, from taking the hrine of Siva MahaBaleswara to Langka. If he had taken it there, he would have become invincible.

He also stopped Vibhishana, the younger brother of Ravana, from taking the shrine of Sri Ranga Natha to Langka. Thus Sri Ranga Natha became fixed in Sri Rangam, near Tiruchi. Ganesa occupies a temple on top of the Tiruchi Hill, and is known as the "Uchchi Pillaiyar" of Tiruchi Malaikkottai.

After Agastya settled down in the Podhiyil Mountains of TamilNadu, he compiled the grammer for the Tamil language. This was written on the side of a mountain by Ganesa with His tusk. This grammer was known as Agaththiyam. This book was later lost, and Tolkaappiyam took its place as the chief grammer book, for some time. This episode is mentioned by the Saint Arunagiri Nathar in the first hymn of his Thiruppugaalz, which is dedicated to Muruga.

One of the greatest poets in Tamil is Auvaiyaar. She was an ardent worshipper of Ganesa. She has dedicated a hymn called "Vinaayagar Agaval" to Ganesa. This hymn is a Mantra Verse and contains deep spiritual knowledge about Kundalini Yoga. After the dedication of the hymn, Ganesa lifted up uvaiyaar with His trunk and placed her in Thiru Kaiyilaaya Heaven.

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