जम्बुनाथाष्टकम्
By Shri Sridharavenkatesa
This hymn is about Jambunatha as Shiva is known at Jambukeshwaram
(known as Tiruvanaikkaval in Tamil), a place of pilgrimage
in Tamilnadu. It is on the northern bank of the river Cauvery
and 5 K.M. north of Trichy. The temple is one of the largest
(having a spread of nearly 18 acres) and historic temples in the
country. It dates back to the 13th century and has been visited
by the great saivaite saints who had sung hymns on the presiding
deity - Lord Shiva in the temple. It seems that the temple was
once a forest of jambu trees and there was a Shiva linga under
one of the trees. So Shiva came to be known as Jambunatha or
Jambukeshwara. This is a Shiva temple associated with one of
the five great elements (viz.) water and so called pancha
bhoota sthalam (पंच भूत स्थलम्). The Shiva lingam
in the sanctum is always surrounded by water and so is known
as appu lingam (ap for water). The other places where Shiva is
worshipped in the form of the great elements are Chidambaram
(space), Kalahasthi (air), Tiruvannamalai (fire) and Tiruvarur
(earth). The temple is known for the historical inscriptions
and magnificient architecture. It suffered damages during the
moghul invasion in the 14th century and worship in the temple
was disrupted. The temple was restored during the Vijayanagar
rule and the worship also revived. The goddess Parvathi in the
temple has the name Akilandeshwari. She is said to have meditated
on lord Shiva here. Her shrine is very famous and attracts
large number of visitors. Adi Shankaracharya is said to have
visited the temple and worshipped the Lord and goddess here.
Legend. As said earlier the Shiva lingam was under a jambu
tree. Two devotees of Shiva were born as a spider and an
elephant in the forest due to a curse. Both were regularly
worshipping the lord in their own way. The spider would weave
a web over the lingam to protect it from the falling leaves.
The elephant brought flowers and water in its trunk for bathing
the lingam before offering the flowers. But it would clear
off the web the spider has built first. This act angered the
spider very much. Soon a fierce fight broke out between the
two resulting in the death of both. Pleased with their devotion
Lord Shiva appeared before them and blessed them. Shince Shiva
was worshipped by an elephant (Anai in Tamil) here the place
is called AnaikkA.
। जम्बुनाताष्टकम् ।
। श्री श्रीधरवेङ्कटेशार्येण विरचितम् ।
कश्चन जगतां हेतुः कपर्दकन्दलितकुमुदजीवातुः ।
जयति ज्ञानमहीन्दुर्जन्ममृतिक्लांतिहरदयाबिन्दुः ॥ १॥
श्रितभृतिभद्धपताकः कलितोत्पलवननवमदोद्रेकः ।
अखिलाण्डमातुरेकः सुखयत्वस्मांस्तपःपरीपाकः ॥ २॥
कश्चन कारुण्यझरः कमलाकुचकलशकषणनिशितशरः ।
श्रीमान् दमितत्रिपुरः श्रितजंभूपरिसरश्चकास्तु पुरः ॥ ३॥
शमितस्मरदवविसरश्शक्राद्याशास्यसेवनावसरः ।
करिवनघनभाग्यभरो गिरतु मलं मम मनस्सरश्शफरः ॥ ४॥
गृहिणीकृतवैकुण्ठं गेहितजंभूमहीरुडुपकण्ठम् ।
दिव्यं किमप्यकुण्ठं तेजः स्तादस्मदवनसोत्कण्ठम् ॥ ५॥
कृतशमनदर्पहरणं कृतकेतरफणितिचारिरथचरणम् ।
शक्रादिश्रितचरणं शरणं जंभूद्रुमांतिकाभरणम् ॥ ६॥
करुणारसवारिधये करवाणि नमः प्रणम्रसुरविधये ।
जगदानन्दधुनिधये जंभूतरुमूलनिलयसन्निधये ॥ ७॥
कश्चन शशिचूडालं कण्ठेकालं दयौघमुत्कूलम् ।
श्रितजंभूतरुमूलं शिक्षितकालं भजे जगन्मूलम् ॥ ८॥
॥ जम्बुनाथाष्टकं संपूर्णम् ॥
Commentary, encoding, and proofreading by
N.Balasubramanian bbalu@satyam.net.in
LIFE OF SRIDHARA VENKATESA
श्रीकण्ठमिव भास्वन्तं शिवनामपरायणम्।
श्रीधरं वेङ्कटेशार्यं श्रेयसे गुरुमाश्रये ॥
Sridhara Venkatesa lived about 300 years ago in Tiruvisanallur,
a village in Tanjavur district in Tamilnadu. He was called
Tiruvisanallur Ayyaval (deeply respected person) out of great
respect people held for him. Even today he is known by that
name only. He was the son of Lingayaryar who was a minister to
the Maharaja of Mysore. Even as a young boy Ayyaval was deeply
religious and in particular had great devotion to Shiva but he
made no distinction between Shiva and Vishnu. He studied Vedas,
shastras and puranas and had a great desire to travel and
spread the message of the puranas and in particular the glory
of Lord's name among the people. After his father's death the
Maharaja wanted him to take his father's job but he politely
declined and left Mysore state with his wife and mother. He
came to Tiruchirapalli in Tamilnadu and stayed for some time
giving talks. He was supposed to have brought back to life
a woman who had died by praying to the Lord. This attracted
people who wanted him to solve their problems. Ayyaval did
not like this and left the place. He proceeded to Tanjavur. It
seems that King Shahaji (1684-1710.AD) who was ruling at that
time in Tanjavur wanted him to stay in Tanjavur but Ayyaval
wanted to lead a quiet life. King Shahaji was inviting
scholarly brahmins to stay in his kingdom. He renamed the
village Tiruvisanallur as Shahajirajapuram. One street was
allotted for their stay. Ayyaval also stayed in a house there.
Ayyaval was a proponent of the view that in this dark age Kali
chanting the lord's name will ward off its evil effects. He
was the senior contemporary of Bodhendra Swami who was the
59th pontiff of the Shankara Math at Kanchipuram and who was
an ardent advocate of the glory of the lord's name. Ayyaval
wrote a book भगवन्नामभूषणम् (Bagavannamabhushanam)
on the subject which is sadly not available now. Bodhendra
Swami had also written a book नामामृतरसायनम्
(Namamritarasayanam)on the subject wherein he had made
references to the work of Ayyaval. Once Ayyaval had to perform
a sraddha ceremony in his house. Therein food is prepared and
offered to the departed forefathers who are invoked in three
brahmins invited for the occasion. When every thing was getting
ready Ayyaval saw an outcaste with his family in a famished
condition begging for food. His heart melted with compassion
at their condition. Without any hesitation he offered them the
food that was being prepared for the ceremony.He then had the
house washed and prepared to conduct the ceremony again. But
the brahmins in the village considered this act reprehensible
and refused to conduct the ceremony again. Ayyaval pleaded
with them quoting texts from the scriptures to support his
action but the Brahmins were not convinced. He asked them what
he should do to remedy the situation. They said that the only
atonement was having a bath in the Ganges. But there was no
time to go to Varanasi and return. So he prayed to Lord Shiva
( in Gangashtakam) to release the waters of Ganga from His
matted hair as he did on an earlier occasion for Bhagiratha.
Water started flowing out of the well in his house and flooded
the streets of the village. The villagers got scared and
prayed to Ayyaval to forgive them and stop the flood that was
threatening the village. He accordingly prayed again to stop
the flooding and requested her to appear in the well every
year on that day. Even now people flock to that place every
year on that day and take bath in the waters of the well in
the belief that Ganga is present in the well on that day.
Ayyaval had composed a number of works some of which are
not yet been printed and some not available. Some of his
works are listed below. (1) Bhagavannama Bhushanam. (2)
Akhyashashti. (3) Daya satakam. (4) Matrubhtasatakam. (5)
Stuti paddati. (6) Shivabhakthikalpalatha. (7) Shivabhaktha
lakShanam. (8) Taravali stotram. (9) Artihara stotram.
(10) Kuliresvarashtakam. (11) Jambunathashtakam. (12)
Doshapariharashtakam. (13) Krishnadwadasa manjari. (14)
Achyuthashtakam. (15) Dola navarathnamala. (16) Padamanimanjari
- a sanskrit dictionary. (17) Shahajiraja charitam.