Muchukunda: The Blessed One Who Brought Thyagesa To Thiruvarur

Thiruvarur is a kshetra that is enrobed in wonderful lore -- be it about its origin, or about the wondrous deeds of the presiding deities and their devotees. Here is one such story about how the resplendent statue of Lord Thyagaraja came to Earth, to reside in Thiruvarur and bless us all. 

An innocent monkey lived on a bilva tree in Kailasha. Once when he was playing on the branches, some of the bilva leaves fell on Lord Shiva and Parvathi who were sitting under the tree. Nothing pleases Lord Shiva as much as an offering of bilva, and so the Lord called the monkey near him and said, “Dear monkey, you have pleased us by showering bilva leaves on us. We would like to give you a boon! What do you seek?” 

The monkey had no answer. It simply sat and gazed, mesmerized by the divine image of the Lord and the Mother. “Oh Lord, I am already so gifted, having seen You and Mother together like this. What more do I need? I need nothing.” 

Shocked by a boon

But, Lord Shiva, the ashutoshi, had already decided to shower his blessings on the monkey, and enhance its life. So, he bade that the monkey be born on Earth as a great king, who would establish truth and righteousness wherever he went. The monkey was a bit shocked - after all, this was such an unexpected twist in its life! 

It said, “Oh Lord, the life of a king is filled with pleasures and wealth. What if I am overcome by Maya, and stray from the path of righteousness. Please let me be born with the face of a monkey, so that every time I look in the mirror, I will be reminded of this birth and the divine vision of You and Mother together. As long as that memory resides in me, I will be unaffected by Maya.”

A great king is born

And so, Muchukundan was born in the great Chozha race, with a face having semblance to a monkey's. He became a great king, unsurpassed in valour and righteousness. He was extremely religious, and worshipped God without expecting anything in return.

This is precisely what pleased the Gods so much, and they willingly showered their blessings upon him. The kingdom flourished. Lord Muruga gave the king a divine army led by the nava-veeras (nine warriors), to conquer evil and establish truth and righteousness. 

To the rescue of the devas

Once, when the deva forces were being decimated by the asuras, Indra sought Muchukundan’s help to vanquish them. Muchukundan, who was known for his mano-balam (mental strength) helped conquer the asuras with the help of his powerful army. Technically, he could have claimed the throne of devaloka, but being a raja rishi (saintly king), he had no desire for all that. So, Indra was reinstated as the king of devaloka. 

Normally, Muchukundan would not have expected anything in return for this great favour to the devas. But, around that time, Muchukundan had a divine dream in which the Trinity – Shiva, Vishnu and Brahma – told him to seek the statue of Lord Shiva being worshipped by Indra, and establish it at Thiruvarur. This statue was special. It was created by Lord Vishnu using his inner vision of Lord Shiva, without using a chisel. It was a Somaskanda Murthy; sa-uma-skanda - a figure that depicts Shiva along with Uma (Parvathi) and Skanda (Muruga). He gave it to Lord Indra to worship. But now, the Trinity wished that the statue be taken to Earth for greater good. 

A divine gift (not so) willingly given

However, when Muchukundan sought the statue in return for having helped Indra, the deva-raja was hesitant to part with it. He could not refuse it either. So, he thought up a trick. He got the divine architects to make six more statues exactly like the statue of Thyagaraja Swami (Lord Shiva). He presented all seven statues in front of Muchukundan and said, “If you can identify the original statue made by Lord Vishnu, you can have all seven. Else, you should go back to Earth, satisfied with the statue you picked.” 

Muchukundan prayed sincerely to the Lord, seeking His help, and lo and behold the original statue glowed and showed itself to the king. Indra realised at that moment that it was divine will that the statue be taken to earth, and gave it willingly.

Sri Thyagaraja Swami at Thiruvarur

Saptavidangan

Muchukundan returned home with seven statues. He established the original one at Thiruvarur and the remaining six in the surrounding towns of Thirunallaar, Nagapattinam, Vedaranyam, Thiruvaimur, Thirukkarayil and Thirukkolili. The seven temples are collectively known as Saptha Vidanga Sthalas - vidanga meaning something that has not been chiseled by hand.

The Lord continues to grace us from these temples – and reminding us of the wonderful king who willingly took on the face of a monkey, as a constant reminder of Uma Maheshwara and His benevolence.

 

By Janani G. Vikram