ANALA STAMBHA
May 15 2007 | Views 456 |
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Tags: Shiva(2) Thiruvannamalai(2) Anala Stambha Anala Stambha pillar of fire(2)
Tags: Shiva(2) Thiruvannamalai(2) Anala Stambha Anala Stambha pillar of fire(2)
‘Hinduism is complex’ and this is as true as it is clichéd.
In some places we find that Mahavishnu is considered to be the Supreme Being and Shiva is considered one of the Trinity only. Down South, on the other hand, Shiva is often the Supreme Being and less of a ‘Trinity’ god. Sounds rather confusing sometimes, doesn't it? But I think this can be overcome when we read the story.
Now, like I seem to be doing often now-a-days, a digression: Explanation of the Trinity
Commonly it is understood that Brahma Creates, Vishnu Protects & Preserves and Shiva Destroys. This perception has often raised questions as to why one should worship someone that (of all things) Destroys. An explanation that struck me is that Brahma creates the Ego (out of the Omnipotence), Vishnu nourishes this Ego (to help in realizing its Unity with the Omnipotent) and Shiva annihilates this Ego (the Destroyer).
Since Brahma’s job is not normally what one would wish for, there are no temples dedicated to Him, nobody prays to Him. His consort, Saraswati is the one to pray to if enjoying this creation – through the intellect, through the various arts – is your aim. Vishnu is a favourite God as he lets you have the cake and eat it too…live here, but give a little bit of you to me and I shall help you get Moksha he seems to be telling. His consort, Lakshmi is undoubtedly the favourite Goddess. Why wouldn’t she be when she could make you rich? Shiva is a skeptic’s favourite. Not a skeptic of belief, but a skeptic of ‘this’ life. His consort is the fearful Parvati who takes on many forms to annihilate evil and, being totally fearless, to remind Shiva that she is EQUAL to him. The two are seen together in the Ardhanareeswarar (Ardha=half Nari=woman Iswara= Shiva) form.
Often there are different versions of the Trinity being this because of that or that because of this. These, whether one believes in as true or not, carry strong moral and ethical – if not spiritual – connotations with them.
That digression over, I come to our story of Anala Stambha.
There was once a clash of ego between Vishnu and Brahma and both claimed superiority over the other. They sought the help of Lord Shiva to settle the issue. The Lord took the form of a luminous beam of light and asked them to find either the root (Adi) or the crown (Mudi).
Brahma, thinking it beneath him to dig into the earth, decided to reach the crown. He took the form of a swan and flew up. Vishnu took the form of a boar and started digging down to reach Shiva's feet.
Before proceeding, I have to say this: The one that is guided purely by the intellect tends not to be humble, (s)he would not stoop whatever be the situation. This is a fallacy. On the other hand, the one that is guided by emotions tends to stoop down for anything and everything. This too, is a fallacy. While the latter results in weakness, the former does in wickedness (Mahatma Gandhi’s words). Striking a balance between the heart and the brain is, though highly difficult, of paramount importance.
Brahma flew higher and higher but could not reach the crown. He was desperate to prove himself superior to Vishnu and as he was thinking what to do, he saw a Thazhampoo flower falling down from heaven. He caught the light flower and asked it to bear false testimony that he had taken it from the Lord’s head and the ignorant flower agreed. Counting himself very lucky, Brahma went to Lord Shiva. However, far from emerging the greater of the two, he fell from grace as the All-Knowing Lord cursed Brahma saying that by such a lowly act he had proven himself unworthy of worship and that no temple would ever be built for him. He also distanced away from the flower and asked it never to adorn Him again.
Vishnu, having bored into the earth for a long time, understood that the Lord was beginning-less and endless and that he was eternal in time, space and causation and hence it was impossible to find either extreme: this was Anala Stambha (The Fire Pillar) or Annamalai, the unattainable mountain of flame! With this realization, he shed his pride and bowed in all humility to Lord Shiva.
Brahma – who by now had realized his own foolishness – and Vishnu requested Him to descend to earth in a form (a perceivable ‘mark’) that common people could pray and venerate. The benevolent Lord took the form of the Lingam and showed himself in it. Hence he is called Lingodbhavar (one that emerged out of the Lingam).
He also assured them that once a year he would appear on the pinnacle of Arunachala in the form of the Jyoti (flame) illuminating the Divine Path to one and all. This is the great festival of Thiruvannamalai, Karthikai Deepam.
He also assured them that once a year he would appear on the pinnacle of Arunachala in the form of the Jyoti (flame) illuminating the Divine Path to one and all. This is the great festival of Thiruvannamalai, Karthikai Deepam.
***
Thiruvannamalai is one of the panchabhootasthalas (places representing the five elements) of Lord Shiva. Here he is agni or fire.
There is a saying in Tamil (from the Skanda Purana):
One attains Moksha (Liberation) if
One Takes Birth in Thiruvarur
or
One Dies in Kashi (Varanasi)
or
One Walks in Chidambaram
or
When one Thinks of Thiruvannamalai
Such is the sanctity of the place. Ramana Maharishi has told that it is a Cosmic Centre and therefore has extremely high magnetism to saints and devotees.
One can see Vishnu in the form of a boar at the base and Brahma as a swan close to the top of the Linga.
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