A Kettai Nakshathira Temple – Pasupathikoil Sri Varadaraja Perumal Temple

Next, comes the Kettai Nakshathira!! People who are born on Kettai Nakshathira are noted for their excellence in education, courage, and humor.  They tend to get all the happiness and prosperity in their life through proper means. Though they are short tempered, they don’t do any harm to others. The temple that is dedicated to the Kettai Nakshathiram is Sri Varadaraja Perumal Temple located in Pasupathikoil in Thanjavur Dist. The main god of the temple is Lord Vishnu and the Goddess is Perundevi.

The Sthala Purana of this temple deals with the time when Sri Ramanujar had a great popularity. During those periods, there were a lot of quarrel among the Shaivaites and the Vaishnavites based on the issue who was more powerful among Lord Shiva and Lord Vishnu. It was the reign of a Chola king and he was a Shaivaite. He was jealous of the growing popularity of Sri Ramanujar. So he ordered his men to capture Ramanujar. At that time, Sri Ramanujar, His Guru Peria Nambigal and His disciple Koorathazhwar were staying in Srirangam. When the King’s men came to arrest Sri Ramanujar, they could not identify Ramanujar. His disciple Koorathazhwar showed up in White Clothes as His Guru and he offered Himself to be arrested. The guru Peria Nambigal and his daughter Tiruthazhai accompanied Koorathazhwar.

When they reached the Chola King’s Palace, the King demanded them to give in writing that His religion Shaivam is greater than Vaishnavam. When Peria Nambigal and Koorathazhwar refused to do so, the King ordered his men to take off their eyes. Koorathazhwar did not want the king’s men to touch him. So he removed his eyes himself using his sharp nails. Then the King’s men removed the eyes of Periya Nambi. At that time, he was 105 years old.

Then the other disciples and Tiruthazhai took them to Srirangam. On their way to Srirangam, when they reached the place Pasupathikovil, Periya Nambi struggled to move further because of this age and blindness. Hence, Lord Varadaraja Perumal gave darshan to Periya Nambi and he attained Moksha here. It is said that Sri Ramanujar came to this temple later and built a separate shrine for Periya Nambi.

The Lord here is known as Varadaraja Perumal meaning the God who gives us the Boon. The Goddess Perundevi graces Her devotees from a separate shrine. People who are born on Kettai Nakshathira are strongly advised to visit this temple at least once in a year on their birth star days. The main significance is that Periya Nambi who attained moksha here was born on Kettai Nakshathira. So his birth star day is celebrated in a grand manner in this temple. Kettai Starers pray to him for the betterment of their life by offering white clothes and Jasmine flower garlands. They also light ghee lamps in the shrine of Periya Nambi praying for happy and prosperous life.

Apart from ghee, they light the lamps with special oil. This oil is made with three herbals namely Maruthani, Karisalankanni, and Sembaruthi. It is to be noted that these herbals are considered more sacred and are available in the temple itself. Nivedhanas like Vada and Adirasam are offered by the devotees to the Lord during the poojas. It is also believed that people who are suffering from the ailments related eyes and vision offer their prayers to Koorathazhwar.

In the next blog, we will see the Nakshathira Temple that is dedicated for the Moolam Nakshathira !!