Saturday, February 3, 2018

Margabandheeshwarar Temple, Virinchipuram – Literary Mention

Margabandheeshwarar Temple, Virinchipuram – Literary Mention
The Margabandhu Stotram, to be recited each time you set out, is a work of Appayya Dikshitar, the great 16th century Sanskrit scholar who was from Virinchipuram. A century before him, composer Arunagirinathar visited the shrine and dedicated a set of verses to Muruga here who is depicted with his consorts, seated on a peacock. The Thiruppugazh verses each end with a line or two on the village. Arunagiri names it alternately as Virinchai and Karapuri; the etymology for the later name is not clear however. He describes the fertile fields, and the streets that echoed of Vedic recitation. One verse, ‘Kuyil Mozhi Kayal Vizhi’ is remarkable for its sensuous depiction of Valli’s beauty.
Subbarama Dikshitar has it in his Sangita Sampradaya Pradarsini that Muthuswami Dikshitar’s father Ramaswamy Dikshitar, at the age of seven took his aged parents from near the Vellore region and migrated to Thiruvidaimarudur to escape the disturbances caused by the cavalrymen. The date, 1742, coincides with the killing of the Nawab of Arcot, Subedar Ali, and a subsequent revolt by the Arcot army. This had far-reaching consequences – a chain of events that led to the battle of succession between Mohammad Ali Walajah and Chanda Sahib, respectively the protégés of the British and the French. The former triumphed, paving the way for the British Empire. The relative peace British rule brought, helped Muthuswami Dikshitar travel freely and compose songs.
Subbarama Dikshitar does not mention Virinchipuram by name but family tradition traces its origins to this village. While as many as five songs of Dikshitar (‘Bhushapathim’ in Bhushavati, ‘Margasahayeswaram’ in Kamavardhini, ‘Maragathavallim’ in Khambodi, ‘Parvati Kumaram’ in Nattakurinji and ‘Margahindolaragapriye’ in Marga Hindolam) are attributed to Virinchipuram, only the last-named features in Subbarama Dikshitar’s Sangita Sampradaya Pradarsini. This song, on the Goddess, is a short one, with Pallavi and an anupallavi. It does not mention any iconographic speciality of the shrine. Neither do the others, barring the Kamavardhini piece, which refers to the Simha Theertham. It must also be noted that ‘Parvati Kumaram’ suffers from a glaring prosodic error and is unlikely to be a genuine Dikshitar song.
Interestingly, a signboard at the temple has it that the shrine was sung upon by Appar, Sundarar, Sambandar and Tirumoolar. But the corresponding Pathigam (Thevaram Song) is not available, probably one among the many songs that have been lost. Hence this temple does not appear under the current list of Thevara Paadal Petra Sthalams. The Temple is believed to be sung by many namely Appayya Dikshitar, Tirumoolar, Pattinathar, Appar, Sambandhar, Arunagiri Nadhar. Arunachala Puranam, Siva Rahasyam, Brahmanda Puranam, Kanchi Puranam and many other Holy books have described this temple in their Puranas.