Legend
Once Devi Parvati mocked at Lord Shiva’s penance for betterment of the World. Lord Shiva wanted to condemn her act and directed her to go to the earth from ‘Kailayam’ and do penance. Devi Parvathi (Akilandeswari) as per Shiva’s wish found ‘Jambu’ forest (Thiruvanaikoil) to conduct her penance. Devi made a Lingam out of water of river Cauvery (also called as river ‘Ponni’) under the ‘Venn Naaval’ tree (the Venn Naaval tree on top of the saint Jambu) and commenced her worship. So, the Lingam is known as ‘Appu Lingam’ (Water Lingam).
Lord Siva at last gave darshan to Akilandeswari and taught her Siva Gnana. Devi Parvati took ‘Upadesa’ (lessons) facing East from Shiva, who stood facing West. So as the temples idols are also installed in the same direction. Such places are known as ‘Upadesa Sthalams’. As the Devi was like a student and the Lord like a Guru in this temple, there is no ‘Thiru Kalyanam’ (marriage) conducted in this temple for Lord & the Devi, unlike the other Shiva temples.
[Temple Archakar dressed like Devi Akilandeswari is going in procession to perform Shiva Pooja] As Akilandeswari worshipped Lord Shiva in this temple, even today at noon the ‘Archakar’ (priest) dresses like a female and does Pooja to Lord Shiva and ‘Ko Maatha’ (Cow). This noon pooja is very famous and pilgrims wait for this pooja every day. For the purpose of this pooja the temple is growing a ‘Karam Pasu’ (complete black color cow). Annabhishekam to Lingam (Abishekam with cooked rice) is a daily ritual at Thiruvanaikoil.----
The Legend of the Name – ‘Thiru Aanai Kaa’
There were two Siva Ganas (Siva’s disciples who live in Kailash) by name ‘Malyavan’ and ‘Pushpadanta’. Though they are Shiva Ganas they always quarrel with each other and fight for one thing or other. On top of all in one fight ‘Malyavan’ cursed ‘Pushpadanta’ to become an elephant in earth and the latter cursed the former to become a spider in earth.
Both the elephant and the spider came to Jambukeshwaram and continued their Shiva worship. The elephant collected water from river Cauvery and conducted Abhishekam to the lingam under the Jambu tree daily. The spider constructed his web over the lingam to prevent dry leaves from dropping on it and prevent Sunlight directly felling on Shiva.
When the elephant saw the web and thought that as dust on Lord Shiva and tore them and cleaned the Linga by pouring water. This happened daily. The spider became angry one day and crawled into the trunk of the elephant and bit the elephant to death killing itself. Lord Siva, moved by the deep devotion of the two relieved them from one other curse.
As an elephant worshipped the Lord here, this place came to be known as ‘Thiru Aanai Kaa’ (Thiru – Holy, Aanai – Elephant, Kaa (Kaadu) – Forest). Later the actual name ‘Thiruaanaikaa’ become ‘Thiruvanaikaval’ and ‘Thiruvanaikoil’.
In the next birth the Spider was born as the King Ko Chengot Chola and built 70 temples and Thiruvanaikoil is the one among them. Remembering his enmity with the elephant in his previous birth, he built the Lord Shiva ‘Sannathi’(Sanctorum) such that not even a small elephant can enter. The entrance on the sanctorum of Lord Shiva is only 4 foot high and 2.5 foot wide.
Thaadanga Pradhishtaa / Adhi Shankara
Once Goddess Akilandeswari was fierce like ‘Ugra Devatha’. Sri Adhi Shankara transferred her ferocity into ‘Thadangas’(ear rings) and the adorned her with the ‘Thadangas’. He also installed ‘Prasanna Vinayaga’ (Lord Ganesh), opposite to her shrine so that She might look on with a beneficent eye. The Thadanga Pratishtha is done even today (once in few years) by the Sankaracharyars (successors of Adhi Shankara) of the Kanchi Kamakoti Pitham.
The Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam is also running a ‘Vedha Padasala’ (religious school where the Vedas are taught) on the North Car street at its Mutt.
அகிலாண்டேஸ்வரி ரக்க்ஷமாம் ஆகம சம்ப்ரதாய
நிபுனே(அகிலாண்டேஸ்வரி)
அனுபல்லவி:
நிகில லோக நித்யாமிகே விமலே நிர்மலே ஷ்யாமலே
சகலகலே (அகிலாண்டேஸ்வரி)
சரணம்:
லம்போதர குருகுஹபூஜிதே லம்பா லகோத்பாஷிதே ஹசிதே வாக்தேவதாராதிதே வரதே வரஷைலராஜனுதே ஷாரதே
ஜம்பாரி சம்பாவிதே ஜனார்தனனுதே த்விஜாவந்தி ராகநுதே
ஜல்லி மாத்தல ஜர்ஜ்ஹரவாத்யநாதமுதிதேநானப்ரதே(அகிலாண்டேஸ்வரி)
pallavi
akhilANDEshvari rakshamAm Agama sampradAyanipuNE shrI {akhilANDEshvari}
anupallavi
nikhila lOka nityAtmikE vimalE nirmalE shyAmalE sakalakalE {akhilANDEshvari)
lambOdara guruguhapUjitE lambAlakOdbhAsitE hasitE
vAgdEvatArAdhitE varadE varashailarAjanutE shAradE
jambhAri sambhAvitE janArddananutE dvijAvanti rAganutE
jallI maddala jarjharavAdyanAdamuditE ~nAnapradE {akhilANDEshvari
Meaning:
Akhilandeswari! Expert in the scriptures and traditions! Protect me!
All pervasive one! Gentle one! Unblemished one! Scarlet hued one! Embodiment of all the arts!
Object of worship for Ganesha and Subrahmanya! Effulgent with long tresses and a beatific smile!
Worshipped by Saraswati! Giver of boons! Worshipped by the King of the Mountains! Sarada!
Respected by Indra and worshipped by Vishnu and the raga Dvijavanti! Giver of knowledge!
The instruments Jhalli, Maddala and Jharjhara please you
Muthuswamy Dikshithar
This shrine has been immortalised by one of the Trinity of Carnatic music Muthuswami Dikshitar, with two unusual compositions in Sanskrit, one titled ‘Jambupate’ in ‘Yamunakalyani’ ‘Raga’ and the other ‘Akilandeswari’ in ‘Dvijavanti’ raga. Both compositions are in ragas that are not indigenous to the south but borrowed from the music of the north (resembling Hindustani music).
The Dikshitar song, however, is a masterpiece of classical Carnatic traditions, layered, slow and restrained, and yet magnificent and joyous; an outpouring to Shiva in His manifestation as water, “Ambudhi Ganga Cauvery Yamuna kambu-kantya Akhilandeswari ramana”, Lord of the oceans, and of the Ganga, Cauvery and Yamuna, and of Akhilandeswari, She of the throat as smooth as a conch
