Dear All,
Greetings and Namaste. As Maha Shivaratri falls on Saturday, the 9th of March 2024, I am delighted to share a very rare and exquisite hymn titled Veda Pada Stavam from Chuyutapuri Mahatmyam in Ishana Samhita, Shiva Mahapuranam, and Chapter 22. A brief on the puranic story behind this hymn is given below.
The Sages in Darukavanam, deeply attached to rituals, did not obey Lord Shiva or Lord Vishnu and believed in passionate karma and not Gyana (Spiritual knowledge). Lord Shiva wanted to teach them lesson and remove their ignorance. So, Lord Shiva (in Bhikshatana form) and Lord Vishnu (in Mohini form) go to Darukavanam and cast of a spell of their maya and cause the wives and sons of sages to fall in love with these two. Enraged by this, the sages perform Abhichara homa on Lord Shiva. An elephant comes out of the ritualistic fire and causes immense suffering to one and all. The pious sages and Rishis take refuge in Lord Shiva and request him to protect them with this exquisite hymn. Pleased with their prayer, Lord Shiva slays Gajasura and wears the skin of the elephant and thus became to be known as Gaja Samhara Murthy.
The Chyutapuri Mahatmyam in Shiva Puranam (and also in Skanda Puranam and Padma Puranam) depicts Darukavanam as Chyutapuri and Lord Shiva as Lord Krittivaseshvara in Chyutapuri. Chyutapuri now is a small village called Vazhuvur near Myladuthurai (near Kumbakonam in Tamil Nadu). Lord Kritthivaseshvara as Gaja Samhara Murthy is the presiding deity of the famous temple and all puranic episodes in the Puranas are attributed to Vazhuvur and nearby places. Shivapuranam, at the end of the Mahatmya, mentions that Chyutapuri (Vazhuvur) is more sacrosanct than Mount Kailasa itself and there is no place on the universe equivalent to Vazhuvur.
Vedapada Stavam consists of for 104 shlokas where the 4th part of each shloka is a phrase or verse from Vedas - predominantly from Sri Rudram and Purusha Suktam. It is mentioned that one who recites this hymn every day will have all their accrued sins annihilated and begets beauty, strength, wealth, fame, grains, comforts and Shiva Gyana and attains Siddhi (fructification) in 6 months of recital every day.
May We Pray To Lord Kritthivaseshwara of Chyutapuri with this sacred hymn on Mahashivaratri Day and forward!
With best regards and pranams,
K. Muralidharan Iyengar (Murali
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