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% File name             : jambunAtha8.itx
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% Text title            : jambunaathaaShTakaM
% Author                : Shridhara VenkaTesha, lived in Tamilnadu about 300 years ago
% Language              : Sanskrit
% Subject               : philosophy/hinduism/religion
% Description/comments  : 
% Transliterated by     : 
% Proofread by          : N.Balasubramanian
% Translation by        : N.Balasubramanian
% Latest update         : June 23, 2003
% Send corrections to   :Sanskrit
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\engtitle{.. jambunaathaaShTakaM ..}##
\itxtitle{.. jambunaathaaShTakaM ..}##\endtitles ##
##By Shri Sridharavenkatesa
This hymn is about Jambunatha as Shiva is known at Jambukeswaram
(known as Tiruvanaikkaval in Tamil), a place of pilgrimage in
Tamilnadu. It is on the northern bank of the river Cauvery
and 5 K.M. north of Trichy. The temple is one of the largest
(having a spread of nearly 18 acres) and historic temples
in the country. It dates back to the 13th century and has been visited
by the great saivaite saints who had sung hymns on the presiding deity -
Lord Shiva in the temple. It seems that the temple was once a forest of
jambu trees and there was a Shiva linga under one of the trees. So Shiva
came to be known as Jambunatha or Jambukeswara. This is a Shiva temple
associated with one of the five great elements (viz.)  water and so
called pancha bhoota sthalam (##pa.ncha bhuuta sthalam##). The Shiva
lingam in the sanctum is always surrounded by water and so is known as
appu lingam (ap for water). The other places where Shiva is worshipped in
the form of the great elements are Chidambaram (space), Kalahasthi (air),
Tiruvannamalai (fire) and Tiruvarur (earth).  The temple is known for
the historical inscriptions and magnificient architecture. It suffered
damages during the moghul invasion in the 14th century and worship in
the temple was disrupted. The temple was restored during the Vijayanagar
rule and the worship also revived. The goddess Parvathi in the temple
has the name Akilandeswari. She is said to have meditated on lord Shiva
here. Her shrine is very famous and attracts large number of visitors. Adi
Shankaracharya is said to have visited the temple and worshipped the Lord
and goddess here.  Legend. As said earlier the Shiva lingam was under a
jambu tree. Two devotees of Shiva were born as a spider and an elephant in
the forest due to a curse.  Both were regularly worshipping the lord in
their own way. The spider would weave a web over the lingam to protect
it from the falling leaves.  The elephant brought flowers and water in
its trunk for bathing the lingam before offering the flowers. But it
would clear off the web the spider has built first.  This act angered
the spider very much. Soon a fierce fight broke out between the two
resulting in the death of both. Pleased with their devotion Lord Shiva
appeared before them and blessed them. Shince Shiva was worshipped by an
elephant (aanai in Tamil) here the place is called Aanaikkaa.##
           . jambunaataaShTakam .
    . shrii shriidharave~NkaTeshaaryeNa virachitam .
kashchana jagataa.n hetuH kapardakandalitakumudajiivaatuH .
jayati j~naanamahiindurjanmamR^itiklaa.ntiharadayaabinduH .. 1..
shritabhR^itibhaddhapataakaH kalitotpalavananavamadodrekaH .
akhilaaNDamaaturekaH sukhayatvasmaa.nstapaHpariipaakaH .. 2..
kashchana kaaruNyajharaH kamalaakuchakalashakaShaNanishitasharaH .
shriimaan damitatripuraH shritaja.nbhuuparisarashchakaastu puraH .. 3..
shamitasmaradavavisarashshakraadyaashaasyasevanaavasaraH .
karivanaghanabhaagyabharo giratu mala.n mama manassarashshapharaH .. 4..
gR^ihiNiikR^itavaikuNTha.n gehitaja.nbhuumahiiruDupakaNTham .
divya.n kimapyakuNTha.n tejaH staadasmadavanasotkaNTham .. 5..
kR^itashamanadarpaharaNa.n kR^itaketaraphaNitichaarirathacharaNam .
shakraadishritacharaNa.n sharaNa.n ja.nbhuudrumaa.ntikaabharaNam .. 6..
karuNaarasavaaridhaye karavaaNi namaH praNamrasuravidhaye .
jagadaanandadhunidhaye ja.nbhuutarumuulanilayasannidhaye .. 7..
kashchana shashichuuDhaala.n kaNThekaala.n dayaughamutkuulam .
shritaja.nbhuutarumuula.n shixitakaala.n bhaje jaganmuulam .. 8..
       .. ja.nbhunaathaaShTaka.n sa.npuurNam ..
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Commentary, encoding, and proofreading by
N.Balasubramanian bbalu@satyam.net.in

\medskip\hrule\medskip
\centerline{LIFE OF SRIDHARA VENKATESA}##
shriikaNThamiva bhaasvanta.n shivanaamaparaayaNam.
shriidhara.n ve~NkaTeshaarya.n shreyase gurumaashraye ..##
Sridhara Venkatesa lived about 300 years ago in
Tiruvisanallur, a village in Tanjavur district in Tamilnadu. He was called
Tiruvisanallur Ayyaval (deeply respected person) out of great respect
people held for him. Even today he is known by that name only. He was
the son of Lingayaryar who was a minister to the Maharaja of Mysore. Even
as a young boy Ayyaval was deeply religious and in particular had great
devotion to Shiva but he made no distinction between Shiva and Vishnu. He
studied Vedas, shastras and puranas and had a great desire to travel and
spread the message of the puranas and in particular the glory of Lord's
name among the people. After his father's death the Maharaja wanted
him to take his father's job but he politely declined and left Mysore
state with his wife and mother. He came to Tiruchirapalli in Tamilnadu
and stayed for some time giving talks. He was supposed to have brought
back to life a woman who had died by praying to the Lord. This attracted
people who wanted him to solve their problems. Ayyaval did not like this
and left the place. He proceeded to Tanjavur. It seems that King Shahaji
(1684-1710.AD) who was ruling at that time in Tanjavur wanted him to
stay in Tanjavur but Ayyaval wanted to lead a quiet life. King Shahaji
was inviting scholarly brahmins to stay in his kingdom. He renamed the
village Tiruvisanallur as Shahajirajapuram. One street was allotted for
their stay. Ayyaval also stayed in a house there.  Ayyaval was a proponent
of the view that in this dark age Kali chanting the lord's name will ward
off its evil effects. He was the senior contemporary of Bodhendra Swami
who was the 59th pontiff of the Shankara Math at Kanchipuram and who was
an ardent advocate of the glory of the lord's name.  Ayyaval wrote a
book ##bhagavannaamabhuuShaNam## (Bagavannamabhushanam) on the subject
which is sadly not available now. Bodhendra Swami had also written a book
##naamaamR^itarasaayanam## (Namamritarasayanam)on the subject wherein
he had made references to the work of Ayyaval.  Once Ayyaval had to
perform a sraddha ceremony in his house. Therein food is prepared and
offered to the departed forefathers who are invoked in three brahmins
invited for the occasion. When every thing was getting ready Ayyaval
saw an outcaste with his family in a famished condition begging for
food. His heart melted with compassion at their condition. Without
any hesitation he offered them the food that was being prepared for
the ceremony.He then had the house washed and prepared to conduct the
ceremony again. But the brahmins in the village considered this act
reprehensible and refused to conduct the ceremony again. Ayyaval pleaded
with them quoting texts from the scriptures to support his action but the
Brahmins were not convinced. He asked them what he should do to remedy
the situation. They said that the only atonement was having a bath in
the Ganges. But there was no time to go to Varanasi and return. So he
prayed to Lord Shiva ( in Gangashtakam) to release the waters of Ganga
from His matted hair as he did on an earlier occasion for Bhagiratha.
Water started flowing out of the well in his house and flooded the
streets of the village.  The villagers got scared and prayed to Ayyaval
to forgive them and stop the flood that was threatening the village. He
accordingly prayed again to stop the flooding and requested her to appear
in the well every year on that day. Even now people flock to that place
every year on that day and take bath in the waters of the well in the
belief that Ganga is present in the well on that day.  Ayyaval had
composed a number of works some of which are not yet been printed and
some not available. Some of his works are listed below.  (1) Bhagavannama
Bhushanam. (2) Akhyashashti. (3) Daya satakam. (4) Matrubhtasatakam. (5)
Stuti paddati. (6) Shivabhakthikalpalatha. (7) Shivabhaktha lakshanam. (8)
Taravali stotram. (9) Artihara stotram.  (10) Kuliresvarashtakam. (11)
Jambhunathashtakam. (12) Doshapariharashtakam.  (13) Krishnadwadasa
manjari. (14) Achyuthashtakam. (15) Dola navarathnamala.  (16)
Padamanimanjari - a sanskrit dictionary. (17) Shahajiraja charitam.
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