The Miracles of Shivan in Sri Palanimalai Murugan Temple

Vanakkam. After a very long gap in writing this. This topic has been lingering in my mind for quite some time but i didn't get the proper time to sit and type it. Today i have got the green light from the Paramporul, Aathi Antham Illa Arut Perum Jothi. Today Sankatahara Chaturthi day I'm writing it. Many people who have visited the temple recently have asked me why include several new sannithis to the temple. There are some things which cannot be explained by mere words. As something can be told some,

things you have to experience first hand. Such as Gods Divine Grace. The then temple committee decided to renovate the temple according to Saivaagama Sastra sometime back in 2006. I invited my Gurunathar Mayiladuthurai Sivasri A.V. Swaminatha Sivachariyar to the temple and we had a meeting to decide what changes to be made in the new temple according to Saivaagama. Particularly one Upaagama which is called Kumara Tantram. Kumara Tantram is part of Lalitha Aagamam, One of the 28 Saivaagamam. So the meeting took place as planned and it was decided Vinayagar Sannithi to be put in the Isana Corner behind the Moolastanam as the temple is facing east. Then among the people who came that day for the meeting said he will agree to sponsor the sannithi which was estimated to be RM 25,000. Which he later declined. ( Agreed publicly in front of VIPs, and slowly declined in private) The same VInayagar Sannithi was later donated by a GENEROUS man who was in his dead bed. (GOD BLESS HIS SOUL) So it was decided to build the Vinayagar Sannithi in the Esana corner of the temple. Hence with that i had to go to India. In India i always go to Kerala to spent some time with my friends and visit temples. There i had a chance to go to a astrologer who can predict and tell certain things. I went there and he immediately told me "Murugan is with you, You don't need to see me". his exact word as i step into his home. How does he know i Love and serve Murugan??? Even after he said that i just wanted to know some important issues which i cant reveal till the Kumbabishegam. :p We sat down for a DevaPrasnam. A very ancient form of fortune and future prediction telling. He sat there with is choli(small sea shells) and drew the chart and threw the shells. First time he threw he prayed. Second time and third time he asked me what is the main deity in the Moolastanam of the temple. I replied Murugan. He threw the shells again and asked me the same question. For which i answered Murugan. He insisted NO. Again he asked me the same question to which i said MURUGAN. This time he told me that there is a Bigger Swami inside the Moolastanam, to which i said yes the Murugan statue is 3 feet in height. He insisted No and asked me whether if there are other statues or deities there. Then only i realised his question and what he is asking. I replied the Utsavar Sri Valli Deivasena Sametha Murugan, Vinagayar, Thandayuthapani, Annapoorani and some more small statues which was place on a stool behind the Moolavar at that time. Then to that he said not all that. At this time i got more confused. Again he told me there is a BIGGER SWAMI there. I told him the only BIG swami there is the Moolavar( Murugan) himself. Then i placed a small aimpon sivalingam at the foot of the Moolavar when i was young. To celebrated Shivaratri and do siva pooja. (Aariyaathe Vayasu) To that he said "YES that's the Swami I'm talking about" He asked me to draw the Moolastanam and point where all the Swamis were kept. So I drew it and pointed out to him. He immediately told me that the small sivalinga statue is sitting right on siva stanam which is the exact center of the Moolastanam. The old Moolastanam was built by a local stabathy in the year 1954. According to Saivaagamam a square Moolastanam from the center point to the back wall, there is a certain deities put in certain points. Exact center point is for Shivan and Shivan alone. And the stabathy who built the temple placed Murugan in the center. Which later years when i put the Shivan there HE sat in HIS place. So the Astrologer asked where am i going to place the Shivalingam in the new temple. I said in the Vasantha Mandabam. To this he said no it will bring Siva Abaratham( Punishment). In return I asked him what to do and he said give the swami a stanam(place) in the temple. I got confused as there is no place in the temple to place a sannithi for Shivan. He told me never put the Shivalingam Aside as it will bring bad circumstances. With that i left his place. On my way back was thinking what to do. I consulted my Guru again regarding this matter and he suggested that the esana moolai sannithi to be made Shivan sannithi and Vinayagar moved to the entrance of the Moolastanam. And there was no other place shivan can be kept in the temple due to place scarcity. It was only then the Esana Mulai Sannithi became Shivan Sannithi. Now the question was raised what statue to put in the sannithi. Then i wanted to put a Self Manifested Moorthy (Bana Lingam). What is a Banalingam? Banalingam is a self manifested roopa of Lord Shiva. It is not made by any human hands. Aagama says there are several types of Lingams said in the scripture i.e. Svayambu lingam(self manifested), Arsha Lingam( Worshiped by Sages), Manusha Lingam ( Worshipped by Human)Among this Banalingam is said to be the Best for worship. Sarveshamapi Linganam,Bana Lingam Visishyathe --( Uttara Kamikaagamam 36.6) Worshiping this one Banalingam is equivalent of worshiping ten million other Lingams. Kamikaagamam states that the demon Banasuran was given fourteen crores ( one crore is 10 Million- do the maths) of linagam for his worship. Bano Namsurah Proktassa cha Siddhyartha Madarat! Prarthayamasa Pujartham Lingani Vividhani Cha !! Dattavalingakotinam Chaturdasa Maheswaraha !! Having worshiped all these Lingams Banasuran abandoned them at various places. There are many places where one can find these lingams such as Srinagaram, Kanyakasramam, Nepal, Mahendram, several rivers, several mountains/caves etc. Large number of these Lingams can be found in the river Narmada. The Lingam obtained from the river Narmada are said to be the holiest as per Yagnavalkya Samhitha, As these are the every form of Shiva assumed by the Lord on Banasurans request. Aagamam stresses that Lord Shiva is Omnipresent in Bana Lingam and it doesn't need to invoke His presence as normally done is pratistha by humans.Even if there is no pooja done Lord Shivan is said to reside in a Bana Lingam. I immediately started to find out where to get a Bana lingam which is 1 feet in height. To my disappointment all people i asked said it is very difficult of get a good one. To add to my disappointment even the Pontiff of Thiruvavaduthurai Aathenam The 23th Gurumamaha Sannithanam said even he finds it difficult to get. But assured me he will get one for me for the temple. Later Ejaman swamigal who had this particular Bana Lingam for long time came to know that i was finding a Bana Lingam gave the Lingam to me through my Gurunathar. It was parcelled from Kasi Madam to Kumbakonam and from Kumbakonam it was given to my Guru. My guru kept it in his altar and offered prayers everyday and special abishegams on pradoshams. When i went to India in December 2013 i brought back this Lingam with me. In India i saw the lingam had lots of bruises as it is how the lingam was found in the Narmada River. I gave it to my Stabathiyar who hand polished it to perfection. It had a glittering honey colour (Gomethagam). And there was one stop where he polished several times and that part stayed rough. He couldn't do anything and gave me the Lingam. I took it in my hands and took a look at it. it had the mark right on the forehead just as the third eye ( Netri Kann). So i realised He wants to be like that. The Banalingam now is in daily pooja in the temple and it will be installed as Sri Amirthagadeswarar together with Sri Abirami Amman who is carved in green granite in the new temple. The sannithi of Shivan is very uniquely built with artistic carving, embedded rudraksham, Gostha moorthys and Rudraksha mandabam. With the Blessing of Sri Abirami Ambigai Sametha Sri Amirthagadeswarar let all people be ever youthful without any sickness or diseases. As he granted the wish to his devotee Markandeya Munivar to be ever youthful (Endrum 16). Aasirvath