Chandikeshwarar - Why devotees make sound using fingers before Him?

 

Most of us visit a Siva temple and circumambulate as a matter of routine. Seldom we feel to know the details of the murthis in the praharams. Among the various statues installed around the prahara, Chandikeswara sannidhi has cardinal importance. Now read and learn the story of Chandikeswara and how he came to be worshipped have acquired a special status for him.

Before entering the sanctum sanctorum, we should seek permission from Nandikeshwara by uttering the following sloka :

"Nandikesa mahaabhaga 

sivadhyana paraayana,

Gowrisankara sevaartham

anugyaam datumarhasi"

Chandikeshwarar in Temples

Chandikeswara occupies the foremost position in the worship of Lord Shiva as we can get the blessings of the Lord only through him. He is one of the 63 Nayanmars who attained mukti through worshipping the Lord.  Here is an article which seeks to describe Chandikeswara's story. 

OM SHRI GURUBHYO NAMAHA

CHANDESWARA NAYANAAR

"Salutations at the feet of Chandeswara who cut the feet of his father with the axe" 

                                                  - Sundarar Thevaram

           

Thirucheignallur or Thiru Chei Nallur is a small town on the banks of Maniyaar one of the tributaries of the river Cauvery. It is situated near Thirupanandaal which houses a famous shivite mutt.  The town itself is credited to have been created by Vishwakarma at the behest of Lord Subrahmanya who it is believed stayed overnight in the place and worshipped the Lord Shiva and hence the name Thiru (divine) Chei (child) Nallur (good place). Thirucheignallur was once upon a time the abode of families that were steeped in Vedic practices.  The town will reverberate with the chants of the Vedas and auspicious smoke will come out of the houses where daily agnihotram (fire sacrifice) is performed. There will always be a meeting of the learned to discuss on the various aspects of the Vedas (vidwat sadas) and the entire surroundings transported one back into the Vedic times.

In this town was born a child of great good fortune in the family of a Vedic scholar Echa Dattan and his wife Pavitrai. In Tamil, the word Lakshmi sometimes gets corrupted to Echumi and so Echa might have been a corrupted form of Laksmi, or otherwise too it means that which remains (echam = sesham) after consumption of the whole. Pavitrai, as the name suggests was a very pure woman who worshipped her husband and was very much attuned to the religious rites followed in the family.  The parents named their child as Vichara Sharman meaning one who is adept in raising questions which the child probably did as he grew up, in its unwavering quest for enlightenment.  The sprightly boy initiated into the brahmachari fold through upanayanam was quick to learn the Vedas from his preceptor and was considered to be very adept in expounding the nuances of whatever he learnt. 

One day when Vichara Sharman was playing with his friends, he saw a cowherd beating a cow with a stick as she had butted him with her horns.  Vichara Sharman stepped between the poor animal and its tormentor and told him that to beat a cow was sin as all the 33 crore devatas were considered to reside in her and she is very important for survival of humans as well as for the continuance of rituals.  He offered to take forth the task of herding the cows from then on.  The cow herd readily agreed as he was tired of managing unruly animals.  So, from the next day Vichara Sharman took up cow herding as his duty after obtaining the permission of the elders of the village and in the morning after performing his ablutions herded them for pastures and once they had their fill would herd them back to their mangers in the evening. The love and affection shown by Vichara Sharman drew the animals to him and they started giving more yield than before which surprised the village elders who praised Vichara Sharman for discharging his duties with care and concern.  This went on for a few months.

The cows which were experiencing an exalted state of happiness in the company of their mentor, would just pour out milk out of compassion.  Seeing good milk going waste in this way, Vichara Sharman started collecting them in small earthen pots and decided to use the surplus milk to perform puja to the Lord.  He took bath in the river Maniyar and in the shade of an Athi tree, made a Shivalingam out of sand and constructed the Avudaiyar (water spout) to allow the abishekam water to flow and performed abishekam to the Linga murthy with the milk obtained from the cows.  The cows had enough milk to give when they returned back to their manger and no one felt there was any loss of milk. This continued for some months with the boy intensifying his puja. He would lead the cows to the pasture and then set about to worship the Lord whose image he would make every day from the river sand.

One day one of the villagers who was passing by was drawn by the chants of Sri Rudram coming from the place where the cows were happily munching grass and he observed Vichara Sharman 

performing abhishekam to the Shivalingam made of sand.  He promptly reported this matter to the village elders who felt that the boy was stealing the milk and was engaged in some silly play.  They summoned Echa Dattan to the village council and complained to him about his son.  The poor father who could not bear to have his name sullied thus, promised to take action against his erring son if what they told was true. 

 

The next day Echa Dattan decided to find out the truth and went to the pastures without Vichara Sharman knowing.  There he saw his son in deep contemplation before the image of Lord Shiva made out of sand and performing abhishekam of milk gathered in earthen pots.  Feeling frustrated at being let down by his own son before the village elders, in a fit of anger, the hapless father took up a stick and started beating his son abusing him all along for bringing disgrace to his family.  Vichara Sharman was in another world and never even realised that he was being subject to a verbal and physical assault from his father and continued with his chanting of Sri Rudram pouring the milk over the Shivalingam as if nothing had happened.  This enraged the father even more and not realising what he was doing, he kicked away the pot holding the milk kept for abishekam.  This act of insanity and sacrilege momentarily disturbed Vichara Sharman who picked up a stick and threw it at his father.  The stick assumed the form of an axe and chopped off the father’s legs who cried out in pain and collapsed.

Vichara Sharman woke up from his deep contemplation and saw before him the spectacle which is very rare even for gods like Brahma and Vishnu.  He saw the supreme Lord Shiva with His consort Parvathi on the celestial Bull Nandikeswara. The Lord embraced Vichara Sharman and said that with this unwavering devotion he had earned for himself the most coveted post of Chandikeswara through whose hands should pass all blessings. Vichara Sharman’s human body became a body of light and the Lord took a beautiful garland of kondrai flowers from his head and placed the same on the head of Vichara Sharman who thus was conferred the post of Chandikeswara. Echa Dattan and Pavithrai also assumed divine forms and ascended the heavens – the fruit of being parents of Vichara Sharman.

The fruits of our prayers (Prasadam) always pass through Chandikeswara who gets the first worship after the Lord.  He is not offered any new clothes or flowers except those that adorn the Lord first.  In all the temples of Lord Shiva, we find an image of chandikeswara just near the water spout and it is held that one should not come in between the image and the water spout.  Chandikeswara is always in deep contemplation and hence we should not disturb him. When we complete our worship in the main shrine and are given the Prasadam by the priest, we should take the prasadam to the shrine of Chandikeswara and offer the same to him and then only take the same. We should not disturb him from his meditation and hence it is customary to only chant Shiva Shiva clapping our hands gently three times (thala thraya)

There are a few lessons to be learnt from this episode. First and foremost is that we have to be kind to all creatures. If we give those with whom we come into contact unconditional love, they will respond positively. To be drawn into worship of the Supreme is again not given to all and sundry and only those whose previous karma phala is ripe will have this privilege. Hence to criticise them or to interfere in their worship is something which will not be taken kindly by the divine.  Each person is unique and would follow his/her own path although the ultimate goal is the same. Some may be ritualistic, some may follow the path of bakthi and others may go into self enquiry. We should refrain from imposing on others our beliefs and faith and respect their freedom to choose their own path in self emancipation.  Vichara means to enquire, and the story of Vichara Sharman needs to be contemplated by all of us in our mind when we stand before the form of Chandikeshwara and seek his blessings to get the blessings of the Supreme Lord.

  Om Shivaaya Namaha 

Why devotees make sound using fingers before Him?

Sri. Chandikeshwarar normally seen in a Lord Shiva Temple in a corner, and devotees make sound using fingers or clapping , when they pray to Him.

 

Sengalur is considered to be the birthplace of Chandikeswarar. According to the legend, as a young boy, he spent all his time making lingams out of sand and meditating One day, his father got angry and kicked the lingam. The child got angry, and at once cut off his father’s leg, for daring to kick his lord. Shiva appeared from the lingam and blessed the boy, giving him a permanent place in his temple. He also gave his father his leg back. It is believed that Chandikeswarar forever lives in a state of deep meditation, not realizing who comes to the temple. He is the one who keeps records of our visits to the temple, and hence, it is believed that we should clap our hands or snap our fingers outside his shrine so that he realizes our presence. 

Sri. Chandikeshwarar is an aspect of Chandi in human form later elevated to the status of divinity, to signify the connection between Siva and Chandi, or Durga. Chandikeswarar is a ferocious god, holding weapons of war and ready to do battle for a divine cause. His images are generally found in a corner in all the Siva temples. As in case of Nandi, devotees usually visit him and pay their respects before going to see the Siva Linga in the sanctum sanctorum.