GURUVAYUR EKADASI ON 13-12-2013.

The Krishna temple in the town of Guruvayoor in Kerala is one of the five famous Krishna\Vishnu temples in India. The others are Jagannath Puri in Orissa, Venkatachalapati in Andhra Pradesh, Nathdwara in Rajasthan and Dwaraka in Gujarat. Of course there are many other famous ones of Vishnu as well as of Krishna but these are considered to be the most popular.

ORIGIN OF GURUVAYUR EKADASI:-

Guruvayur Ekadasi is also observed as the Prathishta Dinam (installation day) of the temple. Though the temple is known as Sri Krishna temple, the idol made of Pathalanjana Sila, installed at the Sreekovil (sanctum sanctorum), is of Lord Mahavishnu.

There are 24 Ekadasis in a year and the Vrishchika Ekadasi (Suklapaksha) has got special significance in Guruvayur. Ekadashi that falls in the waxing phase of moon in the Malayalam month Vrishchikam (November – December) is observed as" Guruvayur Ekadasi" in the world famous Guruvayoor Sri Krishna Temple in Kerala. In 2013, Guruvayur Ekadasi is on December 13. It is believed that on this day the idol was installed. It is also on this day Lord Krishna preached the Srimad Bhagavad Gita, to Arjuna in the battlefield of Kurukshetra at Mahabharata Yudha (Mahabharata War) as per Malayalam calendar.

Another legend says that once when Lord Maha Vishnu visited the abode of Yama, he heard heart rending cries of people tortured for their sins. The Lord wanted to save them from more suffering and uttered the word Ekadasi. The very mention of the word removed all their sins. Observance of Ekadasi is believed to have a purifying effect. It is believed that the sins of a life time are washed away if one happens to see the Guruvayur Ekadasi Vilakku (festival of lights). Legend says that on Guruvayur Ekadasi, Lord Indra comes with Kamadhenu and gives all material wealth and offers worship to receive Sri Krishna's blessings. On that day all the theerthas such as Kasi, Badri, Sabarigiri and Palani in addition to rivers like Ganga and Jamuna assemble in this sacred place.

SIGNIFICANCE OF THE FORM OF GURUVAYOORAPPAN:-

Guruvayur is considered to be “Bhooloka Vaikunta” - the heaven on earth, as the idol was once worshiped by the Lord Mahavishnu himself in Vaikunta. The deity is in the traditionally orthodox form of Mahavishnu, with all the compliments - four arms each carrying sankh (conch), chakra (wheel), gadha (club) and padmam (lotus).

His lower right hand represents the revolving or creative tendency. This hand holds conch, symbol of the five elements ( panchajanyam). When blown, it produces a sound that is associated with the primeval sound from which creation developed.

His upper right hand represents the cohesive tendency. This holds the discus (sudarshana chakra) or the wheel. This has six spokes and symbolizes six-petalled lotus. It represents the limitless controlling of all the six seasons and is the fearful weapon that severes the head of demons. 

The upper left hand represents the tendency towards dispersion and liberation. This holds the lotus, symbol of the causal power of illusion from which the universe rises. This lotus is called Padma. It is the symbol of purity and represents the unfolding of creation.It is the truth from which emerged the rules of conduct and knowledge.

The lower left hand holds Gada (Mace), the symbol of primeval knowledge. It represents the notion of individual existence. This is named Kaumodaki and is the elemental force from which all physical and mental powers are derived.

Lord Guruvayurappan is the owner of the largest number of elephants in India and on the Ekadasi day there are special elephant processions. Special rituals and celebrations are held at the Lord Guruvayur Sree Krishna Temple Ekadasi Vilakku (lamps) is an important ritual associated with Guruvayur Ekadasi. The temple remains open throughout Shuklapaksha Dasami and Shuklapaksha Ekadasi. The temple only closes at 9 hours on Dwadasi day, the day after Ekadasi. Also on the Dwadasi day there is a unique custom of offering Dwadasi Panam in the Koothambalam. The Dwadasi Panam is a token amount of money and it is considered highly auspicious.

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND OF GURUVAYUR:-

One of the oldest idols in worship is that of Lord Guruvayurappan.The idol of Guruvayur is unique since it is curved out of “Paathalanjana sila” and is considered extremely sacred. Tracing back to history Prasni and Sutapas were a childless couple, who prayed to Lord Narayana for progeny. The Lord appeared before them and Prasni said that she wanted the Lord Himself to be born as her child. The Lord promised that since she had repeated her request three times, He would be Prasni’s child for three births of hers.

Prasni then prayed that she must have an idol of the Lord to worship. The Lord gave her the idol that is now being worshipped in the Guruvayur temple. In all the three births that Prasni took, she worshipped the idol given to her by the Lord.As promised, the Lord was born as Prasni’s son, and took the name Prasnigarbha. In her next birth, she was known as Aditi and was the wife of Kasyapa. As Aditi, she was privileged to be the mother of Vamana. In her next birth, Prasni was born as Devaki. She married Vasudeva, and the Lord was born to her as Krishna. The idol of Lord Vishnu which is found in Guruvayoor is one which had been worshipped by Devaki and Vasudeva and one can easily imagine that it must also have been worshipped by Lord Krishna himself. This is the greatness and glory of this particular idol of Lord Vishnu – that Vishnu himself had done puja to it in his incarnation as Krishna.

After the kurukshetra battle queen Ghandhari cursed Lord Krishna for playing a major role in the battle that resulted in the slaying of all her 100 children. Though the lord was much above such curse, he took it upon him happily. One day Uddhava was summoned by Krishna and was told that Dwaraka would be immersed in the sea after Krishna leaves Dwaraka to Viakunta.Finally at the time of Krishna's ascension to Vaikunta, his devotee Udhava became sad thinking how he will live without the Lord. Then Lord Shree Krishna gave Udava his idol and instructed him to entrust Brahaspathi (the Guru of Devas) with the task of taking the idol to a suitable place where people could worship it, so as to get salvation in Kaliyuga. A deluge had closed in on Dwaraka, but Guru salvaged the idol floating in the water, with the help of his prime disciple, Vayu. Guru and Vayu went around the world in search of an ideal place. They met Parasurama in Kerala, who was himself worried because of the widespread serious ailments amongst the people of the area. Sage Narada had earlier told Parasurama that installing the idol of Lord Krishna in Kerala and regularly worshipping it would rid the people of Kerala of all their ailments. Parasurama felt very happy and lead guru and vayu to a lush green spot with a beautiful lotus tank where they felt the presence of Lord Siva. Lord Siva along with Parvathy welcomed them and said, "This is the same spot you are looking for, here it was, I imparted the Rudrageetham to the Prechethas" The idol was installed there. Siva with Parvathy left to the opposite bank, at Mammiyur. Siva permitted Guru and Vayu to perform the consecration rites and blessed them that henceforth this place would be known as GURUVAYUR (since the installation was done by Guru and Vayu).It is in memory of this that worships in Guruvayur will be complete and accomplished only with a worship of Mammiyur Siva also.

Guruvayur became divine on account of the "tapas" performed by Lord Siva for years under the waters and later by the Prechethas (the ten sons of Pracheenabarhis and Suvarna are together called Prechethas) in the Rudratheertham - the sacred tank on the northern side of the present temple - where Lord Guruvayurappan has His Arattu (holy bath on the last day of Annual Utsavam). Prechethas (the ten sons of Pracheenabarhis and Suvarna) came to this place to do tapas to attain "prajapathithwam" (king of all kings) from Lord Mahavishnu. Sensing the motive of Prechethas, Lord Siva emerged out of the Rudratheertham and revealed to them the "Rudrageetham", a hymn in praise of Mahavishnu. Siva suggested them to chant it with all their heart to get their wishes fulfilled. The Princes won the favour of Mahavishnu after rigorous tapas for 10,000 years under the waters of Rudratheertham chanting Rudrageetham.

The word Guruvayur also has an esoteric meaning. It stands for the body of the human being which is the abode of wind. The five pranas or vital breaths are what sustain the body and make it function properly.Guruvayur is also hailed as "Bhuloka Sri Vaikuntham" meaning Heaven in Earth. where the deity reveals himself to his devotees in the same majestic form in which he welcomes them in Vaikuntha, his celestial abode. Even though the idol in Guruvayoor is that of Vishnu it is still known as a Krishna temple since the boy Krishna is always said to be running around incognito in the temple precincts.When devotees enter the temple, they must worship Him by reciting the namam ‘Narayana.’ Then they must recite ‘Guruvayurappan.’ And then finally they must worship by saying the name ‘Krishna.’

Gurunaadhan thuNa chaika santhatham 

thirunaamangal naavinmel eppozhum

Piriyaatheyirikkanam nammude 

nara janmam saphalamaakkiduvaan

May my Gurunathan help me (thuna chaika) to keep the auspicious names of Lord continuously on my tongue (naavinmel eppozhum) and to make this human life (narajanmam) meaningful and fruitful!(saphalamaakkituvaan).