About the Temple & Location:
This sthalam is situated in Tirunelveli district, in Tamil Nadu. It is 1 1/2 miles away from Sri Vaikundam in the East. We can easily go to this sthalam by asking “Nattham“.
ThiruVaragunamangai Perumal Temple (also called Vijayasana Perumal) is one of the Nava Tirupathi., nine Hindu temples dedicated to Lord Vishnu located in Tiruchendur-Tirunelveli route, Tamil Nadu, India in the banks of Thamirabarani river. All these 9 temples are classified as "Divya Desams", the 108 temples of Vishnu revered by the 12 poet saints, or Alwars. The temple at Natham is also known as Chandran Sthalam, the 2nd of the Navathirupathi. Constructed in the Dravidian style of architecture, the temple is dedicated to Vishnu who is worshipped as Vijayasana Perumal and Lakshmi as Varagunavalli.
A granite wall surrounds the temple, enclosing all its shrines. The rajagopuram, the temple's gateway tower has five tiers. The temple follows the Thenkalai tradition of worship. Six daily rituals and three yearly festivals are held at the temple, of which the ten-day annual Vaikanda Ekadasi during the Tamil month of Margazhi (December - January) and the Nammazhwar birth celebrations with Garudasevai with all nine temple of Nava Tirupathi, being the most prominent. The temple is maintained and administered by the Hindu Religious and Endowment Board of the Government of Tamil Nadu.
Sthlapuranam :
This sthalam explains about the sathyam, the right path to go and Dharmam. The Jwalaas (While the fire is burnt, the heat rays come out of it) which comes out of fire will burn only the Adharma, but the Dharma, the sathyam. Seetha devi after getting into the fire, she came out the same way, she went into it. This is because of her purity. This also explains about the Characteristics of Agni. He will not do anything harm against the Sathya dharma people.
Making this as the Sathyam as the primary things, there are a lot of Jeevas living in this world. One example is Romasa Maharishi.
He has lot of hairs (Romam) covered all along his body. He was given a varam like things that at the end of lives of all devars while he is losing each and every hair in his body.
This rishi explained to Brahma deva how a creator should be and reduced his bad things, thereby rooting the Sathya dharmam.
Like the same way, another person to be explained when talking about sathyam is Savithri. Sathyavan, who married one of the Panja Kanniyargar (5 girls) – savithri, was known to the world with the other named – “Pathivrudhai”. This means how she had the love on his husband.
The fate is that Sathyavaan’s life has to come to an end. But, Savithri doesn't want her husband to be carried away by Yamen, the demon king. She had a fight along with him in Yamalokam. When her foot went inside the Yamalokam, all the punished persons got their sapa vimochana and finally they got released from there. This shows how the sathyam is more important and what we will get as a result of it. Seeing the sathya dharma of Savithri, Dharma devan yemen made her husband – Sathyavaan’s life and returned him back to his wife Savithri.
Agni, who is the victim of Sathya Dharma, Romasa Maharishi, who explains the Sathyam, and Sathyavaan who is the victim for the dharma of how a husband should be and these three are the total structure of Sathya dharma and the Emperumaan gave his prathyaksham as “Sathya Narayanan” to these person, in Veetriruntha kola and along with Aadhiseshan serving him as the umbrella.
In Spite of these three persons being a man, their sathya dharma was clearly explained by the women, who were along with them. Agni’s sathya was explained by Seetha devi, who is the Mangai (wife) of Sri Ramar (Sriman Narayanan) pusunda Maharishis Mangai (wife) for Romasa Maharishi and finally Sathyavaan’s Mangai (wife) Savitri. Since all the purity of these women are explained, this sthalam is said to be Thiruvaraguna Mangai.
This sthala pirattiyar – Varaguna valli thaayar (or) Varaguna mangai clearly explained how a wife (or) mangai should ve and found along with Vijiyasanap perumal. Vijayasana means perumal who sits on top of the Sathya Victory.
Moolavar and Thaayar:
The Moolavar of this temple is Sri Vijayaasana Perumal. Moolavar in Veetrirunda kolam, facing east direction.
Pratyaksham for Agni Bhagavan, Romasa Maharishi and Sathyavan.
Thaayar : The Thayar of this temple is Sri Varagunavalli Thayar. Also called as “Varaguna mangai Thaayar”.
Mangalasasanam:
Nammalwar – 1 Pasuram
Total – 1
Manavala Maamunigal has also done the Mangalasasanam here.
Pushkarani:
Agni Theertham
Deva pushkarani.
Vimanam: Vijayakodi Vimaanam.
It is said that a Andanan, a poor brahmanan, named Vedavith worshipped this emperumaan and he showed his seva on top of this Vijayakodi Vimanam as “Sathya Narayanan in Veetriruntha Kolam”.
Legend
Varagunamangai, the one who granted his Dharshan to a Brahmin vedic scholar is referred to in one of the poems of Nammalwar, he must be posterior to Varaguna Pandya from whose name it is assumed Varagunamangai took its name. But there are a number of instances where this logic is not pertinent. The temple has a five-tiered rajagopuram amidst lush vegetation around the temple. Vishnu here appeared in answer to the prayer of sage Romesar who performed severe penances for several thousand years.
As per another legend, a sage named Vedavith was living along the banks of the Thamirabarani river and was serving his elderly parents. After the death of his parents, he wanted to perform penance. Vishnu appeared in the form of a Brahmin and advised him to perform penance at Varagunamangai. After several years of penance and pleased by the devotion of Vedavith, Vishnu appeared before him. Vedavith requested Vishnu to appear as Vijaysanan at this place.
Architecture
The temple is located in Tiruchendur-Tirunelveli route, Tamil Nadu, India in the banks of Thamirabarani river, in the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu. The temple is constructed in Dravidian style of architecture. All the shrines of the temple are enclosed in a rectangular granite structure, which is pierced by a five-tiered gopuram (gateway tower). There is a sixteen pillared granite hall in front of the gopuram. The sanctum houses the image of Vijayasana Perumal in sitting posture, flanked by both his consorts on either side. The festival images of Vijayasanar and Varagunavalli are located inside the sanctum. The temple is maintained and administered by the Hindu Religious and Endowment Board of the Government of Tamil Nadu.
Festival
The Garuda Sevai utsavam(festival) in the month of Vaikasi(May-Jun) witnesses 9 Garuda Sevai, a spectacular event in which festival image idols from the Nava Tirupathis shrines in the area are brought on Garuda vahana(sacred vehicle). An idol of Nammalvar is also brought here on an Anna Vahanam (palanquin) and his paasurams (verses) dedicated to each of these 9 temples are recited. The utsavar(festival deity) of Nammalvar is taken in a palanquin to each of the 9 temples, through the paddy fields in the area. The paasurams(poems) dedicated to each of the 9 Divyadesams are chanted in the respective shrines. This is the most important of the festivals in this area, and it draws thousands of visitors.
The temple follows the traditions of the Thenkalai sect of Vaishnavite tradition and follows Pancharatra agama. The temple priests perform the pooja (rituals) during festivals and on a daily basis. As at other Vishnu temples of Tamil Nadu, the priests belong to the Vaishnavite community, a Brahmin sub-caste. The temple rituals are performed six times a day:
Kalasanthi at 8:00 a.m.,
Uchikalam at 12:00 p.m.,
Sayarakshai at 6:00 p.m.,
and Ardha Jamam at 8:00 p.m.
Each ritual has three steps: alangaram (decoration), nivedhanam (food offering) and deepa aradanai (waving of lamps) for both Vijayasana Perumal and Varagunavalli. During the last step of worship, nagaswaram (pipe instrument) and tavil (percussion instrument) are played, religious instructions in the Vedas (sacred text) are recited by priests, and worshippers prostrate themselves in front of the temple mast. There are weekly, monthly and fortnightly rituals performed in the temple.
