Muzhumadi Nilavil | Kanyakumari Sri Bhagavati Devi | The Epitome of Penance

Kanyakumari Sri Bhagavathi Amman Temple is a quaint and serene temple located in the southern tip of mainland India. The temple is dedicated to Goddess Bhagavathi who is also known as Devi Kanyakumari. Her utsava moorthi is called Thyaga Soundari / Bala Soundari. The temple tank, well known as Papanasa Teertham, is a wonder in itself as although it is just around 50 feet from the ocean, the water in it tastes sweet.

This kshetra is one of the shakti peeths, places where Goddess Sati’s body parts fell when she immolated Herself during the Daksha Yajna. The back spine of Sati Devi is said to have fallen here. Hence, it is said this kshetra is very important for penance as it is conducive for the Kundalini Shakti to rise (the spiritual elevation that is attained by the rising of chakras in one’s spine as per yogic practice). Many sadhaks have the practice of getting initiated into their sadhana by Devi here. It is significant to note that Swami Vivekananda performed his historic tapas here, which changed the destiny of Bharat.

Kanyakumari is the only place in the world that enjoys the confluence of three seas – Arabian Sea, Indian Ocean and Bay of Bengal. This very place is endearingly picturesque. On full moon days, one can simultaneously witness the setting of the sun in the west, and the rise of the moon in the east. On one such day, Sri Swamiji who has a special place in his heart for this Devi who is an epitome of sacrifice, moved by her penance sings, “muzhumadi nilavil mukkaDalOram mukkaNNanai aDaiyat thavamiyaTruginDrAL dEvi” – meaning, On a full moon night, on the shores of the place where the three seas meet, Devi does penance to attain the three-eyed One (Lord Shiva).

The demon Banasura ruled over the Kanyakumari region and he was troubling everyone in the world, and even the Devas by his atrocities. He was bestowed a boon by Brahma that only an adolescent unmarried girl could kill him. Hence, Devi incarnated here to destroy Banasura. Devi was deeply devoted to Lord Shiva, and was observing all austerities with sincerity to attain Him. Their wedding was fixed, and the time was decided to be brahmamuhurtam (in the early hours of the morning). All arrangements were made in a grand manner. Everyone was awaiting the arrival of Lord Shiva. Sage Narada who observed this, was worried as he knew the purpose of the incarnation of Devi was to destroy Banasura, and if she were to be married to Lord Shiva, she would not qualify to be an adolescent unmarried girl. He disguised as a rooster to crow in the late hours of the night itself, making Lord Shiva assume that the auspicious time for the wedding had passed, and He did not turn up. When Devi, who was eagerly waiting heard of this, She was infuriated and threw away all the arrangements, the food, and Her bangles. The coloured sand of Kanyakumari is said to be remnants of these.

Later, when Banasura tried to lure Her, mindless of who She was, She slayed him at once. Moments before he died, Banasura realized who She was and pleaded redemption from all his sins. Since then, Devi stands here performing penance to attain Lord Shiva.

Sri Swamiji further sings, “muppuRam eriseyda acchivanai aDaiya thappAmal yugam yugamAy thavam seyginDrAL” – She does this relentless penance since several yugas to attain that Lord Shiva who burnt down all three directions to ashes, indicating Tripura samhAram of Lord Shiva.

He then sings, “mUnDru vaLaivuDan ariya mUkkutthiyaNindu mUnDrAm thozhil seyyum mudalvanaiyaDaiya” – wearing the unique nose ring, standing in a posture with three bends on her body, she stands there to attain the One who does the third job – indicating that among the three great duties, creation is done by Lord Brahma,  sustenance by Lord Vishnu and annihilation by Lord Shiva.

The nose ring is unique as it was made as ordained by Devi Herself. A businessman who lived in this region, was expectant of a male offspring. His wife begot six girls, and after the sixth was also a girl child, he wanted to kill himself. He put his hand into a snake hill, expecting to be bitten by a snake. But his hands grabbed a precious stone that’s found in the hood of a certain species of snakes. He immediately handed it over to the King of the land. The king was pleased by his honesty, and granted him several acres of land. Devi appeared in the king’s dream and ordained for a nose ring to be offered to her with that stone. The dazzle from the nose ring was so brilliant that the temple authorities had to shut the door of the temple facing the sea, as ships mistook it to be the light from a lighthouse and stopped at this shore.

In the next charanam he sings, “mUnDrAm piRaiyait thalaiyil koNDu mummAyam kaLaindu mUvidazhbilva priyanai aDaiya” – bearing the third Crescent moon on Her head, having won over the three aspects of maya (satva, tamas and rajas), she performs penance to attain the one who loves the three-segmented bilva leaves.

In the next and most significant charanam which beautifully conveys Sri Swamiji’s message, he sings, “nAma japamE uyar thavamAm enDruNarttha japamAlai kaiyil koNDu japapriyanai aDaiya” – Devi stands there holding ‘japa mala’ (chanting beads in her hands – performing japa (chanting of the Divine Name) to attain the One who loves japa, thereby making us certainly realize that chanting of the Divine Names of God is a Supreme penance.

Sri Swamiji finally says, “bAlakriShNanin bAla sahOdari kanyAkumari enum peyar koNDu” – this epitome of penance is the adolescent sister of young Krishna, who bears the name Kanyakumari.

The repeated usage of the word moondru meaning three (three seas; three eyed Lord; Tripura samharam; three curved posture of Devi; three primal jobs of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva; third crescent of moon; three aspects of Maya, three segmented bilva leaves), this song adds to the poetic beauty as this is on the kshetra where three seas meet.

Link to view the song:

 

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Tamil
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ராகம்: புன்னாகவராளி தாளம்: ஆதி

முழுமதி நிலவில் முக்கடலோரம்
முக்கண்ணனை அடையத் தவமியற்றுகின்றாள் தேவி

முப்புறம் எரிசெய்த அச்சிவனை அடைய
தப்பாமல் யுகம் யுகமாய் தவம் செய்கின்றாள்

மூன்று வளைவுடன் அரிய மூக்குத்தியணிந்து
மூன்றாம் தொழில் செய்யும் முதல்வனையடைய

(தவமியற்றுகின்றாள் தேவி)

மூன்றாம் பிறையைத் தலையில் கொண்டு
மும்மாயம் களைந்து மூவிதழ்பில்வ
ப்ரியனை அடைய

(தவமியற்றுகின்றாள் தேவி)

நாம ஜபமே உயர் தவமாம் என்றுணர்த்த
ஜபமாலை கையில் கொண்டு ஜபப்ரியனை அடைய

(தவமியற்றுகின்றாள் தேவி)

பாலக்ருஷ்ணனின் பால ஸஹோதரி
கன்யாகுமரி எனும் பெயர் கொண்டு

(தவமியற்றுகின்றாள் தேவி)

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English
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rAgam: punnAgavarALi thALam: Adi

muzhumadi nilavil mukkaDalOram
mukkaNNanai aDaiyat thavamiyaTruginDrAL dEvi

muppuRam eriseyda acchivanai aDaiya
thappAmal yugam yugamAy thavam seyginDrAL

mUnDru vaLaivuDan ariya mUkkutthiyaNindu
mUnDrAm thozhil seyyum mudalvanaiyaDaiya

(thavamiyaTruginDrAL dEvi)

mUnDrAm piRaiyait thalaiyil koNDu
mummAyam kaLaindu mUvidazhbilva priyanai aDaiya

(thavamiyaTruginDrAL dEvi)

nAma japamE uyar thavamAm enDruNarttha
japamAlai kaiyil koNDu japapriyanai aDaiya

(thavamiyaTruginDrAL dEvi)

bAlakriShNanin bAla sahOdari
kanyAkumari enum peyar koNDu

(thavamiyaTruginDrAL dEvi)

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End Of Song

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