Kaveri Mahatmiyam
काकारो कलुषं हन्ति वेकारो वाञ्छित प्रदः । रीकारो मोक्षदं नॄणां कावेरीत्यवधारय॥
The word “Ca” in Cauvery stands for removal of all sins, “Ve” stands for fulfilling our desire, and “Ry” stands for providing relief from the cycle of birth. Such is the greatness of river Cauvery.
Our puranas have mentioned the greatness of the River Cauvery in many places. Some of the importance one’s we will share in this section.
1. Stotram
कावेरि त्रिजन्मानः कावेरि सलिलाप्लुता।
कावेरि वाताद्यै स्पृष्ठा यान्ति हरेःपदम्।
The Agnaeya Purana says that those who are contacted by the breeze blowing from Kaveri get release from rebirth and reach the lotus feet of the Lord.
2 Reference for pushkaram event
मेषे च गङ्गा, वृषभे च नर्मदा, युग्मे च वाणी, यमुना कुलीरे, गोदावरी सिंह गते च, कन्यांगते देवगुरौच कृष्णा, कावेरी तौल्यां, अलिताम्रपर्णी, चापे च सिंधु, मकरे च भद्रा, घटेगुरौ भीमरथी, प्रणीता मीनेगते, पुष्करमाहुरार्याः!
इति कदा कस्याः पुष्करं संभवतीति श्लोकः
The Krishna Pushkaram granthe, provides the reference of all the sacred rivers and their associated pushkara sambhava rasi. As per this Ganga takes the Mesha Rasi, Narmada takes the Rishbha, Wani is associated to Mithunam, Yamuna with Karkatakam, Godavari with Simha, Krishna with Kanya, Cauvery with Tula, Vrichikam with
Tambiraparani, Sindhu with Dhanushu, Bhadravati with Makaram, Bhemarathi with Kumbham and Praneta (tributary of Godavari) with Meenam. Thus this slokam provides the reference of river and their associated rasi for pushkaram event.
As per this Slokam, Cauvery is associated with Tula rasi.
Banks of River Cauvery :
In this section, we will attempt to provide a small snippet of information about less known places on the banks of River Cauvery. Some of the places on the places on the banks of this River have hosted people providing cultural transformation.. we will try and share some of those…
Wikipedia Reference on River Cauvery
#1 MahendraMangalam
Mahendra Mangalam gets its importance from the fact that Paramacharya, in his childhood stayed here and obtained his education in Vedas. More about it in the article below…The Aradhana festival of Paramacharya is celebrated here with grandeur with veda parayanam and other related activities.
Mahendramangalam
#2 Adi Ranga, Madhya Ranga and Anthya Ranga
Kaveri River forms three small sacred islands in its river stretch in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. Srirangapatna is known as Adi Ranga and it is known for Ranganathaswamy Temple in Karnataka
. Shivanasamudra RanganathsSwamy Temple is known as Madhya Ranga indicating the mid-way of the river. Srirangam is called as Anthya Ranga where Kaveri finally joins the sea.
#3 Thiruvaiyaru
Thiruvaiyaru is situated on the banks of the river Kaveri, 13 km from Thanjavur. The presiding deity of the Siva temple here, Panchanatheesvarar (in Tamil, Ayyarappan ‘ both mean the same thing, `the Lord of the Five Rivers’)
also gets his name from them. Thiruvaiyaru is considered as holy as Varanasi and bathing in the Cauvery here is as guaranteed to rid devotees of sins as bathing in the Ganges.
Near the Siva temple is the one-roomed house where Thyagaraja composed some of his greatest works. On the banks of the river is the samadhi of the saint composer and it is here that the greatest music festival in the country takes place annually.
He wrote a song in praise of River Kaveri here. It is called “sAri veDalina” in Ragam : asAvEri Talam : Adi
In this Kruti Tyagaraja pays tribute to River Kaveri. He describes her gait and sanctity while flowing and paying obeisance to Sri Ranganadha and Panchanadeeswara.
sAri veDalina ee kAvErini jooDarE ||
vAru veeranuchu jooDaka tA na
vvArigAbheeshTamula nosaguchu ||
duramuna noka tAvuna garjana bhee
karamoka tAvuna ninDu karuNa tO
niratamuga noka tAvuna naDachuchu
vara kAvEri kanyakAmaNi ||
vEDukagA kOkilalu mrOyaganu
vEDuchu rangESuni joochi mari ee
rEDu jagamulaku jeevanamaina
mooDU renDu nadi nAdhuni jooDa ||
rAja rAJESwariyani pogaDuchu
jAjisumamula dharAmara gaNamulu
puja lirugaDala sEyaga tyAga
rAja sannuturAlai mudduga ||
Meaning : Take a look at the magnificient river Kaveri.She fulfills the wants of people and cleanses their sins in a very unbiassed way. At one place on hills she runs swiftly and fiercely making thundering noise. At another place she flows gently as if she is showering compassion. Kaveri is like a gem among beautiful maids. She is flowing eternally.
The cuckoo birds on trees near by are singing melodiously in a festive mood. River Kaveri the prop for all living beings is paying obeisance to Ranganadha at Srirangam by washing his sacred feet and is proceeding majestically to see the holy Panchanadipuram the abode of Siva the protector of the fourteen lokas. Multitudes of priests are
standing on both sides of Kaveri, extolling her as Goddess Raja Rajeswari. They are worshipping her with fragrant jaji and jasmine flowers. Beautiful Goddess Kaveri is worshipped by Tyagaraja.
काकारो कलुषं हन्ति वेकारो वाञ्छित प्रदः । रीकारो मोक्षदं नॄणां कावेरीत्यवधारय॥
The word “Ca” in Cauvery stands for removal of all sins, “Ve” stands for fulfilling our desire, and “Ry” stands for providing relief from the cycle of birth. Such is the greatness of river Cauvery.
Our puranas have mentioned the greatness of the River Cauvery in many places. Some of the importance one’s we will share in this section.
1. Stotram
कावेरि त्रिजन्मानः कावेरि सलिलाप्लुता।
कावेरि वाताद्यै स्पृष्ठा यान्ति हरेःपदम्।
The Agnaeya Purana says that those who are contacted by the breeze blowing from Kaveri get release from rebirth and reach the lotus feet of the Lord.
2 Reference for pushkaram event
मेषे च गङ्गा, वृषभे च नर्मदा, युग्मे च वाणी, यमुना कुलीरे, गोदावरी सिंह गते च, कन्यांगते देवगुरौच कृष्णा, कावेरी तौल्यां, अलिताम्रपर्णी, चापे च सिंधु, मकरे च भद्रा, घटेगुरौ भीमरथी, प्रणीता मीनेगते, पुष्करमाहुरार्याः!
इति कदा कस्याः पुष्करं संभवतीति श्लोकः
The Krishna Pushkaram granthe, provides the reference of all the sacred rivers and their associated pushkara sambhava rasi. As per this Ganga takes the Mesha Rasi, Narmada takes the Rishbha, Wani is associated to Mithunam, Yamuna with Karkatakam, Godavari with Simha, Krishna with Kanya, Cauvery with Tula, Vrichikam with
Tambiraparani, Sindhu with Dhanushu, Bhadravati with Makaram, Bhemarathi with Kumbham and Praneta (tributary of Godavari) with Meenam. Thus this slokam provides the reference of river and their associated rasi for pushkaram event.
As per this Slokam, Cauvery is associated with Tula rasi.
Banks of River Cauvery :
In this section, we will attempt to provide a small snippet of information about less known places on the banks of River Cauvery. Some of the places on the places on the banks of this River have hosted people providing cultural transformation.. we will try and share some of those…
Wikipedia Reference on River Cauvery
#1 MahendraMangalam
Mahendra Mangalam gets its importance from the fact that Paramacharya, in his childhood stayed here and obtained his education in Vedas. More about it in the article below…The Aradhana festival of Paramacharya is celebrated here with grandeur with veda parayanam and other related activities.
Mahendramangalam
#2 Adi Ranga, Madhya Ranga and Anthya Ranga
Kaveri River forms three small sacred islands in its river stretch in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. Srirangapatna is known as Adi Ranga and it is known for Ranganathaswamy Temple in Karnataka
. Shivanasamudra RanganathsSwamy Temple is known as Madhya Ranga indicating the mid-way of the river. Srirangam is called as Anthya Ranga where Kaveri finally joins the sea.
#3 Thiruvaiyaru
Thiruvaiyaru is situated on the banks of the river Kaveri, 13 km from Thanjavur. The presiding deity of the Siva temple here, Panchanatheesvarar (in Tamil, Ayyarappan ‘ both mean the same thing, `the Lord of the Five Rivers’)
also gets his name from them. Thiruvaiyaru is considered as holy as Varanasi and bathing in the Cauvery here is as guaranteed to rid devotees of sins as bathing in the Ganges.
Near the Siva temple is the one-roomed house where Thyagaraja composed some of his greatest works. On the banks of the river is the samadhi of the saint composer and it is here that the greatest music festival in the country takes place annually.
He wrote a song in praise of River Kaveri here. It is called “sAri veDalina” in Ragam : asAvEri Talam : Adi
In this Kruti Tyagaraja pays tribute to River Kaveri. He describes her gait and sanctity while flowing and paying obeisance to Sri Ranganadha and Panchanadeeswara.
sAri veDalina ee kAvErini jooDarE ||
vAru veeranuchu jooDaka tA na
vvArigAbheeshTamula nosaguchu ||
duramuna noka tAvuna garjana bhee
karamoka tAvuna ninDu karuNa tO
niratamuga noka tAvuna naDachuchu
vara kAvEri kanyakAmaNi ||
vEDukagA kOkilalu mrOyaganu
vEDuchu rangESuni joochi mari ee
rEDu jagamulaku jeevanamaina
mooDU renDu nadi nAdhuni jooDa ||
rAja rAJESwariyani pogaDuchu
jAjisumamula dharAmara gaNamulu
puja lirugaDala sEyaga tyAga
rAja sannuturAlai mudduga ||
Meaning : Take a look at the magnificient river Kaveri.She fulfills the wants of people and cleanses their sins in a very unbiassed way. At one place on hills she runs swiftly and fiercely making thundering noise. At another place she flows gently as if she is showering compassion. Kaveri is like a gem among beautiful maids. She is flowing eternally.
The cuckoo birds on trees near by are singing melodiously in a festive mood. River Kaveri the prop for all living beings is paying obeisance to Ranganadha at Srirangam by washing his sacred feet and is proceeding majestically to see the holy Panchanadipuram the abode of Siva the protector of the fourteen lokas. Multitudes of priests are
standing on both sides of Kaveri, extolling her as Goddess Raja Rajeswari. They are worshipping her with fragrant jaji and jasmine flowers. Beautiful Goddess Kaveri is worshipped by Tyagaraja.
