Yoga Narasimha Perumal Temple, Thiruvelukkai
Thiruvelukkai
Photo: Richard Mortel from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia · CC BY 2.0 · via Wikimedia Commons
Celebrated for the rare calm Yoga Narasimha form; the smallest of the Kanchipuram Divya Desams.
Sthala Purāṇam
At Thiruvelukkai the Lord is Sri Azhagiya Singar, 'the beautiful lion,' enshrined as Yoga Narasimha in a calm, seated yogic posture rather than the fierce (ugra) form, with Thaayar Velukkai Valli (Amruthavalli). The legend recalls the slaying of Hiranyakashipu to protect the devotee Prahlada, the reason Vishnu took the man-lion form. A second strand prominent here involves Brahma's yagna: after a dispute between Saraswati and Lakshmi, the angered Saraswati repeatedly sent demons to obstruct Brahma's Ashwamedha sacrifice, and when ordinary asuras failed she dispatched the powerful Kapali (Keshi). Vishnu intervened, taking the Narasimha form to vanquish the threat and safeguard the rite. Having protected His devotees, Narasimha chose, of His own grace, to remain here permanently in the serene yogic posture rather than depart. This gives the place its name: 'Vel-irukkai' becoming Velukkai, where 'vel' connotes wish or loving desire and 'irukkai' means staying or residing, the Lord abiding here voluntarily by His own will to protect His bhaktas. Swami Vedanta Desika alludes to this in his Kamasika Ashtakam. The Divya Desam is glorified in the Nalayira Divya Prabandham by Pey Alvar and Thirumangai Alvar. (Sources differ on the moolavar's facing direction, with some recording east and the widely repeated tradition emphasising west, to drive away the asuras.)
Mangalāśāsanam — the Āḻvār pāsurams
The Lord Yoga Narasimha (Azhagiya Singar) with Amruthavalli Thayar of Thiruvelukkai is glorified in 4 pāsurams by:
Thiruvelukkai in Kanchipuram enshrines Vishnu as Azhagiya Singar — Yoga Narasimha — seated in a yogic (Irundha) posture, with consort Amruthavalli Thayar. It is a Thondai Nadu Divya Desam with a Mangalasasanam of four pasurams: Pey Alvar (the third Mudhal Azhwar) sang three pasurams in his Moonram Thiruvandhadhi, and Thirumangai Alvar one. The verses extol the Man-Lion form of the Lord who protects his devotees, sitting in serene yoga even in his fierce Narasimha aspect.
Verses & references (2)
- Pey Alvar, in three pasurams of his Moonram Thiruvandhadhi, glorifies the beautiful Man-Lion (Azhagiya Singar) of Thiruvelukkai — the Narasimha who tore apart Hiranyakasipu and now sits in tranquil yogic poise to protect his devotees. Exact Tamil verse text not confidently sourced. — Peyalvar, Moonram Thiruvandhadhi · source ↗
- Thirumangai Alvar contributes one pasuram glorifying the Yoga Narasimha of Thiruvelukkai. Exact Tamil verse text and decade reference not confidently sourced. — Thirumangai Alvar, Periya Thirumozhi / Thirunedunthandakam (Thirumangai Alvar) · source ↗
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