Special Column
Sri Sudarshanar means one who shows the right path - in other words its the one who shows the seeker the path of realisation. He is also fondly known as Chakrathalwar and has a shrine for himself in most of the temples associated with Lord Narayana. He is known to have the combined grace of Lord Varaha and Lord Narasimha. Since Lord Varaha is considered to be an embodiment of wisdom, Sudarshanar bestows ultimate wisdom to everyone. Lord Narasimha had removed the anxiety that was bothering the child devotee Prahlada and similarly Sudarshanar grants wealth, knowledge and freedom from fear, disease and other evils.
Lord Vishnu has a number of weapons - the bow is known as Sarangam, the sword is known as Nandakam, the conch is known as Panchajanyam, the mace is known as Koumodaki and the holy discus is known as Sudarshanar. The weapons are together known as ' Panchayudham '. Sudarshanar or Sudarshanam is also known as Thiruvazhialwan and he is the most important weapon of Lord Vishnu. Devotees consider Sri Sudarshanar as an aspect of Lord Vishnu and he is represented with eight or sixteen or thirty two arms. Sudarshanar is seen in a six cornered star ( Shatkona ) as a ferocious deity and while in a three cornered star Yoga Narasimhar is along with him at the rear. The five weapons of Lord Vishnu are the security personnel of the Universe and they are ever vigilant. While Lord Vishnu has five weapons and his main weapon Sri Sudarshanar has sixteen weapons.
Sri Sudarshanar is known to protect the true devotees of Lord Hari or Narayana. On one occasion he did his part by protecting the great devotee Raja Ambareesha from a fiend dispatched by the age angry Sage Durvasa on him. Sudarshanar annhiliated the fiend and sought to finish off Sage Durvasa. It was only because of the request of Ambareesha that the sage was spared. Sudarshanar acted with great alacrity on behalf of Lord Narayana and saved Gajendra, the elephant who was caught by a crocodile. Sudarshanar hacked the crocodile at the behest of Lord Vishnu. The false Vasudeva who was known as Poundrika Vasudeva was vanquished by Sudarshanar who was despatched by Lord Krishna. The Mahabharata war was fought over eighteen days and Abhimanyu, the son of Arjuna was killed due to the deciet of the Kauravas and their brother in law Jayadratha. Arjuna had taken an oath that he would extinguish himself by setting himself on fire if he did not kill Jayadratha by sun down of the fourteenth day of the big war at Kurukshethra. At around sunset, Sudarshanar was made to create an artificial sunset and Jayadratha emerged out of the shadows. Immediately, Lord Krishna withdrew the holy Sudarshanar and brave Arjuna used the oppourtunity to slay Jayadratha. Thus Sudarshanar played his role in the war.
One friend of Lord Krishna had been trained in all the weapons belonging to him. He began tormenting a number of good souls and Lord Krishna warned this friend who was known as Malikan. This guy wanted to learn the use of Sudarshanar and requested Lord Krishna to let him learn how to use the holy discus. Lord Krishna took this an appropriate moment and passed Sudarshanar to the evil intentioned fellow. He tried to throw the holy discus and then aimed his finger in order to make it go around near his head. It was at this time that Sri Sudarshanar chopped his head away and put an end to his menace. Sishupala, a cousin of Lord Krishna used to mis behave and make mistakes continuously. Lord Krishna had promised his aunt that Sishupala would be excused a hundred times and on seeing the haughty ruler of Chedi doing his hundredth mistake at the venue of the Rajasuya Yaga conducted by the Pandavas, he aimed the discus at him and had him decapitated.
Sri Sudarshanar would always be present with Lord Vishnu and both of them are inseperable. It was during the Lord's incarnation as Narasimha that Sudarshanar did his job by taking form as the nails which were used to tear the evil demon Hiranyakashipu apart. Sudarshanar took the form of dharbha or the holy grass in order to pierce the eyes of Sage Sukracharya who had taken the form of a beetle and blocked the nozzle of the container which was supposed to validate the grant of three paces by King Mahabali ( grandson of Prahlada ) to Lord Vamana, an incarnation of Lord Vishnu.
Long ago, a flood took away the coracle and the deity Lord Azhagiya Manavalan during the theppautsavam at Sri Rangam and Koora Narayana Jeeyar Swamigal prayed to Sudarshanar. The coracle and the Lord were brought back safely by Sudarshanar that very instance. In fact Lord Shiva had told Goddess Parvathi that the ones who recite the Sudarshana mantram will be safe for ever. Thirumazhisai Alwar happens to be one of the twelve apostles of Lord Narayana and he is none other than Sri Sudarshanar. The worship and propitiation of Sri Sudarshanar is sure to rid people of the ill effects of disease, black magic etc., The holy discus Sri Sudarshanar will keep people safe from evil eyes, enemies within and outside, witchcraft, ghosts and ghouls due to the grace of Lord Narayana. The devotees will be blessed with good judgement, wisdom, long life, good spouse, good progeny and every other form of goodness including faith in Lord Narayana which is ultimate.
A number of shrines of Lord Sudarshanar are popular in India and they are located in Sri Rangam, Chakrapani Temple ( Kumbakonam ), Thirumoghur Kalamegha Perumal Temple. Coimbatore is home a number of powerful shrines of Sudarshanar and they in the Srinivasa Perumal Temple ( Pappanaicenpalayam ), Karivaradaraja Perumal Temple ( Peelamedu ), Venugopalakrishnaswamy Temple ( Sullivan Street ) and Lakshmi Narayana Venugopala Temple or Garadi Perumal Temple on Big Bazaar Street. The Sudarshana homam conducted by reciting the holy mantra of the holy discus 101128 times bestows protection and prosperity. Normally a gold or panchalokha yantram is made and propitiated at the time of the homam and kept at the houses or offices of the Bhagavatas.
Sudarshanar worship has always been important and Swami Vedanta Desika has given us the Sudarshanashtakam and Sri Shodasayudha Stotram. Sri Maha Sudarshana Stuthi was rendered by Ambareesha Chakravarthy, Sri Sudarshanashtottara Sathanama Sthothram, Sri Suryakrutha Sudarshana Stothram (Kumbakona Mahatmeeyam), Sri Chakrapani Stothram, Sri Sudarshana Kavacham ( Bhrihu Samhitha ) are among the best prayers to Lord Sudarshanar. However the SUDARSHANA SATHAKAM consisting of one hundred verses on Lord Chakrapani will bestow everything on the devotee. This composition by Koora Narayana Jeeyar is said to cure the devotees from the worst of diseases. The one reciting it will become free of all kinds of severe mental and physical afflictions thereafter.
Devotees of Lord Narayana who seek freedom from disease and bondage while also seeking all the sixteen forms of wealth which includes the permanent grace of Lord Narayana will recieve the same if they offer their prayers to Lord Sudarshanar on Sudarshana Jayanthi. The devotees at the Arulmigu Lakshmi Narayana Venugopala Temple at Big Bazaar Street celebrated the Sudarshana Jayanthi with complete faith and surrender. Lord Sudarshanar is sure keep the denizens of Coimbatore safe and happy for eternity.
Lord Vishnu has a number of weapons - the bow is known as Sarangam, the sword is known as Nandakam, the conch is known as Panchajanyam, the mace is known as Koumodaki and the holy discus is known as Sudarshanar. The weapons are together known as ' Panchayudham '. Sudarshanar or Sudarshanam is also known as Thiruvazhialwan and he is the most important weapon of Lord Vishnu. Devotees consider Sri Sudarshanar as an aspect of Lord Vishnu and he is represented with eight or sixteen or thirty two arms. Sudarshanar is seen in a six cornered star ( Shatkona ) as a ferocious deity and while in a three cornered star Yoga Narasimhar is along with him at the rear. The five weapons of Lord Vishnu are the security personnel of the Universe and they are ever vigilant. While Lord Vishnu has five weapons and his main weapon Sri Sudarshanar has sixteen weapons.
Sri Sudarshanar is known to protect the true devotees of Lord Hari or Narayana. On one occasion he did his part by protecting the great devotee Raja Ambareesha from a fiend dispatched by the age angry Sage Durvasa on him. Sudarshanar annhiliated the fiend and sought to finish off Sage Durvasa. It was only because of the request of Ambareesha that the sage was spared. Sudarshanar acted with great alacrity on behalf of Lord Narayana and saved Gajendra, the elephant who was caught by a crocodile. Sudarshanar hacked the crocodile at the behest of Lord Vishnu. The false Vasudeva who was known as Poundrika Vasudeva was vanquished by Sudarshanar who was despatched by Lord Krishna. The Mahabharata war was fought over eighteen days and Abhimanyu, the son of Arjuna was killed due to the deciet of the Kauravas and their brother in law Jayadratha. Arjuna had taken an oath that he would extinguish himself by setting himself on fire if he did not kill Jayadratha by sun down of the fourteenth day of the big war at Kurukshethra. At around sunset, Sudarshanar was made to create an artificial sunset and Jayadratha emerged out of the shadows. Immediately, Lord Krishna withdrew the holy Sudarshanar and brave Arjuna used the oppourtunity to slay Jayadratha. Thus Sudarshanar played his role in the war.
One friend of Lord Krishna had been trained in all the weapons belonging to him. He began tormenting a number of good souls and Lord Krishna warned this friend who was known as Malikan. This guy wanted to learn the use of Sudarshanar and requested Lord Krishna to let him learn how to use the holy discus. Lord Krishna took this an appropriate moment and passed Sudarshanar to the evil intentioned fellow. He tried to throw the holy discus and then aimed his finger in order to make it go around near his head. It was at this time that Sri Sudarshanar chopped his head away and put an end to his menace. Sishupala, a cousin of Lord Krishna used to mis behave and make mistakes continuously. Lord Krishna had promised his aunt that Sishupala would be excused a hundred times and on seeing the haughty ruler of Chedi doing his hundredth mistake at the venue of the Rajasuya Yaga conducted by the Pandavas, he aimed the discus at him and had him decapitated.
Sri Sudarshanar would always be present with Lord Vishnu and both of them are inseperable. It was during the Lord's incarnation as Narasimha that Sudarshanar did his job by taking form as the nails which were used to tear the evil demon Hiranyakashipu apart. Sudarshanar took the form of dharbha or the holy grass in order to pierce the eyes of Sage Sukracharya who had taken the form of a beetle and blocked the nozzle of the container which was supposed to validate the grant of three paces by King Mahabali ( grandson of Prahlada ) to Lord Vamana, an incarnation of Lord Vishnu.
Long ago, a flood took away the coracle and the deity Lord Azhagiya Manavalan during the theppautsavam at Sri Rangam and Koora Narayana Jeeyar Swamigal prayed to Sudarshanar. The coracle and the Lord were brought back safely by Sudarshanar that very instance. In fact Lord Shiva had told Goddess Parvathi that the ones who recite the Sudarshana mantram will be safe for ever. Thirumazhisai Alwar happens to be one of the twelve apostles of Lord Narayana and he is none other than Sri Sudarshanar. The worship and propitiation of Sri Sudarshanar is sure to rid people of the ill effects of disease, black magic etc., The holy discus Sri Sudarshanar will keep people safe from evil eyes, enemies within and outside, witchcraft, ghosts and ghouls due to the grace of Lord Narayana. The devotees will be blessed with good judgement, wisdom, long life, good spouse, good progeny and every other form of goodness including faith in Lord Narayana which is ultimate.
A number of shrines of Lord Sudarshanar are popular in India and they are located in Sri Rangam, Chakrapani Temple ( Kumbakonam ), Thirumoghur Kalamegha Perumal Temple. Coimbatore is home a number of powerful shrines of Sudarshanar and they in the Srinivasa Perumal Temple ( Pappanaicenpalayam ), Karivaradaraja Perumal Temple ( Peelamedu ), Venugopalakrishnaswamy Temple ( Sullivan Street ) and Lakshmi Narayana Venugopala Temple or Garadi Perumal Temple on Big Bazaar Street. The Sudarshana homam conducted by reciting the holy mantra of the holy discus 101128 times bestows protection and prosperity. Normally a gold or panchalokha yantram is made and propitiated at the time of the homam and kept at the houses or offices of the Bhagavatas.
Sudarshanar worship has always been important and Swami Vedanta Desika has given us the Sudarshanashtakam and Sri Shodasayudha Stotram. Sri Maha Sudarshana Stuthi was rendered by Ambareesha Chakravarthy, Sri Sudarshanashtottara Sathanama Sthothram, Sri Suryakrutha Sudarshana Stothram (Kumbakona Mahatmeeyam), Sri Chakrapani Stothram, Sri Sudarshana Kavacham ( Bhrihu Samhitha ) are among the best prayers to Lord Sudarshanar. However the SUDARSHANA SATHAKAM consisting of one hundred verses on Lord Chakrapani will bestow everything on the devotee. This composition by Koora Narayana Jeeyar is said to cure the devotees from the worst of diseases. The one reciting it will become free of all kinds of severe mental and physical afflictions thereafter.
Devotees of Lord Narayana who seek freedom from disease and bondage while also seeking all the sixteen forms of wealth which includes the permanent grace of Lord Narayana will recieve the same if they offer their prayers to Lord Sudarshanar on Sudarshana Jayanthi. The devotees at the Arulmigu Lakshmi Narayana Venugopala Temple at Big Bazaar Street celebrated the Sudarshana Jayanthi with complete faith and surrender. Lord Sudarshanar is sure keep the denizens of Coimbatore safe and happy for eternity.
