Hari Om
Prathyangira Devi also called Narasimhi, Narashimhika and Atharvana Bhadrakali is powerful Goddess associated with Shakti worship. She is a form of Adi Parashakti and is the consort of Sarabeswara. She is described as a goddess with a male lion’s face and a female human body representing the union of Shiva and Shakti. She holds the combined destructive power of Vishnu, Shiva and Shakti. This combination of lion and human forms represents the balance of good and evil. In Shaktism, Pratyangira is Siddhilakshmi, a form of Guhya Kali. In Vaishnavism, Pratyangira is Narasimhi, the power of Narasimha avatar. In Durga tradition, Pratyangira is Purna Chandi, the fiery destructive power of Brahman. In the Vedas, Pratyangira is Adharvana Bhadrakali, the goddess of Adharva Veda and magical spells.
The Temple for Sri Maha Prathyangira Devi is situated in a village called Ayyavadi around 5 kms from Kumbakonam. The Temple is over 1000 years old.
This Temple is located just 0.5 Km from Sri Uppiliappan temple. The village was once called as Aivar Padi. According to legends, the pancha Pandavas visited this place, kept their weapons under a tree, worshipped Sri Maha Prathyangira Devi and went around in the forests. As the five Pandavas worshipped here, it is beleived that the place was called as Aivar (in Tamil meaning 5 people) Padi which later changed to Ayyavadi.
Sri Maha Vishnu took the Narasimha Avatar to kill the demon king Hiranyakasipu who is the father of Prahalada. After being so intensely fought with so much of anger and power to kill the king, the anger and the fierce of Sri Narasimha didn’t come down. With so much of uncontrollable hyper and anger, Narasimha couldn’t differentiate between good and bad people and started troubling everyone and no one could control him. People prayed Lord Shiva to save them.
Shivji took a new and more powerful form or Avatar as Sri Sarabeswara, with lion’s face and eagle’s wings. Shakthi accompanied Lord Shiva in the form of Sri Mahaprathyangira Devi seated on one of the wings of Sri Sarabeswara. Sarabeswarar went around and subsided Narasimha’s anger to bring back peace. Hence both Sri Mahaprathyangira Devi and Sri Sarabeswara are beleived to be extremely powerful than any other powers.
In Ramayana, Indrajit, son of Ravana performed a Yaga called “Nigumbalai Yagam”, worshipping Sri Maha Prathyangira Devi. It is beleived that from this Ayyavadi he performed the Yagna. If he had completed the Yagna successfully, he would have got the powers even to kill Rama. Knowing this truth, somehow the Yaga was spoiled by Lakshmana and Anjaneya before completion. Here the Devi is seated on the chariot with 4 lions, 8 arms with weapons possessing Lion’s face. Prathyangira Devi is dark in complexion, wears crescent moon on the head and she holds trident, pasa, damaru and is accompanied by Goddess Lakshmi and Saraswathi. Prathyangira Devi is believed to have appeared from the forehead of Sarabeswara.
Prathyangira Devi Gayatri Mantra
Aum Aparajithayai Vidmahe Shatru Nishoodinyai DheemahiTanno Pratyangira Prachodayaat
Prathyangira Moola Mantra
Aum Ksham Paksha Jvala Jihve Karala DamshtrePratyangire Ksham Hreem Hum Phat
Sri Maha Prathyangira Devi’s worship will take away all evil forces and unsolvable problems from one’s life. In this temple Homams are conducted usually on No moon day, during which huge volumes of Red Chillies are offered along with 108 types of herbs and offerings in the fire (Homa) to the Goddess. Despite the use of huge volumes of red chillies in the Nigumbala Yagna fire, the spicy smoke generated from the Yaga does not harm or affect the attendees. It is a miracle. At the end of the yagna, Abhishek is performed on Holy mother Prathyangira Devi and Lord Sarabeswarar with the sanctified holy kalasa (pots) water of the Yagna. The sacred Banyan tree in the temples has to our surprise leaves of other trees such as mango, bodhi, Ichi and Purasu.
The temple’s Shivji is known as Sri Agastheeswarar who is facing East and Mother Dharma Samvardhini is facing South. The Temple is praised in Thevaram hymns. Saint Gnanasambandar has visited the Temple and praised the Lord of the Temple in his hymns.
Sri Maha Prathyangira Devi is an important Goddess in Shakthi worship. There is a Moola mantra too for worshipping Sri Maha Prathyangira Devi. This temple is a rare and wonderful temple for Shakthi Devotees.
Devotees perform Nigumbala Yagna in this Temple with utmost devotion and mental purity to regain their lost position, for removal of enemy threats, relief from debt burdens, promotion of business, for getting wedding boon, for remedial action to ward off afflictions caused by Shanidev in their birth chart and also to get rid of career troubles.
May we all receive Goddess Sri Maha Prathyangira Devi’s choicest Blessings for trouble-free life and living.
Nigumbala Yagam @ Temple:
GF’ Blessings.
