The Diety
SRI YANTRA RAJA VAJRA STAMBHAJA LAKSHMINARASIMHA SWAMY TEMPLE SRI HARIHARAPURA MAHAKSHETRAप्रह्लादनुत गोविन्द वज्र स्तम्भज श्रीधर |
अत्रैव तिष्ठ भगवन् रक्ष भक्तान् त्वया श्रितान् ||
Hariharapura is a historic Narasimha Kshetra on the banks of river Tunga in Chikmagalur district, Karnataka. Being a divine land extolled by Puranas and sanctified by the holy presence of Maharishis and Siddha Purushas, Hariharapura is also home to the ancient Adi Shankaracharya SharadaLakshmiNarasimha Peetam – a Dharmapeetam directly established by Jagadguru sriAdiShankaracharya.
Enveloped in resplendent nature, the scenic beauty of this place becomes an ideal retreat for the turbulent mind fettered by hectic city life. The reverberating Vedic chants amidst lush greenery and the gentle flow of river Tunga creates an exquisite ambience of divine fervor.
The Hariharapura Narasimha temple is an ancient Kshetra that traces its origin to the period of Sage Agastya. The LakshmiNarasimha Swamy worshipped by Agastya Maharishi is the presiding deity of this Kshetra.
Agastya Maharishi also called as ‘KuruMuni’ is a highly revered Vedic Sage who travelled throughout the length and breadth of Bharatha Bhoomi. Being the foremost among Sapta Rishis, Sage Agastya has been mentioned in almost all of our early Hindu texts. He is eulogized by the Vedas and Puranasas an unparalleled ascetic whose innate knowledge and wisdom outshone the entire universe.
Agastya Maharishi is widely acknowledged as a prominent Siddha possessing peerless proficiency in a vast array of subjects. His outstanding contributions in the field of astrology, science and medicine fascinate even the modern day’s scientists. This Sage, who was also adept in martial arts, disseminatedelaborate information on weaponry and healing methods. India’s famed fighting systems such as Kalaripayatt, Silambam, Varmam, etc are known to have been founded by him. His fine formulations and intricate detailing of the subjects he dealt seem far ahead of all scientific and technological advancements of today. Many of his abundant scholarly works still stay untapped, because of their complexity that are too vast even for modern intelligence.
There are various references in our sacred literatures that are attributed to the glory of this Sage. Once, the Asuras took shelter inside the ocean. Unable to fight the hidden demons, the Devas sought the help of Agastya Maharishi. Moved by their prayer, the renowned Sage collected the entire ocean in his palm and drank the same in one gulp! All the living creatures in the ocean were safely protected and thehiding Asuras were alone exposed. The Devas slew the Asuras and the Sage released the water back into the ocean. This incident is mentioned in the Aranya Parva of Mahabharata.
Agastya Maharishi has also been praised at many instances throughout the Valmiki Ramayana. It is stated that Lord sriRama acquired many powerful weapons from Sage Agastya, which included the mighty bow ‘Vishnu Dhanus’ and the inexhaustible quiver ‘Akshaya Thuneera’. During the battle against Ravana, it was the Aditya Hridaya Upadesham imparted by Agastya Maharishi that aided to Lord sriRama’s victory. Sage Agastya was also adored for his matchless mastery over music. It is a popular myth that he defeated even the potent Ravana in a Veena playing contest.
In all our Puranic texts, a very high position has been accorded to Agastya Maharishi. One of the famous legends is about the Vindhya Mountain that kept growing despite the advices of the Devas and Rishis. The monstrous growth of the Vindhyachala posed a devastating threat, and the worried Devas ran to Agastya Maharishi for a solution. Heeding their pleas, Sage Agastya proceeded south walking towards the Vindhya Parvata. Astounding the audience, the gigantic Vindhyaachala that had grown exceeding even the height of the sun, immediately bowed down in complete reverence on seeing Agastya Maharishi. And the sage ordered the Vindhya Parvata to stay in the same posture until he returned from south. Thus, the fierce arrogance of the Vindhyachala was conquered in no time. Such was the greatness of the Kumbha Sambhava Agastya Maharishi.
All through our scriptures, in every note about Agastya Maharishi, his extra-ordinary magnificence and power are explicitly evident. His palm was enough to contain the entire ocean! The mighty mountain bowed before him! The water spilt from his Kamandala became the holy Kaveri River! All seriousimpediments that threatened even the Devas and Rishis were wiped off at ease by him.