In Satya Yuga, a sage by name Purupunyar lived with his wife Satyavathi in Badarikashram. They had no children. Purupanyar performed a Sali Yajna (Putrakameshti Yaga) with great fervor and devotion. The sage offered thousand ahutis (oblations of ghee to the sacrificial fire after chanting the mantra each time) every day, for one full year. On the last day, when Purnahuti (the final offering) was performed, Lord Narayana was pleased with the austerity of the ritualistic observances of the sage and appeared in the sacrificial fire in a blissful mood to offer boons. The sage prayed for a noble son. The boon was granted with the condition that he should be named after the name of the Yajna as Salihotran.

“Saali” means measurement instrument which is used to measure the weight or quantity of rice. Saalihothirar’s parents did a homam which has to be done for one year using twenty eight thousand Saali Rice. As the result of that homam only, he got his birth and got the name as “Saalihothirar” or Salihotran.

With this blessing, Lord Narayana disappeared. Then the sage collected the ash strewn around the Yajna Peetha and gave a handful of it to his wife to take in with great veneration as Prasadam. In the tenth month after that, a glorious son was born to Sage Purupunyar. The child was named Salihotran as ordained by Lord Narayana. With the growth of years, the child showed signs of precocity and started on a pilgrimage visiting many temples.

On Tai Amavasya day (new Moon day in Jan-Feb), he reached Tiruvallur where he found that Lord Brahma, other devas and great sages like Vasishtha were engaged in taking bath in the Hrittapanasini tank. They all asked him to do the same. Enriched by the bath, Sage Salihitran decided to stay there and do penance.

Next year, on the same Pushya Amavasya day, he completed one year of penance and took a holy bath in the Hrittapanasini tank and observed his morning prayers. As he was fasting for one year without food or drink, he collected some paddy and prepared prasadam out of that. He divided it into three parts; the first part was offered to Lord Narayana. The second part was kept for offering as charity and the third for his own consumption. At this juncture, Lord Narayana took the form of an old Brahmin and came the way where Salihotran was waiting to offer the share to a guest. When Salihotran saw the old Brahmin, he immediately requested him to grace his hermitage. He respectfully offered to the Brahmin, the prasadam meant for the guest. Quickly the Brahmin ate up the offering and Salihotran felt from his facial appearance that he was not satisfied.

On inquiry, he learnt that the old Brahmin had had no food for the last four or five days and his hunger was not fully satisfied. At this, the portion kept for him was offered to the guest. The guest was satisfied and left the place. Salihotran commenced another year’s penance without food and drink. Again, on the day of Pushya Amavasya at its close, he took his holy bath in the tank and noticed many good omens on his way. After finishing his morning rituals, he procured some paddy and prepared oblations. Like the previous year, he offered a portion to Lord Narayana and was waiting for a guest to offer the second portion, leaving the last portion for him. This time also, Lord Narayana took the form of an old Brahmin and was coming by that way. Salihotran welcomed him and while accompanying him to the hermitage, the old Brahmin expressed that he was feeling extremely hungry and thirsty and needed a place for rest also. In the hermitage, Salihotran offered the entire prasadam meant for the guest as well as of himself. The old Brahmin was greatly pleased and asked Salihotran, “Where is the place for me to lie (Evvul)?” For this, Salihotran asked him that he can sleep in his hut and he will do the Paadha seva to him.

The sacred tank here is known as Hrittapanasini. The following Sanskrit shloka describes the sanctity of the tank:
darsanat sparsanat snanat, sadyo hrittapanasanah,
ato sarveshu lokeshu, namna Hrittapanasanah

The tank is so holy that evens a sight or a touch or a bath would immediately dispel all anguish of heart. The temple witnesses a huge devotee crowd in thousands during the two Brahmmotsavams, the first of ten days in Chithirai (April-May). This Divya Desam is located at Tiruvallur, a railhead on the (suburban) railroad between Chennai and Arakkonam. Nearby are the Tiruppaasoor and the Tiruvaalankaadu Shivastalams and Tirumazhisai, the birthplace of Tirumazhisai Azhwar.

Temple Tank – Hrittapanasini:
It is located on the southern side of the temple which is spread over an area of 7.35 acres. The sacred tank of Tiruvallur is known as Hrith-Thapa-Nasini. The tank is one of the most sacred tirthas of Sri Vaishnava sthalas. On the new moon day, every month thousands of people take a dip in this holy tirtha and pray to Lord Vaidhya Veeraraghava Swami to cure any of their illness.

Aayarpadi – Gosala:
The temple has developed a sprawling well-maintained Gosala named as ‘Aayarpadi’. It is well equipped and is located in an excellent environment, away from the temple. Gosala is located opposite to R.T.O office on Tirupati Highway, around 3kms from the temple. The milk from the Gosala is used for the temple puja and for annadanam conducted by the Devasthanam.

Lord Sri Veeraraghava Perumal

Hrittapanasini – sacred tank

Goshala at Sri Veeraraghava Perumal Temple

It is the birthplace of Sri Koorathazhwar. Kooram is a tiny picturesque hamlet near about 10 km from Kanchipuram. Kooram is the birthplace of great devotee, Sri Koorathalwar (or Kuresh) and there is a temple dedicated to him. Kuresh appeared in 1008 A.D. and he was the prime disciple of Sripad Ramanujacarya. He is an epitome of humbleness and person with unmatched guru bhakti. Although born into a rich family, he gave away all his material wealth and became a disciple of Sri Ramanuja. He lost his eyes in an act to protect his guru Ramanuja from the fanatics. He helped Ramanuja compose the Sri Bhasyam.

In Kooram there is Kooram Koorathazhwar Temple. This temple has two parts one dedicated to Sri Adi Kesava Perumal and the second part dedicated to Koorathalwar. The temple was dedicated to Koorathalwar. It was his residence thousand years ago. The first part of the temple is the main portion facing in eastern direction. The sanctum sanctorum has the deities of Sri Adi Kesava Perumal with His consorts Sri Devi and Bhu Devi. All the Deities are in the standing posture.

The second part of the temple belongs to Koorathalwar. The sanctum sanctorum has the deity of Koorathalwar in the sitting posture. The prakara surrounding the sanctum has a lot of paintings depicting his life. The bronze Utsava deities of Lord Ramachandra, Sita, Lakshmana and Hanuman, are around 1000 years old which were worshiped by the parents of Koorathalwar. They are also placed along with his deity in the sanctum sanctorum. The room where Koorathazhwar was born is converted into his shrine.

This portion of the temple has many sub shrines such as Pillai Lokacharya, Manavala Mamunigal, Ramanujar, Parasara Pattar, Senai Mudali, Nammalvar and Tirumangai Azhwar. Although the temple is ancient, it is entirely renovated recently.

Atrocities of Kolatunga:
There was a fanatic king of the Chola dynasty named Kolatunga. Throughout the religious history, we find this type of fanaticism blemishes the good name of God consciousness.

Spirituality is to make us humble, forgiving and at the same time very strict and very serious about practicing our own faith and feeling compassion for all living beings. There cannot be hate in the heart of one who loves God. Basically religious fanaticism is not about God or religion, it’s about the false ego or the ahankar. Ahankar has a very powerful tool to fulfill itself in the form of so called religion. Because then we can bring it to absolute dimensions that justifies in doing anything to anyone, anywhere at any time. It is the feast for the ego.

Kolatunga was a Shaivaite and he wanted to convert everyone. He had a minister called Chaturgrama. He was a disciple of Kuresa and an associate of Ramanuja. But somehow because of too much false ego he became bitter, antagonistic. Chaturgrama suggested Kolatunga that if he wanted the kingdom to convert to his religion, then, either he will have to convert Ramanujacarya or kill him. So the king sent military to Sri Rangam to invite Ramanujacarya to come to Kanchipuram for a debate. When the soldiers came, Ramanujacarya was bathing in the river. He was collecting everything and was ready to go. There was a disciple of Ramanuja, his name was Kuresa (also known as Koorathazhwan and Kuresan). He was a very, very devoted disciple, he was so pure and so simple and so humble but yet so learned in his philosophy. He told Ramanuja, his gurudeva, “Please I beg you, you are so important to this world but I am insignificant. If this world loses your association then it has lost everything, there is no hope. But I am insignificant, so please let me go and accept this debate and you hide, otherwise they will kill you.” So Ramanujacarya, seeing the great desire of his devotee, he put on the white cloth and left Sri Rangam in the guise of a grihastha (householder) and nobody knew where he was leaving and Kuresa put on his guru’s sannyasa’s robes. Mahapurna said, “I will go with you and defend the truth.” So they left with the soldiers, and meanwhile Ramanujacarya and his disciples went into exile.

Mahapurna and Kuresa came to the court of Kolatunga. Kolatunga asked them ‘what is the goal and purpose of life.’ Kuresa replied that goal of life is to surrender to Lord Vishnu. Hearing this Kolatunga became very angry. He brought the best pandits in the kingdom but Mahapurna and Kuresa defeated each one of them. The king said, sign this statement or you will be tortured and killed. There was a paper which read, “Siva is supreme.” Mahapurna and Kuresa signed the paper. Kolatunga was very happy until he read what was written. They had written that, “Even dron is greater than Siva.” Dron and siva are measuring weights. The king was outraged and he ordered the soldiers to take them to the forest. He said that because Ramanujacarya saved the life of my daughter, I’ll not kill him but remove his eyes.” So he told his soldiers to pluck out their eyes. The soldiers had red hot iron rods and they blinded them. Kuresa folded his arms and prayed for the soldiers. Even soldier’s hearts melted.

The Haunted Princess:
There was an incident that took place sometime before. When Ramanujacarya was still a student at the ashram of Yadavaprakash. Yadavaprakash was not only a great mayavadi but he was also a mystic yogi and a magician. He was very famous for exorcising ghost. So the king’s daughter was being haunted by a ghost. She was just totally mad and crazy.All blasphemes were coming from her mouth, although she was a very quiet shy girl. So they called for Yadavaprakash and he was doing all of his rituals to exorcise the ghost and the ghost with a high shrills spoke through the mouth of this girl. She said, “Yadavaprakash, you have no power to get rid of me, you might as well give up all your futile attempts. I am so much more powerful than you”. His whole image and reputation was on stake, so he was trying again and again with no avail. But finally the ghost again spoke in a terrible shrilling voice through the mouth of this young princess that, “There is no hope, the only way is if your youngest disciple Ramanuja comes, then I will be forced to leave because of the purity of his heart” .Others heard this, so Yadavaprakash was forced to call his disciple Ramanuja. Ramanuja was very gentle, humble and he began to pray to Lord Narayana, “Please, save this girl.” While he was praying the ghost spoke through the mouth of the girl, “Ramanuja, I will only leave the body of this girl if you put your lotus feet on my head.” So then the princess who was completely being controlled by the ghost bowed down and put her head on the ground and then Ramanuja placed his feet on the princess head and then Ramanuja said to the ghost, “What will be the sign that you have actually left this girl?” She said, “We are sitting under this banyan tree, the highest branch of this banyan tree will crack and fall to the ground as soon as I leave.” Just within seconds the highest branch of the banyan tree cracked and fell to the ground.

Kuresa, an ideal disciple:
After Kuresa defeated the ministers, they wanted to kill him but the princess appeared and said, “He saved my life, and how can you kill him? He saved me from that ghost, you cannot kill him.” So instead of killing they burned his eyes out.

Just see the great dedication of a disciple for his spiritual master. Then they took Kuresa and they just threw him in a jungle area where he was completely lost and they left him there. So Kuresa was feeling very grateful to Lord Narayana that he was allowed to do such a wonderful service for his spiritual master. He was not thinking, “Oh! I have surrendered I have done all this for my guru and look what is happening. I am blind and lost and probably starved to death”. He was very grateful. He was very happy that “By your mercy my Lord, you are so kind you have allowed me to do such a wonderful seva for my gurudeva.”

This is the quality of a real disciple. He is willing to give his life for his guru. He is willing to accept any inconvenience gladly with a grateful, happy and joyful heart. Koorathazhwar was the ultimate symbol of perfection-The perfect disciple with the perfect knowledge. He lived for 110 years, spending his final days in Srirangam before returning to the spiritual abode.