Thiruvetkalam - Pasupatheeshwarar Temple

• Meditation: I meditate on Lord Pasupatheeshwarar and Devi Sargunambal at Thiruvetkalam.

• Greatness: The Pasupatheeshwarar Temple of Thiruvetkalam is a Paadal Petra Sthalam whose glory was sung by the Nayanmars.

• Puranic Events:

1. Lord Shiva & Arjuna: Lord Shiva bestowed the Pasupatha Astra to Arjuna when Arjuna performed penance in this place.
- Events: Before the battle of Mahabharata, Sri Krishna advised Arjuna to worship Lord Shiva in this place and get his blessings. Accordingly, Arjuna came here and started performing penance worshipping Lord Shiva. Duryodhana came to know about the penance of Arjuna and sent demon Mookasura to kill him. The demon took the form of a boar. To protect Arjuna, Lord Shiva also came here in the guise of a hunter. When the boar was speeding towards Arjuna to attack him, both Arjuna and Lord Shiva (as hunter) discharged arrows and killed the boar. Then a fight arose between them as to whose arrow killed the boar. During this fight, Lord Shiva broke the bow of Arjuna. Arjuna hit Lord Shiva with his broken bow. Lord Shiva tossed Arjuna in the air by kicking him. Arjuna fell inside the temple tank by the grace of the Mother. Arjuna then realized that the hunter was none other than Lord Shiva. He begged pardon and worshipped the Lord. Lord Shiva and Devi Parvati gave darshan to Arjuna in their true form. Lord Shiva then bestowed Arjuna with Pasupatha Astra.
- Note: Since Lord Shiva bestowed Arjuna with Pasupatha Astra, he came to be known as Pasupatheeshwarar. The place where the fight took place is known as Esan Porveli (Esan refers to Lord and Porveli means fighting ground in Tamil). The place where Lord Shiva broke the bow of Arjuna is known as Villiruthan Kuttai (Villiruthan means breaking the bow and Kuttai means place in Tamil). The place where Arjuna hit the Lord with the broken bow is known as Nakkar Ukantha Kudi or Nakkanthankudi (Nakkar refers to Lord, Ukantha means cherished and Kudi means place in Tamil).

2. Lord Shiva & sage Narada: Sage Narada is said to have worshipped Lord Shiva in this place.

• Deities:
- Lord Pasupatheeshwarar
- Devi Sargunambal (or Nalla Nayaki)

• Sacred Geography:
- Kripa Kataksha Teertham: The Temple Tank.
- Bamboo Tree (or Vamsha Tree): The Sthala Vriksha of the Temple.

• Location: Thiruvetkalam Pasupatheeshwarar Temple is located in the Cuddalore district of Tamil Nadu. The temple is near the Annamalai University campus and can be visited from Chidambaram (4 km).

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