Nandu doing Siva pooja with one flower and attain mukthi

Saint Tirugnanasambandar had praised the glory of the Lord in his Thevaram hymns.  Lord in the Tirundudevan Kudi temple should be approached by those in need of medicines, mantras and teachings for a righteous life, says the saint in his hymn.  This is the 42nd Shiva temple on the northern bank of Cauvery praised in scriptures.

A swayambulinga existing in this place then g0t buried under the sand here.  A chola king was ruling this place then.  He had an attack of paralysis and no doctor was able to cure him.  He fell at the feet of Lord Shiva finally.  An aged couple came to his court, gave him the water dissolved with sacred ashes.  The king got up completely cured and requested them to stay in the place as royal doctors which they declined.  He offered them gifts of gold which too they denied to accept.  When the king asked them what exactly they wished, brought him to this place and asked him to build a temple where the Shivalinga was then and simply disappeared then.  The king understood that the visitors were but Lord Shiva and Mother Parvathi and built the temple.  People pray to Lord here for relief from disease-Pini in Tamil.  Saint Gnanasambandar has mentioned Lord in his hymn as Pini Neekkum Shiva.

Generally, we find only one Ambica shrine in Shiva temples.  There are two Ambica shrines side by side.  During the construction of the temple, Ambica in the place was lost.  Hence, a new Ambica idol was made and installed and named Arumarundhu Nayaki meaning that She came as a medico.  Within a few days, the original Ambica idol also was found and installed with the name Apoorva Nayaki.  She is the main Ambica of the temple.

This is the temple to seek relief from the Karkadaka-Cancer in English and Nandu in Tamil-zodiac sign comprising of three stars-Punarvasu, Poosa and Ayilya.  The hole on the body of the Linga created by the Nandu and the scar caused by Indira is still visible.  There is a shrine for Moon-Chandra at the entrance of the temple.  Those having problems due to Moon aspects pray in this shrine.

Sage Durvasa was engaged in his Shiva Puja when a Gandharva (a community in the celestial world) mocked at his old age appearance.  The sage did not mind it.  Yet, the Gandharva continued the mischief and even called him by clapping hand moved before him as a cancer-Nandu.  Angry sage cursed him born a Nandu.  Realizing his folly, he sought the pardon of the sage.  He was advised to perform Shiva Puja to gain his original form.  He came to this place as a Nandu, bathed in the pushkarini, picked up flowers and worshipped the Lord.

Meantime, Indira the king of Devas also came to this place to perform Shiva Puja as advised by his Guru to acquire a power to conquer the demons.  He used to bathe in the pushkarini and did Shiva Puja with 1008 flowers.  Every day he found one flower falling short.  He saw the Nandu doing puja with one flower.  He thought that he was the only one worthy of doing Shiva puja and a Nandu was notqualified for the puja and tried to kill it with is sword.  Lord made a hole in His Lina body to help the creature to escape Indira’s attack.  Yet, the Linga was injured by the sword cut.  Lord appeared before Indira and said that one cannot succeed by arrogance but by humility alone.  As Lord granted salvation to Karkadaga-Nandu, He is praised as Karkadakeswarar.

Lord Shiva in the temple is a Swayambumurthy. There are two Ambica shrines in the temple. The hole through which the Nandu entered in the Linga and the scarcaused by Indira are still visible on the Linga. 

S. Ramanatha Sivachariar, 20/27, South Street, Veppathur Post – 612 105, Tiruvidaimaruthur Taluk, Tanjore dist.

Moolavar : Karkadeswarar
Urchavar : Somaskandar
Amman: Apoorvanayaki, Arumarundunayaki
Thala Virutcham : Nangai tree
Theertham : Navabashanam
Old year: 1000-2000 years old
Historical Name : Karkteeswaram, Nandankoil
City : Tirundudevankudi
District : Thanjavur

Thirumurai 3.25

பாடல் எண் : 1 பண் : கொல்லி
மருந்துவேண் டில்இவை மந்திரங் கள்இவை
புரிந்துகேட் கப்படும் புண்ணியங் கள்இவை
திருந்துதே வன்குடித் தேவர்தே வெய்திய
அருந்தவத் தோர்தொழும் அடிகள்வே டங்களே.

பாடல் எண் : 2
வீதிபோக் காவன வினையைவீட் டுவ்வன
ஓதியோர்க் கப்படாப் பொருளையோர் விப்பன
தீதில்தே வன்குடித் தேவர்தே வெய்திய
ஆதிஅந் தம்மிலா அடிகள்வே டங்களே.

பாடல் எண் : 3
மானம்ஆக் குவ்வன மாசுநீக் குவ்வன
வானையுள் கச்செலும் வழிகள் காட்டுவ்வன
தேனும்வண் டும்மிசை பாடுந்தே வன்குடி
ஆனஞ்சா டும்முடி அடிகள்வே டங்களே.

பாடல் எண் : 4
செவிகளார் விப்பன சிந்தையுட் சேர்வன
கவிகள்பா டுவ்வன கண்குளிர் விப்பன
புவிகள்பொங் கப்புனல் பாயுந்தே வன்குடி
அவிகளுய்க் கப்படும் அடிகள்வே டங்களே.

பாடல் எண் : 5
விண்ணுலா வும்நெறி வீடுகாட் டும்நெறி
மண்ணுலா வும்நெறி மயக்கந்தீர்க் கும்நெறி
தெண்ணிலா வெண்மதி தீண்டுதே வன்குடி
அண்ணலா னேறுடை அடிகள்வே டங்களே.

பாடல் எண் : 6
பங்கமென் னப்படர் பழிகளென் னப்படா
புங்கமென் னப்படர் புகழ்களென் னப்படும்
திங்கள்தோ யும்பொழில் தீண்டுதே வன்குடி
அங்கம்ஆ றும்சொன்ன அடிகள்வே டங்களே.

பாடல் எண் : 7
கரைதல்ஒன் றும்மிலை கருதவல் லார்தமக்
குரையில்ஊ னம்மிலை உலகினின் மன்னுவர்
திரைகள்பொங் கப்புனல் பாயுந்தே வன்குடி
அரையில்வெண் கோவணத் தடிகள்வே டங்களே.

பாடல் எண் : 8
உலகமுட் குந்திறல் உடையரக் கன்வலி
விலகுபூ தக்கணம் வெருட்டும்வே டத்தின
திலகமா ரும்பொழில் சூழ்ந்ததே வன்குடி
அலர்தயங் கும்முடி அடிகள்வே டங்களே.

பாடல் எண் : 9
துளக்கம்இல் லாதன தூயதோற் றத்தன
விளக்கம்ஆக் குவ்வன வெறிவண்டா ரும்பொழில்
திளைக்குந்தே வன்குடித் திசைமுக னோடுமால்
அளக்கஒண் ணாவண்ணத் தடிகள்வே டங்களே.

பாடல் எண் : 10
செருமரு தண்டுவர்த் தேரம ணாதர்கள்
உருமரு வப்படாத் தொழும்பர்தம் உரைகொளேல்
திருமரு வும்பொய்கை சூழ்ந்ததே வன்குடி
அருமருந் தாவன அடிகள்வே டங்களே.

பாடல் எண் : 11
சேடர்தே வன்குடித் தேவர்தே வன்றனை
மாடம்ஓங் கும்பொழின் மல்குதண் காழியான்
நாடவல் லதமிழ் ஞானசம் பந்தன
பாடல்பத் தும்வல்லார்க் கில்லையாம் பாவமே.

the forms of the god who is worshipped by sages who performed severs penance, and which are taken by him who is superior to other gods in Tiruntutēvaṉkuti, are medicine if one desires it;
these are mantiraṅkal Forms are holy ash, rudraksham, and sadai coiled into a crown.
these are the virtuous acts which should be heard with eagerness.

the forms of the god superior to other deities who dwells, in tēvaṉkuti which is without any blemish, assumed by him who has no beginning and end.
they serve as ornaments which can be worn when one circumbulates the streets.
will destroy karmams.
help to understand clearly abstruse subjects which one cannot understand by learning with his own skill when one reads a work and does not understand its real meaning, but if one thinks of these forms of Civaṉ he can easily understand it.

the forms of the god whose head is bathed in the five products of the cow and who is in tēvaṉkuti where teṉ and vaṇtu hum like melodies.
will secure dignity to people.
will remove all blemishes from the mind.
will show the way to think about the cosmis space.

the beautiful forms of the god for whom offerings are made into the sacrificial fire and who is in tēvaṉkuti where water spreads so that the fields may yield a rich harvest.
help to fill the ears with good knowledge.
enter into the mind.
make people to compose songs;
cause pleasure to the sense of sight.

the beautiful forms of the god who has an eminent bull and who is in tēvaṉkuti where the temple seems to touch the white moon which spreads clear moonlight.
are the path to enter into heaven are the path that shows the way to eternal bliss are the path to wander happily in this world.
are the path that removes confusion of mind.

the beautiful forms of the god who revealed the six aṅkams, and who is in tēvaṉkuti which has gardens which seem to touch the moon.
they cannot be called defects and cannot be thought as objects of ridicule that spread easily.
instead they will be considered as articles of excellence and as different kinds of fame that spread everywhere.
Those who wear holy ash, rudraksham in this birth are not people who committed in acts of reproach, and sinful acts.
They bring such great fame to wearer to describe which words are inadequate vehicles

the beautiful forms of Civaṉ who wears a loin-cloth in his waist and who is in tēvaṉkuti where water flows with surging waves.
there is nothing to be said disparagingly about them.
there is no defect for those who can fix their thoughts on them if they dilate upon their greatness.
they will live long in this world.

the beautiful forms of the god on whose head flowers are shining and who is in tēvaṉkuti surrounded by gardens which are pre-eminent the groups of putam which are capable of making the might of arakkaṉ who had such great strength that the world feared him, can frighten things that one could be afraid of, so that they will not approach devotees.

the beautiful forms of the god whose nature could not be measured by Māl, and Piramaṉ who has four faces for the four quarters, and who is tēvaṉkuti where in the gardens bees fond of fragrance are in big swarms and stay permanently there.
have no agitation of mind on body.
they are capable of purifying the minds of those who see them.
make things clear.

the beautiful forms of the god in Tēvaṉkuṭi surrounded by natural tanks which are frequented by the goddess of wealth, are really rare nectar.
People!
do not take into your minds the words of the base persons with whose bodies one cannot come into contact, people who are the ignorant amaṇar and tēvar who wear robes soaked in thick myrtle-dye.

Nāṉacampantaṉ who has knowledge of Tamiḻ and is capable of research, and who is a native of cool Kāḻi where storeys are high and gardens are thriving.
there will be no sins to those who are able to recite the ten verses composed by him on the exalted god superior to minor deities, in Tēvaṉkuti which is worshipped by great persons.