09-29-2007, 12:17 AM
The story behind the salt-less offering to Oppiliappan (temple located in Kumbakonam, Tanjore district, TN).
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->MrikaNdu Maharishi's son Sri MaarkaNdEyaa worshipped the Lord and desired that Lakshmi should appear as his daughter and the Lord should become his Son-in-Law. When he was doing theerththaadanam and shEthra yaaththirai, after reaching ThiruvinNagaram, he felt that this was the right place for getting his desire fulfilled. MaarkaNdEyaa then started a severe penance for 1000 years seeking Lakshim dEvi's blessings.
After the thousand years of penance, Lakshmi appeared as a baby under the already incarnated thulasi chedi (thulasi plant). Sri Maarkandeya felt the presence of Lakshmi as the incarnation of the baby and realised that one part of his desire had been fulfilled. He took possession of the baby and brought her up.
When this young girl reached the adolescent age or paruvam, one day (panguNi month sravana nakshathram) the Lord, appeared as an old man and asked for the hand of maarkaNdEya's daughter. maarkaNdEya replied <b>"You are very ripe and old, my daughter is very very young and she does not even know how to cook with proper salt (lavanam) contents. </b>You may get angry and curse her if she cannot cook properly. This is not fair. You are bodily old but mentally v ery aware. You must forgive me and bless me but this will not work out.".
<b>To which the old man replied, "If your daughter must cook without salt, then I will still take it as my best food, but I will not leave from here without marrying her."</b>
Without knowing what to do , maarkaNdEyaa sought the help of the ever protecting Lord Vishnu.
It was then that he realised, using his thapobalam, that the old man was none other than Lord Vishnu Himself.
When he opened his eyes the Lord appeared in front of him with changu and chakram as in SriVaikundam (He is seen in the same form even now in this temple) and maarkaNdEya asked for forgiveness. Sri m aarkaNdEya then offered his daughter's hand in marriage and performed the kannikaathaanam of his daughter (Lakshmi) to the Lord Himself.
<b>Since the Lord had said "I will accept the food that is not salted as my best and most desired food", this temple neyvEthiyam is always done without salt in any food. No one should ever take anything that contains salt into this temple </b>...
http://www.oppiliappan.org/p271.htm<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->MrikaNdu Maharishi's son Sri MaarkaNdEyaa worshipped the Lord and desired that Lakshmi should appear as his daughter and the Lord should become his Son-in-Law. When he was doing theerththaadanam and shEthra yaaththirai, after reaching ThiruvinNagaram, he felt that this was the right place for getting his desire fulfilled. MaarkaNdEyaa then started a severe penance for 1000 years seeking Lakshim dEvi's blessings.
After the thousand years of penance, Lakshmi appeared as a baby under the already incarnated thulasi chedi (thulasi plant). Sri Maarkandeya felt the presence of Lakshmi as the incarnation of the baby and realised that one part of his desire had been fulfilled. He took possession of the baby and brought her up.
When this young girl reached the adolescent age or paruvam, one day (panguNi month sravana nakshathram) the Lord, appeared as an old man and asked for the hand of maarkaNdEya's daughter. maarkaNdEya replied <b>"You are very ripe and old, my daughter is very very young and she does not even know how to cook with proper salt (lavanam) contents. </b>You may get angry and curse her if she cannot cook properly. This is not fair. You are bodily old but mentally v ery aware. You must forgive me and bless me but this will not work out.".
<b>To which the old man replied, "If your daughter must cook without salt, then I will still take it as my best food, but I will not leave from here without marrying her."</b>
Without knowing what to do , maarkaNdEyaa sought the help of the ever protecting Lord Vishnu.
It was then that he realised, using his thapobalam, that the old man was none other than Lord Vishnu Himself.
When he opened his eyes the Lord appeared in front of him with changu and chakram as in SriVaikundam (He is seen in the same form even now in this temple) and maarkaNdEya asked for forgiveness. Sri m aarkaNdEya then offered his daughter's hand in marriage and performed the kannikaathaanam of his daughter (Lakshmi) to the Lord Himself.
<b>Since the Lord had said "I will accept the food that is not salted as my best and most desired food", this temple neyvEthiyam is always done without salt in any food. No one should ever take anything that contains salt into this temple </b>...
http://www.oppiliappan.org/p271.htm<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->