Swamimalai is a sylvan village, situated about five
kilometers west of Kumbakonam on the banks of a
tributary of river Cauvery. The temple is situated very
close to the bus stand and the railway station is about two
kilometers away. It is well connected to and surrounded by
important places like Kumbakonam, Tiruvidaimarutur,
Mayiladuthurai, Papanasam, Tanjavur etc.
Mythology and History
Swamimalai is fourth among the Six padi veedu or sacred
shrines dedicated to Lord Muruga. The presiding deity
here expounded the meaning of the Pranava mantra OM to
his own Father Lord Siva Himself.
Mythology says that saint Bhrugu before commencing an
arduous tavam or penance, got the boon that anybody
disturbing his mediation will forget all his knowledge. Such
was the power of the penance that the sacred fire
emanating from the head of the saint reached up to the
heavens, and the frightened devas surrendered to Lord
Siva praying for his grace. The Lord extinguished the
sacred fire by covering the saint's head by hand. With the
saint's penance thus disturbed the Lord became oblivious
of all his knowledge and is said to have regained them by
learning the Pranava mantra from Lord Muruga at this
shrine.
Once when Brahma, the lord of all creations was
proceeding to Kailasa, the ever-playful child Lord Muruga
asked him for the meaning of the Pranava OM. When
Brahma admitted his ignorance, the Lord imprisoned him.
With Brahma imprisoned, all creations came to a standstill
and the devas prayed to Lord Siva to get Brahma
released. When Muruga insisted that the imprisonment
was a just punishment for the ignorance of Brahma, Lord
Siva asked him whether he himself knew the meaning of
the primordial Pranava OM. Lord Muruga said that he
knew the meaning of OM and can expound it to the latter
only if he can accept him as guru and listen to the
exposition as a devoted disciple. As Lord Siva acceded to
the request of Lord Muruga and heard the exposition of
OM as a disciple, the place came to be known as
Swamimalai and the presiding deity as Swaminathan.
The temple is built on an artificial hillock of about sixty feet
height with sixty beautifully laid stone steps representing
the Hindu cycle of sixty years - leading to the Lord . In the
ground floor there are temples dedicated to Lord
Sundareswarer and Goddesss Meenakshi.
Hymns in praise of the presiding deity have been sung by
saint Nakkeerar in and by Saint Arunagirnathar in
Tiruppukazh.