Shiva Temples of Tamilnadu

Sthala Puranam

Arjuna and the Pasupadastra

Thiruvijayamangai is revered as the place where Arjuna performed intense penance to obtain the powerful Pasupatastra from Shiva. According to the Mahabharata, Arjuna sought this divine weapon to aid the Pandavas in their forthcoming battle against the Kauravas. Following the counsel of Krishna, he came to Thiruvijayamangai and undertook rigorous austerities and deep meditation, seeking to earn Shiva’s grace and demonstrate his worthiness to receive the celestial weapon.

However, his penance was soon disrupted by the arrival of Mukasura, a demon dispatched by the envious Duryodhana in the form of a wild boar. God Shiva, accompanied by his consort Parvati, manifested as a hunter and swiftly slew the boar, with the four Vedas themselves transforming into loyal hunting dogs at his side. Simultaneously, Arjuna loosed an arrow at the same boar, leading to a heated dispute between Arjuna and the disguised hunter over who could rightfully claim the kill.

As tempers flared, Arjuna’s bow shattered in the ensuing scuffle, prompting the enraged warrior to strike the hunter with the broken weapon — a blow so powerful that its reverberations were felt across all three worlds. In that pivotal moment, God Shiva revealed his true divine form to Arjuna, bestowing upon him the coveted Pasupadastra before vanishing from sight. Thus, the temple earned the name Thiruvijayamangai, immortalizing the site where Arjuna (Vijaya) received the blessings and favour of Shiva. To this day, devotees and pilgrims visiting the temple can bear witness to the enduring mark left by Arjuna’s bow upon the sacred Shiva lingam, a tangible reminder of this legendary encounter.

Origin of the Name Govindaputtur

The name Govindaputtur holds a fascinating origin story. According to local tradition, a devoted cow (Go in Tamil) once worshipped the Linga by reverently pouring milk from its own udders onto the Linga. Thus, the place came to be known as Govantaputtur, forever immortalizing the cow’s profound display of piety. In his Pathigam, TiruNavukkarasar explicitly mentions both the town’s name, Govindaputtur, and the temple’s name, Vijayamangai, in the third song of his composition.