Meenakshi

Meenakshi is a Hindu deity - sister of Lord Vishnu and wife of Lord Shiva - worshipped primarily by South Indians in India and abroad. She is also one of the few Hindu female deities to have a major temple devoted to her - the famed Meenakshi temple in Madurai, Tamil Nadu. The picture on the right shows her idol at the temple.

Long ago Indra killed a demon, even though the demon did not harm anyone. This act brought a curse upon Indra that forced him to continue wandering until he was redeemed from his sin. After much wandering Indra was freed from his suffering through the power of a Shivalingam in a forest, and so he built a small temple at that site.

It so happened that at that time in South India there was a Pandyan king called Malayadhwaja Pandyan ruling a small city by the name Manavur, which was quite near to this Shivalinga. He was the son of Kulashekara Pandyan. He came to know about the Shivalinga and decided to build a huge temple for Shiva in the forest Kadambavanam (vanam means forest). He also developed the region into a fine princely state called Madurai.

The king was childless and sought an heir for the kingdom. Shiva granted him his prayers through an Ayonija child (one born not from the womb). This child was three years old and actually the incarnation of goddess Parvati the wife of Shiva. She was born with three breasts and fish-shaped eyes. It was said that the extra breast would disappear when she met her future husband. She was named Meenakshi, (meaning fish eyed) from the words Meen (meaning fish) and akshi (meaning eyes).

She grew up to be a Shiva-Shakti personification. After the death of the king, she ruled the kingdom with skillful administration.

In one of her expeditions she went to the Himalaya mountains and there, on seeing Shiva, her extra breast disappeared. Many of the gods and goddesses came to witness their marriage.

At the wedding celebrations the Gods refused to have the served food unless Shiva performed a majestic dance for everybody gathered at the place. At this there was the dance of Chidambaram, the cosmic dance in front of his wife Meenakshi. It epitomised and merged all life force and beauty into one whole. In the end Meenakshi was merged with the shivalingam and became the representation of life and beauty.

There is another legend that talks about why the North Tower (called as "Mottai Gopuram") does not have that many sculptures. Bhootaganas were supposed to finish the construction of the temple towers during the night. Legend says that bhootaganas completed all three towers but while in the middle of building the north tower sunrise happened halting the completion of the north tower.

The story describes the early understanding of beauty and growth and the processes of life and creation in mythical metaphors.

Meenakshi Devi is another name for the Goddess. As a mark of respect, Meenakshi's full title is Sri Meenakshi Devi Amman ("The Auspicious Fish-Eyed Goddess-Mother"). Like a fish, Meenakshi Devi's eyes are always open, watching over her devotees. Her eyes are fabled to bring life to the unborn.

Though written Meenakshi, the word is pronounced meen (fish) aakshi (eyes).

The stotram Meenakshi Pancha Ratnam (five jewels of Meenakshi) [1] is an incantation to her.

A Tamil poem shows the goddess Meenakshi as a girl washing crockery and pots (which consist of all the worlds). This is a daily task, because her husband Shiva repeatedly messes up the universe, which Meenakshi must once more sort out and clean.

Shiva wanders through the courtyard of space
destroying your work again and again,
and then comes before you dancing.
You never get angry.
Every day, you just pick up the vessels.

In thirty words, Meenakshi becomes a global icon for all who deal with 'impossible' children (or husbands).^[1] Themes and activities of early childhood run through the poems. God in the little child is worshipped and protected amidst the toys in the kitchen and back yard.

Winning over maya (illusion) is just the realisation of Truth. This is what the Lord can do for us. This is the purpose of all scriptures. This Realisation is the establishment of the symbol (Linga-sthApanaM) of the Light of the Self. Lord Rama did this on the shores of the Ocean just before He crossed over to Lanka. The Lord Shiva as Sundaresvara did a similar pratiSThApanaM (winning over maya) on the day of his wedding with the Goddess Meenakshi. Throughout the three worlds the establishment of the sphaTika-lingaM as the unique expression of the Truth in one’s heart augurs for the victory over the mysterious prakRti.^[2]