Shridhara Venkatesa lived about 300 years ago in Tiruvisainallur, a village in Tanjavur district in Tamilnadu. He was called Tiruvisainallur Ayyaval (deeply respected person) out of great respect people held for him. Even today he is known by that name only. He was the son of Lingarayar who was a minister to the Maharaja of Mysore.
Even as a young boy Ayyaval was deeply religious
and in particular had great devotion to Shiva but he made no distinction
between Shiva and Vishnu. He studied Vedas, shastras and puranas and had a
great desire to travel and spread the message of the puranas and in particular
the glory of Lord’s name among the people. After his father’s death the
Maharaja wanted him to take his father’s job but he politely declined and left
Mysore state with his wife and mother. He came to Tiruchirapalli in Tamilnadu
and stayed for some time giving talks. He was supposed to have brought back to
life a woman who had died by praying to the Lord. This attracted people who
wanted him to solve their problems. Ayyaval did not like this and left the
place. He proceeded to Tanjavur. It seems that King Shahaji (1684-1710.AD) who
was ruling at that time in Tanjavur wanted him to stay in Tanjavur but Ayyaval
wanted to lead a quiet life. King Shahaji was inviting scholarly brahmins to
stay in his kingdom. He renamed the village Tiruvisanallur as Shahajirajapuram.
One street was allotted for their stay. Ayyaval also stayed in a house there.
Ayyaval wrote a book Bhagavan-Nāma-Bhūṣaṇam on the subject which is sadly not
available now. This is inferred by Shri Bodhendra Swamigal in his book
Nāmāmṛtarasāyanam, had had made references to the work of Ayyaval.
Once Ayyaval had to perform a shrarddha ceremony in his house. Therein food is prepared and offered to the departed forefathers who are invoked in three Brahmins invited for the occasion. When every thing was getting ready Ayyaval saw an outcaste with his family in a famished condition begging for food. His heart melted with compassion at their condition. Without any hesitation he offered them the food
that was being prepared for the ceremony. He then had the house washed and prepared to conduct the ceremony again.
But the brahmins in the village considered this act reprehensible and refused to conduct the ceremony again. Ayyaval pleaded with them quoting texts from the scriptures to support his action but the Brahmins were not convinced. He asked them what he should do to remedy the situation. They said that the only atonement was having a bath in the Ganges. But there was no time to go to Varanasi and return.
So he prayed to Lord Shiva with his enchanting Gangashtakam, pleading to release the waters of Ganga from His matted hair as once the Lord did the same for Bhagiratha. Water started flowing out of the well in his house and flooded the streets of the village. The villagers got scared and prayed to Ayyaval to forgive them and
stop the flood that was threatening the village. He accordingly prayed again to
stop the flooding and requested her to appear in the well every year on that
day. Even now people flock to that place every year on that day and take bath in the waters of the well in the belief that Ganga is present in the well on that day.
Bhagavannama Bhushanam , Kuliresvarashtakam, Akhyashashti , Jambunathashtakam, Daya Satakam, Doshapariharashtakam,
Matrubhtasatakam, Rishnadwadasa Manjari, Stuti Paddhati, Achyuthashtakam
Shiva Bhakthi, Kalpalatha, Dola Navarathnamala, Shivabhaktha Lakshanam
, Shahajiraja Charitam, Taravali Stotram, Padamanimanjari (Sanskrit dictionary)
Artihara Stotram
