Gadadhara Swamy Temple, Attirala – Legends

Gadadhara Swamy Temple, Attirala – Legends

Parasurama Kshetram:

Sage Jamadagni lived along with his wife Renuka lived in the Ramshrung mountains. Renuka helped the Jamadagni in all of his tasks of performing various rituals and puja. Renuka would wake up early in the morning to bathe in the river with complete concentration and devotion. Her devotion was so powerful that she was able to create a pot to hold water made only of sand, one fresh pot every day. She would fill this pot, on the bank of the river and would use a snake which was nearby, turning it into a rope-like convolution and placing it on her head, so that it supported the pot.

Thus, she brought the water to Jamadagni for his rituals of oblation. Renuka gave birth to five sons namely Vasu, Viswa Vasu, Brihudyanu, Brutwakanwa and Rambhadra. Rambhadra was the youngest and most beloved, gaining the favour of Lord Shiva and Parvati and hence called Parashurama (the sixth incarnation of Vishnu). One day when Renuka went to the river, she saw Gandharva spirits playing. These were young couples carelessly frolicking in the water with abandon. For a moment, she lost her concentration and devotion and fantasized about playing in the river with her husband.

She wished she and her husband had such fun sometimes too, living so close to such a beautiful place. After some time, Renuka came to her senses and cursed herself for her indiscretion. She hurriedly bathed, as she had lost precious time, and tried to create the pot, but was unable to as she had lost her concentration. She even tried to catch the snake, but it disappeared. Disappointed by this, she returned to the ashram in shame. Jamadagni came to know of what had happened with his yoga drusti (spiritual eye). He was furious with Renuka and Renuka and ordered his sons to kill their mother for the sin committed by her.

One by one, four of them refused flatly. Jamadagni, who possessed the power to burn anyone to ashes with his one look, was so angry that he went berserk and turned four of his sons into four piles of ashes. Parashurama, who was not there when this happened, found his mother weeping by the piles of ashes when he arrived, and his father was still raging mad. Jamadagni told him what happened and ordered him to behead his mother for her infidelity. Parashurama had to think quickly. Knowing his father's powers and the extent of his anger, Parashurama immediately obeyed his father, using his axe.

His father then offered a boon to Parashurama, who asked for his mother and brothers to be brought back to life. Jamadagni having no alternative, brought Renuka and his sons back to life. Yet the sin of killing his mother stuck to him and a bath in several sacred rivers could not absolve him of it. It is the bath in the Bahuda river at this place had absolved his sin. Hence, the place came to be called as Hathyarala (Hathya means killing and Rale means removed off). Thus, the place is famously called as Parasurama Kshetram.

Bahuda Nadi / Cheyyeru:

As per legend, two brothers namely Sage Shanka and Sage Likhitha were living during Treta Yuga. Once, Shanka was performing penance in a garden and Likhitha went to see him. He decided not to disturb his penance and waited in the garden. He plucked some fruits and ate them. After finishing penance, Shanka came to him and pointed out to his brother that he had eaten the fruits without the permission of the owner. Further, he informed that Likhitha has committed a theft.

Realizing his mistake, Likhitha went to the king and confessed his theft. The king ordered his two arms to be cut off as a punishment to his theft. Likhitha visited several sacred places and took bath in several sacred waters. Finally, he returned to his native place and took bath in the Bahuda Nadi / Cheyyeru (Cheyyi means arm & Yeru means river in Telugu and Bahu means arm and Nadi means river in Sanskrit) and got his arms back.

Dakshina Gaya:

It is believed that performing Tarpan for the deceased ancestors in the Cheyyeru River is equivalent in performing Tarpan at Gaya. Hence, Attirala came to be called as Dakshina Gaya.