Yathothkari Perumal Temple, Thiru Vekka

Sthala Purāṇam

The presiding deity at Thiruvekka is Sri Yathothkari Perumal, known in Tamil as Sonna Vannam Seitha Perumal, 'the Lord who did exactly as told,' reclining (Kidantha Kolam) and facing west, with Thaayar Komalavalli. The central legend concerns the river Vegavathi. After a dispute over supremacy between Saraswati and Lakshmi, the resentful Saraswati, when Brahma later performed a yagna at Kanchipuram, manifested as the swift river Vegavathi (the name meaning 'the speedy one') and rushed to wash away the sacrifice. Vishnu lay down across the river's path on His serpent Adisesha to dam the destructive flood and protect the rite, and the river subsided. From this He earned the title Vega Setu, 'the dam against the speed,' and Vegavathi became Vekka, hence Thiruvekka. A distinctive feature is the reverse reclining direction (Maaru Sayanam), with the head resting toward the left, unlike most reclining Divya Desams. The 'Sonna Vannam Seitha' epithet comes from a later episode: when Thirumazhisai Alvar and his disciple Kanikannan were ordered out of Kanchi, the Alvar sang asking the Lord to roll up His serpent-bed and follow them, which He obeyed; when all returned, the Alvar asked Him to resume His rest, which He also did, so He became known as the Lord who acts exactly as commanded. Thiruvekka is the avatara sthalam, the birthplace, of Poigai Alvar, first of the Mudhal Alvars, born in the temple's pushkarani. It is glorified by Poigai Alvar, Thirumazhisai Alvar, Thirumangai Alvar and Nammalvar.

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