பக்கம்:திருவாசகம்-ஆங்கில மொழிபெயர்ப்பு-1.pdf/148

sanctorum is called Chit-Ambaiam (hall of truth) roofed by golden tiles wherein there is the icon of Civan in the majestic dancing pose known as Koothan (dancer) now-a-days called Natarajan. The saint refers to Him as “Thillaik-Koothan”. As per the legend it is said that Civan danced in this shrine to the delight of His heavenly devotees. He was visualized by two holy sages Pathanjali and Viyaagrapaatha. This shrine has been called koil (temple) by the worshippers of Civan and is held in high esteem as the first shrine of Civan. Decads 21 and 22 of Thiruvaachagam will bear testimony to this fact as the titles are called Koil Mootha Thiruppathigam and Koil Thirup- pathigam respectively. Out of fifty-one decads of Thiru- vaachagam 25 decads have been sung at this place-Thillai. In this poem as mentioned earlier a number of places where the temples for Civan have been raised, have been mentioned relating His acts of grace there. These shrines have been visited, worshipped and praised by saints and sages for about one thousand years. They have become famous more for their architectural beauties and soaring heights of temple-towers than for their significance. Only a few know that the temples have been constructed on the basis of principles laid down in the holy Aagamas pronounced by Civan. This abode of God is but a symbolic representation of human body in which there is the latent spiritual force as the soul. During the spiritual awakening of the devotee. God in the soul or along with the soul manifests Himself as the saint has sung, “Oh my Lord! You have Yourself taken abode in my body”(22:5). “He entering me at a time when I had not taken shape in the womb established Himself in my mind” (31:3). So when the devoted one worships God in a temple he worships actually Him who has enshrined in his own body. 125