Information Request

[Somayaji Rajagopala]

In a message dated 02/21/2000 5:28:07 PM EST, vsundaresan at HOTMAIL.COM writes:

<< Siva disguising
 himself as a vaiSya woman and breast-feeding a child, thereby becoming a
 mother. Hence he is called tAyumAnavar (he who also became a mother),
 Sanskritized as mAtRbhUta. There is a temple in Trichy dedicated to Siva as
 mAtRbhUteSvara. >>
It is a different Story.The vaisya (chettiar)woman is on Trichy side of
Cauveri(River) bank and her daughter is about to deliver a child on the other
bank (Sri Rangam side) of the River .Cauvery(River) is on full floods and
country boat(Parisal)men are not reday to ferry anybody from one bank to the
other.The Vaisya woman-being totally helpless- see the Lord sri.Siva on
Rockfort Temple and totally surrenders ti Him.When the floods have receded
after 3-4 days when she reaches her daughter's house-her daughter asks
"Yesterday you went back after the safe delivery of your grand-son-why
youcame back again?".the Vaisya womwn ralises that Lord sri.Siva Himself came
in the form of Mother and helped her daughter--so Thaayum Aanavar(Lord became
Mother also).In Sanskrit Mathrubhutheswarar.Even today after safe delivery
people carry(on their Head) all plaintains in ONE stalk-in Tamil they say
"Thaar"-(about 100-150 fruits) as a mark of Gratititude (to Lord sri.Siva)as
the Vaisya woman(and her husband) did.