Naranath Bhranthan - Stories of Naranath Bhraanthan

Stories of Naranath Bhraanthan

Story of Sri Rama Temple at Triprayar
One day Naranathu Branthan came to worship at the temple of Triprayar. He was surprised to see the movement of the altar stone, yet fathomed the reason through his yogic powers. He called the temple Tantri and had a nail driven on the stone, chanting mantras. The movement stopped forthwith. The portion where the nail was thrust can be seen even today.

In order to prevent any decline in the power of the idol on account of the change in its location, Naranathu Branthan also arranged to install two goddesses on either side of the deity -Sri Devi on the right and Bhumi Devi on the left.

Story of Naranath Bhranthan and Bhadrakali

Another of the popular stories which is associated with Naranath Branthan goes as follows. Once Goddess Bhadrakali appeared before him and offered to grant boons to him. But naranath branthan declined to accept the offer. But the goddess persuaded him to ask something for her satisfaction. He then asked the Goddess to make his lifespan increase by one second. The goddess told him that she didn't have the power to do so. Then he asked her to decrease his lifespan by one second. The goddess was unable to grant that too. Frustrated by this, Naranath Branthan asked the Goddess to shift the Manth from his left leg to right leg, which the goddess readily did.

In yet another story a man wanted Naranath Bhranthan to be his Guru and followed him. As a good disciple he wished to do everything his Guru did. Naranath Bhranthan told him to go away but the disciple stuck on. After walking for long their mouths were parched and there was no water source nearby. Naranath Bhranthan spotted a blacksmith and asked him to give him molten metal to drink, and he drank it. The disciple was sure that he himself couldn't do it. And Naranath Bhranthan told him to go away.

Story of Naranath Bhranthan and Ambalappuzha Sri Krishna Temple:

The swayambhoo idol of Lord Sri Krishna installed in Ambalappuzha Sri Krishna Swami Temple, Ambalappuzha, in Aalppuzha District of Kerala is said to be installed by Naranathu Bhranthan. The story goes like this: The idol of Sri Krishna was installed by some other Brahman initially and the temple poojas used to go on as usual for only a few days. Each day for nirmalyam the melshanthi, the chief priest of the temple used to open the nada (door of sanctum sanctorum) with a fear in mind if the idol would be intact or if he would see it fallen. Once found fallen reinstallation would be conducted after a ritual. Frustrated with the repeated incidence the temple authorities decided to know the reason behind it and conducted a devaprashnam before reinstallation and in the devaprashnam it was observed that only Naranathu Bhranthan could install the idol permanently. The authorities sought for him and got him though with half mind because he was always in a dirty upkeep and attire and chewing pan. As it came up in devaprashnam they had no option. Naranathu Branthan too tried to fix the idol on the platform but each time it used to fall off. When it happened over and over again and meanwhile his mouth was full of pan spit he spat into the slot on the platform and uttered, ‘irikkeda pulayadimone avide’ meaning: ‘sit there you, son of a pulayi’ and the idol got fixed. The slot full of beetle leaf (taamboolam) spit spilled over the slot and hence the place got the name ‘Taamboolappuzha’ which later got distorted to ‘Ambalappuzha’. It is believed that there was no change in the installation after that and this also confirms that Naranathu Bhranthan was an incarnation of Lord Vishnu.

If one looks into the scientific aspect of the episode: due to regular anointment of oil, water and milk and ghee worms might have got produced in the slot because of which the idol was not getting fixed and the pan which has lime content killed the worms and it got fixed.