Sammohana Gopalan, Mohanur

Sri Sammohana Gopalan Shrine at Mohanur

 It was an article by Shri A M Rajagopalan, in Kumudam Jothidam that I read way back in 2007-08 that introduced me to Sammohana Gopalan. The article carried a picture of Krishna as Ardhanari with Radha occupying the left half of his body. 

The article further mentioned that worshipping Sammohana Gopalan and reciting the Sloka dedicated to him would bring about harmony in discordant couples. I pulled out the page and saved it more out of fancy for the form of Sammohana Gopala. Soon, a colleague spoke to me about a problem her niece was facing with her husband. The girl was newly married and had moved abroad. The husband however seemed disinterested in her. In a new land, with no friends or relatives to confide in or seek advice, the girl went into deep depression and finally my colleague could make her share what was bothering her. The girl had lost her father and was the older of two daughters. Realising her mother had gone through a lot of difficulty to get her married, and fearing the future of her younger sister, the girl somehow wanted to make her marriage work, but did not know how. 

When my colleague asked me for advice, I was immediately reminded of Sammohana Gopala and so gave her a copy of the picture and sloka asking her to send it to her niece. The girl  started chanting as many times as she could in a day and was worshipping the photograph of Sammohana Gopalan with sincerity. Very soon, her faith brought about changes in the boy and in a little over a year's time, they were travelling to India with their new born to offer thanks at the temple in Mohanur.

This was the first of four occasions over the years that followed. In each of the cases, praying to Sammohana Gopala with devotion gave the desired results. With every instance, my desire to visit Sammohana Gopala grew.  Last month, I had an opportunity to go to Dharapuram and so planned to go to Mohanur as well. 

Krishna with Bama and Rukmini at the Sammohana Gopalan Temple

The Sammohana Gopalan shrine is found within the Kalyana Prasanna Venkatramana Perumal temple in Mohanur. This temple is very famous for its Sathyanarayana Puja on Thiruvonam Star when people from all over India congregate at the temple and collect "Mattai Thengais" (Unskinned Coconuts) for prayers of education, marriage, going abroad etc. These coconuts are placed in the pooja room and worshipped until the prayers are answered. They are then brought back to the temple, skinned and  offered to the Lord.

The Lord though now known as Kalyana Prasanna Venkatramana Swamy was originally known as Mohana Srinivasan. Similarly, Lord Shiva in this Kshetram is known as Achaladeepeswarar. According to the old sthalapuranam, he is referred to as Kumareeswarar. Kumari refers to Mohini.  The Lord is called Mohana Srinivasan because of his nature to attract devotees with his divine beauty. He is seen to be one with Lakshmi as he only carries the Srivatsam on his chest instead of the form of Lakshmi. Because of him, the town came to be called Mohanur. Sammohana Gopala, a Rahasya manifestation of Lord Krishna on Rasapoornima day was installed here in a seperate shrine in the form of a portrait.

With more and more people benefitting out of the worship of this very unique form, an idol was consecrated in the year 2013.

The form of Sammohana Gopalan:

The form of Sammohana Gopalan

The deity has a peacock feather on his crown on the right side, and a Kondai (hair bun) with a long plait on the left. The ears sport different earrings. There are four arms on each side. The rear arms hold Shanku (Conch) and Chakra (Discus). The Chakra destroys pain, suffering, negativity and evil. The Shanku denotes victory over evil, not losing your cool during troubled times and joy.

The two arms in the middle hold an Ankusham (an elephant goad) and a lotus flower respectively. The Ankusham is used by the Mahout to control an elephant when he loses his senses. Similarly, the Lord controls the ego and failure of intelligence between the couple to restore harmony in their lives. The Lotus is made up of the flower which denotes the wife and the stem which denotes the husband. The core of the flower represents Dhampadya Dharma which attaches the flower to the stem . The petals are dependents or family members who surround the couple. 

The Lower arms hold a sugarcane bow and a Pushpabana (an arrow made of flowers) these are the tools of Kama (the God of Love) and Sammohana Gopala holds them to rekindle romance in the life of the couple. The fourth set of hands hold the flute from which he is said to play the Mohana Ragam, to unite the couple and make them focus on true love instead of materialistic needs.

Praying to Sri Sammohana Gopalan:

Couples seeking to overcome marital problems must follow the below mentioned protocol:

Place the Sammohana Gopalan image facing East. Light a lamp with ghee and offer a glass of milk, Kalkandu (Rock Candy) and white scented flowers. Chant the Sammohana Gopalan Dhayana Slokam given below 12 times and circumambulate the image and the lamp 12 times. Consume the milk and rock candy as prasadam. Do this for 16 weeks.

Those seeking childbirth, come to the temple after performing Kula Deivam worship on Thursdays for sixteen weeks and offer Mullaipoo to Sammohana Gopalan. They are given butter offered to Samohana Gopala as prasadam to be consumed.

For those who are unable to visit every week, the priest takes care of the offerings on their behalf after the first week, while they continue their prayers from their residences. They come back to the temple on the 16th week and then again after their prayers are answered.

Apart from Sammohana Gopalan, the temple has several other shrines such as Kalyana Prasanna Venkatramana Swamy, Goddess Padmavathi, Dhanvatri with a wooden Navagraha Panel under which the devotees receive a Churnam to relieve them of ailments, Lakshmi Hayagriva with Medha Saraswathi facing him, Lakshmi Varahar, Lakshmi Narasimhar and Hanuman.

Dhanvatri at Sammohana Gopalan Temple

Sri Sammohana Gopala Dhyana Slokam:

Sri Krishnam Kamalapatraksham Divya Abharana Bhooshitam

Thribhangi Lalithaakaram Athi Sundara Mohanam

Bhagam Dakshinam Purusham Anyam Stree Roopinyam Thatha

Shankam Chakram Chaankusham cha Pushpa Baanam cha Pankajam

Ikshu Chapam Venu Vadhyam Cha Dhaarayantham Bhujaashtake

Swetha Gandhaanu Lipthaangam Pushpa Vastra Sragujvalam

Sarva Kaamartha Sidhyartham Mohanam Sri Krishnam Aasraye 

For those who wish to recite this poem in Tamil, poet Diwakara Tanujaha has penned a simple Tamil pasuram which has the essence of the Dhyana Slokam.

கன்னலின் சிலையும் கவின்மலர்க் கணையும் 

கஞ்சமுங் களிறு கட்டுமங் குசமும் 

மின்னுசக் கரமும் மிளிறுவெண் சங்கும் 

மெருகுசெவ் வதரம் மருவுமங் குழலின் 

இன்னிசைக் கூட்டி எண்கரத் தானாய் 

இடப்புறம் மங்கை வலப்புறமா ணாய் 

சென்னியில் கொண்டை பீலியுங் காண 

சிரித்தவ தனசம் மோகனக் காரன் 

மென்வெளிர் சாந்தம் மேனிபூ வாடை'

முத்திறம் வளைந்த மூர்த்தியாய் வந்து 

மன்னுவார் காதல் மணத்திறம் காக்க 

மோகனூர் நின்றான் மோகியார் உண்டோ? 

Our sincere thanks to him. For more such pasurams on lesser known Vishnu shrines, do check out our book " Paadal Perum Paranthaman Aalayangal" in Tamil on https://knightshopper.com/product/paadal-perum-paranthaaman-aalayangal/

How to reach: Mohanur is a village on the banks of the river Cauvery in Namakkal district of Tamil Nadu. The temple is located in the Mohanur Agraharam. Mohanur is about 19 kms from Namakkal

Temple Timings: 7 am to 12 pm, 5 pm to 8 pm

Contact details: Sridhar Bhattacharyar - 94429 57143