We often hear of people taking their own lives due to debt problems. A person who incurs debt will never have peace of mind until they repay the debt. It causes great mental agony and stress to both the debtor and the creditor. When all else fails, we turn to God for help. And it so happens that a deity called Runa Vimochana Lingeshwarar has the power to bring succor to those who suffer from debt problems.
Who is Runa Vimochana Lingeshwarar?
Runa Vimochana Lingeshwarar is a form of Lord Shiva. There is a temple that is dedicated to this form of Shiva in Thirucherai, Tamil Nadu. Thirucherai lies 15 km from Kumbakonam taluk in Thanjavur district. The temple is also called Kadan Nivartheeswarar temple. ‘Kadan’ is a Tamil word that means ‘debts’, and ‘Nivartheeshwarar’ means ‘the Lord who brings relief’.
At Runa Vimochana Lingeshwarar temple, Lord Shiva blesses his devotees to help them overcome financial problems, obligations, sins, and past karmas. He is also known as Seneriappar or Sara Parameswara.
It is said that Sage Markandeya had installed a Linga here and worshipped it every day for the welfare of the people in this area. This is how the temple came into being. Many come here seeking relief from debts, financial dues, sins, and karmic debts.
The temple was built by the Chola kings 1000 years ago. Lord Sara Parameshwarar (Shiva) and Goddess Gnanavalli (Goddess Parvati) are the main deities here.
The Vedic scriptures say that every human being incurs three kinds of debts or ‘Rinas’ in their life. They comprise debts to Devas (gods), Rishis (sages), and Pithrus (ancestors). If we fail to repay these debts in this lifetime, we will be reborn again.
We can repay our debt to the Gods by performing Poojas and visiting temples or by being good to all living creatures and respecting nature. To repay our debt to the ancient Rishis or sages, we need to follow the code of conduct they laid down. We can repay the debt to our ancestors (Pitru Rina) by doing rituals like Shraddh and also by fulfilling our duties towards our parents.
One must also follow some Nithya karmas or daily duties if one wants the grace of God. There are 6 of these duties. Let us see what they are.
One should wake up at Brahma Muhurtham (4 am). This is around 1 and a half hours before sunrise. The scriptures claim that sleeping during Brahma Muhurtham is a sin and that it destroys all virtues. The Earth is still and calm at this time. The life-force or prana will be at its peak, and the atmosphere will be rich in ozone. The pale blue light of the early morning is filled with energy that benefits the mind and body.
After waking up, one should immediately look at one’s palms for Lakshmi, Saraswati, and Brahma dwell in the palm. This marks an auspicious start to the day and attracts good fortune.
One should respect Mother Earth. The Earth is like our own mother. She takes care of us and provides us with food and shelter. So we should always treat her with respect.
It is auspicious to look at a mirror, gold, diamond, sandal, conch, or mridangam.
Prostrate before Father, Mother, and Guru every day.
Purify the mind. Think only good thoughts.
Take a bath in the evening and worship the Gods. During the day, we commit many sins unintentionally. For example, we may kill small creatures when we walk or do cooking. During the evening prayer, we should ask pardon for such sins.
Runa Vimochana Pooja
Monday is a very special day for worshipping Lord Shiva. People worship Runa Vimochana Lingeshwarar at this temple for 11 consecutive Mondays to get relief from debts and money problems.
