TARAKASURA EPISODE
According
to legends, this kshetra came to be known as Daksharam on the death
of Tarakasura at the hands of Subrahmanya, the redoubtable
Chief-Marshal of the celestial armies. That formidable demon Taraka
was wearing on his person a big size Siva linga, as a mark of his
achanchala devotion to Lord Siva, being a Sivabhakta of high order.
When he was brought down by Subrahmanya's potent lance, hurled
against his chest bearing the golden casket encasing the Sivalinga,
it at once broke into five pieces and fell at five different and
distant places, and became auspicious kshetras. And they were called
the pancharamas - Amararamam, Ksheeramam, Somaramam, Draksharamam
and Bhimaramam. Later, each was dedicated to Lord Siva under
different names, with installation of archamurthis by high
divinities, like Devendra making Amareswara Vigraha Pratishta in
Amareswaraswamy Aalayam in Amararamam now goes by the name of
Amaravathi; Someswara Vigraha by the Moon-god Chandra in
Someswaralayam in Somaramarn, now called Gunupudi; Ramalingeswara
vigraha by Sri Rama in Ramalingeswaralayam in Ksheraramam, now
called Palakollu; Kumarabhimeswara vigraha by Kumaraswamy in
Kumarabhimeswaralayam in Kumararamarn, now called Samalkota; and the
last being Draksharama, where the Swayambhu Linga was installed by
Vyasa in Bhimeswaralayam now called Draksharamam. These five
kshetra:s were deemed highly holy, and so celestials chose them for
habitation. Dhaksha made Daksharamam as his abode and hence called
Daksharamam, and perhaps an account of the bumper crops of grapes
grown on this soil, it was fittingly called Draksharamam later.
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