Panjurli daiva
Panjurli Daiva, Tulunadu Panjurli Daiva, who is Panjurli Daiva? Whose incarnation is Panjurli Daiva? Story of Panjurli Daiva, significance of Panjurli Daiva.
Panjurli is believed to be a divine spirit of a male wild boar worshipped mainly by the Tulu speaking people. In Tululand many wild boars used to destroy cultivated crops of farmers and hence farmers started worshipping the spirits of wild boars. According to legend, Panjruli had obtained the position in the Shiva Loka, due to his severe penance on Lord Shiva in the earth during the first Krita Yuga. He was considered as one of the main attendants of Lord Shiva, similar to Lord Nandhi and Lord Chandikeswara. He greatly respects the divine couple, and considers Shiva-Parvati as his divine father and mother.
According to legend, Panjruli was present along with Lord Shiva, when Shiva consumed the Halahala poison, in order to safeguard the earth and heaven from destruction. And still now, he used to chant the Shiva mantra “OM NAMA SHIVAYA” continuously and looks always cheerful and happy. Panjruli was one among the Shiva Ganas, and he used to guard Mount Kailash, the holy abode of Lord Shiva, along with other divine attendants of Lord Shiva, and Panjruli is also believed to be a boar spirit which was once lived in the beautiful garden at the holy Kailash Mountain as a Divine Attendant to Lord Shiva. But, however it caused lot of problems to others and also behaved rudely. Due to that, Lord Shiva asked the boar to live in the earth as a minor deity, and also to safeguard the farmers farm land and to protect them from their enemies. This particular boar became a Bhoota (Divine Spirit) known as Panjurli.
But some people relate Lord Panjurli with Lord Varaha, the boar incarnation of Lord Vishnu, since the two deities are boars. Panjurli Daiva is also the one of the earliest daivas who is worshipped in all over Tulunad along with Lord Brahma Dev, our divine parent. There are priests who act as mediators between us and Lord Panjurli and they are also used for the conveyance of the commands of Lord Panjurli. Still some Tulu artists used to wear the masks during festive occasions, which reflects the image of Lord Panjurli.
“OM SRI PANJURLI DEIVAME NAMO NAMAHA”
WRITTEN BY
R. HARISHANKAR