PURPORT

The path through the ocean to the islands known as Mandapam and Pambam consists partly of sand and partly of water. The island of Pambam is about eleven miles long and six miles wide. From the Pambam Harbor four miles to the north is a temple known as Ramesvara. It is said, devi-pattanam arabhya gaccheyuh setu-bandhanam: "After visiting the temple of the goddess Durga, one should go to the temple of Ramesvara." In this area there are twenty-four different holy places, one of which is Dhanustirtha, located about twelve miles southeast of Ramesvara. It is near the last station of the South Indian Railway, a station called Ramanada. It is said that here, due to the request of Vibhisana, the younger brother of Ravana, Lord Ramacandra destroyed a small bridge with His bow upon returning to His capital. If one visits Dhanustirtha, he is liberated from the cycle of birth and death. It is also said that if one bathes at Dhanustirtha, he gets all the fruitive results of performing the yajna known as agnistoma.

Setubandha is on the island of Pambam. There is a temple of Lord Siva there called Ramesvara. This indicates that Lord Siva is a great personality whose worshipable Deity is Lord Rama. Thus the Lord Siva found in the temple of Ramesvara is a great devotee of Lord Ramacandra.