Venkateshwara
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Venkateswara (Devanagari
: वेंकटेश्वर ) also known as Srinivasa, Balaji, Venkata and Venkatachalapati , is a form of the Hindu god Vishnu
. Venkateswara means the Lord who destroys the sins of the people. According to the Hindu scriptures, Vishnu, out of love towards his devotees, incarnated as Venkateswara and appeared for the salvation and upliftment of humanity in this Kali Yuga
age. It is considered the supreme form of Vishnu in this age. The Venkateswara swami temple is also called Kaliyuga Vaikuntam.
credited money to the god Venkateshwara (a form of the god Vishnu) for his marriage with Padmavati
. In remembrance of this, the devotees going to Tirupati donate money, gold in Venkateshwara's Hundi ("Donation pot"), so that he can repay Kubera
.
: Ven (sins), kata (destroyer), and ishwara (Supreme Lord). Using this etymology, Venkateshwara refers to the Supreme Lord who destroys sins, and he is one of the main deities among 108 divya desams or Tirupathy (www.srivari.com). A more probable origin is that it is a translation of the Tamil word Venkatamalaiyudaiyaan (he who has mount venkata). This is attested in the Sangam literature where Venkatamalai (nediyon kundam) is said to be the northern border of Tamizhagam: வடவேங்கடம் தென்குமரி ஆயிடைத் தமிழ்கூறு நல்லுலகு (The great Tamil nation that stands between Venkatam in the north and Kanyanumari in the south).
The ancient Vishnu kautuvam describes him as Souryarayan, the one who destroys the evil and who comforts us. He is fondly called Venkanna in the folklore of Andhra Pradesh. He is also known as 'Srinivasa, Tirumalesa, Thirumalai, Venkatachalapathi, Sripathi, ThiruMaal, Balaji (though this is a more recent name), Venkateshwer, Venkatesa, Venkatapathi, Venkatanatha, Sri Varu, Thiruvengadam Udaiyaan, Thiruvengadam, Maal, Manivannan, Tiruvengadattaan Tirupati Thimmappa
, and by many other names.
He is also worshipped with the name Tirupati Thimmappa all over Karnataka
by traditionally Shiva-worshipping communities. The presence of seven hills in the area influenced alternate names for the deity: such as Edukondalavadu in Telugu and as Ezhumalaiyan in Tamil, both of which mean "Lord of the Seven Hills". According to legend, the temple has a murti (deity) of Lord Venkateswara, believed to have resided there for the entire Kali Yuga. In Sri Vaishnava tradition, the temple is considered one of the 108 Divya Desams or 108 Tirupathys.
In his mangala sloka in 'Sri Bhashya', the Lokaguru Shrimath Ramanuja declares the glory of Lord Venkateswara:
akhila bhuvana janma sthema bhangAdi lIle
vinata vividha bhuta vrAta rakshaika dikshe |
Sruti Sirasi vidIpte brahmaNi SrInivAse
bhavatu mama parasmin Semushi bhakti rUpA ||
May my intellect assume the form of Bhakti in Srinivasa, the highest Reality, revealed in the Vedanta as the Lord who creates, protects and destroys the whole universe with sportive ease and who has taken a vow to protects all creatures who seek him.
Kamban, in his celebrated Ramayana
, makes an explicit reference to the Thiru Vengadam Hills; he says the truth enshrined in the four Vedas
stands out as the eternal satya on the Vengada Hills. 'Silappadikaram', the great Tamil classic, calls the Holy Hills, 'Nediyon Kunrams'. The Alvars wrote poems of praise expressing devotion to the Lord.
EPIC IMPORTANCE
The Venkatam hill is believed to be a part of the celestial Mount Meru brought to the earth from Vaikuntam by Garuda (Lord's vehicle), say the Puranas. The Hills are said to be a manifestation of Adi Sesha (the cosmic serpent). The Seven hills of the Tirumala are said to represent the seven hoods of Adi Sesha.
Many Alvars, Vaishnavacharyas and saints have praised the Tirumala Hill with great devotion. Tirumala Mambi, a descendent of the great ascetic Narada, spent his whole life in serving the Lord.
References to the tirumala also found in several of Puranas. Tirumala is one of the 108 sacred shrines of the Sri Vaishanava tradition. According to the Puranas, Lord Vishnu stayed on the earth for some time in the Avatar of Swetha Varaham and rose out of pushkarini as Swayambhuva. His spouse Lakshmi Devi appeared in Thirucharnur. This Swwtha Varaha Avatharam was installed in the temple situated to the west of Swamy Pushkarni. The great religious leader Ramanujacharya visited this shrine on a pilgrimage and systematised the process of worship in accordance with the SriVaishnava that continues to date.
ALWARS
Nammalvar (3000 B.C) extols Lord Venkateswara as the veritable aushadam (medicine) for curing the disease of samsara in the areas of birth and death. Saint Kulasekhara Alvar prays to the Lord Srinivasa to grant him even the lowest birth in the holy Tirumala Hills—as a fish in the sacred Swami Pushkarini, or as a tree, or as anything on the golden hills of Lord Venkateswara (emberumaan ponmalai mEl EdhEnum avEnE).
(incarnation
) is as follows:
Once some rishis headed by Kasyapa began to perform a sacrifice on the banks of the Ganges. Sage Narada
visited them and asked them why they were performing the sacrifice and who would be pleased by it. Not being able to answer the question, the rishis approached Sage Bhrugu, who according to Vedas
is believed to have an extra eye in the sole of his foot. To reach a solution after a direct ascertainment of reality, Sage Bhrigu first went to Satyaloka, the abode of Lord Brahma
. At Satyaloka, he found Lord Brahma, reciting the four Vedas in praise of Lord Narayana, with each of his four heads, and attended upon by Saraswati
. Lord Brahma did not take notice of Bhrigu offering obeisance. Concluding that Lord Brahma was unfit for worship, Bhrigu left Satyaloka for Kailasa, the abode of Lord Shiva
. At Kailasa, Bhrigu found Lord Shiva with Parvati
and not noticing his presence. left for Vaikunta
, the abode of Lord Vishnu
.
At Vaikunta
, Lord Vishnu was reposing on Adisesha with Sri Mahalakshmi in service at his feet. Finding that Lord Vishnu also did not notice him, the sage was infuriated and kicked the Lord on His chest, the place where Mahalakshmi resides. Vishnu, in an attempt to pacify the sage, got hold of legs of the sage and started to press them gently in a way that was comforting to the sage. During this act, he squeezed the extra eye that was present in the sole of Bhrigu's foot. The extra eye is believed to represent the sage's egotism. The sage then realised his grave mistake and apologized to Vishnu. Thereupon, the sage concluded that Lord Vishnu was the most supreme of the Trimurti
and told the rishis the same. balaji
Sri Mahalakshmi was angered by the action of her Lord in apologising to Bhrigu who committed an offence. Out of anger and anguish she left Vaikuntha and resided in Karavirapur now known as Kolhapur. After the departure of Mahalakshmi, a forlorn Lord Vishnu left Vaikunta
, came down to Earth, and took abode in an ant-hill under a tamarind tree, beside a pushkarini on the Venkata Hill, meditating for the return of Lakshmi, without food or sleep.
Taking pity on Lord Vishnu, Brahma and Maheshwara
decided to assume the forms of a cow and its calf to serve him. Surya
, the Sun god informed Mahalakshmi of this and requested her to assume the form of a cow herdess and sell the cow and calf to the king of the Chola country. The king of the Chola country bought the cow and its calf and sent them to graze on the Venkata Hill along with his herd of cattle. Discovering Lord Vishnu on the ant-hill, the cow provided its milk, and thus fed the Lord. Meanwhile, at the palace, the cow was not yielding any milk, for which the Chola Queen chastised the cowherd severely. To find out the cause of lack of milk, the cowherd followed the cow, hid himself behind a bush and discovered the cow emptying her udder over the ant-hill. Incensed over the conduct of the cow, the cowherd aimed a blow with his axe on the head of the cow. However, Lord Vishnu rose from the ant-hill to receive the blow and save the cow. When the cowherd saw the Lord bleed at the blow of his axe, he fell down and died of shock.
The cow returned to the Chola King, bellowing in fright and with blood stains all over her body. To find out the cause of the cow's terror, the King followed her to the scene of the incident. The King found the cowherd lying dead on the ground near the ant-hill. While he stood wondering how it had happened, Lord Vishnu rose from the ant-hill and cursed the King saying that he would become an Asura
because of the fault of his servant. The King pleaded innocence, and the Lord blessed him by saying that he will be reborn as Akasa Raja and that the curse would end when the Lord will be adorned with a crown presented by Akasa Raja at the time of His marriage with Padmavati
. With these words Lord turned into stone form.
Thereafter, Lord Vishnu in the name of Srinivasa, decided to stay in Varaha Kshetra
and requested Sri Varaha
swami to grant Him a site for His stay. His request being readily granted, Srinivasa ordained that a pilgrimage to His shrine would not be complete unless it is preceded by a bath in the Pushkarini and darshan of Sri Varaha
swami and that puja and naivedyam should be offered to Sri Varaha swami first. Vishnu built a hermitage and lived there, attended to by Vakuladevi who looked after him like a mother.
Sometime later, a King named Akasa Raja who belonged to the Lunar race was ruling over Thondamandalam. Akasa Raja had no heirs, and therefore, he wanted to perform a sacrifice. As part of the sacrifice, he was ploughing the fields when his plough turned up a lotus in the ground. On examining the lotus, the King found a female child in it. The king was happy to find a child even before he performed a sacrifice and carried it to his place and gave it to his Queen to tend to it. At that time he heard an aerial voice which said "O King, tend it as your child and fortune will befall you". As she was found in a lotus, the king named her Padmavati
. She grew up as a princess into a beautiful maiden and was attended by a host of maids.
One day, Lord Srinivasa, who was hunting, chased a wild elephant in the forests surrounding the hills. In the elephant's pursuit, the Lord was led into a garden, where Princess Padmavati and her maids were picking flowers. The sight of the elephant frightened the Princess and her maids. But the elephant immediately turned around, saluted the Lord and disappeared into the forest. Lord Srinivasa, who was following on horse back, and saw the frightened maidens. However, He was repulsed with stones thrown at Him by the maids. He returned to the hills in haste, leaving His horse behind. The Lord informed Vakuladevi that unless he married Princess Padmavati he would not be calmed.
The Lord then narrated the story of Padmavati’s previous birth and his promise to marry her. After listening to Srinivasa's story of how he had promised to marry Vedavati
in her next birth as Padmavati
, Vakuladevi realised that Srinivasa would not be happy unless he married her. She offered to go to Akasa Raja and his Queen and arrange for the marriage. On the way she met the maids of Padmavati returning from a Shiva Temple. She learnt from them that Padmavati was also pining for Srinivasa. Vakuladevi went along with the maid servants to the Queen.
Meanwhile, Akasa Raja and his Queen Dharanidevi were anxious about the health of their daughter, Padmavati. They learnt about Padmavathi's love for Srinivasa of Venkata Hill. Akasa Raja consulted Brihaspati
about the marriage and was informed that the marriage was in the best interest of both the parties. Kubera
lent money to Lord Srinivasa to meet the expenses of the marriage. Lord Srinivasa, along with Lord Brahma
and Lord Shiva started the journey to the residence of Akasa Raja on his vahana
Garuda
. At the palace entrance, Lord Srinivasa was received by Akasa Raja with full honours and taken in procession on a mounted elephant to the palace for the marriage. In the presence of all the Devas, Lord Srinivasa married Princess Padmavati, thus blessing Akasa Raja. Together, they lived for all eternity while Goddess Lakshmi
, understanding the commitments of Lord Vishnu
, chose to live in his heart forever.
Venkateshwara's temple, today is located at the top of the Seven hills in Tirumala. It stands as a special place, commemorating the marriage between the two. Everyday, a kalyana utsavam celebrates the divine union in a celebration that stretches to eternity. Even today, during the Brahmotsavam
at the temple, turmeric, kumkum and a sari are sent from the temple to Tiruchanur
, the abode of Padmavati. In fact Tirupati is rarely visited without paying a visit to Tiruchanur. In the light of this background, it has become the favored destination of many newly wed couples who pray for a happy wedding similar to that of Srinivasa and Padmavati
.
A tale associated with the temple goes thus: A helper boy called Bala was once falsely accused of being a thief. When people started chasing him he had to run for his life. He was hit on the head by the mob and his head started bleeding profusely. He ran to the Tirupati Temple of Lord Vishnu
and ran to the main door of the temple. When the people entered the temple, they couldn't find the boy but saw the head of God's idol bleeding. It was considered that the boy was sheltered and protected by Vishnu
himself, and the priests put cloth on the idol's head to control the bleeding.
Thirumalai Ananthalvan : Selfless Service to the Lord
Millions of devotees throng the Tirumala Hills practically round the clock throughout the year. As the rush of pilgrims increases day by day , Tirumala Tirupathi Devasthanams is hard put to finding ways and means of accommodating them and arranging darshan without long wait. As they move towards the sanctum sanctorum of Lord Venkateswara , how many will remember that there was a time , just a thousand years back, when the Hills were deserted with not much of human habitation in sight ? Ask any Srivaishnavite to name the man of the millenium . Pat will come the reply , Saint Ramanuja.
Ramanuja ( 1017-1137 A.D.) had visited the Hills thrice. His maternal uncle , Peria Thirumalai Nambi gave him discourses on the Ramayana for several months at the Hills. The temple and the surroundings were in bad shape and worship was not organized regularly. Ramanuja was inspired by the Holy Hymns of the Alwars singing the glory of the Lord of the Seven Hills. He called an assembly of the Acharyas , 74 in number and posed them the question whether any one of them will take up the task of serving the Lord on the Hills on a day to day basis. Everyone was hesitating , fearing the hard life up the Hills what with tigers , malaria and the forests. There was Ananthalvan , a strong and silent devotee in the gathering. He rose to his feet and prayed , " Beloved Acharya ! Bestow the blessing of serving the Lord of the Seven Hills on this humble self. With your grace , I will be happy to undertake this service." Ramanuja was mightily pleased and embracing Ananthalvan, declared before the congregation , " Ananthalvan , You are truly the man ( Aanpillai)."
Who is Ananthalvan ?
Ananthalvan was born as the son of Sri Kesavacharya of Bharadwaja Gothra in the year “Vijaya”, the 975th of the Sakha Era, 4154 years after Kali Yuga commenced, in the month of Chaitra on the day of Chithra Star at Sirupudur in Mysore and was named Anantharya.
He was taught the Vedas, Vedangas and Dhivyaprabandhams of Azhvars at the right age. On hearing about Sri Ramanuja he went to Srirangam. His samasrayanam was done by Sri Arulalaperumal Emperumanar who proclaimed that for them and for him the Acharya was always Ramanujar. Just as the Lord was born as Nara and Narayana , Adiseshan too was born as Ramanujar and Ananthazhvar as Acharya and Shishya.
Ananthalvan choose to settle down on the Hills in fulfillment of the command of the Guru and went on to lay the garden of flowers , dug up the lake and named it after Ramanuja. As a part of maintenance of a garden in the service of the Lord, Ananthazhwar was digging up earth, assisted by his pregnant wife. She got tired.The compassionate Lord could not contain himself. He assumed the form of a lad and assisted her in her service.Ananthalvar got angry and hit with a crowbar a young man who was trying to help his wife in laying the garden. Ananthalvan was chasing him when the young man disappeared into the temple. The priests found blood oozing from the chin of the Lord as Ananthalvan entered the sanctum sanctorum. He applied camphor on the chin and prayed for forgiveness. The crowbar can even today be seen at the entrance to the temple as a memento to the dedicated devotion of Ananthalvan. The camphor is distributed as prasad.{Sri padarenu}
One time Lord consider Anandhalvar as his guru and Ramanujar as Loka Guru and give a slokam
During the second visit up the Hills , Saint Ramanuja went round the garden laid down by Ananthasuri and was delighted to find the garden thick with vakula , patala , punnaga , shenbaga and other flower bearing fragrant trees , the bunches of flowers hanging from the branches , entertaining the ears of pilgrims with strains of music poured forth by bees and all kinds of plumaged birds. Saint Ramanuja remembered , how on the first occasion , he had given the call to Ananthasuri at the time of discourse on Nammalwar's hymns referring to the Lord as residing in flower bedecked Venkata Hills ( Sindhupoo maghizhum Thiruvengadam). He called Anantharya and declared in the august presence of Peria Thirumalai Nambigal , " O Anantharya ! Having nursed Thee , I now reap the fruit."
Anantha Suri was some sort of a chronicler. His Venkatchala Ithihasamala represents to Tirupati what Koil Olugu is to Srirangam. The Holy triumvirate of Saint Ramanuja , Ananthalvan and Peria Thirumalai Nambigal at a conference at the third visit of Ramanuja set up the Pedda Jeeyangar Mutt to regulate the vaikansa agama form of worship. The Saint began his SriBashya with an invocation to the Lord as Brahmani Srinivasa. This was a free Sanskrit rendering of Nammalwar's famous hymn addressing the Lord as "Alarmelmangai Urai Marba."
Epigraphs TT 171 , 173 and 175 on the Tirumalai Hills show Ananthalvan's dedication to Saint Ramanuja. His word was gospel to him. Whatever was dear to Ramanuja was dearer to Ananthalvan. He prays to Ramanuja to bless him with the noble spirit to imbibe the teachings of Nammalwar. His devotion to Andal was so great that on one occasion he was seen diving deep down the Srivilliputtur temple tank to search for the remnants of holy turmeric if any used by Andal. He composed the Ramanuja Chautsloki showing how Srirangam , The Tirumalai Hills , Kanchi and Melkote were dear to Ramanuja. His Gotha Chatusloki is a work of great art , rich in lines whose depth of thought , warmth of feeling , glow of imagery and grace of phrases will ring for centuries in every land where the glory of Andal is cherished.
Bhattar , the successor to Saint Ramanuja at Srirangam, once sent a disciple to Ananthalvan to ascertain who a true Vaishnava was. Ananthalvan told the Brahmin from Srirangam , " A true Sri Vaishnavite is like a crane , like a cock , like salt. He will be like You." Bhattar later on explained the four different ideas of Ananthalvan. The Srivaishnava ignores ordinary mortals and awaits the arrival of a true Gnani so that he may surrender to that Mahatma through devotion to service. Not for him the different parts of the Vedas which are not always of universal appeal. Like the cock picking up the good grains from the chaff , the Vaishnava will swear by the Dravida Veda of Nammalwar. Just as the salt dissolves itself in food and becomes useful thereby , the Srivaishnava effaces himself in Bhagavath, Bhaagavatha and Acharya Kainkarya. Like the Brahmin from Srirangam , he is free of ego or arrogance , always humble and devoted to the Srivaishnava clan.
Ananthalvan's final sacred gift to the pilgrims visiting the Hills was the shrine for Ramanuja. The image was presented to Ananthalvan by Saint Ramanuja Himself on request and was consecrated after the Saint shuffled off his mortal coil. Consecration may be later in time but the image itself is more ancient than those in Sriperumbudur , Srirangam and Thirunarayanapuram.
Ananthalvan rebukes Nanjeeyar for taking to Sanyas. For him liberation is attained by service to the community. Indeed Ananthalvan advises his disciple Vaishnava Dasa to spend his wealth for the upliftment of the poor and the down trodden if he is to aspire for the grace of Lord Venkateswara.
Ananthalvan joined eternity with the Lord on the sacred Thiru Adi Pooram day. Even today , Lord Venkateswara visits the garden and bestows honours on the Magizha Tree.
The satari at the main sanctum sanctorum is known as Sadagopa in remembrance of Nammalwar. The one in the Ramanuja shrine is known as Ananthalvan.
The Vaishnava community always held religious beliefs as filling too vital a function in sustaining individual morality and morale and social order and control. Ananthalvan belonged to a different clime and a different age , but it was not blind faith but faith married to reason.
Inside the Tirupati Balaji Venkateshwara Temple
Garbha Griha
The Garbha Griha or sanctum is where the main deity of Lord Sri Venkateswara resides. The deity stands majestically in the Garbha Griha, directly beneath a gilt dome called the Ananda Nilaya Divya Vimana.
This exquisitely-wrought deity called the Mulaberam, is believed to be self-manifested, as there has been no known sculptor possessing the capability to sculpt deities so proportionately and beautifully. Further, no human being is known to have installed it in the shrine.
Ordinarily, the Lord wears a gold kiritam (crown) which has a large emerald embedded in front. On special occasions, he is adorned with a diamond kiritam.
On his forehead, the Lord has a thick double patch of up wrought namam (tilak) drawn with refined camphor, which screens his eyes. In between the two white patches is a kasturitilakam.
His ears are bedecked with shining golden makara kundalas. The fist of His raised right hind hand is implanted with a gem-set chakra, and the corresponding left fist with the sankha. The slightly outstretched front right hand, has its fingers pointing to His lotus feet, as the only recourse to His devotees to attain oneness with Him and enjoy eternal bliss. His front left hand is akimbo to assure His devotees of protection, and to show that the samsara sagara is only hip-deep if they seek His refuge.
His body is clothed with a pitambaram tied with gold string, and a gold belt to which are attached tiny, jingling gold bells. He is adorned with precious ornaments. He has a yajnopavita flowing down cross-wise from His left shoulder. He bears Sri Lakshmi Devi on His right chest and Sri Padmavathi Devi on His left chest. He bears Nagabharanam ornaments on both shoulders.
His lotus feet are covered with gold frames and decked with clinging gold anklets. A strong curved belt of gold encompasses his legs.
During Abhishekam, we can have darshan of Goddess Lakshmi.
The Ananda Nilaya Divya Vimana was covered with gilt copper plates and surmounted with a golden vase, in the thirteenth century, during the reign of the Vijayanagara king, Yadava Raya.
Pilgrims are not allowed to enter the Garbha Gruha (beyond Kulasekara path)
. The Tirumala temple is believed to be the richest of all the temples in the world. The temple is located in Chittoor district
of Andhra Pradesh
, a state in Southern India.
Adi Sankaracharya, who came to Tirumala and placed the Sri Chakra
at the feet of Venkateshwara and sang the song "Sri Vishnu Paadadi Keshanta Sloka", in which the Jagadguru
describes the beauty of the Lord from the crown to the toes.
The Venkateswara Suprabhatam, being the morning recital of prayers and songs of awakening, is believed to have been written and sung by one of Ramanujacharya's disciples who visited the temple with his Guru
. Shri Vadirajatirtha
, most prominent among the Madhva
saints, is believed to have climbed the Tirumala hill on his knees because it appeared to him like a huge Shaligrama and is said to have given a garland of shaligram to the Lord.
When the famous Saivite saint Appayya Dikshitar
(Appayya Dikshita) visited the holy temple, he was refused darshan
by the main priests of the Lord as he was a Saivite. The next morning when the doors of the sanctum were opened, the Lord had taken the form of Lord Shiva. Realising their mistake, the priests welcomed Appayya Dikshitar
for darshanam and begged for forgiveness. After this the Lord reverted to his original form.
There is also a Govindaraya(Vishnu
) temple in the Tirupati town down below the hills that has Vishnu in Yoga Nidra
with Sri devi and Bhudevi next to him. Traditionally, Kurubas is said to have built the temples on top of the mountains for the worship of Vishnu.
Devanagari
Devanagari |deva]]" and "nāgarī" ), also called Nagari , is an abugida alphabet of India and Nepal...
: वेंकटेश्वर ) also known as Srinivasa, Balaji, Venkata and Venkatachalapati , is a form of the Hindu god Vishnu
Vishnu
Vishnu is the Supreme god in the Vaishnavite tradition of Hinduism. Smarta followers of Adi Shankara, among others, venerate Vishnu as one of the five primary forms of God....
. Venkateswara means the Lord who destroys the sins of the people. According to the Hindu scriptures, Vishnu, out of love towards his devotees, incarnated as Venkateswara and appeared for the salvation and upliftment of humanity in this Kali Yuga
Kali Yuga
Kali Yuga is the last of the four stages that the world goes through as part of the cycle of yugas described in the Indian scriptures. The other ages are Satya Yuga, Treta Yuga and Dvapara Yuga...
age. It is considered the supreme form of Vishnu in this age. The Venkateswara swami temple is also called Kaliyuga Vaikuntam.
History
It is said that Lord KuberaKubera
Kubera , also spelt Kuber, is the Lord of wealth and the god-king of the semi-divine Yakshas in Hindu mythology. He is regarded as the regent of the North , and a protector of the world His many epithets extol him as the overlord of numerous semi-divine species and the owner of the treasures of...
credited money to the god Venkateshwara (a form of the god Vishnu) for his marriage with Padmavati
Alamelu
Alamelu also known as Alamelmanga and Padmavati , is a Hindu devi. Believed to be a form of Lakshmi, the Hindu devi of wealth and good fortune, Alamelu is the consort of Sri Venkateshwara...
. In remembrance of this, the devotees going to Tirupati donate money, gold in Venkateshwara's Hundi ("Donation pot"), so that he can repay Kubera
Kubera
Kubera , also spelt Kuber, is the Lord of wealth and the god-king of the semi-divine Yakshas in Hindu mythology. He is regarded as the regent of the North , and a protector of the world His many epithets extol him as the overlord of numerous semi-divine species and the owner of the treasures of...
.
Etymology and other names
The name Venkateshwara can be split into multiple parts in SanskritSanskrit
Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
: Ven (sins), kata (destroyer), and ishwara (Supreme Lord). Using this etymology, Venkateshwara refers to the Supreme Lord who destroys sins, and he is one of the main deities among 108 divya desams or Tirupathy (www.srivari.com). A more probable origin is that it is a translation of the Tamil word Venkatamalaiyudaiyaan (he who has mount venkata). This is attested in the Sangam literature where Venkatamalai (nediyon kundam) is said to be the northern border of Tamizhagam: வடவேங்கடம் தென்குமரி ஆயிடைத் தமிழ்கூறு நல்லுலகு (The great Tamil nation that stands between Venkatam in the north and Kanyanumari in the south).
The ancient Vishnu kautuvam describes him as Souryarayan, the one who destroys the evil and who comforts us. He is fondly called Venkanna in the folklore of Andhra Pradesh. He is also known as 'Srinivasa, Tirumalesa, Thirumalai, Venkatachalapathi, Sripathi, ThiruMaal, Balaji (though this is a more recent name), Venkateshwer, Venkatesa, Venkatapathi, Venkatanatha, Sri Varu, Thiruvengadam Udaiyaan, Thiruvengadam, Maal, Manivannan, Tiruvengadattaan Tirupati Thimmappa
Tirupati Thimmappa
Tirupati Thimmappa is very much alive in janapada culture of south India. When people take piligrimage to Tirupati, they chant 'Tirupati Thimmappana Padakke Govinda Govindaa'. Gathering folklore knowledge of Indian Villages may give more in depth history and heritage of Tirupati Temple. Tirupati ...
, and by many other names.
He is also worshipped with the name Tirupati Thimmappa all over Karnataka
Karnataka
Karnataka , the land of the Kannadigas, is a state in South West India. It was created on 1 November 1956, with the passing of the States Reorganisation Act and this day is annually celebrated as Karnataka Rajyotsava...
by traditionally Shiva-worshipping communities. The presence of seven hills in the area influenced alternate names for the deity: such as Edukondalavadu in Telugu and as Ezhumalaiyan in Tamil, both of which mean "Lord of the Seven Hills". According to legend, the temple has a murti (deity) of Lord Venkateswara, believed to have resided there for the entire Kali Yuga. In Sri Vaishnava tradition, the temple is considered one of the 108 Divya Desams or 108 Tirupathys.
In his mangala sloka in 'Sri Bhashya', the Lokaguru Shrimath Ramanuja declares the glory of Lord Venkateswara:
akhila bhuvana janma sthema bhangAdi lIle
vinata vividha bhuta vrAta rakshaika dikshe |
Sruti Sirasi vidIpte brahmaNi SrInivAse
bhavatu mama parasmin Semushi bhakti rUpA ||
May my intellect assume the form of Bhakti in Srinivasa, the highest Reality, revealed in the Vedanta as the Lord who creates, protects and destroys the whole universe with sportive ease and who has taken a vow to protects all creatures who seek him.
Kamban, in his celebrated Ramayana
Ramayana
The Ramayana is an ancient Sanskrit epic. It is ascribed to the Hindu sage Valmiki and forms an important part of the Hindu canon , considered to be itihāsa. The Ramayana is one of the two great epics of India and Nepal, the other being the Mahabharata...
, makes an explicit reference to the Thiru Vengadam Hills; he says the truth enshrined in the four Vedas
Vedas
The Vedas are a large body of texts originating in ancient India. Composed in Vedic Sanskrit, the texts constitute the oldest layer of Sanskrit literature and the oldest scriptures of Hinduism....
stands out as the eternal satya on the Vengada Hills. 'Silappadikaram', the great Tamil classic, calls the Holy Hills, 'Nediyon Kunrams'. The Alvars wrote poems of praise expressing devotion to the Lord.
EPIC IMPORTANCE
The Venkatam hill is believed to be a part of the celestial Mount Meru brought to the earth from Vaikuntam by Garuda (Lord's vehicle), say the Puranas. The Hills are said to be a manifestation of Adi Sesha (the cosmic serpent). The Seven hills of the Tirumala are said to represent the seven hoods of Adi Sesha.
Many Alvars, Vaishnavacharyas and saints have praised the Tirumala Hill with great devotion. Tirumala Mambi, a descendent of the great ascetic Narada, spent his whole life in serving the Lord.
References to the tirumala also found in several of Puranas. Tirumala is one of the 108 sacred shrines of the Sri Vaishanava tradition. According to the Puranas, Lord Vishnu stayed on the earth for some time in the Avatar of Swetha Varaham and rose out of pushkarini as Swayambhuva. His spouse Lakshmi Devi appeared in Thirucharnur. This Swwtha Varaha Avatharam was installed in the temple situated to the west of Swamy Pushkarni. The great religious leader Ramanujacharya visited this shrine on a pilgrimage and systematised the process of worship in accordance with the SriVaishnava that continues to date.
ALWARS
Nammalvar (3000 B.C) extols Lord Venkateswara as the veritable aushadam (medicine) for curing the disease of samsara in the areas of birth and death. Saint Kulasekhara Alvar prays to the Lord Srinivasa to grant him even the lowest birth in the holy Tirumala Hills—as a fish in the sacred Swami Pushkarini, or as a tree, or as anything on the golden hills of Lord Venkateswara (emberumaan ponmalai mEl EdhEnum avEnE).
Legend
According to the scripture Sthala Purana, the legend of Venkateshwara's AvatarAvatar
In Hinduism, an avatar is a deliberate descent of a deity to earth, or a descent of the Supreme Being and is mostly translated into English as "incarnation," but more accurately as "appearance" or "manifestation"....
(incarnation
Incarnation
Incarnation literally means embodied in flesh or taking on flesh. It refers to the conception and birth of a sentient creature who is the material manifestation of an entity, god or force whose original nature is immaterial....
) is as follows:
Once some rishis headed by Kasyapa began to perform a sacrifice on the banks of the Ganges. Sage Narada
Narada
Narada or Narada Muni is a divine sage from the Vaisnava tradition, who plays a prominent role in a number of the Puranic texts, especially in the Bhagavata Purana, and in the Ramayana...
visited them and asked them why they were performing the sacrifice and who would be pleased by it. Not being able to answer the question, the rishis approached Sage Bhrugu, who according to Vedas
Vedas
The Vedas are a large body of texts originating in ancient India. Composed in Vedic Sanskrit, the texts constitute the oldest layer of Sanskrit literature and the oldest scriptures of Hinduism....
is believed to have an extra eye in the sole of his foot. To reach a solution after a direct ascertainment of reality, Sage Bhrigu first went to Satyaloka, the abode of Lord Brahma
Brahma
Brahma is the Hindu god of creation and one of the Trimurti, the others being Vishnu and Shiva. According to the Brahma Purana, he is the father of Mānu, and from Mānu all human beings are descended. In the Ramayana and the...
. At Satyaloka, he found Lord Brahma, reciting the four Vedas in praise of Lord Narayana, with each of his four heads, and attended upon by Saraswati
Saraswati
In Hinduism Saraswati , is the goddess of knowledge, music, arts, science and technology. She is the consort of Brahma, also revered as His Shakti....
. Lord Brahma did not take notice of Bhrigu offering obeisance. Concluding that Lord Brahma was unfit for worship, Bhrigu left Satyaloka for Kailasa, the abode of Lord Shiva
Shiva
Shiva is a major Hindu deity, and is the destroyer god or transformer among the Trimurti, the Hindu Trinity of the primary aspects of the divine. God Shiva is a yogi who has notice of everything that happens in the world and is the main aspect of life. Yet one with great power lives a life of a...
. At Kailasa, Bhrigu found Lord Shiva with Parvati
Parvati
Parvati is a Hindu goddess. Parvati is Shakti, the wife of Shiva and the gentle aspect of Mahadevi, the Great Goddess...
and not noticing his presence. left for Vaikunta
Vaikunta
Vaikuntha , Param Padam , or Paramapadam is the abode of Lord Vishnu. It is believed, in the tradition of Vaishnavites, to be the place of eternal bliss, exclusive to the Lord, His eternal consort, the Goddess Lakshmi, and the three-folded Serpent Sesha Naga, upon whom the Lord, and His Shakti ,...
, the abode of Lord Vishnu
Vishnu
Vishnu is the Supreme god in the Vaishnavite tradition of Hinduism. Smarta followers of Adi Shankara, among others, venerate Vishnu as one of the five primary forms of God....
.
At Vaikunta
Vaikunta
Vaikuntha , Param Padam , or Paramapadam is the abode of Lord Vishnu. It is believed, in the tradition of Vaishnavites, to be the place of eternal bliss, exclusive to the Lord, His eternal consort, the Goddess Lakshmi, and the three-folded Serpent Sesha Naga, upon whom the Lord, and His Shakti ,...
, Lord Vishnu was reposing on Adisesha with Sri Mahalakshmi in service at his feet. Finding that Lord Vishnu also did not notice him, the sage was infuriated and kicked the Lord on His chest, the place where Mahalakshmi resides. Vishnu, in an attempt to pacify the sage, got hold of legs of the sage and started to press them gently in a way that was comforting to the sage. During this act, he squeezed the extra eye that was present in the sole of Bhrigu's foot. The extra eye is believed to represent the sage's egotism. The sage then realised his grave mistake and apologized to Vishnu. Thereupon, the sage concluded that Lord Vishnu was the most supreme of the Trimurti
Trimurti
The Trimurti is a concept in Hinduism "in which the cosmic functions of creation, maintenance, and destruction are personified by the forms of Brahmā the creator, Vishnu the maintainer or preserver, and Śhiva the destroyer or transformer," These three deities have been called "the Hindu triad" or...
and told the rishis the same. balaji
Sri Mahalakshmi was angered by the action of her Lord in apologising to Bhrigu who committed an offence. Out of anger and anguish she left Vaikuntha and resided in Karavirapur now known as Kolhapur. After the departure of Mahalakshmi, a forlorn Lord Vishnu left Vaikunta
Vaikunta
Vaikuntha , Param Padam , or Paramapadam is the abode of Lord Vishnu. It is believed, in the tradition of Vaishnavites, to be the place of eternal bliss, exclusive to the Lord, His eternal consort, the Goddess Lakshmi, and the three-folded Serpent Sesha Naga, upon whom the Lord, and His Shakti ,...
, came down to Earth, and took abode in an ant-hill under a tamarind tree, beside a pushkarini on the Venkata Hill, meditating for the return of Lakshmi, without food or sleep.
Taking pity on Lord Vishnu, Brahma and Maheshwara
Shiva
Shiva is a major Hindu deity, and is the destroyer god or transformer among the Trimurti, the Hindu Trinity of the primary aspects of the divine. God Shiva is a yogi who has notice of everything that happens in the world and is the main aspect of life. Yet one with great power lives a life of a...
decided to assume the forms of a cow and its calf to serve him. Surya
Surya
Surya Suraya or Phra Athit is the chief solar deity in Hinduism, one of the Adityas, son of Kasyapa and one of his wives, Aditi; of Indra; or of Dyaus Pitar . The term Surya also refers to the Sun, in general. Surya has hair and arms of gold...
, the Sun god informed Mahalakshmi of this and requested her to assume the form of a cow herdess and sell the cow and calf to the king of the Chola country. The king of the Chola country bought the cow and its calf and sent them to graze on the Venkata Hill along with his herd of cattle. Discovering Lord Vishnu on the ant-hill, the cow provided its milk, and thus fed the Lord. Meanwhile, at the palace, the cow was not yielding any milk, for which the Chola Queen chastised the cowherd severely. To find out the cause of lack of milk, the cowherd followed the cow, hid himself behind a bush and discovered the cow emptying her udder over the ant-hill. Incensed over the conduct of the cow, the cowherd aimed a blow with his axe on the head of the cow. However, Lord Vishnu rose from the ant-hill to receive the blow and save the cow. When the cowherd saw the Lord bleed at the blow of his axe, he fell down and died of shock.
The cow returned to the Chola King, bellowing in fright and with blood stains all over her body. To find out the cause of the cow's terror, the King followed her to the scene of the incident. The King found the cowherd lying dead on the ground near the ant-hill. While he stood wondering how it had happened, Lord Vishnu rose from the ant-hill and cursed the King saying that he would become an Asura
Asura
-In Hinduism:In Hinduism, the Asuras constitute a group of power-seeking deities, sometimes considered sinful and materialistic. The Daityas and Danavas were combinedly known as Asuras. The Asura were opposed to the Devas. Both groups are children of Kasyapa...
because of the fault of his servant. The King pleaded innocence, and the Lord blessed him by saying that he will be reborn as Akasa Raja and that the curse would end when the Lord will be adorned with a crown presented by Akasa Raja at the time of His marriage with Padmavati
Alamelu
Alamelu also known as Alamelmanga and Padmavati , is a Hindu devi. Believed to be a form of Lakshmi, the Hindu devi of wealth and good fortune, Alamelu is the consort of Sri Venkateshwara...
. With these words Lord turned into stone form.
Thereafter, Lord Vishnu in the name of Srinivasa, decided to stay in Varaha Kshetra
Varaha
Varaha is the third Avatar of the Hindu Godhead Vishnu, in the form of a Boar. He appeared in order to defeat Hiranyaksha, a demon who had taken the Earth and carried it to the bottom of what is described as the cosmic ocean in the story. The battle between Varaha and Hiranyaksha is believed to...
and requested Sri Varaha
Varaha
Varaha is the third Avatar of the Hindu Godhead Vishnu, in the form of a Boar. He appeared in order to defeat Hiranyaksha, a demon who had taken the Earth and carried it to the bottom of what is described as the cosmic ocean in the story. The battle between Varaha and Hiranyaksha is believed to...
swami to grant Him a site for His stay. His request being readily granted, Srinivasa ordained that a pilgrimage to His shrine would not be complete unless it is preceded by a bath in the Pushkarini and darshan of Sri Varaha
Varaha
Varaha is the third Avatar of the Hindu Godhead Vishnu, in the form of a Boar. He appeared in order to defeat Hiranyaksha, a demon who had taken the Earth and carried it to the bottom of what is described as the cosmic ocean in the story. The battle between Varaha and Hiranyaksha is believed to...
swami and that puja and naivedyam should be offered to Sri Varaha swami first. Vishnu built a hermitage and lived there, attended to by Vakuladevi who looked after him like a mother.
Sometime later, a King named Akasa Raja who belonged to the Lunar race was ruling over Thondamandalam. Akasa Raja had no heirs, and therefore, he wanted to perform a sacrifice. As part of the sacrifice, he was ploughing the fields when his plough turned up a lotus in the ground. On examining the lotus, the King found a female child in it. The king was happy to find a child even before he performed a sacrifice and carried it to his place and gave it to his Queen to tend to it. At that time he heard an aerial voice which said "O King, tend it as your child and fortune will befall you". As she was found in a lotus, the king named her Padmavati
Alamelu
Alamelu also known as Alamelmanga and Padmavati , is a Hindu devi. Believed to be a form of Lakshmi, the Hindu devi of wealth and good fortune, Alamelu is the consort of Sri Venkateshwara...
. She grew up as a princess into a beautiful maiden and was attended by a host of maids.
One day, Lord Srinivasa, who was hunting, chased a wild elephant in the forests surrounding the hills. In the elephant's pursuit, the Lord was led into a garden, where Princess Padmavati and her maids were picking flowers. The sight of the elephant frightened the Princess and her maids. But the elephant immediately turned around, saluted the Lord and disappeared into the forest. Lord Srinivasa, who was following on horse back, and saw the frightened maidens. However, He was repulsed with stones thrown at Him by the maids. He returned to the hills in haste, leaving His horse behind. The Lord informed Vakuladevi that unless he married Princess Padmavati he would not be calmed.
The Lord then narrated the story of Padmavati’s previous birth and his promise to marry her. After listening to Srinivasa's story of how he had promised to marry Vedavati
Vedavati
In Hindu mythology, Vedavati is speculated to have been the spirit of Sita Devi, the wife of Lord Rama in the epic Ramayana. She was another avatar of Devi Laxmi.-Early life:...
in her next birth as Padmavati
Alamelu
Alamelu also known as Alamelmanga and Padmavati , is a Hindu devi. Believed to be a form of Lakshmi, the Hindu devi of wealth and good fortune, Alamelu is the consort of Sri Venkateshwara...
, Vakuladevi realised that Srinivasa would not be happy unless he married her. She offered to go to Akasa Raja and his Queen and arrange for the marriage. On the way she met the maids of Padmavati returning from a Shiva Temple. She learnt from them that Padmavati was also pining for Srinivasa. Vakuladevi went along with the maid servants to the Queen.
Meanwhile, Akasa Raja and his Queen Dharanidevi were anxious about the health of their daughter, Padmavati. They learnt about Padmavathi's love for Srinivasa of Venkata Hill. Akasa Raja consulted Brihaspati
Brihaspati
Bṛhaspati also known as Brahmanaspati and Deva-guru , is the name of a Vedic deity...
about the marriage and was informed that the marriage was in the best interest of both the parties. Kubera
Kubera
Kubera , also spelt Kuber, is the Lord of wealth and the god-king of the semi-divine Yakshas in Hindu mythology. He is regarded as the regent of the North , and a protector of the world His many epithets extol him as the overlord of numerous semi-divine species and the owner of the treasures of...
lent money to Lord Srinivasa to meet the expenses of the marriage. Lord Srinivasa, along with Lord Brahma
Brahma
Brahma is the Hindu god of creation and one of the Trimurti, the others being Vishnu and Shiva. According to the Brahma Purana, he is the father of Mānu, and from Mānu all human beings are descended. In the Ramayana and the...
and Lord Shiva started the journey to the residence of Akasa Raja on his vahana
Vahana
Vāhana denotes the being, typically an animal or mythical entity, a particular deva is said to use as a vehicle. In this capacity, the vāhana is often called the deity's mount. Upon the partnership between the deva and his vāhana is woven much iconography and mythology...
Garuda
Garuda
The Garuda is a large mythical bird or bird-like creature that appears in both Hindu and Buddhist mythology.From an Indian perspective, Garuda is the Hindu name for the constellation Aquila and...
. At the palace entrance, Lord Srinivasa was received by Akasa Raja with full honours and taken in procession on a mounted elephant to the palace for the marriage. In the presence of all the Devas, Lord Srinivasa married Princess Padmavati, thus blessing Akasa Raja. Together, they lived for all eternity while Goddess Lakshmi
Lakshmi
Lakshmi or Lakumi is the Hindu goddess of wealth, prosperity , light, wisdom, fortune, fertility, generosity and courage; and the embodiment of beauty, grace and charm. Representations of Lakshmi are also found in Jain monuments...
, understanding the commitments of Lord Vishnu
Vishnu
Vishnu is the Supreme god in the Vaishnavite tradition of Hinduism. Smarta followers of Adi Shankara, among others, venerate Vishnu as one of the five primary forms of God....
, chose to live in his heart forever.
Venkateshwara's temple, today is located at the top of the Seven hills in Tirumala. It stands as a special place, commemorating the marriage between the two. Everyday, a kalyana utsavam celebrates the divine union in a celebration that stretches to eternity. Even today, during the Brahmotsavam
Brahmotsavam
Tirumala Brahmotsavam is an annual festival at Tirumala Lord Venkateswara Temple celebrated for nine days in the months of September and October. The celebration attracts pilgrims and tourists from all partsof the nation and across the world.- Brahmotsavam :...
at the temple, turmeric, kumkum and a sari are sent from the temple to Tiruchanur
Tiruchanur
Tiruchanur is the third largest Suburban of Tirupati in Andhra Pradesh, India.Pilgrimage to Tirupati is incomplete without a visit to Sri Padmavati Ammavari temple at Trichanur. Sri Padmavati is the divine consort of Lord Venkateswara Swamy. As Goddess Padmavati, a manifestation of Goddess...
, the abode of Padmavati. In fact Tirupati is rarely visited without paying a visit to Tiruchanur. In the light of this background, it has become the favored destination of many newly wed couples who pray for a happy wedding similar to that of Srinivasa and Padmavati
Alamelu
Alamelu also known as Alamelmanga and Padmavati , is a Hindu devi. Believed to be a form of Lakshmi, the Hindu devi of wealth and good fortune, Alamelu is the consort of Sri Venkateshwara...
.
A tale associated with the temple goes thus: A helper boy called Bala was once falsely accused of being a thief. When people started chasing him he had to run for his life. He was hit on the head by the mob and his head started bleeding profusely. He ran to the Tirupati Temple of Lord Vishnu
Vishnu
Vishnu is the Supreme god in the Vaishnavite tradition of Hinduism. Smarta followers of Adi Shankara, among others, venerate Vishnu as one of the five primary forms of God....
and ran to the main door of the temple. When the people entered the temple, they couldn't find the boy but saw the head of God's idol bleeding. It was considered that the boy was sheltered and protected by Vishnu
Vishnu
Vishnu is the Supreme god in the Vaishnavite tradition of Hinduism. Smarta followers of Adi Shankara, among others, venerate Vishnu as one of the five primary forms of God....
himself, and the priests put cloth on the idol's head to control the bleeding.
Thirumalai Ananthalvan : Selfless Service to the Lord
Millions of devotees throng the Tirumala Hills practically round the clock throughout the year. As the rush of pilgrims increases day by day , Tirumala Tirupathi Devasthanams is hard put to finding ways and means of accommodating them and arranging darshan without long wait. As they move towards the sanctum sanctorum of Lord Venkateswara , how many will remember that there was a time , just a thousand years back, when the Hills were deserted with not much of human habitation in sight ? Ask any Srivaishnavite to name the man of the millenium . Pat will come the reply , Saint Ramanuja.
Ramanuja ( 1017-1137 A.D.) had visited the Hills thrice. His maternal uncle , Peria Thirumalai Nambi gave him discourses on the Ramayana for several months at the Hills. The temple and the surroundings were in bad shape and worship was not organized regularly. Ramanuja was inspired by the Holy Hymns of the Alwars singing the glory of the Lord of the Seven Hills. He called an assembly of the Acharyas , 74 in number and posed them the question whether any one of them will take up the task of serving the Lord on the Hills on a day to day basis. Everyone was hesitating , fearing the hard life up the Hills what with tigers , malaria and the forests. There was Ananthalvan , a strong and silent devotee in the gathering. He rose to his feet and prayed , " Beloved Acharya ! Bestow the blessing of serving the Lord of the Seven Hills on this humble self. With your grace , I will be happy to undertake this service." Ramanuja was mightily pleased and embracing Ananthalvan, declared before the congregation , " Ananthalvan , You are truly the man ( Aanpillai)."
Who is Ananthalvan ?
Ananthalvan was born as the son of Sri Kesavacharya of Bharadwaja Gothra in the year “Vijaya”, the 975th of the Sakha Era, 4154 years after Kali Yuga commenced, in the month of Chaitra on the day of Chithra Star at Sirupudur in Mysore and was named Anantharya.
He was taught the Vedas, Vedangas and Dhivyaprabandhams of Azhvars at the right age. On hearing about Sri Ramanuja he went to Srirangam. His samasrayanam was done by Sri Arulalaperumal Emperumanar who proclaimed that for them and for him the Acharya was always Ramanujar. Just as the Lord was born as Nara and Narayana , Adiseshan too was born as Ramanujar and Ananthazhvar as Acharya and Shishya.
Ananthalvan choose to settle down on the Hills in fulfillment of the command of the Guru and went on to lay the garden of flowers , dug up the lake and named it after Ramanuja. As a part of maintenance of a garden in the service of the Lord, Ananthazhwar was digging up earth, assisted by his pregnant wife. She got tired.The compassionate Lord could not contain himself. He assumed the form of a lad and assisted her in her service.Ananthalvar got angry and hit with a crowbar a young man who was trying to help his wife in laying the garden. Ananthalvan was chasing him when the young man disappeared into the temple. The priests found blood oozing from the chin of the Lord as Ananthalvan entered the sanctum sanctorum. He applied camphor on the chin and prayed for forgiveness. The crowbar can even today be seen at the entrance to the temple as a memento to the dedicated devotion of Ananthalvan. The camphor is distributed as prasad.{Sri padarenu}
One time Lord consider Anandhalvar as his guru and Ramanujar as Loka Guru and give a slokam
During the second visit up the Hills , Saint Ramanuja went round the garden laid down by Ananthasuri and was delighted to find the garden thick with vakula , patala , punnaga , shenbaga and other flower bearing fragrant trees , the bunches of flowers hanging from the branches , entertaining the ears of pilgrims with strains of music poured forth by bees and all kinds of plumaged birds. Saint Ramanuja remembered , how on the first occasion , he had given the call to Ananthasuri at the time of discourse on Nammalwar's hymns referring to the Lord as residing in flower bedecked Venkata Hills ( Sindhupoo maghizhum Thiruvengadam). He called Anantharya and declared in the august presence of Peria Thirumalai Nambigal , " O Anantharya ! Having nursed Thee , I now reap the fruit."
Anantha Suri was some sort of a chronicler. His Venkatchala Ithihasamala represents to Tirupati what Koil Olugu is to Srirangam. The Holy triumvirate of Saint Ramanuja , Ananthalvan and Peria Thirumalai Nambigal at a conference at the third visit of Ramanuja set up the Pedda Jeeyangar Mutt to regulate the vaikansa agama form of worship. The Saint began his SriBashya with an invocation to the Lord as Brahmani Srinivasa. This was a free Sanskrit rendering of Nammalwar's famous hymn addressing the Lord as "Alarmelmangai Urai Marba."
Epigraphs TT 171 , 173 and 175 on the Tirumalai Hills show Ananthalvan's dedication to Saint Ramanuja. His word was gospel to him. Whatever was dear to Ramanuja was dearer to Ananthalvan. He prays to Ramanuja to bless him with the noble spirit to imbibe the teachings of Nammalwar. His devotion to Andal was so great that on one occasion he was seen diving deep down the Srivilliputtur temple tank to search for the remnants of holy turmeric if any used by Andal. He composed the Ramanuja Chautsloki showing how Srirangam , The Tirumalai Hills , Kanchi and Melkote were dear to Ramanuja. His Gotha Chatusloki is a work of great art , rich in lines whose depth of thought , warmth of feeling , glow of imagery and grace of phrases will ring for centuries in every land where the glory of Andal is cherished.
Bhattar , the successor to Saint Ramanuja at Srirangam, once sent a disciple to Ananthalvan to ascertain who a true Vaishnava was. Ananthalvan told the Brahmin from Srirangam , " A true Sri Vaishnavite is like a crane , like a cock , like salt. He will be like You." Bhattar later on explained the four different ideas of Ananthalvan. The Srivaishnava ignores ordinary mortals and awaits the arrival of a true Gnani so that he may surrender to that Mahatma through devotion to service. Not for him the different parts of the Vedas which are not always of universal appeal. Like the cock picking up the good grains from the chaff , the Vaishnava will swear by the Dravida Veda of Nammalwar. Just as the salt dissolves itself in food and becomes useful thereby , the Srivaishnava effaces himself in Bhagavath, Bhaagavatha and Acharya Kainkarya. Like the Brahmin from Srirangam , he is free of ego or arrogance , always humble and devoted to the Srivaishnava clan.
Ananthalvan's final sacred gift to the pilgrims visiting the Hills was the shrine for Ramanuja. The image was presented to Ananthalvan by Saint Ramanuja Himself on request and was consecrated after the Saint shuffled off his mortal coil. Consecration may be later in time but the image itself is more ancient than those in Sriperumbudur , Srirangam and Thirunarayanapuram.
Ananthalvan rebukes Nanjeeyar for taking to Sanyas. For him liberation is attained by service to the community. Indeed Ananthalvan advises his disciple Vaishnava Dasa to spend his wealth for the upliftment of the poor and the down trodden if he is to aspire for the grace of Lord Venkateswara.
Ananthalvan joined eternity with the Lord on the sacred Thiru Adi Pooram day. Even today , Lord Venkateswara visits the garden and bestows honours on the Magizha Tree.
The satari at the main sanctum sanctorum is known as Sadagopa in remembrance of Nammalwar. The one in the Ramanuja shrine is known as Ananthalvan.
The Vaishnava community always held religious beliefs as filling too vital a function in sustaining individual morality and morale and social order and control. Ananthalvan belonged to a different clime and a different age , but it was not blind faith but faith married to reason.
Inside the Tirupati Balaji Venkateshwara Temple
Garbha Griha
The Garbha Griha or sanctum is where the main deity of Lord Sri Venkateswara resides. The deity stands majestically in the Garbha Griha, directly beneath a gilt dome called the Ananda Nilaya Divya Vimana.
This exquisitely-wrought deity called the Mulaberam, is believed to be self-manifested, as there has been no known sculptor possessing the capability to sculpt deities so proportionately and beautifully. Further, no human being is known to have installed it in the shrine.
Ordinarily, the Lord wears a gold kiritam (crown) which has a large emerald embedded in front. On special occasions, he is adorned with a diamond kiritam.
On his forehead, the Lord has a thick double patch of up wrought namam (tilak) drawn with refined camphor, which screens his eyes. In between the two white patches is a kasturitilakam.
His ears are bedecked with shining golden makara kundalas. The fist of His raised right hind hand is implanted with a gem-set chakra, and the corresponding left fist with the sankha. The slightly outstretched front right hand, has its fingers pointing to His lotus feet, as the only recourse to His devotees to attain oneness with Him and enjoy eternal bliss. His front left hand is akimbo to assure His devotees of protection, and to show that the samsara sagara is only hip-deep if they seek His refuge.
His body is clothed with a pitambaram tied with gold string, and a gold belt to which are attached tiny, jingling gold bells. He is adorned with precious ornaments. He has a yajnopavita flowing down cross-wise from His left shoulder. He bears Sri Lakshmi Devi on His right chest and Sri Padmavathi Devi on His left chest. He bears Nagabharanam ornaments on both shoulders.
His lotus feet are covered with gold frames and decked with clinging gold anklets. A strong curved belt of gold encompasses his legs.
During Abhishekam, we can have darshan of Goddess Lakshmi.
The Ananda Nilaya Divya Vimana was covered with gilt copper plates and surmounted with a golden vase, in the thirteenth century, during the reign of the Vijayanagara king, Yadava Raya.
Pilgrims are not allowed to enter the Garbha Gruha (beyond Kulasekara path)
Location of main shrine
Venkateshwara's abode is in the Venkatam hills (the hills are more often referred to as Edu Kondalu) near Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh. The main temple of Venkateshwara is the Tirumala Venkateswara TempleTirumala Venkateswara Temple
Tirumala Venkateswara Temple ), is a Hindu temple in the hill town of Tirumala, near Tirupati in the Chittoor district of Andhra Pradesh, South India. It is around from Chennai, from Hyderabad, and from Bangalore....
. The Tirumala temple is believed to be the richest of all the temples in the world. The temple is located in Chittoor district
Chittoor district
Chittoor District , also known as Chittur, is a district of India's Andhra Pradesh state. The district headquarters is Chittoor City. The district has a population of 4,170,468 according to 2011 census of India. Chittoor district is famous for the Tirupati, Kanipakam and Sri Kalahasti temples...
of Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh , is one of the 28 states of India, situated on the southeastern coast of India. It is India's fourth largest state by area and fifth largest by population. Its capital and largest city by population is Hyderabad.The total GDP of Andhra Pradesh is $100 billion and is ranked third...
, a state in Southern India.
Adoration
Many saints have visited the shrine and worshipped Venkateswara. Notable among them is the foremost JagadguruJagadguru
Jagadguru , literally meaning the Guru of the world, is a title used in Sanatana Dharma. Traditionally, it has been bestowed upon or used for acharyas belonging to the Vedānta school who have written Sanskrit commentaries on the Prasthānatrayī - the Brahma Sutra Jagadguru (Sanskrit जगद्गुरु),...
Adi Sankaracharya, who came to Tirumala and placed the Sri Chakra
Sri Chakra
The Sri Chakra or Shri Yantra is a yantra formed by nine interlocking triangles that surround and radiate out from the central point, the junction point between the physical universe and its unmanifest source. It represents the goddess in her form of Shri Lalitha Or Tripura Sundari, "the beauty...
at the feet of Venkateshwara and sang the song "Sri Vishnu Paadadi Keshanta Sloka", in which the Jagadguru
Jagadguru
Jagadguru , literally meaning the Guru of the world, is a title used in Sanatana Dharma. Traditionally, it has been bestowed upon or used for acharyas belonging to the Vedānta school who have written Sanskrit commentaries on the Prasthānatrayī - the Brahma Sutra Jagadguru (Sanskrit जगद्गुरु),...
describes the beauty of the Lord from the crown to the toes.
The Venkateswara Suprabhatam, being the morning recital of prayers and songs of awakening, is believed to have been written and sung by one of Ramanujacharya's disciples who visited the temple with his Guru
Guru
A guru is one who is regarded as having great knowledge, wisdom, and authority in a certain area, and who uses it to guide others . Other forms of manifestation of this principle can include parents, school teachers, non-human objects and even one's own intellectual discipline, if the...
. Shri Vadirajatirtha
Vadirajatirtha
Sri Vadirajatirtha , traditionally 1480 - 1600, a Haridasa, is said to have been a Shivalli Tulu Brahmin and native of the village of Hoovinakere, near Kumbhashi in Kundapura taluk, Udupi District in Karnataka state...
, most prominent among the Madhva
Madhwas
The Madhwa are one community of Brahmins of India, whose members follow the doctrine of Dvaita or Dualism as codified by Madhwa Acharya ....
saints, is believed to have climbed the Tirumala hill on his knees because it appeared to him like a huge Shaligrama and is said to have given a garland of shaligram to the Lord.
When the famous Saivite saint Appayya Dikshitar
Appayya Dikshitar
Appayya Dikshita , 1520–1593 CE, was a performer of yajñas as well as an expositor and practitioner of the Advaita Vedanta school of Hindu philosophy but however, with a focus on Shiva or Siva Advaita.-Life:...
(Appayya Dikshita) visited the holy temple, he was refused darshan
Darshan
or Darshan is a Sanskrit term meaning "sight" , vision, apparition, or glimpse. It is most commonly used for "visions of the divine" in Hindu worship, e.g. of a deity , or a very holy person or artifact...
by the main priests of the Lord as he was a Saivite. The next morning when the doors of the sanctum were opened, the Lord had taken the form of Lord Shiva. Realising their mistake, the priests welcomed Appayya Dikshitar
Appayya Dikshitar
Appayya Dikshita , 1520–1593 CE, was a performer of yajñas as well as an expositor and practitioner of the Advaita Vedanta school of Hindu philosophy but however, with a focus on Shiva or Siva Advaita.-Life:...
for darshanam and begged for forgiveness. After this the Lord reverted to his original form.
There is also a Govindaraya(Vishnu
Vishnu
Vishnu is the Supreme god in the Vaishnavite tradition of Hinduism. Smarta followers of Adi Shankara, among others, venerate Vishnu as one of the five primary forms of God....
) temple in the Tirupati town down below the hills that has Vishnu in Yoga Nidra
Yoga Nidra
Yoga-nidra or "yogi sleep" is a sleep-like state which yogis report to experience during their meditations.The practice of yoga relaxation has been found to reduce tension and anxiety. The autonomic symptoms of high anxiety such as headache, giddiness, chest pain, palpitations, sweating, abdominal...
with Sri devi and Bhudevi next to him. Traditionally, Kurubas is said to have built the temples on top of the mountains for the worship of Vishnu.
Symbolic description
Lord Venkateswara's eyes are covered, because it is said that his gaze is so intense, it would scorch the universe.Notable Venkateswara temples outside of India
Indian emigrants have built numerous temples dedicated primarily to Lord Venkateswara in their communities outside India. These include the following:- CanadaCanadaCanada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
- Richmond Hill Hindu Temple, TorontoTorontoToronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, OntarioOntarioOntario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
- Richmond Hill Hindu Temple, Toronto
- KenyaKenyaKenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
- NairobiNairobiNairobi is the capital and largest city of Kenya. The city and its surrounding area also forms the Nairobi County. The name "Nairobi" comes from the Maasai phrase Enkare Nyirobi, which translates to "the place of cool waters". However, it is popularly known as the "Green City in the Sun" and is...
- Nairobi
- UgandaUgandaUganda , officially the Republic of Uganda, is a landlocked country in East Africa. Uganda is also known as the "Pearl of Africa". It is bordered on the east by Kenya, on the north by South Sudan, on the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, on the southwest by Rwanda, and on the south by...
- KampalaKampalaKampala is the largest city and capital of Uganda. The city is divided into five boroughs that oversee local planning: Kampala Central Division, Kawempe Division, Makindye Division, Nakawa Division and Lubaga Division. The city is coterminous with Kampala District.-History: of Buganda, had chosen...
- Kampala
- NigeriaNigeriaNigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
- LagosLagosLagos is a port and the most populous conurbation in Nigeria. With a population of 7,937,932, it is currently the third most populous city in Africa after Cairo and Kinshasa, and currently estimated to be the second fastest growing city in Africa...
- Lagos
- TanzaniaTanzaniaThe United Republic of Tanzania is a country in East Africa bordered by Kenya and Uganda to the north, Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west, and Zambia, Malawi, and Mozambique to the south. The country's eastern borders lie on the Indian Ocean.Tanzania is a state...
- Dar es SalaamDar es SalaamDar es Salaam , formerly Mzizima, is the largest city in Tanzania. It is also the country's richest city and a regionally important economic centre. Dar es Salaam is actually an administrative province within Tanzania, and consists of three local government areas or administrative districts: ...
- Dar es Salaam
- MauritiusMauritiusMauritius , officially the Republic of Mauritius is an island nation off the southeast coast of the African continent in the southwest Indian Ocean, about east of Madagascar...
- BotswanaBotswanaBotswana, officially the Republic of Botswana , is a landlocked country located in Southern Africa. The citizens are referred to as "Batswana" . Formerly the British protectorate of Bechuanaland, Botswana adopted its new name after becoming independent within the Commonwealth on 30 September 1966...
- GaboroneGaborone' is the capital and largest city of Botswana with a population of 191,776 based on a 2006 survey, about 10% of the total population of Botswana....
- Gaborone
- AustraliaAustraliaAustralia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
- Sri Venkateswara TempleSri Venkateswara Temple (Helensburgh)Sri Venkateswara Temple is located near Helensburgh, New South Wales....
SydneySydneySydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
, New South WalesNew South WalesNew South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
(HelensburghHelensburgh, New South WalesHelensburgh is a small town in New South Wales, Australia. Helensburgh is located 45 kilometres south of the Sydney central business district and north of Wollongong. Helensburgh is in the local government area of Wollongong City Council and marks the northern end of the Illawarra region...
) - MelbourneMelbourneMelbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
, VictoriaVictoria (Australia)Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
(Carrum Downs)
- Sri Venkateswara Temple
- SingaporeSingaporeSingapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
- Sri Srinivasa Perumal TempleSri Srinivasa Perumal TempleSri Srinivasa Perumal Temple or Sri Perumal Temple is one of the oldest temples in Singapore. It is located in Little India on Serangoon Road, where its tall Gopuram shows the different incarnations of Lord Vishnu...
, SingaporeSingaporeSingapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
- Sri Srinivasa Perumal Temple
- United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
- Sri Venkateswara Temple, Pittsburgh, PennsylvaniaPennsylvaniaThe Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
(SV Temple, Pittsburgh, PA) - Memphis, TennesseeMemphis, TennesseeMemphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....
- Malibu Hindu TempleMalibu Hindu TempleMalibu Hindu Temple , a temple of the Hindu god Venkateswara, built in 1981, is located in the city of Calabasas near Malibu, California in the Santa Monica Mountains. It is owned and operated by the Hindu Temple Society of Southern California...
, Calabasas, CaliforniaCalabasas, CaliforniaCalabasas is an affluent city in Los Angeles County, California in the western United States. It is located in the hills in the southwestern San Fernando Valley and the Santa Monica Mountains between Woodland Hills, Agoura Hills, West Hills, and Malibu, California. As of the 2010 census, the city... - RiverdaleRiverdale, GeorgiaRiverdale is a city in Clayton County, Georgia, United States. The population was 12,478 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Riverdale is located at .-Demographics:...
, GeorgiaGeorgia (U.S. state)Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788... - AuroraAurora, IllinoisAurora is the second most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois, and the 112th largest city in the United States. A suburb of Chicago, located west of the Loop, its population in 2010 was 197,899. Originally founded within Kane County, Aurora's city limits have expanded greatly over the past...
, IllinoisIllinoisIllinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,... - Bridgewater, New JerseyNew JerseyNew Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
- LivermoreLivermore, CaliforniaLivermore is a city in Alameda County. The population as of 2010 was 80,968. Livermore is located on the eastern edge of California's San Francisco Bay Area....
, CaliforniaCaliforniaCalifornia is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
(Shiva-Vishnu Temple) - Lanham, MarylandLanham, MarylandLanham is an unincorporated community in Prince George's County in the State of Maryland in the United States of America. Because it is not formally incorporated, it has no official boundaries, but the United States Census Bureau has defined a census-designated place consisting of Lanham and the...
(Shiva-Vishnu Temple) - Fairfax, VirginiaFairfax, VirginiaThe City of Fairfax is an independent city forming an enclave within the confines of Fairfax County, in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. Although politically independent of the surrounding county, the City is nevertheless the county seat....
(S V Lotus Temple) - Sri Venkateswara Temple of North Carolina, Cary, North CarolinaCary, North CarolinaCary is a large town and suburb of Raleigh, North Carolina in Wake and Chatham counties in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Located almost entirely in Wake County, it is the second largest municipality in that county and the third largest municipality in The Triangle after Raleigh and Durham...
- Sri Venkateshwara Temple Of Colorado, Castle Rock, Colorado. (S V Temple Colorado)
- Sri Venkata Krishna Kshetra, Tempe, Arizona (Udipi Temple)
- Sri Venkateswara Temple, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- United KingdomUnited KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
- TividaleTividale- History :The village was in the parish of St Michael named after the church built there. It was created in 1878 as an extension of the town of Tipton in the county of Staffordshire, England...
- Preston, LancashireLancashireLancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
, Telugu Community Association
- Tividale
See also
- AnnamacharyaAnnamacharyaSri Tallapaka Annamacharya was the official songmaster of the Tirumala Venkateswara Temple, and a Telugu composer who composed around 36000 keertana songs, many of which were in praise of Venkateswara, the presiding deity of the temple...
- Annamacharya sankeertanaAnnamacharya sankeertanaAnnamacharya sankeertana is the devotional singing or sankirtana of the compositions of Tallapaka Annamacharya , a 15th century, the mystic saint composer, the earliest known musician of South India who composed songs called “sankirtanas” in praise of Lord Venkateswara, the deity of Seven Hills in...
- KonetiRayala Swamy TempleKonetiRayala Swamy TempleKoneti Rayala Swamy Temple is a Hindu temple of Lord Venkateswara in the village of Keelapatla, Andhra Pradesh, India. The temple was constructed by the regents of Pallava kings in the ninth and tenth centuries....
- List of Hindu deities
- Perumal
- Sri Venkateswara MahatyamSri Venkateswara MahatyamSri Venkateswara Mahatyam is a 1960 Magnum opus Telugu Musical film produced and directed by P. Pullaiah and starring N. T. Rama Rao. The story is based on the story of Lord Venkateswara .-The Story:Evil forces dominates the world...
- Uppiliappan templeUppiliappan templeThe Uppiliappan Temple, also known as Thiruvinnagar, Oppliyappan Temple, Oppiliappan Kovil and Oppiliappan Sannidhi is a Vishnu temple located near the village of Thirunageswaram in the Thanjavur district of Tamil Nadu, India. The presiding deity in this temple is Lord Uppiliappan Perumal with his...