Sri Tirumala Venkateswara Vaibhavam

Lord Venkateswara's Boon to Bhakta Bheema

2009-11-17T14:22:00.004+05:30

It’s been quite a while since I have updated this blog. I am extremely sorry for that. Today I have come up with a short story on Bhakta Bheema. Hope you guys like it.

There are several stories that are associated with the Grandeur of Lord Venkateswara and yet they are unfamiliar. The reasons might be plenty. Let’s not waste the time on discussing that issue now. Here is my little effort to uncover one such story related to the great devotee of Lord Venkateswara called Bheema.

Bheema was a potter; who used to live in a village called Gudwakkam seven miles away from Venkatachalam. He had a wife called Tamalini. Both of them were great devotees of Lord Venkateswara. Though they were poor they lived happily chanting the hymns of Lord Venkateswara.

Bheema used to chant Lord Venkateswara’s name all the time. He knows only two things in the world – one was to mind is own business and other was to chant the hymns of Lord Venkateswara. Nothing else was known to him.

Bheema made a clay Idol of Lord Venkateswara sitting on the throne. He along with his wife Tamalini used to offer prayers every day and chant hymns in praise of the Lord. Tamalini used to prepare Naivedyam in the clay pots and offer it to the Lord every day. The Lord immensely enjoyed the Naivedyam offered to him. Bheema often immersed himself deeply in the devotion of Lord Venkateswara and yet his work went on unhindered.

Pleased by the sincere devotion of Bheema, the Lord once gave him a darshan and said, “Bheema! My dear Bhakata..! I am pleased with your sincere devotion and really appreciate your sincerity towards your profession. Ask anything you want. I am going to fulfill your wish. Bheema asked the Lord to give His blessings for the rest of his life. That is all enough for him and he expect nothing more than that. Pleased with the devotion of Bheema couples, the Lord offered a boon that all the Naivedyams in the Temple of Tirumala will be prepared in clay pots till the end of Kaliyuga as a commemoration to their sincere bhakti and devotion on him.

Since that day onwards till today all the Naivedyams to be offered to the Lord are prepared in clay pots. Many people might have offered Gold and Diamond studded vessels but what the God has chosen? The Clay Pot! There is no difference of caste or creed, rich or poor in the eyes of the Almighty Lord Sri Venkateswara. What matters the most to the Lord is the deeds of his devotees. How much you offered is not important to the Lord. How much you love Him is what matters to the Lord.

The Story of Tirupati Laddu

2009-09-20T16:39:00.003+05:30

So far in my blog, I have focused on people who have involved in the Grandeur of Lord Srinivasa. Today, I am about to focus on a thing which is equally involved in the Vaibhavam or the Grandeur of Lord Sri Venkateswara. “Tirupati Laddu” which is popularly known as the “Srivari Laddu” – the mouth watering, delicious and yummy Laddu, which is the mainstay of Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam Prasadam for more than 300 hundred years. The taste of Tirumala Laddu is spread all over the world. The mouth-watering Laddu and vadai, the likes of which is not prepared elsewhere in the world. It is a 'sweet favourite' of the young and the old. The Tirumala Laddu has become synonymous with Tirupati. Can we return home without Tirumala Laddu after having the divine darshan of Lord Venkateswara? Never! There is no satisfaction in doing so. Every devotee returning from Tirupati will necessarily distribute 'Laddu' as prasadam to his friends and relatives. The reason for such a popularity of Laddu among pilgrims of Tirumala is its unique flavour, characteristics and never compromising quality of Laddus ever since it all began distributing 300 years ago (though the size of Laddu has reduced over the years.) More importantly Laddu is the favourite naivedyam of Lord Venkateswara himself. By eating this Srivari Prasadam the devotee forgets all the sorrows and hardships he suffered while reaching the hill top of Seshachalam for the divine darshan of Lord Venkateswara and get back to his destination with a pleasant and joyful heart and soul wishing for a return journey at the earliest.

The architect of the 'Laddu Empire' is Kalyanam Iyengar and was the brain behind making Laddu synonymous with Tirupati. He was the uncrowned monarch who had several hundreds of men working in his 'kingdom of divine offerings'. An embodiment of virtues and humility, he was named Kalyanam Iyengar by the great politician wizard Rajaji because he donated the Thali – the wedding chain and wedding clothes to the needy. A philanthropist, he championed the cause of the poor and downtrodden. A connoisseur and patron of fine arts, he introduced music and dance festivals in Tirumala which is being followed till date.

A person to emulate for his services to mankind is manifold. Under his stewardship his 'subjects', relatives and friends had a glorious time. He passed on the mantle to his son, brother and brother-in-law. His centenary, which fell on March this year, was celebrated in a grand manner. “Endaro Manahanubhavalu Andarikki Vandanamu – Our Salute to all those great people.” His ideals and principles are observed by his benefactors. His culinary expertise has made 'Laddu' the mainstay of the prasadam in the ethereal Tirumala hills.

'Laddu' Ramesh was kind enough to disclose information about this delicious prasadam. The ingredients in the preparation of Laddu are besan flour (kadalai mavu), sugar, oil and cardamom and dry fruits. It is believed that roughly about a 1.25 lakh Laddus are prepared every day. There is a crane to transport the grocery into the potu. I would like to share with my readers the details of daily consumption of various ingredients required in making Laddus.

	Besan flour	100 bags (each bag contains 50 kg)
ii)	Sugar	100 bags (each bag contains 100 kg)
iii)	Cashewnuts	40 boxes (one box contains 15 kg)
iv)	Cardamom	150 kg
v)	Ghee	300 litres
vi)	Oil	20 kg approx.
vii)	Sugar candy	8 bags (each bag contains 50 kg)
viii)	Raisins (kishmish)	36 boxes (each box contains 15 kg)
viii)	Almonds	1 or 2 boxes

The workers who prepare Laddus work in shifts. They have a firewood oven and gas cylinders are also used. As and when the Laddu material is ready, a set of people makes it in the form of a small, round ball.

There are two types of Laddus - small and big. The weight of the small Laddu, as soon as it is shaped into a ball, is 178 gm (wet). After sometime, it dries up and the weight is reduced to 174 gm. Similarly, the weight of the big Laddu while wet is 720 gm and it decreases to 700 gm after it dries up.

Besides the world-renowned Laddu, the potu staff also prepares different types of variety rice, savouries and sweets.

The period from 1996-2001 was a time when the TTD prepared Laddu and other prasadam themselves. It became difficult for the TTD to increase the number of Laddu per day. The influx of pilgrims meant distribution of equal or more number of Laddus. They also had to cater to other 'Sevas' and Kalyana Utsavam. It became a Herculean task for the officials.

The temple of Seven Hills, Tirumala Tirupati, is one of the 'Swayambu Kshetras' where Lord Venkateswara stands imposingly resplendent in precious gems. A surge of excitement and devotion descends on the devotee who stands spellbound in front of the Lord. We are jolted back to normalcy at the calls of "Jaragandi". The divine atmosphere is enhanced by the aroma of ghee and oil which wafts inside the hallowed shrine.

Yes, Tirupati and Laddu are synonymous. We think of Laddu once we hear the name Tirupati. Laddu is the main offering (prasadam) to the presiding deity. The huge vadai occupies the next position.

There are five Laddu mirasdars who had deputed Kalyanam Iyengar, who had made Kalyanam Iyengar as the agent. He was the main person there. Kalyanam Iyengar later in due course time inducted Aravamudha Iyengar as brother and his brother-in-law N S Srinivasachari. The preparation of myriad variety of prasadam is to be made by the nominated persons. This was the procedure till 1996. They were allotted a 'potu' (a large kitchen) inside the temple premises itself. The offerings to the Lord should be done inside precincts of the temple complex.

Mirasi system was abolished, whereby the Government of Andhra Pradesh put an end to the rights of the heredity trustees in preparing offerings.

Ramesh, known mostly as 'Laddu Ramesh', is the youngest son of N A Srinivasachari, and has been assisting his father in managing the 'potu' from a very young age. He grew up in an ethereal atmosphere, where visit to the temple and potu was compulsory everyday. To many of us having a holy communion with the Lord is possible only once in a few years. But to him, it was a part and parcel of his day-to-day life and he learnt the nitty-gritty of the work.

With God's grace, Ramesh was called back after a break of almost four years. His return heralded a 'golden era' in the lives of the workers. Though some thousands of Laddus and some prasadam items are prepared by the TTD's main 'potu' the temple authorities allotted a separate 'potu' for Ramesh. This is the story of 'Laddu' narrated by Ramesh who inhales the aroma of Laddu for it is the oxygen of his existence.

That was the story about Tirumala Laddu and its making. Let us focus on the other side of Laddu. The increasing demand for Tirumala Laddus from the devotees had spawned a major black market trade in and around the temple in the last two decades. The Laddus were sold in black market at a cost of around Rs. 50 and more each by the black marketers with the involvement of temple officials. Even the authorities know what’s happening in their compound. They conduct raids and catch a few now and then to minimize the pressure. It has been going on continuously for years but there is no change in the happenings. I have been visiting Tirumala Temple regularly for the past eight years and I still find people selling Laddus in the black market. I do not understand why the authorities could not find and stop them from doing so. Now the situation has become so worst that Fake Laddus are being made and sold at various parts of Tirupati. Off late the authorities of Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams has realized the dangers of it and applied for the patents of Laddus and finally got the “GI - Geographical Identification” certificate for the Tirumala Laddu. The Laddu is now under copy right law and nobody can copy it. Let’s hope TTD succeeds in protecting this delicious Laddu which can be termed as a prasadam that is liked by millions of devotees thronging to the Temple Town of Tirupati.

Hope you find this update interesting. Keep watching the space for more updates. Till then……. “Om Namo Venkatesaaya Namah! Om Namo Srinivasaaya Namah! Om Namo Narayanaaya Namah!

Sri Ramanujacharya - The Great Vaishnavite Saint

2009-08-07T17:04:00.003+05:30

If you are a regular follower of my blog you might be little familiar with this name. Yes! You guessed it right. He was the pioneer who solved the dispute over Lord Sri Venkateswara’s Idol in Tirumala during 10^th century A.D. Those who are new to my blog, I would suggest them to read my previous posting “Controversy over Lord’s Idol” published on 13^th May 2009 to know how this great saint had solved controversy. In this update I took up the opportunity to bring the story of this great saint Sri Ramanujacharya before you. I hope you enjoy it.

Sriperumbudur, a small town thirty miles to the southwest of Madras, became well known after the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi on 21st May 1991. I wonder how many Indians know that Sriperumbudur is also the birthplace of the great vaishnavite saint Sri Ramanujacharya and thus a key pilgrimage centre for all Sri Vaishnavas.

In the year 1017 AD, a pious devotee called Asuri Kesavacharya of Sriperumbudur is said to have travelled to Madras to perform a yagna (fire ritual in which herbs, cooked rice, ghee and other sacrificial offerings are poured into the fire to the chanting of Vedic mantras) at the Parthasarathi temple located on the banks of the Tiruallikeni (lily-lake), now known as Triplicane in modern Madras. Parthasarathi is one of the names of Bhagavan Krishna referring to his role as the charioteer (sarathi) of Arjuna (Partha) in the Mahabharata war.

Asuri Kesavacharya was greatly devoted to the performance of yagnas and acquired the title of 'Sarvakratu,' meaning one who has performed all the yagnas mentioned in the scriptures. He was married to Kantimati, sister of Sri Sailapurna, the chief disciple of a great Vaishnava saint called Yamunacharya.

Distressed at the lack of progeny even after many years of marriage, the couple decided to please Parthasarathi with yagnas. It is believed that Kesavacharya had a dream after the completion of the rituals in which Parthasarathi himself promised to be born as a child to him to redeem the Vaishnava tradition. A year later, Kantimati gave birth to a child who was to become the future messiah of Sri Vaishnavism and the founder of the Visishtha Dvaita school of Vedanta.

Kantimati's brother Sri Sailapurna is said to have given the name 'Ramanuja' (younger brother of Rama) to her son after noting the interesting fact that his month of birth and the zodiac were the same as those of Lakshmana & Shatrughna, the twin sons of Sumitra in the Ramayana. On seeing some of the auspicious signs on the body of the child, Sri Sailapurna was reminded of a prophecy made by Nammalvar, foremost among the 12 pioneering saints of Sri Vaishnavism, in his Tiruvoymozhi, that a great saint would appear to revive the Vaishnava tradition and the land would reverberate with devotion.

A touching incident in the early life of Sri Ramanuja gives us a clear glimpse of the large heartedness and revolutionary compassion that he would later become known for. A devotee called Kanchipurna used to travel everyday from Kanchi to Poonamalle, a neighbouring village to offer worship at the temple there. He would pass through Sri Ramanuja's house at Sriperumbudur, which was midway between the two places. One day Ramanuja met Kanchipurna who was on his way back from Poonammalle. Attracted by his saintliness, Ramanuja invited Kanchipurna to his house that night. After serving him food, Ramanuja offered to stroke his feet (a gesture of devoted service to the elderly). Kanchipurna recoiled in embarrassment, as he was a lowborn whereas Ramanuja was a Brahmin. Saddened at this, Ramanuja is said to have declared that he alone is a true Brahmin who is devoted to God and not one who simply wears the sacred thread. Both of them were thus bound by love and respect for each other. Kanchipurna also came to be revered by the other brahmins for his deep devotion and saintly character.

At the age of sixteen, Ramanuja was married to a beautiful girl called Rakshakambal. A month after the marriage, Ramanuja's father Kesavacharya passed away, plunging the family into grief soon after the joyous occasion.

Apart from being a man of deep devotion and a compassionate soul, Ramanuja was also an intellectual giant. He had the good fortune of studying under many worthy and illustrious teachers who recognised his prodigious memory and grasping power which made him their favourite.

A renowned teacher of Advaita Vedanta, Yadavaprakasa by name, lived in Kanchi then and attracted many disciples. Ramanuja also sought his teaching and very soon became his chief disciple and favourite student. But even this sacred relationship between teacher & disciple was not to remain uncorrupted by time and soon the teacher would grow jealous of his disciple and even try to murder him.

The true mettle of a teacher becomes known when he comes face to face with a disciple who is superior to him in intellect or character. A mediocre teacher or one of shallow character may harbour feelings of jealousy or malice towards his own students who may be of superior calibre whereas great teachers always control their ego, pride and arrogance and allow the disciples to become even greater than them.

Yadavaprakasa, the renowned teacher of Advaita Vedanta in Kanchipuram faced this dilemma when Ramanuja began contradicting his teachings with his own scholarship and insight. Yadavaprakasa's scriptural learning made him haughty, proud and insecure of anyone who challenged his authority. A sharp intellect not tempered with compassion and selfless service, often falls prey to unethical and even criminal tendencies.

One day, Yadavaprakasa was expounding a commentary on the Chandogya Upanishad written by Adi Sankaracharya. Sankara is said to have interpreted the mantra "kapyasam pundarikamevamakshini" as "The two eyes of that Supreme Being are like lotuses resembling the buttocks of a monkey (kapyasam)!" Ramanuja was deeply shocked and pained at hearing this vulgar interpretation of the verse and tears started tricking down his eyes.

On being asked for the reason for his tears, Ramanuja replied that he found the interpretation unbecoming of a great scholar like him. Yadavaprakasa flared up on being challenged by a young disciple and challenged him to dare come up with a better meaning than the one Adi Sankara himself had given. Ramanuja derived a new meaning for the word kapyasam as 'kam jalam pibati' (he who drinks water, the sun) and so the mantra would then mean, "The eyes of that Supreme Being resemble the beautiful lotuses blossomed by the rays of the sun!"

Another day, during a debate on the Mahavakya (great Truth or utterance) "satyam gnanam anantam brahma," Ramanuja differed with Yadavaprakasa's interpretation that Brahman itself is truth, intelligence and infinity. Ramanuja was of the opinion that Brahman is endowed with these qualities and it doesn't mean that Brahman itself is all these qualities.

Thus, the seed of distrust, jealousy and hatred against Ramanuja took root in the dry heart of the intellectual Yadavaprakasa and the teacher decided to get rid off this 'dangerous' disciple who seemed to be refuting Advaita itself in favour of dualistic interpretations. Yadavaprakasa and his close disciples hatched a clever plan. They would go on a pilgrimage to Kasi and on the way murder Ramanuja in a secluded forest and then proceed to the Ganga to wash off the sin of having killed a Brahmin!

However, Ramanuja's Cousin Govinda Bhatta (a favourite of Yadavaprakasa) discovered the plot and helped him escape. Ramanuja returned to Yadavaprakasa's tutelage but after another disagreement, Yadavaprakasa asked him to leave. Ramanuja's childhood mentor, Kancipurna, suggested him to meet with Kancipurna's own guru, Yamunacharya. After renouncing the life of a house-holder, Ramanuja travelled to Srirangam to meet an aging Yamunacharya, a philosopher of the remergent Vishishtadvaita school of thought. Yamunacharya had died prior to Ramanuja's arrival. Followers of Ramanuja relate the legend that three fingers of Yamunacharya's corpse were curled.R

amanuja saw this and understood that Yamunacharya was concerned about three tasks. Ramanuja vowed to complete these and they are to -

1. Teach the doctrine of Saranagati (surrender) to God as the means to moksha.

2. Write a Visishtadvaita Bhashya for the Brahma Sutras of Vyasa which had previously been taught orally to the disciples of the Visishtadvaita philosophy.

3. That the names of Paraśara, the author of Vishnu Purana and saint Śaţhakopa should be perpetuated.

Legend goes that on hearing the vow, the three fingers on the corpse straightened. Ramanuja accepted Yamunacharya as his Manasika Acharya and spent 6 months being introduced to Yamunacharya's philosophy by his disciple, Mahapurna although he did not formally join the community for another year. Ramanuja's wife followed very strict brahminical rules of the time and disparaged Mahapurna's wife as being of lower subcaste. Mahapurna and his wife left Srirangam. Ramanuja realized that his life as a householder was interfering with his philosophical pursuit as he and his wife had differing views. He sent her to her parent's house and renounced family and became a sanyasi. Ramanuja started travelling the land, having philosophical debates with the custodians of various Vishnu temples. Many of them, after losing the debates, became his disciples. Ramanuja standardized the liturgy at these temples and increased the standing and the membership of the srivaishnava school of thought. He wrote his books during this time. Ramanuja, who was a Vaishnavite, might have faced threats from some Shaivite Chola rulers who were religiously intolerant. Ramanuja and a few of his followers moved to the Hoysala kingdom of Jain king Bittideva and Queen Shantala Devi in Karnataka. Bittideva converted to Srivaishanavism, in some legends after Ramanuja cured his daughter of evil spirits, and took the name Vishnuvardhana meaning "one who grows the sect of Vishnu". However, the queen and many of the ministers remained Jain and the kingdom was known for its tolerance. Ramanuja re-established the liturgy in the Cheluvanarayana temple in Melukote in Mandya District and Vishnuvardhana re-built it and also built other Vishnu temples like Chennakesava Temple and Hoysaleswara Temple.

Differences with Shankaracharya:

Adi Shankara had argued that all qualities or manifestations that can be perceived are unreal and temporary. Ramanuja believed them to be real and permanent and under the control of the Brahman. God can be one despite the existence of attributes, because they cannot exist alone; they are not independent entities. They are Prakaras or the modes, Sesha or the accessories, and Niyama or the controlled aspects, of the one Brahman.

In Ramanuja’s system of philosophy, the Lord (Narayana) has two inseparable Prakaras or modes, namely, the world and the souls. These are related to Him as the body is related to the soul. They have no existence apart from Him. They inhere in Him as attributes in a substance. Matter and souls constitute the body of the Lord. The Lord is their indweller. He is the controlling Reality. Matter and souls are the subordinate elements. They are termed Viseshanas, attributes. God is the Viseshya or that which is qualified.

Ramanuja opines, wrong is the position of the Advaitins that understanding the Upanishads ithout knowing and practicing dharma can result in Brahman knowledge. The knowledge of Brahman that ends spiritual ignorance is meditational, not testimonial or verbal.

In contrast to Shankara, Ramanuja holds that there is no knowledge source in support of the claim that there is a distinctionless (homogeneous) Brahman. All knowledge sources reveal objects as distinct from other objects. All experience reveals an object known in some way or other beyond mere existence. Testimony depends on the operation of distinct sentence parts (words with distinct meanings). Thus the claim that testimony makes known that reality is distinctionless is contradicted by the very nature of testimony as a knowledge means. Even the simplest perceptual cognition reveals something (Bessie) as qualified by something else (a broken hoof, “Bessie has a broken hoof,” as known perceptually). Inference depends on perception and makes the same distinct things known as doe’s perception.

He also holds that the Advaitin argument about prior absences and no prior absence of consciousness is wrong. Similarly the Advaitin understanding of a-vidya (not-Knowledge), which is the absence of spiritual knowledge, is incorrect. “If the distinction between spiritual knowledge and spiritual ignorance is unreal, then spiritual ignorance and the self are one.”

The Seven objections to Shankara's Advaita:

Ramanuja picks out what he sees as seven fundamental flaws in the Advaita philosophy to revise them. He argues:

I. The nature of Avidya. Avidya must be either real or unreal; there is no other possibility. But neither of these is possible. If Avidya is real, non-dualism collapses into dualism. If it is unreal, we are driven to self-contradiction or infinite regress.

II. The incomprehensibility of Avidya. Advaitins claim that Avidya is neither real nor unreal but incomprehensible {anirvachaniya.} All cognition is either of the real or the unreal: the Advaitin claim flies in the face of experience, and accepting it would call into question all cognition and render it unsafe.

III. The grounds of knowledge of Avidya. No pramana can establish Avidya in the sense the Advaitin requires. Advaita philosophy presents Avidya not as a mere lack of knowledge, as something purely negative, but as an obscuring layer which covers Brahman and is removed by true Brahma-vidya. Avidya is positive nescience not mere ignorance. Ramanuja argues that positive nescience is established neither by perception, nor by inference, nor by scriptural testimony. On the contrary, Ramanuja argues, all cognition is of the real.

IV. The locus of Avidya. Where is the Avidya that gives rise to the (false) impression of the reality of the perceived world? There are two possibilities; it could be Brahman's Avidya or the individual soul's {jiva.} Neither is possible. Brahman is knowledge; Avidya cannot co-exist as an attribute with a nature utterly incompatible with it. Nor can the individual soul be the locus of Avidya: the existence of the individual soul is due to Avidya; this would lead to a vicious circle.

V. Avidya's obscuration of the nature of Brahman. Sankara would have us believe that the true nature of Brahman is somehow covered-over or obscured by Avidya. Ramanuja regards this as an absurdity: given that Advaita claims that Brahman is pure self-luminous consciousness, obscuration must mean either preventing the origination of this (impossible since Brahman is eternal) or the destruction of it - equally absurd.

VI. The removal of Avidya by Brahma-vidya. Advaita claims that Avidya has no beginning, but it is terminated and removed by Brahma-vidya, the intuition of the reality of Brahman as pure, undifferentiated consciousness. But Ramanuja denies the existence of undifferentiated {nirguna} Brahman, arguing that whatever exists has attributes: Brahman has infinite auspicious attributes. Liberation is a matter of Divine Grace: no amount of learning or wisdom will deliver us.

VII. The removal of Avidya. For the Advaitin, the bondage in which we dwell before the attainment of Moksa is caused by Maya and Avidya; knowledge of reality (Brahma-vidya) releases us. Ramanuja, however, asserts that bondage is real. No kind of knowledge can remove what is real. On the contrary, knowledge discloses the real; it does not destroy it. And what exactly is the saving knowledge that delivers us from bondage to Maya? If it is real then non-duality collapses into duality; if it is unreal, then we face an utter absurdity.

Bhagavad Ramanuja taught his followers to highly respect all Sri Vaishnavas irrespective of caste. It was cited from Sri Ramanuja, His Life, Religion, and Philosophy, published by Sri Ramakrishna Math, Chennai, India.

Some interesting facts:

It is believed that 870 years old physical body of Sri Ramanujacharya, (A.D. 1017 - 1137), the patron saint of the Vishishta Dvaita school of Vedanta, was being preserved in the shrine of Sri Ranganatha Swamy Temple in Srirangam. After the darshan of Sri Ranganatha Swamy, one can visit in a small shrine called “Sri Ramanujaa Sannidhi”. The Shrine is small almost like a cave and poorly lit. Believe me it is not an idol, in fact a real physical body of the great saint.

Every year in the month of Thula (October/November), the body is anointed with a special paste called “thirumanjanam” which acts as a preservative, something akin to the way the Egyptians preserved the remains of their Pharaohs. Pilgrims visiting the shrine get awestruck with the way it had been preserved for so many years. When ever and who ever forget about this great saint, Ramanuja Sannidhi at Ranganatha Swamy Temple of Srirangam always reminds of his presence.

Saint Ramanujacharya was such a great philosopher who born once in a million years. It is believed that he was the mentor of religious movement in ancient India. It was Sri Ramanujacharya who pivoted the movement to protect Hinduism from the attack of other alien religions. Hinduism was on the verge of sinking during those days due to the emergence and increasing influence of Buddhism and Jainism. It was great saint’s like Ramanujacharya who enrooted our age old religion through his writings and preaching. It was Sri Ramanajacharya who resolved the long lasted dispute over Lord Venkateswara’s Idol in Tirumala (refer my posting published on 13/05/2009) for more details.

Sri Tallapaka Annamacharya

2009-07-12T16:27:00.004+05:30

Annamayya or Annamacharya! It is no surprise if I say that there won’t be people without knowing the name of this great poet saint in India and across the world who loves music and who worship the Supreme Lord Venkateswara Swamy. As mentioned before, this blog is totally dedicated to the Vaibhavam (grandeur) of Lord Venkateswara. Is it possible to justify the Lord Venkateswara’s Vaibhavam without describing about the “Telugu Pada Kavita Pitamaha, the great grand poet born once in a million years, the proud of Telugu Literature, the great saint Annamacharya?” Never….! He is like an ever shining jewel in the grandeur of Lord Venkateswara. Here is my little effort to focus on the life and work of the great Annmacharya. Though you may find this post little lengthy, I insist everyone to read and cherish the life of the great Annamacharya.

Sri Tallapaka Annamacharya (1408 - 1503) is an Indian poet and musician widely regarded as the Telugu pada kavita pitaamaha (Grand old man of simple poetry). An ardent devotee of Lord Venkateswara of Tirupati, AP. Annamacharya is also known as Annamayya. He successfully composed more than 32,000 Sankeertanas (a Carnatic composition) in the carnatic music tradition in praise of Lord Venkateswara, the deity of seven hills at Tirumala, India where unbroken worship is being offered for over 12 centuries. It is a rare feat which is near impossible to replicate! The Sankeertanas were found engraved on copper plates which were hidden for centuries inside the Sri Venkateswara temple at Tirumala.

Annamacharya considered his compositions as floral offerings to God. In the poems, he praises Venkateswara, describes his love for him, argues and quarrels with the Lord, confesses the devotee’s failures and apprehensions, and surrenders himself to Venkateshwara. His songs are classified into Adhyaatamika (Spiritual) and Sringaara (Romantic) Samkirtanas.

Words aren’t sufficient to describe the greatness of this great poet saint of Tallapaka. He is once in a million years saint of his kind. The story of Annamayya is a never ending saga. Here is my little effort to pay tribute to this great saint Sri Tallapaka Annamacharya. Sri Annamacharya’s life was better explained by the rhyming couplets of poems called “Dwipada” written by Tallapaka Chinnanna, the grandson of annamacharya. Tallapaka Chinnanna was also a great poet. It was he who enabled us to learn about the life and works of the great saint Annamacharya.

In Dwipada, the story of Annamacharya goes back to three generations to his grand father Narayanayya. It is believed that in the 10^th century a big famine broke out in Varanasi and scores of scholars migrated to southern part of India for earning their livelihoods. Some of them concentrated in a town called “Nandavaram” in Andhra Pradesh which was ruled by the then king Nanda. These immigrants were also called “Nandavarikas” and Annamacharyas forefathers were the so called Nandavarikas and hence Annamacharya.

Narayanayya as a boy wasn’t keen in studies. It was customary in those times for gurus (the teachers) to subject the students to various kinds of torturous methods to create concentration on studies. When nothing worked for the young boy he decided to put an end to these tortures, humiliation and shame by ending his life. In an attempt to end his life, he put his hand in the snake hole near the temple of Chinthalamma, the village Goddess. To his surprise, instead of a venomous cobra biting him, the village Goddess appeared before him and sought the reason for his suicidal attempt. Naranayya then explained that he do not want to live any more because he was fed up with the humiliation in life as he was poor in studies and do not want his coming generations to be like him. The Goddess then told him that he need not worry about his generations because a brilliant boy will born in his third generation with an amsa (element) of Sri Hari’s sword “Nandaka” who will not only master all the Vedas and Sastras but also glow like ever shining star ever in the hearts of people with his deeds.

Narayanayya later got married and gave birth to a son Vitthalayya. Vitthalaya had one son called Narayana. Narayana had a son called Narayana Suri. Narayana Suri got married to Lakkamamba. Narayana Suri and Lakkamamba had no children for long time. Lakkamamba used to regularly worship Lord Venkateswara and plead for a child. Narayana Suri and Lakkamamba once visited Tirumala Temple for the divine darshan of the Lord Venkateswara. While the couple were prostrating in front of the Dhwaja Sthambham (Holy Mast) a dazzling brilliance from the sword of Lord Venkateswara struck them like a lightening. Eventually a boy was born to them and named him Annamayya. Annamacharya, The Saint-Composer was born on 9^th of May 1408 A.D. According to Telugu "PANCHANGAM" (calendar) the month & star of His birth is Vyshakha Masam and 1^st Vishakha Nakshatram. It is believed that Anamayya was the amsa (element) of “Nandaka” the sword of mighty Lord Venkateswara.

Annamayya’s uncle had twin daughters Timmakka and Akkalamma. The elders had decided to marry the twins to Annamayya at the time of their birth. When they began to grow Annamayya too was fond of these twins. He used to spend lot of time with them creating all pranks and fun. Annamayya was brilliant in his studies. At the tender age of 8 he mastered all the Sastras.

One day, the Lord Venkateswara has given divine darshan to the boy in his dreams. Annamayya was awestruck at the majestic vishwaroopa of the Supreme Lord. He was mesmerized by the beauty of Lord Srinivasa. When he woke up in the morning he looked quite and silent. On enquiry by his parents, he explained about the incident that took place with him last night in his dreams. He instantly composed and sang a song “Kala ganti Kala ganti ippudetu kalaganti” describing the incident he had seen in his dreams. Since then his mind was restless. It was looking out for something unknown. He felt as if some unknown force was ruling his brains. Some unnatural force was making a call to visit some unknown place. In his inner quest he forgot every one at home. He used to sit lonely in a corner at home without any food and water.

Worried parents decided to keep Annamayya busy by allotting him some work. His father asked annamayya to get some grass from the forests. Obeying his father’s order Annamayya moved into the forest for grass. While cutting the grass he heard slogans and chants of Sri Hari. When he turned back he saw a pilgrim party going to the pilgrimage of Tirumala chanting “Govinda…! Govinda….! Govinda Govinda Govinda….!” Those magic words attracted unconscious mind of Annamayya. He left the sickle and moved behind them unconsciously. The only thing he knew was his restless mind was looking for Sri Hari and these people are Hari Bhakts. He followed them all the way and reached Alipiri without food and water. He was only 8 years old when he left home. Some one in the group had offered some food but he denied eating. Finding Annamayya in a pitiable condition Narada Muni appeared before him in the form of an old pilgrim and asked Annamayya. Son, I have been noticing you for long and even the fellow pilgrims told that you haven’t taken any food and water for many days. Why don’t you eat something? Annamayya replied that he had decided to stay on deeksha (fasting) until he had the darshan of Lord Venkateswara. The old man said, you are still at Alipiri, if you climb the hill in this condition, you may end up losing your life. Annamayya said that he doesn’t care about life. In a journey to serve the Lord of Seven Hills, he would happily sacrifice his life. Finding eternal bhakti (devotion) in the heart of Annamayya for his Narayana, he gifted his musical instrument and blessed him that he is going to become a great singer. Narada muni also shared his secret with Annamayya that Srimannarayana loves music and he will find Him at any place where there is a pleasant music.

With the blessings of Narada, Annamayya moved ahead of his pilgrimage. The journey to Tirumala hills in those days was not as easy as it does today. There were no pavements for pedestrians as it does today. Pilgrims used to walk over curvy hills and slippery rocks amidst bushes filled with thorns. By the time the pilgrim party reached Mokalla Parvatam, the most steep and highest peak. Annamayya was thoroughly exhausted. He found the terrain more steep and difficult to climb as he was been in fasting for the last few days. As a result, he fell unconscious and slipped in to the deep valley of Mokalla Parvatam, while others continued their journey forward leaving Annamayya lying on the rocks in the valley.

The divine mother Alamel Mangamma appeared to rescue her child in the form of an old lady and said “Son! Get up…!” On hearing the divine voice, Annamayya woke up and asked who was she? The mother said that she was passing through and noticed him lying on the rocks. It seems that you haven’t eaten any food for long. Please take this Prasadam (divine offering) and relive your hunger. Annamayya told her that he was not going to eat until he had the darshan of Lord Venkateswara. Mother! I am feeling myself exhausted and weak. All others in the pilgrim party had moved forward except me. I don’t know what my sin is. I was left behind this way. Please bless me so that I can have the darshan of Lord Venkateswara early. The divine mother then replied, Son! You have done everything fine but the only mistake you committed is that you have come up to these sacred hills with footwear. Depart that footwear from yourself and see the difference. You will experience the majestic presence of God’s creation here. Every leaf of the trees, every drop of water, the birds, the winds, all chants the name of Hari. The old trees over here are the great Rishis and Munis sitting in penance. After listening this, Annamayya threw his footwear and started experiencing every word the Mother had expressed. Mother asked him to take the Lord’s Prasadam because the Lord never wants to see his devotees in trouble while climbing the hills. He wishes to see all their devotees reach the hilltop with good health and happiness. The divine Mother showed him the way to Tirumala after offering him the prasadam. After eating the prasadam, Annamayya felt rejuvenated. Everything around him looked bright and glowing with majestic lightening. By the time he realized what was happening, the old lady vanished. Annamayya realized she was none other than the Supreme Mother Alamel Mangamma. His joy knew no bounds. With the blessings of Supreme Mother he happened to see the real beauty of the holy hill ranges of Tirumala for the first time. They appeared to his divine vision as ten thousand hoods of Adisesha. (The Divine Serpent on which Lord Vishnu sleeps). In a divine ecstasy, the eight year boy burst out into an emotional song, "Adivo Alladiho! Sri Hari Vasamu! Padivela seshula padagalamayamu.....!

A couple of days later, Annamayya finally reached the sacred hill of Tirumala with the blessings of the Supreme Mother Alamel Manga. After taking sacred bath in Swamy Pushkarini and praying Lord Sri Varaha Swamy he entered the main temple of Venkateswara Swamy. He was awestruck by the charm and majestic beauty of Lord Sri Venkateswara. He instantly composed and sang a song hailing Lord Venkateswara as “Podagantimayya mimmu Purushotthama….!” Annamacharya used to have the darshan of the Lord couple of times a day and spend his time writing and singing sankeertanas hailing the Supreme Lord of Venkateswara in and around the Tiru Mada Veedhulu (Four sacred mada streets of Tirumala).

In those days a famous Vaishnavite saint by name Ghana Vishnu was serving the Lord on the hills of Tirumala. Lord Venkateswara Swamy once appeared in his dreams and gave his Shankha and Chakra Mudrikas (Symbols of Wheel and conch shell and wheel) and instructed him to do mudra dharana to Annamayya. The Lord indicated the place where he can find him. Next morning Ghana Vishnu walked in search of Annamayya to the place instructed by the Lord in his dreams. On reaching the place he found a young boy around the age of 8 years singing a great song in the praise of Lord. Ghana Vishnu mesmerized by hearing his song and felt very lucky to be able to meet such a great poet. Saint Ghana Vishnu then narrated the incident he had last night in his dream to Annamayya. He felt very happy and saluted Ghana Vishnu politely with respect. The sage Ghana Vishnu then converted Annamayya to Vaishnavism by offering “Pancha Sanskaras”. Annamayya thus became “Annamacharya” at the tender age of 8 years on the sacred hills of Tirumala. Thereafter, Annamacharya stayed on the hill of Tirumala serving the Lord and singing Keerthanas hailing the Lord everyday.

On the other hand, Annamacharya’s parents Narayana Suri and Lakkamamba reached Tirumala Hill in search of their son on the tip of some pilgrims. On enquiry with the temple officials, they learnt that their son had become a great poet who sings pleasant keerthans hailing the Lord at the temple every day. Finally, they met their son and insisted him to get back to the village. Unable to disobey their request he got back to his village Tallapaka. After reaching home his parents insisted him to marry his uncle’s daughters Timmakka and Akkalamma, who were still waiting for his return to get married. Annamacharya was reluctant to their request thinking it as a hindrance in the path of his service to the Lord. He doesn’t want to get involved in a family bonding fearing it might lead to deviation of his attention from his Lord’s service.

One night, the Lord Srinivasa appeared in his dreams and asked “Son! Why were you so reluctant to the marriage?” Annamacharya replied, Hey Lord, If I get married I may not serve you the same way as I am doing it now because a family bond always acts as an obstruction to spirituality. The Lord smiled and said, poor man…! Family bonding is never an obstruction to spirituality. People can be married and still be spiritual. It’s all in your thought. Look at me, the Lord whom you pray. I am married to two ladies. Why can’t you? Leave all your worries aside and get married happily and worship me along with your family. By the time Annamacharya opened his eyes, the Lord disappeared.

Obeying the orders of the Lord, Annamacharya got married to his long time friends and uncle’s daughters Timmakka and Akkalamma. As informed by the Lord, he happily worshipped, written and sang thousands of keerthans hailing him even after marriage. In the course of time they gave birth to four children (2 sons and 2 daughters). Refer Tallapaka family chart below for more details.

A few years later, He went back to Tirumala accompanied by his wives and continued his “Sankeerthana Yagna”. During his long and prolific career, Annamacharya had composed and sang 32,000 sankeertanas (devotional poems), 12 Satakas (sets of hundred verses) Ramayana in the form of Dwipada, Sankeertana Lakshanam (Characteristics of Sankeertanas), Sringara Manjari (romantic poems) and Venkatachala Mahathyam. His works were mainly in Telugu, Sanskrit and a few other languages.

In the course of time Annamacharya’s fame spread all over. His songs gained great popularity among masses. Saluva Narasimharaya, the then ruler of Tangutooru learnt about this great saint and invited him to his court. Annamacharya though initially reluctant had later accepted his offer and reached the Kingdom. He was then honoured and appointed as the “Asthana Kavi” in his court by the king. Annamayya stayed in the kingdom for a couple of years composing and singing great songs on Sri Venkateswara Swamy.

One day during darbar (session), Annamacharya sang a wonderful keerthana glorifying the love of divine couple Srinivasa and Almel Manga. Moved by the madhura bhakthi (eternal devotion) in that song, the king Saluva Narasimharaya requested to sing one such song on him too. Annamayya replied that his tongue never utters a word other than his Sri Hari and his throat never sings a song for ordinary mortals like him. The King Saluva Narasimharaya got furious and ordered his guards to punish him severely for disobeying his orders.

Annamacharya was hand-cuffed and sent to the jail. The king ordered the soldiers to torture him until he obeys to sing for him. Annamacharya was beaten mercilessly by the guards in the jail. Annamacharya sings a keerthana praising the Lord of Seven Hills saying that He is the only succour for him. A few minutes later, amidst thundering flash the hand-cuffs broken instantly on their own and fell down. On learning the miracle the king Saluva rushed to the prison and fell on Annamacharya’s feet seeking pardon for his terrible mistake. His entire ego was shattered by the eternal devotion of saint Annmacharya for Lord Venkateswara. He requested him to accept him as a disciple and take him under his shelter. He was ready to leave the entire kingdom and go with Annamacharya wherever he goes. Annamacharya though accepted him as his disciple reminded him that he was a king and being a king it was his duty to rule the kingdom humbly and honestly. As a disciple he was given the duty to advertise and popularize his sankeertanas among people. Annamacharya then left the kingdom back to Tirumala to serve the Lord again.

After returning to Tirumala, Annmacharya introduced many rituals and festivals celebrating and hailing the Lord. It was Annamacharya who first started and decided to perform “Nitya Kalyanotsavam” (the ever celebrated marriage ceremony) of the Lord Srinivasa with Goddess Sri Devi and Bhoodevi. Many other rituals and festivals introduced by Annmacharya are still followed in Tirumala Temple. He spent many years in Tirumala Temple composing and singing millions of songs on Lord Venkateswara Swamy. Most of his compositions were “Sringarika” (Romantic) and “Aadhyatmika” (Spiritual).

A couple of years later, Annamacharya lost both of his wives Timmakka and Akkalamma. It can be said that Annamacharya’s compositions have taken a new dimension hereafter. He had written many Viraha geethams (sorrow songs) after losing his wives. Many poems were also written on social equality.

In those days the people of backward casts in India were not allowed to enter the temple premises. The songs of Annamacharya inspired and motivated the people of backward classes to have the darshan of that divine Lord which the Annamacharya praises so much. Many tried to enter the temple premises but they were pushed out of the temple premises by temple authorities and religious clerics. It is believed that the great Annamacharya had supported the movement for the temple entry of backward caste people. In this regards, the great saint has composed and sang songs like “Kondalalo Nelakona Koneti rayadu vadu..! Kondalanta varamulu guppedu vadu..!” Which means the God is our local who stays along with us in these rocks and caves blessing one and all equally. “Tandanana Ahi Tandananapure… Tandanana bhala Tandanana… Brahmamokkate Parabrahmamokkate…. Parabrahmamokkate Parabrahmamokkate II…!” With this song the great Annamacharya condemned the differences of caste and creed. He adopted a folk-form; "Tandana Padam" which is sung with a folk instrument called "Dappu" to propagate the Truth of equality of all human beings.

The angry clerics then decided to punish Annamacharya for helping the dalits entering the temple premises. But they could not dare to punish him directly because he has the power of people. They realized that all his popularity among people is due to his songs and keerthans. Annamacharya used to write the keerthans on palm leaves. A group of miscreants decided to punish him by burning the keerthans written by the great Annamacharya. They secretly stollen the treasure of Annamacharya’s entire life and tried to burn them. Incidentally, some one noticed their heinous act and stopped them. When Annamacharya learnt the incident he was half broken. The news was immediately provided to the King Saluva Narasimharaya. He immediately rushed to his guru Annamacharya and consoled him. The King Saluva then decided to preserve this treasure forever and decided to engrave them in copper plates. With the help of Annamacharyas son Tirumalacharya the sankeerthanas saved from fire were engraved into copper plates. After completion of the engraving work, Annamacharya looked a relieved man. A few days later, the great saint Annamacharya left the millions of his well-wishers and lovers in sorrow. He died on 23^rd of February 1503 A.D. According to Telugu calendar the month is "PHALGUNAM", the Tithi (A day in a month according to the position of the Moon) is "BAHULA DWADASI".

The treasures of Annamacharya engraved in copper plates were hidden in a rock built cell opposite to Hundi (donation sack) in the Tirumala Temple unnoticed for over 400 years. His Son, Peda Tirumalacharya and Grandson, Chinatirumalacharya got the Sankeertanas of Annamacharya engraved on copper-plates and Treasured those Copper Plates in "Sankeertana Bhandaram" (a rock-built-cell at TIRUMALA temple. For many years the great saint Annamacharya had remained in the darkness. His songs were sung among people of Andhra Pradesh. But unfortunately, nobody knows the real creator of those songs until those valuable treasures of Annamacharya were found.

It was only in the year 1922, two thousand and five hundred copper plates comprising of 14,000 sankeertanas and a few other works were found in the rock built cell. The cell was later named as “Sankeerthana Bhandagaram” which means a treasury of poems opposite to the Hundi. It was only during the decades of 1970 the facts of Annamayya and Tallapaka Village has come into light.

Ever since the discovery of this lost treasure, Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) and other organizations in India are working hard to promote the music and literature of Annamacharya. Since then Saint Annamacharya’s birth and death Anniversaries were grandly celebrated at Tirumala. TTD organizes many devotional activities and promote the sankeertans of this great grandfather of our Telugu Literature.

Hathiram Baba

2009-06-06T13:14:00.002+05:30

Preface:

There were many great saints and devotees of Lord Venkateswara who remained in the darkness. One such great devotee of Lord Venkateswara is Bhavaji. He was popularly known as Hathiram Baba. He was an ardent devotee of Lord Venkateswara. I personally feel nothing much is written about this great devotee over internet world. I searched all over the internet for information on Hathiram Baba. Unfortunately, no substantial manuscript is available on this great devotee of Lord Balaji. I found only a few sites describing the story of Hathiram Baba. Unfortunately, the information provided in the site was really pathetic and funny. It starts like this. A saint from North India had visited Tirumala and settled there. He used to call himself Hathi Ram because he was fat like Hathi (an Elephant) and no one knows his real name. Isn’t it funny? I logged out of the site immediately after reading two lines. I don’t blame the publisher totally for that, because we hardly have any information on the life story of Hathiram Baba. The story of Hathiram Baba is only confined to a few books in the libraries and to the stories of our Grand Parents. If you have observed, Hathiram Baba Mutt still exists in Tirumala. It is constructed at the Main entrance of Tirumala Temple. I feel TTD must take up initiatives to let people know these great devotees of Lord Balaji. The glory of Lord Balaji will increase by making people aware of these small stories associated with the Lord and his ardent devotees. They inspire more people to worship the Lord.

Here is my little effort to have some focus on this great devotee of the Lord Venkateswara to the best of my information and knowledge gathered through Books, Television, Internet and all possible sources within my reach. Hope you will find it instructive and informative.

The Story:

An ardent devotee of Lord Ram (Seventh Avatar of Lord Maha Vishnu) from Northern part of India visited Tirumala on Pilgrimage. His name was Bhavaji. He was so fascinated by the majestic appearance of the Lord that he decided to stay in Tirumala for ever having darshan of the Lord all the time. He constructed a Mutt (a place where the saints live near the temples) and settled there. Bhavaji used to have the darshan of the Lord at least thrice a day. Still, he wasn’t satisfied of his darshan. He used to look at the lord unmoved for long. This continued for a few weeks. Temple employees have observed Bhavaji visiting the temple and gazing at the lord continuously for longer times. Finding suspicious about his acts, they reported the matter to the Temple Authorities. Next day when Bhavaji entered the temple premises to have the darshan of the lord, he was pushed out of the temple without allowing him to have his Ram’s darshan. He pleaded not to separate him from his Lord Ram. No one listened to his cry. Instead, he was warned not to enter the temple for Lord’s darshan again. A sad and dejected Bhavaji returned to his Mutt.

After getting back to the Mutt, he cried with the Lord. Hey Lord! My Ram! What is my fault? Is it a sin to have your darshan? You know it very well that I can’t live without having your darshan. Why you punished me this way? What am I supposed to do now?

Next morning, Bhavaji went to the temple as usual to have the darshan of the lord. But, he was pushed out of the gate. A dejected Bhavaji retuned back to his Mutt. He was not sure how to pass his time without having the Lord’s darshan. He then took up a dice board and started playing the dice himself assuming that he was playing with the Lord on the other side. He himself used to throw his dice and the Lord’s dice on His behalf. In this way, he played the game all along the day and fell a sleep. When he was in a deep sleep at night, he heard a pleasant voice calling, Bhavaji! Wake up! It’s me, Your Ram! Bhavaji opened his eyes and saw the Lord standing in front of him. He couldn’t believe his eyes. Is it real or a dream? Amazed Bhavaji asked the Lord. The Lord replied that it wasn’t his dream. He really visited him to play dice with him. There was no boundary to the happiness of Bhavaji. A jubilant Bhavaji laid a mat on the floor and sat with the Lord Balaji to play the dice. Bhavaji defeated the lord in his game. The Lord then asked Bhavaji to seek any boon against his victory over Him. Bhavaji politely said, Hey Lord, what can I ask you more than this? I am satisfied with your Vishwaroopa darshan. I do not need any material pleasure or wealth. Give me a little place at your feet to serve you. I need no favour than this. A pleased Lord blessed Bhavaji and vanished with a promise to get back for the game again.

Next day, Bhavaji excitedly waited for the sun to set so that he again plays dice with the Lord. Finally the wait was over. When the temple doors were shut at night, the Lord moved out of his Ananda Nilayam and visited Bhavaji to play the game of dice. After finishing the game, the Lord returned back to Ananda Nilayam promising to come back again. It became a regular practice for the Lord to visit the Mutt and spend time playing dice with Bhavaji at night when the temple doors were closed. One day when the Lord was playing dice with Bhavaji, He heard a voice of someone calling Bhavaji. The Lord asked Bhavaji to go and check it out. When Bhavaji went out to see if anyone was there, he found none. He then returned back to inform the Lord, but he found that the Lord has already left the place without informing him. When he picked up the dice board to keep it safe, he saw a diamond studded necklace of the Lord lying at the board. He picked up the necklace and kept it safe thinking that the Lord might have forgotten it and he would return when He comes back to play next time.

Next morning when Pradhana Archaka was getting ready to give bath to the Lord, noticed a missing necklace. He then took it to the notice of Temple Authorities. The Temple Authority was worried about the theft of Lord’s necklace. All the employees were called up on and enquired about the missing necklace. The Pradhana Archaka informed the management about the incident of Bhavaji in the recent past and straightaway raised suspicion over him. The Temple Authorities ordered to get Bhavaji for enquiry.

On the other hand Bhavaji was waiting for Lord’s arrival to play the game of dice. For long, the Lord hasn’t come to play. In the mean time, he heard someone shouting his name at the doorsteps. By the time he reached there, the soldiers got in and started searching all over the place. Bhavaji was surprised to see them searching all over. He tried to enquire what was going on. He was told that someone has stolen the Lord’s necklace. Bhavaji immediately understood what they were looking for and got the necklace he held it safely to return the Lord when he visits again. Is this the necklace you were looking for? Asked Bhavaji! One of the sainiks said, here you go. You have stolen the Lord’s necklace. You are under arrest! Bhavaji pleaded his innocence but they haven’t listened any of his word. They arrested and took him to the temple Authorities. On enquiry by the Temple Authorities, Bhavaji told them that the Lord used to visit his Mutt and Play dice with him every night when the temple doors were shut. The Lord had forgotten His necklace at my Mutt after playing the game yesterday. When I noticed, I picked up the necklace and kept it safe to return back when He comes again. The Pradhana Archaka of the temple raised his eyebrows and said; we have been doing all sorts of poojas and sevas every day to the Lord for so many years, the Lord hasn’t appeared to us and He appeared to you? Moreover He played dice game with you? Whom are you bluffing? Are you a greater devotee than us? There should be a limit of speaking false. Some of the Authorities suggested presenting him before the King’s courtyard for justice.

The next morning, he was presented in the courtyard of the Emperor Sri Krishnadevaraya, as a culprit who had stolen the necklace of the Lord. After listening to the charges, Sri Krishnadevaraya asked Bhavaji’s explanation. Bhavaji explained all that had happened with him. The Emperor felt him very innocent. He thought it would be unjust to punish him without sufficient proof and proper investigation. He therefore, decided to put Bhavaji on test. Sri Krishnadevaraya told Bhavaji that he will be given an opportunity to prove himself innocent. For this, he will be dumped with heaps of sugarcane in the cell and if he succeeds in consuming the entire heaps of sugarcane by the wake of the dawn tomorrow; he will be released innocent and if he fails to do so, he will be punished for the theft.

Bhavaji never perturbed. He had no choice but to accept the Emperor’s decision. He was then taken to the prison cell and tons of sugarcane heaps were dumped before him and locked the doors of the cell. Bhavaji sat in the corner, closed his eyes and prayed the Lord. Hey Lord! I am innocent and you know the fact very well. I have been charged of theft and put on test of eating this sugarcane heaps. Hey Ram! It’s not my test. They have put you on test. They want to test your existence in this world. If anything I need in this life is a little place before your feet to serve you till my last breath. He left everything on the shoulders of the Lord and immersed in deep penance.

A little later, a giant Elephant appeared in the cell and by the wake of the dawn, the Elephant ate all the heaps of sugarcane dumped there for Bhavaji. The Elephant then awake Bhavaji from his penance with its trunk. Bhavaji was surprised to see an Elephant in the cell. When he saw the entire heaps of sugarcane were finished, he realized that his Ram has arrived for his rescue and immediately fell upon his feet and cried Ram…! Oh Ram..! My Ram…! You have come up for my rescue. How lucky am I? The Elephant then blessed Bhavaji with its trunk and trumpeted at loud. On hearing the Elephant’s trumpet, the guards peeped through the key wholes and wondered to see an Elephant inside a locked cell. They immediately rushed to the authorities and informed the matter. Meanwhile, the Elephant broke open the doors and ran away immediately. Some guards tried to follow the Elephant but it disappeared thereafter.

When the Emperor visited Bhavaji, he was found gazed at the direction where the Elephant has left, repeatedly uttering a word “Hathiram..!” When asked, who was Hathiram and how the elephant entered the prison cell? Bhavaji told that his Ram has come in the form of a Hathi (an Elephant) to save him. Everyone who had assaulted him on the charges of theft exclaimed at the great devotion of Bhavaji. One and all had accepted his devotion to Lord Balaji is eternal. The Pradhan Archaka in particular begged his pardon for the assaults made on him out of pride and ego.

Sri Krishnadevaraya relieved him of all charges and appointed Bhavaji as the Pradhana Archaka of the temple of tirumala. He happily obeyed the orders of the Emperor as he got a life time opportunity to serve his Lord. Since the Baba Bhavaji’s beloved Lord “Sri Ram” has personally come to the rescue of Bhavaji in the form of a Hathi (an Elephant) he as been named as Hathiram Baba. As a Pradhana Archaka of the Temple, Bhavaji served the Lord for many years. He later sacrificed his soul to the Lord and entered into a Jeeva Samadhi. His body was cremated near Venu Gopala Swamy Temple on the way to Papavinasam on the hills of Tirumala. A Samadhi of Hathiram Baba had been constructed there and daily pooja is being performed even today. People visiting Venu Gopala Swamy Temple pay their homage to this great devotee of Lord Venkateswara. The Hathiram Baba Mutt had been built on the southern side of the temple in his remembrance.

Conclusion:

I hope many might have now really understood that Hathiram Baba’s real name was Bhavaji and he was called Hathiram Baba not because he was fat like a Hathi or Elephant but because his beloved Lord Ram has come to his rescue in the form of a Hathi, when he was in danger.

The Jeeva Samadhi of Great saint Hathiram Baba still exists near Venu Gopala Swamy Temple on the way to Papavinasam on Tirumala Hills. Pilgrims visiting Venu Gopala Swamy surely pays homage to this great saint’s Samadhi and seeks his blessings. If any body had been there and returned back without paying homage to this great saint’s Samadhi in ignorance, please do so if you visit the Samadhi next time around. You can also find the Samadhi of many other saints all around the place out there.

You can find Hathiram Baba Mutt on the southern side of the Venkateswara Temple of Tirumala near the main entrance built up at an elevated place, in remembrance of the great saint Hathiram. You can also visit there to know more about this great saint.

I tried to gather information regarding the name of the location or region in the North from where Hathiram Baba has come from. I found the term North India in all the books but no specific region or location has been referred to. Therefore, I too used the term North India. Another reference to his period also put me in confusion. It might be around 1430 and 1529, though it’s a matter of debate. I suppose there might be some date written on Hathiram Baba’s Jeeva Samadhi. I haven’t noticed any such date on the Jeeva Samadhi though.

It is believed that veteran Tollywood director B. Raghavendra Rao who had given a devotional masterpiece on Annamacharya is directing a movie on Hathiram Baba. Let’s hope he throws some light on the unknown facts of the Great Saint Hathiram Baba. Making of a movie on the life story of Hathiram Baba is really appreciable. Cinema is a widely accepted media in our country. It reaches the masses in no time. Kudos to B. Raghavendra Rao and his entire team.

CONTROVERSY OVER LORD'S IDOL IN TIRUMALA

2009-05-13T10:55:00.003+05:30

The Idol of Lord Srinivasa in Tirumala was self-manifested. He wasn’t carved by any sculptor, human or divine. Lord himself chose this most sacred place in the universe to bless us all from the miseries of Kaliyuga. Discovery of the deity Lord Venkateswara is an act of divine providence. It is believed that during the period of 10^th Century A.D. to 12^th Century A.D., the Lord was standing in the open sky for hundreds and thousands of years in the jungles of Venkatachala hills. A huge ant-hill was formed by the ants all over the Idol of Lord Venkateswara to protect the Lord from the sun, winds and rains. Being a hilly area with dense forests, it attracted only a few pedestrians to that place in those days.

One day a tribal man (erukodu) reached the place near the anthill in the process of his hunt. He was waiting for his prey; he heard a voice from the ant-hill craving for food and water. Astonished tribal hunter poured in some milk he had with him at the ant-hill. He again reached the anthill-next day to observe whether the incident repeats next day too. This time he heard an Akasa Vani (a divine voice from heavens) to feed the ants every day and he will be benefited all his life. He therefore, started pouring milk at the ant-hill to feed them every day. But one day, the ant-hill collapsed and a magnificent deity of Lord Venkateswara uncovered from it. Lucky tribal man couldn’t believe his eyes to have a darshan of the Almighty. The tribal man immediately rushed to the tribal king and informed the matter. All the tribal people reached the spot and offered prayers assuming the deity as Lord Siva as the tribal people usually worship Lord Siva as their main deity. Gradually the emergence of the deity from the ant-hill was spread all over and many devotees started to visit the deity. Shaiviks (followers of Lord Siva) worshipped the deity as Lord Siva, Vaishnaviks (followers of Lord Vishnu) worshipped the deity as Lord Maha Vishnu and a few north Indians worshipped the deity as shakti or Balaji (an incarnation of Goddess Durga) and the Buddhists worshipped as Gautham Buddha for many years.

Every one had their own reasons. Shaiviks claimed that the Lord’s Idol has flowing locks of hair like jatajut of Lord Maha Siva with curly hair resting on his shoulders. The arms have armlets which look like Nagaabharanam and a serpent is depicted as coiled around Lord’s right arm. More over plants of bilva leaves were found near the deity. All these are normally associated with Lord Siva. Another interesting aspect is the Lord is in the middle of garbha gruha (sanctum sanctorum) which is the case with the temples of Lord Siva. We usually find the establishment of Siva Lingas in the middle of the sanctum sanctorum where as, the Lord Vishnu’s Idol is established near the inner wall of this sanctum sanctorum.

On the other hand, the Vaishnaviks claimed many puranas provided reference of Lord Maha Vishnu’s Avatar in Kaliyuga to be presided in the hills of Venkatachala. The serpent as nagaabharana on the lord’s arm is none other than his ardent devotee Adi Sesha, the Serpent God. Since Goddess Lakshmi resides in the bilva patras, its obvious to find bilva plants near the Lord.

Those who were worshipping as Goddess Shakti, had their own reasons. The devotees called the Lord as Sri Balaji as being the name of Durga Maa or Goddess Shakti. If observed keenly, we can see the lions on all four sides of the temple. Lion is the vahan or vehicle of Goddess Durga Maa. Sandal paste used during the Lord’s worship further strengthens the argument that Lord is Shakti Swaroop. In Tirumala Lord’s Abhishekam is done on Friday which happens to be an auspicious day for mangal snan or holy bath for women.

Where as, the Vaishnaviks brushed aside all these arguments saying that they do not find any such name called Balaji in temple inscriptions. More over, they cited that the Friday Abhishekam is done to Maha Lakshmi who resides in the heart of the Lord. Since Maha Lakshmi’s image is an integral part of the Lord’s Idol, the abhishekam is performed to the whole Idol.

Many Buddhists claimed the Idol of the deity belonged to Gautham Buddha because of the kind of appearance it has and the posture it stands in closely associates to Buddha. Where as, Vaishnaviks brushed aside their claims saying that they do not see any such resemblances in the Idol. More over no Buddhist manuscripts were found in the temple regarding their claims.

In fact, there used to be frequent tussle among the devotees and sometimes no puja was performed to the Lord’s Idol. The tussle between the Shaiviks and Vaishnaviks were and more frequent and sometimes lead to serious consequences in those days.

All these arguments were put to rest by Sri Ramanujacharya a great saint and philosopher of those times, who declared the Idol was none other than the Lord Sri Maha Vishnu himself.

In those days, a Yadava King used to rule Chandragiri. Tirumala was under the jurisdiction of Chandragiri. The tussle between the devotees disturbed the law and order situation in the province of Chandragiri. The king was worried about the frequent tussle among devotees with the Idol of the Lord. He then called up on Sri Ramanujacharya, a great saint and philosopher of those times and requested him to solve the issue and put an end to the tussle among devotees. Ramanujacharya accepted the request and decided to put an end to the tussle for ever.

One day Sri Ramanujacharya called up on all the devotees on the hill and said, oh! My dear brothers! It’s really unfortunate that all of you argue over the Majestic idol instead of offering prayers. Be it Siva or Vishnu or Sakti offer your prayers accordingly. No matter what you visualize him, he is one. The prayer ultimately goes to the one. Therefore brothers! Stop quarrelling over the lord and offer prayers accordingly. But still some people raised concerns over the suggestion of Ramanujacharya. Observing that all of the devotees were not satisfied over his suggestion, he requested a day’s time to resolve the issue. Ramanujacharya was involved in deep thought all that day. Unable to find a valid solution to the issue, he decided to have some rest and lay on bed. Gradually he slept in to deep sleep. Lord Maha Vishnu appeared in his dreams and provided him the path to resolve the issue. The next morning, all the devotees gathered again for the meeting. Ramanujacharya said, my dear brothers! Before starting the proceedings let me ask you a question. Do all of you believe this God is powerful? The devotees unanimously answered yes! Last night, the Lord had appeared in my dreams and given me an idea to resolve the issue. Hope all of you agree to the decision of the Lord himself. So dear friends! When we close the temple doors tonight, we shall place a Damaruk, Trishul, Chakra and Shankha before the lord and lock the temple doors from outside and all of us stay here to see no one get inside the temple at night. If the God is powerful, If He really exists; He will definitely pick up the things related to him. If Trishul and Damaruk were picked up by the Lord, we consider the Idol as Lord Siva and if the Lord picks up Shankha and Chakra we consider Him as Lord Maha Vishnu. Ramanujacharya asked whether all the devotees agree to this proposal. All the devotees agreed unanimously to the proposal kept before them by Ramanujacharya.

As proposed, prayers were offered to the Lord all through the evening and the temple doors were closed and locked at night. All the devotees including Sri Ramanujacharya and the king were present at the temple all night so as to ensure no one gets in to the temple premises at night. All the people present there spent the night singing hymns and bhajans in praise of the Lord in their own style.

Every one present there was anxious to see what the Idol had picked up. Is it Lord Siva….? Or is it Lord Vishnu…..? Is the Idol powerful enough to pick up things? All these questions started to rise in the hearts of the devotees. The morning when the sun raised, the temple doors were opened in the presence of the Yadava King, Sri Ramanujacharya, Archakas, Temple Officials and all other devotees amidst the music of nadasvaram by the Asthana Vidhwans.

When the doors were opened amidst thousands of anxious hearts, the Idol of the Lord appeared with Shankha and Chakra in his hands with a divine and majestic appearance and all doubts over his origin were dispelled… the Idol was none other than the Supreme Lord Srimannarayana himself. All the devotees present there had no regrets what so ever and were bound with unlimited joy and pleasure of the miraculous darshan of the Lord. All disputes among the devotees were dispelled. Every one was in infinite joy and celebrated the miracle with wonderful flowers reciting daily vedic scriptures and divya prabhandhas.

Conclusion:

Sri Ramanujacharya stayed on the hill for some time and initiated many pujas of the Lord Srinivasa. It is He who has set temple traditions and puja vidhanas (practices) which are still followed in Tirumala.

“Akaasaat Patitam Toyamyathaa Gacchati Saagaram!!

Sarvadeva Namaskaaraha Kesavam Prathi Gacchati!!”

This means, whoever the deity one worships that worship ultimately reaches only the Kesava, like the water that falls from the sky reaches the oceans ultimately.

Lord Srinivasa is the Parabrahma Murthy. All of us feel the divine presence of the Lord on the hills of Tirumala. You call Him by any name, Govinda…. Gopala… Balaji… Srinivasa… .Sridhara… .Sripathi…. .Venkatanadha… or any of his thousand names, He will answer your prayers instantly. In fact the names of all Gods are his names and all Gods are nothing but the different avatars or roopas of Lord Srimannarayana Himself. Oh Lord! You are the Embodiment of all the auspiciousness…. Bestow us all your divine grace…

Om… Namo Venkatesaaya….!! Om Namo Srinivasaaya…!! Om Namo Narayanaaya….!!

ORIGIN OF TIRUMALA VENKATESWARA TEMPLE

2009-05-07T11:36:00.003+05:30

The temple has its Origin in Vaishnavism, an ancient sect which advocates the principles of equality and love, and prohibits animal sacrifice.Sri Venkatachala Mahatyam is referred to in several Puranas, of which the most important are the Varaha Purana and the Bhavishyottara Purana.

The printed work contains extracts from the Varaha Purana, Padma Purana, Garuda Purana, Brahmanda Purana, Markandeya Purana, Harivamsa, Vamana Purana, Brahma Purana, Brahmottara Purana, Aditya Purana, Skanda Purana and Bhavishyottara Purana. Most of these extracts describe the sanctity and antiquity of the hills around Tirumala and the numerous teerthams situated on them.

The legends taken from the Venkatachala Mahatyam and the Varaha Purana, pertaining to the manifestation of the Lord at Tirumala, are of particular interest.

According to the Varaha Purana, Adi Varaha manifested Himself on the western bank of the Swami Pushkarini, while Vishnu in the form of Venkateswara came to reside on the southern bank of the Swami Pushkarini.

One day, Rangadasa, a staunch devotee of Vishnu, was on his way to Tirumala Pilgrimage. In the course of his pilgrimage, he met Vaikhanasa Gopinatha, who was going up the Tirumala Hill for the daily worship of Lord Venkateswara. After bathing in the Swami Pushkarini, he beheld the lotus-eyed and blue-bodied Vishnu beneath a tamarind tree. Vishnu was exposed to the sun, wind and rain and was only protected by the extended wings of Garuda.

Rangadasa was astounded by the wonderful sight. He raised a rough wall of stones around the deity, and started supplying flowers faithfully to Gopinatha everyday for Vishnu's worship.

One day, a Gandharva King distracted Rangadasa towards the beautiful ladies. Consequently, he forgot to supply flowers to Gopinatha for Vishnu's worship. The Lord then appeared before him and revealed Himself and told Rangadasa that He had been testing the latter's continence, but Rangadasa had not been steadfast and had succumbed to temptation.

However, the Lord accepted and appreciated Rangadasa's devoted service to Him till then, and blessed Rangadasa that he would be reborn as an affluent ruler of a province and would enjoy the earthly pleasures. He would continue to serve the Lord by constructing a beautiful temple with a vimana and high surrounding walls, and thereby earn eternal glory.

Rangadasa was reborn as Thondaman, the son of the royal couple, Suvira and Nandini. Thondaman enjoyed a pleasurable life as a young man. One day, he set out on a hunting expedition on the Tirumala Hill with the help of a tribal man. He saw Lord Vishnu under the tamarind tree. Thondaman returned home, deeply affected by the vision of Lord Vishnu. He started visualizing the memories of his past life.

Thondaman later inherited his father's kingdom, Thondamandalam. In accordance with the directions given by Adi Varaha to a tribal man, Thondaman happened to reach the Tirumala Hills for hunt. After realizing his past life, Thondaman constructed a prakaram and dvara gopura, and arranged for regular worship of the Lord (according to Vaikhanasa Agama).

HISTORY OF TIRUMALA VENKATESWARA TEMPLE

2009-05-01T19:39:00.003+05:30

After knowing the story of Lord Srinivasa (refer episodes 1-16 from my previous posts), it’s now the time to know the history and origin of Sri Venkateswara Swamy Temple in Tirumala Tirupati.

The ancient and sacred temple of Sri Venkateswara is located on the seventh peak, Venkatachala (Venkata Hill) of the Tirupati Hill, and lies on the southern banks of Sri Swami Pushkarini. It is by the Lord’s presidency over Venkatachala, that He has received the appellation, Venkateswara (Lord of the Venkata Hill). He is also called the Lord of the Seven Hills.

The temple of Sri Venkateswara has acquired unique sanctity in Indian religious lore. The Sastras, Puranas, Sthala Mahatyams and Alwar hymns unequivocally declare that, in the Kali Yuga, one can attain mukti, only by worshipping Venkata Nayaka or Sri Venkateswara.

Ancient History:

There is ample literary and epigraphic testimony to the antiquity of the temple of Lord Sri Venkateswara. Sri Venkatachala Mahatyam is the most accepted legend with respect to Tirumala and provides the history of the temple across the various Yugas. The temple has its origin from various yugas which we discuss in our coming post “Origin of Tirumala Temple”.

Thondaiman, a Pallava king (capital: Mahabalipuram, just south of modern day Chennai), is believed to have first built the temple after visualizing Lord Vishnu in his dream. He built the Gopuram and the Prakhara, and arranged for regular prayers to be conducted in the temple.

The Sangam Literature of Tamil such as that of Silapadikaram and Satanar Manimekali dated between 500BC and 300AD, mentions Thiruvengadam (now named Tirupati) as the northernmost frontier of the Tamil kingdoms. The site was actually established during the 5th century A.D., and the Alvars (Vaishnava saints) belonging to the Bhakti movement in Tamilnadu sung in praise of Venkateswara. Its significance in Southern Vaishnavite tradition was at the time next only to that of Srirangam.

The Idol of Lord Srinivasa in Tirumala was self-manifested. He wasn’t carved by any sculptor, human or divine. Lord himself chose this most sacred place in the universe to bless all of us from the miseries of Kaliyuga. Discovery of the deity Lord Venkateswara is an act of divine providence. It is believed that during the period of 10^th Century A.D. to 12^th Century A.D., the Lord was standing in the open sky for hundreds and thousands of years in the jungles of Venkatachala hills. A huge ant-hill was formed by the ants all over the Idol of Lord Venkateswara to protect the Lord from winds and rains. Being a hilly area with dense forests, it attracted only a few pedestrians to that place in those days.

One day a tribal man (erukodu) reached the place near the anthill in the process of his hunt. He was waiting for his prey; he heard a voice from the ant-hill craving for food and water. Astonished tribal hunter poured in some milk he had with him at the ant-hill. He again reached the anthill-next day to observe whether the incident repeats next day too. This time he heard an Akasa Vani (a divine voice from heavens) to feed the ants every day and he will be benefited all his life. He therefore, started pouring milk at the ant-hill to feed them every day. But one day, the ant-hill collapsed and a magnificent deity of Lord Venkateswara uncovered from it. Lucky tribal man couldn’t believe his eyes to have a darshan of the Almighty. The tribal man immediately rushed to the tribal king and informed the matter. All the tribal people reached the spot and offered prayers assuming the deity as Lord Siva as the tribal people usually worship Lord Siva as their main deity. Gradually the emergence of the deity from the ant-hill was spread all over and many devotees started to visit the deity. Shaiviks (followers of Lord Siva) worshipped the deity as Lord Siva, Vaishnaviks (followers of Lord Vishnu) worshipped the deity as Lord Maha Vishnu and a few north Indians worshipped the deity as shakti (a Goddess called Balaji) and the Buddhists worshipped as Gautham Buddha for many years.

All these arguments were put to rest by Sri Ramanujacharya a great saint and philosopher of those times, who confirmed the Idol was none other than the Lord Sri Maha Vishnu himself.

Medival History:

Later, all the great dynasties of rulers of the southern peninsula have paid homage to Lord Sri Venkateswara in this ancient shrine. The Pallavas of Kancheepuram (9th century AD), the Cholas of Thanjavur (a century later), the Pandyas of Madurai, and the kings and chieftains of Vijayanagar (14^th Century A.D. to 15^th Century A.D.) were devotees of the Lord and they competed with one another in endowing the temple with rich offerings and contributions.

It was during the rule of the Vijayanagar dynasty that the contributions to the temple increased. Sri Krishnadevaraya had statues of himself and his consorts installed at the portals of the temple, and these statues can be seen to this day. There is also a statue of Venkatapati Raya in the main temple.

After the decline of the Vijayanagar dynasty, nobles and chieftains from all parts of the country continued to pay their homage and offer gifts to the temple. The Maratha general, Raghoji Bhonsle, visited the temple and set up a permanent endowment for the conduct of worship in the temple. He also presented valuable jewels to the Lord, including a large emerald which is still preserved in a box named after the General. Among the later rulers who have endowed large amounts are the rulers of Mysore and Gadwal.

After the fall of the Hindu kingdoms, the Muslim rulers of Karnataka and then the Britishers took over, and many of the temples came under their supervisory and protective control.

Modern History:

In 1843 A.D., the East India Company divested itself of the direct management of non-Christian places of worship and native religious institutions. The administration of the shrine of Sri Venkateswara and a number of estates were then entrusted to Sri Seva Dossji of the Hatiramji Mutt at Tirumala, and the temple remained under the administration of the Mahants for nearly a century, till 1933 AD.

In 1933, the Madras Legislature passed a special act, which empowered the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD) Committee to control and administer a fixed group of temples in the Tirumala-Tirupati area, through a Commissioner appointed by the Government of Madras.

In 1951, the Act of 1933 was replaced by an enactment whereby the administration of TTD was entrusted to a Board of Trustees, and an Executive Officer was appointed by the Government.

The provisions of the Act of 1951 were retained by Charitable and Religious Endowments Act, 1966.

Srinivasa Kalyanam - Final Episode

2009-03-26T16:33:00.003+05:30

After receiving the amount from Kubera, Lord Srinivasa immediately called for a conference of the Gods to win their consent for His marriage with Princess Padmavathi. Finally the day had come. The day to fulfill his promise to Vedavati during Treta Yuga and to Yasoda Mata during Dwapara Yuga. All the Gods and Goddesses were present at the occasion to bless the couple Padmavathi and Srinivasa. All the people whether poor or rich were invited from the Kingdom to witness the Kalyanam of Padmavathi and Srinivasa. It’s strongly believed the people who have got the opportunity to witness their marriage were blessed by Srinivasa to do so. The Padmavathi Srinivasa Kalyanam was made in such a grand way that people who attended the marriage cherished for long long time. After making Kanyadaan (In Hinduism, a practice of offering his daughter to the bride groom seeking a promise from the groom to assist his daughter realize dharma-the justice, artha-the economic needs, kama-the biological needs), Akasa Raja was also relieved from the curse of Lord Srinivasa in his previous life, when his cowherd hit the lord with an axe on his head (refer episode 7 curse to Chola King).

After the marriage, the couple lived happily romancing each other on the hills of Tirumala. One day, Narada Muni approached Goddess Lakshmi who was in Penance in Patala Loka and informed about the marriage of Lord Srinivasa with Padmavathi. Goddess Lakshmi got furious and rushed to Tirumala Hills to find out the truth. There, she saw Lord Srinivasa happily spending time with Padmavathi. Infurious Lakshmi approached Srinivasa and called Nadha! (Oh Lord!) Lord Srinivasa was shocked to see Lakshmi out there. He tried to explain the reason for that. But she was not in a mood to listen him. She was unable to take her lord’s marriage with another woman. It was like adding a salt on her sore. Unable to tolerate the insult to her husaband Padmavathi interefered in the orgument with Lakshmi. Both started claiming Srinivasa as their husband. The argument was so heated that none of them tried to listen the Lord’s explanation anymore. The Lord Srinivasa unable to tolerate their quarrel moved a few steps behind quietly and self manifested as a statue, which we see now in Tirumala Temple.

When both of them tired of arguing, they realized that Lord Srinivasa has been manifested himself as a statue. Lakshmi Devi called up Lord Siva and Lord Brahma and requests them to ask Lord Srinivasa to come to normal. The Lord Brahma and Lord Siva then told her that Lord Srinivasa was a Karana Janmi (the Lord with a purpose). Lord Maha Vishnu was reincarnated as Lord Srinivasa with a purpose to fulfill his promise made to Vedavati (ie. Padmavathi) in Treta Yuga and to Yasoda Mata (Vakula Devi) during Dwapara Yuga. The cause had been realized. Now Maha Vishnu remains in this form here in Tirumala till the end of Kaliyuga to bless the people from all miseries of life.

Goddess Padmavathi too self manifested in the form of a statue as Alamelu Manga at Tiruchanoor, 5 kms away from Tirupati offering boons to the people visiting her.

Goddess Lakshmi too manifested herself as Andal at Karaveyapuram offering her blessings to people.

Vakula devi manifested herself as the garland of Lord Venkateswara Swamy.

In this way, lakhs of devotees every day are seeking the blessings of Lord Venkateswara Swamy, Goddess Padmavathi, Goddess Lakshmi and Vakula Devi at Tirumala.

With this, it comes to the conclusion of our episodes on Srinivasa Kalyanam or the Legend of Tirumala. But this is not the end of the story about the Lord Sri Venkateswara of Tirumala. There are plenty of stories associated with Lord Srinivasa after manifesting himself as a Statue. What happened immediately after forming a statue? How He interacted with his devotees in the past and how is he interacting at present with this avatar? What are the changes that took place all around these years and what are supposed to change in future will be discussed in my next posts. So keep watching the space for updates. “Om Namo Narayanaaya Namah! Om Namo Venkatesaaya Namah! Om Namo Srinivasaaya Namah!”

Note:

The concluding part of this story of Sri Venkatesara Kalyanam was quite a tough one for me. I had gone through lots of searching over internet and in the books. As there is not much source available about the story of Lord Srinivasa and Padmavathi describing their life after marriage in the print, electronic and blog media, I had to conclude this part based on a story of an old Telugu movie called “Sri Venkateswara Vaibhavam” acted by late Sri NTR and Savitri. Reference to the place Karaveyapuram to the present context is also not available. If any of you come to know about the story of Lord Srinivasa’s self manifestation into a statue and the present name of Karaveyapuram where Goddess Lakshmi manifested hereself, please write to me with enough credentials. I would post the same here in my post for discussion.

Vaddi Kasula Vadu - Episode 15

2009-03-22T11:39:00.004+05:30

Having consulted Brihaspati and heard about the prediction of the fortune-teller and the arrival of the messenger from Srinivasa, Akasa Raja decided to hand over his daughter to Srinivasa by arranging their marriage. He asked the palace Purohits (priests) to fix a muhurtam (an auspicious time and date) for the marriage.

Akasa Raja informed his ministers and other officials of his plans. Immediately, Brihaspati was called up and requested to match the ganas (astrological numbers) of both Srinivasa and Padmavathi and fix the muhurtam for langna (marriage) and a letter was drafted requesting Srinivasa to come and marry the Princess.

Akasa Raja entrusted the delivery of the letter to Suka Mahamuni (Parrot Saint). Suka went to the Venkata Hill with Vakuladevi. He presented the patrika to Lord Srinivasa, which made him very happy. The Lord sent his garland for Padmavathi through Suka.

After the departure of Suka Muni, Vakula Devi with a worried tone asked Srinivasa, Son! We were not been able to offer a proper treat to the Brahmin Suka Muni, How could we make arrangements for the marriage at par with the King Akasa Raja? Though we cannot match their status, we must at least make the arrangements to our best to please our guests. Many Gods would attend your marriage ceremony. No one should go displeased, said Vakula Devi. Smiling at her Srinivasa asked her not to worry about the money as he would arrange it somehow. Later, He called up Kubera, the lord of wealth and prosperity and borrowed money to meet the expenses of his marriage. Kubera lent the required sum in the form of gold and silver coins to Srinivasa to meet his marriage expenses. In turn, Srinivasa gave him a boon saying that he would be paid the interest for his sum till the end of KaliYuga. He is thus, called “Vaddi Kasula Vadu” by his devotees, which means ever interest Paying Lord.

Note:

As all of us know, Sri Vaari Hundi (Hundi of Lord Srinivasa) has a specialty in its own. Every devotee visiting Tirumala put his offerings either in the form of cash or kind in the Hundi as per his capability, after having the darshan of Lord Srinivasa. Many of you might wonder, what’s so special about it? Every temple has its own Hundi and devotees put their offerings in them. Time and again, we been hearing and watching over print and electronic media about the record amount of collections received by Sri Vaari Hundi at Tirumala on day to day basis.

There is a popular belief among the devotees of Srinivasa that the offerings to Srinivasa’s Hundi in Tirumala go to Kubera. Thus, they contribute in reducing the burden of debt on Srinivasa. Therefore, every devotee whether poor or rich, old or young, man or woman, wish to offer a part of his/her wealth as per their own capacities to Sri Vaari Hundi at Tirumala. This custom has been followed from years and believed to be followed as long as Lord Srinivasa is in Tirumala till the end of Kaliyuga.

There are several small things yet very important ones involved in the Story of Tirumala Balaji, which every devotee should know. Due to local language barriers and many other factors, devotees from northern part of India are not able to know these important facts associated with Lord Srinivasa in and around Tirupati. In this Endeavour, I put up all the information that is useful to the devotees in notes. Even if a single person finds my information useful for him, I would feel that I have succeeded in my mission.

Keep watching the space for more updates Om Namo Narayanaaya Namah! Om Namo Venkatesaaya Namah! Om Namo Srinivasaaya Namah!