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Story of #LordVenkateshwara
Once all the saints assembled to conduct a sacred sacrifice for the well-being of the world. There came Muni Narada.
Once all the saints assembled to conduct a sacred sacrifice for the well-being of the world. There came Muni Narada.
He raised the question as to whom among the three God's - Lord Brahma, Lord Vishnu and Lord Shiva should the result of sacrifice go? That started the argument on who was the greatest of the Trimurti.
At last saint Bhrigu was directed to find out. Saint Bhrigu who knew about the past, present and future, had acquired a third eye in his inner foot through his powerful penance. He 1st went to Lord Brahma.
Brahma was with Goddess Sraswati so he didn't pay attention to Bhrigu. Angry Bhrigu said that though Brahma had 4 faces and 8 eyes he couldn't receive his guest well. So he did not deserve the sacraficial result. He even cursed him that he would never receive prayers in a temple.
Bhrigu set off to Kailash. He saw Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati engaged in Tandav. Nandi and other disciples were absorbed in the dance. No one rcvd Bhrigu. So he cursed Shiva that he'll never get an idol worship in temples. Thus came the custom of worshiping Shiva's Lingam.
Bhrigu reached Vaikunta, abode of Lord Mahavishnu. He was lying upon the snake Ananda. He pretended not seeing Bhrigu and continued talking to Laxmi. Enraged Bhrigu put his foot on the chest of Vishnu. Lord got up calmly and fell on the feet of Brighu.
While doing so he destroyed the 3rd eye on the foot of Brighu. On loosing the eye Brighu lost all his arrogance. He understood his guilt and praised Vishnu. He returned to the saints and declared that Mahavishnu is the one to whom the sacrificial results be given.
Lakshmi Devi's adobe is in Vishnu's chest. When Brighu put his foot on his chest, it angered Lakshmi. Lord Vishnu tried to convince her but invain. She leaves Vaikunta. The Trimurthy and saints tried to convince her but she set off to Kollapuram and began penance.
Mahavishnu also comes to Earth and meets Varaha Murthy. He stays at his place. In return he granted him a boon that disciples will first visit Varaha before reaching Vishnu's temple. Hence the ritual of visiting the Varaha Moorty temple before going to the Tirupati temple.
Lord Vishnu starts penance sitting in a termitary. During his penance he was tormented by lack of sleep and food. Narad Muni told this to Parvati. On her request Lord Shiva and Brahma turned into cow and calf.
Parvati Devi disguised as a cow heardess and sold the cow and calf to the king of Chola. Lord Brahma and Vishnu disguised as cow and calf gazed along with other herds. They would ooze milk every day on the termitary. One day the grazier saw this and reported to the king.
Next day king Chola hid near the termitary. The cow oozed milk. When the cattle sheperd strikes the coz with an axe, Vishnu was trying to come out. He was hurt on the face. The shepherd fell unconcious. The king ran to him and begged for mercy. Vishnu cursed him to become a devil
He said that in the next life he would be the God of sky. He would get salvation when Vishnu gets married to his daughter. Since the shepherd was the first man to see lord Vishnu on earth, his race would get the privilege to see him first in Vishnu's temple.
Narayana had got injured. He was searching for some medicine to cure the wounds. He heard a woman chanting the name of Sri Krishna from nearby. She was Vakula Malika. She applied some medicine on the wound and comforted Narayana.
During the incarnation of Narayana as Lord Krishna, Yashoda could not see the marriage of Krishna. Knowing the sorrow of Yashoda, he blessed her to fulfill her desire. Yashoda took rebirth as Vakula Malika and conducted the marriage of Srinivasa and Padmavati.
The king of sky had no children. So he made a sacrifice as directed by saint Suka. When he ploughed the field used for sacrifice, he got a box. In the chest, lay a girl child draped in a lotus having thousand petals.
Since the child was found in a padmam ( lotus ), she was named Padmavati. Srinivasa went for hunting. He sees an elephant chasing a young woman. At once he sent an arrow at the elephant and killed it. He rescued Padmavati from danger.
Padmavati did not know who the captive man was and instantly fell in love with him. So did Srinivasa. They did not reveal this fact to each other and left the place calmly. Srinivisa disguised as a Kurathy (fortune teller) and went to the kingdom of Chola.
He foretold people's future. In this course he realized that Padmavati was daughter of the King of Sky. He made his way to the palace and took a fortune telling session for Padmavati. He told that the reason for Padmavati's sarrow is a young man she had seen in the forest.
He revealed that the man was Mahavishnu and directed the king to fix marriage between Srinivasa and Padmavati.
So Srinivasa gets the marriage invitation form the God of Sky. He became happy and shows the proposal to Vakula Malika whom he respected as his mother.
So Srinivasa gets the marriage invitation form the God of Sky. He became happy and shows the proposal to Vakula Malika whom he respected as his mother.
She asks Srinivas how he could meet expenses of the marriage. He tells her that he was going to borrow money from Kubera - the richest God. Kubera lends him gold coins. Srinivasa promises to pay back the debt at the end of kaliyuga ( the present ).
Brahma and Shiva stood as witnesses in the form of two pipal trees along the shore of the Pushkarani pond. We can see these trees to date near the pond in Thirumala.
All Gods, saints and ascetics arrive for the marriage of Srinivasa.
All Gods, saints and ascetics arrive for the marriage of Srinivasa.
Narada informs Lakshmi about the marriage. She stops penance and reaches the cloister of Aghastya, where Srinivasa and Padmavati stayed. She asked Srinivasa for justice.
In the Ramayan, Maya Sita went to agni, Lord of fire, instead of Sita.
In the Ramayan, Maya Sita went to agni, Lord of fire, instead of Sita.
Maya Sita was Padmavati. Lord Vishnu was Rama and Sita was Lakshmi. Sita asked Rama to marry Maya Sita for her sacrifice. But he refused.
He said in the next birth he would be born as Srinivasa and marry her as Padmavati. Having recollected the past, Lakshmi Devi calmed down.
He said in the next birth he would be born as Srinivasa and marry her as Padmavati. Having recollected the past, Lakshmi Devi calmed down.
The Tirupati Balaji temple is rightly called the Bhuloka Vaikuntam â the abode of Vishnu on earth. It's believed that Lord Vishnu has manifested Himself in this temple during this Kali age to guide and direct his devotees towards salvation.
A famous verse from the puranas speak of the greatness of Tirupati Balaji temple: Venkatadri Samasthanam Brahmande Nasti Kinchana... Venkatesha Samo Devo Na Bhuto Na Bhavishyati. 
Read this post to know more about the Tirupati Venkateshwara Temple.
https://www.tirumala.org/TTDTempleHistory.aspx
https://www.tirumala.org/TTDTempleHistory.aspx
The Prasadam :
No pilgrimage to the Tirupati Balaji Temple is complete without the Laddu prasadam. Tirupati laddu is the best Prasadam in the world with its unique taste ever since it began distributing nearly 300 years ago.
No pilgrimage to the Tirupati Balaji Temple is complete without the Laddu prasadam. Tirupati laddu is the best Prasadam in the world with its unique taste ever since it began distributing nearly 300 years ago.
The Laddu Prasadam is prepared within the temple kitchen known as Potu. Pilgrims buy tokens for the prasad and collect it after prayers to Lord Balaji. The temple employs about 620 people, including 270 cooks.
