Lord Venkateshwar Part 3

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Lord Vishnu began to wander the forest to find a herbal remedy for

the wound on his head. During His search He came across the cottage where

Vakuladevi was living. By the Lord's power she was able to recollect her

previous birth as Krsna's mother and lovingly attended to her son's wound.

As one gives a name to a newborn child, Vakuladevi gave her new found son

the name Srinivasa.

Vakuladevi took Srinivasa to the nearby the Varahadev Temple.

Srinivasa explained His story to Varahadev and requested permission to

reside on the hill of Seshadri for some time. Varahadev replied "I cannot

give any land for free, but I can rent some accomadation to You."

Srinivasa answered, "Lord, I am not able to pay any money. Lakshmi

has gone. Please accomadate me for free, and to reciprocate Your goodwill, I

shall request My devotees to worship you first before they reach Me. And

after You have been offered Your meal, only then will I accept Mine."

Varahadev, being pleased with this offer, granted Srinivasa 100 square feet

of land.

To honour this agreement, pilgrims today take darsan at the

Varahadev mandir situated right next to Venkateshwar's mandir. Bhoga is

offered first to Varahadev and then to Venkateshwar.

 

In the city of Narayanapurnam, very near the Seshadri hills, lived

King Aksan. His daughter was extremely beautiful, and had taken a divine

birth from a lotus. Her name was Padmavati (Padma=lotus). Padmavati had

previosly taken birth as Vedavathy, a tapasvini who wished only to marry

Lord Narayana. However, Ravana tried to enjoy her for himself and Vedavathy,

by the strength of her tapas, invoked Agni and was absorbed by the fire.

Before she departed, she told Ravana that he would meet his end at the hands

of a lady like her.

In Rama-lila, Ravana devised a plan to take Sita from Rama by

drawing Lakshman and Rama away from Their forest hermatige using a golden

deer. Lakshman had drawn a protective line of fire around the hermatige, and

when Sita approached Ravana, (who was disguised as a beggar), to give him

alms, she crossed that line of fire. At this time Agni invisibly appeared

and exchanged Sita with Vedavathy. Vedavathy was the Maya-Sita that Ravana

took to Lanka with him.

After Ravana was eventually killed by Rama, The Maya Sita was called

to enter fire in order to test her chastity. As she entered the fire, the

real Sita also appeared. Agni explained how he had deceived Ravana and that

Sita was untouched. Agni then requested Lord Rama to accept Vedavathy as His

wife, especially as she had undergone so much trouble at the hands of

Ravana, and still she only wished to marry Him.

Lord Rama said "In this incarnation I have taken the ekapatni vow. I

shall only have one wife. However, in the future I will take birth as

Srinivasa, and Vedavathy shall take birth as Padmavati, daughter of King

Aksan. At this time I shall marry her."

 

(to be continued)

 

Your servant,

Dinanatha das