Varaha Swamy

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Asmath Gurubhyo Namaha

Jai Sriman Narayana

 

Today (Saturday August 22, 09- Bhadrapada shukla thadiya) is the appearance day

of Lord Varaha Swami. Lord Sriman Narayana took the incarnation of SwethaVaraha

(White Boar) to kill the demon hiranyaksha and to restore the earth in its

position. Hiranyaksha through his demonic power made the earth to sink to rasa

thala. After killing hiranyaksha and restoring the earth to its present

position, Sri Varaha Swamy decided to reside on the earth to uplift mankind and

to please Bhoo Devi. He called Garuda Alwar and asked him to bring

His mount Kreedadri (mountain for sporting) from Sr Vaikuntam and place it on

the earth. Eventually this hill acquired the name of Venkatadri. Sri Varaha

swamy along with Bhoo Devi have been residing and sporting on this hill for more

than one and half billion years. Therefore He is called Sri BhooVaraha Swamy,

and Venkadadri is called Bhoo Varaha Kshethram.

 

It is said that whatever we think of and visualize in our anthima smrithi (last

thoughts) as we leave the body, we become that. In Srimath Bagavad Githa,

Srimath Bhagavatham and other shastras, it is said that to attain mukthi and

reach Him in Vaikuntam, we need to remember Him at the time of death. At the

time of death

our mind runs to the object we are most attached to, and therefore depends on

our karma. As the body is degrading and the death is nearing, we may be

incapable of controlling our mind and thoughts and may be incapable of

remembering Him as the brain does not function properly. Therefore, our anthima

smrithi (last thought) depends on our karma. However, out of great compassion to

His devotees, Sri Bhoo Varaha Swamy declared (in his charama shloka) and gave an

assurance that whoever worships Him when young and healthy, He will do the

smarana for them, would remember them at the time of their death and deliver

them from this samsara, grant them moksham and take them to the nithya vibhoothi

(the permanent abode Sri Vaikuntam).regardless of their condition at the time of

death (eventhough they are lying unconscious and incapable of remembering Him)

..This declaration of Lord Varaha Swamy is reassurance for us that He will take

care of us if we take shelter at His lotus feet.. Although He declared this at

the beginning of this creation (almost 1.95 billions year ago), people have

forgotten this.

 

During Sri Krishna avatharam, to remind this, He instructed us to take shelter

(sharanagathi) at His lotus feet and that He would take care (charama shlokam of

Githa: Sarva dharman parithyajya mamekakam sharanam vraja…..). It is on this

Venkatadri, Lord Varaha Swamy gave His declaration to assure us. He again

incarnated on this hill as the all attractive Lord Sri Venkateswara Swamy as

swayambhoo (self manifested) archavatharam (incarnation for worshiping). Lord

Sri Venkateswara Swamy is pointing His right hand at His lotus feet and His left

hand at His navel instructing us to take shelter (sharanagathi) at His lotus

feet and if we do the sharanagathi, He will make the ocean of samsara only navel

deep so that we can easily transcend and reach Vaikuntam. Lord Sri

Venkateswara's posture is therefore reassuring Lord Varaha Swamy's declaration.

 

We people of Andhra pradesh and people of Bharatha bhoomi are so fortunate that

Lord Varaha Swamy at the turn of this kalpam has chosen our land as His abode.

It is our great fortune and the punya palam (fruits of austerities) of thousands

of lives that we are born in the land of Telugus and have the proximity to

Venkatadri (kridadri). Puranas declare that

 

Swamy pushkarani snanam , Varaha Venakta darshanam thrailokya durlabham. (Taking

bath in Swamy Pushkarani and getting darshan of Lord Varaha Swamy and Lord

Venkateswara swamy are most sacred and extremely difficult tasks to complete),

 

Venkatdadri samam sthanam Brhamande nasthi kinchana

Venkatesa samo devo na bhootho na bhavishyathi

 

(There is no equivalent place to Venkatadri in the three worlds, and there is no

equivalent God to Sri Venkateswara in the present, past or future)

 

Besides residing on Venkatadri, Sri Varaha swamy is the presiding deity of

Srimushnam

 

With all glories to Lord Sri Venkateswara Swamy, and thousands of pranams to His

Holiness Jagadguru parama pujya Sri Sri Sri Thridandi Sriman Narayana Ramanuja

Chinna Jeeyar Swamiji, I remain,

Sincerely

Narender P. Reddy

______________________________

Hari Sharanam, Sri Hari Sharanam

Jai Sriman Narayana