Venkateshwara Swamy
Lord Venkateswara also known by various names as Srinivasa, Balaji, Venkatachalapati and Govinda is a divine form of Lord Vishnu. Lord Venkateswara is the main deity of Tirumala Venkateswara Temple situated in Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh. Lakhs of devotees are visiting daily to the Tirumala Temple to have a glimpse of their dear god, and to get his blessings.
In Tirumala, TTD Devasthanams are conducting lot of social welfare schemes for the benefit of the devotees and to the poor people, like providing free food to the devotees, education to children, vedapatasala, hospitals, go-samrakshana etc. The TTD is investing the money received from the devotees in Fixed Deposits and utilizing only the interest portion for performing social welfare schemes. Lot of poor students and poor people were got benefited by these schemes.
Every day lot of devotees are donating lakhs of rupees at the Tirumala Venkateswara Temple at Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh. According the famous legend once the sages gathered in one holy place and decided to perform rituals to the gods. The sages asked Bhrigu, to test the goodness among the gods. Bhrigu went to divine worlds and met Indra, Brahma and Shiva and found that they are not competent.
Afterwards, bhrigu went to Vaikunta, the abode of Lord Vishnu. At that time, Vishnu didn’t attend him since he was in yoga nithra. Seeing his action, bhrigu got very angry and kicked him at his chest with his feet. Since Mata Lakshmi permanently resides in the heart of Lord Vishnu, she could not tolerate the actions of bhrigu maharishi and left vaikunta and went to the Kolapur city for performing penance.
Lord Vishnu pacified Bhrigu maharishi and pressed the feet of Bhrigu maharishi gently through his lotus hands. Bhrigu got very much admired with the actions of Lord Vishnu, and asked him to apologise him for his anger with him and went to the holy place where all the other sages were gathered and informed them that Lord Vishnu is the competent person and the rituals can be dedicated to him.
Since goddess Lakshmi has left him, Lord Vishnu went to the earth for searching Goddess Lakshmi. Since, he was unable to find her, he settled down on Seshachalam hills inside an anthill. Lord Shiva and Lord Brahma incarnated as a cow and a calf respectively and were took care by a shepherd of Chola kingdom in the Seshachalam hills. The cow and calf, everyday used to give their milk in the anthill to reduce the thirst of Lord Vishnu. The Chola king has become suspicious.
The next day the king went along with the shepherd and got angry with the divine animals and tried to attack the animals. But on behalf of the animals, Lord Vishnu accepted the attack and got wounded on his forehead. The king and the shepherd were very much worried about their cruel act and both of them were surrendered at the Lord’s lotus feet. Lord Srinivasa had given the king a boon that he would marry his daughter in future. After some time, Srinivasa went to the home of Mata Vakula Devi and took shelter in her home, who was the foster mother Yashoda of Lord Krishna.
In the next birth, the Chola king was taken birth as Akash Raj and his daughter is Padmavathi. Lord Srinivasa met Padmavati and after certain period of time both of them got married in presence of the divine sages, gods and the people in the earth.
It is believed that, during his marriage with Padmavathi, in order to meet the marriage expenses, Lord Vishnu took a large loan from Kubera, and still now through our donations like our hair and wealth he is repaying the debt to Lord Kubera. It is also believed, that Lord Srinivasa would reside at Tirumala till the end of this kaliyuga and he would bless his devotees.
Let us praise the great Lord Sri Venkateswara by reciting his 108 golden names, and let us be blessed.
1. omsrivenkatesayanamah
2. omsrinivasayanamah
3. omlaksmipatayenamah
4. omananuyayanamah
5. omamrtamsanenamah
6. ommadhavayanamah
7. omkrsnayanamah
8. omsriharayenamah
9. omnnanapanjarayanamah
10. omsrivatsavaksasenamah
11. omjagadvandyayanamah
12. omgovindayanamah
13. omsasvatayanamah
14. omprabhavenamah
15. omsesadrinilayayanamah
16. omdevayanamah
17. omkesavayanamah
18. ommadhusudanayanamah
19. omamrtayanamah
20. omvisnavenamah
21. omacyutayanamah
22. ompadminipriyayanamah
23. omsarvesayanamah
24. omgopalayanamah
25. ompurusottamayanamah
26. gopisvarayanamah
27. omparanjyotisenamah
28. omvtekunthapatayenamah
29. omavyayayanamah
30. omsudhatanavenamah
31. omyadavendrayanamah
32. omnityayauvanarupavatenamah
33. omniranjanayanamah
34. omvirabhasayanamah
35. omnityatrpttayanamah
36. omdharapatayenamah
37. omsurapatayenamah
38. omnirmalayanamah
39. omdevapujitayanamah
40. omcaturbhujayanamah
41. omcakradharayanamah
42. omcaturvedatmakayanamah
43. omtridhamnenamah
44. omtrigunasrayayanamah
45. omnirvikalpayanamah
46. omniskaḷankayanamah
47. omnirantakayanamah
48. omartalokabhayapradayanamah
49. omnirupradavayanamah
50. omnirgunayanamah
51. omgadadharayanamah
52. omsarnnapanayenamah
53. omnandakininamah
54. omsankhadarakayanamah
55. omanekamurtayenamah
56. omavyaktayanamah
57. omkatihastayanamah
58. omvarapradayanamah
59. omanekatmanenamah
60. omdinabandhavenamah
61. omjagadvyapinenamah
62. omakasarajavaradayanamah
63. omyogihrtpadsamandirayanamah
64. omdamodarayanamah
65. omjagatpalayanamah
66. ompapaghnayanamah
67. ombhaktavatsalayanamah
68. omtrivikramayanamah
69. omsimsumarayanamah
70. omjatamakutasobhitayanamah
71. omsankhamadyollasanmanjunamah
72. omkarundakayanamah
73. omnilamoghasyamatanavenamah
74. ombilvapattrarcanapriyayanamah
75. omjagatkartrenamah
76. omjagatsaksinenamah
77. omjagatpatayenamah
78. omcintitardhapradayakayanamah
79. omjisnavenamah
80. omdasarhayanamah
81. omdasarupavatenamah
82. omdevakinandanayanamah
83. omsaurayenamah
84. omhayarivayanamah
85. omjanardhanayanamah
86. omkanyasranatarejyayanamah
87. ompitambaradharayanamah
88. omanaghayanamah
89. omvanamalinenamah
90. ompadmanabhayanamah
91. ommrgayasaktamanasayanamah
92. omasvarudhayanamah
93. omkhadgadharinenamah
94. omdhanarjanasamutsukayanamah
95. omghanataralasanmadhyakasturinamah
96. omsaccitanandarupayanamah
97. omjaganmangaḷadayakayanamah
98. omyannabhokrenamah
99. omcinmayayanamah
100. omparamesvarayanamah
101. omparamardhapradayakayanamah
102. omsantayanamah
103. omsrimatenamah
104. omdordandavikramayanamah
105. omparabrahmanenamah
106. omsrivibhavenamah
107. omjagadisvarayanamah
108. omMa alamelu manga sahitavenkatesvarayanamah
“OM”
WRITTEN BY
R.HARISHANKAR