Story of Tirupati Venkateswara
Story of Tirupati Venkateswara Swamy or Balaji. According to Puranic calculation of time, a Kalpa is the span of time between a creation (Srshti) and a dissolution (Pralaya) of the universe. The present Kalpa, through which the world passes, is called Sveta Varaha Kalpa. During the last Pralaya, the whole universe was filled with water and the earth was immersed in it. Lord Vishnutook the form of Shweta Varaha (a white boar), dived into the water and lifted the earth. Brahma and the other Devas extolled the Shweta Varahaswamy with the chanting of the Vedas and showered flowers on him for saving the Earth. Lord Vishnu decided to stay on Earth in the form of Shweta Varaha. The Sveta Varaha Kalpa began from that time.
Lord Vishnu took his abode in an ant-hill on the Venkata Hill (one of theSapthagiri Hills in Tirumala. Also known as Venkatachala or Venkatadri), under a tamarind tree, beside a lake. Brahma and Mahesvara, decided to assume the forms of a cow and its calf to serve him. On their arrival on earth, the king of the Chola country bought the cow and its calf and sent them to graze on the Venkata Hill, along with the cowherd. The cow emptied her udder every day, over the ant-hill and thus fed the Lord. The cowherd did not know that.
Finding that the cow did not yield any milk, the Chola Queen chastised the cowherd severely. Next day, the cowherd followed the cow and discovered the cow emptying her udder over the ant-hill. The cowherd aimed a blow with his axe on the head of the cow. But Mahavishnu rose from the ant-hill, received the blow and saved the cow. The cowherd fell down and died. The cow returned to the palace of the Chola king, with blood stains over her body.
The Chola king went to the hill to find out the reason. The King found the cowherd lying dead on the ground. To his surprise, Lord Vishnu rose from the ant-hill and cursed the king to become an Asura. The king pleaded innocence and the Lord blessed him by saying that His curse would end, when he would be adorned with the crown presented by King Akasa Raja at the time of his marriage with Padmavati, the daughter of Akasa Raja.
Vishnu decided to stay in the Ventakatachala. Lord Venkateswara, also called Venkatachalapati or Srinivasa, is none other than Lord Vishnu. The main temple of Lord Venkatesvara is the Tirumala Venkateswara Temple at Tirupati in the Chittur district of Andhra Pradesh.
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