In the last few episodes of Sri Venkatesha Vaibhavam we were blessed to enjoy the stories behind the descent of the seven hills through Sri Ramanujamji’s lectures. Now let’s continue to enjoy the glory, grandeur and majesty of Srinivasa Perumal based on the discourses about the leelas of Lord Sri Venkateshwara by Sri Poornimaji, given at Sri Aishwarya Srinivasa Perumal Temple @ Namadwaar Houston in December 2022.
The Wedding of Padmavati Thayar and Srinivasa Perumal
This being the concluding episode of the Tirupati Venkateshwara Vaibhavam series, Sri Poornimaji through her lecture transported everyone to witness the divine wedding of Srinivasa Perumal and Padmavati Thayar. It is divine mother who makes Bhagavan’s leelavataram complete. She plays the role of both a mother and a devout servitor. For jeevas like us, she is the mother; who through Her boundless compassion embraces and takes us unto the fold of Perumal. And for Bhagavan, an earnest servitor constantly attending and serving Him.
This grand pristine holy kshetra of Tirumala is very close to the heart of all Mahatmas and Acharyas. The seven peaks of Tirumala are surrounded by seven holy ponds (teerthas). Each of these ponds carry a special significance. Swami Pushkarini is the chief of all. It is the Swami – The Lord! It is this teertha that bestowed King Shankhana his lost kingdom and the astikoota teertha brought back the life of a brahmin Krishna Sharma’s wife and son. It is Srinivasa Perumal’s discus; the Sudarshana Chakra, the bow; the Sharnga, His mace;the Kaumodaki, His conch; the Panchajanya, and His sword; the Nandaka that became the various holy ponds around Tirumala.
The glorious stories of Srinivasa Perumal and His interactions with emperor Thondaiman are not just limited to the Puranaic times. Mahatmas have had divine experiences and intimate conversations with Bhagavan almost every day. Bhagavan reveals His presence to many of them even now. A great devotee by name Hathiram Baba who lived just a hundred years ago was a very dear friend of Srinivasa Perumal. Bhagavan would often engage in a game of dice with Hathiram Baba. During one such instance, Bhagavan gave Hathiram Baba his precious necklace as a token of gift for winning in the game. The next morning when the priests in the temple realized that the necklace was missing, a search was instituted and the necklace was found in Hathiram Baba’s home. No one paid an ear to Hathiram Baba’s explanation and so he was jailed. Nevertheless, the King conceived a plan to test Hathiram Baba’s devotion. He filled the entire jail cell with sugarcane sticks and challenged Baba to complete them overnight. Hathiram Baba remained oblivious and totally unconcerned with the turn of events. He was not intimidated and went to sleep calmly. He witnessed a dream where a huge elephant consumed all the sugarcanes. The next day the king was shocked to find that not one sugarcane was left and was all the more awed when Hathiram Baba explained his dream. The King realized that Lord Sri Venkateshwara Himself has appeared in the form of a huge elephant to save his dear devotee. Similar incidents have happened in the life of Sri Vasudevaparabrahmam (fondly referred to as Sri Thatha) who had such staunch faith in Lord Srinivasa Perumal even as a five year old. Bhagavan conversed with him and Sri Thatha had many divine experiences in Tirumala. Mahatmas lived a life of deep faith and immense devotion that Bhagavan from the archavatara svarupa descended for them. Sri Poornimaji in this context also recounted an incident in the life of Sri Swamiji where Srinivasa Perumal vowed to always be there to protect and take care of him to fulfill even his smallest needs and desires.
In the lineage of Thondaiman was the king Akasharaja. This king Akasharaja, is none other but the chosen father of Padmavathi Thayar. Akasharaja found Padmavati thayar as a small beautiful child in a thousand-petaled lotus on a pond in the regions of lower Tirumala. She grew to be a beautiful girl and soon attained the marriageable age. She spent her time happily singing and sporting with her friends in a small garden near the Agastya teertha. In one such instance, Perumal taking the form of a handsome young prince on a horse enters the garden in the pretext of hunting. Padmavati Thayar witnessing Perumal’s majestic form and His charming demeanor stood in awe. After this brief encounter Thayar totally loses Herself in thoughts of Bhagavan. In deep longing and devotion, she falls weak and frail. Vakulambara Devi, who in this incarnation takes the role of Yashoda ma, comes as a soothsayer and explains Padmavathi Thayar’s state to Akasharaja and Dharani Devi. She further affirms that it is indeed Srinivasa Perumal, their family deity who has come down to reunite with His divine consort. Meanwhile Bhagavan also sends Sri Shukhacharya to Akasharaja. Shukacharya reminds the king that his daughter is verily Goddesses Mahalakshmi and it’s time for her to enter into the wedlock with Bhagavan Sri Venkateshwara Himself. Akasharaja was delighted and felt blessed to conduct the ‘panigrahana’ ceremony for Thayar and Bhagavan.
Sri Poornimaji culminated this Srinivasa Tirukalyanam with the beautiful Madhurageetham of Sri Swamiji glorifying ‘Sri Padmavathi Thayar’
padmAsanatthil padmAvathI thAyAr goluvITrirukkinDrAL (“Sri Padmavathi Thayar is adorning the Lotus throne”)
padmanAbhanin paTTatthu rANiyena paRai sATruginDrAL (“She proclaims Herself to be the crowned royal queen of Bhagavan Sri Padmanaban”)
Nithya Balasubramaniam, Pleasanton, CA
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