Veṅkaṭeśvara - Origin of the Deity According to the Purāṇas

Abstract

One of the most celebrated and worshipped forms of Viṣṇu is that of Veṅkaṭeśvara or Veṅkaṭācalapati or Bālājī, the presiding deity of the sacred mountain Tirumalā at Tirupati. The worship of Veṅkaṭeśa occupies a great significance in the Kali-Yuga as vouched by the Purāṇas. A traditional verse states that Viṣṇu manifested himself as Varadarāja in the Kṛta-Yuga, as Raṅganātha in the Tretā-Yuga,as Jagannatha in the Dvāpara-Yuga and Veṅkaṭeśa in the Kali-Yuga, referring to the advent of the arcā forms enshrined at Kāñcīpuram, Śrī Raṅgam, Purī and Tirupati respectively^[1]. Yet another verse referring to the various avatāras of Viṣṇu  as the pratyakṣa-devatas during the different yugas, states that Veṅkaṭeśa is pratyakṣa-devatā of the Kaliyuga^[2]. The  sacred mountain is known by various names such as Śrīśaila (Sanskrit equivalent of Tirumalā), ŚeṣaŚaila, Tīrthādri, Puṣkarādri, Vṛṣādri, Kanakādri, Nārāyaṇādri, Vakuṇṭhādri, Siṁhācala, Añjanādri, Varāhādri, Nīlagiri, Śrīnivāsagiri and Ānandādri after several incidents that are believed to have taken place during several eons.  Of these, the Bhaviṣya-Purāṇa enlists the principal names of the mountain as Vṛṣādri, Añjanādri, Śeṣāśaila and Veṅkaṭācala in the Kṛta, Tretā, Dvāpara and Kali yugas respectively^[3]. Śrīnivāsa, the deity is named Veṅkaṭeśvara after the sacred mountain. The Brahmāṇḍa and Bhaviṣyottara Purāṇas explain the word Veṅkaṭa as ‘that which destroys sins’, where ‘veṅ’ refers to sins and ‘kaṭa’ to its burning”. The Varāha-Purāṇa, on the other hand explains the word as ‘the union of immortality and opulence’  ‘veṅ’ implying immortality and ‘kaṭa’ as opulence. The Lord is also known  by names such as Śeṣādrinātha, Śrīśailanātha, Vṛṣādrīśa etc, after the other names of the mountain. Veṅkaṭācala is also one of the 108 Divya-deśas glorified in the hymns of the Āḷvār saints. Speaking of the greatness of the deity, the Bhaviṣyottara-Purāṇa declares, “Veṅkaṭācala is verily Vaikuṇṭha, the river Suvarṇamukharī is Virajā, the transcendental river and Vāsudeva i.e Veṅkaṭeśa is  the consort of Lakṣmī (Vaikuṇṭhanātha)”^[4]