Legends of the Lord of Tirumalai - P Sitapati

Part II

Legends from Bhavishyottara Puranam

The hill Venkatachalam was called Vrishachalam in Kritayuga, Anjanadri in Tretayuga, and Seshachalam in Dwaparayuga. In Kaliyuga, it bears the name of Venkatachalam. A rakshasa by name Vrishasura was persecuting rishis and the people in the area in Kritayuga. He was a devotee of Lord Narasimha and had obtained a boon from him that Vishnu would give him battle as desired by him Lord Vishnu therefore fought with the demon and killed him with his Sudarshana Chakra. Vrishasura then prayed to the Lord that the hill should bear his name. Hence, the name Vrishachalam. The hill is called Anjanachalam as Anjanadevi, the mother of Anjaneya, performed tapas on it. It also bears the name of Seshasailam in honor of the thousand-headed Sesha. It bears the name of Venkatachalam as it is a hill which burns away all sins. The connected legend is as follows: A Brahmin by name Madhava belonging to Kalahasti fell in love with a vyabhichari or a prostitute and lived with her against all the canons of accepted Vedic religion. He became a great sinner, eating meat, and drinking prohibited liquor. After sometime, his mate died and Madhava followed a party of pilgrims bound for Venkatadri. All his sins were instantaneously burnt away on his coming into contact with the sacred hill of Lord Vishnu. Brahma who then gave darshan to Madhava informed him that Madhava would be reborn as Akasha Raja and rule the whole of Tondamandalam with Narayanapuri as his capital, that the holy mother would be born as his daughter and that Lord Vishnu would then wed her. Brahma also named the hill Venkatadri in commemoration of its powers of burning away all kinds of sins.

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