KarmaVaani
Vaishnava tradition
वेंकटेश्वरVenkateshwara
Balaji · Srinivasa · Govinda · Tirupati Timmappa
Vishnu as the lord of the Venkata hill at Tirumala, one of the most visited shrines on earth.
- Abode
- Tirumala hills
- Consort
- Lakshmi
- Vahana
- Garuda
- Colour
- Black stone with gold
- Arms
- 4
Venkateshwara is Vishnu standing on the Venkata hill at Tirumala in Andhra Pradesh, come to the world in the Kali Yuga to save people from its troubles. Devotees offer their hair and their wealth to him. His image wears a broad white namam on the forehead that half-covers his eyes, for his gaze is said to be too powerful to meet.
Mantra
ॐ नमो वेङ्कटेशाय
Om Namo Venkateshaya
Salutations to the lord of Venkata.
How Venkateshwara is shown
A tall standing figure in black stone, crowned, heavily jewelled, the forehead marked with a broad white namam.
- Conch and discus (upper hands)
- The marks of Vishnu.
- Varada hand pointing to his feet
- Surrender at my feet is the way.
- Hand on the hip (kati)
- The ocean of birth is only this deep for those who come to him.
Stories
The loan from Kubera
To marry Padmavati, Srinivasa borrowed a vast sum from Kubera, the treasurer of the gods. Devotees' offerings at Tirumala are said to go towards repaying it, a debt that will last until the end of the age.
