Leelas Of Lord Venkateswara

 

Introduction of Bhaktha Bandhava

Near their place, there lived one Sanyasini in an ashram. She denounced all comforts and was spending her time in studying Gita and in Puja. Sucharita was taken to her by her parents. They told her that her daughter did not beget children till then though she was married several years ago. They narrated to her what all they had tried till then. They requested the Sanyasini to suggest them a remedy.

The Sanyasini meditated for a while and said that they may be blessed with a child if they made prayers to Lord Venkateswara and promised to offer Him something when their desire was fulfilled. blessed them She good luck.

Sucharita was pleased. She returned to her in-laws' house. She told her parents-in-law and her husband what the Sanyasini had advised them to do. They also felt glad. As advised by the Sanyasini they prayed Lord Venkateswara and promised to deposit their offerings in the Hundi at the Lord's temple and in addition have their heads tonsured, perform Aradhana to the Lord and drop in the Hundi gold equal to the weight of the child. They promised to celebrate Brahmotsavam to the Lord. They took a saffron dyed cloth and tied their offerings in it and kept in their Puja mandir and worshipped the Lord devotedly, daily. This also did not help achieve the result.

Though much worried, Sucharita did not lose hope. She prayed the Lord that she may be blessed with a child, and if her desire was fulfilled she promised to throw the child under the wheels of the chariot of the Lord after enjoying the pleasure of rearing the child for just four years. She felt that the four years company of her child would sufficiently satisfy .her desire for the child.

Probably God wanted to test her integrity. He blessed her. Soon Sucharita became pregnant and delivered a son. Words would not suffice to explain how happy the entire family rejoiced over the birth of the child.

The baby was beautiful and lovely. On the day he was put in the cradle, there was a grand celebration. As the baby was .born out of the blessings of Lord Sri Venkatachalapathy" he was named after Him and affectionately called 'Chalapathy'. Under the loving care -of the grand parents and parents the child gradually grew. In company of the child they forgot the world behind. Such was their affection towards him.

That way four years passed. It was time for them- to throw the child under the wheels of the Lord's chariot. But their affection towards the child made them forget their promise to the Lord. It was now the duty of the Lord to remind them of their obligation. So, He made everybody in. the family fall sick and suffer. Even the child was not spared. He suffered of high fever and delirium. He lay unconscious in bed. Doctors attended on him.Pujas were performed. No improvement was noticed.. Sucharita was afraid. She closed her eyes and prayed the Lord to restore her child's health. She soon felt fast asleep. She had a dream as if a chariot ran over her, her child who was playing nearby was crushed under the chariot, her husband was celebrating the Brahmotsavam of the Lord Venkateswara, he was leading a procession carrying on his shoulder a silver cane and so on. She immediately woke up from sleep. He explained her dream to her husband and others. That was how the Lord reminded them of their commitment.

They had decided to fulfil their vow to the Lord and hence fixed an auspicious day for pilgrmiage to Tirupati. Soon every body in the family recovered from their sickness. On the appointed day they started on pilgrimage to Tirupati carrying with them their offerings, money and materials.

On the first day they visited Lord Govindarajaswamy temple and had darshan of the Lord and Nancharamma, bathed in Kapila theertham and offered Shrardha to fore fathers, went to Tiruchanur and had darshan of Alamelumanga . Thayar (Padmavati). They rested at Tirupati for the night.

The next morning before sun rise they started climbing the Tirumala hills, with names of the Lord on their lips, As they climbed the Hills they cried "Govinda, Govinda, Apad bandhava, Anada Rakshaka, Vaddikasula vada, Apada mokkula vada, Bangaru Gopuram vada etc" Pilgrims from different parts of the country also joined company with them. Forgetting the hardships of the journey in their company and uttering the names of the Lord they comfortably arrived Tirumala.

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