Hindu goddess
Padmavati Temple, Tiruchanur
Padmavati
(
Telugu
:
????????
,
Sanskrit
:
????????
,
lit.
'she of the lotus') also known as
Alamelu Manga
[1]
[2]
is a
Hindu goddess
and the consort of the deity
Venkateshvara
, a form of
Vishnu
. She is described as a daughter of a local king and an
avatar
of goddess
Lakshmi
, the consort of Vishnu.
[1]
[3]
The most prominent shrine of Padmavati is
Padmavati Ammavari Temple
situated at
Tiruchanur
, a suburb of
Tirupati
. Tradition dictates that every pilgrim to Tirupati must offer obeisance at this temple before visiting the
Venkateswara Temple, Tirumala
, the central temple of her consort.
Painting of Padmavati, Koodal Alagar Temple, Madurai
Legend
[
edit
]
Narada
once observed a few rishis performing a holy
yagna
. Unable to decide who the yagna should benefit, he recruited the sage
Bhrigu
for the task, who travelled the three worlds in search of the deity who was most worthy of it. Upon visiting
Satyalokam
, Brahma was found busy chanting the
Vedas
with one face, uttering the name of Narayana with the other, and looking at the goddess
Saraswati
with the third. He took no notice of Bhrigu’s arrival. Bhrigu then proceeded to
Kailasam
, and here too, he found
Shiva
absorbed in playing with his consort
Parvati
taking no notice of his visit. He finally reached
Vaikuntha
and met
Vishnu
. Vishnu was smiling and meditating in a reclined posture and his consort
Lakshmi
was serving him out of her love. A furious Bhrigu kicked Vishnu's chest (the abode of Lakshmi) and infuriated Lakshmi. But a calm Vishnu asked for forgiveness to Bhrigu, and served the sage by massaging his legs, and destroyed the eye in Bhrigu's leg, the root of the sage's ego.
[4]
This disappointed Lakshmi. So, she left Vaikuntha, and departed for earth. Meanwhile, Vishnu arrived at
Tirumala
Hills as
Venkateswara
, and meditated upon Lakshmi. Lakshmi had incarnated as Padmavati, the daughter of Akasha Raja. Princess Padmavati had grown into a beautiful maiden, and was visited by Narada. On reading her palm, he foretold that she was destined to be the spouse of Vishnu himself. Srinivasa, the next incarnation of Vishnu, was on a hunting spree, chasing a wild elephant in the forest. The elephant led him into a garden where Princess Padmavati and her maids were playing. The sight of the elephant frightened them and their princess. When Srinivasa appeared in front of the elephant, it immediately turned round, saluted him, and disappeared into the forest. He noticed the princess Padmavati, and enquired about her from her maids. Enthralled by her bewitching beauty, he won her hand in marriage, and requested a loan from the god
Kubera
for the wedding ceremony, promising to repay it by the end of the
Kali Yuga
. Srinivasa then married Padmavati in great pomp and splendour.
[5]
Hymns
[
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]
Padmavati is a major deity in Hinduism worshipped as an aspect of the goddess
Lakshmi
and her second aspect,
Bhumi
.
[1]
It is believed that her intercession is indispensable to gaining the favour of the lord, it is also believed that Lakshmi is omnipresent, illimitable, and the bestower of
moksham
along with Vishnu in
Sri Vaishnavism
.
See also
[
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]
References
[
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]
External links
[
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]