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Sri Nammalvar's firm faith that the Supreme be ing has of His own choice and for the spiritual benefit of mortals settled Himself on the Vengadam Hill and that therefore the hill itself is a hallowed spot for mankind has been stated in chapter II p.p. 41 to 43. It was also mentioned that Sri Nammalvar alone has given his mystic reason for His manifestation as an Idol. That statement should not be taken to mean that the other alvars have not expressed the same belief. They have said the same thing but not in the manner that Sri Nammalvar has done. In this section (of Chapter XXIII) the religious faith of all the other alvars, and particularly of the early alvars, in the worship of Vishnu will be considered at some length. This is necessary to show that from the earliest times Vengadam has been considered to be the most hallowed spot on earth for worshippers of Sri Vishnu and that the Idol on the hill has been taken to be self-manifest Para Brahman to make it possible for bhaktas to do the archa form of worship for obtaining salvation without resorting to the more arduous methods which were extensively practised in the previous ages.
As a preliminary to a correct appreciation of the Alvar's Prabhandams with reference to Vengadam a few points have to be borne in mind. The Hill is referred to as Vengadam and not by any other name except in two stanzas of Pey alvar's Third Tiruvandadi (Nos. 63 and 75) where the term Tirumala is used. The genuineness of these two stanzas is open to doubt and will be discussed later. The other names with which we are acquainted, viz., Seshadri, Seshachalam, Venkatadri, Vrishadri, Vrishachalam etc., do not appear to have been known to the alvars. These seem to have been in use even in the Fourteenth century A.D. They became more common after the compilation of the book 'Venkatachala Mahatmyam' about the end of the 15th century A.D. Even a cursory reading of the Prabandhams will show that the alvars were well versed in the Puranas and that they frequently refer to incidents connected with the different avatars of Sri Vishnu. But there is not a single reference in the Prabandhams to any of the anecdotes mentioned in the Brahmanda and other Puranas mentioned in the Venkatachala Mahatmyam which assign a reson for the manifestation of Vishnu on the Vengadam Hill.
None of the numerous rivulets and water-falls on the hill is mentioned by name in the Prabandhams. They are collectively mentioned as the cool and swift flowing tortuous torrents of the hill streams. Anecdotes connected with the sanctity of each water-fall or stream seem to be of later origin. The alvars do not mention the existence of any village or of any other place of worship on the hill or nearby in the plains. It was either that none existed or that they were too insignificant to be mentioned. Even the Deity Sri Varahaswami has not been mentioned by any of the alvars; nor Tiruchanoor and the Deities therein; nor Tirupati and the Parthasarathyswami there. The names of Kings are not given by them (except by Tirumangai, the last of the alvars). They do not refer to their compeers or contemporary great men. Tirumalisai alvar plainly states, - My tongue will not sing a human being." Poygai alvar says that he will approach only God's feet, will sing every day only His praise, will place flowers only at His Feet (the feet of the one who has the Chakram in his hand) "what care I about what happens to me". None of the early alvars has described even cursorily the form and the features of the iamge, the divine ornaments depicted thereon and the divine weapons borne. We have to draw the inference that they attached little importance to these. But they were all staunch Vishnu bhaktas and their faith in Narayana as the Supreme being was unwavering. They attached great importance to concentration of all the senses on the image during worship, whether that image be a painting or sculpture or metal casting. The image should be to the best taste of the worshipper, should be identified as Narayana and treated in every respect as God Himself.
There are however a few verses of Poygai alvar and one of the Pey alvar which may raise a doubt whether after all these two alvars were not as much votaries of Siva as they were of Vishnu. The verses of Poygai alvar are Nos. 5, 74 and 98. If they are read along with verses 7, 11, 15, 28, 46, 52, 67, 75 there will be no reason to doubt that the alvar was a devoted bhakta of Sri Vishnu alone. The former make a bare statement of the fact that Siva and Vishnu have each distinctive functions and appurtenances. Thus (verse 5) one is called Hara and the other Narayana, one rides the bull and the other flies on the eagle; one has given us his 'Nul' or agama and the other the Vedas; one resides on the hill (Kailas) and the other on the ocean; one works destruction and the other gives protection; one has the Trident in his hand and the other the Chakram and lastly one is of the hue of flaming fire and the other of the colour of the sky (5). Again verse 74 says, one rides the bull and the other the eagle, one burnt to ashes the Tripuram and the other open the breast of Hiranya; one smears his body white with ashes and the other is bright sky blue in colour; one shares his body with his spouse and the other keeps her on a flower over his chest; one has long matted hair (jata) and the other wears a high peaked crown; one wears the Ganga on his head and the other receives the waters safely on his feet. Verse 98 says that although the golden-hued Siva (Punniyan) with the matted locks of hair and Nedumal (Vishnu) who strode the earth may be considered by us to have two different bodies, one has his abode only within the body of the other. The precise relationship between the two is given by the alvar in verses (15 and 28). The first and foremost beings in creation (in the manifested universe) are three and of these the highest is the one who manifested himself on the primeval waters (Mur-nir vannan). Without His grace the good offices of the others will be of no avail for salvation (verse 15): O thou of the dark hue! in thine hands are the right winded Sankham and the Chakram (Nemi); She who is seated on the flower is on your body (Chest), (Brahma) who gave the four Vedas is in your navel and He who destroyed the three castles (Tripura) has his residence in your body (verse 28). (Verse 11) says that the alvar's mouth would not praise any other Deity, nor his hands worship another. In verse 46 reference is made to the Puranic account that Siva had to get his sin of nipping off one of the heads of Brahma absolved only by the grace of Vishnu. In verse 52 we are told that the eight Dikpalas, the Ekadasa Rudras, the Dvadasa Adityas and the matchless two (Brahma and Siva) daily worship Tirumal (Vishnu) with flowers gathered with their own hands. Verse 67 says that all rivers direct their course to the ocean; the flower turns its face to the rising Sun; life looks to Yama (Dharman); so also True knowledge seeks the Lord of Padmavati. Verse 75 says that by prayerful meditation of Tirumal all evil spells and incantations vanish and so also the oppressive effects of all bad karmas are destroyed; weakness of old age not felt and the way to salvation is assured.
It will be clear from a reading of the verses quoted above that Poygai alvar being an out and out Narayana bhakta has only given a reply to those who in his days entertained the notion that Siva and Vishnu are only different aspects of the one Supreme being. He flourished in days when the relative merits of the ritualistic worship of Siva and Vishnu were being seriously discussed and also the philosophy on which such worship was based. Even the Agamas recognised the worship of the Trimurtis and Dvimurtis and temples were constructed accordingly.
Bhudattalvar's (second) Tiruvandadi gives no room for doubt in the matter. In verse 17 he says that Siva who wears the Moon on the matted locks of his head waited on (Mal) Vishnu and got his sin expiated. Pey alvar commences his (Third) Tiruvandadi with a description of the beatific vision of Sri Devi and Narayana in dazzling golden colour, the Sankham and Chakram in the Hands and worshipped His feet (III. T.A. 1 and 2). He restates his conviction in the last verse (III. T.A. 100) by stating that we depend only on the one who bears the Chakram in hand for our salvation.
There is however one verse (III. 63) which describes the form of Sri Venkatesa as a composite one of Vishnu and Siva. This verse will be duly considered a little later in this section of the chapter while dealing with what each of the alvars has said about Vengadam and its presiding Deity.
Tirumalisai alvar's views given in his Nanmukhan Tiruvandadi are more emphatic than the views of his predecessors. Poygai alvar stated the Puranic version that Sri Devi, Brahma and Siva all have their abode in the body of the Supreme being, Narayana. But in what order they emerge during creation is not mentioned. Tirumalisai however commences his Tiruvandadi with the unequivocal statement that "Narayana created the Four-faced one (Brahma) and the fourfaced one from out of his forehead created Sankara (Siva). I am commissioned to let the world know this great truth through this Andadi of mine. Take every bit of what is said herein as tested truth" (Nan. T. 1). With reference to the Trimurtis he says that all those who have become Devas and from among them the three who stand out as the foremost, in fact they are what all they appear to us to be only because they represent Nedumal. All the learning of those who do not realise this truth is rubbish kadai (Nan. Tiru. 54). We infer from this that in the view of this Alvar sincere and consistent Upasana or worship of any Deity is worship offered to Narayana because it ultimately leads the worshipper to become a Narayana Bhakta. The Alvars were all out and out Narayana bhaktas because their spiritual evolution had reached that stage.
The early Alvars have given in their works greater importance to the direct offer of individual daily worship than to resorting to temples for attending the worship offered there. The number of places of temple worship seem also to have been very limited in those days.
An analysis of the number of verses devoted by them in praise of the presiding Deity in temples will now be presented. It will be seen there from how greatly Tiruvengadam loomed large in their eyes in comparison with other places.
Poygai alvar's Mudal Tiruvandadi consists of one hundred verses. Five Temples only are referred to in eleven verses. Eight out of the eleven verses are exclusively in praise of Vengadam. Tiruvarangam or Srirangam is referred to in verse 6; and Tirukkovalur in v. 86. In the eleventh one (v. 77) four places (Vengadam Vinnagar, Vehka and Koval) are sung in one lot to illustrate the different postures of images for worship, viz., the standing, the sitting, the reposing and the walking.
Bhudattalvar's second Tiruvandadi also consists of one hundred verses. Twelve temples are referred to in seventeen verses. Seven verses out of the Seventeen are devoted exclusively in praise of Vengadam. Srirangam is referred to in v. 88; Padadam in v. 94; Kachchi (Attiyur) in v. 95 and 96; Tirukkottiyur in v. 87; Tirukkudandai in v. 97; and Tirumala-irum-solai in v. 48. The other places, viz., Tanjai, Tankal, Velai, Mamallai and Koval occur in combination with Vengadam, Srirangam, Tirumalirum-solai, Tirukkudandai and Tirukkottiyur in verses 28, 46, 54 and 70. It will be seen that Vengadam has been largely sung exclusively as well as in combination with other places.
Pey alvar's Third Tiruvandadi also consists of one hundred verses. Twelve temples are referred to in nineteen verses. Ten verses out of the nineteen are exclusively devoted in praise of Vengadam. In five more verses it is sung in conjunction with other places. Tiruvallikkeni is sung exclusively in verse 16 and Ashtabhujam in v. 99. In v. 62 Srirangam, Tirukkottiyur, Vekha, Tirukkudandai Katigam (Sholinghur) are sung together; in v. 64 Vehka, Velukkai and Kachchi are sung together and in v. 30 Padagam shares with Vengadam.
Tirumalisai alvar's Nanmukhan Tiruvandadi consists of ninety six verses only and his Tiruchchanda virtuttam one hundred and twenty verses. The total number of his verses are two hundred and sixteen. Thirteen temples are sung in twenty six verses (seventeen in the Tiruvandadi and nine in Tiruchchanda viruttam). Fourteen verses out of the twenty-six are exclusively in praise of Vengadam. Srirangam, exclusively in v. 3, 30, 60, of N.T.A. and v. 49, 55 of T. Viruttam; Tirukkudandai exclusively in T.V. 56, 61, 62, Tiruvallikkeni in N.T.A. 35, and Kapisthalam in N.T.A. 50. In N.T.A. 36 and 34, Srirangam, Vehka, Tiruvvullur, Tiruppernagar and Tiruvanbil occur in combination. In T.V. 63, 64 Padagam and Uragam are exclusively sung.
In the final analysis out of a total contribution of 517 verses by the four alvars, seventy-three verses only refer to temples (or places of public worship). Out of the seventy-three verses thirtynine are exclusively in praise of Vengadam and its presiding Deity. In nine more it occurs in conjunction with other places. Srirangam is exclusively sung in seven verses only. Our Deity is invariably referred to as Vengadattan or Vengadattu meyan and not by any of the other names with which we are now familiar (Sri Venkatesvara, Srinivasa, Seshachalapati etc.). They likewise call Ranganatha, as Arangattu meyan and the Deity in Tirukkottiyur, Tirukkottiyur meyan. The alvars do not describe the features of any Murti nor do they state if there were any attendant deities.
It will be plain from the above analysis that to the early alvars Vengadam was the foremost place of Vishnu worship. That they considered the Murti to be the self-manifest image of the Supreme being Narayana, will be clear from their verses. A clear exposition of this from their songs is necessary to set at rest the vague impression in the minds of some people that at some period in the remote past the image represented a form of Siva or Sri Subramanya although positive proof of it is not till now forthcoming and that Sri Ramanuja by some device converted the image into one of Vishnu. The early alvars flourished at least six centuries before Ramanuja and bhaktas have to be told what six centuries before Ramanuja and bhaktas have to be told what these alvars considered the deity to represent and to which deity Vengadam has been considered the hallowed spot.
Tirumala is not a picnic spot. It is a highly sacred pilgrim centre.
It is the duty of every devotee to protect the greenery and sanctity of Tirumala.
Wear traditional clothes while entering the temple.
Deposit your offerings only in the Srivari Hundi.
Do not waste water and electricity.
Do not approach dalalis for darsan and accommodation. They will deceive you.
Sudarsan tokens cannot be exchanged.
Consumption of liquor, non-vegetarian food and ghutkha and smoking are strictly prohibited.
Defecation, urination and spitting in the open places will be fined.
Respect women and elderly people.
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