Om Namo Venketeshaye🙏
Read till end you will understand the leela of lord Venkateswara.
The venkatachala is the Bhu Vaikuntha (Vaikuntha on earth) and the deity who is present there is sriman Narayana himself.
From krita-yuga only venkatachala or venkatadri is the place of Narayana where he lived with Goddess Sri and Bhumi enternaly but in his invisible form.
Śrī Varāha said:
O Mādhavī, listen. I shall relate to you the greatness of Nārāyaṇādri (i.e. mountain Nārāyaṇa). Devas, sages, Yogins beginning with Sanaka and learned men called that mountain which is the abode of the Supreme Soul, Añjanādri in Kṛta Yuga. They called that mountain Nārāyaṇagiri in Tretā, and mount Siṃha in Dvāpara and Veṅkaṭācala in Kali.A person who is a thousand Yojanas away, or who is in another continent, may bow down with great devotion in the direction of the pre-eminent mountain. He shall then be rid of all sins and shall go to Viṣṇu’s region. I shall recount to you the greatness of the six Tīrthas on that (mountain) in a sequence.
Śrī Varāha said:
Well, I shall relate to you an ancient incident, O lady of excellent face. Listen to the meritorious episode, O great Goddess, along with the sequel and the future.Formerly, O Goddess, in the Vaivasvata Manvantara in the first Kṛta Yuga, O sinless lady, Śrīnivāsa accompanied by Śrī and Bhūmi saw the great penance of Vāyu and came to the bank of Svāmipuṣkariṇī. Śrīkānta (‘the beloved of Śrī’) Hari, desirous of doing what is pleasing to Vāyu, shall stay in this southern meritorious shore in the splendid palace (‘Vimāna’) named Ānanda.
Ever since then Hṛṣīkeśa constantly propitiated by Lord Kārttikeya shall abide in this palace till the end of the Kalpa but (be) invisible.
~Skanda Mahapuran
• Satisfied with the devotion of Agastya Rishi lord Narayana promised him that he will be visible to all the embodied beings.
Dharaṇī said:
How will the invisible Lord Śrīnivāsa, the Lord of Devas occupying your right side, be visible to human beings? Tell, O Lord of Suras, how he is (to be) propitiated by people?Śrī Varāha replied:
Agastya reached this place and visited the eternal Deva (Lord). He propitiated him for twelve years, delighting him again and again. He prayed for the presence of the Lord, “May Your Lordship be visible.” Hṛṣīkeśa who was accompanied by Śrī and Bhūmi (said as follows).The Lord said:
O celestial sage, for your sake I shall be visible to all the embodied beings, but this Vimāna will never be visible. Till the end of the Kalpa, O great sage, I shall be undoubtedly visible in this place.On hearing those words the sage became delighted and returned to his hermitage.
~Skanda Mahapuran
• There is a devotee named King sankha who is great devotee of Narayana, he did every possible things to please Narayana when he didn't get the vision of Narayana he became disinterested in his life, one day Narayana said him in his invisible form that go to venkatachala and perform penance for me after thousands of year I shall become visible to you.
When the king who was thus agitated in his mind became disinterested in life, Keśava of invisible form said thus within the hearing of everyone:
Śrī Bhagavān said:
Do not be grief-stricken, O king. Listen. I shall tell you what is conducive to your welfare. You have sought in me sole refuge. You are a good man. How will I forsake you? This mountain named Veṅkaṭa is well-known in all the three worlds. Residence there is liked by me more than in Vaikuṇṭha. Go to that excellent mountain and perform penance devoutly. When a thousand years pass off thus, I shall become visible to you.
~Skanda Mahapuran
• sage Agastya also came there(venkatachala) for the sake of the vision of Narayana he see Brahma, isa, sakra,yogin and many came there to penance by only desire of seeing Hari.
At that very same time, at the behest of Parameṣṭhin, Sage Agastya too came there surrounded by hundreds of sages. Beginning with the western extremity, he endeavoured to circumambulate (the mountain). He wandered over the mountain for a long time seeing the meritorious holy spots. In different places he saw Brahmā, Guha, Śakra, Īśa, Viṣvaksena and others who were desirous of seeing Hari. He saw the following also: leading Yogins beginning with Sanaka, sages the chief of whom was Nārada, Siddhas, Gandharvas, Daityas, Yakṣas, Rākṣasas and serpents.
~Skanda Mahapuran
• After three days of penance of them finally lord Narayana himself manifest infront of them.
Three days passed off while they were engaged in worship and prayers with their minds dedicated to Hari, the Lord of the universe.
An extremely mysterious brilliant light manifested (itself) in front of those persons who had thus dedicated their minds to Acyuta, the Lord of the universe. It was stationed in the sky like the splendour of many crores of Suns, Moons and fires unified together in one place.
On seeing that brilliance all of them were immensely surprised. They meditated upon divine Nārāyaṇa, the embodiment of the greatest bliss. The Lord was beyond the ken of speech and mind. He was shining with well renowned prosperity and glory. He had thousand (innumerable) eyes and was equipped with a thousand arms and feet. He was charming with a lustre that was as brilliant as that of molten gold. He was terrific with curved teeth. He was too dazzling to be seen properly, (as) he emitted masses of flames of fire. He shone with the Kaustubha jewel. He held Śrī on his chest. He was incomprehensible, without beginning or end. He inspired excessive fright (in everyone). He was omnipresent. He revealed the entire Cosmic Egg within himself. On seeing the Lord all of them with Agastya and Śaṅkha as their leaders, became delighted in their minds.Oṇ seeing the Lord of the universe they bowed to him again and again. The weapons of Hari that were wandering for the sake of protecting the worlds, came back to serve him, equipped with their own respective splendour and strength.
(The weapons were) the discus that had the lustre of the Sun, the divine mace, the sword Nandaka, the Puṇḍarīka (white lotus), (the conch) Pāñcajanya of terrific sound having the lustre of the Moon. It filled the entire Cosmic Egg. The sound of Pāñcajanya was extremely terrifying unto all the Asuras. On hearing the sound of Pāñcajanya which was extremely mysterious and terrific all the Devas came there riding on their respective vehicles. Brahmā, Rudra, Indra, the Yogins beginning with Sanaka, the sages chief of whom was Vasiṣṭha, Gandharvas, serpents and Kinnaras, Viṣvaksena, Garuḍa, the servants of Viṣṇu beginning with Jaya and those who are permanently of the same form (as that of the Lord) and residents of the Śvetadvīpa (all these came). A wonderful shower of flowers from the celestial (Kalpa) tree fell thick over all of them delighting everyone’s mind through the excessive fragrance. The celestial damsels of beautiful eyes danced; the leading Kinnaras sang. Suras, Gandharvas and Cāraṇas who were delighted and thrilled, eulogized. On seeing the Lotus-eyed Lord, who is fond of his devotees, pleased, they bowed down to him with eight limbs touching the ground and propitiated him with different kinds of hymns.
~Skanda Mahapuran, Venkatachala Mahatmya
• On the request of Agastya Rishi lord Narayana decided to lived in venkatachala permanently.
Śrī Bhagavān said:
O eminent sage, you have become strained and fatigued on account of the arduous holy rites performed now, with me as the object (of worship). I shall grant you all desired boons. Tell me. On hearing the words of the Lord of Śrī, the Pot-born Sage(Agastya) bowed down to him again and again. With hair standing on end all over the body (due to thrill of joy) he spoke these words: Even before your (formal pronouncement of your) favour I have realized all my desires, O Mādhava. Even after thinking deeply I do not see anything that remains to be attained (by me) now. Still out of fickleness this is being submitted, O Lord. May my devotion unto you be like this always. Those who take their bath in the waters of Suvarṇamukharī and visit you stationed on the Veṅkaṭa (Hill) shall be the recipients of worldly pleasures and salvation. Foolish persons of short span of life, who have slipped (dropped) down from the path of knowledge and yogic practice, are not competent to see you through holy rites, study of the Vedas and other sacred activities.O Sire of the universe, be always present on this mountain. O Lord, grant your favours to everyone with beaming face. Bestow on them whatever object they may desire.”
Śrī Bhagavān said:
O Brāhmaṇa, what has been requested by you shall certainly take place. Indeed, an act of devotion to me, that is matchless in the entire world, has been performed by you.O sage, due to your request I shall take up my residence for ever from now onwards on this mountain named Vaikuṇṭha(venkatachala).
Those who have washed all the dirt of the mass of sins by means of holy bath in Suvarṇamukharī and then visit me on this Vaikuṇṭha mountain with great concentration, shall become richly endowed with sons and all types of prosperity and glory on the earth. After death they will enjoy the pleasures of heaven till the end of the Kalpa. Thereafter they will attain my region shining with (divine) bliss alone. From that region they will not return (to the earth). In this matter there is no doubt at all.
O sage, out of deference for your request I shall look after all those who come here to visit me. I shall always grant them all the auspicious things desired by them.
~Skanda Mahapuran
• But before settled on venkatachala permanently Sri Narayana creat a leela, one day sage Bhrigu want to know who is sresta devta(supreme god) in the world, for whom the yagya should be performed, in his query he reached to Vaikuntha where Sriman Narayana taking rest on his Sesha saya(huge serpent bed) with mata Lakshmi. he(Bhrigu) effected with Narayana's illusion, kick Narayana's chest, lord Narayana immediately get up from his serpent bed and starts massage the feet of Brigu rishi, mata Lakshmi don't like this act of Bhrigu rishi that he kicked on her husband's chest which is the permanent place of her. she immediately leaved Vaikuntha and came to karvirapur.
~Bhavishya purana
• Lord Narayana too came to earth in search of mata Lakshmi and lived in venkatachala, there he meet with mata Padmavati, mata Padmavati was non other then one of the incarnation of Mahalaksmi.
The Lord said:
She (Padmavati) is born of Earth in the city of Nārāyaṇapura. The chaste lady is on a par with Lakṣmī. She has eyes like lotus. She has been granted boons by Padmā (Lakṣmī). Today that charming lady was seen by me as I was hunting at that place. She was plucking flowers along with her friends and attendants who befitted her. It is impossible to describe her beauty by me even in a hundred years. As in the case of Lakṣmī, if my contact with her today becomes feasible, my life will be steady. Take this to be the truth.
~Skanda Mahapurana
~Bhavishya purana
• in treta yug she was vedvati who replace mata sita(Lakshmi) when ravana tried take forcefully mata Sita to Lanka.
The Lord said:
Formerly, in the auspicious Tretā Yuga, I killed Rāvaṇa. At that time the girl Vedavatī rendered assistance to Śrī (Sītā).
Lakṣmī appeared from the land of Janaka in the form of Sītā. In the Pañcavaṭī forest, when I went away to kill Mārīca, my younger brother too followed me on being urged by Sītā. In the meantime the king of Rākṣasas came there to abduct Sītā. Fire-god present in the (place of) Agnihotra sacrifice knew (i.e. anticipated) the attempt of Rāvaṇa. He took the real Sītā to Pātāla and entrusted her to (his wife) Svāhā. There was a splendid lady named Vedavatī. Formerly, she was touched by the same Rākṣasa (but not molested). Yet she cast off her body in fire. In order to kill Ṛāvaṇa she was created once again with a form similar to that of Sītā. It was she who was abducted by Ṛāvaṇa and kept in custody in Laṅkā. Afterwards when Rāvaṇa was killed, she entered fire once again.
~Skanda Mahapuran, Venkatachala Mahatmya
• In kaliyuga Narayana remembered his promise to mata Vedvati and decided to marry her, But he never did any leela without mata Lakshmi's support so he immediately send Lord Surya (sun) to karvirapur to bring mata Lakshmi to venkatachala.
~Bhavishya purana
• Trust me there is no quarel between mata Lakshmi and mata Padmavati, how can mata Lakshmi fight with her own incarnation, even Garud puran also said that there is no difference between Lakshmi and her incarnations. And the marriage of mata Padmavati happened on request of mata Lakshmi only in treta yug mata Sita herself request to Sri Ram to marry vedvati as his consort but Sri Ram took eka Patni vrata so he promised her that he will Marry her in Kali yuga.
The Lord said:
Agni handed over Lakṣmī, my Jānakī, who had been kept in her protective custody by Svāhā and told me about the attendant accompanying Sītā: “O Lord, this is Vedavatī who did what was pleasing to Sītā. For the sake of Sītā she remained in the abode of the Rākṣasa as one imprisoned by him. Hence, delight her with a good boon along with Śrī.” On hearing these words of Fire-god, the splendid (genuine) Sītā told me: “O Lord, this Vedavatī has always done everything pleasing to me. Hence she is a great devotee of the Lord. Hence, O Lord, choose her (as wife).” I replied: “O goddess, I shall do so in the twenty-eighth Kali-yuga. Till then let her stay in the world of Brahmā and be adored by Devas. Afterwards she will become the daughter of Earth and (the adopted) daughter of (king) Viyat.”
~Skanda Mahapuran, Venkatachala Mahatmya
• After the marriage of lord srinivasa and mata Padmavati, mata Lakshmi returned to karvirapur again.
~Bhavishya purana
she killed a demon named Kolhasur there.after that Lord Srinivasa did 12 years of penance in padma sarovar to get mata Lakshmi again. Mata Lakshmi appeared in tirchanoor in her satvik form and worshipped with lord venkateswara as alamelumange.
• Now coming to your question why lord Srinivasa took the Sri vigraha form(murti form) in venkatachala. Which people usually misunderstood that after confronting mata Lakshmi he become stone which is not true.
Once a devotee named Tondman the king of pallava, who is ardent devotee of Srinivasa, He was extremely intelligent. He had Devotion to Viṣṇu engendered in him even at the age of five. He was a mine of many good qualities such as good behaviour, heroism, boldness, virility etc.
One day He obtained permission from his father to go for hunting. The son of leonine valour went near Veṅkaṭādri for hunting.He saw a parrot of five colours and pursued it with a desire to catch it. The parrot quickly flew towards the mountain chirping out Śrīnivāsa! Śrīnivāsa! Closely following it the king too climbed the lord of the mountains, observing closely the different caves and crevasses and the peaks all round. There he see lord Srinivasa at the root of Srivriksha(bilva tree) accompanied by Sri and Bhumi. He remember in his previous birth he was the devotee Rangadas, Though he was a Śūdra, he was endowed with great devotion to Viṣṇu ever since his childhood. By Lord Srinivasa's(Venkateswara) grace he born as the king of pallava again. Delighted with his destiny, and on the Lord Srinivasa's order he made a city near Veṅkaṭādri and made a Rampart wall alone for lord Venkateswara and made a Vimāna (temple) for lord Venkateswara.
(Note: According to Skanda purana The temple of Lord Venkateswara was made by king Narayana who is born in the lineage of King Tondman but according to Bhavishya purana it was king Tondman only who made the temple of Srinivasa.)
~Bhavishya purana
So for his devotees and on the request of Agastya Rishi and devtas lord venkateswara (Srinivasa) lived in venkatachala permanently till end of the Kalpa with mata Lakshmi and mata Padmavati. For his devotees only he took Sri vigraha form here.
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