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39. Q .: 1. The characteristics of Lord Venkateswara's Moola Vigraham. It is said that there are several marks on Lord, on his shoulders, chest etc.,. It is also said that the Vigraha is not under any type of Agamic rule ( the mudras etc.,).
Ans .: To explain the characteristics of Mulavirat of Lord Venkateswara one life would not be
sufficient but I'm giving u the facts as it is according to Temple and Agama. And many
things that i learnt from my ancestors hereditarily also included here which is not known even to Temple higher officials except the Archakas. Be in a Divine spirit reading this ...
The pilgrim would discover if he is lucky enough to command a little more time than what would be needed to have a fleeting glance at the glorious vision inside the sanctum, that the figure of the Hill God stands in the centre of the Sanctum.According to Vaikhanasa Agama there are 4 zones or areas where the idol is installed or located inside the sanctum Brahma, Daivika, Manusha, Paisacha are the zones. Think of the whole sanctum as a big square ensquared in to 4 inner squares. Amoung these the inner most square is called Brahma Sthana or zone, similarly the 2nd, 3rd, 4th squares representing Daivika, Manusha, Paisacha respectively. If the purpose of worship is to obtain Peace, Tranquility or spiritual excellence, the image must be in the Brahma zone, similarly,
Daivika zone - Nourishment,Health or worldly Prosperity
Manusha zone - Success and Victory
Paisacha zone - should br avoided, Disaster or Ruin
Lord Venkateswara is found exactly at Brahma Sthana here.
The Hill God was always regarded as a form of Vishnu undisputedly as the fact that the Vaikhanasa's, who are an ancient group of Temple Priests, given exclusively to the worship of Vishnu, have, since remote antiquity, worshipping here is sufficient evidence. It is true that Venkatesa or Srinivasa is not one of the classical forms of Vishnu mentioned in texts of Silpa and Agama. It is also true that the original idol in the sanctum which is tall (abt. 7 feet), majestic and bewitchingly beautiful is bereft of the usual emblems of Vishnu, Conch and Discus. There are 3 types of idols according to Agama, namely,
Sthanaka - Standing,
Asina - Seated,
Sayana - Recumbent
Again there inturn are 4 types among these 3, which are
Yoga - worshipped by Ascetics, Recluses, Renunciants
Bhoga - Worldling who aspire for Prosperity and Enjoyment
Vira - who seek strength, Power and Success
Abhicharika - Sorcerers and Magicians engaged in the black art of Love-charms
The Hill God here is Sthanaka Yoga Viraha Murthy.
The Hill God accordingly, does not appear the same to all. Each devotee carries his own impression in his heart and mind. This is the unique character of the Hill shrine. There is a mystery in the Sanctum which is fascinating and elusive at the same time. The idol is experienced but not perceived, felt but not caught; It is an encounter at once satisfying, but leaves one yearning for more of it. It is full of spiritual power and therefore not to be directly approached by all People.
Jai Srimannaryana !
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