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As per his Guru Sri Ramanuja’s order, Sri Ananthãzhvãn came to Tirumala and established a lake and a garden. He named everything as ‘Ramanuja’ and as assigned by his Guru, carried out the pushpakainkarya (service done by offering flowers/garlands to the Lord). He also built a mandap for making garlands and named it after Sri Ãlavandhãr, the Guru of Sri Ramanuja.

While Ananthãzhvãn, his pregnant wife and son were digging the lake named Ramanuja, his wife found it very difficult to carry the heavy load of mud. The most compassionate Lord could not bear to see this. So He took the form of a Brahmachãri and helped Ananthãzhvãn’s wife by taking the load from her and throwing the mud in another place. Observing that his wife, who was supposed to carry the load of mud and throw it elsewhere, returned very soon, Ananthãzhvãn found the reason for her quick return. Since he did not appreciate another person interfering with his kainkarya, he stopped the Brahmachãri from helping his wife.

However, due to his compassion towards Ananthãzhvãn’s wife, the Lord continued to help her. Unaware of the fact that the Brahmachãri was the Lord Himself, Ananthãzhvãn followed the Brahmachãri and hit the Lord’s chin with a crowbar. The Lord’s chin started bleeding profusely and He entered the sanctum sanctorum (Sannidhi) in the same wounded state.

Ananthãzhvãn, after reaching the temple and seeing the image of the Lord bleeding near the chin, understood what had actually happened. He felt very sorry and cried for what he had done and prayed to the Lord to excuse him. Then, in order to stop the bleeding, he took the pollen dust (Makarandha) from the flower he had brought and pressed it on the chin of the Lord.

The Lord ThiruVenkatam consoled Ananthãzhvãn and praised his Guru bhakti. The Lord, in order to show the Guru bhakti of Ananthãzhvãn to the world, treats the wound as He would treat the SriVatsa in His chest and always has fragrant camphor on the wounded chin. The Lord also placed the crowbar on the gopuram of His temple. Thus, Ananthãzhvãn, did the service without seeking anyone else’s help. Let us see yet another incident that shows the Gruru bhakti of Ananthãzhvãn in the coming issues.

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