The Ants at Tirumala

 

 

Ananthazhvan  the great devotee of LORD VENKATESHWARA was preparing to come down to the south in order to  attend a festival  in lower Tirumala  along with his disciples there. He took leave  of the Lord of the  seven Hills. He was accompanied by  many devotees .

Walking down the seven  hills  amidst the devotees  was time consuming due to the forest terrains path those days .

Swamy  could see his disciples were tired and feeling hungry . He looked for a rivulet  en route for distributing and honouring  the prasadam  When the vessel was opened , much to the surprise of everyone ,. they found the prasad was  swarming with ants.

Swamy Ananthazhwan recollected Sri Kulasekhara Azhwars pasuram on the sanctity of the Thiruvengadam hills . ( Azhwar pleads Lord to  get association of the LORD in any animate or inanimate form in the Holy hills .

He begins with  Oh Lord , amongst the devotees here in this sacred hills may adiyen be blessed to become a bird near to the pond , else a fish  in the pond  , else  a golden vessel  of the aradhana which is constantly serving  you , else a flower at your lotus feet ,  a  tree  and finally a stepping stone near your sanctorum  .

 

Swamy  Ananthazhvan  advised  his disciples they  should not deprive those ants of the enviable distinction they had of their being eternally on the  seven Hills.  Swamy said each of the animate and inanimate being in the sacred Tirumala hills were Nityasooris who are constantly in service of the LORD .

 

It will be an offence to disturb their satsangha . With due respects to the little ants all of them  trekked back to Tirumala hills and left the ants .The next day they  once gain came down to Tirupathi to attend the festival .

For the great devotee even ants were Nityasoorees serving the Lord .

 

  Kuleshekara zhwars pasuram

chediyAyavalvinaigaLthIrkkumthirumAlE
NediyAnE vEnGkatavA! Nin kOyilin vAchal
adiyArum vAnavarum arambaiyarum kidaNthiyanGgum
padiyAyk kidaNthu un pavaLa vAyk kAnNbEnE

Oh LORD SRI VENKATESHA!

         

                                                                                                                                           

  You  are the  only one who can eradicate my  karmAs. Adiyen  want to be like the stepping stone at the entrance of your sannidhi where your great devotees, dhevas , gandharvas and  humans long  to seek  your darshan. . Adiyen wish to lie as your door step where devotees,celestials and heavenly dancers wait in order to see your coral lips constantly……………………………..

Adiyen Ramanuja dasan..

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