Añjanā Tapas at Veṅkaṭādri and Vāyu's Boon

This narrative tells how Añjanā wanted a son and did tapas (austerity) at Ākāśagaṅgā tīrtha on Veṅkaṭādri. The ṛshi Mataṅga sent her there. She climbed Veṅkaṭādri, bathed in Svāmi Pushkariṇī, bowed to Varāha Svāmī and to Veṅkaṭeśa, and then did a thousand years of tapas aimed at Vāyu. On the day of Mesha saṃkrānti (when the sun enters Mesha) that fell on the Caitra full moon, Vāyu appeared. He said he himself would be born as her son. That son is Hanumān, who became the great servant of Bhagavān Rāma.

At that moment the devas, Brahmā, Śiva, Indra, the saptarshis, Vyāsa, and Bhagavān Vishṇu himself with Lakshmī came together to see the event. Vyāsa then spoke of the great merit of bathing at this tīrtha on that day.

Añjanā’s background

In the thirty-ninth adhyāya (chapter) of the Veṅkaṭācala Māhātmya, Sūta tells the story of Añjanā to the ṛshis of Naimishāraṇya.

Añjanā’s father was a rākshasa named Kesarī. He was born a rākshasa, but he was a devoted bhakta of Śiva. He wanted a son, and he did hard tapas for Bhagavān Śiva. Pārvatī and Bhagavān Śiva appeared before him, riding on the bull. Bhagavān Śiva said: “By fate you will have no son in this birth. But I give you this. Your daughter will become famous in the three worlds, and her son will have great intelligence and will bring you great joy.” The rākshasa Kesarī was satisfied and accepted this vara (boon). In time Añjanā was born, and she became famous in the three worlds as Bhagavān Śiva had promised.

When Añjanā came of age, a great kapi named Kesarī came to her father and asked for her in marriage. Her father gave Añjanā to Kesarī with a very large dowry. It was ten koṭi cows (a koṭi is ten million), one lakh elephants (a lakh is one hundred thousand), ten thousand horses, ten thousand chariots, clothes, gems, thousands of male and female servants (dāsa-dāsīs), skilled musicians and dancers, and more.

Añjanā and her husband Kesarī lived happily for a long time, enjoying all pleasures together. But they had no children. Añjanā longed for a son and took up many vratas (vows). In Kishkindhā, in the months of Māgha, Vaiśākha and Kārtika, she walked around holy places in pradakshiṇa (circumambulation). She gave many gifts (dāna): śālagrāma-dāna, anna-dāna, dīpa-dāna, go-dāna, tila-dāna, vastra-dāna, bhū-dāna, jala-dāna and pushpa-dāna. She kept all the vratas of Bhagavān Vishṇu, including the śravaṇa-nakshatra vrata and the other monthly observances. She gave away every fruit she could find. Even so, no son came, and in her grief she began tapas.

Mataṅga’s direction

The ṛshi Mataṅga, a great devotee of Bhagavān Vishṇu, found Añjanā doing tapas and asked what she wanted. She told him of her long and fruitless effort to get a son. Mataṅga then gave her exact directions:

“To the south, ten yojanas from here, is the mountain Ghanācala, where Narasiṃha Svāmī lives. There is a Brahma-tīrtha there. Ten yojanas to the east of that is the excellent river Svarṇamukhī. North of the Svarṇamukhī is the mountain Vṛshabhācala, and on it is the lake Svāmi Pushkariṇī. Go there. Your mind will be purified by the sight. Bathe there. Bow to Varāha Svāmī. Bow to Veṅkaṭeśa.

Then, to the north of Svāmi Pushkariṇī, where lions and tigers live and where there are many holy trees such as gandham, aguru, neem, tādi, girikalatādi, gedaṅgi, velagādi, rāvi, mārēḍu and gāra, there is a holy tīrtha called Viyaddhaṅga. Go there. Take the purified water of the tīrtha and drink it. Face the tīrtha and do tapas aimed at Prāṇa-vāyu. Then you will have a son who cannot be killed by devas, rākshasas, brāhmaṇas, humans, ṛshis, bees, birds or any weapon.”

The climb up Veṅkaṭādri

Añjanā bowed to Mataṅga again and again. She set out for Veṅkaṭādri with her husband Kesarī. She followed Mataṅga’s directions exactly. First she came to Kapila tīrtha and bathed there. Then she climbed the mountain. She went straight to Svāmi Pushkariṇī and bathed. Next she went to the west bank to bow to Varāha Svāmī. After that she went to the Veṅkaṭeśvara temple and made namaskāra, keeping Mataṅga’s directions in her mind. Then she went to Ākāśagaṅgā tīrtha, which is Viyaddhaṅga, to the north of the temple. She drank its pure and auspicious water and turned to face the tīrtha.

The thousand years of tapas

Facing Ākāśagaṅgā, Añjanā began tapas aimed at Vāyu. Her austerity grew in three stages:

In the first period she lived on fruits only.
In the second period she lived on water only.
In the third period she fasted completely (nirāhāra).

She fixed her eyes on the tip of her nose and stayed perfectly still. Her companion Vipulā served her all the while. In this way she did tapas for one thousand years.

Vāyu appears and gives the boon

At the end of the thousand years Vāyudeva appeared before Añjanā. He said: “On the day the sun enters Mesha, on the Caitra full moon (paurṇamī), I will fulfil your wish.” Añjanā was overcome. She asked only: “O Vāyudeva, give me a son.” Vāyu answered: “I myself will be born as your son and bring you glory.” Vāyu gave this wonderful varapradāna (granting of a boon) and stayed at that spot.

The great assembly

At the moment of the varapradāna a great assembly came to see it:

Brahmā, Śiva and all the other devas
Indra and all the lokapālas (guardians of the worlds)
Vasishṭha and all the saptarshis
Sanaka and the great yogīs
Vyāsa and all the best of the brāhmaṇas
Bhagavān Vishṇu, called Jagannātha, with Lakshmī
All the devīs and the wives of the ṛshis, with their families and followers

All of them came riding on their vāhanas (vehicles), with their families and servants, to see Añjanā’s great tapas. The whole assembly cried out in wonder. Brahmā, Śiva and all the devas watched from the sky.

Vyāsa’s teaching and the rules of dāna

In the fortieth adhyāya, with Brahmā’s leave, Vyāsa himself spoke to Añjanā with high praise. He said: “O Añjanā, listen to my words, which help all the worlds. You followed the direction of the great ṛshi Mataṅga. You came to Veṅkaṭādri with a purified mind and did the hardest tapas. You will have a son of the highest courage in the three worlds.”

Vyāsa then said that on the day Vāyu appeared to Añjanā, the day of Mesha saṃkrānti together with the Caitra full moon, all the tīrthas of the three worlds come together at this place. He told the merit of bathing here on that day. Giving gifts at Gaṅgā and the other tīrthas for twelve years gives a certain fruit. Bathing here just once on this day gives that same fruit.

Añjanā then asked which gifts should be given at Veṅkaṭādri. Vyāsa listed the main gifts on this holy mountain and their fruits:

Anna-dāna and vastra-dāna (gifts of food and clothes): These are the two foremost gifts here.
Pitṛ-śrāddha (the rite for the forefathers): It is especially meritorious when done here.
Bāṇa-dāna (gold): Those who give gold here to please Bhagavān Vishṇu reach all the highest lokas.
Śālagrāma-śilā-dāna: It destroys one’s āṅga-bhaṅga (bodily flaws) and leads to knowledge of the self.
Go-dāna to a householder who rules his senses: The giver lives in Vaikuṇṭha for as many years as there are hairs on the body of the cow.
Bhū-dāna to a well-disposed (sānukula) brāhmaṇa: Its puṇya (merit) cannot be told.
Kanyā-dāna to one who studies the Veda: The giver and his forefathers reach Vaikuṇṭha in joy.
Jala-dāna (a cool-water shelter in summer): Even Ādiśesha cannot fully describe its merit.
Tila-dāna to a well-disposed brāhmaṇa: All pāpa (sin) is destroyed, and the giver reaches Vaikuṇṭha.
Dhānya-dāna (gift of grain): Those who know the Veda call it the best. Such givers are born as sons of Brahmā.
Gandha, pushpa, chatra, chāmara, tāmbūla and karpūra (scent, flowers, parasol, fan, betel and camphor) given to brāhmaṇas: The giver enjoys the pleasures of this world for a long time. Then he enjoys svarga (heaven) for thousands of divine years. Then he returns as a sārvabhauma (universal ruler). Then he is born as a knower of the Veda. Then he is freed through the grace of Bhagavān Vishṇu.

Vyāsa ended: “O Añjanā, so I have told you the glory of Veṅkaṭācala.”

Sources

Skanda Mahā Purāṇa, Vaishṇava Khaṇḍa, Veṅkaṭācala Māhātmya, Chapter 39
Skanda Mahā Purāṇa, Vaishṇava Khaṇḍa, Veṅkaṭācala Māhātmya, Chapter 40