Padmāvatī of Veṅkaṭādri

Padmāvatī is the divine consort of Śrīnivāsa (Bhagavān Viṣṇu) at Veṅkaṭācala, also called Veṅkaṭādri. She was born from the earth in the field of King Ākāśarāja. She was ayonijā, which means she was not born from a womb.

The Skanda Mahā Purāṇa, in the Veṅkaṭācala Māhātmya of the Vaiṣṇava Khaṇḍa (Chapters 3 to 8), tells her story. In the Tretā-yuga she was Vedavatī, the woman who suffered in Laṅkā in the place of Sītā. She received the vara (boon) that she would marry Bhagavān Viṣṇu in the twenty-eighth Kali-yuga. The ṛṣi Nārada read her marks (lakṣaṇas) and said she was fit for Viṣṇu alone. Śrīnivāsa and Padmāvatī were married in the muhūrta (auspicious hour) of Uttarā Phālguṇī in the month of Vaiśākha, before all the devas. After the marriage she lives at Veṅkaṭādri for ever with Śrīnivāsa and Lakṣmī.

Her past life as Vedavatī

Śrīnivāsa himself told Vakulamālikā who Padmāvatī had been. In the Tretā-yuga a woman named Vedavatī was closely joined to the work of Lakṣmī. She was a dear friend of Sītā.

When Rāvaṇa came to carry off Sītā from the āśrama at Pañcavaṭī, Agni had already taken the real Sītā away to Pātāla, to Svāhā Devī, to keep her safe. Agni then put Vedavatī in the āśrama in the form of Sītā. So it was Vedavatī whom Rāvaṇa carried off and held prisoner in Laṅkā. After Rāvaṇa died and the real Sītā was brought back, Vedavatī too entered the fire.

At that moment Agni brought the real Sītā from Pātāla and placed her in the hands of Bhagavān Rāma, who is Śrīnivāsa. Agni said that Vedavatī had given great service to Sītā and had suffered prison in Laṅkā in her place, and he asked that she be given a boon. Sītā herself said: “This Vedavatī always brought me joy. Please marry her.” Śrīnivāsa, as Rāma, answered: “As you say, so it shall be. In the twenty-eighth Kali-yuga I will wed her. Until then let her live in Brahmaloka, worshipped by the devas.” In time Vedavatī was born from the earth as the daughter of Ākāśarāja. (Chapter 5)

Birth from the earth

Ākāśarāja was ploughing the ground with a golden plough on the bank of the river Araṇī. He was sowing seeds for a yajña. As he sowed, he found a girl lying on a bed of lotus petals. She had every auspicious mark and shone like molten gold. He lifted her up and told his ministers again and again, with great joy: “This is my daughter!” An unseen voice agreed: “She is indeed your daughter.”

The king brought her happily to his city. He called his wife Dharaṇī and showed her the gift of the earth. He named the girl Padminī (Padmāvatī). From the very day Padmāvatī came into Ākāśarāja’s house, Dharaṇī became pregnant. (Chapter 3)

Nārada reads her marks

When Padmāvatī had grown into a young woman, she was one day in the garden with her companions. Nārada appeared and looked at her in wonder. He read her lakṣaṇas in great detail:

• Her feet were red as lotus petals and rested firmly on the ground.
• Her toes were even and red, with long nails.
• Her calves were smooth and without hair, and her knees were even.
• Her thighs were even and full, and her hips broad and strong.
• Her waist was so slender that it was almost not to be seen.
• Her navel was deep and round, and her sides were smooth.
• She had three folds on the middle of her body.
• She had a thick head of hair.
• Her breasts were firm, close together, soft and raised, with the nipples slightly turned in.
• Her arms were like red lotuses, and her fingers long and tapering, with lines like lotuses.
• Her shoulders were like flower stalks, and her back as broad as a vedi (the altar of a yajña).
• Her neck was red and long.
• Her face was always bright as the moon, and her cheeks were like golden mirrors.
• Her nose was long as a sesame flower, and her forehead graceful under curling hair.
• Her teeth made a beautiful smile, and her lower lip was red as the dondapandu fruit.
• Her navel turned in the dakṣiṇāvarta direction (to the right), like a whirlpool in the Gaṅgā.

Nārada said: “Your face is suited for Bhagavān Viṣṇu alone. Your navel is like that of Lakṣmī who rose from the milk ocean.” Then he vanished. (Chapter 4)

The first meeting with Śrīnivāsa

In the spring season (vasanta ṛtu), Padmāvatī went with her companions into the royal garden to pick flowers. A great elephant appeared and frightened them under the trees. At that moment a man came on a splendid white horse. He was dark-skinned and shone like an indranīla gem. He wore silk woven with fine gold, padmarāga earrings (kuṇḍalas), a golden bow and arrow, and the sacred thread (yajñopavīta). He also wore armlets, bracelets and a divine ornament at his waist. He said his name was Kṛṣṇa, his family was the Sūrya-vaṃśa, he was known as Vīrapati, and he lived on Veṅkaṭādri. The elephant saw him and ran away.

He asked about Padmāvatī and told them he wanted her. Her companions drove him off with threats. He went back to his mountain, overcome by her beauty. He lay face down on his jewelled swing and could neither eat nor think of anything else. (Chapter 4)

Longing and the talk with her mother

Padmāvatī had seen Śrīnivāsa. She fainted when he was gone. Her companions carried her to the antaḥpura (the women’s quarters of the palace). She grew thin and could not eat or be comforted.

Ākāśarāja called the royal astrologer (daivajña). The astrologer studied the positions of the planets and said: “A great man came to see your daughter, and she has fallen in love with him. A woman sent by him will come here. Do what she says, and your daughter will recover.” He also advised a Mahābhiṣeka (a great anointing) of the Agastya-liṅga.

Dharaṇī went to Padmāvatī and asked what she wanted. Padmāvatī described in full the marks of a Vaiṣṇava devotee (the Bhāgavata-lakṣaṇas). She said she had seen such a being, the dark-skinned Viṣṇu. She said: “Without him I cannot live. Please find him for me.” (Chapter 6)

The marriage arranged through Vakulamālikā and Śuka

Vakulamālikā came to Nārāyaṇapura for Śrīnivāsa. She met the companions of Padmāvatī at the Śiva temple and went with them to Dharaṇī. She told Dharaṇī that Śrīnivāsa of Veṅkaṭādri had sent her, and she brought the marriage proposal. Ākāśarāja, Dharaṇī, the ministers and the whole family accepted with joy: “Our wish is fulfilled! This divine girl, born from no womb, will become the consort of the deva of all devas on Veṅkaṭādri.”

The parrot Śuka then took the word of Śrīnivāsa and his vanamālikā garland to Padmāvatī. He repeated to her her own words of devotion: she had called him Mādhava and promised always to wear his signs. Padmāvatī took the garland and put it on her head. Ākāśarāja asked Bṛhaspati to fix the muhūrta. He chose the month of Vaiśākha and the nakṣatra (lunar star) Uttarā Phālguṇī as the most auspicious time for their joining. (Chapter 7)

The wedding

Padmāvatī came to the city gate on Airāvata and walked round it in pradakṣiṇā. Śrīnivāsa put his garland round her neck, and she put her mallikā garland round his, three times. They got down from their mounts and entered the auspicious maṇḍapa (hall).

Brahmā presided. He performed the Maṅgalasūtra-bandhana (the tying of the wedding cord), the Aṅkurārpaṇa (the planting of the sprouts) and the Lājāhoma (the fire offering of parched grain). All the devas were there: Brahmā, Śiva, Indra, Varuṇa, Yama and Kubera. After four days of celebration, Brahmā took leave of Ākāśarāja. He seated Śrīnivāsa on Garuḍa together with Lakṣmī and Padmāvatī. Divine dundubhis (drums) sounded as they reached Vṛṣābhadri. (Chapter 8)

After the marriage

Padmāvatī came to live at Veṅkaṭādri for ever, together with Lakṣmī. Śrīnivāsa went into the Maṇi-maṇḍapa and sat on the throne, with Lakṣmī and Padmāvatī at his two sides. The text closes the story of the marriage by saying that Śrīnivāsa, with Lakṣmī and Padmāvatī, walked on the south bank of Svāmi Puṣkariṇī. In the divine temple Kumārasvāmī worshipped him as before. (Chapter 8)

Sources

• Skanda Mahā Purāṇa, Vaiṣṇava Khaṇḍa, Veṅkaṭācala Māhātmya, Chapters 3–8