The story of Thiruvananthapuram Padmanabhaswamy temple in Kerala
is discovered within the Ananthasayana Mahatmya. The story can be discovered within the outdated palm
leaf data of the temple.
Divakara Muni, a faithful follower of Vishnu, engaged in
profound tapas whereas residing in ‘Aanarthadesa.’ Someday, Maha Vishnu
manifested earlier than the sage within the type of a fascinating youngster. Captivated by
the divine presence, the sage implored the God-child to stick with him, agreeing
to deal with him with utmost respect. The kid, nevertheless, set a situation that any
disrespect would immediate his instant disappearance. Accepting the phrases, the
hermit cared for the kid regardless of his playful antics.
Throughout one meditation session, the mischievous youngster took
the sacred ‘salagram’ used for worship and created disturbances. Unable to
endure the conduct any longer, Divakara Muni rebuked the kid. True to the
settlement, the kid vanished immediately, leaving the sage in sorrow. Earlier than
departing, the kid revealed that he may very well be discovered once more in Ananthankadu.
Realizing the identification of his vanished visitor, Divakara Muni
was consumed by inconsolable grief. He adopted the trail the kid had taken
for days with out meals, relaxation, or sleep. Finally, he reached a wooded space
close to the ocean, witnessing the kid getting into an enormous ‘Ilappa’ tree. The tree
collapsed into the bottom, remodeling into the divine type of Sree Maha
Vishnu, stretching from ‘Thiruvallam’ to ‘Trippapur.’ The divine type had its
head at ‘Thiruvallam’ (a spot about 3 miles from East Fort at the place the Temple
of Sree Padmanabhaswamy is situated) and its ft at ‘Trippapur’ (5 miles away
in the direction of the north).
Overwhelmed by the majestic manifestation, the Sanyasi
prayed for a condensed type. Bhagavan Vishnu granted his request, decreasing the
picture to a few instances the size of the Sanyasi’s Yoga Dand. As an providing, the
Sanyasi offered a uncooked mango in a coconut shell, a practice that continues to
today. Bhagavan Vishnu ordained that Tulu Brahmins ought to conduct poojas in
the temple, and half the monks within the temple, even now, characterize the Tulu
area.
One other model hyperlinks the temple’s origin to the Namboothiri
Sanyasi Vilvamangalathu Swamiyar, a Vishnu devotee. The legend carefully
parallels that of Divakara Muni. When Sree Maha Vishnu appeared within the
Ananthasayana Roopa (reclining on Anantha) earlier than the sage at Ananthankaadu,
the sage supplied unripe mangoes from a close-by tree in a coconut shell. This
humble providing, referred to as ‘nivedyam,’ continues, with salted mango as a
outstanding providing. The unique coconut shell has been encased in gold.