We often face hindrances in material and spiritual progress. The supreme being is ever alert to the needs of those who repose faith in Him and reach out to Him for succour. The more gnana one develops, the better. One way to achieve this is to visit the Vasihnavite Divya Desams. Even the Pandavas visited a number of sthalams in south India in order to expiate their sins that they felt they had incurred due to the war, said Dushyanth Sridhar in a discourse.
Obstacles are a way of life and one should seek divine help to surmount them. The sthala puranam associated with the five abodes in Kancheepuram states that Brahma sought help from Perumal to conduct Ashvamedha Yagam without Saraswati. Each of the abodes testify to the various impediments she used to try and obstruct the yaga. When she sent eight women to stop the yaga, they were all stopped by Ashtabujanga Perumal, at Ashtapuyagaram. At Tirutannka, Saraswati hindered Brahma’s yaga by sending a demon to darken the world. On Brahma’s prayer, Perumal appeared bright as a light, holding a lamp in hand. Praying to the deity, Vilakkoli Perumal, will dispel one’s inner darkness. Tiruvaelukkai is another place where Saraswati despatched demons to obstruct Brahma’s work. Perumal took the form of Nrisimha to overpower them. A visit to this temple will help one conquer one’s inner demons of fear and cowardice.
At Tiruvetkka, Sarawathi Herself came in full force of river Vegavati to stop Brahma’s yagam. Perumal lay down like a bridge on the river, stopping Saraswati in Her tracks. It is also the temple where the deity left town with Tirumazhisai Azhwar, after injustice was meted out to his sishya Kani Kannan. Later, the deity returned to the sthalam after the king prayed to Him. The Supreme Being always heeds the prayer of His bhaktas.
