This story is from Brahmanda Purana. It's about the purifying power of the Seven Hills (Tirupati).

A man named Madhava lived in a town called Nandana. His father, Purandara, was a very good and wise man. He taught Madhava how to live a good life. When Madhava grew up, he got married to a nice girl named Chandralekha. They were happy together.

One day, while Madhava was out walking with Chandralekha, he met a beautiful gypsy girl named Malini. She was so pretty that Madhava decided to leave his wife and family to be with her. Madhava started doing bad things to take care of the demands of Malini, like stealing. He started eating food he wasn’t supposed to eat. He stopped being a good person. After a while, Malini and the other gypsies didn’t want him anymore. They threw him out, and Madhava became very sad and felt lost.

Madhava wandered around feeling terrible. One day, he found the Seven Hills. When Madhava started climbing the hill, he felt something inside him like a 'purifying fire'. He realized that what he had done was wrong. By the time he reached the top of the hill, all the bad things he had done were forgiven. He prayed to Lord Venkateshwara and felt much better. He went back home to his wife and parents. They became very happy to see him again.

Why is it called 'Venkatachala'?

• Venkata means 'the one who removes or destroys sins.' It comes from two words: 'ven' which means sins or troubles, and 'kata' which means to cut or remove.
• Achala means 'hill' or 'mountain.'

Here's what this story tells us about the nature of the purifying power of the Seven Hills-

1. Cleans Sins Right Away: When Madhava starts walking up the hill, he feels a change. It’s like a 'fire' is burning away all the bad things he did. This shows the hills can make you feel better and clean inside as soon as you start climbing.
2. Helps People Change: The hills don’t just forgive you. They help you become a good person again. Madhava was doing bad things, but after he climbed the hill, he became kind and loving. 
3. Full of Love and Forgiveness: The Lord of the Seven Hills loves everyone. Even if someone did many bad things, if they are sorry, he will forgive them. The hills are not for punishing people - they are for helping people restart their lives.
4. A Special Power from God: The Seven Hills have a special power that helps people become happy and good again. It’s something magical and strong.

Lessons -

1. Madhava felt tempted by Malini's beauty and made a quick, bad choice without thinking about the consequences. You should stop and think when you feel tempted to do something impulsively. Ask yourself, 'Is this the right thing to do?'
2. Just because something looks good or feels exciting doesn’t mean it's the right choice. It's important to control your feelings and not rush into decisions that could hurt you or others.
3. Madhava forgot about his family and his values, which made things worse for him. You should remember what’s important - like your family, kindness, and being good - and stick to those values, even when tempted.
4. People can change and become better by reflecting on their mistakes.

Knowledge Bank

Harivarasanam

The song Harivarasanam is sung every day at Sabarimala temple at the time of closing since the 1950s. For a long time, it was believed that its author was Kambakudi Kulathur Srinivasa Iyer. Of late, there has been a claim that the song was written by Konnakathu Janaki Amma. Her father was the chief priest of Sabarimala from 1907 to 1920. The popular version of the song was sung by Yesudas for the film Swamy Ayyappan in 1975. The original title of the song is Hariharatmaja Ashtakam.

Who is Lord Perumal?

Perumal is Mahavishnu in Tamil. It means- The great person or Purushottama in Sanskrit. This term is used by Tamil Vaishnavites.