Thirusingavel Kundram

Thirusingavel Kundram is traditionally enumerated as number 95 among the 108 Divya Desams — the sacred abodes of Sri Maha Vishnu sung by the Alvars.

Out of the one hundred and eight divya desas, two are in Andhra Pradesh. They are Tirumala and Ahobalam. In this chapter, I propose to relate the sthalapurana of Ahobalam along with certain interesting epigraphical records available in that temple. In conclusion all pasurams (mangalasasanam) sung by Thirumangai Alvar in praise of the Lord here are explained.

Ahobalam is a famous Narasimha kshetra. Narasimha avatara is the only avatara where Lord’s immanence and transcendence show at the same time. There is no other avatara in which we see simultaneously two incompatible situations being projected at the same time through the same organ. It is only in Narasimhavatara that Perumal showed through the kataksha of His eyes grace and beauty for the child devotee Prahladha and fury and terror for the asura Hiranyakasipu. Vedantha Desika said that this Aganitha gatana samarthya displayed by the Perumal ensured that the sweet and balmy grace and terrific frightening fury shot out at the same time, from the same organ viz. the eye of the Perumal. Vedanta Desika goes one step further and says that even today the whole world is enciente with the form of Narasimha, as Narasimha came out only out of a particular pillar which Hiranyakasipu kicked in his demonic frenzy. The rest of the three worlds, Desika says, is still pregnant with Narasimha and He will come out only when the occasion arises and when somebody like the child Prahladha calls Him in all sincerity and faith. God will always appear for the protection of the righteous (sadhu parithranam). The extinction of the wicked (dushkrita vinasam) is only a secondary object for Him. This thought of Desika that Narasimha is still to be seen, though hidden from our eyes, in the various objects in this world, is expressed by Nammalwar also when he