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Sri Venkateswara Ashtotthram 

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35) Damodaraya Sri Venkatesaaya nama:
 
The Lord is the epitome of accessibility ("Soulabhyam), with the rare virtue of moving with mortals as one among them ("Souseelyam), despite His exalted stature and our own extremely base natures. The best demonstration of these traits was in the Krishnavatara, when Sri Krishna permitted HImself to be tied up with a mere rope. Imagine! The Supreme Being, inaccessible even to exalted Celestials, being tied up by a mere cowherdess! This is what gave the Lord the tiurnaamam, "Damodara".
 
Sri Madhurakavi says that it was not Sri Yasoda who tied up little Krishna--it was the Lord who helped her tie Him up, enjoying the rare role of submissiveness He never gets to play at Paradise--"kaNNi nuNN siru thaambinaal kattuNNa paNNiya peru Maayan". And we are told that playing the role to the hilt, Sri Krishna looked at Yasoda with pitiful eyes brimming with tears of self-pity and made larger than usual due to fright. Sri Nammazhwar marvels at this extremely endearing trait--"etthiram uralinodu inaindu irundu yEngiya yeLivE !"
 
This naama is the twelfth and final of the hallowed names of the Lord, which are uttered during the purificatory ritual known as "Achamanam".
 
Sri Nammazhwar tells us that this Damodaran is the Matchless Paramapurusha--"Damodaranai tani mudalvanai". And His glory is immeasurable--"Aamo taram ariya!" And it is extremely significant that Sri Nammazhwar mentions the Lord of Venkatam in connection with the Damodara naama, apparently telling us that Damodara is indeed Srinivasa--" Venkata nal veRppan, Visumbor piraan enthai DamOdaranE".
 
This Lord holds four deadly ropes (paasams) in His hands as weapons and has a complexion like that of a rising Sun :
Damodaram chatushpaasam indrakopa nibham bhaje!



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