During the
Dwaparayuga, Vayudeva (the Wind God) went to Vaikuntam to pay his obeisance to
Lord Sri Vishnu. The Lord was reclining in the company of Sri Lakshmi. The
doorway was guarded by Adisesha. Vayudeva was incensed when Adisesha prevented
him from entering Sri Vishnu’s mansion. Adisesha and Vayudeva began to fight
with each other.
When Lord Vishnu
intervened, each was boasting of his superior valour and supreme might. To test
who was stronger, the Lord suggested that Adisesha encircle the Ananda hill, an
off-shoot of the Meru mountain on its northern side, and that Vayudeva blow
hard to try and dislodge the Ananda hill from Adisesha's hold. The contest
waxed furiously, and as the World trembled, Brahma, Indra and the other Divine
Beings requested Adisesha to yield victory to Vayudeva for the welfare of the
world.
Obliging
them, Adisesha released his hold on the hill. As a result, Adisesha and the
Ananda hill were blown away to the banks of the river Swarnamukhi. Adisesha was
dejected by his defeat. Lord Brahma and the others appealed to him by saying
that he would be merged with the hill Venkatadri and Vishnu would reside on
him. Adisesha then metamorphosed into the vast Seshadri, with his hood manifesting
itself as Venkatadri sustaining Sri Venkateswara, his middle as Ahobila
supporting Lord Narasimha, and his tail as Srisailam bearing Lord Mallikarjuna
(Lord Siva).