During the Dwaparayuga, Vayudeva (the wind god) went to Vaikuntam to pay his obeisance to Lord Shri Vishnu. The Lord was reclining in the company of Shri Lakshmi. The doorway was guarded by Adisesha. Vayudeva was incensed when Adisesha prevented him from entering Shri 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 Shri Venkateswara, his middle as Ahobila supporting Lord Narasimha, and his tail as Shrisailam bearing Lord Mallikarjuna (Lord Siva).