Long, long ago, there used to be a place of pilgrimage called Chakrapushkarini not very far from the place where the temple of Balaji is situated. In Chakrapushkarini, there lived a Brahmin family. Padmanabha who was born in this family of Brahmins who were the descendants of the Vatsa gotra.

Padmanabha possessed neither wealth nor had any relative. But he did not regret about it because he had made a resolution to remember, to meditate and to chant God's name till the time of his death. He had many merits like kindness, truthfulness, self-control, indifference towards sensual pleasures, equality towards all living beings etc. He never cared about his own joys and sorrows but his heart was filled with grief whenever he saw other people in pain.

Padmanabha used to imagine that the almighty God who would bless him with the sight of His divine appearance some day and he would fall at the feet of the Lord and drench it with his tears. Then the most gracious God would lift him up and take him to a divine embrace and if the Lord asks him to seek any boon, he would just say that he does not want anything, "My wishes have been fulfilled just by having your divine sight" would be his answer.

Padmanabha used to be so thrilled with such imaginations that tears would start rolling from his eyes. But sometimes he used to think in a negative way like 'why would the almighty God, who is the master of the whole universe, make His presence felt in his (Padmanabha's) sinful heart. What has he done for God's realization? He has neither observed penance nor fasts. He had even not meditated upon Him. The mind which is meant to have reflections of God, has always been obsessed with the thoughts of worldly matters'. Thinking like this and condemning his life as unworthy of living, he often thought of ending it.

Sometimes, his desperation used to cross its limit and he would become senseless but even in that state his heart used to long for the divine sight of the Lord and nothing else.

Padmanabha was a real Tapasvi (hermit). One day, his penance reached its helm and Lord Vishnu appeared before him. The whole atmosphere was lighted up by His divine radiance. Padmanabha, who was immersed in the Lord's thoughts opened his eyes instantly. His heart experienced cooling satisfaction with the divine sight of the Lord. Padmanabha was so thrilled by the Lord's appearance that he remained speechless for a while. After sometime when he came back to his senses, he saluted Him and praised His glories but did not seek any boon.

Lord Vishnu knew that Padmanabha was a devotee without any inspiration, so He did not insist him to seek a boon. He blessed him by saying: "O Brahmin, be in my service for many Yugas, by remaining at this very place and in the end you will attain me ".

Thus, blessing Padmanabha, Lord Vishnu vanished. Padmanabha fully satisfied with the divine sight of Lord Vishnu, spent his entire life in penance and devotion. Many years passed. One day, Padmanabha was gathering materials and stuff required for worship, all of a sudden, a demon attacked him. Though he was not afraid of death, he began to wonder if the words of Lord Vishnu, who had blessed him with a long life for many Yugas would prove wrong?

He prayed to Lord Vishnu. Lord Vishnu killed the demon by His Sudarshan Chakra (divine wheel). This demon was a Gandharva (a demigod) named Sundar in his previous birth. He had become a demon because of a curse poured down by the sage Vashishta. When Sundar's wife requested the sage to forgive her husband, the sage said that since the curse could not be taken back, hence he will certainly have to take birth as a demon, but he will be liberated by the Sudarshan Chakra of Lord Vishnu in the sixteenth year when he would attempt to kill Padmanabha.

It happened so, after the Sudarshan chakra severed his head from his trunk, he regained the form of Gandharva. After making salutations to Lord Vishnu, he went back to Gandharvaloka on his Vimana (aircraft).

Padmanabha made salutations to the Sudarshan chakra: "O Sudarshana! I salute you! I am grateful to you for saving my life. You have saved the life of many devotees. I request you to protect the humankind by remaining here".

Sudarshan accepted his request and said: "O supreme devotee, your request will not go in vain. I will remain beside you all the time. You carry on with your religious activities without fear". Saying this the Sudarshan chakra entered Pushkarni. Pushkarni is also known as Chakra-teertha since then.