Brahma resorted to bhakti yoga, but was unable to concentrate. Lord Narayana told him that in that case, Brahma could perform 1000 Ashwamedha yagas instead! This being difficult, Brahma asked for an alternative. The Lord told Brahma that he could perform one Ashwamedha yaga in the city of Kanchi, for a yaga performed there would give him the benefit of performing 1000 yagas.
It so happened that at this time Saraswathi had quarrelled with Brahma. So Brahma performed the yaga with Gayatri and Savitri. Enraged, Saraswathi tried to stop the yaga. She made the city of Kanchi dark, but Lord Narayana appeared as Deepa Prakasa and His presence illumined the city. The deity of Deepa Prakasa can still be seen in Kanchi.
Saraswathi then sent demons to stop Brahma, but Lord Narayana appeared, now with eight hands, each bearing a weapon, to protect Brahma, said V.S. Karunakarachariar, in a discourse.
Thirumangai Azhvar talks of this deity with eight hands, which we can see in Kanchipuram. Thirumangai Azhvar says that he asked the Lord who He was. The Lord at once replied that He was from the city where One who had eight hands resided. Actually, the deity who was addressed by Thirumangai Azhvar was Ashtabhujakara and had eight hands. So He could easily have answered that He was Ashtabhujakara. What was the need to say He was from the city where One who had eight hands resided, instead of directly saying He was Himself the One with eight hands? If the Lord had said He was the One with eight hands, all of them bearing weapons, then would it not frighten people? It was in order not to frighten people that the Lord resorted to a clever play of words while answering Thirumangai Azhvar. The Lord, who comes immediately to the rescue of His devotees, as He did in the case of Gajendra and Brahma, is, at the same time, careful not to frighten His devotees, by a display of His Supremacy. That is what His reply to Thirumangai Azhvar shows.
