The two celestial gatekeepers (Dvarapalakas) of Vaikuntha, the home of Lord Vishnu, are Jaya and Vijaya. They are thought to be statues that guard the gate of the Tirumala Venkateswara Temple, signifying their unending service, and their story is strongly tied to the mythology of Vishnu and his incarnations.

The tale of Jaya and Vijaya: Jaya and Vijaya were once Lord Vishnu’s loyal and dedicated guardians. The four renowned sages Sanaka, Sanandana, Sanatana, and Sanatkumara—known as the Sanat Kumaras—came to visit Lord Vishnu at the gates of Vaikuntha one day. But because of their youthful appearance, Jaya and Vijaya thought they were children and refused them admittance without asking Vishnu’s permission.

The elders became enraged and cursed Jaya and Vijaya, causing them to be born on Earth and lead mortal lives. Vishnu acknowledged the curse as binding but expressed sorry for the mistake when he showed up and learned about the incident. But in order to alleviate their pain, Vishnu gave Jaya and Vijaya two choices:

For seven lifetimes, be born as followers of Vishnu.
Be born as Vishnu’s adversaries and return to Vaikuntha after three lives.
Eager to get back to Vaikuntha as quickly as possible, Jaya and Vijaya went with option number two. They were therefore bound to reincarnate in their subsequent three incarnations as Vishnu’s adversaries.

Their Incarnations: Jaya and Vijaya were instrumental in the numerous avatars (incarnations) of Lord Vishnu during each of these three lifetimes:

They were born as the demon brothers Hiranyaksha and Hiranyakashipu in the first birth. To destroy them, Vishnu took on the forms of Varaha, the boar, and Narasimha, the man-lion.

They were born as the demon brothers of the Ramayana, Ravana and Kumbhakarna, in their second birth. Lord Vishnu conquered them in this incarnation by assuming the form of Rama.

They were reborn as Shishupala and Dantavakra, who were adversaries of Lord Krishna, Vishnu’s avatar, in their last incarnation. Their curse was lifted when Krishna killed them both, enabling them to return to Vaikuntha.

Relation to Tirumala: Jaya and Vijaya are thought to carry on their duty as Lord Venkateswara’s (another manifestation of Vishnu) everlasting gatekeepers in the Tirumala shrine. The sanctum sanctorum’s entry is guarded by statues of Jaya and Vijaya, who make sure that only the deserving come to seek the Lord’s blessings.

This tale serves as a metaphor for the values of loyalty, selflessness, and ultimately returning to God’s grace despite setbacks or errors.