Sundarabahuta

 Guhita svamahimapi sundara

Tvam vraje kimitisakramakramih

Saptaratram adadhasca Kim girim

Prcchatasca surah kimakrudhah?

why did you grow up in Nandas gokula in secrecy? was it not to hide your glory from others? if so why did you stop the Indra festival and make him come to Gokula for waging war? by this act your presence would surely be revealed ?

why did you hold the Govardhan hill for seven days. that act was so revelatory of your divine origins

why were you upsetwith the cowheards who asked you if you were a god etc.

The three questions relating to the lifting of the Govardhana hill to protect the cowherd families and the cattle from Indran's fury are posed in this Slokam. Meaning:   Oh SundarabAhu! Long time ago, when You hid Your paratvam as sarveSvaran and stopped the Gokulam people from celebrating the usual Bhogi day festival to celebrate Indra, what was the reason? Why did You ask them to stop it? At that time, You lifted the Govardhana hill and held it as an umbrella to protect the people and their cattle from the fury of Indra, who sent rain in the form of stones. You held that unusual umbrella for seven long days?Why did You hold it for such a long time? Why did You get angry with Your friends witnessing this atimAnusha lIlA, when they asked whether You are a devan to accomplish such an extraordinary feat?  There was no reason to propitiate Indran, when the Lord Himself was there as sarva karma samArAdhyan. Otherwise, it will be devatAntara ArAdhanam. Lord has said in this context: "I am the acceptor/consumer of all Havis from yaj~nAs, tapas as sarvaloka maheSvaran. Please recognize Me as the friend and well wisher of every one and attain tranquility ".When the feast for Indran was stopped at the suggestion of KrshNa, Indran rained torrents of stones (kal mazhai) to harm AypADi. KrshNa uplifted the Govardhana Giri and held it with His little finger over the people and animals of AypADi and protected them from the wrath of Indran. The answer to the question "Why did You hold that Giri for seven long days?" Is it to teach a lesson to the haughty Indran that his assumptions about KrshNa getting tired and that He would have to put down the Giri quickly. KrshNa was ready to hold it as long as it was necessary for Indran's ahambhAvam to be destroyed. The third question was about the Lord getting angry, when friends of AypADi asked Him, whether He was a devA to perform such a stupendous act. KrshNa got angry because the answer to their question would counter all the efforts that He took to hide His Paratvam  

Yvms

Yagna Varaha Murthi Sthuthi

Translated by P. R. Ramachander

[Hiranyaksha, a very powerful Asura, stole the earth and hid himself along with it inside the sea. Lord Vishnu took the form of a boar with a very huge form and went inside the sea. He killed Hiranyaksha and brought back the earth. The sages assembled there praised him by this prayer which occurs in the third Skanda and in the thirteenth chapter in slokas 33-44. Here Varaha is described as the form of Yagna and his body parts are identified with the various articles used in the Yagna. I am absolutely unfamiliar with the names of the articles. Also the Sanskrit used is really tough to understand. With a view to highlight the meaning of this prayer, I have used the translation of this work by Sri C. l. Goswami, in his translation of Bhagwatha, which was published by Gita Press, Gorakhpur. I have written what I understood from the text as well as the above translation, in my own words, adopting my own style.]

The rishir Uvacha:

1. Jitham jitham the jitha yagna bhavana,

Thrayeem thanum swam paridhunvathe nama,

Yad roma gartheshu nilil yoora dwaraa,

Thamai nama karana sookaraaya they.

The sages told:-

Victory, victory to you oh great Lord who is the promoter of Yagnas,

We salute you even when you shake your gross divine body,

Which consists of the three Vedas, we Bow to you, Oh God,

In the form of a boar in whose hair pores all yagnas(sacrifice rituals) exist.

2. Roopam thai thannanu dush kruthathmanam,

Doordarsanam deva yadadhwarathmakam,

Chandhamsi yasya twachi barhi roma,

Khaajyam drusi thwan angrishu chathur hothram.

Oh God, This form of yours made up of the sacrifices and rites,

Cannot be seen by the evil minded ones,

And also the various meters of the four Vedas,

Find a place in your skin, the kusa grass in your hair bristles,

The Ghee in your eyes and the four priests on your four legs.

3. Srukthunda aassi sruva eesa naasayoridodhare chamasa karna ranthre,

Prasithra maasye rasane grahasthuthe yach charvanam they bhagwan agnihothram.

The big ladle (sruk)for pouring ghee in to the fire is in your snout,

The small ladle (sruva) to pour ghee in to the big one, Oh God,

Is located in your nostrils, the plate where food is kept(ida),

For offering in fire exists inside your belly,

The vessel from which Soma is drunk (chamsas)is in your ears,

The vessel in which the share to Brahma(prasitra) is offered is in your mouth,

And the ladles used to take out Soma(grahas) from big vessel is in your throat,

And the act of your chewing oh Lord is the real fire sacrifice.

4. Deekshanu janmopasada sirodharam,

THwam praayaneeyo dhayaneeya dhamshtra,

Jihwa prayargya sthava seershakam krutho,

Sabhyava sathyam chithayo asavo hi they.

Your repeated incarnations are the offering of oblations to the fire,

And three ishtis called Upasada preceding extraction of Soma constitute your neck,

The prayaniya and the udyaniya ishti done at the end are your tusks,

The Pravargya which is carried out before Upasad is your toungue,

The Sabhava and avasathya fires of the sacrifice are your head,

And the arrangement of bricks in layers for the sacrifice are your vital airs.

5. Somasthu retha savanaanyava sthithi,

Samshthaa vibhedha sthava deva dhathava,

SAthraani sarvaani sareera sandhi,

Sthwam sarva yagna kruthu rishti bandhana.

Your generative fluid is Soma, your sitting posture,

Are the everyday rites performed thrice a day,

The seven constituents of your body,

Are the seven main sacrifices and your body joints,

Are the satras which are sacrifices carried out for several days,

And like this your entire body are the various parts of a yagna,

And the tendons of your body are the various sacrifices.

6. Namo namasthe akhila manthra devathaa,

Dravyaya sarva krathave kriyathmane,

Vairagya bhakthyathma jayanu bhavitha,

Jnanaya vidhya gurave namo nama.

Salutations and salutations to the Gods of all the manthras,

The money spent, materials used and gods worshipped in the sacrifice,

Salutations and salutations to the teacher of knowledge of wisdom,

Teaching us self control, devotion and mind control.

7. Damshtragra kotayaa bhagwam sthvayaa druthaa,

Virajathe bhoodhara bhoo sabhoodharaa,

Yadhaa vannahnni saratho dhathaa druthaa,

Madham gajendrasya sapathra padmini.

The earth shines at the pointed end of your tusks,

Along with the land and the mountains, Oh God who carried the earth,

Appears as if it is pretty lotus plant with leaves,

Being brought out by a lord like elephant emerging from water.

8. Thrayeemayam roopamidham cha soukaram,

Bhoo mandale natha dathaa druthena they,

Chakasthi srungoda ghanena bhooyasaa,

Kulachalendrasya Yadhaiva vibhrama.

Your form of boar made up of the three Vedas,

Oh Lord, carrying the earth on your pointed tusks,

Looks charming like a pretty mountain,

Along with heavy clouds hanging on a summit.

9. Samshtapayainaam jagathaam sadhasthushaam,

Lokaaya pathni masi maatharam pitha,

Vidhema chasyai namasaa saha thwayaa,

Yasyaam swathejo agni mivaaranaavadhaa.

Please place this mother of all animate and inanimate things,

Who is your consort firmly, so that all people can live there,

For you are their father and we shall offer salutations,

To you as well as to her, for you have deposited your power in her,

Like the fire deposits itself in a wooden piece called Arani.

10. Ka Sradhatheethaanyamasthava prabho,

Rasaam gathaaya bhuva udhvibarhanam,

Na vismayo asou thwayi viswa vismaye,

Yo maayayedham sasruje athi vismaya,

Oh Lord who else can dare to lift the earth,

When it has sunk in to the lowest depths of water?

This is not surprising to you, who is the surprise of the world,

For you have created this entire magical universe by your Maya.

11. Vidhunvathaa Veda mayam nijam vapu,

Jana sthapa Sathya nivasino vayam,

Sataa Shikhoo dhootha shivambhu bindhubhi,

Vimrujyamaanaa brasamesa paavithaa.

When you shook your body made up by the Vedas,

The inhabitants of Jana loka. Thapa loka and Sathya Loka,

Got drenched and splashed extremely by the the water,

Falling out of the drenched hairs of your mane.

12. Sa vai batha brashata mathisthavaishaa,

They ya karmanaam param apara karmana,

Yadhyoga maya guna yoga mohitham viswam,

Samastham Bhagawan videhi saam.

He who tries to understand fully your great exploits,

Would lose his mind due to confusion, Oh Lord,

Please bring happiness to the whole universe,

Which has lost its senses due to attachment created by your illusion.

"Each soul is potentially divine. The goal is to manifest this Divinity within, by controlling nature, external and internal. Do this either by work, or worship, or psychic control, or philosophy - by one or more or all of these - and be free. This is the whole of religion. Doctrines, or dogmas, or rituals, or books, or temples, or forms, are but secondary details."

crystal

  Lord Hayagriva(Hayavadhana, the Horse Faced God, is the lesser known avatar of Lord Vishnu. He is the ocean of knowledge, Wisdom, where Brahma & Goddess Saraswathi riside. He is the Four forms of Veda, viz. Rig, Yajur, Sama and Atharva Vedas. He is worshipped as the God of knowledge and wisdom. He is the one who taught knowledge to Goddess Saraswati.

Haya means horse and Greeva means neck. Brilliant white in colour, with white garments and seated on a white lotus, the horse faced form of Vishnu, is the God of Vidya or knowledge, wisdom and prosperity according to scriptures. He has four hands, one in the mode of bestowing knowledge; another holds books of wisdom, and the other two hold the Conch and Discus.  

ज्ञानानन्दमयं देवं निर्मल स्फटिकाकृतिम्

आधारं सर्व विद्द्यानां हयग्रीवं उपास्महे

Jnyaana-Anandamayam Devam Nirmala Sphatikaakrtim,

Aadharam Sarva-vidyaanaam Hayagreevam-Upasmahe

he God, who is the very form of True Spiritual knowledge and True Bliss, Pure as a crystal

One, who is the Basis/Foundation of all Knowledge, I worship that Lord Hayagreeva. 

Meaning in Depth

Jnyaana-True Knowledge; Ananda– True Bliss; Mayam– Full of/ Made up of; Devam– God

One, who is made up of True Spiritual knowledge and True Bliss.

The Supreme Reality(ParaBrahmam) is referred to a true knowledge, because outside of that, evrything is an illusion, a false image, Maya. The essence of Parabrahmam is Aananda or True Bliss. Bliss as we imagine is false too, as it is only what we can feel with our limited senses. True bliss is beyond the reach of the common man. Only through seep meditation and advanced spiritual practices can one experience the nature of  Parabrahmam, True Bliss. Lord Hayagreeva, is described here as a being of true knowledge and bliss or in other words, as Brahman Himself.

Nir– Without; Mala– Dirt(Ignorance); Sphatika– Crystal; Aakrti- Form: One, whose form is without dirt and pure as a crystal.

As Lord Hayagreeva is the embodiment of True Knowledge, He does not have even a trace of dirt. Ignorance is considered the dirt that surrounds True Knowledge to make it unrecognisabe to us.

(It is because of this ignorance that we percieve ourselves as being different from others and from animals and plants and planets. We are all indeed, just different reflections of the Supreme, say the learned Saints. But we find it difficult to even understand the full implications of that sentence.)

Aadharam– Foundation/Sub-stratum; Sarva-All; Vidyaa– Knowledge: One, who is the foundation/ Origin/ Sub-stratum of all knowledge.

All creation is permeated by the Universal Consciousness. Even the formation of a spec in the universe requires the Know-how for it. Nature is ruled by laws laid down at the time of Creation. These laws allow for the formation of everything, there are no random events in Creation. These rules, this know-how, are all the basis of creation, therefore nothing is possible without this basic “knowledge”, which makes everything work. That basis, that knowledge, that foundation is Lord Hayagreeva.

Hayagreevam– O Lord Hayagreeva; Upa– Near; Aas– Sit; Upaasmahe – We sit (together) to perform the formal worship of/ to formally (and in Reverence) worship.

O, Lord Hayagriva, You who are the substratum of all knowledge, Whose nature is True Knowledge and True Bliss, Who is as pure as a crystal, We worship Thee !

Chanting the mantra:

Best time to chant this mantra is at Brahma Muhurta, Ekadasis, Navami thithis; Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. Special worship is conducted on the day of the full moon in August (Śravaṇa-Paurṇamī) (his avatāra-dina) and on Mahanavami, the ninth day of the Navaratri festival.

One can chant this mantra 9, 11, 108 or 1008 times, facing east direction.

One can use clear quartz crystal Japa mala – rosary beads.

BENEFITS

One who worships Lord Hayagreeva and chants this sloka will be blessed with:

Education: Students will attain:

Concentration in studies

Fluency in language, speech, vocabulary, mastery in debates etc

Good memory power.

Excellence in technical and vocational education, learning skills, advancement in new fields and in innovation.

Spiritual knowledge: Devotees will gain:

Interest in Spiritual path.

Spiritual growth leading to Liberation.

Relief from emotional distress, stress, tensions, depression.

Story of Lord Hayagreeva – the safe-keeper of Knowledge:

Lord Hayagriva is celebrated in the Puranas for rescuing the Vedas from the demons Madhu and Kaitabha and teaching them again to Brahma. 

The Puranas say that the Asuras Madhu and Kaitabha stole the Vedas from Lord Brahma. Desolate, Lord Brahman approached Lord Vishnu for help. The Lord assumed the form of Hayagreeva to recover the Vedas from the Asuras. There is also a mention, that it was Lord Hayagreeva who composed the Vedas and gave it to Brahma, therefore this Avatara preceeds the Matsya Avatara.

Symbolically, the story represents the triumph of Pure Eternal Knowledge, guided by the hand of God, over the destructive forces of passion and darkness. It establishes that True knowledge is ever present and held by the Almighty, rescued if required from wrongful use and restored when required for the growth of good.

Being human

 

Soul journey.

 

Why and what for are we born? Our deeds in the past had driven us to take this birth. It should be taken as an opportunity to wipe out all our sins and attain moksha. The meaning of the term soul called Aatma is “to attain”, of course salvation. Both good and bad deeds are obstructing our aim of reaching the never returning and ever enjoying divine bliss in the heavenly abode. But it is vastly proclaimed in scriptures that a person should throughout his life undertake good deeds as much as he can which bring welfare to the society as a whole. How can we do then? Elders say we have to undertake the good ones not for our satisfaction or benefit, but for the sake of God saying it as “Krishnarpanam” through which the benefit accrues to God and He is pleased. When we start indulging in any misdeed, we are prompted by the God residing in the heart of every person through a kind of intuition. We have to catch that signal and become alertful. 

There are three ways of nullifying the effect of both good and bad deeds to reach the heavenly abode — Enjoying the comforts and or undergoing pains and pangs; Resorting to corrective remedial measures called prayaschitham; and absolute surrender to God.

The journey of the soul is in two ways. First is called white path or archiradhi margam — travelling twelve lokas and going beyond crossing the Viraja river and reaching Srivaikunta. The second is known as black path or dhumramargam — can travel maximum up to twelve lokas but will be destined to return back again. The first one is for those who have nullified and for others the second. No criss-crossing between the two allowed, Velukudi Sri Krishnan Swami said in a discourse.

nk

Teenage Yogi - Neelkanth Varni In the early years of His life, Ghanshyam constantly performed actions displaying His divine attributes and His desire to spread knowledge. After Dharmadev and Bhaktimata passed away, Ghanshyam left home at the age of 11 to travel the length and breadth of India. His 7 year journey focused on reestablishing the ideals of Hindu Sanatan Dharma. During these years, He was known by the name of Neelkanth Varni. Neelkanth left home with only a few possessions: a loin cloth, a small scripture, a murti, and a begging bowl. He traveled with only what was necessary, renounced His family and other worldly possessions, and continued His lifelong journey of bringing people closer to God. Neelkanth’s travels spanned over 12,000 kilometers of the diverse terrain of India: the frost covered peaks of the Himalayas, the jungles of Assam, and the beaches of the south. The young yogi’s austerity and courage mystified and impressed the countless, fortunate people with whom He came into contact. In the village of Shripur, Neelkanth was warned of a lion that had been terrorizing the villagers. The mahant of the local mandir urged Neelkanth to spend the night inside the mandir walls to avoid being harmed. Neelkanth turned down the invitation and retired for the night under a tree outside the village walls. Fearful for the young boy, the mahant peered out of his window. He was shocked to see the lion calmly bowing at Neelkanth’s feet. Neelkanth’s fearless personality breathed courage into the lives of millions of aspirants on the path to attaining God. While traveling through the Himalayas, Neelkanth endured the severe climate of the coldest months of the year, a time when even the residents of the Himalayas migrate to warmer temperatures. Despite the physical challenges, Neelkanth climbed a height of 12,500 feet to arrive at the revered mandir dedicated to Vishnu, Muktinath. Here, He spent four months engaged in penance despite harsh temperatures, freezing rainfall, and piercing winds. Neelkanth drew the attention of people in every village through which He passed. In one such village, a Brahmin named Pibek grew jealous of the attention Neelkanth received. He resolved to force Neelkanth to leave the village. Pibek confronted Neelkanth when He was delivering a discourse to a group of sadhus and threatened His life. Pibek’s anger only grew when his threats were met with a serene smile on Neelkanth face. The curses Pibek tried to place on Neelkanth did not work, further angering him. Pibek called upon Batuk Bhairav, his diety of choice, for help in defeating Neelkanth. However, Batuk Bhairav warned Pibek that his black magic was no match for Neelkanth’s powers and that he should repent for his mistakes. Finally realizing Neelkanth’s divine ability, Pibek asked for His forgiveness. In response, Neelkanth requested that Pibek give up practicing black magic, read scriptures daily, and worship Vishnu daily. Neelkanth traveled through a period in India plagued by people who discouraged faith in God and mislead others into believing in superstitions and black magic. Through His treks, Neelkanth revived the Hindu concepts of faith, bhakti, and niyam. These instances are examples of the reformations inspired from Neelkanth’s travels. During His journey, He also sought guidance from a true guru who could answer His questions regarding the nature of the five eternal entities: jiva, ishwar, maya, Brahma and Parabrahma . Prior to Neelkanth’s arrival in Loj, a village in western Gujarat, He had been unable to find someone who could adequately respond to these questions. In Loj, He was introduced to Muktanand Swami, a disciple of Ramanand Swami, who, like all those who had previously met Neelkanth, was greatly impressed by Neelkanth’s story. Neelkanth was intrigued by Ramanand Swami’s sampraday and asked to meet him. He was then informed that although Ramanand Swami was away, He was welcome to stay at the ashram until he returned. Despite having turned down similar offers at many of the ashrams He had encountered throughout His travels, Neelkanth wanted to meet Ramanand Swami. He stayed at the ashram and while waiting for the return of Ramanand Swami, performed seva alongside other sadhus at the ashram. In the meantime, His desire to meet Ramanand Swami grew. After nine months, Neelkanth met Ramanand Swami in Piplana, a neighboring village of Loj. Upon meeting Him, Ramanand Swami compared himself to a drum beater who had gathered a crowd for the true performer, like the prologue to the main act. Ramanand Swami told his disciples that Neelkanth was God in human form and was the path to liberation. Ramanand Swami gave Neelkanth diksha and renamed Him Narayan Muni and Sahajanand Swami.

svasti

 

A poet should set forth the aim of his work right at the beginning. He must also pay his salutations to God, and indicate the benefits of reciting his work. Kooratazhvan’s Varadaraja Stava, in praise of Lord Varadaraja of Kanchi, has all these elements, said Kazhiyur B. Devarajan. In the first sloka, the first word is “ svasti.” This is Kooratazhvan’s salutation to Lord Varadaraja, whose Consort is Perundevi. He addresses Lord Varadaraja as “ hastigiri masta sekhara.” Hastigiri is the hill on which Lord Varadaraja stands. Masta means the top of the hill. Sekhara means ornament. Lord Varadaraja is the ornament which adorns the top of Hastigiri. Through the words “ nissama abhyadhika“, Kooratazhvan emphasises that the Lord is unequalled and unsurpassed. The Supremacy of Lord Narayana is averred by the Upanishads and the Divya Prabandham. Who but Lord Narayana is called Devadirajan, another name by which Lord Varadaraja is known? Devadirajan indicates that Varadaraja is the king of all, including the devas.

There was a devotee called Nampaaduvaan, who used to sing the praises of Lord Narayana. He was once stopped by a Brahmarakshas, which wanted to consume him. He told the Brahmarakshas that he would return after his worship. Nampaaduvaan said that if he did not keep his promise, then the sin of equating Lord Narayana with other devas would accrue to him. This story is worth recalling when one pays tribute to Lord Devadirajan of Kanchi. The mention of the Upanishads in the first sloka of Varadaraja Stava shows that the whole work is going to be an explanation of Upanishadic concepts. Kooratazhvan prays that Lord Varadaraja must confer auspiciousness on him always. Anyone who recites Varadaraja Stava will also be blessed with auspiciousness