Shiva Thandava Stotram

Shiva thandava stotram by Ravana

Translated by P.R.Ramachander.

(It is believed that Lord Shiva is the king of all dancers. He was an expert in the thandava style of dancing. This is a vigorous manly style of dancing. This stotra is about him while in the act of dancing. Alliteration and onomatopoeia create roiling waves of resounding beauty in this great stotra. This stotra which is so majestic was composed by none other than Ravana, the demon king, who ruled over Sri Lanka who was one of the great devotees of Lord Shiva. Once the proud Ravana conquered the entire India and approached Mount Kailas on top of which Lord Shiva resides with his consort Goddess Parvathi. Ravana called Lord Shiva to come down. When he did not, he uprooted the mountain with his twenty hands. This made Goddess Parvathi jittery. Then Lord Shiva pressed down the mountain with his thumb. Ravana was crushed by the weight of the mountain. There he praised Lord Shiva by singing the Sama Veda and this great stotra composed by him. Lord Shiva was pleased and pardoned him.)

Jatatavee gala jjala pravaha pavitha sthale,
Gale avalabhya lambithaam bhujanga thunga malikaam,
Dama ddama dama ddama ninnadava damarvayam,
Chakara chanda thandavam thanothu na shiva shivam. 1

(From the forest of his matted lock , water flows and wets his neck,
On which hangs the greatest of snake like a garland,
And his drum incessantly plays damat , damat, damat , damat,
And Shiva is engaged in the very vigorous manly dance,
To bless and shower, prosperity on all of us.)

Jata kataha sambhramabrama nillimpa nirjari,
Vilola veechi vallari viraja mana moordhani,
Dhaga dhaga daga jjwala lalata patta pavake,
Kishora Chandra shekare rathi prathi kshanam mama. 2

(The celestial river agitatedly moving through his matted hair,
Which makes his head shine with those soft waves,
And his forehead shining like a brilliant fire-daga daga,
And the crescent of moon which is an ornament to his head,
Makes my mind love him each and every second.)

Dara darendra nandini vilasa bhandhu bhandura,
Sphuradigantha santhathi pramodha mana manase,
Krupa kadaksha dhorani niruddha durdharapadi,
Kwachi digambare mano vinodhamethu vasthuni. 3

(The consort of the ever sportive daughter of the mountain,
Whose mind rejoices at her side long glances,
With the stream of merciful look which removes hardships,
Makes my mind take pleasure in him who wears the directions as apparel).

Jada bhujanga pingala sphurath phana mani prabha,
Kadamba kumkuma drava praliptha digwadhu mukhe,
Madhandha sindhura sphurathwagu utthariya medhure,
Mano vinodhamadhbutham bibarthu bhootha bharthari. 4

(He, with the shining lustrous gem on the hood
Of the serpent entwining his matted locks,
He, who is with his bride whose face is decorated
By the melting of red saffron Kumkum,
And He who wears on his shoulder the hide
Of the elephant which was blind with ferociousness,
Makes my mind happy and contented,
In him who is the leader of Bhoothas*.
can be taken to mean as souls or
mythical beings guarding Kailasa.)

Sahasra lochana prabhoothyasesha lekha shekhara,
Prasoona dhooli dhorani vidhu sarangri peedabhu,
Bhujangaraja Malaya nibhadha jada jhootaka,
Sriyai chiraya jayatham chakora bandhu shekhara. 5

May he whose foot stool is decorated
By the ever flowing flower dust.
Falling the bent head of Indra and other Gods,
And may He, whose matted locks are tied by the king of serpents,
And may he , whose head is decorated
By the crescent moon who a friend of Chakora*
Shower prosperity for ever on me.
* A mythical bird which lives by drinking moon light.)

Lalata chathwara jwaladhanam jaya sphulingabha,
Nipeetha pancha sayagam saman nilimpanayakam,
Sudha mayookha lekhaya virajamana shekharam,
Maha kapali sampade, siro jadalamasthu na. 6

(May he with the raging fire
In his forehead, who burnt the God of love,
May He who is forever being saluted by king of devas,
And may he who has collected
The cool ambrosia like crescent moon on his head,
And may he who wears the collection of skulls,
Bless us to create wealth for us.)

Karala bhala pattika dhagadhaga jjwala,
Ddhanam jayahuthi krutha prachanda pancha sayage ,
Dharadharendra nandhini kuchagra chithrapathraka,
Prakalpanaika shilpini, trilochane rather mama. 7

(May He in whose dreadful forehead, fire burns “Dhahaga”, “Dhaga,”
May He who burnt the one with five arrows* as an offering to fire,
May He who is the only one who can write decorative lines,
On the tip of the breasts of the daughter of the mountain,
And May He with three eyes make mind enjoy in him.
* The God of love)
Naveena megha mandali nirudha durdharath sphurath,
Kahoo niseedhi neethama prabhandha bandha kandhara,
Nilimpa nirjari darsthanothu kruthi sindhura,
Kala nidhana bandhura sriyam jagat durandhara. 8

(May He whose black neck is as dark
As several layers of new clouds,
Packed closely on the night of the new moon.
May He who wears the celestial river on his head,
May He who killed the Gajasura with an elephant head,
May He who is very handsome because of the crescent that he wears,
And may he who carries the entire burden of the world,
Bless us with all sorts of wealth .)

Prafulla neela pankaja prapancha kalima prabha,
Valambhi kanda kanthali ruchi prabandha kandharam,
Smarschidham puraschidham bhavaschidham makhachidham,
Gajachidandakachidham tham anthakachidham bhaje. 9

(I salute him, who shines with a black neck
Similar to the well opened blue lotus,
On which all the temples depend for prayer,
And him who destroyed God of love, the three cities,
The worldly problems and yaga destroyers,
And him who destroyed elephant faced Asura and also God of death.,)

Agarva sarva mangalaa kalaa kadamba manjari,
Rasa pravaha madhuri vijrumbha mana madhu vrtham,
Suranthakam, paranthakam, bhavanthakam, makhandakam,
Gajandhakandhakandakam thamanthakanthakam bhaje. 10

(I salute him who is like the bee who drinks the sweetened honey ,
That flows from the flower bunch of collection of arts of the Goddess,
And him who destroyed God of love, the three cities,
The worldly problems and yaga destroyers,
And him who destroyed elephant faced Asura and also God of death.)

Jayathwadhabra vibramadbujaamga maswasath,
Vinirgamath, kramasphurath, karala bhala havya vat,
Dhimi dhimi dhimi dhwanan mrudanga thunga mangala,
Dhwani karma pravarthitha prachanda thandawa shiva. 11

(Victory to the great Shiva , who has the fire burning in his forehead,
Which is increased by the breath of the snake wandering in the sky,
And to Him who dances to the changing tunes and fierce sound,
Of Dhimi, dhimi, dhimi coming out the auspicious drum.)

Drusha dwichi thra thalpayor bhujanga moukthika srajo,
Garishta rathna loshtayo suhrudhwi paksha pakshayo,
Trunara vinda chakshusho praja mahee mahendrayo,
Samapravarthika kadha sadashivam bhajamyaham. 12

(When will I be able to worship that eternal shiva,
With a feeling of equanimity towards snake and a garland,
Towards great gems and dirt or friends and enemies,
Or Towards a blade of grass and lotus like eyes,
Or emperor and ordinary men.)

Kada nilampa nirjaree nikunja kotare vasan,
Vimuktha durmathee sada sirasthanjaleem vahan,
Vilola lola lochano lalama bhala lagnaka,
Shivethi manthamucharan kada sukhee bhavamyaham. 13

(When will I live the life of pleasure , meditating on Shiva,
Sitting near a hollow place near the celestial river Ganga,
Releasing all my bad thoughts and with hands clasped above my head,
After releasing all passion for the pretty women with shifting eyes?)

Imam hi nithya meva muktha muthamothamam sthavam,
Padan , smaran broovan naro vishudhimethi santhatham,
Hare Gurou subhakthimasu yathi nanyadha gatheem,
Vimohinam hi dehinaam sushakarasya chithanam. 14

(This greater than the great prayer if read,
Remembered, or recited daily by man,
Will make him pure, eternal,
And he would get devotion to Shiva leading him to salvation,
For remembering Lord Shiva, is a sure method of removal of detachment.)

Poojavasana samaye dasa vakhra geetham,
Ya shambhu poojana param padthi pradhoshe,
Thasya sthiraam radha gajendra thuranga yuktham,
Lakshmeem sadaiva sumukheem pradadathi shambu. 15

(He who sings this song composed by the ten headed one,
At the end of every worship or ,
Reads it after worship of Shiva on the Pradosha day ,
Will get by the blessing of lord Shiva, chariots, elephants and horses,
As well as the affectionate sight of god of wealth.)

Ithi Ravana krutham,
Shiva thandava stotram, Sampoornam,
Thus ends the prayer of the dancing Shiva,

Composed by Ravana.

Sree Dakshinamuthy Ashtakam

Sree Dakshinamuthy Ashtakam

Written by
Adhi Sankara Bhagawat Pada.
Translated by
P.R.Ramachander
Mouna Vyakhya prakatitha, para,
Brahma thathwam yuvanam,
Varshishtha anthevasad rishiganai,
Ravrutham brahma nishtai,
Acharyendram kara kalihtha chin,
Mudram ananda roopam,
Swathmaramam mudhitha vadanam,
Dakshinamurthim eede.
(I praise and salute that Dakshinamrthy,
Who faces the south,
Who explains the true nature of the supreme Brahman,
Through his state of silence,
Who is young in looks,
Who is surrounded by disciples who are old Sages,
Whose minds are fixed on Brahman,
Who is the greatest of teachers,
Who shows the Chinmudhra* by his hand,
Who is personification of happiness,
Who is in the state of extreme joy within himself,
And who has a smiling face.)

*He joins the edge of the thumb and first finger, which indicates that God and soul are one. This is called Chinmudhra.” Chinmudra denotes the identity of the individual soul and the supreme Self or Brahman. God is the Brahman associated with Maya. The identity is between the individual soul or self (jivatma) and the supreme self (paramatma) and not God.”
Viswam darpana drusyamana nagari,
Thulyam nijantargatham,
Pasyannathmani mayaya bahirivoth,
Bhutham yatha nidraya,
Ya sakshath kuruthe prabodha samaye,
Swathmanameva dwayam,
Thasmai sri guru murthaye nama idham,
Sree Dakshinamurthaye. 2
(Similar to the image of a town as seen in the mirror,
When one sees the image of the world within him,
The world appears as if it is outside.
It is similar to his seeing due to illusion,
During the state of sleep,
That the one real fact appears as many different truths,
And he realizes ,when he wakes up and sees the reality,
That he is really the one and only one soul.
Salutation to the God facing the south,
Who is the greatest teacher. )
The above stanza tells us that the world which is outside us is same as our soul but we see them as different entities due to the veil of ignorance. As soon as we wake up, we realize that the dream is false and even while seeing our image in the mirror, we know that we are not seeing us in the mirror but our image. When we get knowledge from the guru we are in the wakeful state without the veil of ignorance.
Beejasyanthari vankuro jagadhidham,
Prang nirvikalpam puna,
Mayakalpitha desa kala kalanaa,
Vaichithrya chithrikrutham,
Mayaveeva vijrumbhayathyapi maha,
Yogeeva yah swechaya,
Thasmai sri guru murthaye nama idham,
Sree dakshinamurthaye. 3
Like the germ inside the seed is its part ,
But becomes different after development
The many places and time which are before us ,
Are drawn by illusion in the board of life in a peculiar manner,
By a great savant or an expert Siddha,
Who can create them as per their will,
Salutation to the God facing the south,
Who is the greatest teacher.
When the net of illusion is lifted and when we reach the stage of manifestation,

we would find that what we think as different is but one and the same.
Yasyaiva sphuranam sadathmakamasath,
Kalparthagam bhasathe,
Sakshaath thathwamaseethi veda vachasa,
Yobodhyathyasrithhan,
Yath saksht karanath bhavenna punara,
Aavrithir bhavambhonidhow,
Thasmai sri guru murthaye nama idham,
Sree dakshinamurthaye. 4
He who exists as the real light of truth,
And shines in the false world of appearance,
And He who teaches disciples the great saying,
“Thou art that” after realizing its import,
Gets away from this cycle of life and death.
Salutation to the God facing the south,
Who is the greatest teacher.
“That Thou Art is the famous Grand Pronouncement (mahA-vAkya) found in the Chandogya-Upanishad of the Sama Veda, meted out by AruNi to Svetaketu. It is repeated nine times to him and explained nine times. It is not supposed to be a casual statement. It is the summum bonum of all Upanishadic teaching. It says: That brahman which is the common Reality behind everything in the cosmos is the same as the essential Divinity, namely the Atman or the Self, within you.” This realization which is extremely difficult to achieve makes you understand that you are in fact this absolute reality called “Brahman”.
Nanachidhra ghato dhara sthitha maha,
Deepa prabha bhaswaram,
Jnanam yasya thu chakshuradhi karana,
Dwara bahi spandathe,
Jaanameethi tham eva baandham anubathi,
Yethath samastham jagat,
Thasmai sri guru murthaye nama idham,
Sree dakshinamurthaye. 5
Like the light emanating from a lamp,
Kept in a pot with many holes,
Goes out in all directions,
In the person in whom the wisdom goes out
Through the openings of ear , eye , mouth and thought,
And when that person realizes that ‘I know myself”,
This whole universe shines after Him alone ,
Who shines in the consciousness as the knower.
Salutation to the God facing the south,
Who is the greatest teacher.

Our body prevents us from seeing the truth(the light from outside) that we are the Brahman and lets out light though the sensory organs and makes us deceive ourselves by feeling that we are happy. This simile of a pot with holes for the body occurs in many places in Indian philosophy.
Deham pranam api indryanyapi chalaam,
Budhim cha soonyam vidhu,
Stree balandha jadopamasthvaha mithi,
Brandha brusam vadhina,
Maya sakthi vilasa kalpitha maha,
Vyamoha samharine,
Thasmai sri guru murthaye nama idham,
Sree dakshinamurthaye. 6
(Those great philosophers , who think that,
The body , the soul and the fickle intellect,
The concept of emptiness and all other nothingness,
Are nothing but themselves,
Are similar to the women children , blind and the ignorant.
It is only He who can destroy, this veil of ignorance,
And wake us up from this state of deceit.
Salutation to the God facing the south,
Who is the greatest teacher. )
This is a sample of the approach of negation in identifying the truth about the concept of self. Senses, the body etc cannot be the absolute truth as they are transient.
Rahu grastha divakarendu sadrusho,
Maya samachadanath,
Sanamthra karanopa samharanatho,
Yo abhoot sushuptha pumaan,
Pragaswapsaamithi prabodha samaye,
Yaa prathyabignayathe,
Thasmai sri guru murthaye nama idham,
Sree dakshinamurthaye. 7
(Similar to the Sun when being masked by the serpent Rahu,
Knows that it was existing , once the eclipse is over
That man whose senses are suppressed
When he is asleep,
Because of the veil of illusion,
Realizes that he was in the state of sleep,
When he wakes up.
Salutation to the God facing the south,
Who is the greatest teacher. )
Similar the sun existing even when there is eclipse, we exist when we are sleeping.

This is denial of the Buddhist theory that , when we are asleep there is nothingness.
Balyadishwapi jagaradhadishu thadha,
Sarva sva avasthasthaswapi,
Vyavrutha swanuvarthamanamaha ,
Mithyanth sphurantham sada,
Svathmaanam pragatikarothi bajatham,
Yo mudraya bhadraya,
Thasmai sri guru murthaye nama idham,
Sree dakshinamurthaye. 8
(Salutations to him who shines and exhibits,
Himself by the beatific Chinmudhra of the hand,
That he exists within the humans as self,
Forever and non changing,
Even during the changing states of childhood , youth and old age
And even during the states of sleep, dream and wakefulness.
Salutation to the God facing the south,
Who is the greatest teacher. )
The truth as represented by the concept of Brahman, exists always.
Viswam pasyathi karya karana thaya,
Swa swami sambandatha,
Sishyacharya thaya thadaiva pithru,
Puthradhyathmana bedatha,
Swapne Jagrathi va ya esha purusho,
Maya Paribramitha,
Thasmai sri guru murthaye nama idham,
Sree dakshinamurthaye. 9

(The world sees as cause and effect,
The differences between us and our lord,
The distinction between teacher and the taught,
The distinction between father and son,
And so the man is confused by illusion,
And believes in these differences,
During the times of dream and wakefulness.
Salutation to the God facing the south,
Who is the greatest teacher. )

The ignorance of the truth because of the veil of ignorance Maya is reemphasized.

Bhoorambaamsya anilo ambhara,
Maharnadho himamasu puman,
Ithyabhathi characharathmakamidham,
Yasyaiva murthyashtakam,
Nanyath kinchana vidhyathe vimrusathaam,
Yasmath parasmath vibho,
Thasmai sri guru murthaye nama idham,
Sree dakshinamurthaye. 10

To the sake of which supreme Brahman,
The universe is shining as self ,
Which is Movable and immovable , with its aspects?
Of water , fire, air, space,
The sun, moon and the individual soul ,
And also to those who examine the truth behind ,
The meaning of this universe and find ,
That it Consists of nothing but,
The God who is every where.
Salutation to the God facing the south,
Who is the greatest teacher.


Sarvathmathvamithi sphutikruthamitham,
Yasmadamushamin sthave,
Thenasya sravanath thadartha mananath,
Dyanascha Sankeerthanath,
Sarvathmathva maha vibhuthi sahitham,
Syadheeswarasthvam svatha,
Siddhyeth thath punarashtadha parinatham,
Chaisvaryamvayhatham. 11

The concept of the Athma,
Which is explained in this poem of praise,
Hearing which , understanding which,
Meditating which and singing which,
One would attain the state of the godliness,
And the great state of self realization,
And also you would get the eight powers of occult ,
Without any problems in between.

Appendix:
The following three stanzas as well as the first stanza are chanted after the main stotra:-

Chitram Vata tharor mole vruddha,
Sishya, Guror Yuva,
Gurostu mounam vykhyanam,
Sishyasthu china samsaya

It is strange to see,
The very old disciples ,
And the very young teacher,
Who sit under a banyan tree,
With the teacher always observing silence,
And the students getting all the doubts cleared.

Om nama pranavarthaya,
Suddha jnanaika moorthaye nama,
Nirmalaya prasanthaya,
Sri Dakshinamurthaye nama.

(Salutations to that Dakshinamurthy,
Who is the meaning of the pranava , “om”,
Who is the personification of unalloyed wisdom,
Who is crystal clear in his thought,
And who is the epitome of peace. )

Gurave sara lokaanam,
Bishaje bhava roginaam,
Nidhaye sarva vidhyanam,
Sri Dakshinamurthaye nama.

(Salutations to that Dakshinamurthy,
Who is the teacher of the entire world,
Who is the doctor to those,
Afflicted by the disease of birth and death,
And who is the treasure hose of all knowledge)

Maha Lakshmi Kavacham

Maha Lakshmi Kavacham
(Armour of Maha Lakshmi)
Translated by
P.R.Ramachander
Asya Sri Maha Lakshmi Kavcha Maha mantrasya Brahma Rishi, Gayathri Chanda,
Mahalakshmir devatha, Maha Lakshmir preethyarthe Jape Viniyoga.
(For the Armour of Maha Lakshmi , the sage is Brahma, meter is Gayathri, god addressed is Maha Lakshmi, The chant is started to please Maha Lakshmi.)
Indra Uvacha:-
Samastha kavachanaam thu thejaswi, Kavachothamam,
Aathma rakshanam, araogyam, sathyam, thwam broohi geeshpathe. 1
Indra said:-
(Oh, teacher of devas, be pleased to tell the greatest of armours,
Which is brighter than all other armours,
Which protects the soul, health and is the truth.)
Sri Gurur Uvacha:-
Maha lakshmyasthu kavacham pravakshyami sama satha,
Chathur dasasu lokeshu rahasyam brahmanoditham. 2
Sri Guru said:-
(I would tell you in brief , the armour of Maha Lakshmi,
Which is the most secret in fourteen worlds and has been told by Brahma.)
Brahmo Uvacha:-
Siro may Vishnu Pathni cha, lalatam amruthoth bhava,
Chakshushi suvisalakshi, sravane Sagarambuja. 3
(Let the consort of Vishnu protect my head,
Let my forehead be protected by her who was born with nectar,
Let the broad eyed one protect my eyes,
Let my ears be protected by she who was born out of ocean. )
Granam pathu vararoho, jihwam aamnaya roopini,
Mukham pathu maha Lakshmi, kantam vaikunta vasini. 4
(Let my nose be protected by the giver of boons,
Let my toungue be protected by, she who has the form of food,
Let my face be protected by Maha Lakshmi,
Let my neck be protected by she who lives in Vaikunta. )
Skandhou may janaki pathu, bhujou bhargava nandini,
Bahu dhvow dhravini pathu, karou hari varangana. 5
(Let my throat be protected by daughter of Janaka,
Let my arms be protected by daughter of Bhrugu,
Let both my both hands be protected by Goddess of wealth,
Let my hands be protected by the blessed lady of Hari. )
Vaksha pahu cha sridevi, hrudayam hari sundari,
Kukshim cha Vaishnavi pathu, nabhim bhuvana mathruka. 6
Let Sri Devi protect my breasts,
Let my heart be protected by the beauty of Hari,
Let my belly be protected by Vaishnavi,
Let my stomach be protected by mother of the world.
Katim cha pathu varahi, sakthini deva devatha,
OOru Narayani pathu, Janunee chandra sodhari. 7
Let my hips be protected by Varahi,
Let my joints be protected by goddess of gods,
Let my thighs be protected by Narayani,
Let my knees be protected by sister of moon.
Indira pathu Jange may, padhou bhaktha Namaskrutha,
Nakhaan Thejaswini pathu, Sarvangam karunamyi. 8
(Let my calves be protected by Indira,
Let my feet be protected by her who is saluted by devotees,
Let my nails be protected by she who shines,
And let all parts of my body by the merciful one. )
Brahmana loka rakshartham nirmitham Kavacham sriya,
Yea padanthi mahathmanasthe, cha dhanya Jagat traye. 9
(This Armour was composed by Lord Brahma,
For the sake of protection of the world,
And if this is read by great human beings,
They would become richest in all three worlds.)
Kavachenavruthanaam jananam, jayadha sada,
Matheva sarva sukhada, Bhava thwam aamareswari. 10
(Those people who are protected by this armour,
Would without doubt always achieve victory,
And Oh mother who cares for all people,
Be pleased to become the goddess of devas.)
Bhooya sidhamavapnothi, poorvoktham brahmana swayam,
Lakshmeer hari Priya padma, yetan nama thrayam smaran. 11
(Those who constantly pray her would get more,
As has been told by Lord Brahma himself,
If they remember the three holy names .
Lakshmi , darling of Hari and the Lotus. )
Namathrayamidham japthwa sa yathi paramaam sriyam,
Ya padethsa cha dharmathma, sarvan kamanvapnuyath. 12
(Devotees who chant these three names,
Would reach the holiest Goddess Lakshmi,
The holy ones who read it, would get all their desires fulfilled).
Ithi Brahma purane Indro upadishtam Maha Lakshmi kavacham Sampoornam.

Thus ends the armour of Maha Lakshmi which was taught to Indra and occurs in Brahma Purana.

Nava Rathna Malya Sthothram.

Nava rathna malya sthothram
(The prayer of the garland of nine precious gems)
Translated by
P.R.Ramachander
Dhyana slokam
(Verse which helps to meditate)
Kuchanchitha vipanchikam, kutila kunthala alunkrutham,
Kuse saya nivesineem kutila chitha vidweshinim,
Madalasagathi priyam, manasijarirajyasriyam,
Mathanga kula kanyakam, madhura bhashineem asraye.

I submit my self to that Goddess,
Who keeps the Veena close to her breasts,
Who is decorated by her pretty curly hair,
Who lives in the sacred house of grass,
Who hates those with crooked mind,
Who is interested in slow moment due to exuberance,
Who is the queen of the mind of the enemy of god of love,
And who is the girl in the hermitage of sage Mathanga.

Text and translation

Kunda mukulagra dantham, kunkumapangena raktha kucha bharam,
Aaneela neela deham ambam akhilanda nayikam vande. 1

I salute the mother who is the queen of the universe,
Who has pointed teeth like jasmine buds,
Who shines with breasts anointed by saffron,
And who is having a very blue body.

Omkarapanchasukheem Upanishad dhyana keeli kala kanteem,
Aagama vipina mayoorim, aaryamantharbhavaye goureem. 2

I meditate on that white Goddess who is a lady,
Who is the she bird imprisoned in the cage of Pranava,
Who is the she nightingale in the garden of Upanishads,
And who is the peahen in the forest of Vedas

Daayamana deerga nayanam, desika roopenadarshithabhyudhayam,
Vama kucha nihatha veenam, Varadam sangeetha mathrukam vande. 3

I salute that mother of music who cares for all,
Who has very long merciful eyes,
Who is interested in every one as the teacher,
And who keeps the veena on her left breast.

Shyamathanu soukumaryam soundarananda sambadunmesham,
Tharuni makarunaparam, mada jala kallola lochanam vande. 4

I salute that goddess who has wave like eyes due to her exuberance,
Who is extremely pretty due to her black body,
Who has great vigour due to the wealth of beautiful happiness ,
And who is the store house of energy and youth.

Nakha mukha mukharitha veena nada rasawadhana navollasam,
Mukhamamba modayathu maam muktha thataka mugdha hasitham they. 5

Oh mother let your face , which is full of extremely pretty smile,
And which goes on raining newer and newer exuberance,
Due to your enjoyment of the music emanating from the veena,
Which is being played by your pretty nails, fill me with happiness.

Sarigamapadaniratham thaam veena sankrantha hasthantham,
SAntham mrudulaswantham kuchabharathantham namami shivakantham. 6

I salute that darling of Lord Shiva, who gets immersed in the seven notes,
Who has pretty hands whose tips travel over the Veena,
Who is peaceful, who has soft mind due to her mercy,
And who is slightly bent due to her heavy breasts.

Avatu thata gatitha chooli thaditha thaleepalasa thatangam,
Veena vaadana vela kampitha sirasam namami mathangim. 7

I salute that daughter of Matanga, who shakes her head,
While she is playing Veena, who wears ear studs made of palm leaves ,
Which touches her hair flowing at her back.

Manibhanga mechakangim mathangim naumi sidha mathangim,
Youvana vana sarangim sangeethambhoru hanu bhava bhrungim. 8

I salute that sage Mathangi, whose luster of the body,
Would win the powerful light of the blue Safire,
Who is the pretty deer in the forest of youth,
And who is the female bee enjoying the lotus flower of music.

Veenaravanushangam vikacha mukha modha madhuri bhrungam,
Karuna pooratharangam kalaye mathanga kanyaka pangam. 9

I salute the eye tip of the girl of Mathanga,
Which moves according to the music being played in Veena,
Which is equal to the bee which has rushed to drink sweetness of her lotus like face
And which is fully immersed in mercy.

Mechaka masechanakam mithya drushtantha madhyabhagam they,
Matha swaroopamaisam mangala sangeetha sourabham vande. 10

Oh mother I salute your form which has the scent of sweet music,
Which is black in colour, which is very attractive and which has a very pretty middle.

Nava rathna malya methad rachitham mathanga kanyakabharanam,
Ya padathi bhakthi yukthassa bhaved vadheeswara sakshath. 11

This garland of nine gems made as an ornament to the lady Mathangi,
If read with devotion, makes the one who reads ,Able to feel the nearness to the real God.

Tripura sundari Ashtakam

Tripura Sundari Ashtakam
The octet to the beauty of the three worlds
Translated By
P.R.Ramachander
Kadamba vana charinim, muni kadamba kaadambhineem,
Nidhambha jita bhootharam, Sura nithambhini sevitham,
Naavamburuha lochanam, abhi navambhudha syamalam,
Trilochana Kudimbhineem , Tripura Sundarim Aasraye.
(I prostrate before her, who is the beauty of the Tripura,
Who roams in the forest of Kadamba.
Who is like the galaxy of dark clouds,
Which quenches spiritual thirst of sages,
Who with a hip rivaling mountains,
Is being served by celestial beauties,
Who has eyes resembling a lotus flower,
Who is a black rivaling the rich black clouds,
And who belongs to the three-eyed family. )
Kadamba vana vasinim , kanaka vallaki dharinim,
Maharha mani harinim, mukasa mulla sad varunim,
Daya vibhava karinim vichatha lochamim, charinim,
Trilochana Kudimbhineem , Tripura Sundarim Aasraye.
(I prostrate before her, who is the beauty of the Tripura,
Who lives in the forest of Kadamba,
Who holds a golden holy Veena,
Who wears a divine garland of gems,
Whose face shines of joy because of nectar,
Whose mercy bestows wealth,
Who wanders clear eyed everywhere,
And who belongs to the three-eyed family. )
Kadamba vana shalaya, Kucha prollasan malaya,
Kuchopamitha shailaya Guru krupala sad velaya,
Madaruna kapolaya Madhura geetha vaachalaya,
Trilochana Kudimbhineem , Tripura Sundarim Aasraye.
(I prostrate before her, who is the beauty of the Tripura,
Whose house is the forest of Kadamba,
Who wears a garland gracing her bosom,
Who has a bosom like mountains,
Who lets flow her mercy as a torrent,
Who has red cheeks like wine,
Who sings soulful music,
And who belongs to the three-eyed family. )
Kadambha vana madhyakam, kanaka mandalopa sthitham,
Shadamburuha vasinim, sathathasidha saudaminim,
Vidambhitha japa raruchim vikasa chandra choodamanim,
Trilochana Kudimbhineem , Tripura Sundarim Aasraye.
(I prostrate before her, who is the beauty of the Tripura,
Who is in the middle of Kadamba forest,
Who is seated near golden planet,
Who lives in six lotus flowers,
Who illuminates the sages like lightning,
Who mocks at the just open Hibiscus,
Who wears the moon as a crest jewel,
And who belongs to the three-eyed family.)
Kuchanchitha vipanchikam, kutila kuntala alangrutham,
Kusheshaya nivasinim, kutila siddha vidhweshaneem,
Madaaruna vilochanam, manasi jari sammohinim,
Mathanga muni kanyakam madura bashinim Aasraye
(I prostrate before her, who is the beauty of the Tripura,
Who carries a Veena over her bosom,
Who resides in a lotus,
Who scorns evil minded sages,
Whose eyes are red due to intoxication,
Who attracts the enemy of the cupid,
Who is the daughter of sage Matanga,
And speaks in a sweet voice.)
Smareth prathama pushpineem rudhira bindu neelambaram,
Graheetha madhu patrikam, madhu vighurna nethanchalaam,
Gahna sthana paronnatham galistha chulikam syamalam,
Trilochana Kudimbhineem , Tripura Sundarim Aasraye.
(I prostrate before her, who is the beauty of the Tripura,
Who carries the first flower of cupid,
Who wears the blue garment spotted with blood,
Who holds in her hand, a bowl of wine,
Whose eyes are confused due to intoxication,
Whose close chest is elevated by her firm breasts,
Whose hair is disheveled,
Who is pretty in her black colour,
And who belongs to the three-eyed family.)
Sa kumkuma vilepanaam, alaka chumbi kasthoorikaam,
Samatha hasithekshanam, sachara chapa pasanguram,
Asesha jana mohinim, aruna malya bhooshambaram,
Japa kusuma basuram, japa vidhow smaradembikaam.
(I meditate on that Ambika,
Who applies saffron on her body,
Who applies musk attracted by bees on her hair,
Who has a beautiful smile,
Who has with her bows, arrows and Pasangusa,
Who attracts all the souls,
Who wears red garland,
Who wears ornaments great,
And who is of the colour of the red hibiscus,
During my japa routine.)
Purandara purandarikam,chikura bandha sairandrikam,
Pitamaha pathivrathampata pateera charcharatham,
Mukunda ramanimanilasathalankriya karinim,
Bajami bhuvanambikamsura vadhutika chetikam.
I pray to that Ambika,
Who is the mother of the entire universe,
Who has heavenly damsels as servants,
Who rules over Sripura,
Who has celestial maids to tie her hair,
Who is anointed by sandal paste,
By the virtuous wife of Brhama,
Who is adorned by the rare gems,
Of the darling of Lord Vishnu.

PUJA SLOKAS

Prayer to the teacher
Gurur brahma, gurur devo Maheswara,
Guru sakshad param brahma tasmai sri gurave nama
Teacher (Guru)
Gurur brahma, gurur devo Maheswara,
Guru sakshad param brahma tasmai sri gurave nama

(Salutations to that Teacher.
Who himself is the ultimate truth,
Who is chief of all Gods.
And who verily is the truth himself.)

(Salutations to that Teacher.
Who himself is the ultimate truth,
Who is chief of all Gods.
And who verily is the truth himself.)

Stotras as soon as one wakes up:-
A Hindu is supposed to wake uo very early in the morning much earlier to sun rise. It is believed that the first thing you see in the morning determines one’s day.
As soon as one wakes up see he is supposed to see his palm and recite the following sloka:-

Karagre vasathu Lakshmi, Karamadhye Saraswathi,
Karamoole sthitha Gowri, Prabhate Kaa Darshanam.

(Lakshmi lives in the tip of my palm,
Saraswathi lives in its middle,
And Gowri lives at its base,
So I see my palm in the early morn.)
Earth is a Goddess to Hindus.
She is one of the wives of Maha Vishnu one of the trinity of Hinduism. So it is necessary to ask her pardon before one sets ones foot on her.This is done by the following prayer:-
Samudhra vasane devi, parvatha sthana mandithe,
Vishnu pathni namasthubhyam pada sparsam kshamasva mae.
(Salutations to you consort of Lord Vishnu,
Who is clothed by oceans,
And is adorned prettily by the mountains,
Pardon me mother, for setting my foot on you.)
While taking Bath
Cleanliness is a sin qua non-to every Hindu.He does purification of the body as well as the mind during his bath. Purificatory bath is ultimate if it is done in the sacred waters of some great rivers of India.The following prayers are recited while taking bath:-
Govindethi sada snanam Govindethi sada japam,
Govindethi sada dhyanam , sada Govinda keerthanam.

(Meditate on Govinda while taking bath,
Meditate on him in your prayers,
Meditate on him while thinking of God,
And always sing his name.)

Gange cha Yamune chaiva Godavari Saraswathi,
Narmada Sindhu Kaveri Jale asmin sannidhim kuru.
(I pray you to enter,
This water meant for my bath,
Oh , holy river Ganga,
Oh, Holy river Yamuna,
Oh , Holy river Godavari,
Oh, Holy river Saraswathi,
Oh , Holy river Narmada,
Oh holy river Sindhu,
And holy river Kaveri.)

PUJA SLOKAS

Lakshmi

The consort of Lord Vishnu , who is the Goddess of wealth.She was born out of the ocean of milk.
Namasthesthu Maha Maye,
Sri Pede Sura Poojithe,
Sankha Chakra Gada Hasthe,
Mahalakshmi Namosthuthe

(Salutations to the great enchantress,
Who is the Goddess of wealth,
Who is being worshipped by Devas,
And who holds Conch, wheel and mace in her hands,
Again Salutations to the Mahalakshmi )

Angam hare pulaka bhooshanamasrayanthi,
Bhringanga neva mukulabharanam thamalam,
Angikrithakhila vibhuthirapanga leela,
Mangalyadasthu mama mangala devathaya.

(To the Hari who wears supreme happiness as Ornament,
The Goddess Lakshmi is attracted,
Like the black bees getting attracted,
To the unopened buds of black Tamala,tree,
Let her who is the Goddess of all good things,
Grant me a glance that will bring prosperity. )
Kanaka Lakshmi
Lakshmi is the Goddess of wealth.Adhi Sankara as a boy addressed her in this form to bless a poor Brahmin widow with wealth. “ Kanaka” means Gold,

Angam hare pulaka bhooshanamasrayanthi,
Bhringanga neva mukulabharanam thamalam,
Angikrithakhila vibhuthirapanga leela,
Mangalyadasthu mama mangala devathaya.

(To the Hari who wears supreme happiness as Ornament,
The Goddess Lakshmi is attracted,
Like the black bees getting attracted,
To the unopened buds of black Tamala tree,
Let her who is the Goddess of all good things,
Grant me a glance that will bring prosperity.)
Saraswathi
Mother Goddess in the form of Goddess presiding over knowledge and education.She is the consort of Lord Brahma.
Saraswathi Namasthubhyam, varade Kama roopini,
Vidhyarambham karishyami, sidhir bhavathu me sada.
(My salutations to Goddess Saraswathi,
Who can take any form,
Who is the bestower of all boons,
And I start learning now,
With the prayer to her,
To make it very effective.)
Yakundendu Thushara Hara Davalam, Ya shubra vastravrutham,
Ya veena vara danda manditha kara, Ya shwetha padmasana,
Ya brahmachyutha Sankara prbhruthibhi Daivai sada poojitha,
Saa maam pathu saraswathi bhagawathi Nissesha jadyabaha.
(My saluations to Goddess Saraswathi,
Who is while like a Kunda flower,
Who shines like the full moon,
Who carries in her hand a Veena and a stick,
Who is seated on the throne of white Lotus,
Who is worshipped by the holy trinity,
With a prayer to drive away all my slothfulness. )
Durga
She is the fearsome aspect of Goddess Parvathy and was created by her to fight against Shumbha and Nishumbha. She is popular among the entire length and breadth of India.The poor generally prefer to woship her.

Namasthe saranye Shive, saanukamhe,
Namasthe Jagat vyapike viswa roope,
Namasthe jagat vandhya padaravinde,
Namasthe jagat dharini Trahi Durge,
(Salutations to her who is the slave of peace ,
And filled with compassion,
Salutations to her who is spread all over the world,
And who is of the form of universe,
Salutations to her whose lotus feet,
Are worshipped by all the world,
Salutations to her who takes care of the world,
Pease take care of me , Oh Durge.)

Chandra Kavacham

Chandra Kavacham:

[Protective Armour of Moon]

Translated by P. R. Ramachander

[This is armour which gives you protection from all problems caused by the planet moon. It has to be chanted on all Mondays, if moon causes any problem in the horoscope.]

Om Ganesaya Nama

Salutations to Lord Ganesa,

Asya Sri Chandra Kavacha stotra Maha Manthrasya

(What follows is the great prayer called Armour of the moon.)

Gowthama Rishi

Anushtup Chanda,

Chandro Devatha

Chandra preethyartham jape viniyoga.

(Sage for this prayer is Gowthama, meter is Anushtup, God is the moon and this is being chanted to please the moon.)

Samam, chathurbhujam vande, keyura makutojjwalam,

Vasudevasya nayanam, Shankarasya cha bhooshanam. 1

(I salute the four armed Moon god who is calm,Who shines in a gem studded great crown,Who is the eye of Lord Vishnu,And the ornament of Lord Shiva.)

Yevam dhyathwa japen nithyam shasina kavacham shubham,

Shasi pathu shiro desam, phalam pathu kala nidhi. 2

(Thus praying, this holy armour of moon, should be chanted daily,Let my head be protected by moon, and hairs be protected by the treasure of arts.)

Chakshushi chandrama pathu, shruthi pathu nisha pathi,

Pranam krupakara pathu, mukham kumuda bhandhava. 3

(Let my eyes be protected by he who has moon light,Let my ears be protected by the Lord of the night,Let my soul be protected by he who is merciful,And my face be protected by the relative of Lotus.)

Pathu kantam cha may soma, skande jaivathrukasthadha,

Karou sudhakara pathu, vaksha pathu nisakara. 4

(Let Soma protect my neck,Let my shoulder be protected by one who is long lived,Let the maker of nectar protect my hands,And the maker of night protect my chest.)

Hrudayam pathu may chandro, nabhim shankara bhooshana,

Madhyam pathu sura sreshta, katim pathu sudhakara. 5

(Let my heart be protected by moon,Let my belly be protected by ornament of Shiva,Let my middle be protected by chief of devas,And my hip be protected by he who makes nectar.)

Ooru tharapathi pathu, mrugango januni sada,

Abdhija padhu may jange,padhu, padou vidhu sada. 6

(Let my thighs be protected by the Lord of the stars,Let he who has a deer protect my knees,Let the maker of time protect my calves,Let my feet be protected by Moon.)

Sarvan anyani changaani pathu, chandro akhilam vapu,

Ethdhi kavacham punyam bhukthi mukthi pradayakam. 7

(Let all my other organs be protected by Chandra who is everywhere And this armour would give one devotion and salvation.)

Ya padeth srunyadhvapi sarvathra vijayi bbhaveth. 8

If one reads or hears this, he would win in everything.Ithi Sri Chandra kavacham sampoornam.Thus ends the armour of the moon.

Mayil Vahana

MAYIL VAHANA

MAYIL VAHANAM -PEACOCK .(Tamil-Name-MAYIL)
Mayil-peacock is lord Murugan -kartikayan vahana .
Lord Murugan is more popular in South India. Kartikaya-Son of lord siva. He is the second son of Siva, and the younger brother of Ganesha, is also known as Kumara, Karttikeya, Shanmukha, Subrahmanya, and many other names.
His vehicle or Vahana is the peacock. This is by way of representation that he has entirely conquered pride, egoism, vanity. There is a cobra under His Feet. This is to indicate that He is absolutely fearless, immortal and wise.
Shanmukha’s Vahana, the peacock, shows the shape of the Pranava or !. It is of the shape of the Bindu. When the peacock spreads out its tail, it has the round shape of the Pranava. Within it is the Para Brahma Jyoti, which is the form of Murugan or Subrahmanya. The subordinated serpent kept in check by the peacock’s feet shows that Maya or impurity is completely overpowered by the power of Pranava.
Subrahmanya came out of Siva’s third eye is symbolic of His being the incarnation of Pure Intelligence, for Siva’s third eye is known to be the eye of Wisdom or Jnana.
The peacock (on which Subrahmanya rides) is the most beautiful of all the birds. It is the one bird which can reveal its inner joy by dancing and displaying its gorgeous plumage. When it does so, it evidences its perfect balance—for it is a very heavy bird and it has to keep its balance on its two very slender feet. All these points relating to the peacock are utilised for illustrating the ideas concerning the inner significance of the Subrahmanya mythology. We can interpret the peacock as symbolising mental equipoise—the predominance of Sattva over Rajas and Tamas. That tranquillity or mental balance, when once attained, produces contentment and happiness. Such a mental condition reveals itself in a superior sort of self-satisfaction—a state similar to that of the peacock which spreads out its beautiful plumage. It is this predominating Sattva that is the prerequisite for the acquisition of True Knowledge—the knowledge symbolised by Lord Subrahmanya Himself.
Subrahmanya’s cock-banner symbolises the approach or the dawn of Knowledge—it is the cock that proclaims the coming of the sun in the eastern horizon. The sun is the heavenly body that dispels darkness. Likewise the cock on Subrahmanya’s banner announces the approach of Knowledge which will destroy all ignorance.
When Lord Skanda and Lord Ganesha were at Kailasa with their Father and Mother, Narada brought a fruit and offered it to Lord Siva. Now, Lord Siva made an offer to His sons to give the fruit to the one who would go round the whole world and return first. At this, Lord Skanda, riding on his Peacock-Vahana, flew round the world and came back to Kailasa anxious to win the prize offered by his Father. But to his great disappointment, when he approached his Father after his round-the-globe flight, he saw the much coveted fruit in the hands of Lord Ganesha, who was calmly eating it, with a mischievous extra relish.
To add injury to insult, Lord Ganesha laughed at the grand flight of his brother. Skanda enquired of his Father and Mother how Ganesha, who was unable to move about due to his pot-belly, could go round the world as he had done and win the race from him. The parents replied that Ganesha, taking his parents (Lord Siva and Parvati) as the world, had come around them and won the prize. Ganesha explained how the whole world was nothing but their dear Father and Mother in whom everything existed,Thrown into a rage by all this, Lord Skanda threw away all his decorations and, clad only in a Kaupeena and with a stick in his hand, left Kailasa in a huff.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murugan

http://www.dlshq.org/download/shanmukha.htm#_VPID_45

RAHU STOTRAS

RAHU STOTRA
Rahur dhanavamanthri cha simhika chitha nandana,

Ardha kaya, sada krodhi, chandradhithya vimardhana. 1

(Rahu, Minister of Rakshasa, one who makes Simhika happy,Half bodied one, one who is always angry, Tormentor who troubles Sun and Moon.)

Roudhro rudhra priyo daithya swar bhanur, bhanur bheethidha,

Graha raja sudhapayee rakadhithyabhilashtaka. 2

(Angry one, Devotee of Rudhra, Ogre,One who is near the Sun, one who terrifies the sun,King of planets, one who got nectar, One who desires the moon and the sun.)

Kala drushti kala roopa,sri kanta hrudayashraya,

Vidhunthudha saimhikeya, ghora roopo, maha bala. 3

(One who has death inflicting sight, one who likes death, One who lives in the heart of Shiva, one who made moon dim,One who is the son of ogress Simhika,One who has terrifying form, One who is very strong.)

Graha peeda karo damshtri raktha nethro mahodhara,

Panchavimsathi namani sthuthwa rahum sada nara,

Ya paden mahathi peeda thasya nasyathi kevalam. 4

(One who torments planets, one who has big teeth,One who has red eyes and one who has a big paunch,If a man recites these twenty five names and prays to Rahu,And as soon as he reads big tormenting troubles vanish immediately).

Aarogyam putham athulam sriyam dhanyam pasum sthadha,

Dadhathi rahu sthasmai thu ya padeth sthothramuthamam. 5

(Health, incomparable sons, wealth, cereals and animals Would be given to him by Rahu, to the one who reads this great prayer).

Sathatham padathe yasthu jeeveth, varsha satham nara. 6

The man who reads this regularly would live for one hundred years.