Sri Ganapathi Shodasa Nama Stotram Translated by P.R.Ramachander Sumukhaschaikadanthascha, Kapilo Gaja Karnika, Lambhodarascha Vikato Vignarajo Vinayaka. (Pleasant faced god, God with one tusk, God who is reddish black, God with an elephant ears, God with a very broad paunch, God who is cruel to his enemies, God who is the remover of obstacles, God who is the leader of those who removes obstacles.) Dhoomakethurganadhyaksha Phalachandro Gajanana, Vakra Thunda Soorpakarno Herambha Skanda poorvaja. (God who is the colour of smoke, God who is president of an army, God who has crescent in his forehead, God who walks like an elephant, God who has a broken tusk, God who has very broad ears, God who stays close to Lord Shiva, God who is elder brother of Subrahmanya.) Shodasaithani namani ya padeth srunuyadhapi, Vidhyarambhe vivahe cha pravese, nirgame thadha, Sangrame sarvakarye cha vigna sthasya na jayathe. (One who reads, hears are remembers these sixteen names, During the commencement of education, During the marriage ceremony, During the commencement or coming back from a journey, During war or for that matter during any matter, Will not face any difficulties and will attain victory.
Ganesa Dwadasa Nama stotram (Taken from Narada Purana) Translated by P.R.Ramachander Pranamya sirasa devam, Gauri putram, Vinayakam, Bhakthya vyasa smaren nithya, Mayu kama artha sidhaye. (The learned one, who wishes, For more life, wealth and love, Should salute with his head, Lord Ganapathi who is the son of Parvathy.) Prathamam Vakra thundam cha, Ekadantham dveethiyakam, Trithiyam Krishna pingalaksham, Gajavakthram Chathurthakam. (Think him first as god with broken tusk, Second as the God with one tusk, Third as the one with reddish black eyes, Fourth as the one who has the face of an elephant.) Lambhodaram panchamam cha , Sashtam Vikatameva cha, Sapthamam Vignarajam cha, Dhoomra varnam thadashtamam. (Fifth as the one who has a very broad paunch, Sixth as the one who is cruel to his enemies, Seventh as the one who is remover of obstacles, Eighth as the one who is of the colour of smoke.) Navamam phala chandram cha, Dasamam thu Vinayakam, Ekadasam Ganapathim, Dwadasam the gajananam. (Ninth as the one who crescent in his forehead, Tenth as the one, who is the leader of remover of obstacles, Eleventh as the leader of the army of Lord Shiva, And twelfth as the one who has the face of an elephant.) Dwathasaithani namani , Trisandhyam ya paden nara, Na cha vigna bhayam thasya, Sarva sidhi karam dhruvam. (Any one reading these twelve names, At dawn, noon and dusk, Will never have fear of defeat, And would always achieve whatever he wants.) Vidyarthi labhadhe vidhyam, Danarthi labhathe danam, Puthrarthi labhathe puthran, Moksharthi labhathe gatheem. (One who pursues education will get knowledge, One who wants to earn money will get money, One who wishes for a son , will get a son, And one who wants salvation will get salvation.) Japeth Ganapathi sthothram, Shadbhir masai phalam labeth, Samvatsarena sidhim cha, Labhathe nathra samsaya. Results of chanting this prayer, Of Ganapthi will be got within six months, And within a year , he would get all wishes fulfilled, And there is no doubt about this.
Shiva Manasa Pooja (The mental worship of Lord Shiva) BY Adhi Sankara Bhagwat Pada Translated By P.R.Ramachander
Aaradhayami mani sannibham athma lingam, Maayapuri hrudaya pankaja sannivishtam, Sradha nadhi vimala chitha jalabishegai, Nithyam samadhi kusmaira punarbhavai. (This stanza does not appear in most of the texts of Shiva Manasa Pooja but appears in Nirguna Manasa Pooja. But the version which I consult includes it here as the first stanza)
(I worship that Linga, Which is in me as my soul, Residing in the illusory lotus of my heart, Getting bathed by the clear water, Of the river of my devotion, And worshipped daily by the Lotus, Of my meditation for avoiding another birth.)
Rathnai Kalpitham asanam, Himajalai snanam cha divyambaram, Naana rathna vibhooshitham mruga madha modhanvitham Chandanam, Jathi champaka bilwa pathra rachitham, pushpam cha deepam Thada, Deepam deva dayanithe pasupathe, hrud kalpyatham gruhyatham. (I offer you an imaginary throne made of precious jewels, I offer you bath in the water of melted snow from the Himalayas, I offer you holy silken cloth to wear, I adorn you with very many precious jewels, I offer you musk and sandal, I offer you Bilwa and Champaka flowers, And I offer you the holy lamp, But all these I offer in the portal of my mind, Please God who is merciful and who is the Lord of all beings, Accept my offerings and bless me.)
Souvarne nava rathna Ganda Rachithe, pathre Grutham Payasam, Bakshyam pancha vidam Payo dadhiyutham, rambha phalam panakam, Saaka namayutham jalam ruchikaram, karpoora gandojwalam, Thamboolam manasa maya virachitham Bhakthyo prabho sweekuru (Sweet rice in a golden bowl inlaid with the nine jewels, the five kinds of food made from milk and curd, bananas, vegetables, sweet water scented with camphor, and betel leaves - I have prepared all these in my mind with devotion. O lord, please accept them.) (I offer you Ghee and the sweet payasam in golden vessel , Decorated with nine type of precious gems, I offer you five different dishes made of curd and milk, I offer you panakam made of sweet fruits, I offer you tasty sweet scented water to drink, I offer you the lamp made of camphor along with tinkling bells, And I offer you betel leaf and nut, But these are offered by my mind with utter devotion to you, So Lord Kindly accept and bless.)
Chathram Chamarayoryugam vyajanagam, chaa darshakam nirmalam, Veena bheri mrudanga kahala kala geetha nruthyam thada, Sasthangam pranthi sthuthir bahu vidha, hyethat samastham maya, Sankalpena samapitham thava vibho , poojam gruhana prabho. (I offer you a pretty stage, I offer you couple of decorative fans, I also offer you shining mirror, I offer you Veena, kettledrums, Mrudanga and a very big drum, I offer you song and dance, I offer you full prostration, I offer you several types of prayers, But all these I offer you my Lord, in my mind So Lord kindly accept this my worship.)
(My soul is your temple my lord, My activities are thine attendants, My body is thine home, My acts to please my senses are thine worship, My act of sleep is the deep meditation on thee, All my walks with my feet are thine perambulations, What ever falls from my mouth are thine prayers, Oh Lord, everything I say and do are thine forms of worship.)
Kara charana krutham vaak kayajam karmajam vaa, Sravana nayanajam vaa maanasam vaa aparadham, Vihithamavihitham vaa sarva methath Kshamaswa, Jaya Jaya katunabdhe sri Mahadeva Shambho.
(Please pardon Oh lord All those acts committed by me, By hands, by action, by body or By hearing, by my sight, or by my mind, Whether they are proper or improper.. Victory oh victory, Oh, ocean of mercy, Oh, The greatest of Gods and Oh benevolent one.)
Rudhrashtakam (Octet on Rudhra) Composed by Goswami Thulasi Das Translated by P.R.Ramachander (Here is a very rare prayer on Lord Shiva Composed by Goswami Thulasi das who was the author of Ramacharith Manas in Hindi a great Vaishnavite saint) Namam Meesana nirvana roopam, Vibhum vyapakam Brahma Veda swaroopam, Nijam nirgunam nirvikalpam nireeham, Chidakasamaakasa vasam Bhajeham. 1 (I salute your Eesana form bereft of everything, Who blesses, who has spread everywhere, Who the form of Brhamam is as described in Vedas, Who is true, who is property less, and who is everywhere Who does not have any differences , And who is like a sky and resides in the divine cosmos, I pray him.)
Niraakara monkaara moolam thureeyam , Giraa jnana gotheethamesam gireesam, Karalam maha kala kalam krupalam, Gunaa gara samsara param nathoham. 2 (I salute that God who is without properties, Who is the source of the holy sound Om, Who is thureeya*, who is beyond sound, wisdom and senses. Who is the God of mountains, who is cruel, Who is the death to God of death , who is merciful, Who is beyond properties and the bridge to cross life. The fourth and most holy state of human beings.) Thushaaraadhi sankasa gowram gabheeram, Mano bhootha koti prabha sree sareeram, Sphuran mouli kallolini charu ganga, Lasaddala balendu kante bhujanga. 3 (I salute that God who is more whiter , Than the Himalayas and the conch, Who is majestic , whose shine , Is superior to crores of god of love, On whose head is the holy Ganges with waves, Who wears the crescent on his forehead, And a serpent encircles his neck.) Chalath kundalam bru sunethram vishaalam, Prasannananam neela kandam dhayalam, Mugadheesa charmambaeam munda malam, Priyam shankaram sarva nadham bhajami. 4 (I salute that God, with swinging ear globes, Who has broad clear eyes, , whose face is happy, Whose neck is blue, who is merciful, Who wears the lion’s skin and a garland of skulls, Who is God of all , loving and the destroyer.) Prachandam prakrushtam Prakalbham paresam, Akhandam ajam bhanu koti prakasam, Thraya soola nirmoolanam soola panim, Bhajeham bhavani pathim bhava gamyam. 5 (I salute that God who is vehement, Who is superior , capable and divine, Who is limitless, who is not born, Who has the luster of billions of Suns, Who holds the trident , who completely destroys, Who holds the spear, who is consort of Parvathi, And who goes in to the state of divine.) Kalatheetha kalyani kalpanthakari, Sada sajjananda datha purari, Chidananda sandoha mohapahari, Praseeda praseeda prabho mamamadhari. 6 (Oh Lord you are beyond time and ages, You are the blissful and one who destroys , This world at the end of the eons, You are the one who gives happiness to the good, You are the destroyer of the three cities, You are the Lord who grants us all, Eternal bliss and destroy wrong passions, And Oh killer of God of love, be pleased, be pleased.) Na yavad Umanada padaravindam , Bhajantheeha loke pare vaa naraanaam, Na thath sukham shanthi santhapa nasam, Praseedha prabho Sarva bhoothadhivasam. 7 (Till one does not pray the lotus like feet , Of Lord Shiva, men would not get pleasure, Peace and freedom from all sorrows In this world or in the next world, So please bless me God who lives in all beings.) Na janami yogam , japam , naiva poojaam, Nathoham sada sarvadha Shambhu thubhyam, Jara janma dukhogha thathpyamanam, Prabho pahi aapannamameesa Shambho. 8 (I do not know Yoga , chanting nor worship, But I am always your devotee , Oh Shambho, I being surrounded by old age , birth and sorrows, Oh Lord Oh Shambo please save me from these dangers.) Rudhrashtakamidham proktham Viprena hara thoshaye, Ye padanthi naraa bhakthya thesham Shambhu praseedathi. (This octet on Rudhra has been , Composed by a Brahmin to please the Lord, And the man who reads this with devotion, Would be blessed by the Lord Shambhu.) Ithi Sri Goswami Thulasi dasa krutham Sri Rudhrashtakam sampoornam. Thus ends The octet on Rudra, composed by Goswami Thulasidas
Subrahmanya Karavalambam
(Support of the hands of Subrahmanya)
Translated by
P.R.Ramachander
(This prayer is also called “Swaminatha Karavalambam”. It sings the glory of Lord Subrahmanya, who is the consort of Valle to give a helping hand to the devotees.) Hey Swaminatha karunakara deena bandho, Sree Paravatheesa mukha pankaja padma bandho, Sreesadhi deva gana poojitha pada padma, Valleesa nadha mama dehi karavalambham. 1(Extend a hand of support, Oh Lord of Valli,
Who is the chief of gods, who is merciful,
Who is friend of the oppressed,
Who is the son of the lotus faced lord of goddess Parvathi,
And whose lotus feet is worshipped
By all gods and also by Lord of Goddess Lakshmi. ) Devadhi deva sutha , deva ganadhi nadha, Devendra vandhya mrudu pankaja manju pada, Devarshi narada muneendra sugeetha keerthe, Valleesa nadha mama dehi karavalambham. 2(Extend a hand of support, Oh Lord of Valli,
Who is the son of God of gods, who is the chief of all gods,
Whose soft lotus like feet is worshipped by Devendra,
And whose fame is sung by deva sage Narada and others.) Nithyanna dana nirathakhila roga harin, Bhagya pradhana paripooritha bhaktha kama, Sruthyagama pranava vachya nija swaroopa, Valleesa nadha mama dehi karavalambham. 3(Extend a hand of support, Oh Lord of Valli,
Who gives food daily in charity, who cures all prevalent diseases,
Who bestows luck , who fulfills all wishes of devotees,
And whose real form is the pranava given in Vedas.) Krouncha surendra parigandana sakthi soola, Chapa thi sasthra parimanditha divya panai, Sree kundaleesa drutha thunda sikheendra vaha, Valleesa nadha mama dehi karavalambham. 4(Extend a hand of support, Oh Lord of Valli,
Who is the Lord of mountains, who holds,
Shakthi, Soola, bow and arrows in his holy hands,
Who wears ear rings and who rides the fast moving peacock.) Devadhi deva radha mandala Madhya methya, Devendra peeda nagaram druda chapa hastha, Sooram nihathya sura kotibhiradyamana, Valleesa nadha mama dehi karavalambham. 5(Extend a hand of support, Oh Lord of Valli,
Who is the god o gods,
Who rides the central Chariot among a group of chariots,
Who prevents problems for Devendra,
Who can send arrows very fast,
And who by killing Sura became,
The object of adulation of billions of devas.) Heeradhi rathna vara yuktha kireeda hara, Keyura kundala lasath kavachabhirama, Hey Veera tharaka jayaa amara brunda vandhya, Valleesa nadha mama dehi karavalambham. 6(Extend a hand of support, Oh Lord of Valli,
Who wears crowns and chains with diamonds and gems,
Who wears armlet, ear rings and strong armour,
And who is the valorous one who killed Tharaka,
And was saluted by the groups of devas.) Panchaksharadhi manu manthritha ganga thoyai, Panchamruthai praudhithendra mukhair muneendryai, Pattabhishiktha maghavatha nayasa nadha, Valleesa nadha mama dehi karavalambham. 7(Extend a hand of support, Oh Lord of Valli,
Who was crowned as their leader by Indra,
With the chanting of the holy five letters,
With the bathing of the holy water of Ganga,
After strengthening it further by holy chants,
And who was anointed with the five holy nectars,
By very learned and holy sages.) Sree karthikeya karunamrutha poorna drushtya, Kamadhi roga kalushi krutha drushta chitham, Sikthwa thu mamava kala nidhi koti kantha, Valleesa nadha mama dehi karavalambham. 8(Extend a hand of support, Oh Lord of Valli,
Who is known as Karthikeya , who with his ,
Fully nectar like looks of mercy cures,
Passion, diseases and mind which has made been dirty
Who is the treasure house of arts and
Who shines like billions of suns.) Subrahmanyashtakam punyam yeh padanthi dwijothama, They sarve mukthimayanthi subrahmanya prasadatha, Subrahmanyashtakamidham prathar uthaya ya padeth, Kodi janma krutham papam thath kshanad thasya nasyathi.(The twice born who reads this octet on Subrahmanya,
Would attain salvation by the grace of Lord Subrahmanya,
And for him who reads this octet on Subrahmanya , as soon as,
He gets up in the morning , the sins committed in billons,
Of previous births will vanish in a second. )
Bhavani Ashtakam An Octet to the “Giver of Life” By, (Adhi Sankara Bhagwat Pada) Translated By, P.R.Ramachander (This great Sthothra by Adhi Sankara would move any one who reads it to tears. If a great soul like Him, had to describe himself, thus, Imagine the state of an ignoramus like any one of us.) Na thatho, na matha, na bandur na datha, Na puthro, na puthri , na bruthyo , na bartha, Na jayaa na Vidhya, na Vruthir mamaiva, Gathisthwam, Gathisthwam Thwam ekaa Bhavani. (Neither the mother nor the father, Neither the relation nor the friend, Neither the son nor the daughter, Neither the servant nor the husband, Neither the wife nor the knowledge, And neither my sole occupation, Are my refuges that I can depend, Oh, Bhavani, So you are my refuge and my only refuge, Bhavani. ) Bhavabdhava pare , Maha dhukha Bheeru, Papaatha prakami , pralobhi pramatha, Kam samsara pasa prabadha sadaham, Gathisthwam, Gathisthwam thwam ekaa Bhavani. (I am in this ocean of birth and death, I am a coward, who dare not face sorrow, I am filled with lust and sin, I am filled with greed and desire, And tied I am, by the this useless life that I lead, So you are my refuge and my only refuge, Bhavani. ) Na Janaami Dhanam, Na cha dhyana yogam, Na janami thathram, na cha sthothra manthram, Na janami poojam, na cha nyasa yogam, Gathisthwam, Gathisthwam thwam ekaa Bhavani (Neither do I know how to give, Nor do I know how to meditate, Neither do I know Thanthra*, Nor do I know stanzas of prayer, Neither do I know how to worship, Nor do I know the art of yoga, So you are my refuge and my only refuge, Bhavani) Na janami Punyam, Na janami theertham, Na janami mukthim, layam vaa kadachit, Na janami bhakthim, vrutham vaapi maatha, Gathisthwam, Gathisthwam, thwam ekaa Bhavani. (Know I not how to be righteous, Know I not the way to the places sacred, Know I not methods of salvation, Know I not how to merge my mind with God, Know I not the art of devotion, Know I not how to practice austerities, Oh, mother, So you are my refuge and my only refuge, Bhavani ) Kukarmi, kusangi, kubudhi, kudhasa, Kulachara heena, kadhachara leena, Kudrushti, kuvakya prabandha, sadaham, Gathisthwam, Gathisthwam, thwam ekaa Bhavani. (Perform I bad actions, Keep I company of bad ones, Think I bad and sinful thoughts, Serve I Bad masters, Belong I to a bad family, Immersed I am in sinful acts, See I with bad intentions, Write I collection of bad words, Always and always, So you are my refuge and my only refuge, Bhavani.) Prajesam, Ramesam, Mahesam, Suresam, Dhinesam, Nisidheswaram vaa kadachit, Na janami chanyath sadaham saranye, Gathisthwam, Gathisthwam thwam ekaa Bhavani (Neither Do I know the creator, Nor the Lord of Lakshmi, Neither do I know the lord of all, Nor do I know the lord of devas, Neither do I know the God who makes the day, Nor the God who rules at night, Neither do I know any other Gods, Oh, Goddess to whom I bow always, So you are my refuge and my only refuge, Bhavani ) Vivadhe, Vishadhe, pramadhe, pravase, Jale cha anale parvathe shatru madhye, Aranye, saranye sada maam prapahi, Gathisthwam, Gathisthwam, thwam ekaa Bhavani. (While I am in a heated argument, While I am immersed in sorrow, While I am suffering an accident, While I am travelling far off, While I am in water or fire, While I am on the top of a mountain, While I am surrounded by enemies, And while I am in a deep forest, Oh Goddess, I always bow before thee, So you are my refuge and my only refuge, Bhavani) Anadho, dharidro, jara roga yuktho, Maha Ksheena dheena, sada jaadya vakthra, Vipathou pravishta, pranshata sadhaham, Gathisthwam, Gathisthwam, thwam ekaa Bhavani. (While being an orphan, While being extremely poor, While affected by disease of old age, While I am terribly tired, While I am in a pitiable state, While I am being swallowed by problems, And While I suffer serious dangers, I always bow before thee, So you are my refuge and only refuge, Bhavani
Viswanathashtakam By Adhi Sankara Bhagawat Pada Translated by P.R.Ramachander Ganga tharanga ramaneeya jata kalapam, Gowri niranthara vibhooshitha vama bhagam, Narayana priya mananga madapaharam, Varanasi pura pathim Bhajhe Viswanadham, 1
(Sing and praise that lord of the Universe, Who is the Lord of the town of Benares, Who has the tufted hair made by waves of river Ganga, Who for ever has Gowri as ornament on his left side, Who is the friend of Lord Narayana , And who destroyed the pride of the god of love.)
Vachamagocharamanekaguna swaroopam, Vageesa Vishnu sura sevitha pada padmam, Vamena vigraha varena kalathravantham, Varanasi pura pathim Bhajhe Viswanadham, 2
(Sing and praise that lord of the Universe, Who is the Lord of the town of Benares, Who is beyond the meaning of words, Who is the store house of several good qualities, Who has the lotus feet, Which is worshipped by Brahma, Vishnu and other Devas, And who keeps his better half on his left side.)
(Sing and praise that lord of the Universe, Who is the Lord of the town of Benares, Who is the lord of all beings, Who is having a body decorated by snakes, Who clothes himself with the skin of a tiger, Who is having matted hair, Who is having three eyes, And who holds trident , rope and goad , And is the giver of boons.)
(Sing and praise that lord of the Universe, Who is the Lord of the town of Benares, Who shines with the crown decorated by moon, Who burnt the god of love by the fire of his eyes, And who wears king of snakes as an ear ring.)
(Sing and praise that lord of the Universe, Who is the Lord of the town of Benares, Who is like a lion to the pride called elephant, Who is like Garuda the king of birds to the snake like asuras, And who is like the forest fire that swallows sorrow, death and old age.)
(Sing and praise that lord of the Universe, Who is the Lord of the town of Benares, Who has a glittering mien , Who is the first among those with and without shape, Who is the reason for happiness in this world, Who is never defeated, Who is beyond the subject of reasoning, Who is the soul of all serpents, And who has a soul which is both pure and mixed.)
Aasam vihaya parihruthya parasya nindam, Pape rathim cha sunivarya mana samadhou, Aadhaya hruth kamala Madhya gatham paresam, Varanasi pura pathim Bhajhe Viswanadham, 7
(Sing and praise that lord of the Universe, Who is the Lord of the town of Benares, And Sing of him who is in the middle of your lotus like heart, When it is bereft of all desires and nature of finding fault, When it is not attached to the sinful acts, And when it is parked in the deep meditation of Samadhi.)
(Sing and praise that lord of the Universe, Who is the Lord of the town of Benares, Who does not have faults like passion, Who loves good people, Who is the home of detachment and peace, Who is helped by the daughter of the mountain, Who has a pleasing form, full of sweetness and courage, And wears the strongest poison.) Phala Sruthi.
Varanasi pura pathe sthavanam sivasya, Vyakhyathamashtakamitham patahe manushya, Vidhyam sriyaam vipula soukhya manantha keerthim, Samprapya deva nilaye labhathe cha moksham.
Narration of fruits
That man who reads this octet with its meaning, Which sings the praise of Siva who is the lord of Varanasi, Would get knowledge, wealth, great pleasure and great fame, And in the end also attain salvation.
(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.)
(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).
(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.)
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.)
(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.)
(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 .)
(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.,)
(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.)
(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.)
(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.)
(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,
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.
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:-
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 (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.
Sri Ganapathi Shodasa Nama Stotram
