Translation and meaning of The “Shiva Ashtothara”, by Rajagopal Bhatmam
(A project for a friend, a disciple of “Chitrapur Math”)
Message From: Dharmapracharak Shri Rajagopal Bhat maam
Suprabhatam, Jai Shankar.
At the request of dear Revatipacchi Gulvady of Dadar Sabha, I have pleasure in starting a series on 108 Names of Shiva in this group.
I will be brief and as lucid as possible. Every day I will annotate on one or two Names. Every Ishtadeva (our chosen deity) is invoked with 108 Names. Total of 1 plus 8 is 9 which is called Brahmavachaka – it
represents God who is PoorNa. 9 multiplied by any number gives a numerical total of This whole universe of names and forms (Naama Roopa) is His multiplication.
1 Aum Shivaya Namah
2 Aum Maheshwaraaya Namah
3 Aum Shambave Namah
4 Aum Pinaakine Namah
5 Aum Sasishekaraaya Namah
6 Aum Vama-dhevaaya Namah
7 Aum Virupakshaaya Namah
8 Aum Kapardhine Namah
9 Aum Nila-lohitaaya Namah
10 Aum Shankaraaya Namah
11 Aum Shula-panine Namah
12 Aum Khatvamgene Namah
13 Aum Vishnu-vallabhaya Namah
14 Aum Sipi-visthaaya Namah
15 Aum Ambika-nadhaaya Namah
16 Aum Shrikanthaaya Namah
17 Aum Bhaktha-vatsalaaya Namah
18 Aum Bhavaaya Namah
19 Aum Sarvaaya Namah
20 Aum Tri-lokeshaaya Namah
21 Aum Siddhi-kanthaaya Namah
22 Aum Shiva-priyaaya Namah
23 Aum Ughraaya Namah
24 Aum Kapaline Namah
25 Aum Gowmarine Namah
26 Aum Amdhakasurasudhanaaya Namah
27 Aum Ganga-dharaaya Namah
28 Aum Laalatakshaaya Namah
29 Aum Kaala-kalaaya Namah
30 Aum Krupanidhaaya Namah
31 Aum Bheemaaya Namah
32 Aum Parasu-hasthaaya Namah
33 Aum Mrugapanine Namah
34 Aum Jata-dharaaya Namah
35 Aum Kailasa-vasine Namah
36 Aum Kavachine Namah
37 Aum Katoraaya Namah
38 Aum Tri-puranthakaaya Namah
39 Aum Vrushankaaya Namah
40 Aum Vrusha-bharudhaaya Namah
41 Aum Bhasmo-dhulitha-vigrahaaya Namah
42 Aum Sama-priyaaya Namah
43 Aum Sarva-mayaaya Namah
44 Aum Tri-murthaye Namah
45 Aum Anishwaraaya Namah
46 Aum Sarvagnyaaya Namah
47 Aum Paramatmane Namah
48 Aum Soma-suryagni-lochanaaya Namah
49 Aum Havishe Namah
50 Aum Yagnya-mayaaya Namah
51 Aum Somaaya Namah
52 Aum Pancha-vakthraaya Namah
53 Aum Sada-shivaaya Namah
54 Aum Vishveshwaraaya Namah
55 Aum Virabhadraaya Namah
56 Aum Gana-nadhaaya Namah
57 Aum Praja-pathaye Namah
58 Aum Hiranya-rethaaya Namah
59 Aum Durdarshaaya Namah
60 Aum Girishaaya Namah
61 Aum Gireeshaaya Namah
62 Aum Anaghaaya Namah
63 Aum Bhujanga-bhushanaaya Namah
64 Aum Barghaaya Namah
65 Aum Giri-dhanvine Namah
66 Aum Giri-priyaaya Namah
67 Aum Krutthi-vasaaya Namah
68 Aum Pura-rataye Namah
69 Aum Bhagavaye Namah
70 Aum Pramadhadhipaaya Namah
71 Aum Mruthyumjayaaya Namah
72 Aum Shukshma-tanave Namah
73 Aum Jagad-vayapine Namah
74 Aum Jagad-gurave Namah
75 Aum Vyoma-keshaaya Namah
76 Aum Mahaa-senaa-janakaaya Namah
77 Aum Charu-vikramaaya Namah
78 Aum Rudraaya Namah
79 Aum Bhuta-pataye Namah
80 Aum Sthanane Namah
81 Aum Ahir-bhudnyaaya Namah
82 Aum Digambharaaya Namah
83 Aum Ashta-murthaye Namah
84 Aum Anekatmaaya Namah
85 Aum Sathvikaaya Namah
86 Aum Shudha-vigrahaaya Namah
87 Aum Shashwataaya Namah
88 Aum Khanda-parashave Namah
89 Aum Ajaaya Namah
90 Aum Pasha-vimochakaaya Namah
91 Aum Mrudaaya Namah
92 Aum Pasu-pataye Namah
93 Aum Dhevaaya Namah
94 Aum Mahaa-dhevaaya Namah
95 Aum Avyayaaya Namah
96 Aum Haraye Namah
97 Aum Pushadamthabhithre Namah
98 Aum Avyagraaya Namah
99 Aum Dakshadwaraharaaya Namah
100 Aum Haraaya Namah
101 Aum Bhaganetrabhitre Namah
102 Aum Avyaktaaya Namah
103 Aum Sahasrakshyaaya Namah
104 Aum Sahasrapadave Namah
105 Aum Apavarga-pradaaya Namah
106 Aum Ananthaaya Namah
107 Aum Tarakaaya Namah
108 Aum Parameshwaraaya Namah
1.Aum SHIVAAYA NAMAHA
Salutations to God who is good, peaceful and auspicious.
The message of this Name is this: if we want to enrich our life with goodness peace and auspiciousness, we have to go to Him – cultivate Bhakti. Indeed being His particles (mama Eva amsha as Gita says), we too are Shivaswaroopa, but have overlooked
this truth due to Avidyaa(ignorance).
We have to recover this Shivaswaroopa, our true nature. This is where the Guru and the Math become relevant in our life. “To do good and be good – this is the whole of religion,” said Swami Vivekananda. How to accomplish this? The answer is Shivaaya Namaha. – Go to Him with devotion, with salutations(namaskar)
2.Aum MAHESHWARAAYA NAMAHA Shri Bhavanishankar, the patron deity of our Community, is the Supreme(mahaan) Lord(Ishwara). God rules (ishte) over. one and all, and is, therefore, called Ishwara. But, why is He Mahaan? A)There is none above Him. All the gods and the goddesses who rule us – Agni, Vaayu,. Varuna etc – are subordinate to Him. The Upanishad says: “By His decree, the sun shines the wind blows and the fire burns.”.Without His Will, even a blade of grass moves not (tena vinaa triNamapi na chalati). So, He is Mahaan, the Supreme. B) His workmanship is Mahaan! This mind-boggling universe is His handiwork.”etaavan asya mahimaa” says Purusha Sukta. It means this vast universe proclaims His glory. , He is expert in five functions (panchakritya paraayaNa) – srishti, sthiti, laya, nigraha and anugraha(creation, preservation, dissolution, punishment as Rudra and benediction as DakshiNamoorti. C) He is Mahaan because He is beyond the reach of our senses, mind, speech, and intellect. With intense Bhakti we can experience Him, but we cannot venture to define and describe Him. In verse no.41, Pushpadanta says in his Shivamahimna Stotra: O Maheshwara, I do not know Your truth, what You are etc. Howsoever You may be, O Mahadeva, I offer my salutations. D)The Shvetaashvatara Upanishad says that He is called as Maheshwara because He is endowed with MaayaaHis creative energy, shakti (maayinam tu Maheshwaram).
3)Aum SHAMBHAVE NAMAHA
Salutations to Him who brings about (bhaavayati) our happiness and wellbeing (sham).
We all know that we are utterly dependent on Him for the fulfilment of all our needs. Gita is replete with verses that say our Yoga-Kshema is in His hands. The 15th chapter of Gita vividly describes in how many ways He brings about our wellbeing. Even our digestion is taken care of, by Him.
Commenting on a verse in Gita, Acharya Shankara says: during biting cold, if we come near fire,we feel the warmth and feel nice. If we stay faraway from fire and suffer, the fire cannot be faulted.Similarly, if we stray away from Him,the fountain of joy and peace, we are the losers.
In Shvetaashvatara Upanishad there is a mantra(yadaa charmavadaakaasham…..)
which says: When men are able to roll up the sky like a mat, they will put an end to sorrow without communing with God.The former is an impossible feat.So is the latter.
Howsoever a man will roll in wealth and luxury, there will always remain a streak of unspeakable discontent within him.It can be cured only by communion with God and the Guru.
Bhima,the story goes, never felt satisfied after a meal until mother Kunti gave him a morsel with her own hands.Same is our plight.Our Mother-Father God alone can restore our sense of well-being.Hence He is Shambhu
The question is often asked as to why we feel miserable when God, the fount of Ananda, is always in our heart. Shri Ramakrishna gives the answer: the needle covered with layers and layers of mud is not attracted by magnet.We have to cleanse ourselves(under the guidance of the Guru,) and then Shambhu will perform His magic on us.
4) Aum PINAAKINE NAMAHA
Salutations to Him who wields the bow called Pinaaka.
Shiva is the custodian of righteousness.He used this bow in slaying Tripuraasuraas. Nigraha,chastisement, is one of His functions.Like a teacher getting angry with disobedient students or parents getting angry with disobedient kids, Shiva in His aspect as Rudra, gets angry with us when we stray away from the path of Dharma.His anger(manyu) is selfless like the anger of the teacher or the parents.God has graciously blessed us with Buddhi with its inherent capacity to distinguish between what is good and righteous and what is not. He has not confered this gift to the brute creation. Despite this unique blessing of God, we do what we should not(errors of commission) and we do not do what we should do(errors of omission).It is then that we invite the holy wrath(manyu) of Rudra.
The first mantra chanted from Rudraadhyaaya during Rudraabhisheka(first mantra of Namaka portion of Rudradhyaya) says: O Rudra, salutations to Your holy anger, Your arrow, Your bow and Your shoulders(namaste Rudra msnyava utota ishave namaha…).
The wayward sinner cannot stand the sight of His Pinaaka which would send shivers down his spine. Can we say honestly that we have not sinned at all? That’s why we perform Rudraabhisheka and invoke His compassion upon us.
How is the word Pinaaka derived? Interesting. “pihitaha(closed) naakaha(heaven) yena saha”. – that which has forbidden entry into heaven is Pinaaka. As the eternal custodian of Dharma, Rudra ensures that the gates of heaven are closed for the unrighteous and the ungodly!
5) Aum SHASHISHEKHARAAYA NAMAHA
Salutations to Him who sports the moon on His head.
What does the moon symbolise? In a Sanskrit prayer, He is invoked as: jnaana chandrakalaa chooDam. It says the moon symbolises Jnaana. What sort of Jnaana? The answer is Parijnaana. “Shashi parijnaanamidam tava sthitam” – O Lord, it is Parijnaana that is with You as the moon.
Parijnaana means integral knowledge culminating in Experience(anubhava). Then it becomes ‘paritaha jnanam- parijnana – allround knowledge.
In Gita, Ch.11, verse 54, Lord Krishna uses three words – jnaatum, drishTum,. tatvena praveshTum. Jnaana should lead to Darshana,which should lead to total merger. Let us take an example: I keep talking of sugar, how it looks and so on.This is Jnaana, only intellectual. Someone brings sugar before me.Then it’s Darshana takes place.This is not enough.I put a bit of it on my tongue and enjoy the taste.This is Anubhava or Anubhooti or PARIJNAANA(Name of our Tenth Guru). It is this Anubhava on the part of the devotee which is prized most by God. Talking about Jnaneshwar’s, Namadeva says: eka tari Ovi anubhavaavi. Anubhava, REALIZATION – not vain scholarship or pompous show of Bhakti – this is what our beloved Lord expects from us. In ch,7, verse 18, Krishna says that such a Jnaani is His very self. It is such Enlightened, Illumined devotees that God accepts as His adornment (alankaara) on His crown.
6,) Aum VAAMADEVAAYA NAMAHA
My salutations to God, the Beautiful.
Poet Rabindranath Tagore described God as Satyam,Shivam,Sundaram. Many wrongly believe this is an Upanishadic utterance.
No, it is an immortal line from Tagore.
When Reality (Brahman) is imbibed intellectually, we perceive it as Truth(Satyam). When we make our mind the medium, we perceive it as Peace,Good, Auspicious(Shivam). When our heart – not a stoneheart,but the soft, mellow heart of a Bhakta, becomes the medium, we perceive Him as Beautiful(Sundaram). For perception of this third aspect, we need the innocence, simplicity and guilelessness of a child.
Our good, old saint Tukaram beheld beauty everywhere. “sundara te dhyaana ubhe viTevari” he exclaimed in joy.
So too Achaarya Vallabha. In his MadhuraashTakam, he describes everything as Madhura,sweet, enchanting, beautiful.
“The cows are beautiful, so are the cowherds, the cane in Krishna’s hand with which He minds the cow is beautiful(yashTirmadhuraa), O Lord of Mathura, the entire creation(srishTi) is enchanting. Why say more, everything is beautiful(akhilam madhuram).
In the primary class, children were taught to sing a song(a poem): ” Devaa tujhe kiti sundara aakaasha …” The poem goes on to describe everything as. Sundara- the sky, the sun, sunlight, moon, moonlight,creepers, flowers, butterflies and so on. Then comes the immortal punchline: “If Your creation is so beautiful, O God, HOW BEAUTIFUL YOU MUST BE!” (ituke sundara jaga tujhe jara/kiti tu sundara asasheela!).
As I said above, it is the privilege of the simple, selfless, loving heart of a Bhakta to say God is Beautiful – Aum VAAMADEVAAYA NAMAHA.
To enable you to listen to the Marathi poem, I am sending the video also.
7) Aum VIROOPAAKSHAAYA NAMAHA
Salutations to Him who has an odd number of eyes.
The commentator says: vishamaani(odd number) aksheeNi(eyes) yasya saha. He has three eyes,an odd number,as against our even number two. This third eye located between the eyebrows, opened when Cupid(Kaamadeva) had the temerity to disturb Shiva when He was lost in meditation.
Why did Kaamadeva indulge in this dare-devilry and got reduced to ash? Thereby hangs a tale.
A demon called Taarakaasura became a scourge to the three worlds. The gods were told that he could be killed only by the offspring of Shiva and Parvati. There was no time to lose. Somehow Shiva and Parvati should come together,but, alas, Shiva was lost in Dhyaana. So, the gods deputed poor Kaamadeva to try his tricks and somehow entice Shiva to wed Parvati. A disturbed Shiva opens His third eye and Kaama-dahana takes place.
This is a tale from mythology, but, like all tales in our PuraaNaas, there is more to it than just a story. It illustrates what happens when we move Godward. There is an inverse proportion between our Bhakti and desires(kaama). The more we begin to savour the delight of Godlove, the less becomes the tyranny of desires and lust.At last, we become Nishkaama like Tukaram who said: TukamhaNe aataa na maage aaNika/tujhe paayi sarva sukha aahe.
This is Kaama-dahana.
Third eye is the eye of Prajnaa. It is BrahmadrishTi, the unique vision to rise above names and forms(naama roopa) and see what lies behind and beyond the veil of Maayaa.When Tukaram said: je je drishTi dise, te te Hariroopa, it does not mean he did not see a table as a table or a chair as a chair.Like us with our even number of eyes , he saw as we see. But ,he saw much more.He could peep and peer behind the forms and behold ViTThala winking at him. This is Viroopaaksha – we give up (vihaaya) our obsession with mere roopa(forms).
We have to develop this third vision. Our Math logo “chakshurno dehi chakshushe…”( Bless us with an eye to our eye….) Echoes the same prayer.
8) Aum KAPARDINE NAMAHA
Salutations to Him who has matted locks of hair.
“kapardo asya jaTaa jooTaha” The jaTaa of Shiva is called kaparda. How is this word derived? Kapara means flow. Here, there is a legend. Bhagiratha is credited with the descent of river Ganga from heaven. Had Shiva, our most compassionate Lord not intervened, the onslaught of galloping Ganga would have been fatal to Bhagiratha. So, Shiva used His jaTaa as a speedbreaker. The jaTaa. put breaks on the high-speed Ganga,tamed her by toning down her velocity(vega). Ganga, already pure, was further purified, thanks to Shiva’s contact. He then released it to Bhagiratha.
Now, see how the word kaparda is explained by the commentator: The jaTaa split or reduced(dyati) the flow (kapara) of Ganga, purified it(daayati) and then gave(dadaati) it to Bhagiratha. So, it is called Kaparda and the one who wears it, Shiva, is Kapardin.
Now let us muse a bit on what Shiva did. His above beneficial act does not just begin and end with Bhagiratha. When we are reeling under the onslaught of the inevitable Praarabda, let us remember Him, let us chant His name or His mantra. Then, His anugraha(grace) will begin to smile upon us. It will act as a speedbreaker (kaparda) to our Praarabda,toning down its impact, thus ensuring we may bend, but will not breakdown. When a man jumps down from the sky with a parachute, what happens? He is not violating the Law of Gravitation. That law operates, but, the parachute takes away the sting out of it. Same happens to our Praarabda. We suffer it, but, come out unscathed(Akshata). This is the magic of Phala-mantraakshata. The rice grains have been consecrated (mantrita) and we, the recipients of it, experience our Karmaphala without being bruised and battered(Akshata) . The Guru’s Grace(anugraha) acts as the Kaparda.
Here, I can’t resist the temptation to recall a conversation a very pious, honest Bhanap Gurubhakta had with me. He had his own business, but, was reeling under a stroke of bad luck. He was almost broke. He went to Swami Anandashram of revered memory and told Him: ” I know Swamiji, You are a pawaaDa purusha. You can do a miracle. Can’t You alter my Praarabda?”. Revered Swamiji told him: “We should not pray to God or the Guru to alter our destiny, which is inescapable. We should pray to them to bless us with sahana shakti( endurance) to bear with equanimity the patch of misfortune.Suppose you have an urgent work and have to go out and, lo, it begins to rain cats and dogs.What you should do is NOT praying to God to stop the rain, but pray that someone provides an umbrella”.
So, the message of Kapardin is simple: let us remember Him ever and anon and He will be our protective shield(kaparda).
9) Aum NEELA LOHITAAYA NAMAHA
Salutations to Him who is associated with the colors – blue and red.
Our God Shiva is not bluish in complexion.He is snow-white. He is fair like camphor – “karpoora gauram karuNaavataaram” . So,how come neela here? Neela or blue represents the Infinite.The sky is blue, infinite. Secondly, His throat(kanTha or greevaa) is blue. More about the name NeelakanTha will be said when that name comes up in due course.
As Ardhanaareeshwara, He is Neela-lohita.
Prikriti represented by Parvati is depicted in red. Shakti, inseparable from Shiva, is adored with articles of worship that are reddish. – kumkum, paTkaLe(Konkani) flowers etc. Creative energy of God is Raajasik and colour of Rajas is red. So, when we say Neela lohitaaya namaha, we offer our salutations to both, Shiva and Shakti.
The rising(sadyojaata) sun is the visible Rudra. It is also the visible NarayaNa.The 8th mantra from Namaka portion of Rudraadhyaaya that we chant during Rudraabhisheka says: behold the rising sun slowly approaching us, blue-throated and also crimson red(asau yo avasarpati neelagreevo vilohitaha). Both the rising and the setting sun are vilohita(crimson red) and there is a beautiful Subhaashits on this.”During ascent as well as descent, the sun is alike.
Noble-minded remain alike, be it prosperity or adversity (sampattou cha vipattou cha mahataam ekaroopataa).
The 10th Anuvaaka of Namaka invokes Rudra as “daridran neela lohita”. In which other scripture in the world, a devotee can dare to address God as daridra, a pauper? That unique distinction is ours! Shiva is wedded to voluntary poverty. His picture is the picture of utter Vairaagya.He is everything, he has everything and yet, nothing is IN Him. The boat should be in water, but, the water should not be in it. He is alipta, asanga, detached,aloof. His favourite Bhasma is the symbol of the impermanence of all names and forms.
After fondly calling Him as daridra, the next epithet is Neelalohita, the Name under our discussion. In the Rudraadhyaaya, this name crops up a number of times.
10) Aum SHANKARAAYA NAMAHA
Salutations to Him who does (karoti)what leads to our wellbeing and happiness.
Apparently, the 3rd name Shambhu and the present name Shankara seem to mean the same.But, no, there is a significant difference. The difference is between BEING and DOING.
A man, shivering in cold, goes to the fire. The fire is where it is. When sunrise takes place, the people get busy with their chores. The sun does not come down.In the presence of the magnet, the iron filings get attracted to it. The magnet does not come to the iron filings. We go to God in spirit when we do Japa, Naamasmaran, Dhyaan etc. His is just a state of BEING. DakshiNaamoorti did not budge an inch from where He was at the foot of the banyan tree. But, the four disciples – Sanaka, Sanandana, Sanatana and Sanatkumara – got illumination. In recent times, let us take the example of RamaNa Maharshi. He just sat for over an hour on a bench in RamaNashram and the devotees, soaked and drenched in those healing vibes emanating from him, were uplifted. RamaNa’s was just a state of Being,.a passive aspect.
But, our God being all-merciful, knew that we, mere mortals, don’t have the stature, the adhikaara, the spiritual competence of Sanaka,etc. The language of Silence is not the answer in this blighted Kaliyuga. So, there is a transition from Being to Doing(karoti). Keshava came down as BaadaraayaNa and composed Brahma Sootraas. Shiva came down as Acharya Shankara and wrote Bhaashyaas(commentaries). Not content with this literary output, the venerable Acharya established the four Maths and so much more he did to revive Dharma. This is the ACTIVE aspect of God.
“Whenever Dharma declines and Adharma rears itshead, I will come down to protect the good and the godly and punish the wrong-doers” said the Lord in Gita(ch.4, verses 7,8). Taking Avataar is His Active(doing, not just being) aspect as… Sham-kara.
No only Shiva, but our Mother Devi also makes the same promise in Durga Saptashati. At the end of chapter 11, we read: ” Whenever the demons begin to torment you, I will come down and annihilate them”.
We go to Shirali and have darshan of the Lord.WE go to Him, but what happens when HE goes in Palki to far-flung areas to afford darshan to the devotees who are unable to come to Him? That is God being Sham-kara,God in action for our sake,for our wellbeing and happiness.Aum SHANKARAAYA NAMAHA.
11) Aum SHOOLAPAANAYE NAMAHA
Salutations to Him who wields the trident(Trishoola) in His hand.
The trident is the symbol of Maayaa, His creative energy. The three spikes of the trident represent the three constituents of Prakriti – satva, rajas and tamas(three GuNaas). Maayaa and Prakriti(Nature) mean
the same.”maayaam tu prakritim vidyaat” ( Know Maayaa to be Prakriti) says Shvetaashvatara Upanishad.
We are under the sway of Maayaa, but Maayaa is under His sway. That’s why He holds her in His hand. Police accompany a criminal as well as a VIP. The difference is the former is under the control of Police while the Police are under VIP’s control. So though Maayaa is associated with the Creator as well as the Creation, the difference is as above.
Maayaa deludes even the so-called Jnaanis and plunges them into the bottomless pit of “I and mine”(mamatva garta) ,says the sacred Durga Saptashati. Our PuraaNaas are full of stories showing how even great sages fumbled and stumbled!
Are we doomed then? No, not at all. We should go to Him who wields Maayaa, the Trishoola. Once we nestle comfortably at His Feet, we are safe. In the Gita, the Lord says: “daivee hyeshaa guNamayee mama Maayaa duratyayaa/maameva ye prapadyante mama maayaam taranti te”
(This is my Maayaa, divine, composed of three guNaas and difficult to tide over. Only those who surrender to Me will sail across My Maayaa).(Gita.Ch7, verse 14).
When Devi had to battle with demons like Mahisha and his brood, all gods lend Her a weapon from their armoury. Our Shiva evolves a Trishoola from His own and gives Her. We invoke the protection of this Trishoola when we pray “shoolena paahi no Devi….” during our Devi AnushThaana.
There is an anecdote from Mahabharata. It was sunset, the day’s war was over. Pandavaas were resting in their camp. Suddenly Sage Veda Vyaasa appears on the scene, Arjuna tells Vyaasa an eerie experience he has daily on the warfront.”A radiant figure runs in front of me with a blazing lance in his hand and he keeps producing these lances endlessly from his trident. In whichever direction he moves, the warriors drop dead. Who is he” asks Arjuna. Vyaasa says He is Shankara.”Do you think you alone could accomplish so much on the battlefield? The credit goes to Him:
“Eeshaanam varadam devam drashTavaan asi Shankaram/tam gaccha sharaNam devam varadam bhuvaneshwaram )” He is Lord Shankara whom you have seen. He is the Lord of the universe and is showering His grace on you.Please surrender to Him”.
(This anecdote is from Vana Parva of Mahabharata).
So, the message of this Name is: let us go to Him ( by japa, naamasmaraN etc,) and we will be out of bounds for the three-pronged(satva,rajas,tamas) Maayaa – Aum SHOOLAPAANAYE NAMAHA.
12) Aum KHATWAANGINE NAMAHA
Salutations to Him who has Khatwaanga (as one of His ascetic accessories).
An ascetic or a wandering mendicant has with him a minimum of essential accessories, one of which is KhaTwaanga.
KhaTwaa means a cot. A piece of wood resembling the foot of a cot is KhaTwaanga.The ascetic has a skull or a ball-like appendage at its one end. It serves as an arm-rest for him while sitting. A very popular picture of Gondavalekar Maharaj shows Him resting his arm on a khaTwaanga.
Why did God Shiva need a khaTwaanga? Thereby hangs a tale. One night(Shivaraatri) a column of light appeared and from within, a voice said: whoever among Brahma and VishNu reaches the top or the lower tip of this column will be adjudged the greater. Brahma sat on his swan and flew up. The top was nowhere in sight. Just then he saw Ketaki coming down. He persuaded her to be a false witness despite her unwillingness.He, being Brahma, she succumbed to his pressure. VishNu turned into a boar and burrowed deeper and deeper, but could not locate the lower tip. The column was ,indeed, beginning less and endless.At last both of them returned. VishNu truthfully admitted his failure whereas Brahma lied that he had located the top and produced Ketaki as a witness. A furious Shiva then manifested and plucked out one of the five faces of Brahma for telling a lie and hailed VishNu as Satya NaaraayaN. He rebuked Ketaki and cursed that Ketaki flower will be forbidden in worship. When she craved for forgiveness and pleaded her helplessness with Brahma, Shiva softened and said: okay, your flower will be an important article on Gowri-tratiya.
Brahma was also debarred from being worshipped.
Plucking out the face of Brahma was akin to Brahma-hatyaa, thought Shiva and decided voluntarily to be a wandering mendicant for twelve years to atone for the sin. He packed a khaTwaanga, a begging bowl(kapaala) etc and set out on His self-imposed mission.
What is the moral of this story? The commentator says, Shiva thus became a role model for mere mortals. Shiva was right in meting out punishment. Brahma’s offence – he being one of the trinity- was, indeed, grave.
Yet, Shiva felt inclined to do atonement (praayaschitta). Why? It is said : justice should be tempered with mercy’.Shiva must have felt He hurt His colleague Brahma a great deal by, not only plucking His one face, but also depriving Him of the privilege of formal worship. “pramaado dheemataam api”(Even very intelligent persons commit blunders)- He(Shiva) must have thought. Shiva could have imposed a symbolic praayaschitta for a few months or, at the most, one year on Himself. But, He exiled Himself for twelve years! This highlights how merciful He is, how much He must have melted at the plight of Brahma! Don’t we hail Him as karpooragauramKARUNAAVATAARAM?
There is much food for thought, many lessons to be learnt, from this story. He is truly a role model and an exemplar!
Aum KhaTwaangine Namaha.
13) Aum VISHNUVALLABHAAYA NAMAHA
Salutations to Him who is very dear to VishNu.
Shiva is dear to VishNu and VishNu is dear to Shiva.This is Hariharaadvaita. The fanatic sectarians might have fought with each other in olden days over the supremacy of either. But, the scriptures say loudly and clearly: “Shivasya hridayam VishNuhu/
VishNoscha hridayam Shivaha.
(Shiva is the heart of VishNu and VishNu is the heart of Shiva). Both of them have gone on record to proclaim: “aavayorantaram naasti” (There is no difference between us).
Shiva’s names are found in VishNu Sahasranaama and vice versa. To give an example: Shiva is no.27 in VSN, Shambhu is no.38, Mahaadeva no.491.
We have ShankarNaraayaN temples where both receive equal adoration. Our philosophy has always been “eko devaha Keshavo vaa Shivo vaa” (God is One.Call Him Keshava or Shiva).
Our beloved ShankaranaaraayaNa Geetam is an exquisite example of Hariharaadvaita. Alternately we chant the names of both Shankara and NarayaNa. At the end of this perennially beautiful song, the very mention of which wafts our mind to the sacred precincts of our Shri Chitrapur Math, we hail God alternately as follows: the slayer of Tripuraasura(Tripuraantakaaya)(Shiva) and the slayer of Narakaasura(Narakaantakaaya)(VishNu as KrishNa).Again, we hail Shiva as one who has the bull as the sacred emblem on the flag(Vrashabhadhwajaaya) and we hail VishNu as one whose emblem on the flag is GaruDa(GaruDadhwajaaya).
There are diehard sectarians who shun the temple of Shiva or NarayaNa.They are found here and there even now. But, for us, the simple message of this Name is to rise above this pettiness and realize that God is One,be He Shiva or VishNu.
Aum VishNuvallabhaaya Namaha
14) Aum SHIPIVISHTAAYA NAMAHA
Salutations to Him who has entered the sunrays and the hearts of all beings.
Shipi has two meanings which are relevant here – Sunray and the hearts of all beings. VishTa means ‘entered’. We will reflect on both the meanings of Shipi.
The sun is the visible Almighty. He is invoked as Soorya NaaraayaNa. He is also hailed as Rudra(vide Neelalohitaaya namaha). Every Sunray is, indeed, a blessing and a benediction.It is impossible to count the blessings showered by the sun. Life – and our culture and civilisation – will be extinct without sun. We invoke the Almighty in the sun in Gayatri Mantra. God is resident in the particle of dust, the blade of grass and a log of wood(aNureNu triNa kaashTha) ,say our sacred books. So, it goes without saying that He is resident (vishTa, entered) in every ray of the sun..
The Upanishad says: “having created, God entered into the creation”(tat srishTvaa tadevaanu praavishat). HE resides within every being. Our heart is His sanctum sanctorum (garbhagriha). He is the Antaryaami, the inner monitor, in everything says the BrihadaaraNyaka Upanishad(of which a section itself is named as Antaryaami BraahmaNa). The Gita says the same thing: Ishwarah sarvabhootaanaam hrid deshe Arjuna tishTati ( O Arjuna, God is resident in the hearts of all beings.)(XVIII-61)
Look at the portraits of our Pujya Sadgurus, Swami Pandurangashram
onwards, meditating. The right hand is pointing in the region of the heart as if to convey God resides there.
Our body is the temple of God(deho devaalayah proktaha). “deha devaache mandira” said Tukaram. Karmakaand (ritualism) was at its heyday during his days and unscrupulous priests were ruling the roost.The anguished Tukaram wanted to turn people ‘antarmukha'(inward looking) and stop them from hopping from temple to temple. “Why don’t you recognise God within you, oh stupid folks” he rebukes.
How is God within? Tukaram says He is latent like sugar in the sugarcane and like butter in the milk..His abhang is, indeed, like a commentary on the Name under our discussion.
I am attaching the video of Tukaram’s Abhang to enable you to appreciate the meaning better.
Aum ShipivishTaaya. Namaha
15) Aum AMBIKAANAATHAAYA NAMAHA
Salutations to Him, who is the consort of Ambikaa.
Ambika means mother. Here, Mother Goddess. The word ‘naatha’ is significant. ‘naathati’ means to seek, to desire. Shiva was so enamoured – the story goes – of Parvati that He goes to her father Himalaya and seeks her as His spouse. Once wedded, they were inseparable like word and its meaning( vaagarthaaviva sampraktou – opening words of our Bhavanishankara Suprabhatam)(These are also the opening words of Raghuvamsha of Kaalidaasa).
Ambika is Shiva’s shakti(energy). Creation is inconceivable without Her. As Acharya Shankara says in his Soundaryalahari:
” if Shiva is united with Shakti, then creation is possible by Him.Otherwise, He will be totally immobilised.”
(Shivah shaktyaa yukto yadi bhavati shaktah prabhavitum/ na chedevam devo na bhavati kushalah spanditumapi).
In modern terminology we can say that the Shiva- Shakti concept is like matter and energy, substance and quality. An inseparable relationship.
In Devyaparaadha-kshamaapana Stotra, Acharya Shankara pokes some innocent fun.He says,Shiva’s glory and grandeur is all due to His wedding with Devi. Otherwise, His personal profile is very poor! Verse no.7
reads like this:
“His body is smeared with the ash from the funeral pyre,His nourishment is poison,He has all the directions as His garment(Digambara), He has matted hair and the king of serpents around His neck, owns a bull,has a skull as a begging bowl and is the ruler of goblins (bhoota gaNa) dancing and prancing arround Him. Inspite of all this, He is hailed as Jagadeesh, Ruler of the universe. O Mother Bhavaani, the credit goes to You because of Your wedding with Him”.(Vhaklelo paayguNu, as we say in our mother tongue).
This is one of the beautiful aspects of Hinduism. Here, a devotee takes liberty with the Lord.He taunts Him, pokes fun at Him, pretends to be angry with Him, pulls His leg as it were – all out of love. He wiil not be hauled up on charge of blasphemy. In several compositions, the well-known bard of Karnataka, Santa Purandara Daasa takes with glee such potshots at God!
Aum Ambikaanaathaaya Namaha
16) Aum SHREEKANTHAAYA NAMAHAS
Salutations to Him whose throat is graceful.
KanTha means throat. It means neck also. Shree has several meanings like prosperity, grace, auspiciousness etc. Here, grace is applicable. Shiva gulped down the poison Haalaahala(which emerged during Samudra-mathana),but, kept it confined in His throat only. Had He spat it out, it would have spelt allround devastation.He did not allow the poison to go down and vitiate His system. Why did He do it? “bahujana hitaaya sukhaaya cha”(for universal wellbeing and happiness).
There is a beautiful Subhashita which says: The wise man does not spit out(express) any malicious gossip he may have heard; nor does he allow it to go down and pollute his heart. Like Shiva, he keeps it locked in his throat(mukhena nodgiratyoordhvam……).
Did this blue patch in His throat caused by Haalaahala diminish His beauty in any way, Beautiful(Vaamadev) that He was?No, not at all. It turned into a beauty spot and lent grace(shree). Hence the name ShreekanTha.
This name has a message for us: we must strive to be ShreekanTha. God has blessed us with KanTha, voice, speech. We should not misuse this priceless faculty. Our speech must be grace(shree)ful, pleasing and truthful. “Satyam brooyaat, priyam brooyaat” – speak truthfully and sweetly – this is what our sages teach us. If we do so, everyone of us becomes a ShreekanTha. Let us do keertan, sing bhajans – this way we become ShreekanTha too.Let us press our kantha in the service of Music.Let us not defile and desecrate this God-given invaluable kantha by indulging in malicious small talk, abusive language and slander.
Samartha Ramadas repeatedly teaches us to speak with humility(sadaa sarvadaa namra vaache vadaave) and also inspire all others, too, to speak likewise(sarvaamukheen mangala bolavaave).
Tukaram prays: “apavitra vaaNee nako maajhyaa mukhaa/tyaajahooni mukaa baraacha mee” (Let not impure speech come out of my mouth. I would better be dumb than have a foul mouth).
In Kalidasa’s drama, Shaakuntala, there is a scene: Shakuntala, slender, beautiful, but, wearing a garment of tree-bark(valkala) is seen by Dushyanta. Kaalidaasa has given us a memorable verse(sarasijamanuviddham….)(I-20) : “The lotus looks beautiful despite the sheet of moss that surrounds it; the moon’s beauty is enhanced by the scarlike dark spot.Likewise, Shakuntala’s beauty is stunning, despite her tree-bark. OF WHAT USE ARE ORNAMENTS FOR THOSE WHO ARE NATURALLY BEAUTIFUL(kimiva hi madhuraaNaam maNDanam naakriteenaam)?
Our Lord Shiva is naturally beautiful(Vaamadeva). So, the blue patch in His throat is no problem at all.
Aum SheekanThaaya Namaha
17) Aum BHAKTAVATSALAAYA NAMAHA
Salutations to Him who has parental love for His devotees.
In our daily prayers, we invoke Him as “You alone are our mother and You alone our Father(tvameva maataa cha pitaa tvameva).Naturally, therefore, His heart overflows with parental love (vaatsalya). His only expectation from us is a loving heart of a devotee. Nothing else matters for Him . Acharya Shankara elaborates on this vital theme in ever so many ways in His masterpiece, Shivaanandalahari.
In verse no.11, He says: “Be he, the devotee, a Brahmachaari, Grihastha, Vaanaprastha(forest dweller) or a Sanyaasi, it simply matters not for You. Whosesoever heart is offered to You, You become His and You bear the burden of his life.”(vaTurvaa gehee vaa…).
Likewise, it does not matter to God where the devotee lives, be it a cave or a home or a forest. What matters is his loving heart, pining for God.(guhaayaam gehe vaa…..No.12)
When we turn to Gita, it is the same story.
“Whosoever offers me a leaf, a flower, a fruit or water with love and devotion, I will readily accept it” says Shri Krishna(Ch.IX-26). Pujya Swami Anandashram quoted this, His favourite verse, very often. HE always tried to dissuade the laity from taking an impulsive decision to park their family deities in any Math or a temple. “God does not crave ostentation (aaDambara), but He would be quite content with simple loving devotion. Offer Him a leaf.. …. ” HE would say.
I distinctly remember a touching example HE once gave: A child will prefer to be with loving parents who may afford only plain daal rice rather than go to a strange place with better dining facilities. The family deity has a bond of affection with the concerned family and will be reluctant to part from them. So, cherish the deity as a family heirloom”, HE would say.
A beautiful Bhakti Geet sung by Shri R.N.Paradkar(video attached) says: God is hungering(bhukela) for our devotion. The Rudraakshamaalaa and bathing three times daily(trikaala snaana) don’t matter much. The song lists several acts of Grace performed by God, in response to the prayers of devotees:
1.Krishna satisfied Himself with just a grain of cooked rice at Viduraa’s place.
2.Krishna ate with relish the handful of beaten rice(phovu) given by Sudaama.
3.HE was content with the single Tulsi leaf offered by RukmiNi.
4.HE happily partook the naivedya offered by Naamadeva.
5.HE appeared as an outcaste boy and gave a bag of gold to Daamaajipant to pay off his debt.
6.HE helped the poor, overworked maid Janabai to grind the grains for flour.
7.HE came as a servant boy at Eknath’s home and filled several vessels with water in the kitchen.
In the book, Bhakta Vijaya, which chronicles the lives of saints, we come across the above stories and many many more.
Aum BHAKTAVATSALAAYA NAMAHA
18) Aum BHAVAAYA NAMAHA
Salutations to Him whose gift is life.
Bhavati means ‘it happens’. Everything that happens is His Will, Shiva-sankalpa. Who is God? The answer given in Bhriguvalli of Taittiriya Upanishad is very crisp: “He from whom all beings originate, in whom they subsist and unto whom they finally go back and merge is Brahman”.(yato vaa imaani bhootaani jaayante…….).
Our life is His precious gift and is not meant to be squandered. Attitude of gratitude towards Him should be the keynote of our life.”Remember Me constantly and wage your battle”(Ma’am anusmara yudhya cha – Gita VIII-7).We have to keep up our daily battle, keeping Him, our Progenitor, Bhava, in mind.Then, we are safe and secure.
Life is a sequence of six modifications (shaDbhaava). To illustrate: A. child is (ASTI) in mother’s womb, then it is born(JAAYATE), it grows(VARDHATE), attains maturity (VIPARINAMATE), after some years,our senses, mind, indeed the whole body-mind complex, lose (APAKSHEEYATE) their vigour and, finally, the curtain comes down in death(NASHYATI). Look at the names of our sixty Samvatsaraas: the first is Prabhava(birth) and the last is Kshaya(death). The intervening 58 names illustrate the rough and tumble of our life.
When we ignore Bhava and routinely become victims of the six bhaavaas (modifications) described above, we are said to be floundering in BHAVA SAAGARA, the ocean of Samsaara. A Guru-bhajan says: O Sadguru, I have fallen headlong into the sea of Samsaara. Pray rescue me, pray rescue me( sadguru naatha taaraya taaraya bhavasindhou patitam).The Sadguru heeds our call and steps in for our rescue.
During BhasmadhaaraNa (while applying Bhasma) we recite five mantraas, one of which is addressed to Sadyojaata(western face among Shiva’s five faces) in which we plead with Him: “not in the endless cycle of births and deaths, but to go above it. O Lord, please bless me (bhave bhave na, atibhave bhavasva ma’am). In the same mantra Sadyojaata is hailed as BHAVODBHAVA(the fountainhead of life).
During Shiva-poojan, we say: BHAVAAYA JALAMOORTAYE NAMAHA. How appropriate and. scientific it is to identify Bhava with water (among the AshTamoortis)! Where there is water, there is life.Water is life. When our scientists explore the planets for signs of life, they look for presence of water. Thus, associating bhava (life and its originator) with jala(water) is, indeed, a stroke of genius.
Aum BHAVAAYA NAMAHA
19) Aum SHARVAAYA NAMAHA
Salutations to Him who does the dissolution of the universe.
‘???? himsaayaam’ – this root(dhaatu) means to injure. At the end of the world-play, He winds up the whole show, spelling death and destruction. Laya(dissolution) is one of His krityaas(functions).
Apart from this cyclical dissolution taking place during praLaya, God also kills demons and those with demonic qualities(vinaashaaya cha dushkritaam)who are a scourge to mankind.
Hence His epithet Sharva. Shiva PuraaNa, Linga PuraaNa and several other books are full of stories depicting His role as Sharva – the Upholder of Dharma and the Annihilator of votaries of Adharma.
Among AshTamoortis, Sharva represents the earth.”SHARVAAYA kshitimoortaye Namaha”, we say during Shiva-poojan. Kshiti means earth. Just as associating Bhava with water is very significant, so too here. The mother earth is the final resting place for our bodies – our deathless soul will fly away, leaving our bodies in her care. Be it cremation or burial, she is the destination for our earthly vestures.
All have heard Kabir’s song, sung by Smt.Lakshmi Shankar: maati kahe kumbhaarako tu kyaa rondhe mohe / ika dina aisaa hoyega mai rondhoongi tohe(The clay tells the Potter: you are pounding and pummelling me now, but a day will come when it will be my turn to do the same to you!).
Don’t we refer to our body as ‘paarthiva shareera’? Our body belongs to prithvi, mother earth. That’s why we call it ‘paarthiva’. There is the wellknown Biblical saying: “Dust thou art and unto dust thou shalt return”.
Aum SHARVAAYA NAMAHA
20) Aum TRILOKESHAAYA NAMAHA
Salutations to Him who rules the three worlds.
He is the “eesha”or ruler of svarga(heaven), mrityu(this world of we, mortals) and paataala(the netherworld). In 15th ch.of Gita, verse 17, we read “yo lokatrayam aavishya bibharti avyaya eeshvaraha” – “entering the three worlds, He, the immutable Lord, upholds them”.
Before chanting Gayatri mantra, we say: Aum bhooh bhuvah svaha. Here, these syllables also refer to the three worlds.AUM, this single syllable, refers to God(Aum iti ekaaksharam Brahma – Gita viii-13). So, before we invoke Him in Savita, the sun as the visible God, we affirm that He is pervading the three worlds. This affirmation precedes everytime we chant the Gayatri mantra.
From the metaphysical point of view, as explained in MaanDookya Upanishad, the
Atman, the Self, which is the same in one and all ( not to be confused with ego which
differs from one another) is the Sarveshwara. It is the emperor of all it surveys, it’s empire being the three planes(loka) of experience – waking, dreaming and deep sleep. This is our fourth, immutable dimension. This is like the screen in a theatre. Filmy images come and go in a mind-boggling variety, but the screen remains untouched, inviolate. The film “Towering Inferno” does not scorch it. “Titanic” does not drench it. Earthquake images create no craters in it. MaanDukya teaches us to identify ourselves with this, our really real Turiya(fourth) dimension. It counsels us NOT to identify ourselves with any of the three states which come and go.”I am the screen of samvit, pure witnessing(saakshi) consciousness. On me, the three avasthaas(waking, dreaming and deep sleep) come and go. I am their witness, the spectator, the observer” – thus we should educate ourselves to think. This is the timeless message of MaanDookya Upanishad. That’s why it has been said : One MaanDookya alone is enough to lead the aspirants to Mukti(ManDookyam ekameva alam mumukshooNaam vimuktaye).
So, this Atman is the Eesha of three(tri) planes if experience-
Aum TRILOKESHAAYA NAMAHA –
21) Aum SHITIKANTHAAYA NAMAHA
Salutations to Him whose throat(neck) is blue.
Shiti here means blue. He is NeelakanTha. The saphire is called shiti ratna, the blue gem. His complexion is fair like camphor and only the neck is blue due to His imbibing the deadly poison, Haalaahala(also called
KaalakooTa).
Appayya Dikshita, a great Acharya with enormous literary output to his credit, says:
“Gangaa dhritaa na bhavataa Shiva paavaneeti/ naasvaadito madhura ityapi kaalakootaha/samrakshaNaaya jagataam karuNaatirekaat/karmadvayam phalitametat ananya saadhyam”(Brahma-tarka-stava, verse 35). The meaning is: “O Shiva, You did not bear Ganga because she is said to be pure, nor did You imbibe the poison KaalakooTa because You relished it as sweet. You accomplished these two impossible feats to safeguard and protect the worlds out of exuberance of Your compassion”. That is why we praise Him as KaruNaavataara, Compassion Incarnate.
Same Appayya Dikshita has given us another gem of a Subhaashita in his book called Kuvalayaananda(a work on Rhetorics, Alankaara Shaastra):
“GuNaadoshou budho grihNan indu kshveDaaviveshvarah/shirasaa shlaaghate
poorvam, param kaNthe niyacchati”
The meaning is: The wise man takes note of good and bad qualities in another. Like Shiva, he appreciatively nods his head in respect of the former(guNa), but locks up the latter(dosha) in his throat.Shiva sported the virtuous moon on His head, but confined the poison in His throat.”
Aum SHITIKANTHAAYA NAMAHA
22) Aum SHIVAA-PRIYAAYA NAMAHA
Salutations to Him who is beloved OF Parvati(Shivaayaah priyaha)
Salutations to Him whose beloved IS Parvati (Shivaa priyaa yasya saha)
Shivaa is Parvati, Shiva’s shakti. As explained vide 15th Name(Ambikaa-naathaaya namaha) they are inseparable like fire and its burning power, flower and its fragrance, sun and sunlight, moon and moonlight etc.
In the 15th Name, stress was on Shiva, the Naatha(Her consort). Here, the stress is on Shivaa,His spouse.
Our God Shiva is a mystery. Contraries co-exist in Him. Kaalidaasa expresses this beautifully in his invocatory verse in his drama, Maalavikaagnimitra:
“He showers His devotees, who have surrendered to Him, with plenty of riches and yet, He is content with only the elephant-hide as His garment. He is inextricably bound with His spouse (Ardhanaareeshwara) and yet, He is beyond the reach of ascetics who have given up passion(for kaamini and kaanchan). With His eight bodies(ashTamoorti), He is upholding the universe and yet, He is singularly free from abhimaana(ego)(whereas we are prey to abhimaana, having only one body to boast of). May this Shiva remove the darkness in your minds and light up the path of good and righteousness(ekaishvarya sthitopi praNata bahuphale…..).
The 15th Name Ambikaa-naathaaya Namaha highlighted the marriage, refering to Shiva as Her consort. But, it was not a loveless marriage as happens many times. Parvati did not buckle under her father’s (Himalaya’s)
pressure and threw her lot with Shiva. She also loved Him deeply. Marriage was not just a ritual for Her. Mutual love between the partners is the soul of marriage. This aspect is highlighted by the name under discussion.
Their love is mutual as the two-fold interpretation of the word ‘Shivaapriya’ ,given above at the beginning, shows.
Aum SHIVAAPRIYAAYA NAMAHA
23) Aum UGRAAYA NAMAHA
Salutations to Him who is furious and ferocious.
Our God Shiva, as the name itself signifies, is the very embodiment of serenity. He is Shaantamoorti. But, it does not mean we can take Him for granted and act unrighteously with impunity. He can be furious and take us to task as well.
A well-known Subhaashita says: They can be harder than the diamond and softer than the petals of a flower. Who can understand the hearts of the extraordinary!(vajraadapi kaThoraaNi mridooni kusumaadapi…).
When occasion demands even Shiva can give up His benign aspect and turn ugra(furious).
We have heard the name Ugra Narasimha.When the demon HiraNyakashyapa became intolerably violent with his own little Godloving son Prahlaada, VishNu became Ugra Narasimha, furious and ferocious,and emerged from a pillar and killed him. Likewise, Shiva, too, becomes Ugra when necessary. When He punished Brahma, it was an Ugra Shiva in action. Our PuraaNaas are full of stories – Shiva PuraaNa, Linga PuraaNa, Skanda PuraaNa etc – illustrating the Ugra aspect of Shiva.
When Pujya Swami Shankarashram-I attained Mahaasamaadhi and the Guru-peeTha fell vacant, the then ruler of Nagar Samsthaan deputed two persons to loot our Math at Shirali, get hold of all movable and immovable properties and lock up the Math(ref. Ch,11 of Shree Chitrapura Guruparampara Charitra). He did not order them to desecrate the Samaadhi.”Vinaashakaale vipareeta buddhi” goes the saying. The two minions of Nagar pour buckets of water on the paarthiva(earthen) Linga in the Samaadhi to make it dissolve,but fail. Then, they try to break it with a big hammerlike tool but, lo,they fail again. They become nervous and rush to their ruler to report the miracle. On that very night, the two offenders vomit blood and pass away. Divine retribution caught up with them. This is our Lord Bhavanishankar exhibiting His Ugra aspect.
When Shri Krishna favoured Arjuna with Vishvaroop Darshan, Arjuna felt that Cosmic Form to be unbearably Ugra and he pleads and prays to Krishna to please revert to His usual Soumya(benign) form..
Ugra is also one of the names of VishNu and is no.421 in VishNu Sahasranaama. Commenting on it, Acharya Shankara says: “sooryaadeenaam api bhayahetutvaat ugraha” – He is Ugra because He strikes terror in the hearts of even deities like the sun, etc.
During Shiva-poojan we say: UGRAAYA VAAYUMOORTAYE NAMAHA. Among the AshTamoortis, Vaayu is associated with Ugra. The same Vaayu(wind) which soothes and comforts us as a breeze, becomes Ugra when it balloons into,let us say, the Nisarga cyclone.The association of Ugra with Vaayu is very apt and convincing.
Aum UGRAAYA NAMAHA
24) Aum KAPAALINE NAMAHA
Salutations to Him who has the skull in hand
Kapaala is the skull. Here the skull is Brahma’s – Brahma-kapaala. The mendicants carry kapaala as a begging bowl. Shiva turned into a mendicant for twelve years to atone for His plucking out a face of Brahma(vide no.12 KhaTwaangine namaha).
Shiva is a paradox. Contraries co- exist in Him. The following invocation is interesting:
Bhikshukopi sakalepsita daataa/
Pretabhoomi nilayopi pavitraha/
Bhootamitramapi yo/bhaya daataa/
tam vichitracharitam shivameeDe//
“He is a mendicant, and yet, He gives whatever you wish for. He resides in the impure cremation ground(after coming from where we always take bath) and yet, He is ever pure. Frightening goblins are counted among His friends, but, He bestows fearlessness on us. I pray and praise this Shiva whose conduct is very baffling indeed!”.
There is a Subhashita:
kapaalastham yathaa toyam
shvadritou cha yathaa payaha/
heyam duhsthaana dosheNa
vrittaheenam tathaa shrutam//
“Three things are to be avoided. They are pure, but, their containers are not – the water in a kapaala, milk in a sachet of doghide and learning in a person of mean conduct.”
But, our dear Lord being a riddle to our puny intellect, has no problem with the water in the kapaala, having imbibed much worse, the Haalaahala poison.
He is Lokapaala(custodian of the universe), with a kapaala in hand!
Aum KAPAALINE NAMAHA
25) Aum KAAMAARAYE NAMAHA
Salutations to Him who is the foe of Cupid.
Kaama here refers to Cupid(Kaama deva).Shiva turned him to ash(vide no.7, Viroopaakshaaya namaha). So, here He is refered to as the enemy of Cupid.
This Name is full of spiritual resonance.From the Saadhakaa’s point of view, this name has much to offer. Kaama means desire in general, but passionate love in particular.
Kaama-dahana (reduction of desire to ash) is a natural happening in the life of a spiritual aspirant(saadhaka). It is the testimony of all saints that as they move closer to God, their desires become less and less, and their contentment index begins to soar and touch the sky! “My happiness is in Your Lotus Feet”(tujhe paayi sarvasukha aahe – Tukaram).”I don’t desire anything else”(na maage aaNika – Tukaram).
Naamadev says: “vaasanaa nivaali jeevaanteela”(the craving in my soul is no more). Tukaram says: “kaama krodha lobha svaartha, avaghaa jhaalaa PanDarinaath”(my desire, anger , greed and selfishness – all these are centred in ViThala, Lord of
Pandharpur). All cravings(vaasanaas) drop off. Only one Vaasanaa lingers on – the Vaasanaa for Vaasudeva(God)!
The Saadhaka should note that here there is no suppression or repression of the cravings.HE does not give them up. THEY give him up. They simply drop off like ‘urvaarukamiva bandhanaat'(like the cucumber, pumpkin etc on the creeper separating from the stalk easily, effortlessly). The Saadhaka rises above them , transcends them, surpasses them. It is a painless operation courtesy NAAMA SMARAN.
Sri Ramakrishna says : You bring in light, and lo, the darkness of ages will take to its heels.Can you wrestle with darkness to make it go away? Bring in its contrary, the light, and darkness will go, He would say(Ref.Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna).
God is the very opposite of our pathetic condition.We are rejoicing in the unreal(asat) whereas He is the Real(sat).We are groping in darkness(tamas) whereas He is the Light(Jyoti). We are in the grip of death(mrityu) whereas He is Amrita. So, all we have to do is to move closer and closer to Him and then, on their own, our six internal enemies(kaama, krodha etc) will recede farther and farther and melt away.
This is exactly what Maharshi Patanjali advised ages ago in his Yoga-sootra: “vitarka baadhane pratipaksha bhaavanam”(II-33).
God is simple and the path to Him is simple too. “Maam anusmara” (remember Me) – this is the simple advice of the Lord in Gita.Let us do japa, naama smaraN, dhyaana etc – several avenues of remembrance – and He will do the rest.. Does not our Poojya Swamiji tell us again and again to do AnusmaraN?
Aum KAAMAARAYE NAMAHA
26) Aum ANDHAKAASURA SOODANAAYA NAMAHA
Salutations to Him who slayed (soodana) the demon called Andhaka.
It is narrated in many PuraaNaas(like Shiva, Matsya, Linga) that Shiva killed the above demon.His other name is Jaladharaasura.The story goes that this demon tried to abduct Paarvati and so, met his doom at the hands of Shiva.
Every story in the PuraaNaas is an allegory. Andhaka means he who darkens and turns you blind. The other name Jaladhara means cloud. What happens when a huge cloud blocks our vision of the sun? Is it not as if the cloud is ‘abducting’ sunlight (shakti of the sun)?
Ignorance is this demon. Like the cloud veiling the sun, ajnaana veils the Truth.”ajnaanena aavritam jnaanam tena muhyanti jantavah”(Knowledge is veiled by ignorance and so, all beings are in delusion) (Gita V-15).
The grace of God and the Guru are essential for us to get rid of this ajnaana. The demon Jaladhara(Andhaka) is depicted as a hydra-headed monster. So is ignorance. Is it not? Just as a cloud darkens the horizon, ignorance darkens our intelligence, turns it blind(andheekaroti) to Reality.
In the 3rd chapter of Gita, we find the Lord Krishna fulminating against Kaama and Krodha(lust and anger) and uses very harsh words about them. He says, they are born of RajoguNa, have an insatiable appetite (mahaashana) and drive their victims to commit sins(mahaa paapmaa). “Kill each one of them(jahi shatrum). Know them to be your enemies here in your life(viddhi enam iha vairiNam).(III-37).
Krishna says: This compound of kaama and Krodha is your perpetual enemy(nitya vairi).They can never be satisfied (duhshpoora), can assume a variety of delusive forms (kaamaroopa) and can scald and scorch you like fire(anala).(III-39).
In this same chapter, Lord says: Just as fire is overcast by smoke, a mirror with a coat of dust and the child in the womb by foetal covering, so is knowledge and wisdom covered by these twins, kaama and Krodha(III-38).
In the 6th verse of DakshiNmoorti Stotra,
Acharya Shankara compares this veiling(covering) of the self by Maayaa to the sun(divaakara) or the moon(indu) eclipsed by Raahu. (Raahugrasta divaakarendu sadrisho…). Kaama, Krodha etc constitute the retinue of Avidyaa Maayaa (Sri Ramakrishna vide Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna).
Who can kill this demon? A ‘surgical strike’ is a must. Who can accomplish this feat? Obviously God and the Guru. How is this possible? Bhakti is the answer. Let us cultivate Bhakti, do constant remembrance (anusmaraNa) of God and the Guru. Let us do japa, naamasmaran, dhyaana etc. Let us chant our GurunaamaavaLi (Parijnanashrama Shree Guru Shankara….) several times a day.This Bhakti paves the way to Abhi(allround) Jnaana(knowledge). Lord Krishna assures us “bhaktyaa Ma’am abhijaanaati”(,Ch.18-55).With the advent of the light of Jnaana, can the darkness of the blinding(Andhaka) ignorance(ajnaana) remain? No, not at all.
Aum ANDHAKAASURA SOODANAAYA NAMAHA
(contd)
27) Aum GANGAADHARAAYA NAMAHA
Salutations to Him who bears Ganga(on His head).
Vide Name no.8, Aum Kapardine Namaha, enough has been said about the descent of Ganga. Now, it is time to give a fresh look at the word Gangaadhara. Surely, this epithet has much more to offer in meaning than the story.
Shiva’s bearing the moon and Ganga on His head is a rhetorical (alankaarika) way of saying He cherishes and adores those who embody in them the values they(moon and Ganga) symbolically represent. Vide Name no.5, Aum Shashishekharaaya Namaha, we saw that the moon stood for ‘parijnaana'(complete knowledge culminating in Anubhava, experience).
What does Ganga stand for?
Ganga is a byword for purity. We invoke Ganga, Yamuna and other sacred rivers to come and be present in “asmin jale” (this water) while performing Pooja. The “asmin jala” may be well water or Municipal water. But, we sanctify that water with the invocation: “Gange cha Yamune chaiva Godavari Saraswati/Narmade Sindhu Kaveri jalesmin sannidhim kuru”.The pride of place among the rivers goes to Ganga.
Pandit Madanmohan Malaviya(Founder of Benares Hindu University) says that there are four staples of Hinduism: Gangaa, Gitaa, Gaayatri and Go-maataa(mother cow).These are the four famous ga-kaaraas of Hinduism.
The saints and the scriptures point out that there is no shortcut to purity. We don’t wash away our sins with just a dip in the sacred waters.Sri Ramakrishna says with his characteristic wit and humour: “yes, when you dip in the Ganges, your sins desert you for the moment and go and perch on a tree on the river bank. No sooner you come out, lo, they come back to stay with you!”.
Naamadeva said: “Of all teerthaas, Name of God is the foremost and capable of purifying us”. (teerthaanche pai teertha naama hey samartha) Another Subhaashita says:There are fish living in Ganga and similar teerthaas, there are birds camping in temple precincts. Do they get liberation? Devoid of Jnaana, they don’t (gangaadi teertheshu vasanti matsyaah….).
There are eight teerthaas( also described as flowers): ahimsaa(non-violence), indriya nigraha(sense control), sarva bhoota dayaa(universal compassion), kshamaa(forgiveness), Jnaana, tapas(austerity), shaanti and Satyam. These are the perennial purifiers.Those who cultivate these values are dear to God. Ganga stands for this cluster of values. The Lord clasps to His bosom such devotees.
In the 12th chapter of Gita, in the concluding verses(13 to 20), Lord Krishna tells Arjuna about the qualities of His dearest devotees(ateeva priyabhaktaah).The reader may kindly refer to Gita. These are the qualities of a pure soul. Ganga is their eloquent symbol.
Neither Sri Ramakrishna nor any other saints (and sacred books) intend to belittle the sanctity of our rivers or dismiss pilgrimages as useless. Pray let us not misunderstand them. All they want to say is: don’t shirk and skip saadhanaa, vainly looking for shortcuts and instant recipes for salvation(moksha).
Aum GANGAADHARAAYA NAMAHA
28) Aum LALAATAAKSHAAYA NAMAHA
Salutations to Him who has an eye on His forehead.
Vide Name 7(Aum Viroopaakshaaya Namaha), we have explored the significance of the third eye. So, repeating the same here (charvita charvaNa – chewing the cud as cows do) will not help.
Instead of deriving the word as given above (the conventional way),why not re-invent the derivation as: One who has an eye on (everyone’s ) forehead i.e destiny?
This gives so much scope to reflect on His glory.
Our forehead(lalaaTa) represents destiny, the sumtotal of our karma. We refer to destiny as Brahmalikhita – scribbled by Brahma. There is a Subhashita:
HariNaapi HareNaapi BrahmaNaapi surairapi/lalaaTa likhitaa rekhaa parimaarshTum na shakyate//
It means: Neither Hari, Hara nor Brahmaa and other gods can wipe out the lines written on our lalaaTa (forehead). Our forehead is the dashboard of our destiny. On that lalaaTa(forehead), our Lord Shiva has an eye(aksha).
What does it mean? A law needs an enforcer of the law. Law is inert, not a conscious entity, whereas the enforcer is chetana, a fully conscious entity.
In his ‘Upadesha Saaram’ Shri RamaNa Maharshi says: “karturaajnayaa praapyate phalam/karma kim karam karma tajjaDam”(We reap the fruits of our karma as decreed by Him, the Supreme Doer, kartaa. By itself what can the karma do, it being inert?). God oversees and supervises the
operation of the law of Karma. As we have seen earlier(vide Aum Kapardine Namaha – no.8), He does not alter our destiny. He does not interfere with the law of karma, but, He blesses us with the inner resources of endurance, resilience and grit to experience the fruits of our destiny with samatva, with equanimity.
BaadaraayaNa has a sootra(II-1-34), in his Brahma-sootra which reads: vaishamya nairghriNye na saapekshatvaat. It means: no charge of partiality and cruelty can be held against Him, because of His taking other factors into consideration. The other factors refer to our individual merits and demerits.
Acharya Shankara in His commentary says;
God is to be compared to rain (Ishvaraha parjanyavat drashTavyaha). Just as rainfall is the common cause for the growth of paddy, barley etc, the special reasons for the differences of paddy, barley etc, are the individual potentiality of the respective seeds.
So, just as we can’t charge the rainfall with partiality or cruelty, we can’t charge God also likewise.
When God assures us repeatedly(as in Gitaa) that He will take care of our Yoga-kshema,that His devotee will never be doomed, that He will absolve us of all sins and says comfortingly : don’t grieve(maa shucha), it is obvious that He has an eye (aksha) on the destiny (lalaaTa ) of each one of us.
Aum LALAATAAKSHAAYA NAMAHA
29) Aum KAALAKAALAAYA NAMAHA
Salutations to Him who makes us transcend Time.
Here only one word is used – kaala – but, its
two meanings are relevant – time and death.
In the Gita, Lord Krishna uses the word in both senses.In the 10th ch, verse 30, He says; kaalah kalayataam aham – I am time which is counted (seconds, minutes,hours, days and so on).This name applies to Shiva and also to VishNu (no.418 in VSN).During BhasmadhaaraNa
(while we apply bhasma on our forehead etc), in one mantra addressed to Vaamadeva( northern face of Shiva) we say “kaalaaya namaha”(Time is God).
But, kaala also means death (kaalayati naashayati iti kaalaha). In the 11th ch.verse 32, Lord Krishna says: kaalosmi loka kshayakrit(I am Death engaged in the dissolution of all the worlds). Even Yama trembles before Him. In the Taittiriya Upanishad(II-8) we read: Fearing Him, the wind blows, the sun rises, Agni and Indra too fear Him and the last line is: mrityurdhaavati
panchamaha(the fifth one, mrityu, RUNS AWAY from Him). Hence, Shiva is called Mahaakaal(superior to death).
Yama, God of death, is our time-keeper. When our time is up, we should forthwith depart from here. Of course, stories are there like MaarkaanDeya getting a new lease of life or Saavitri rescuing Satyavaan from the clutches of Yama. It is upto us to believe them or not. They are primarily in praise of Bhakti and resolute determination.
The spiritual import of God being ‘kaalakaala’ is the realization God confers on us that we are deathless. Atman is not prey to the depradations of time. Birth and death occur in time and these don’t apply to me, the really real me, the essential me, the Atman.. While annotating the 18th name(BHAVAAYA namaha), we spoke about the six modifications (shaDbhaava) that the body is prey to. They occur in time. They have no bearing on me, the Atman. When this realization, this close encounter with Truth, this Anubhava becomes mine, thanks to Shiva and the Guru, I become ‘kaalakaala’ , I
rise above time to soar high to my deathless(amara), ageless(ajara), timeless(kaalaateeta) dimension as the ATMAN. This is the ‘tureeya’ dimension described in the MaanDookya Upanishad. I then realize that I have ALWAYS been that, but was a prey to forgetfulness. It becomes my ‘Eureka’ moment. This is NOT an invention, but a DISCOVERY. Like King Janaka(with AshTaavakra), I exclaim: ‘aho aham, namo mahyam'(oh me, salutations to me!). I become a revelation to myself. “Death, be not proud!” I exclaim. I rejoice in my discovery that I am ‘kaalakaala’, I am Mrityunjaya, the conqueror of death!
Aum KAALAKAALAAYA NAMAHA
30) Aum KRIPAANIDHAYE NAMAHA
Salutations to Him, who is a treasurehouse
of active compassion.
Compassion(dayaa) becomes Kripa when it is not sterile, but dynamic and service-oriented. Many a time we see someone who evokes our pity. We mutter “ayyo paapa” and move on. It is a sterile gesture. If we do something to help him (who evoked our dayaa), it is Kripaa. Kri implies action( karoti) and paa implies protection(paati). God and the Guru are not only dayaaghana (embodiment of mercy), but also kripaaghana as explained above.
Our PuraaNaas abound in stories illustrating the active and dynamic mercy of God. Stories of child-devotees Dhruva and Prahlaada, the story of Gajendramoksha (an elephant caught by an alligator is rescued),Krishna coming to the rescue of Draupadi when Duhshaasana was trying to disrobe her and Sudaama, the poor childhood friend of Krishna, being showered with prosperity are illustrative of His kripaa.
Our Sadgurus are our visible divinities and the anecdotes showing how the devotees were blessed and saved from tricky situations by our Poojya Sadgurus are chronicled in Shree Chitrapura Guruparampara Charitra. The beneficiaries of Sadgurus’ kripaa included non-aamchis too. Duggappa Shetty and Alisha(a Mohammadan) were showered by Kripaa by Poojya Swami Pandurangashram. There are instances galore and I would humbly urge my readers to study SCGC.
In chapter 21 of SCGC , Poojya Swami Keshavashram gives a most memorable Upadesh. Suppose you are on way to a place of worship, clad in say a pitaambar (aNvaaLe in our mother tongue), holding in hand a plate full of articles of worship – teertha, panchaamrita, flowers etc. On the way you find an untouchable fallen in a swoon. What should you do? Swamiji (Keshavashram) says: attend to him , sprinkle water on his eyes,when he revives and comes back to senses, make him drink the panchaamrit and take him to his home. Then, you go home, take bath and go to the temple with the wherewithal of worship.This is kripaa, dayaa in action.
Our reigning Gurudev, Shrimat Sadyojat Shankarashram Swamiji, has showered His kripaa in eversomany ways: in areas like education,rural uplift, women empowerment, healthcare etc, in addition to ministering to our spiritual needs. Our glorious Guruparampara has always been a lighthouse of kripa.
In his little masterpiece, Manaache Shloka, Samartha Ramadas gives us ten shlokaas,describing the qualities of the most fortunate servant of God(jagee dhanya to daasa sarvottamaachaa). One shloka is worth quoting:
In the above pretty pen-portrait of the ideal Daasa of Shri Rama, we can see Kripaa as the culmination of all the preceding qualities
like dayaa, tenderness of mind, and friendliness.
The book, Bhakta Vijaya, chronicling the lives of devotees drawn from all strata of society,abounds in stories illustrating the kripaa showered on them by God.
Gita is soaked in kripaa. Page after page of Gita bears witness to Lord Krishna’s all-encompassing kripaa. Quoting them by verse will make my note too long. I am giving below some most important references to enable the readers to look up the same:
Ch.9. Verses 22, 26,30, 31,34
Ch.10. Verses 10, 11
Ch.18. Verses 65, 66
Aum KRIPAANIDHAYE NAMAHA
31) Aum. BHEEMAAYA NAMAHA
Salutations to Him who is formidable and awe-inspiring.
“bibheti asmaat sarvam iti bheemaha” – He is called Bheema because everyone is scared of Him.
While commenting on 29th name(Aum KAALAKAALAAYA namaha), we saw the Upanishadic narration that all gods like the sun,wind,fire,Indra and Yama follow His decree out of fear for Him.They know that before His immensity, they are nothing. In the Kena Upanishad, Devi Uma appears as a Yaksha and humbles the gods like Vaayu, Agni, VaruNa and Indra who had become swollen with pride.
“bhayaanaam bhayam bheeshaNam bheeshaNaanaam/ gatih praaNinaam paavanam paavanaanaam” is an ancient invocation.It means: All fears fear Him, he is the most frightening One, the ultimate resort of all beings and who is purest of the pure.
In ch.11 of Gita when the Lord unveils His cosmic form(vishvaroopa), the vision strikes Arjuna as formidable and awe-inspiring.The scene is so disquieting that Arjuna says he is losing courage,peace of mind and feels disoriented. “I can’t make out the directions’ (disho na jaane), he says and implores Shri Krishna to give up this Bheema form and return to His normal form,which is
soothing, smiling and serene.
Hanuman is supposed to be a formidable form(Bheemaroopi) of Mahaarudra and there is a beautiful stotra with that name.This is why Chitrapura Rathotsava takes place on Hanuman Jayanti.
The video of this popular stotra is enclosed.
During Pooja(at Shirali and elsewhere and during camp of Pujya Swamiji in a Sabha) a very important Sookta from RgVeda is chanted. It is called Manyu Sookta. Its concluding mantra runs as follows:
“Bhiyam dadhaanaah hridayeshu shatravaha/paraajitaaso apanilyantaam”.It means: let all the enemies(internal and external) develop fright in their hearts and take to their heels, totally defeated”.They can be frightened because He is Bheema.
During Shiva-poojan we say: BHEEMAAYA aakaasha moortaye namaha. Among the AshTamoortis, Aakaasha or the sky is Bheema. The sky is all-encompassing, all-inclusive. The other elements like earth, water,. fire and wind are IN the sky, the infinite space.Our janma and mrityu (birth and death) and the brief interlude we call our life – all these happen under the vast canopy of the sky. A look at the star-studded sky on a moonlit night is awe-inspiring.Is it not?So, how appropriate it is to identify Bheema with Aakaasha!
Aum BHEEMAAYA NAMAHA
32) Aum PARASHU HASTAAYA NAMAHA
Salutations to Him who has an axe in His hand.
An axe is useful to a woodcutter. Our mind is like a dense jungle as Acharya Shankara says in verse no.43 of Shivaanandalahari. “maamaka manah kaantaara”. The wild growth of brambles and bushes needs expert trimming. Who else will help us? Of course, our dear Lord Shiva. With His parashu, He will make a clean sweep of all that is inimical to our saadhanaa, and will ensure the full flowering of our soul.
Says Acharya Narahari in his treatise BODHASAARA (Poojya Swami Parijnanashram-III loved to quote from this book very often):
“Yena mohavanam chinnam kadaachit na prarohati/sa bodhah parashuh teeksNo
haste Rudrasya vartate//
“Parashu,axe, in the hand of Rudra, stands for that bodha (knowledge,wisdom) which cuts down the jungle(Vana) of delusion(moha etc).Once cut down, it never grows again”.
What are these superfluous weeds that need to be removed? Maharshi Patanjali calls them as klesha(afflictions) in his Yoga Sutraas(II-3). They are Avidyaa(ignorance), asmitaa(egoism), raaga(attachment), dvesha(aversion) and abhinivesha(the desire to cling to life). Avidya is the rootcause. Says Patanjali: avidyaakshetram uttareshaam(II-4).It means: ignorance gives rise to the rest (asmita etc).
From out of the above, emerge our wellknown resident enemies – kaama, Krodha,lobha, moha, mada(arrogance) and maatsarya(envy).
As we can see, this is a formidable army poised to strike at us always. These aberrations keep us, the darling children of God, in chains and make us miserable wretches,depriving us of our birthright, our divine heritage, of sat-chit-aananda.
Sometimes, it so happens that despite our saadhanaa, we don’t seem to make much headway. Why? The answer given in the book ‘Meditation and Spiritual Life’ by Swami Yatiswarananda is: the anchored boat does not move. There is a story behind it.
“On a moonlit night, some drunken men took it into their heads to go on a boatride. They went to the ghaat, hired a boat, sat at the oars and started rowing. They rowed and rowed the whole night.Early in the morning, when the effect of drink had gone, they found to their surprise that they had not moved even an inch.” What is the matter? they asked one another. They had forgotten to raise the anchor!!! (Page 288).
Same is our plight. We are too much tethered to I and Mine. We are not only in samsaara, but have let samsaara to be in us. So, we are like those health freaks who keep pedalling the stationary bicycle in a gym WITHOUT moving an inch forward.
How can we get out of this mess? Well, let us turn to God and the Guru. They both have
the parashu(axe) in their hands. The parashu will do the trick, let us rest assured.
Aum PARASHU HASTAAYA NAMAHA
33) Aum MRIGAPAANAYE NAMAHA
Salutations to Him who holds a deer in hand.
Be he,Shiva or VishNu, going on a hunting spree(mrigabete, a Kannada word) is His passion. We have Mrigabete Utsav at Shirali during Rathotsava and at Vittal during ShashTi. These Utsavs no doubt provide a lot of fun and frolic to one and all. We have ‘vaagaa vesu’, young and not so young, with garish paint on their bodies to look like tigers. Their capers are so funny and give one and all many moments of mirth and merriment. Children anxiously wait for such occasions. This is the beauty of our Hinduism.
But, what does Mrigabete symbolise? It makes no sense to think that God would, indeed, love to kill wild animals, who are as much His ‘children’ as we are. Here, the ‘mrigabete’ is a happening taking place within our hearts. The primary goal of every Utsav is the chastening of the heart, the much coveted chittashuddhi. This cleansing of the heart can come about only if the ‘wild animals’ roaming within, are ‘killed’.
Acharya Shankara has a very memorable prayer to Shiva in His Shivanandalahari as follows:
“O Lord, Resident of the mountain, You, the original hunter! Pray don’t go here and there. Stay within me alone. In the jungle called my mind, there are various infatuated wild animals like envy, arrogance and many others. Please kill them and satisfy your passion for wild hunt.”( No.43. maa gaccha tvam itastatah Girisha bho, mayyeva vaasam kuru….).
Though the Lord may ‘kill’ other wild animals, there is one pretty animal He would love to cherish and hold in His hand. It is the fleet-footed deer. This deer represents our fleet-footed mind itself. Like the deer, it runs here,there and everywhere.
Arjuna tells Krishna: O Krishna,my mind is restless,it makes my senses turbulent, controlling it is as difficult as controlling the wind(chanchalam hi manah KrishNa, pramaathi…Gita VI-34). This is not the anguish of a solitary Arjuna, it is the anguish of every aspiring Saadhaka. So, what is the solution?
.Give that restless mind( chanchala mana) to me, the Lord says.He has no other expectation from us.”manmanaa bhava”(give your mind to me – ch 9, verse 34). “mayyeva mana aadhatsva”(establish your mind. in me ONLY – ch.12, verse 8), this is His sole expectation and it stares at us in every page of Gita. Not content with saying in chapter nine, Shri Krishna repeats in ch.18, verse 65 again ‘manmanaa bhava’.
As we all know ‘manmanaa bhava’ was one of the favourites of Poojya Swami Anandashram. Mostly whenever a devotee prayed for His autograph, the autograph came with this verse.
Acharya Narahari in his BODHASAARA says:
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“Even the brave can’t hold it and, even if held, it runs away. This mind-deer is held in hand by God Shambhu very playfully indeed”.
Pray let us listen to the Lord and make Him the custodian of our mind. Once that agile deer called our mind is in His hand, we are safe and secure. How do we accomplish this feat? The answer is japa, naamasmaran, dhyaana, swaadhyaaya etc – everything that we are fortunate to receive from our Poojya Swamiji.
Aum MRIGAPAANAYE NAMAHA
34
35) Aum KAILAASAVAASINE NAMAHA
Salutations to Him whose abode is Kailaasa.
What is Kailaasa from a philosophical, not geographical, standpoint? Siddhaanta Saaropanishad says: “parama kaivalyaha sa eva kailaasaha”. This means, the supreme state of kaivalya(moksha) is itself Kailaasa. Kailaasa is a state of being. It is Shiva-consciousness always. When we live, move and have our being in that blessed state, we are in Kailaasa.
Acharya Narahari in his book BODHA SAARA says:
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It means: Shambhu as well as His devotees exult and rejoice in the state of Kaivalya
So, it is said to be His abode.
In the word Kailaasa, kai stands for kaivalya(liberation) and laasa means vilaasa,rejoicing. When Atman throws away all the fetters (kleshaas, dealt with earlier in these columns) and shines in his solitary splendour(kevala, alone), that state of utter freedom is Kaivalya.
Likewise, VaikunTha is also a state of being.Where there is no feeling of frustration(kunThaa) which blunts and makes us dull – when we are soaked in contentment, samaadhaana – we are in VaikunTha. Kailaasa and VaikunTha are not interplanetary stations. They are here(ihaiva) and now(adhunaiva).
Yama tells Nachiketa that when all the desires drop off, desires we harbour within,the Saadhaka enjoys brahmananda HERE when we are alive(atra Brahma samashnute – Kathopanishad, 2-3-14).
In the same vein, Shri Krishna tells in Gita:
“Here alone, they have overcome the birth and death syndrome, they, whose mind is established in equanimity(ihaiva tairjitah sargaha yeshaam saamye sthitam manaha –
V-19).
Our Maharashtrian saints too long for a living(not posthumous) experience of God – hyaachi dehi hyaachi DoLaa(inthis very body, with these very eyes – Tukaram).
Once a devotee has a taste of this supreme Ananda( it matters little whether you call it Kailaasa or VaikunTha), he gets an infusion of tremendous self-confidence. Says Jnaaneshwar: “I shall fill the samsaara of one and all with happiness. I will fill up the three worlds with Ananda”(avaghaachi samsaara sukhaache kareena/ aanande bhareena teenhi loka).
A hallmark of that heavenly experience is its all-inclusiveness. The devotee has the uncanny Anubhava that the whole universe is locked up within his embrace. Says Jnaaneshwar:
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“This Universe is my home, this conviction has become unwavering with me. What’s more, I feel verily that I HAVE BECOME all the movables and immovables MYSELF.”.
Tukaram says:
??? ??????? ?? ????? ?
???? ????? ???? ????? ?
“I went to see God: there I stood transfigured into God Himself.”
In another Abhanga, Tukaram gives expression to the exuberance of his Aananda.He says:
??????? ???? ???? ????? ?????? ??? ???????? ?
“I am a pool of Ananda and waves of Ananda are rising in me. Everything is part and parcel of that Ananda.”
The video of this Abhanga is attached.
This Anubhava is our goal here and now. When we have it, even if it is just a sip, we are nearing Kailaasa to be in the cosy company of our dear Lord Bhavanishankar.
Aum KAILAASAVAASINE NAMAHA
36) Aum KAVACHINE NAMAHA
Salutations to Him who is endowed with an armour.
Kavacha is a protective armour. Shiva is hailed as the Aadi Kiraata, the original hunter. Hunters were wearing the armour probably for protection. Hence, this association of kavacha with Shiva.
But, the most profound message of this name is He becomes our kavacha, our protective armour if we are His devotees. Every chosen deity(ishTa deva) has a kavacha for the respective devotee. We have kavachaas named after Shiva, Devi, Hanuman, Ganesha, Dattaatreya etc. Sometimes, the word kavacha may not be used – VishNu Panjara or Raama Rakshaa – but, the sum and substance is the same.
When we go to a Saibaba shrine, two words stand out prominently there – shraddha(faith) and saburi(patience). These constitute our kavacha, our protective armour. Be He Shiva, VishNu or any other, THE KAVACHA COMES DOWN FROM THEM IN THE FORM OF FAITH AND PATIENCE. We may be reading Shivakavacha, Devi kavacha etc with devotion and, slowly these cardinal virtues begin to grow within us. Come what may, we cheerfully face the happenings in life.
Shraddhaa is most indispensable for a spiritual aspirant.Gita has many verses extolling shraddha. In the Vedaas, we have Shraddhaa Sookta too( shraddhayaa agnih samidhyate, shraddhayaa hooyate havih – the fire is lighted with faith, the offering into fire is also with faith).
Faith when ripens becomes Vishwaasa. Faith ripens into confidence, confidence in God, the Guru and oneself.Faith is like the bud and vishwaas, the flower in bloom.Goswami Tulsidas has a Sanskrit invocation in his Hindi Raamcharitmaanas.It goes like this:
Bhavanishankarou vande Shraddhaa vishwasa roopuNou/ yaabhyaam vinaa na pashyanti siddhaa svaantastham eeshvaram.
Meaning: I bow down to Bhavani and Shankara who are like faith and confidence. Without these two virtues, even great masters can’t have the vision of the Lord within.
All great saints reassure us of their kavacha of protection if we have faith in them.Swami Samartha said: Be not afraid, I am at your back(bhivoo nako, mee tuzyaa paaThishi aahey).Others say: Why fear when I am here!
In the face of so much persecution, how much faith and patience did Prahlaada have!
The stories of so many saints in Bhakta Vijaya(name of the book) amaze us with their faith and patience which are super-human.
Poojya Swami Pandurangashram, still unwell and bedridden,gives this most touching assurance to Shishya, Swami Anandashram:
????????????????? ?????????? ?????????? ????? ?????? ?
????? ????? ???-?????? ??? ? ???? ????? ????????? ?
“God Bhavanishankar is watching over your right shoulder and we all, the entire Guruparamparaa, are watching over your left shoulder to help you!”(Ovi no.90, ch.45 of SCGC).
These few words of solace and assurance became the protective kavacha for Poojya Swami Anandashram to face so many storms ahead.
There is a famous Shivastuti:
????????????? ??? ?????? ???? ??? ???????? ???? ??? ?
????????? ??? ?????? ?? ??? ??????? ???? ??? ??? ?
??????? ?? ?????? ???? ??? ???????? ????? ??? ?
???????? ??????? ???? ???? ?? ???? ????? ??? ?
The last line says: by whose remembrance, the fallen cross over(samsaara),that Shambhu should never be given up.
So, let us hold fast to the Lotus Feet of God and the Guru and be blessed!
Aum KAVACHINE NAMAHA
37) Aum KaThoraaya Namaha
Salutations to Him who is very strict and stringent.
Vide no.23, Aum Ugraaya Namaha, we have seen how God punishes us harshly if we are not good and righteous. Ugra and KaThora have much in common.
God has five functions(already seen earlier) and one of these pancha kritya is Nigraha.In discharging this function, Rudra needs to be harsh(kaThora).
In the 16th ch.of Gita, we have two verses and they present the kaThora aspect of Shri Krishna. Verse 19 says:
“Those who are cruel and full of hatred and animosity, the worst among men in Samsaara, I repeatedly hurl them (kshipaami) into utterly taamasic demonic births.”
Verse 20 says:
“O son of Kunti, these stupid souls whirl through such demonic births and, without attaining Me, they sink lower and lower into a most wretched existence.”
Here we are face to face with a kaThora Krishna. HE is ready to accept the repentent sinners, make them turn a new leaf, but, HE will not compromise with evil. “vinaashaaya cha duhshkritaam’ (annihilation of evil-doers) is His proclaimed mission when HE incarnates.
Like God, His devotees too can be kaThora when occasion demands. Prof.S.R.Sharma, in his booklet Tukaram’s Teachings(a Bhavan’s publication) says:
“Tukaram, the picture of patience we admire,was hard-boiled in suffering. He was not a jelly-fish. He could be hard as flint when confronted by a crisis.”We are slaves of VishNu, softer than wax, but capable of being harder than diamond”(aammi VishNudaasa meNaahuni mavaaLa/kaThiNa vajraasa bhedoo aise). He further says: we are more affectionate than a mother, yet more ferocious than any enemy. If we are generous, we will give away everything to the last fragment of cloth on our bodies. But, if a wicked fellow obstinately tries to cross our path,let us by all means land the cudgel on his forehead.”
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???????? ???? ???? ????? ?
Here we find an unusual streak of Kshatriya valour in our otherwise docile Tukaram.
Aum KATHORAAYA NAMAHA
38) Aum Tripuraantakaaya Namaha
Salutations to the Slayer of Tripuraasuraas.
The demon Taarakaasura(who met his doom at the hands of Lord SubrahmaNya) had three sons – Vidyunmaali, Kamalaaksha and Taarakaaksha.The story goes they performed severe penance, standing on one leg, for a thousand years and won a boon from Brahma and became all-powerful.They built three cities (tripura) of iron, silver and gold and became a scourge to all the denizens of three worlds.At long last, God Shiva had to step in and wipe out the dangerous trio.
What is the Adhyatmic message of this story? In our Shankara NaaraayaN Geetam, we sing Mangalam Tripuraantakaaya followed by its companion verse (applcable to NaaraayaNa) Mangalam Narakaantakaaya. The key to understand the former is in the latter. What is Hell(naraka)?
Gita in ch.16, verse 21 says:
???????? ????????? ?????? ??????????? ?
???? ?????????? ????????????????????? ???????? ?
“The three gates of hell are lustful desire, anger and greed. They are fatal to Atman. So, these three are to be given up”.
This clearly shows that to the Lord, hell is here and now. The more we succumb to this dangerous trio, the more we turn life into hell for us and others.
These three kaama, Krodha and lobha hover around iron, silver and gold inhabited by the Tripuraasuraas. Iron stands for the lowest, base, desires. When desire is not fulfilled, anger rears its head. If desire is fulfilled, greed is born. Not content with iron, we long for silver and then, soar high to grab gold.
This turns us into Asuraas. A-sura(not godly) we become when we stop cultivating Daivi Sampatti and develop Aasuri sampatti, demonic qualities(ch.16 of Gita)
Pampering the body and senses becomes our sole concern (asushu ramate yaha sa asuraha).
Saint Eknath says very perceptively in an Abhang:
???? ???? ???? ????????? ?????? ???? ???? ????? ?????? ?
“We are compelled to be born and reborn due to these latent desires lurking in us and in my case they have become Hariroopa’ What is the remedy? As explained vide no.25(Aum Kaamaaraye Namaha), moving closer and closer to God and the Guru. There will be a sea-change in us slowly and steadily. Our appetites will become more subtle, refined and spiritually elevating.We become nishkaama. Iron, silver and gold will cease to enchant us and we will not make life a living hell, both for us and others.
There is another interpretation.Each one of us is a three-in-one.Atman bound up with three bodies – the physical(sthoola), subtle or astral(sookshma) and causal(kaaraNa). When we breathe our last, the physical is left here to be replaced by a new one when we are reborn. Sookshma Shareera transmigrates(punarapi jananam punarapi maranam) with its appendage of kaaraNa shareera,consisting of an enormous backlog of vaasanaas (cravings) accumulated over countless births.These compel us to be born and assume a gross physical body to satisfy those cravings.They become kaaraNa for our assuming a shareera,hence the name kaaraNa shareera.I am deliberately skipping the Vedaantic jargon since it may go above the head. When, in the state of Kaivalya, Atman shines alone, being self-luminous, untrammeled by
the burden of three bodies(tripura),
God Shiva becomes our Tripuraantak
Aum TRIPURAANTAKAAYA NAMAHA
39) Aum VRISHAANKAAYA NAMAHA
Salutations to Him whose emblem is the bull.
In our SNGeetam we sing Mangalam Vrishabha-dhwajaaya. On His flag, there is the sacred bull. What does the bull symbolise?
It symbolises Dharma(vrisho hi bhagavaan dharmaha). Dharma is said to be four-footed(chatuhshpaat dharmaha). The four feet are Satya(truth), Dama(sense control), Dayaa(compassion) and Daana(charity).In the Golden Age of Krita Yuga, all these four values were in full bloom. These are the four feet of the Dharma-bull.As the Ages(yugaas) rolled on, decline set in and Satya,dama and dayaa almost vanished from our midst. Only Daana still lingers on and we are told DAANAM EKAM KALOU YUGE. In this blighted Kali Yuga, charity is the foremost Dharma. There is so much of want, poverty and wretchedness all around us. Charity is itself an Upaasanaa and will endear us to God. The Vedaas declare: shata hasta samaahara, sahasra hasta sankira(gather with a hundred hands and give away with a thousand).
The Rathotsava at Shirali begins with DhwajaarohaN. The flag that ascends (aarohaN) has Nandi, the sacred bull, on it. And Nandi stands for Dharma, the cluster of four values. So, what is the message of this DhwajaarohaN? The message is we have to UPHOLD these four values in our life. There should be the ascent(aarohaN) of Dharma in our thought,speech and deed(vichaara, ucchaara, aachaara). When Dharma, these four basic values,become our priority, well, life becomes an Utsava,. a festival of joy.
There is a story in BrihadaaraNyaka Upanishad. Once gods, demons and human beings sent their delegates to Prajaapati for instruction. Prajapati simply uttered the syllable ‘da’ thrice. For the gods(who have delights galore in heaven), it meant ‘daamyata'(control your senses). To the demons, it meant ‘dayadhvam'(be compassionate) and to humanity it meant ‘datta’ (give, do charity). Thus, these three values became companions of Satya.
The thunderclap is said to repeat to us this timeless message of Prajapati with its da-da-da rumble.
The English poet T.S.Eliot has used these da-da-da in his long poem,The Wasteland.
Aum VRISHAANKAAYA NAMAHA
40) Aum VRISHABHAAROODHAAYA NAMAHA
Salutations to Him who has mounted the bull.
We saw that the sacred bull of Shiva represents Dharma. Dharma is His vehicle.Dharma is our vehicle too to reach Him and win His grace. There is no shortcut to attain Him. Only when Dharma soaks our thought, speech and deed, we can venture to win His grace. In the 12th ch. of Gita, in verses no.13 to 19, Shri KrishNa speaks of those qualities of head and heart, which make a devotee His priya Bhakta(darling devotee).”Goodwill towards all and malice towards none, friendliness, compassion, freedom from I and mine obsession etc” and in verse 20 calls these qualities the Nectar of Dharma (dharmyaamrita). This is our vehicle to attain Shiva. The Upanishads say emphatically that Jnaana, not backed by a strong moral foundation, will not be fruitful.
When we enter a shrine of Shiva, we first offer our salutations to Nandi. We pat his back affectionately and move ahead. Why? He is a picture of composure and his unwavering gaze is on his Master. Who comes in or goes out – this bothers him not.He is in himself a study in Dhyaana. His full name is Aanandi, shortened to Nandi. Ananda(bliss) is his hallmark. What is the secret of this joy? The unwavering conviction that he and his Master are inseparable, that he is not alone at any time, anywhere and that he is of some service to his Master – this is the secret of his aananda.
There is another message in this name under reference. Dharma should not be GODLESS. HE presides over Dharma. A verse says “dharmasya prabhurachyutaha” – God is the Master of Dharma. We have Jainism and Buddhism which swear by Dharma. They enjoin upon their laity a strict moral regimen. But, alas, they have elbowed out God from their Dharma! They have put their original prophets on the pedestal of God. This is unacceptable to Hinduism. Here we have Shiva mounting his Nandi, making Dharma(symbolised by Nandi) His vehicle.
Samartha Ramadas says in Daasabodha: one may have enormous capacity to organise movements, accomplish great things as he pleases,but, the divine presence must be there(parantu tethe Bhagawantaache adhishthaana paahije).
Daksha(meaning competent) performed a yaaga. He gave attention to every tiny detail. But, alas, he had no place for Shiva. He had invited all and sundry, but, wilfully left out Shiva, thereby inviting His wrath. Moral of the story: don’t dethrone God. Dharma bereft of God is no Dharma at all.
Aum VRISHABHAAROODHAAYA NAMAHA
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47) Aum PARAMAATMANE NAMAHA
Salutations to Him, the Paramaatman.
Atman is one in all. Electricity is one.We don’t say Indian electricity, American electricity etc. If we talk in that fashion, we become a laughing stock. But, bulbs are many, of many shapes, hues, sizes and so on. Egos are like bulbs.
Vedanta speaks of Jeevaatmaa, Antaraatmaa and Paramaatman. Does it mean there are three Atmans in everyone of us? No,the following verse sheds light on this:
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???????? ????????? ??? ???? ?????????
Meaning:
Atman in relation to the body is called as Jeevaatmaa. In relation to mind (qualified by mind) it is Antaraatmaa. When mind is objectively witnessed(observed), the observer is Paramaatman. During this witnessing, the mind slowly loses its separate identity and melts away.
In Gita, ch.13, verse 22, we have a wonderful portrait of Paramaatman:
???????????????? ? ????? ?????? ?????????
?????????? ??????????? ????? ???????????? ?????
When we refer to God as enshrined in THIS BODY(asmin dehe), He is named as Paramaatman. God, as we know, is everywhere, but, particularly when THIS BODY is refered to as His sanctuary, He is called as Paramaatman.How is He in this body?The five words in the first line describe Him progressively.
In his TALKS ON GITA, Acharya Vinoba, has given us an insightful elucidation of these five adjectives of God, not found anywhere else.These five adjectives are like milestones on Saadhakaa’s progressive march to God-realization.
1.UPADRISHTAA
God remains a passive onlooker, a witness, staying close(upa) to the jeeva. This is the first stage. If the jeeva takes no notice of God at all, God remains just an onlooker, a mere drishTa, a mere saakshi, a mere observer, remaining close(upa) and yet, detached. God will not thrust Himself on indifferent souls.Let the soul take the first step and God will come running to him.
- ANUMANTAA
But, as soon as jeeva looks at Him reverentially with devotion, God dons the mantle of ANUMANTAA. He keeps a watch on our thoughts and deeds and gives His approval(anumati) when we are righteous and cautions us(as the still,small voice of conscience) when we go astray. To a Bhakta, this approval is felt inwardly as an indubitable certainty.
3.BHARTAA
Now, God takes charge of the devotee and supports and sustains him in eversomany ways. He fulfils his essential needs.
4.BHOKTAA
Now, the grateful devotee does not want to be the enjoyer(bhoktaa). He places the fruits of his karma at the lotus feet of God, saying: tvadeeyam vastu Govinda, tubhyameva samarpaye ( all this is Yours, O Govinda,to You alone I am offering it). I am not the bhokta(enjoyer). You be the bhoktaa.
5.MAHESHWARA
This is the crowning anubhooti, crowning realization. Now, the devotee says: My Paramaatman is not just a small entity enshrined in the niche of my heart, He is MAHESHWARA (the Great Lord of the Universe).
Aum PARAMAATMANE NAMAHA
48) Aum SOMA SOORYAAGNI LOCHANAAYA NAMAHA
Salutations to Him who has the moon, the sun and the fire as His three eyes.
We are constantly under His watch. His three eyes – the moon, sun and fire – are our witnesses. All our major sacraments(samskaaraas) are agni-saakshi(Upanayana, Vivaaha and AntyeshThi).
They are our three great benefactors. Life goes on smoothly, thanks to them.
Purusha Sookta says:From His mind, came the moon and from His eyes the sun and Indra and Agni emanated from His mouth(chandramaa Manasi jaatah chakshuh sooryo ajaayata. Mukhaadindrascha agnishcha…)
Moon represents Icchaashakti, Sun Jnaanashakti and Agni, Kriyaashakti – three natural powers of God, also inherited by man.
The commentator gives another novel meaning to lochana. Taking its verb form lochayati(prakaashayati), he says: The sun, moon and the fire shine with light borrowed from God.He illumines them.
In verse 12, ch.15 of Gita, Shri Krishna also declares that the Tejas(lustre) found in the sun, moon and fire are His.
The Katha Upanishad also says: Everything shines after Him.All this shines with His lustre(???? ???????? ???? ????? ???? ???? ????????? ?????? – 2-2-15).
Aum SOMASOORYAAGNI LOCHANAAYA NAMAHA
49) Aum HAVISHE NAMAHA
Salutations to Him who is Himself the oblation(offering into fire).
In VishNu Sahasranaama, no.698 is Havi.
Havish has two meanings: 1.The offering we make into fire during a homa and a yajna, uttering svaahaa(Indraaya svaahaa,, VaruNaaya svaahaa etc)). In Gita, ch.4, verse 24, Shri KrishNa says: Brahma havih( offering into fire is also Brahman, God Himself). When everything is Brahman(sarvam khalu idam Brahma), it goes without saying that what we reverentially offer into fire is also divine.
2.The other meaning of havish is ghee. The commentator says that there is a lot of significance in designating God as ghee.
He quotes a verse as under:
?????? ???? ?????? ???? ???? ????? ????????? ?
???? ??????????? ???? ??????????? ?
Meaning:
Ghee is hidden in milk. Likewise, divinity is latent in every element.With mind as the churning rod, we should constantly keep up the churning.
Commentator says: shravaNa(attentive listening), manana(,reflection) and nididhyaasana(firmly holding on to Truth, once understood) constitute the churning.
Our Maharashtrian saints told the same
Truth in simple words. Tukaram said: “ChakrapaaNi(wielder of chakra, VishNu) is in the body like butter latent in milk.(???? ???????? ???? ? ??? ????? ???????? ?)
Jnaneshwar says in his HaripaaTha: As you churn for getting butter, do likewise to realize Ananta(God, the Infinite)(?????? ?????? ????? ?? ????? ?)
In Gita,ch.9, verse 16, Shri KrishNa says: I am myself the sacrificial ghee(aham eva aajyam).
Aum HAVISHE NAMAHA
50) Aum YAJNAMAYAAYA NAMAHA
Salutations to Him who pervades the sacrifice.
Yajna is itself a name of God. “Yajno vai VishNuh”. In VSNaama(Gita Press edition),no.445 and 971 hail VishNu as Yajna.
Purusha Sookta visualises creation itself as Yajna(?????? ???????????????)
In Gita, ch.9, verse 16, Shri KrishNa says: I am sacrifice and I am the sankalpa(the resolve to perform the yajna)(aham kraturaham yajnah).
We owe a deep debt of undying gratitude to Shri KrishNa for giving us a very urbane,broad interpretation of the concept of yajna.Our life should be yajnamaya,says He. What does it mean? Do gaNahoma everyday? No,whatever duties you perform,do to the best of your abilities and offer it to Him, saying KrishNaarpaNamastu.That is Yajna(Gita ch.9, verse 27). If you don’t do karma in the spirit of yajna, well, that karma becomes a halter around your neck. In another memorable verse, Shri KrishNa says: care for each other, show concern for each other and thus, promote your welfare(parasparam bhaavayantah shreyah param avaapsyatha – ch.3, verse 11).Social service performed in this spirit of Yajna is the highest Upaasanaa. All saints have recommended such sevaa as a pathway to God. Sri Ramakrishna’s last words from his deathbed were: “Shivajnaane jeevasevaa”(Worshipping man as God).Swami Vivekananda coined the word Daridra NaaraayaN to refer to the poorest of the poor. Gandhiji adopted this word later.
..
In Rudraadhyaaya,in Chamaka, 10th Anuvaaka(section) there is a very sublime prayer to Rudra: “May my entire span of life be imbued with the spirit of sacrifice.May my PraaNa……May Apaana….May Vyaana
….(These are among Pancha praaNa).May my eye…….May my ear……May my mind ……
May my speech……May my soul…..May yajna itself be done in the spirit of Yajna.
( ??????????? ??????? ?????? ?????? ??????????? ?????? ??????? ?????? ?????? ??????? ????????????? ??????????????? ?????? ??????? ??? ?????? ??????? ?????????? ???????????? ?????? ??????? ?????? ?????? ???????? ?)
Rudra is Yajnamaya and He wants us, his children, to be Yajnamaya. Wherever there is a spirit of sharing and caring, give and take and live and let live, Rudra, be sure, is brooding over us with paternal watchfulness.
Our Maharashtrian saints drawn from all strata of society and plying all sorts of trades for a livelihood – Potter,tailor,gardener,cobbler, barber, goldsmith and housemaid – they went about their chores with divine names on their lips. They were Yajnamaya.
What we call our lunch or a meal is on par with Yajna. It is an offering to Shri KrishNa seated within as gastric fire Vaishvaanara.(Gita ch.15, verse 14). Don’t trivialise it by refering to the act of taking food as “filling the belly”. It is a sacrifice, say our saints(?????? ???? ?????? ???????? ).
Aum YAJNAMAYAAYA NAMAHA
51) Aum SOMAAYA NAMAHA
Salutations to Him who is with Uma and whose one manifestation is the moon.
Soma has two meanings: 1. Moon and 2.with Uma(Umaa sahita).
During Shiva-poojan we say: Mahaadevaaya Somamoortaye Namaha. AshaTamoorti Upaasanaa is the adoration of eight visible entities as God Shiva. The eight consist of 5 cosmic elements(earth,water, fire, wind and sky), moon, sun and the Yajamaana (Upaasaka).We should look at these ever-present entities with a new vision.BrahmadrishTi. They are visible gods.Since I am always in their midst, it is as if God Shiva has encircled me.From the visible to the invisible – this is the rationale of AshTamoorti Upaasanaa. As moon, Shiva is Mahaadeva.
In VSNaama, no.281 is Chandraamshu (moonbeams).This name corresponds to our name Soma. Acharya Shankara, commenting on Chandraamshu, says in delightful Sanskrit:
??????????????????????????????? ??????????????????????????? ??????????? ?
Meaning:
To those, scorched by the sun in the form of the agony of samsaara, God is like the delightful Moonbeam. This meaning is applicable to Soma as well.
The symbolism of moon on Shiva’s mastaka has been explained vide no 5 (Aum Shashishekharaaya namaha) earlier. So, I am not repeating it here.
The other meaning of Soma is: with(sa,sahita) Uma. A hymn says: Umaa sahaayam paramesham eeDye (I praise and worship Shiva whose unfailing help is Umaa). She is His redeeming power, His anugrahaatmikaa shakti.
The eighth anuvaaka(section) of Namaka( first part of Rudraadhyaaya) begins: Namah SOMAAYA cha Rudraaya cha.
This is a terse Sootra. When does Shiva become Rudra? Answer is: when Uma is with Him. The etymology of Rudra is: one who makes our sorrow melt away (ruth draavayati iti Rudraha).Fortunately for us, they are always together, being inseparable.So, He is always with Uma(Soma) and He never ceases to be a Rudra, a dispeller of our sorrow.
Aum SOMAAYA NAMAHA
52) Aum PANCHAVAKTRAAYA NAMAHA
Salutations to the five-faced Shiva.
The five faces are:
Sadyojaata …….West
Vaamadeva ……North
Aghora. …..South
Tatpurusha. …. East
Eeshaana. …. above
(oordhva)
During BhasmadhaaraNa (application of bhasma), we chant five mantraas, dedicated to the above five faces. These mantraas from Taittiriya AaraNyaka are known as Panchabrahma mantraas and are recommended for japa for warding off all sorts of evils and malefic effects of planets.
I am giving below the mantraas and the explanation.
?.????????? ?????????? ?????????? ?? ??? ??? ?
??? ??? ??????? ????? ???? ????????? ????
I take refuge in Sadyojaata. Verily, I offer my salutations to Sadyojaata(just born) again and again. O Sadyojaata, don’t consign me to repeated birth. Pray lead me beyond birth into the state of bliss and liberation. I bow down to You, the fountainhead of life.
(Hitherto, I might have lived a Godless life.However, I have now woken up from the slumber of Avidya, ignorance and have become God-conscious.It is as if HE is just(sadyo) born(jaata) within me.)
?.???????? ??? ????????? ??? ????????? ??? ??????? ????
????? ??? ????????? ??? ????????? ??? ???? ??? ?????????? ??? ???????????? ??? ????????? ????
Salutations to God, the Beautiful. He is eldest(existing before creation). He is most worthy and excellent. He makes our sorrow(ruth) melt away(draavayati). He is Time.He brings about modifications (within Prakriti).He brings about changes in our bala (strength). He is, indeed, our greatest strength. When He has to take to task the evil-doers, he suppresses their strength and punishes them.
?.??????????? ???????? ??????????????
????????? ???? ????????? ?????? ????? ????????????? ?
O Destroyer(at the time of PraLaya),my salutations be to all Your Rudra forms – benign,terrific, and still more terrific.
?.?????????? ??????? ???????? ??????
????? ?????? ?????????? ?
May we realize the Supreme Person.For that, may we meditate upon Mahadeva and, to that meditation, may Rudra impel us.
?.????: ??????????????????? ??????????? ????????????????????????????????????? ???? ?? ????? ??????????
May He, the custodian of all branches of learning, the ruler of all beings, the preserver of Vedaas(Brahma) and who is superior to HiraNyagarbha, may that omnipresent Shiva be always benign and well-disposed towards me.Aum.
Aum PANCHAVAKTRAAYA NAMAHA
53) Aum SADAASHIVAAYA NAMAHA
Salutations to Him who is ALWAYS an embodiment of peace.
The first name we took up was Shiva, the ever serene God.But, this serenity is not a
passing phase. It is His innate nature. Fire ALWAYS burns. This property is its swadharma. Likewise, peace is the intrinsic property of Atman. “Shaantoyamaatmaa” declares the Upanishad.So, Paramaatman is also characterised by peace, not intermittently, but ALWAYS – SADAA SHIVA.
(nihshkalam nihshkriyam shaantam – Shvetaashvatara Upanishad – VI-19).
Shiva is also a name of VishNu. It is no.27 in VSNaama. Commenting on this name, Acharya Shankara says:
???????????????? ??????????? ???? The three GuNaas (satva, rajas and tamas) are tumultous by nature.So, when one goes beyond them, he is in the zone of peace.Shiva is beyond them,so He is Shiva, the serene..Like Acharya Shankara, Pushpadantaa, too, takes transcendence of three guNaas as the secret of His peace and salutes Him thus in verse no.30 of Shivamahimna Stotra:
??????? ??? ?????????????? ????? ??? ?????????
Appayya Dikshita has given us a humourous shloka:
???? ???? ?????? ???????? ???????? ???????
???? ???? ????????? ??????? ???? ?????? ??????????? ?
????? ???? ??????? ?? ????????? ????? ??? ??????
?????? ???????????? ??? ? ???? ?? ????????? ????? ?
Meaning:
O Lord of Kailaasa,You have the cold Ganga and the cold moon on your head.Coldblooded serpents are crawling below your palms and soles. On Your left, You have the daughter of cold mountain Himalaya(Sheetalaa Devi) and She is moist with compassion. Your body is smeared with cold chandan (sandalwood paste).So, everything around You and about You is cold in the extreme, and I was wondering how could You bear this chill, were it not for the fact You always abide in the HOTBED of my heart, seething with dejection, despair and despondency!
Aum SADAASHIVAAYA NAMAHA
54) Aum VISHVESHVARAAYA NAMAHA
Salutations to the Lord of the Universe.
We can interpret this name in three different ways, depending on our philosophical orientation.
- Lord OF the universe(vishvasya ishvarah)
2.Lord IN the universe(vishve ishvarah)
3.Universe ITSELF is the Lord(Vishvameva
Ishvarah)
1.This is a predominantly Dvaita(Dualism) interpretation(Shri Madhvacharya). Here, the mutual relation between God and. the world is EXTERNAL. World is here, God is there and He rules the world. It is like our saying Prime Minister rules us. We don’t say PM is within us nor do we say PM has himself become all this.
2.The second is a predominantly Vishishta Advaita(Qualified Advaita) interpretation(Shri Raamaanujaacharya). Here, the relation between God and the world is INTERNAL
God is our Antaryaami, our inner monitor, our Sanaatana Saarathi seated within. In BrihadaaraNyaka Upanishad, there is a section called Antaryaami BraahmaNa and the Ramanuja’s school of Vedanta lays great stress on it.
- The third interpretation is predominantly Advaita(Acharya Shankara).Here, the relation between God and the world is IDENTITY. God Himself APPEARS before us as the world. World is God in disguise. That is why the first name of VishNu in VSNaama is Vishvam. World – this is His name, His first name.
I have used the word ‘predominantly’ because even the Dvaitins say God is our Antaryaami, but, their main stress is on External Relation. Likewise, the Vishishtaadvaitins, too, will not say ‘no’ to the first interpretation. But, their main thrust is on the doctrine of Antaryaami. The Advaitins,too,will have no quarrel with the other standpoints because each Saadhaka views at Reality, relative to his Adhikaara(level of competence).To certain types of mind, Advaita is an anathema and a blasphemy.That is why Shri Dattatreya says in His AVADHOOTA GITA: By the grace of God alone can one have an inclination for Advaita( ???????????????? ?????????????????)
Swami Vivekananda, the modern exponent of Vedanta, has many quotable quotes;
1.This very world is seen by the five senses as matter, by the very wicked as hell, by the good as heaven and by the perfect AS GOD(Complete Works, Vol 5,p.272).
- There is no world. IT IS GOD HIMSELF. In delusion, we call it the world(CW,Vol 6,p.371)
3.The world is not a creation, but a MANIFESTATION(CW Vol 7,p.424)
Aum VISHVESHVARAAYA NAMAHA
55) Aum VEERABHADRAAYA NAMAHA
Salutations to Veerabhadra.
Though Shiva is here identified with Veerabhadra, Veerabhadra is a separate entity. Shiva’s righteous indignation at Dakshaa’s wanton insult, gave birth to Veerabhadra.He was a precipitate of Shiva’s anger. His mission was to take to task the
wrong-doers and he did it with great aplomb.
Not only Daksha, he also punished Bhaga and Pushan. He was a stormy petrel in our mythology.
In Gita, ch.17, verse 28, says:
????????? ???? ????? ????????? ???? ? ????
????????????? ????? ? ? ?????????? ?? ????
“Whatever is done WITHOUT FAITH, be it an offering into fire, a gift, a penance and any other act, is called as Asat. It is AS GOOD AS NOT DONE. It benefits us neither here nor in the world beyond death.”
Daksha performed a great Yaaga.He managed everything very competently (dakshataa).He invited gods, sages,and all who were worthy of reverence. But, he deliberately did not invite Shiva(his own son-in-law)(this is another story).Terribly hurt, Sati(Dakshaa’s daughter, Shiva’s spouse) immolated herself in the fire.This ignited Shiva’s wrath and this wrath took shape as Veerabhadra. Veerabhadra goes to the Yaga-venue, ransacks and destroys everything.
Moral: God should never be slighted. Faith in Him is the soul of our saadhanaa. If this soul is missing, what remains will just be a dead shell. Dakshaa’s Yaaga was just that.
Pushpadanta devotes a shloka to this in his Shivamahimna Stotra:
??????????? ????? ???????????????????????
????????????????? ???? ??????? ????????
??????????????????? ????????????????????
?????? ?????? ???????????????????? ?? ???????????
Pushpadanta says: Sacrifice devoid of faith is as good as black magic and it boomerangs on the doer.
Since Veerabhadra was Shiva’s own projection, Shiva is identified with him and we say:
Aum VEERABHADRAAYA NAMAHA
56) Aum GANANAATHAAYA NAMAHA
Salutations to the master of the GaNaas.
Pushpadanta in verse 24 of his Shivamahimna Stotra says:
????????????????? ?????? ??????? ??????
“You are sporting in the cremation ground,O Vanquisher of Cupid,and goblins are Your companions.”
Lord Shiva has His own retinue and attendants. Pramatha GaNa , NandigaNa, Bringi-gaNa, various Bhairavaas and Kshetrapaalaas are always at His beck and call. They are His helpers.
VishNu, too,has His retinue and they are called Paarshadaas.Narada, Tumburu, GaruDa, Vishvaksena and the eight gatekeepers of VaikuNTha are His Paarshadaas
Mythology has associated Shiva with an assorted variety of such weird beings like bhoota, preta, pishaacha, guhyaka, kooshmaaNDa etc. Why? Who are they?
Shiva is Kripaanidhi, treasurehouse of compassion and grace. Who are these creatures hovering around Him? They are those hapless souls who, due to death, have lost their human habitation and, for reasons we don’t know, find themselves ineligible to enter the Pitraloka, where normally a departed soul arrives. They are like ASTRAL REFUGEES, neither here nor there. They haunt cremation grounds.Our benevolent Shiva showers them with His grace and, slowly and steadily, they are redeemed and uplifted! They return to Pitraloka.
Philosophically, GaNanaatha has another meaning, much like GaNapati. The whole creation is a hierarchy of several clusters(gaNa) in an ascending order.At the bottom, there are three GuNaas(satva, rajas, tamas). This is one gaNa. There are the five cosmic elements, five sensory organs, five motor organs, five vital airs(pancha praaNa) and antahkaraNa chatushTaya(mind, buddhi,ahamkaara (ego) and chitta(godown of memories and vaasanaas). These are the gaNaas and they are under the sway of Shiva. So, He is GaNanaatha.
Aum GANANAATHAAYA NAMAHA
57) Aum PRAJAAPATAYE NAMAHA
Salutations to Prajapati.
Prajaapati is also a name of VishNu and occurs twice in VSNaama, no.69 and 197.
Prajaapati(Ruler of all beings) is a name of Brahman.
????????????????????????????????? ??????????
???? ???????? ????????? ????? ? ????????? ?
.Meaning:
Brahman alone is fire, air, the sun,He is verily the moon and the shining stars. He is nectar. He is water and He is PRAJAAPATI(Lord of all beings.(Yajurveda 32-1)
Every child in the womb is the manifestation of Prajapati. Please see this beautiful mantra:
?????????????? ????? ????? ???????? ????? ????????
???? ????? ??????????? ???????????? ? ?????????????? ?????? ? (Yajurveda 31-19)
Meaning:
Prajapati, the lord of all beings, is astir in every womb. Though He is unborn, it is as if He is born and reborn variously. Wise men realize Him as the source of the universe, the all-pervading Paramaatman, in whom are established all these world’s.
Aum PRAJAAPATAYE NAMAHA
58) Aum HIRANYARETASE NAMA
Salutations to Him whose creative energy is Maayaa.
HiraNya(gold) is very frequently used in Vedaas and Upanishads to signify Maayaa. Retas is the creative energy of God. Maayaa and Prakriti are synonyms.
Shvetaashvatara Upanishad says:
????? ?? ???????? ?????????????? ?? ??????????
Meaning:
Know Maayaa to be Prakriti and the wielder of Maayaa to be Maheshwara.
Another word with the same meaning as HiraNyaretas is HIRANYAGARBHA. This is no.70 and 411 in VSNaama.
Look at these couple of mantraas glorifying HiraNyagarbha:
??????????????????????? ?????? ???? ?????? ??????
? ????? ??????? ??????????? ????? ????? ????? ???????
Meaning:
Before creation God was there, endowed with Maayaa. He was the sole ruler of all that came into being. He sustained both the earth and the heaven.To Him whose nature is bliss (kam) ,we offer our oblations.
(Rg. Veda 10-121-1).
? ?????? ???? ???? ????? ?????? ??????? ???? ??????
???? ???????? ???? ??????? ????? ????? ????? ???????
Meaning:
He gives us Aatma-bala. He gives us physical strength.Him the entire universe adores.Gods are eager to carry out His command. Death and immortality are both His shadows. To Him, who is blissful, we offer our oblations.(Rg Veda 10-121-3).
The word “kasmai” also means “to whom”.So, the Vedic Rishi adds a touch of mystery to Him whom he adores.He cannot be known fully, though He is there and we have to adore Him.
Aum HIRANYARETASE NAMAHA
59) Aum DURDHARSHAAYA NAMAHA
Salutations to the invulnerable (undefeatable) God Shiva.
Atman is durdharsha.Following verses from Gita bear this out :
???? ????????? ????????? ???? ???? ??????
? ???? ?????????????? ? ?????? ???????
??????????????????????????????????? ?? ? ?
?????? ??????? ????????????? ?????? ?
Meaning:
Atman cannot be wounded by weapons. Fire will not scorch him.Water will not drench him.Wind will not make him dry.
He is beyond injury,burning, moistening and drying. He is eternal, omnipresent, stable, immovable and ancient. (Gita II-23, 24)
Atman and Brahman are interchangeable terms in the Upanishads. Sometimes Atman and sometimes Brahman. What is true of Atman is true of God also. So, He is durdharsha ( invulnerable)(????????? ?????????? ??????????? )
In Vedic hymns, Indra sometimes stands for the individual soul, master of indriyaas (senses). The word indriya itself comes from Indra. In a famous mantra, Indra(jeevaatman) thunders: ?????????? ? ???????? ?????? ? ????????? ????? ????? ?
Meaning:
I am Indra, the unconquerable. I will never ever succumb to death. ( RgVeda 10-48-5).
In Shree Sookta, Mother Lakshmi is refered to as duraadharshaa (gandhadvaaraam DURAADHARSHAAM). Being His shakti, Devi is also invulnerable.
Another name for Devi is APARAAJITAA. She knows no defeat (paraajaya).We remember Her gratefully in the celebrated APARAAJITAA Stotra and recall, one by one,what all She has been giving us.
Devi is APARAAJITAA and She would not like Her children to plod through life with a defeatist (paraajita) attitude. We should always feel we are ‘aparaajita’ because She is with us always.In his GITA RAHASYA, Chapter 5, Lokmaanya Tilak has quoted a piece of advice given by Veda Vyaasa to YudhishTira when the latter was depressed. That Subhaashita is:
???? ?? ??? ?? ????? ?????? ?? ??? ???????????
???????? ?????????????? ??????? ?????????
Meaning:
Pleasure or pain, pleasant or unpleasant,whatever comes to pass in one’s life, he should accept it positively, without feeling disheartened or DEFEATED in heart.
AUM DURDHARSHAAYA NAMAHA
60) Aum GIREESHAAYA NAMAHA
Salutations to the Lord of the mountain
The mountain is Kailaasa.Gireesha means Gireh(of the mountain) eeshah(lord).
In the dhyaana shloka(see Stutimanjari), we refer to Kailaasa as Rajatagiri(?????????????? ????? ???????????)
Rajatagiri means silvery mountain.The snowy Kailaas glistens like silver with sunshine.
Acharya Narahari goes beyond the literal meaning and says in his BODHA SAARA:
?????? ????? ?????? ?????????? ??? ???? ?
???? ??? ????????? ?????????? ? ????????
Meaning:
Shambhu(Shiva) is like a mountain of silver and gold(rajata means gold also) to His devotees. He is their supreme wealth. Being full with that wealth, they never feel they are poor.
In our daily prayer, tvameva maataa, we refer to God as draviNa. DraviNa means wealth.
Tyagaraja asks his mind: O mind, tell me truthfully whether wealth(nidhi) will give you more happiness or doing service in the presence(sannidhi) of Sri Rama?
(??????? ?????, ?????? ??????? ???? ?????,?????? ????????? )
Meerabai sings: I have got a very precious gem called Raam(paayoji maine Raama-ratana dhana paayo).
Surdas sings: To the pauper, Raama is the supreme wealth (nirdhana ko dhana Raam).
Purandaradaasa says:
“Why should I think I am poor or a stranger when, O Consort of Lakshmi, You are with me?(???????? ??? ???????? ??????,???????? ??? ???? ??????? ??? ?)
Samartha Ramadas says: “When You are with me, is there anything lacking for me?
(??????????? ??? ??? ??? ??? ????? ????)
So, Gireesha should not be taken to mean merely the lord of a mountain. That silvery(rajata) mountain represents the wealth called God-consciousness. Shiva dispenses this wealth to His ardent devotees.
Aum GIREESHAAYA NAMAHA
61) Aum GIRISHAAYA (???????) NAMAHA
Salutations to Him who ‘sleeps’ in the mountain.
The earlier name was Gireesha(?????).The present one is Girisha( ????? ).
Girou(in the mountain) shete(sleeps). Who?Shiva. Kailaasa is His residence and He sleeps there.
This is the bare literal meaning. There is, however, more to giri than a mountain.
Girou means IN VAANI – VedavaaNi,devavaaNi, santavaaNi etc. The knowledge about the tatva-traya(????????)(God, Jeeva and the world) is latent (sleeping) in them. What is in the pustaka(book) should ascend to our mastaka(head).
Shri KrishNa says in Gita: I alone am the knowable in the Vedaas(??????? ?????????? ??????)
(Ch.15-15).Veda is a name of VishNu,no.127 in VSNaama.
VedavaaNi is the impersonal (apourusheya) voice of God. Gita is an example of devavaaNi.It has directly emanated from the lips of Shri KrishNa. SantavaaNi is available in plenty in all languages. In all this vaaNi(girou), His knowledge is available to us.For that Swaadhyaaya (study) is necessary. “Don’t default in doing Swaadhyaaya.Never should one be negligent about swaadhyaaya and teaching” exhorts Taittiriya Upanishad(I-11)(?????????????? ????????)( ????????????????????? ? ????????????)
Swami Parijnanashram-I says
????? ?????? ??? ??????????? ??? ???????????
?? ???????? ??????? ???? ??? ???????
“Attentive listening leads to quiet reflection on what was heard.This will lead to firm understanding and immediately one will experience his intrinsic bliss.”(Chitrapura Guruparamparaa Charitra – Ch.7, Ovi 30).
In his DAASABODHA, Samartha Ramadas says:
??????? ? ??????? ????? ?????? ?? ??????? ?????
????? ????????? ????? ?? ?????????-?-??
Meaning:
We have food again and again, so also water. Likewise, attentive listening and reflection on it(with the aid of reason)
should be done repeatedly.
Aum GIRISHAAYA NAMAHA
62) Aum ANAGHAAYA NAMAHA
Salutations to the sinless (pure) Shiva.
Anagha occurs twice in VSNaama – 146 & 831(Gita press edition). Acharya Shankara comments: sorrow(duhkkam) and sin(paapam) are not in Him, so God is Anagha.
Upanishads have been teaching us this truth since ages. Ishaavaasya Upanishad says Atman is ‘apaapaviddha’ , untouched by sin(8th mantra). Chaandogya Upanishad says: ayam aatmaa apahata paapmaa(8-7-1) (This Self is unblemished and sinless).
God resides within us, so our actions, good and bad, should impact Him. This is what probably some naively thought. Hence, to dispel such erroneous thought, Upanishads and Gita teach us as under:
Kathopanishad says:
?????? ??? ?????????? ?????? ? ??????? ???????????????????? ?
??????? ????????????????? ? ??????? ????????????????
“Yama tells Nachiketa: just as sun which is the eye of the whole world, is not tainted by the ocular and external defects, similarly, the Self, that is but one in all beings, is not tainted by the sorrows of the world, it being transcendental”(2-2-11)(Trs.by Swami Gambhirananda).
Gita says:
??????? ???????????? ? ??? ?????? ??????(5-15).
“The Lord accepts neither the merit nor the demerit of anyone”.
During sunshine, various people engage in various activities(good, bad, indifferent), but, the sun, the silent saakshi(witness) that he is, is not at all affected by our actions.
In Rudraadhyaaya, in 3rd anuvaaka(section) of Namaka, salutations are offered to 11 types of thieves, crooks and criminals. Why? Glorifying crime or criminals? No, the Atman within them is ANAGHA(sinless). Our namaha is for that unsullied flame of the Spirit, not to the masks superimposed on Atman. Bulb gets soiled, not the current within. Is it not?
Before P.P.Swami Keshavashram visited DakshiNa Kannada(He was our first Guru to go there), our ancestors there, being under the sway of another sampradaaya, were chanting: paapoham paapakarmaaham paapaatma paapasambhavah…..(I am sinful,my actions are sinful, my soul is sinful, my birth is sinful…).Poojya Swamiji at once put a stop to this practice and initiated them into the tenets of Advaita, which teaches us to sing: shivoham shivoham.
Our redoubtable Vedanta Kesari, Swami Vivekananda’s following words should always ring in our ears:
“Ye are the children of God, the sharers of immortal bliss, holy and perfect beings. Ye divinities on earth – sinners! It is a sin to call a man so. It is a standing libel on human nature.. Come up, O lions, and shake off the delusion that ye are sheep. Ye are souls immortal, spirits free, blest and eternal”.
(Complete Works, Vol 1, page 11).
Aum ANAGHAAYA NAMAHA
63) Aum BHUJANGA BHOOSHANAAYA NAMAHA
Salutations to Him whose adornments are serpents.
Shiva is hailed as Mahaayogi, foremost among Yogis.The serpents adorning Shiva represent Yogis, says Acharya Narahari in his BODHA SAARA:
?????: ???????? ????? ???? ?????????
??? ???? ????????? ?????????? ??? ?
Meaning:
Yogis , like serpents, can subsist on air. Like serpents living in ratholes, Yogis live in mountain caves. So, Shiva accommodates them on His person as serpents and they become His adornments.
Everything about Shiva is rich in symbolism. This is not just about Shiva. Hindu iconography is a study in symbolism. The Dhyaana shloka of every deity – every ishTa deva – has more to it than just word meaning.
BHUJANGA means a serpent. Conventionally, the wicked and the vicious, are equated with serpents in our subhaashitaas. But, in case a miracle happens and, all of a sudden, the wicked turn to God. Then, what happens? Shri KrishNa says in Gita(IX-30, 31):
“Very soon he becomes a dharmaatmaa(a pious person) and will enjoy perpetual peace.Look upon him as saadhu (good) and as one on the right track.”
God welcomes such transformed souls and sports them as His ornaments.
We harbour within us serpents in the form of lust, anger, greed etc. Their poison pollutes our life at all levels. But, when they are directed to God, they lose their sting as it were.
In Bhagavata, Shuka says: Even wicked kings like Shishupaala, always engrossed in KrishNa due to enemity (Virodha Bhakti), got liberation.Then what about those to whom Shri KrishNa was dear! Desire, anger, fear, friendliness, feeling of oneness etc should be directed to Hari and those who do so become ‘tanmaya’ ( one with Him).This happens naturally and you should not be surprised. Yogeshvara KrishNa will grant them liberation”.
????? ?????????????? ?????? ??????? ??? ????
?????????? ???????? ??????????????????????
???? ?????? ??? ??????????? ??????????
?????? ??? ??????, ?????? ???????? ?? ????
? ???? ??????? ?????? ???? ?????????
?????????????? ?????? ?? ??????????????? (X-29-13,15,16)
Narada, in his Bhakti Sootra no.65 prescribes the same remedy for sublimating the negative impulses in us:
???????????????? ??? ??????????????????? ?????????? ??????? ?
Samartha Ramadas advises in MANAACHE SHLOKA No.128:
??? ????? ????????? ???? ???
“Let your craving(Vaasanaa) be for Vaasudeva”.
Our Maharashtrian saints had mastered this strategy of sublimation very well. Says Tukaram:
??? ????? ??? ??????? ???? ???? ???????? ?
(Lust, anger, greed, selfishness – all have become the Lord of Pandharpur).
In his masterly treatise, MEDITATION AND SPIRITUAL LIFE, Swami Yatiswaranandji says:
“Says Sri RamakrishNa, ‘ Direct the six passions to God. The impulse of LUST should be turned into the desire to have communion with the divine Spirit Feel ANGRY at those who stand in the way to God. Feel GREEDY for Him. If you must have the feeling of I and Mine, then. associate it with God. If you must have PRIDE, then feel proud thinking that you are a servant of God or a child of God”.(pages 118-119).(Gospel of Sri RamakrishNa,p.155).
RaavaNa was an exponent of Virodha Bhakti and Raama bestowed liberation on him. By hook or crook, we should be ‘obsessed’ with God. Then, our very dooshaNa(defect) becomes a bhooshaNa (ornament)
Aum BHUJANGA BHOOSHANAAYA NAMAHA
64) Aum BHARGAAYA NAMAH
Salutations to the luminous Shiva.
Bharga means light.In Gayatri, we invoke and meditate (dheemahi) on the most adorable(vareNyam) light(Bharga) of God(devasya) represented by Sun( savituh).
Saadhanaa is a journey from darkness to light. Since ages, our prayer has been “Lead me from darkness to light”(tamaso maa jyotirgamaya)(BrihadaaraNyaka Upanishad )(1-3-28).
In Gita, ch.14, the three GuNaas, satva, rajas, tamas, have been described at length. When we become increasingly saatvik(good, righteous, spiritual), we experiene an exuberance of light within us. All our doors of perception become bright(???????????? ????????????????? ??????? ? ?????? ??? ??? ???????????????? ?????? ???????? (Verse 11). Then there is the dawn of knowledge.
Every Vedic Mantra is luminous like our Gayatri. Please see the following mantra where the word Bharga figures prominently:
??????? ?????? ?? ????????? ?????????
??? ?????????? ?????? ????? ??? ?
Meaning: Ashwins! Lords of light.Please make my speech auspicious and sweet,sothat I may speak the LUMINOUS words( Vedaas) to the whole of mankind..(Atharva Veda, 6-69-2).
Bharga (light) means bharjati (roasts). “bhaajjoonu soDtaa”in our mother-tongue is a kindred expression. Roasted seeds don’t sprout. Just as sunlight kills invisible germs, bacteria etc in a room,so too,when the divine light floods our soul, all our cravings and related demonic qualities get burnt.They will not sprout to give us another birth.
MaitraayaNi Upanishad is very innovative. It says bha, ra and ga respectively mean God illumines all the worlds( bhaasayati), delights them (ranjayati)(being Ananda swaroopa) and everything ultimately goes (gacchati) back to Him (during dissolution).
Look at the English words: Enlightenment and Illumination used to refer to a Jnaani. Light in the former and Lumiere in the latter refer to Bharga.
In Shivaanandalahari there is a beautiful shloka:
??? ??????????? ????????? ???????? ???-??????
?????? ????-??????? ???? ???? ?????????-????? ?
?????? ????? ??????? ????? ???????? ??????????
?????????? ??????? ??? ?????? ???????? ???????? ?? ? 58 ??
Meaning:
Lo, if the sun, who is but one, can break through the pall of gloom , encircling heaven and earth(and become visible), can’t You not, O Lord of beings, who is endowed with the brilliance of innumerable suns, reveal Yourself?Who knows how dense is the darkness covering me? Therefore, dispelling it completely, be pleased to manifest Yourself before me.
This is our prayer too.
AUM BHARGAAYA NAMAHA
65) Aum GIRIDHANVINE NAMAHA
Salutations to Shiva to whom a mountain was a bow.
According to mythology, Shiva took up Meru mountain (Giri) as a bow(dhanu) when He had to wipe out the deadly trio, Tripuraasuraas.
Leaving the legend aside, what does this name convey? We have seen earlier(vide GIRISHAAYA namaha, no.61) that giri stands for sacred speech, vaaNi, particularly Vedic and Upanishadic. In MUNDAKA Upanishad, we have the following mantra where Omkaar is equated with a bow.
?????? ???? ??? ???????? ?????? ?????????????????
?????????? ????????? ??????????? ???????
Meaning:
Om is the bow; the soul is the arrow; and Brahman is called its target. It is to be hit by an unerring man. One should become one with It just like an arrow.
Acharya Shankara comments:
The target,Brahman, should be shot at, by one who is unerring, free from the desire to enjoy external objects, who is detached, who has control over senses and has concentration of mind.After hitting the target, Brahman, one should remain identified with It like an arrow. Just as the success of the arrow consists in its becoming one with the target, similarly one should become one with the Immutable Brahman, by eliminating ideas of self-identification with the body etc.
(Trs by Swami Gambhiranandji).
In Gita, ch.10, verse 25, Shri KrishNa says:
“In sofar as speech is concerned, I am the one-syllable Aum”(??????????????????? ).
(Please note the word ‘giraam’)
So, God Shiva would like us to do PraNava Upaasanaa. PraNava is also a name of VishNu, no.957 in VSNaama.
Shiva is Shri DakshiNaamoorti and the latter is very fond of Omkaar. Look at the following four poetic epithets in the 108 Names of Shri DakshiNaamoorti:
1.Omkaara Simha Sarvendra(Just as the roar of the lion silences all other animals, the utterance of Om silences the restlessness of the mind – Swami Iswarananda Giriji).
2.Omkaara Udyaana Kokilah( Shiva is the cuckoo in the garden of Om).
3.Omkaara NeeDa Shukaraaja( He is the
princely parrot in the nest called Omkaar).
4.Omkaara AraNya Kunjara(He is the elephant in the jungle called Omkaara).
The above four are the first four Names in the 108 Names of Shri DakshiNamoorti.Pujya Swami Iswarananda Giriji Maharaj has annotated on these108 names in his book DIVINE MASTER, which I have been serialising in Sunbeam.
AUM GIRIDHANVINE NAMAHA
66) Aum GIRIPRIYAAYA NAMAHA
Salutations to Him who loves the mountain and the Vedic speech.
Giri ordinarily means mountain. Gita recommends resorting to lonely places(vivikta desha sevitvam)(13-10) to a
Saadhaka. Shiva is the Paragon among Yogis. He is Mahaayogi. So, it is but natural that He loves mountains including Kailaas.
Vedaas, too, recommend places, rich in solitude, for meditation. Please see the following mantra from Yajurveda(26-15):
??????? ??????? ????? ? ????????
???? ?????? ???????
Meaning : The aspirant resorts to mountain slopes and where the rivers meet and exercising his intelligence becomes enlightened( he meditates).
Refering to His penchant to tread on mountain slopes, Acharya Shankara gives us the following beautiful shloka in his SHIVAANANDALAHARI :
????????? ???? ??????? ????? ?????????????? ?-
????????? ?????????? ??????-??????-??????????????
????-???????-??????????? ????????????? ??????????
???????????? ????????? ???? ???? ??????? ????
“This man will be born. He will have a very stony heart. I, must, however, dance upon it” – it must be with such thoughts that You, long ago ,accustomed Your tender feet to tread on the mountain ridges. Otherwise, O Lord, why dance on rugged surfaces, when there are such places as heavenly bowers, flowerbeds and artistic platforms available for You to dance?(no.80).
Sri RamaNa Maharshi, as we all know, was very fond of AruNaachala in Tiruvannamalai.
Giripriya(as we have seen earlier) also means ‘fond of sacred speech(particularly Vedic). That is why during AshThaavadhaana Seva, we present a sample of RgVeda and say: RgVeda priya RgVeda sevaam avadhaaraya( Fond of RgVeda that You are, please listen to this RgVeda sevaa).
Same way YAJURVEDA PRIYA, SAAMAVEDA
PRIYA and ATHARVA VEDA PRIYA.
God is not only fond of Vedaas, He would like them to be propagated among all the masses without any bar whatsoever.Please see the following mantra from Yajurveda(26-1,2):
?????? ???? ????????? ?????? ????????
????????????????? ??????? ??????? ?
????? ?????? ??
?????? ??????? ????????? ?????? ?? ???????
??? ?? ???? ???????????
Meaning:
May I speak these blissful words to the masses of men,
To the BraahmaNa and the Kshatriya,
To the Shudra and the Vaishya,
To my own people and the foreigner,
And may I be dear to the gods and to the donor of the holy gift,
And may this desire of mine be fulfilled.
AUM GIRIPRIYAAYA NAMAHA
67) Aum KRITTIVAASASE NAMAHA
Salutations to Shiva, whose garment is the animal hide.
The story is that Shiva killed a demon who had disguised himself as a tiger. HE made a garment from the tiger-hide. This helped to further boost His image as an embodiment of vairaagya.
In his drama, Maalavikaagnimitra, Kaalidaasa has invoked Shiva in the beginning and the opening line reads:
?????????????????? ??????????? ?? ????? ?????????? ?
Meaning: Though capable of conferring immense riches on a devotee who has surrendered to Him, He, for Himself, is content with the garment of hide!
Acharya Narahari in his BODHASAARA gives, as usual, a symbolic meaning:
?????? ??????? ??? ???????? ?????????
??? ?????? ???????? ???? ???? ???????????
Meaning: Shankara, the original hunter, kills the tiger called Moha(delusion, excessive attachment)(which torments His devotees) and the hide around His waist illustrates this.
Metaphysically speaking, each one of us is a krittivaasa, is it not? What is our physical body, our annamaya kosha, if not a garment of hide? The pity is, we mistake ourselves for this garment, pamper it and turn our entire life into an idolatry of this garment!
I am reminded of the story of AshTaavakra . We have it in Vanaparva of Mahabharata. He was an enlightened master from very birth,but, had eight curvatures in his body,and was called AshTaavakra. His father was Kahola. Once there was a debate in the court of King Janaka. A thousand cows with their horns decked in gold would go to the winner.Kahola was losing and, AshTaavakra, got scent of what was happening and rushed to the court. Against all odds, he got entry.As soon as he entered, all the so-called scholars started laughing, looking at his deformity. AshTavakra, too, started laughing. Curious Janaka asked him as to why he was laughing!
AshTaavakra’s reply was an eye-opener. He told King Janaka: “I had vainly thought I was in an assembly of Jnaanis, but, alas, this is an assembly of COBBLERS.” A furious Janaka asked: “What do you mean?”.
AshTaavakra said: “A cobbler looks only at the hide.These Pandits, too, looked at my hide, forgetting that I am not the body. The really real I, the essential I, the vital core, my Atman, was,alas,lost sight of, by them!
The scholars hanged their heads in shame. Janaka makes the boy(he was 12 years old) his Guru. Their dialogue is the masterpiece called ASHTAAVAKRA GITA(also called Mahaagita).
Moral of the story: We should cease to be cobblers and learn to identify ourselves with Atman, who is behind and beyond the garment of kritti, which we call our physical body.
AUM KRITTIVAASASE NAMAHA
68) Aum PURAARAATAYE NAMAHA
Salutations to Shiva who has been a constant giver from the dawn of creation.
Pura means long ago. Raati means He gives. From the dawn of creation, His ‘giving’ has been an ongoing process.Can we keep count of His blessings? Through His AshTamoortis(five cosmic elements, sun,moon and the worshipper), He has been pouring His bounty and sustaining us. What is true of Him, is also true of His Shakti. In APARAAJITAA Stotra, verse after verse,tells us how She resides within us and in how many forms to bless us!
Being Bharga(Light), one of His great gifts is that He lights up everything.
Chaandogya Upanishad(6-2-1) says:
???? ????? ?????? ????? ????????????????
Before creation, there was just sat( (???)Existence, only One without a second. This luminous Brahman makes all other luminaries luminous. Says Katha Upanishad;
? ???? ?????? ???? ? ???????????
???? ???????? ?????? ?????????????
???? ???????????? ?????
???? ???? ???????? ????????15??
Meaning:
There the sun does not shine, neither do the moon and the stars, nor do these flashes of lightning shine. How can this fire? He shining, all these shine. Through His lustre, all these are variously illumined.(2-2-15).
(Trs by Swami Gambhiranandji).
In Gita, ch.15, Shri KrishNa also says that the Tejas(lustre) in the sun, moon and the fire, are His:
??????????? ???? ?????????????????
???????????? ????????? ??????? ?????? ???????? 12 ?
The 15th chapter of Gita gives us many insights into His manifold blessings. “Being
Vaishvaanara in all beings, I ensure digestion of four kinds of food they consume” He says.
His concern and compassion for us is boundless.
There is a saying in Marathi: “When Kamalaakar(VishNu) is giving with His countless hands, how much can you gather with your just two hands?(?????????? ???? ????? ????? ???? ????? ?? ??????)
Another meaning of the name is: pura+araati. Pura refers to Tripuraasuraas and araati means enemy.In other words, Tripuraantaka. We have dealt with this name earlier(no.38).
AUM PURAARAATAYE NAMAHA
69) AUM BHAGAVATE NAMAHA
Salutations to Bhagavaan.
Bhagavaan is no.558 in VSNaama.
How do we define Bhagavaan? Bhaga stands for excellence or fortune,and it is given in an ascending order of subtlety and purity in the following definition.It reminds you of Abraham Maslow’s hierarchical theory of human needs.
VishNu PuraaNa gives this definition:
?????????? ???????? ???????? ???? ???????
??????????????????? ?????? ?? ?????? ? 6-5-74)
In this definition, samagra(total) is applicable to each excellence(bhaga) like samagra aishvarya, samagra veerya etc . The six excellences or fortunes are:
Wealth
Vitality
Fame, success
Cultural values that lend grace to our thought,speech and deed.
Knowledge, wisdom
Dispassion
These excellences are called bhaga and He who has them in full and can also bestow them on His devotees is Bhagavan and Bhagavati(Devi). As you will observe, there is a progression from gross to the subtle, from concrete to abstract, and from material to the spiritual. In his AnnapoorNa Stotra, Acharya Shankara prayed for alms(bhikshaa) for augmenting his Jnaana and Vairaagya:
?????????? ????????? ???????????????
??????????????????????? ??????? ???? ? ????????
Jnaana and Vairaagya are at at the top of the ladder and even human beings whose lives reflect these cardinal values in full, are refered to, by us, as Bhagavan. We say
Bhagavan Gautama Buddha, B.Mahaaveera, B.Aadi Shankara, B.RamaNa Maharshi.
We don’t say B.Mukesh Ambani or B.Bill Gates though they may be ranking very high in the earlier values. Jnaana and Vairaagya are the two fortunes(bhaga) we cherish and adore most. If none of these six fortunes figures in one’s life, it is a misfortune(durbhaagya) and we say he or she is unfortunate.
VishNu PuraaNa gives another definition:
????????? ?????? ??? ???????????? ??????
?????? ?????????????? ? ? ?????? ????????? 6-5-78)
Meaning:
He who knows creation, dissolution,the coming and going of beings, Vidyaa(Knowledge, He being Sarvajna), and Avidyaa(ignorance, how it arises and how to remove it), He is to be called as Bhagavan.
Bhagavan is only One and His conception, as given above, is so sublime.But, during the time of Acharya Shankara, there were several cults, devoted to kshudra(inferior) devataas.Kaapaalikaas,Aghoris and Naagaas were indulging in obscene, repulsive and gruesome rituals including human sacrifice. Shankara Vijaya, the biography of Acharya, describes how some Kaapaalikaas planned to abduct him for sacrifice. The tragedy was averted in the nick of time by Padmapaada(Acharya’s disciple) who assumed the form of Ugra Narasimha and tore the Kaapaalikaa to pieces!
Acharya Shankara gives utterance to his anguish in the following shloka from SHIVAANANDA LAHARI:
??? ?????????????? ??????? ????????? ???
????? ?????? ?????? ???? ??????????? ???????
??? ????????????? ???? ??????? ?????
????????? ????? ???? ? ? ????? ????????8??
Meaning:
O Mahaadeva, O Pashupate(Lord of all beings), like mistaking an oyster-shell for silver, a piece of glass for a gem or mistaking water mixed with flour for milk and a mirage for water, ignorant men, without thinking about You, alas, turn away to adore other entities, mistaking them for God!
AUM BHAGAVATE NAMAHA
70) Aum PRAMATHAADHIPAAYA NAMAHA
Salutations to the Lord of Pramatha GaNaas.
We have seen that God Shiva has an entourage of many bands(gaNaas) vide Aum GaNanaathaaya Namaha(no.56). One such GaNa is PramathagaNa. In this name, pra means ‘prakarsheNa'( exceedingly). Mathana is churning.This gaNa targets people who live an avaidika(not in tune with Vedic teachings) lifestyle.(????????? ?????????? ???????????? ????????? ??? ????? ????????????)
Since Nigraha(punishment of wrong-doers) is a function of Shiva, this gaNa helps Him in doing so. It is Shiva’s elite Task Force as it were.
PRAMATHAADHIPAAYA NAMAHA corresponds to the name Hrishikesha in VSNaama.
Hrishika means senses, so Hrishikesha means the ruler of the senses. Pramatha also applies to mind and the senses in Gita.
In ch.2, verse 60,of Gita, we read: “The turbulent senses carry away forcibly the mind of even an intelligent saadhaka ( ???? ????? ??????? ???????? ????????????????????? ????????? ?????? ?????? ????)
In ch.6, verse 34,of Gita,Arjuna complains: ” O KrishNa, my mind is very restless and turbulent. Controlling it, I find, is as difficult as controlling the wind”.(????? ?? ??? ????? ??????? ?????????? ? ??????? ??????? ????? ???????
?????????? ?)
Why did Arjuna face this problem? Mind and the senses were becoming increasingly pramaathi(turbulent) to him. The answer is: he was yet to master the art of surrender. On his own, by dint of his own effort, success proved elusive. As our devotion to God deepens, slowly and spontaneously, the mind and senses cease to be unruly. On the other hand, they become docile and willing partners in saadhanaa. God is their adhipa(ruler, master). Let us go to Him in devotion and the pramaathi (turbulent)mind and the senses will cease to be a problem.
Remember He holds the mind in hand in the form of a deer(Aum MrigapaaNaye Namaha, no.33).
Here is a beautiful shloka from Shivaanandalahari of Acharya Shankara:
?????? ???????? ????? ???????? ?????
??????? ???????????? ????? ?????????????
??????? ??????? ??? ????????????????
?????? ????????? ???? ??????? ?? ??? ? 27 ??
Meaning:
O Mountain-dweller, the golden mountain(Meru) is in Your hand(as a bow),Kubera, the lord of wealth, stays close to You, in Your household are Kalpavraksha(wish-fulfilling tree), Kaamadhenu(wish-fulfilling cow) and ChintaamaNi(wish-fulfilling gem). The cool moon adorns Your crown and all auspicious things are lying, strewn around Your feet.
When this is so, what ‘valuable’ article can I offer You. Let this mind of mine be thine!
Sri RamakrishNa used to joke: don’t directly seek Lakshmi (goddess of wealth). She will not come. Try to please NaaraayaNa and, being a dutiful pativrataa, she will quietly follow Him!Likewise, let us be devoted to our dear Lord Bhavanishankar, the master (adhipa) of turbulent(pramaathi) mind and senses and, lo, they will simply fall in line without a whimper and do our bidding!
AUM PRAMATHAADHIPAAYA NAMAHA
71) AUM MRITYUNJAYAAYA NAMAHA
Salutations to the Conqueror of Death.
What does Mrityunjaya mean? To say that God has conquered death makes no sense. God and death can’t co-exist. God is deathless because Atman is deathless(Gita).So, Paramaatman is, indeed, deathless. Then, where comes the conquest?
God blesses His devotees either directly or courtesy the Guru, with the unwavering conviction that they are deathless, that they are Mrityunjayas here and now. This
deathlessness is not adventitious(aagantuka), acquired through, say, some feats of tapas(penance). It is our intrinsic nature. If it were acquired, it will be transient because, as Acharya Shankara says, ‘yat kritakam tat anityam’ ( whatever is produced, is not permanent).
There are stories, strewn in our PuraaNaas, as to how some devotees of Shiva got a fresh lease of life, conquering imminent death. Nothing is impossible for Him.
Here is a very touching prayer to Mrityu(deity of death):
?? ???? ?????? ?? ??????? ?? ??? ?????? ?? ?????????
?????? ?? ?? ????? ???????? ???????? ???? ????? ???????
Meaning:
O fierce Mrityu, do not cut off my life. Do not cripple my strength. Do not subject me to deprivation. Do not hurt my progeny and their life. I shall serve You with oblations, for, You are vigilant over the deeds of men.
(MahaanaaraayaNopanishad 51st section(anuvaaka)(Trs.by Swami Vimalananda)(This is also in Taittirya AaraNyaka).
There is the following Mrityunjaya Mantra:
?????????? ?????? ???????? ??????????????
?????????? ?? ???????? ???????? ??????? ???????????(Rg.Veda 7-59-12)
This is a very potent mantra and should be part of everyone’s japa.Its benefits are far-reaching: the healthy and the ailing, all are its beneficiaries. Late revered Swami Shivananda of Divine Life Society, Hrishikesh, saw to it that this mantra was chanted in their Go-shaalaa too.
This Prince of mantraas deals, in short, with life, death and life after death. How? Let’s see.
LIFE:
- Trayambakam: He has three eyes. We should live as though He is keeping a watch over our thought (vichaara), speech (ucchaara) and deed (aachaara)with His three eyes.We should live as if we are under His CCTV 24x 7.
2.Yajaamahe: We should be imbued with the spirit of Yajna: give & take, sharing and caring, live and let live. We should perform all our duties to the best of our abilities and offer to Him.
- Sugandhim: Daivi sampatti of Gita, godly qualities, constitute the fragrance(Sugandha) of God. As we move closer to Him, His fragrance envelopes us.
- PushTivardhanam: We should be grateful to Him because He nourishes(pushTi vardhanam) and fosters both our body and soul.
DEATH:
Death is the only certainty in life.None can escape its noose. Here, the sage VasishTa(he is the seer of this mantra) prays : please release me(muksheeya) from death(mrityoh) as naturally, effortlessly and spontaneously like a pumpkin (urvaaruka) getting detached from its mother creeper
(bandhanaat). The creeper lets go the pumpkin when it has grown fully and is totally mature. Likewise, death should not be untimely, unnaturally and accidentally. This prayer is implicit in the ‘urvaaruka’ analogy.
LIFE AFTER DEATH
VasishTa prays: ‘amritaat maa muksheeya’ – please don’t make me feel I am dead. Make me feel I am immortal. Likewise, please grant me the good fortune of remembering (smaraNa) You when death(maraNa) is knocking on my door. After death, I want to be in Your divine presence(sannidhi) and serve You.Please don’t exile me from You. May I not become a spiritual outlaw.
This is the sum and substance of this most magnificent mantra. It is also called as Mahaa Mrityunjaya mantra.
AUM MRITYUNJAYAAYA NAMAHA
72) Aum SOOKSHMATANAVE NAMAHA
Salutations to Him whose nature is very. subtle.
The corresponding name in VSNaama is SOOKSHMA, No.457.
Among the five cosmic elements (earth,water,fire, wind and the sky), sky is the subtlest. Taittiriya Upanishad says:
?????? ????? ????????
“From Atman(Brahman,God), Aakaasha emerged”. So, naturally God is the subtlest of all.
There are plenty of Upanishadic sayings where God is refered to as very subtle (sookshma).
Yama tells Nachiketa in Kathopanishad:
?????????????? ?????-?????????? ??????????? ???????? ?
?????? ?????? ??????? ???????????????????????????
Meaning:
The Self that is subtler than the subtle and greater than the great is lodged in the heart of every creature. A desireless person sees that glory of the Self when his mind etc are serene and composed. Thereby he becomes free from sorrow. (1-2-20).
Shvetaashvatara Upanishad says:
????????? ?????????????????? ???????? ???? ?????????? ???????
??????????? ????????????? ???????? ???? ??????? ????????? ?
Meaning:
The cream in the milk is not visible, being sookshma(unless boiled properly we will not get).Shiva is hidden like that in all beings.He is the sole encircler of the universe. By
realising Him, one shakes off all fetters.(4-16).
Even in such a mundane thing like passing a thread in a needle for sewing, a sharp vision is necessary. So, needless to say how sharp a vision(not physical, but of intellect) is necessary for a saadhaka.
?? ??????? ?????? ?????????? ? ?????????
??????? ???????? ??????? ????????? ??????????????? ?
Meaning:
He is hidden in all beings and hence, not visible to us. Saadhakaas can have the vision by employing a one-pointed intellect(sookshma buddhi).(1-3-12)(Kathopanishad)
? ?????? ??????? ??????? ? ??????? ?????? ??????????
???? ????? ??????????????? ? ????????????????? ?????? ??
Meaning:
His form does not come within our vision.Nobody sees Him with the (physical) eye.After (attentive listening, reflecting on what was heard and) nididhyaasana (holding firmly to the truth so arrived at), the saadhakaas realise Him in their heart and they become immortal. (2-3-9)(Kathopanishad)
That God is subtler than the subtlest, that our physical senses or an untrained mind can’t grasp Him – Does all this sound like a gospel of despair? No, we have the solution:
????????? ?????? ??????? ??????????? ?
???????? ???? ?????? ???????? ?????? ??????????? ????????
Meaning:
Arise, awake, and learn by going to the noble teachers(who have realised). The learned say that the Saadhanaa is like walking on the razor’s edge, sharp and not easy to handle.
(1-3-14) (Kathopanishad)
AUM SOOKSHMATANAVE NAMAHA
[73) Aum JAGAD VYAAPINE NAMAHA
Salutations to Him who has pervaded the universe.
Corresponding names in VSNaama are Vyaapta(413) and Vyaapi(467).
The second name in VSN is VishNu and Acharya Shankara explains: vyaapnoti (He pervades), so He is VishNu. God is omnipresent, He is all-pervasive. Be He VishNu, Shiva, GaNapati – whoever be our ishTadeva – He is Jagadvyaapi.
During Mantrapushpaanjali the following mantra is chanted;
???? ???????????? ????? ??????? ?????????? ???
???????????? ???????? ??????? ??????? ????????
Meaning:
Whatsoever there is in this world, seen or heard, all that is PERVADED by NaaraayaNa within and without.
(MahaanaaraayaNopanishad 13-5)
Look at the following mantra:
???????????????? ??????????? ?????????????? ?????????????
?? ????????? ???? ?? ???????????????? ????? ????? ??? ????
Meaning:
He who has eyes on all sides and has face looking at all sides,
Arms on all sides and feet on all sides;
He, the One God, creating heaven and earth,
Wields them together with His arms as wings.(RgVeda 10-81-3)
Paraashara Bhatta, a scholar belonging to Sri Ramaanujaachaarya’s sampradaaya, has written a book in Sanskrit, annotating VSNaama. The book is called SHREE BHAGAVAD GUNA DARPANA(Holding A Mirror to the Excellences of Bhagavaan). In this book, while explaining the PERVASIVENESS (VYAAPAKATVA) of God, he gives another beautiful meaning to this word. His LOVE is all-pervasive. He says:
????? ????? ????? ????? ??????????????? ????????????????? ????????
Meaning:
Innocent children, the aged, householders, servants, foes, friends – in all of them, His love is equally PERVASIVE.
Paraashara Bhatta quotes from Vaalmiki RaamaayaNa the following verse to illustrate Raamaa’s vaatsalya(parental love ) for his subjects:
?????? ?????????????? ????? ???????????
????????????? ?????? ????????????????? ??
?????????????????? ? ???? ???????????????
Meaning:
Daily Shri Raama used to enquire with his subjects about their welfare like a father about his children. He would ask about their children, their daily agnikaarya,their wives, servants and vidyaarthis.
(Ayodhyaa KaaNDa 2-37,38).
When we say JAGAD VYAAPINE, it looks as though there are two independent entities – jagad(the pervaded) and vyaapin(the pervader). But, this is deceptive. As explained vide VISHVESHVARAAYA NAMAHA, to begin with, Vedaanta allows us to keep this distinction, as a concession to our evolving God-consciousness. The crowning realisation for the saadhaka is God IS the world:
????? ???? ???????????
???? ???? ? ?? ???????????
When I say ‘a silver tumbler’, are there two entities? Silver and tumbler? No, silver only has assumed a form(roopa) and we give it a name (naama) called tumbler. So it is here.This Advaitic insight was given to us ages ago by Rshi Yaajnavalkya in Chaandogya Upanishad:
?????????? ?????? ??????? ????????????? ???????
“The clay is the truth. Talk about variegated pottery is just a vagary of speech.”(6-1-4).
Why God is not seen? Because He is all-pervasive. Air is everywhere, but is not seen,but is felt. In Chaandogya Upanishad we have Uddaalaka teaching ‘tat tvam asi'( That thou art), giving several examples. One example I give below:
Uddalaka tells Shvetaketu, his son and disciple: bring a vessel of water and put salt cubes into it.
Shvetaketu: yes,sir,done.
Uddalaka: Stir it well.
Shvetaketu: yes, sir,done.
Uddalaka: Now get me the salt back.
Shvetaketu: Sir, I can’t, it is dissolved.
Uddalaka: My son, salt is there, but, it has pervaded the water. Neither your hand nor a spoon can fetch it. But, take a drop on your tongue and the tongue will vouch for its presence.So it is with Brahman, my child. Brahman is all-pervasive and cannot be seen, but can be felt and experienced. That Brahman is the Truth. That thou art, O Shvetaketu (tat tvam asi).
AUM JAGADVYAAPINE NAMAHA
74) AUM JAGADGURAVE NAMAHA
Salutations to the World Teacher.
Who is a Guru? He who dispels ignorance and gives knowledge is a Guru.Where is knowledge? It is in the Vedaas. “Sarva jnaanamayo Vedah”( Veda is the repository of all knowledge). “Vedokhilo Dharma moolam”( Veda is the source-book of Dharma). Granted all this, but, where are the Vedaas? The answer is GOD.
The corresponding two names in VSNaama are Guru(209) and Gurutama(210).
Shvetaashvatara Upanishad says: “He sends the four Vedaas to Brahma(?? ????????? ??????? ?????? ?? ?? ?????? ? ????????? ??????) (VI-18)
Four faces of Brahma recite the four Vedaas.
BrihadaaraNyaka Upanishad says: “The Vedaas are the exhalations of God”(???? ?????????? ??????
So, being the custodian of Vedaas, the fountainhead of all Jnaana, God is Jagadguru, the World Preceptor.
God Himself descends as Jagadguru in every Yuga(cycle of Time). In Satya Yuga,Shri DakshiNamoorti was the Jagadguru. In Tretaa Yuga, Shri Dattaatreya was the Jagadguru. In Dwaapara Yuga, it was Shri KrishNa(KrishNam vande jagadgurum). In Kali Yuga, votaries of Raamaanuja and Maadhwa Sampradaaya adore HAYAGREEVA as the Jagadguru. HAYAGREEVA is an Avataar of VishNu.HE has a face and neck(greevaa) of a horse(haya). Rest of the body is human. A popular(in VaishNava circles) invocation of HAYAGREEVA is:
????????????? ???? ???????????????????
????? ????????????? ???????? ??????????
But, for us, followers of Acharya Shankara,
Shri DakshiNaamoorti is still the Jagadguru. We trace the genesis of our Guruparampara from Him (DakshiNaasya samaarambhaa …)
HH.Shri Chandrashekhar Bhaarati, the Parama Guru of present Mahaaswami of Sringeri, has written a Sanskrit commentary on Acharya Shankara’s VIVEKA CHOODAAMANI. In that book, He pays a tribute to His Guru, Shri Shivaabhinava Narasimha Bhaarati and hails Him as a manifestation of Shri DakshiNamoorti.
Patanjali in his Yoga Sootra (I-26) says:
? ??????????? ????? ?????????????????
Meaning:
He(Ishvara) is the teacher even of the earliest teachers, since He is not limited by time.
In other words, He is Jagadguru
In his SHIVAANANDALAHARI, verse 29, Acharya Shankara addresses Shiva as LOKA GURU which means the same as Jagadguru:
????????????????????? ???? ????? ???????????????
???????? ???? ??????? ???? ??????? ???? ?????
??????? ?? ??? ????????? ??????? ???????????? ???????????
???? ??????? ???????? ??????????? ???? ?
Meaning:
I worship Your Lotus Feet, O All-pervading One! I contemplate always on You, O. Supreme Being! I surrender myself to You, O Master of the World’s! I implore You to fulfil my only one wish.O Giver of Happiness, be pleased to bestow on me, O World-Teacher, Your merciful glance, so eagerly sought by Devataas and impart to my mind the instruction that will give me happiness.
In verse no.30 of Shivanandalahari, Acharya Shankara hails Shiva as ‘trilokee guro’, Teacher for the three worlds. Same as Jagadguru.
After beholding His vishvaroopa(cosmic form), Arjuna breaks into a fervent prayer to Shri KrishNa. Arjuna addresses Him as Loka Guru:
?????? ?????? ????????
??????? ???????? ??????????????
? ????????????????????? ????????? ???????????????????????? ?
Meaning:
Of this world consisting of moving and non-moving creation, You are the Father, worthy of worship and the GREAT TEACHER.In all the three worlds, You have no equal, leave alone someone superior,
O possessor of incomparable splendour!
(Gita XI-43).
AUM JAGADGURAVE NAMAHA
75) Aum VYOMAKESHAAYA NAMAHA
Salutations to Him whose matted locks (kesha) pervade the sky (vyoma).
Vide no 8, Aum Kapardine Namaha, we saw His kaparda acts as a speedbreaker, toning down the rigours of destiny. A doubt may haunt our mind as to whether this Grace of Shiva will be available to everyone, no matter where he is .
The Kaparda(Shiva’s jaTaa, matted hair) may be limited in size whereas the sky(vyoma) is vast and one can be anywhere under the infinite overarching sky. So, will the benefit of the limited jaTaa be available to all, no matter in which nook and corner of the earth they are?
To dispel this doubt about the finitude of Shiva’s Kaparda, we have this name here, Vyomakesha.This name assures us that Shiva’s Kaparda is not a limited entity. It is as vast as the sky itself. So, no matter where we are under the sky, the protective shield of His kaparda will always be available to us.
Anugraha of our beloved Shiva is as infinite as the sky.
AUM VYOMAKESHAAYA NAMAHA
76) Aum MAHAA SENA JANAKAAYA NAMAHA
Salutations to the progenitor of Kaartikeya.
The birth of Skanda(another name of Kartikeya)was very urgently necessary for wiping out Taarakaasura. Skanda is Deva-senaa-pati. He is the Commander-in-chief(MAHAASENA) of gods. In ch.10, verse 24 of Gita, Shri KrishNa says: “Among the commanders, I am Skanda”. Skanda is Shiva’s son, so Shiva is his janaka(father).
Skanda took command of gods and led them to victory. A Subhashita says: yojakah tatra durlabhah( to find an organiser is very difficult).The gods were there, but, were in a state of disarray. Skanda organised them.
Like Skanda taking command of gods, we need a ‘commander’ to organise and give direction to the godly nature within us. He is the GURU. He is our ‘senaani’.
Tukaram said long back: “Day and night it is a warlike scene, without with the world and within with the mind.”
????????? ?????? ???????? ???????
?????????? ?? ??? ??? ?
If the saadhakaa has to win so that our life which is a kurukshetra (field of action &strife), becomes a Dharmakshetra, ‘mahaasena’, the Guru, must step in and lead us.Under his guidance, the godly qualities(daivi sampatti) within us should vanquish the ungodly aberrations (Aasuri sampatti). But, who gives us the Guru? Who is the mahaasena JANAKA in this context? It is the Lord Himself.
It is said ” when the disciple is ready, the Master arrives”. But, who makes the Master arrive? It is God.
Over 300 years ago, our forefathers fasted and prayed at Kotiteerth in GokarN.They pined for a Guru. As disciples, they were ready and lo, the Master arrived. All the way from Kaashi, chanting Harhar Mahaadev, Parama Poojya Swami Parijnanashram appeared before them. HE became the Mahaasena of our samaaj. He led our beleaguered elders, harassed by the wily Nagar chieftain, to victory. How? By going to Sringeri, meeting the Jagadguru and obtaining the ‘sammati patra’ (letter of accreditation) for submission to the Nagar Chieftain.
Who is the Mahaasena janaka here? Lord Bhavanishankar Himself!
AUM MAHAASENA JANAKAAYA NAMAHA
80) Aum STHAANAVE NAMAHA
Salutations to Him who is firm and stable.
SthaaNu is no.28 in VSNaama.
SthaaNu is an epithet of Atman. In Gita, ch.2, verse 24, Atman is described by Shri KrishNa as SthaNu along with other adjectives. It means steady, firm, and stable. God is stable, Prakriti, always in a state of flux, is His opposite. Prakriti is able to do her work since Her support, Brahman, is stable. The rail track is stable, so the trains can run. What will happen if the track also starts moving?
The track is stable, sthaaNu
SthaaNu also means a pillar. A prayer to Shiva ends as under:
???????????????????????????? ?? ??? ?
Meaning:
You are the pillar upholding the three worlds.Salutations to You.
In his initial invocation in his drama, Vikramorvasheeya, Kalidasa has this concluding line:
? ??????? ?????????????????? ??? ?????????????? ?? ?
Meaning:
May that SthaaNu, easily accessible through steady Bhakti Yoga, promote your(audience) spiritual well-being.
SthaaNu also means a post or the stump of a tree. On VokkuLi day, at Shirali, there is an event called Dwaara-bandha. Shiva, extremely tired after a gruelling hunting spree(Mrigabete) is anxious to enter home.Paarvati, angry and annoyed at His late night pastime, refuses to open the door,asking Him to prove that He is Shiva only. Shiva names Himself in various ways, but Parvati takes some other meaning and taunts Him. At some point Shiva says: O simpleton, I am SthaaNu(??????????????)
Pat comes her retort: the tree-stump does not speak!(? ???? ????)
I am giving the above information so that readers, unaware that there is such an event called Dwaara-bandha on VokkuLi day, can make it a point to attend it during next Rathotsava.
There is a beautiful dohaa(????) in Shree
RamakrishNa Dohaavali:
????? ?? ???? ????, ?? ???? ?? ????? ?
?? ?? ??? ?? ??? ??,???? ??? ??? ????? ?
Meaning:
The boy firmly holds the pillar and swings round and round. Thanks to his firm grip, there is no fear of his fall. Likewise, hold fast to God and go about your work (in Samsaara). All calamities will drop off
This is Sri RamakrishNaa’s advice to us.
Our good old Shiva Stuti also tells us:
???????? ??????? ???? ???? ?? ???? ????? ??? ?
Meaning:
By remembering whom the fallen are raised, don’t give up your hold on Shambhu under any circumstances.
Acharya Shankara gives a beautiful shloka in SHIVAANANDA LAARI:
???????????? ???????????????
??????? ?????? ????????
???????? ???? ????????????
??? ????????? ????? ?????????
Meaning:
This infatuated mind-elephant of mine is running amuck here and there. Please get hold of it tactfully and with the sturdy rope of devotion, please tie it to the pillar(sthaaNu) that You are.(no.97).
AUM STHAANAVE NAMAHA
77) Aum CHAARU VIKRAMAAYA NAMAHA
Salutations to Him who shows His prowess in a charming manner.
The corresponding names in VSNaama are:
Vikrami(75), Vikrama(78) and again Vikrami(909).
Shiva’s exploits, adventures and His encounters with an assorted variety of demons are graphically given in our PuraaNaas like Shiva, Linga, Skanda etc .They highlight His vikrama, His prowess
But, our theme is not just Vikrama, but CHAARU(charming) Vikrama. It is like a painless operation. There is no bloodshed nor any gruesome killing. This charm(CHAARU) consists in the exquisite manner in which He reclaims ‘lost’ souls and launches them on the Godward path. This is not a Vikrama, a show of prowess in a martial sense.
In the Gita, Shri KrishNa says:
??? ?????????????? ???? ????????????
??????? ? ???????? ?????????????? ?? ????????
???????? ???? ????????? ????????????? ?????????
??????? ????? ?????? ? ??? ????? ???????????????
Meaning:
If a person, who lives a wayward and unprincipled life, were to serve me devotedly, consider him a good man who is on the right track.At once he will turn into a righteous soul and will be blessed with perpetual peace. O Arjuna, this is my promise: my devotee will never come to grief.
These words may be from Shri KrishNa. It does not matter. It is the voice of God, call Him what you will. This TRANSFORMATION is an instance of Chaaru Vikrama.
In AANANDA LAHARI Acharya Shankara prays to Devi:
???? ??????? ????? ???? ???? ????????
??? ????????? ???? ???? ?????????????
??? ????????????????????????? ???
????? ???????? ????? ????? ? ????? ????????????
Meaning:
When iron touches the Philosopher’s Stone, it turns into gold at once. When the drainage water merges into Ganga, at once it is rendered pure.Then, why will not my mind, rendered utterly soiled due to all sorts of sinful acts, become pure and unsullied if it were to be attached to You in loving devotion!
This is a prayer to Devi to show Her Chaaru Vikrama.
Ratnaakar turning into Vaalmiki,Saul becoming Paul, a lustful person becoming Tulsidas, Angulimaala, the ruthless brigand, turning into a dedicated disciple of Buddha due to His (Buddhaa’s) redemptive power are instances of Chaaru Vikrama.
AUM CHAARU VIKRAMAAYA NAMAHA
78) Aum RUDRAAYA NAMAHA
Salutations to Rudra.
Rudra is no.114 in VSNaama.
God is engaged (paraayaNa) in five functions(pancha kritya) which are creation(srishTi), preservation(sthiti), dissolution(laya),
punishment(nigraha) and benediction (anugraha). When He handles nigraha (punishment), He is called as Rudra.
Why does He punish us? God has given us intelligence and the faculty to discriminate good from bad, righteous from unrighteous and eternal from the transient. Despite this divine gift( denied to the brute creation), we do what we should not (errors of commission) and don’t do what we should(errors of omission). Thus, we invite the anger (manyu) of Rudra.
Rudra – this word has been derived in many ways. Two important derivations are:
‘rodayati iti rudraha – He makes us weep. When a teacher punishes an errant student by not sparing the cane, he naturally weeps.
‘ruth(???? ) draavayati iti rudraha. He makes our sorrow melt away. When the phase of
punishment is over and if we have learnt the right lessons, then we thank Rudra for same.We emerge from the ordeal better and stronger than we were.
The Vedic literature visualised Rudra as Agni(Rudro vaa esha yadagnihi)Devi being His shakti, She is also fiery. That’s why, in the Dhyaana Shloka in Devi Poojan, we invoke Her as ‘analaatmikaam’. Anala means fire.
How do we douse a fire? By pouring water. So, to appease firy Rudra, we do abhisheka – abhisheka priyo shivaha(Shiva loves abhisheka).
We perform Rudraabhisheka by chanting Rudraadhyaaya from Yajurveda. Namaka(namaha) and Chamaka
(chame) are two parts of Rudraadhyaaya, each having 11 sections(anuvaaka). The first mantra of the first anuvaaka of Namaka is a salutation to Rudra’s holy wrath:
? ?????? ????? ????? ??? ? ???? ????
?????? ????? ?????? ??????????? ?? ?????1??
Meaning:
O Rudra, my salutations to Your anger, Your arrow, Your bow and Your shoulders(which are poised to target me for my indiscretions).
Rudraadhyaaya is a masterpiece of Vedic literature. Its sole purpose is to awaken ‘sarvaatma bhaava’ in us, to awaken in us the awareness that God is all in all. There is nothing but God alone, sporting before us in ever so many disguises of names(naama) and forms(roopa).
Please read these very touching, heartfelt prayers to Rudra(from Namaka):
?? ?? ????????? ?? ?? ?????? ?? ? ?????????? ?? ? ??????????
?? ?? ???? ????? ??? ????? ?????? ?? ???????? ????? ????????5? (10th Anuvaaka of Namaka)
Meaning:
O Rudra, please hurt not the elders in our midst, nor the tender babe,nor our youth(capable of raising a family), nor the child in the womb, nor the father, nor mother nor our bodies which are dear to us( as means of pursuing karma, bhakti and Jnaana).
?? ??????? ???? ?? ? ????? ???? ????
?? ?? ??????? ??????????????? ?? ??????? ?????? ?????????????? ???? ????? ???? 6 ??
(10th Anuvaaka of Namaka)
Meaning:
O Rudra, getting angry at our faults and foibles, please hurt not our children and grand-children.. Please do not cut short the span of our lives. Please don’t direct Your anger at our cattle and horses. Please hurt not our warriors . With offerings (in our hands), we offer You our heartfelt salutations.
AUM RUDRAAYA NAMAHA
79) AUM BHOOTAPATAYE NAMAHA
Salutations to the lord of elements, living beings, and goblins.
In VSNaama, no.29 is Bhootaadi .
Bhoota means :
- Five cosmic elements(pancha mahaabhoota) – earth, water, fire, air and sky.
As we have already seen vide Aum GaNanaathaaya Namaha(56),God rules over several GaNaas. One such cluster is five cosmic elements.
The renowned saint of Shegaon, Shree Gajanan Maharaj, is said to have been chanting GANA GANA GANAATA BOTE.
Did HE mean to convey God is ‘ota prota'(bote), suffused and saturated in every GaNa? ‘ota prota’ in Sanskrit suffered ‘apabhramsha'(distortion) as ‘bote’ ??
2.Bhoota means living beings. Shiva is the Lord(pati) of all beings.
HiraNyagarbha Sookta says:
??????????? ???????????? ?????? ???? ?????? ??????
? ????? ??????? ??????????? ????? ????? ????? ???????1??
(RgVeda 10-121-1)
Meaning:
In the beginning there was only HiraNyagarbha and He was the sole Lord of all created beings. He upheld both the earth and the sky. To that blissful God, we give our offerings
???????? ? ?????????????? ?????? ?????? ??? ?? ?????
??????????? ???????????? ????? ??? ????? ???? ?????????
O Prajaapati, all that is born is not different from You. You are before them and after also(after praLaya). The created beings cannot surpass You. With whatever wishes we come to You with offerings, may they be fulfilled . May we become full of riches(material and spiritual).
(RgVeda 10-121-10)
Bhootapati and Prajaapati are synonyms.
3.Bhoota means ghosts and goblins. Our most compassionate God Shiva does not exclude these hapless souls from His all-encompassing mercy. He showers them with His grace and redeems them from their miserable plight.
(Please read no.56, Aum GaNanaathaaya Namaha).
AUM BHOOTAPATAYE NAMAHA
80) Aum STHAANAVE NAMAHA
Salutations to Him who is firm and stable.
SthaaNu is no.28 in VSNaama.
SthaaNu is an epithet of Atman. In Gita, ch.2, verse 24, Atman is described by Shri KrishNa as SthaNu along with other adjectives. It means steady, firm, and stable. God is stable, Prakriti, always in a state of flux, is His opposite. Prakriti is able to do her work since Her support, Brahman, is stable. The rail track is stable, so the trains can run. What will happen if the track also starts moving?
The track is stable, sthaaNu
SthaaNu also means a pillar. A prayer to Shiva ends as under:
???????????????????????????? ?? ??? ?
Meaning:
You are the pillar upholding the three worlds.Salutations to You.
In his initial invocation in his drama, Vikramorvasheeya, Kalidasa has this concluding line:
? ??????? ?????????????????? ??? ?????????????? ?? ?
Meaning:
May that SthaaNu, easily accessible through steady Bhakti Yoga, promote your(audience) spiritual well-being.
SthaaNu also means a post or the stump of a tree. On VokkuLi day, at Shirali, there is an event called Dwaara-bandha. Shiva, extremely tired after a gruelling hunting spree(Mrigabete) is anxious to enter home.Paarvati, angry and annoyed at His late night pastime, refuses to open the door,asking Him to prove that He is Shiva only. Shiva names Himself in various ways, but Parvati takes some other meaning and taunts Him. At some point Shiva says: O simpleton, I am SthaaNu(??????????????)
Pat comes her retort: the tree-stump does not speak!(? ???? ????)
I am giving the above information so that readers, unaware that there is such an event called Dwaara-bandha on VokkuLi day, can make it a point to attend it during next Rathotsava.
There is a beautiful dohaa(????) in Shree
RamakrishNa Dohaavali:
????? ?? ???? ????, ?? ???? ?? ????? ?
?? ?? ??? ?? ??? ??,???? ??? ??? ????? ?
Meaning:
The boy firmly holds the pillar and swings round and round. Thanks to his firm grip, there is no fear of his fall. Likewise, hold fast to God and go about your work (in Samsaara). All calamities will drop off
This is Sri RamakrishNaa’s advice to us.
Our good old Shiva Stuti also tells us:
???????? ??????? ???? ???? ?? ???? ????? ??? ?
Meaning:
By remembering whom the fallen are raised, don’t give up your hold on Shambhu under any circumstances.
Acharya Shankara gives a beautiful shloka in SHIVAANANDA LAARI:
???????????? ???????????????
??????? ?????? ????????
???????? ???? ????????????
??? ????????? ????? ?????????
Meaning:
This infatuated mind-elephant of mine is running amuck here and there. Please get hold of it tactfully and with the sturdy rope of devotion, please tie it to the pillar(sthaaNu) that You are.(no.97).
AUM STHAANAVE NAMAHA
81) Aum AHIRBUDHNYAAYA NAMAHA
Salutations to the Serpent Power.
Ahi means serpent. Budhna means base, root or bottom.
At the base of our spine lies the coiled up KunDalini, the serpent power the Yogis speak of. This KunDalini is one of His manifestations, He being everything (sarvam khalu idam Brahma).
At the base of the universe, upholding it, is Aadi-shesha, also called Ananta. In Gita, ch.10, verse 29, Shri KrishNa says: “Among Naagaas, I am Ananta”(????????????? ???????).
It is Ananta whom we adore during Nompi (Ananta Chaturdashi). He is our Ananteshwar, worshipped at Vittal and elsewhere.
Since Ananta is Naaga, the sanctuary of His descendants is called Naagaalaya and the special sevaa performed at Vittal and elsewhere is Naaga-tambila. Please note the word Sarpa is not used.
Naagaas are non-poisonous. Sarpa is poisonous. In Gita, ch.10, verse 28, Shri KrishNa says: “Among sarpaas, I am Vaasuki”(???????????? ???????).
Naaga is a generic term and includes within its fold sarpa also. We actually refer to a sarpa as naaga-sarpa. There is a Nava(9) Naaga Stotra. The nine Naagaas include sarpa also. This stotra is said to be powerful and I am attaching a video of same.
During ‘samudra mathana’ for obtaining amrita, Vaasuki was used as the churning rope. Whenever the wily demons used to come near, Vaasuki used to send them scampering helter skelter with his poisonous fumes!!
AUM AHIRBUDHNYAAYA NAMAHAL
Video of Nava-naaga stotra attached.
