Ancestors of Rama

Rama descents from a long line of illustrious men, like King Dilipa of the Ikshvaku dynasty. Then came Dilipa's son Raghu, who achieved such fame that from his time onwards, his dynasty came to be known as 'Raghuvamsham'.

Raghu' son Aja sired Rama's father Dasharatha.

A Makeover

I have umpteen number of prayers yet to post, but I thought that with that it would be great to post a few myths and puraanas that I have managed to collect too. I aim to make this blog slightly more interesting.

Tulasi

The Tulasi or the Holy Basil has a lot of significance in the Hindu prayer or Puja. In most Hindu homes, it is usual to see a Thulasi thara or a platform on which the Holy basil is planted.

The most auspicious direction is where there is direct sunlight and that should be seen from the main door of the house(which should face east).

The platform or Thualsi thara should always be higher than the floor of the house.There should always be more than one plant in the thulasi thara.Krishna thulasi is the best one for this purpose. It needs to be water daily, weeded and kept free of insects, dead leaves etc.

It also has medicinal properties that cures fever, cough, stomach ailments,diarrhoea, headaches, insect bites, mouth ulcers etc.

In the evenings , while one lights the Sandhya deepam, it is usual to keep a light at the Tulasi thara. Take three pradakshinas around the thulasi thara and chant this mantra...

Praseeda thulasi devi
Praseeda hari-vallabhe
Ksheeroda-madanodbudhe
Thulasi thwaam namaamyaham

When one plucks the thulasi flowers, chant

Thulasi amritha sambhootha
sadaa thwam keshava priye
Keshavaartham lunaami thwaam
Varadaa bhava shobhane.

The thulasi thara should be kept with as much piety and respect given to the Puja room . The thulasi leaves or flowers hsould not be plucked during the twilight time, ekadashi days, tuesdays or fridays.

Naarayanam Bhaje...

Naarayanam bhaje naarayanam - Lakshmi
Naarayanam bhaje naarayanam

Vrindaavanasthitham naarayanam - deva
Vrindairabhishtutham naarayanam

Dinakara madhyagam naarayanam - bhaktha
Kanakaambaradharam naarayanam

Pankaja lochanam naarayanam - bhaktha
Sankada mochanam naarayanam

Karunaapayo nidhim naarayanam - bhavya
Sharanaa gatha nidhim naarayanam

Rakshitha jagathrayam naarayanam - chakra
Shikshitha surachayam naarayanam

Ajnaana nashakam naarayanam - shudha
Vijnaana bhaasakam naarayanam

Shrivatsa bhushanam naarayanam - nanda
Govatsa poshanam naarayanam

Shringaara naayakam naarayanam - pada
Gangaa vidhaayakam naarayanam

Sreekandha sevitham naarayanam - nithya
vaikuntha vaasinam naarayanam

Naarayanam bhaje naarayanam - lakshmi
Naarayanam bhaje naarayanam.......

The meaning for the Prayer before sleeping

This was requested to me by Jhanvi

My mom and grandmom used to insist that we pray before going to bed. This was not just a way to thank God and think about Him, but also to make sure that we did not have nightmares, or worries AND to ensure that we got up to see a new dawn!!!!

I don't specifically use this prayer alone, (I have a bunch of them...), but this was given in a prayer book I bought and sounded good. And it was specified in the book to chant the mantras before going to bed....

For easy access, I am linking the prayer here.

It is in sanskrit and basically is the chanting of names of various Gods to salute them.

'Namaha' means to salute

So salutations to Krishna,
Anantha (the serpent bed of Maha Vishnu),
Vaasuki (King of serpents),
Chithraguptha (assistant of Yama, the god of death)
Vishnu and Hara (Shiva)

As far as I know, Krishna and Vishnu are the protectors, Anantha and Vaasuki deal with fears and Shiva has in his power to even stop Yama from taking a life. Since chitraguptha is the person who keeps track of our ticking clocks and informs Yama when the time is up, I guess it is good to keep on his good side.

Mantras sooth and gives power for meditation...
I give a tune and then chant them...Hope this helps you too .

Shiva - Panchakshari stothram

Naagendra haaraya thrilochanaaya
Bhasmmaga ragaaya maheswaraaya
Nityaaya shudhaaya digambaraaya
Thasmai nakaaraya namah shivaaya

Mandakini salila chandana charchitaaya
Nandiswara pramadha naadha maheswaraaya
mandaara pushpa bahupushpa supoojithaaya
Thasmai makaaraya namah shivaaya

Shivaaya gowri vadana-aravinda
Sooryaaya dakshadwara naashanaaya
Sree neelakanthaaya vrishadhwajaaya
Thasmai shikaaraya namah shivaaya

vasishta kumbho-dhbhava gowthamaarya-
muni-indra dvaarchitha sekharaaya
Chandra-arka vaishwanara lochanaaya
Thasmai vakaaraya namah shivaaya

Yaksha swaroopaaya jadaa dharaaya
Pinaaka-hasthaaya sanathanaaya
Divyaaya devaya digambaraaya
Thasmai yakaaraya namah shivaaya

Eka-sloka Ramayanam (Ramayana in One sloka)

Poorvam rama-thapovanaadhi gamanam
Hrithvaa Mrigam kaanchanam
Vaidehi-haranam, Jataayu-maranam
Sugreeva-sambhashanam
Bali-nigrahanam, Samudratharanam
Lankapuri-dahanam,
Paschath raavana-kumbhakarna nidhanam
Hye-thadhi ramaayanam

Sandhya deepam - Do's and Dont's (Evening prayers)

Sandya (twilight) is the time to light the lamp(deepam) and pray. Before the deepam is lit everyone should have washed their hands, legs and face and put bhasmam.

The right time is 24 minute( one naazhika) before twilight . The light is taken from the kitchen. The person carrying the light chants deepam, deepam..... and the others in the room stand up and pray. The most auspicious directions to salute the lamp, is from the east and south.

Lamps are lit at the Sarpa-kaavu and the thulasi-thara. The lamp is then taken to the four corners of the court-yard, the trees, cows and then the lamps in the puja room are lit. Finally, the lamp is brought and kept in a place in the living room so as to be visible even from outside.

Dont's are thus...

At the time of lighting the lamp, it is not auspicious to eat, to read books, to treat visitors, to quarrel, to give away money-grains-oil etc, to exit the house, to comb hair etc. It is not good to use oil that has been already used, the oil in which insects have fallen etc. The wick should be of cotton or washed and dried old clothes. unwashed cloth should never be used.

The flame should not flicker, flare up, or burst periodically. Also it is inauspicious for the flame to face south. In case visitors come in at that time, include them in the prayers.............

Saraswathy - before studies

Saraswathy namas-thubhyam
Varade kaama roopini,
Vidya-arambham karishyaami
Sidhir bhavathu mey sadaa

FACT - Sunrise

We have all been taught that te Sun rises in the east...but in acual fact, the direction in which the Sun rises, is considered as the East! Confusing???

Dhyanasloka - Ganesha

Eka-dantham mahakaayam thaptha-kaanchana sannibham

Lambodaram vishaalaksham vandeham gananaayakam



Chitra ratna vichitraa-ngam chitra maala vibhooshitham

Kaama roopa-dharam devam vandeham gana naayakam



Ambika-hridaya-anandam mathrubhi pariveshtitham

Bhakta-priyam madonmatham vandeham gana naayakam



Sarva-vighna haram devam sarva-vighna vi-varjitham

sarva-sidhi-pradaa-thaaram vandeham gana naayakam

Gaja-ananam bhootha-ganaadi sevitham

Kapitha-jambu-phala saara bhakshitham

Umaa-sutham shoka-vinaasha kaaranam

Namaami vighneswara paada pankajam

Shuklaam bharatharam vishnum

Shashivarnam chathurbhujam

Prasanna vadanam dhyayeth

Sarva-vighna prashaandaye

Prayer before sleeping

Achyuthaaya namaha
Anandaaya namaha
Vaasukaye namaha
Chitragupthaaya namaha
Vishnave haraye namaha

Bhoomi

One may salute bhoomi devi (mother earth)) by touching the ground and then your forhead and chanting...

Samudravasaney devi
Parvatha-sthana mandaley
Vishnu pathni namasthubhyam,
Paada-sparsham kshamaswa mey

FACT

The best time to rise is called Brahma-muhurtham......that is 48 minutes before sunrise!

Sree-Krishna Sandhyaanaamam

Please note....wherever u see K, read Krishnaa.

Jaya janaardhanaa K raadhikaapathey
Janavimochanaa K janmamochanaa
Garudha vaahanaa K gopikaapathey
Nayanamohanaa K neerajekshanaa
Sujana baandhawa K sundaraakritey
Madana komalaa K maadhavaa hare
Vasumathee pathey K vaasavaanujaa
Vara gunaakaraa K vaishnavaakruthey
Suruchiraananaa K showrya vaaridhey
Murahara vibho K mukthi daayakaa
Vimalapaalaka K vallavee pathey
Kamala lochanaa K kaamadaayakaa
Vimala gaathrakaa K bhaktha valsalaa
Charana pallavam K karuna komalam
Kuvala-yekshanaa K komalaa kruthey
Thava padaambhujam K sharanam ekaney
Bhuvana naayakaa K paavanaakruthey
Gunaganojwalaa K nalinalochanaa
Pranaya vaaridhey K guna-ganojwalaa
Raama-sodaraa K deena valsalaa
Kaama sundaraa K paahi sarvadaa
Naraka naashanaa K narasakhaa jayaa
Devakee-sutha K karunya-mbudhey
Kamsa naashanaa K dwaarakaa vasin.
Bhaasurathmajaa K dehimangalam,
Thrippadambhujam K kaama komalam
Bhaktha daasanaam K adiyane sadaa
kaathu kollaney K sarvadaa vibho.

Navagraha - Sthothram

Neelaanjana samaabhasam,
Raveeputhram Yama-agrajam,
Chaaya-marthanda sambhootam,
Tham namaami shanaishwaram.

Palaasha-pushpa sankaasham,
Thaaraka-agraja masthakam,
Rowdram, rowdrathmakam-khoram,
Tham kethum pranamaamyaham.

Devanaam cha risheenaam cha,
Gurum-kaanchana samnibham
Budhi-bhootham thrilokesham,
Tham namaami brihaspathim.

Priyamgu-kalika shyaamam
Roopena prathimam budham
Sowmyam sowmya-gunopetham
Tham budham pranamaamyaham.

Japaa kusuma sankaasham,
Kaashya-peyam mahaadyuthim,
Thamo-rim sarva paapaghnam,
Pranatho-smi divaakaram.

Himakunda mrinaa-laabham,
Daithyaanam paramam-gurum,
Sarva shaasthra pravak-thaaram
Bhaargavam pranamaamyaham.

Dathee-shankhu thushaarabham,
Ksheerodhaarnava sambhavam,
Namaami shashinam somam,
Shambhor-makuda bhooshanam.

Dharanee-garbha sambhootham,
Vidyuth kaanthi samaprabham,
Kumaaram shakthi-hastham tham,
Mangalam pranamaamyaham.

Ardha kaayam mahaa-veeryam,
Chandra-aditya vimardanam,
Simhika-garbha sambhootham,
Than raahum pranamaamyaham.

Early morning chant

Look into your open palms..

Kara-agre vasathe laksmi,
Kara-madhye, saraswathy,
Kara-muule thu govinda,
Prabhaathe kara-darshanam.

Prayer before taking food

Brahmaarpanam,brahma-havir
Brahma-agnao, brahmana-ahutham
Brahmair-vadena gandhavyam,
Brahma-karma samadhinaa.

Gayathri manthra

Aum bhoor bhuvaswaha
Tath-savithur varenyam,
Bhargo-devasya dheemahi,
Dhiyo-yona prachodaya.

Saraswathy

Yaa- kundendu thushaara haara dhavalaa
Yaa-shubhra vasthraa vruthaa
Yaa-veena vara danda mandithakaraa-
Yaa-shwetha padmaasanaa
Yaa-brahma-achyutha shankara-prabhrithihi
Devai sadda pujithaa
Saamaam paathu saraswathy-bhagavathy,
Nish-sesha-jadhyaa-pahaa.

Guru

Aum
Gurur brahma, gurur vishnu,
Gurur devo - maheshwara,
Guru-saakshath parabrahma,
Thasmai shree gurave namaha.

Krishna

Nanda-laala, yedu nanda-laala,
Brindaavan govinda-laala,
Raadhaa-lola, nanda-laala,
Raadha-maadhava nanda-laala.

Krishna

Unni-krishna, venna-krishna,
Gokula-krishna ,govindaa,
Gopi-krishna, gopaala-krishna,
Raadha-krishna, govindaa,
Paanduranga, pandari-naatha,
Paandava-mithra - govinda
Anaadha-rakshaka, aapal-baandhava
Aashritha-valsala - govinda.

Ganesha

Gananaadha gananaadha,
Gowri nandana gananaadha,
Paarvathi puthra gananaadha,
Mahesha puthra gananaadha,
Mooshika vaahana gaja vadana,
Modaka hasthaa Shiva nandana,
Paarvathi puthra gajaanana,
Gangadhara sutha shubhaanana.