Thursday, March 12, 2009

Gayathri Mantram

OM BHUR, OM BHUVAHA, OM SWAHA, OM MAHAHA, OM JANAHA, OM TAPAHA, OM SATYAM, OM TAT SAVITUR VARENYAM BHARGHO DEVASYA DHIMAHI DHIYO YONAHA PRACHODAYAT

The Entire Mantra says, "I invoke the Earth Plane, The Astral Plane, The Celestial Plane, The Plane of Spiritual Balance, The Plane of Human Spiritual Knowledge, The Plane of Spiritual Austerites, and The Plane of Ultimate Truth. Oh, great Spiritual Light which is the brilliance of all Divinity, we meditate upon You. Please illumine our minds."

Meaning of Gayatri Mantra in English
Just like the Sun annihilates darkness, so does the Gayatri Mantra destroy ignorance. The Gayatri Mantra invokes the power and radiance of the Sun to energize all earthly life, to destroy our sins and to reveal the Supreme Self to us. Krishna in the Bhagvad Geeta says: " Amongst the Mantras, I am the Gayatri"

In a loose translation that cannot possibly do justice to the original it implores: OM, O Lord! You are the all pervading Source of Light, Sustainer, Protector and Bestower of Happiness, Kindle, Enlighten and inspire our Intelligence to possess Eternal Qualities.

The Gayatri Mantra is the essence of the three Vedas. It is the Vedas simplified. The more one contemplates and meditates upon the Gayatri, the more complexities are revealed to one.

AUM Supreme Lord
BHUR Protector of the earth, the material sheath, The Life breath of the Universe. From the feet to the navel center.
BHUVAH One of the meanings is the sky. The Lord who pervades and eliminates all miseries. From the navel to the throat center.
SVAHAH One of the meanings is the heavens. He is all Bliss and blesses His devotees with happiness. From above the throat center to the thousand petaled lotus.
TAT That (That Thou Art)
SAVITUR The SUN, Creator, Preserver and Self Luminous, the central mantra of the Solar Science.
VARENYAM Most fit to be worshipped. Most choice worthy.
BHARGO The burning splendor of the Sun that dispels ignorance, and therefore sorrows and miseries.
DEVASYA The 'Deva', The God, He who is All Bliss, The Joyful One, The Shining One, The Revealer of All Glory
DHEEMAHI We meditate upon Him
DHEEYO YO NA Who our intelligence and Wisdom
PRACHODAYAAT Inspires

The Gayatri Mantra was traditionally given from the Guru Master to the disciple, while standing mid-stream. Look at the darkness. Visualize the sun rising. Offer water to the sun.
The story goes that once the Devas, the Shining Ones wanted to learn the secrets of the Universe. Since learning about the Scientific aspect 'atoms' etc. did not quite work out, they went to the Lord. The Lord gave them the Rig Veda, The Yajur Veda and the Sama Veda to study. After a couple of eons of study, the Devas lost their patience and wanted to quit. The Lord urged them not to give up and decided to teach the essence of the 3 Vedas in 3 fragments:

Essence of Rig Veda Tat Savitur Varenyam
Essence of Yajur Veda Bhargo Devasya Dheemahi
Essence of Sama Veda Dheeyo Yonah Prachodayaat

The more the Devas practiced and contemplated upon the Gayatri, the more complexities were revealed to them. So they lost patience again and went to the Lord to make it simpler still. So the Lord gave them the essence of the 3 segments, in the 3 words:

Bhur, Bhuvaha, Svaha

The Devas spent a a few cycles of Creation, probably a quadrillion human years pondering upon the 'maha vyahritis' ie 'Utterances of the Lord' but became impatient again and urged the Lord to make it simpler yet. So He Said "All right I'll make it simpler"

And He taught them AUM

The great western thinker, Arthur Koestler, had once said that the Gayatri Mantra has the power of a thousand atomic bombs! and the famous scientists J.B.S. Haldana wrote: "The Gayatri Mantra should be carved on the doors of every laboratory of the world".

http://www.gayatrimantra.net
http://www.eaisai.com/baba/docs/gayam.html
http://www.gayathrimanthra.com/contents/gayathri/gayathrimanthram.html
http://www.xs4all.nl/~dham/gayatri_mantra.html
http://www.shantimayi.com/gayatri_sm.html
http://o3.indiatimes.com/lovetush/archive/2005/10/18/295940.aspx

Vishnu Sahasranamam

Vishnu Sahasranamam and its meaning based upon the commentary of Shankaracharya

Also located here

Below is part of the prayer to be addressed to Lord Vishnu as soon as you wake up. It lists the Sixteen Names of Lord Vishnu.

Below are the Sanskrit verses and its English translation.


Shuklam Baradaram Vishnum, Sasi Varnam Chatur Bhujam,
Prasanna Vadanan Dyayet, Sarva Vignoba Sandaye

Dressed in white you are,
Oh, all pervading one,
And glowing with the colour of moon.
With four arms, you are, the all knowing one
I meditate on your ever-smiling face,
And pray, Remove all obstacles on my way.


Santhakaram Bujaga sayanam Padmanabham suresam,
Viswadharam Gagana sadrusam Megha varnam shubangam
Lakshmi kantham kamala nayanam Yogi hrid dyana gamyam
Vande vishnum bava bhayaharam sava lokaika nadham

I bow before the God Vishnu,
Who is personification of peace,
Who sleeps on his folded arms,
Who has a lotus on his belly,
Who is the God of gods,
Who is the basis of earth,
Who is similar to the sky,
Who is of the colour of the cloud,
Who has beautiful limbs,
Who is the consort of Lakshmi,
Who has lotus like eyes,
Who is seen by saints through thought,
Who kills all worries and fears,
And who is the lord of all the worlds.

Oushade Chinthaye Vishnum,
Bhojane cha Janardhanam,
Sayane Padmanabham cha,
Vivahe cha Prajapathim.
Yuddhe Chakradharam devam,
Pravase cha Trivikramam,
Narayanam Thanu thyage,
Sreedharam priya sangame,
Duswapne smara, Govindam,
Sankate Madhu soodhanam,
Kanane Narasimham cha,
Pavake Jalasayinam,
Jalamadhye Varaham cha,
Parvathe Raghu nandanam,
Gamane Vamanam Chaiva,
Sarva Karyeshu Madhavam.

Think him as Vishnu while taking medicine,
As Janardhana while eating food,
As Padmanabha while in bed,
As Prajapathi at time of marriage,
As Chakra dhara while engaged in war,
As Trivikrama while on travel,
As Narayana on death bed,
As Sreedhara while meeting with the beloved,
As Govinda while tossing with bad dreams,
As Madhu sudhana while in trouble,
As Narasimha while in the forest,
As Jala Sayina while fire is ravaging,
As Varaha while struggling in water,
As Raghu nandana while lost in a mountain,
As Vamana while on the move,
And as Madhava while doing everything.

Shodasaithani Naamani,
Prathar uthaaya ya padeth,
Sarva papa vinirmuktho,
Vishnu lokam samopnuyath.

As soon as one wakes up in the morning,
If these Sixteen Names are read,
He would be bereft of all sins,
And reach the world of Vishnu at the end.

Guru Mantra

Guru Brahma Guru Vishnu
Guru Devo Maheshvaraha
Guru Sachat Parabrahma
Tasmai Shree Guruve Namaha

Translation:
The Guru is the creator
The Guru is the maintainer
The Guru is the destroyer of ignorance
The Guru is the Truth beyond the highest reality.
To that Guru I bow

Shri Maha Ganapathi Sthuthi

Suklam baratharam vishnum sasivarnam sathurbujam
Prasanna vadanam dyayeth sarva vignoba santhaye
Vakra thunda maha kaya soorya koti sama praba
Nirvignam kurume deva sarva kaaryeshu sarvadha

Gajananam, Bhootha Ganaathi Sevitham,
Kavitha Jambu Manasara Bakshitham
Uma sutham, shoka vinaasa haaranam,
Namaami Vigneshwara, paada pankajam

Agajaanana padmaarkam gajanana maharnisam
Anekadham dham bhakthanam ekadhantham upasmahe
Mooshika Vahana Modhaga Hasta
Shyamala Karna Vilambitha Sutra
Vamana Rupa Maheshwara Putra
Vigna Vinayaka Pada Namaste

Given by Avvaiyaar:

Vaakundam, nalla manamundam, Maa malaraal
nokundam, Meni nudangaadu pookondu,
Thuppar thirumeni thumbikaiyaan paadam,
Thappamal saarvaar thamakku.

Ganesh - "Om Gam Ganapataye Namaha!"

"Om Salutations and Prostrations to Lord Ganesha"

"This mantra invokes the Lord Ganesha to remove every impediment in your life and in your works. By constant meditation on this mantra, all obstacles and blocked energy in your physical and astral bodies are released.
He brings writing and knowledge. But he is most often known as the "Breaker of Obstacles". This does not mean that if something blocks your way to success that appealing to Ganesh will result in your thundering through your opposition like some great juggernaut (a word derived from the name of a Hindu deity Jaganath). Rather, Ganesh breaks obstacles by working around them. He may not help you fix a relationship, but He might help you find a new one. He might not get you a raise at work, but you might get a job offer from another company for more money. Ganesh is a warrior, but is not into fighting for fighting's sake. Indeed, that is why he lost his head and it had to be replaced with the head of a elephant. Rather, He helps you find other ways of overcoming obstacles. The real obstacles He breaks are those which prevent you from recognizing alternative solutions."
http://indopaganproject.tripod.com/id...



"Ganesha mantras are siddhi mantras . Each mantra contains certain specific powers of Lord Ganesha. When chanted with the proper pranayama (rhythmic breathing) and sincere devotion, they will yield good results. In general, Ganesha mantras will ward off all evil and bless the devotee with abundance, prudence and success. Evil spirits dare not enter the home or the mind of the devotee where Ganesha mantras are recited.

...

"One more point to remember is that one should bathe or wash the limbs before sitting for repetition of the mantra. Also, one should do three or more pranayama before beginning the mantra. The minimum repetition of the mantra should be one full mala, or 108 times. When this is done at a fixed hour and place regularly for 48 days, it becomes an upasana, which means intense meditation, that will yield siddhis, or spiritual powers. Another warning to bear in mind is that one should use those powers only for healing the sick and other such selfless actions for the benefit of mankind. These powers should not be misused. Misuse of power may bring the curse of the asuras.

"This is a mantra from Ganapati Upanishad. One may always use it before beginning a journey, a new course in school, new career or job, or before entering into any new contract or business so that impediments are removed and your endeavor may be crowned with success."
- http://www.himalayanacademy.com/resou...