Garuda NANDA

08/12/2014

07/12/2014

Succeed in Interviews
"AUM HRIM VAGVADINI BHAGVATI MAM KARYA SIDDHI KARI KARI PHAT SWAHA"
You are sure to go through interviews successfully if you chant the Mantra regularly with utmost sincerity. This Mantra is so powerful that it clears all obstacles from your path and gives you an edge over all your competitors. You will find your career prospects broadened, and you will land the job that makes you happy and fulfilled.
This Mantra enables you to make informed career choices when you are stuck at a professional crossroads and are not sure how to proceed. The chances of you being promoted at work are also made greater.

04/03/2014

om namah shivaya ,,,,.....

04/03/2014

om om om .........

14/12/2013

Vamanan Sesshadri
நீங்கள் நினைத்ததை எல்லாம் சாதிக்க வேண்டுமா?

சோடசக்கலையைப் பின்பற்றுங்கள்

எப்படி சேட்டுக்கள், மார்வாடிகள் எல்லாத் தலைமுறையிலும் செல்வந்தர்களாகவே இருக்கின்றனர்? எப்படி டாடாவும் பிர்லாவும் கோடிக்கணக்கில் சம்பாதிக்கின்றனர்? இப்படி ஒருநாளாவது நீங்கள் சிந்தித்ததுண்டா? அவர்கள் தங்களது மாத வருமானத்தில் ஒரு பங்கை அந்த மாதமே அன்னதானம் செய்வதற்கு ஒதுக்கி அந்த மாதமே அன்னதானம் செய்துவிடுகின்றனர்.

இரண்டாவதாக, வீட்டை எப்போதும் குப்பைக்கூளம் இல்லாமலும், கெட்ட வாசனை அடிக்காமலும் பார்த்துக்கொள்கின்றனர். அதாவது, வீட்டில் நறுமணம் எப்போதும் கமழுமாறு பார்த்துக் கொள்கின்றனர் (எங்கே நறுமணம் உண்டோ அங்கே அஷ்ட லட்சுமிகளும் வாசம் செய்கிறார்கள் ).

மூன்றாவது தான் இப்போது நாம் பார்க்கப்போவது. . .

அமாவாசை ஆண்களை அதிகம் பாதிக்கிறது. பவுர்ணமி பெண்களை அதிகம்பாதிக்கிறது. அனைத்து உயிரினங்களையும் இந்த இரண்டு திதிகளும் பாதிக்கின்றன .சந்திரன் ஸ்தூல உடலையும், சூரியன் சூட்சும உடலையும் பாதிக்கின்றது.வளர்பிறையில் பிரதமை முதல் பவுர்ணமி வரை 15 திதிகளும், தேய்பிறையில் பிரதமை முதல் அமாவாசை வரை 15 திதிகள் உள்ளன. திதிகள் என்றால் கலைகள் என்றும் பெயர்ப்படும். 16 வதாக ஒரு கலை இருக்கின்றது. அதுதான் சோடேச கலை!

இந்த சோடேசக்கலையைப் பயன்படுத்தித்தான் சித்தர்கள், துறவிகள், மகான்கள், செல்வந்தர்கள், சேட்டுகள், மார்வாடிகள் என வாழையடி வாழையாக செல்வந்தர்களாக இருக்க முடிகின்றது.

தமிழர்களாகிய நாமும் ஏதாவது ஒரு சித்தர் அவர்களின் வழிவம்சமாகத்தான் இருக்கிறோம். இதை அறியும் வரை தின வாழ்க்கையே சோதனையாக இருக்கின்றது.அறிந்ததுமுதல் நிம்மதி, செல்வ வளம், மகிழ்ச்சி, என வாழ்க்கைப்பாதை திசை மாறிவிடுகின்றது.

பிரம்மா, விஷ்ணு, சிவன் இம்மூவரின் அம்சமானவர்தான் திருமூர்த்தி ஆவார். இவர் இந்த சோடேசக்கலையில் தனது அருளை சில நொடிகள் மட்டுமே பொழிகிறார். சுமார் ஐந்து நொடிகள் அதாவது ஐந்து சொடக்குப் போடும் நேரம் மட்டும் திருமூர்த்தியின் அருள் உலகம்

முழுவதும் பரவும். திருமூர்த்தியை கிறிஸ்தவர்கள் ட்ரிநிடீ எனச் சொல்வார்கள். இந்த 16 வது கலையை சித்தர்களும், முனிவர்களும் அறிந்திருந்ததால்தான் அவர்கள் விரும்பும் எந்த ஒன்றையும் பெற முடிகிறது. அமாவாசை எப்போது முடிகிறது என்பதை உள்ளூர் பத்திரிகைகள் டிகிரிப்படி கணித்து வெளியிடும். அதைக் கவனத்தில் கொள்ள வேண்டும். உதாரணமாக, அமாவாசை காலை மணி 10.20 வரை. பின் பிரதமை திதி ஆரம்பம் என எழுதியிருப்பார்கள்.அமாவாசை திதி முடிவதற்கு ஒரு மணி நேரத்துக்கு முன்பே அதாவது காலை 9.20 மணி முதல் 11.20 மணி தியானத்தில் அல்லது மந்திர ஜபத்தில் இருக்க வேண்டும்.இந்த இரண்டு மணி நேரத்திற்குள் சுமார் 5 நொடிப்பொழுதுகள் திருமூர்த்தியின் ஆளுகைக்குள் இந்த மொத்தப் பிரபஞ்சமும் வரும்.

பிரபஞ்சத்தில் உள்ள அத்தனை அண்டங்களும் ( நாம் வாழும் மில்கி வே, அருகில் உள்ள அண்ட்ராமீடா ), சகல உயிரினங்களும் ( பாக்டீரியா, புல், பூண்டு, மரம், யானை, திமிங்கலம், சிறுத்தை, கழுதை, புலி, முயல், மான், பாம்பு, நீர்யானை, நட்சத்திர மீன், கணவாய் மீன், கடல்பசு, கடல் பாசிகள், ஒட்டகம், ஒட்டகச்சிவிங்கி, பூரான், பல்லி, ஆந்தை, புறா, கிளி, காட்டெருமை, காண்டாமிருகம், நாய், குதிரை, கழுதை,கோவேறுக்கழுதை, எறும்பு, சுறா மீன் ), ஒவ்வொரு மனிதனும் சூட்சுமமாக அதிரும்.

அந்த நேரம் மனதால் நாம் என்ன வேண்டுகிறோமோ அது கிடைக்கும். கோரிக்கை ஒன்றாக இருக்க வேண்டும். பலவாக இருக்கக்கூடாது. ஒன்று நிறைவேறிய பின் மற்றதை வேண்டலாம்.
இதேமாதிரிதான் பவுர்ணமி முடிந்து பிரதமை திதி ஆரம்பிக்கும்போதும் செய்ய வேண்டும். மாறிமாறி தொடர்ந்து இப்படி தியானம் அல்லது ஜபம் செய்யும் போது சில மாதங்களில் நமது கோரிக்கை நிறைவேறும்.சிலருக்கு ஒரே தடவையில் (கேட்டது) கிடைத்துவிடும். இது அவரவர் உடல் பூதியத்தைப் பொறுத்தது. மனவலிமையைப் பொறுத்தது. திருமூர்த்தி சாதனை செய்வோருக்கு ஒலியாகவோ, ஒளியாகவோ அருள் வழங்குகிறார்.

தியானம் வீட்டிலோ, கோயிலிலோ இருக்க வேண்டும். தியானம் செய்யும் நேரம் அமைதியாக இருப்பது அவசியம்.வெறும் தரையில் உட்காரக்கூடாது. வயிறு காலியாக இருக்க வேண்டும். சைவ உணவு ஆன்மீக மன நிலையை உருவாக்கும். (அசைவ உணவு அதற்கு எதிரானநிலையைத் தரும்) நிமிர்ந்து ஏதாவது ஒரு ஆசனத்தில் இருக்கலாம்.உடைகள் இறுக்கமாக இருக்கக் கூடாது. மனக் கவனத்தை புருவ மத்தியில் அல்லது மூக்கின் நுனியை நோக்கி இருக்க வேண்டும். வாசியோகம் அல்லது ஏதாவது ஒரு மந்திர ஜபம் மனதுக்குள் உதடு அசையாமல் செய்யலாம்.மன ஒருமைப்பாட்டில் தேர்ச்சி உள்ளவர்களுக்கு மேற்சொன்ன இரண்டும் தேவையில்லை.



அமைதியுடன் வடகிழக்குப் பார்த்து கோரிக்கையை (திருமணம், பணக்காரனாவது, நோய் தீர, கடன் தீர, எதிர்ப்புகள் விலக, நிலத்தகராறு தீர, பதவி உயர்வு கிடைக்க, பிரிந்தவர் சேர ,வழக்கு வெற்றி எதுவானாலும், ஏதாவது ஒன்று மட்டும்) நினைத்த வண்ணம் கண்களை மூடி இருந்தால்போதும்.

தியான நேரம் பட்டினி இருந்தால் கிரகக்கதிர்வீச்சுக்கள் நம்மை அதிகம் பாதிக்காது. இந்த தியானத்தை ஜாதி, மதம்,இனம், மொழி கடந்து மனிதராகப்பிறந்த எவரும் செய்யலாம்.

ஆதாரம்: ஆன்மீகத்திறவுகோல்,பக்கம் 293 முதல் 295 வரை,......>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

08/12/2013

Early Life of Ramakrishna:

Born in the early half of 19th century, Ramakrishna`s early life was spent in an archetypal Bengal village, in a Hindu Brahmin family. Ramakrishna`s father was a priest, who had named his son Gadadhar. Since early childhood Ramakrishna was attracted to spiritual entities in nature, never being for once fascinated to go to school. Endowed with a mellifluous voice, he had won the hearts of villagers by singing in different plays. However, in his early days, Ramakrishna had suffered sudden bouts of supra-consciousness by being transferred into a frenzy of rapture.

Ramakrishna, Priest at Dakshineswar Temple:

Ramakrishna served as a priest of Dakshineswar Temple in Calcutta during his late teens to early twenties. He together with his nephew Hriday were assigned as assistants to Ramakrishna`s elder brother Ramkumar to worship Goddess Kali, the patron Goddess in Dakshineswar. Contrary to other orthodox Brahmin priests, who had opposed Ramakrishna`s method of worshipping, he was always anguished with the idea about how to reach God in his own manner. Almost on the verge of rejecting his post of priest profession, Ramakrishna one day received a momentous revelation of the Goddess Herself as if in a vision. From then on, he almost everyday had a vision of the Goddess, making people comprehend in simple terms the meaning of Almighty and how to attain his benedictions.

Married Life of Ramakrishna:

While into the profession as a priest in Dakshineswar temple, during his early twenties, Ramakrishna married a 5-year-old girl by the name Sarada Devi. The marriage was duly solemnised, owing to much hurry from the part of Ramakrishna`s mother. Sarada Devi was Ramakrishna`s first disciple. He taught her everything he learnt from his various Gurus. She had mastered every religious secret as quickly as Ramakrishna has done. Impressed by her great religious potential, he began to treat her as the Universal Mother. Ramakrishna made Sarada Devi feel as if she was not only the mother of his young disciples, but also of the entire humanity. At first, Sarada Devi was shy about playing this role, but slowly, she fulfilled that role with courage. After the passing away of Ramakrishna she even became a religious teacher in her own rights.

Religious Teachings Of Ramakrishna:

Ramakrishna`s religious teachings are legendary worldwide for their lucidity in language and clarity of thought. He had always insisted on the fact that separatist religion is nothing compared to oneness within the Almighty. After comprehending several religious discourses, he had come to the conclusion that the Supreme is one and the same; with absolute devotion and faith one can be merged with the Omnipotent. However, according to him, in order to reach that state, it is extremely necessary that an individual abstains from money-making, ill-feelings and other sense of lust and jealousy. Ramakrishna had indeed attained `Nirvikalpa Samadhi`, laying down various ways to make oneself humble and regard each being as one and the same.

Ta**ra Sadhana Of Ramakrishna:

Ramakrishna was introduced to Ta**ra sadhana by his very ardent disciple, Bhairavi Brahmani. In spite of several odds and harsh comments that Ramakrishna had to face from his own community, Bhairavi had stood by her guru, calling him the `Mahavaba`. Ramakrishna with Bhairavi Brahmani`s help was inducted into the various arts and architects of Ta**ra sadhana, like the sixty-four Ta***ic sadhanas, the `Vamachara` mode of worship taking up five tattvas from everyday life existence. Deviating from specific streams of Tantar sadhana, Ramakrishna followed ta***ic practices to the hilt, also apprehending the style of `Kumari Puja`.

Vaishnava Bhakti of Ramakrishna:

Vaishnava Bhakti of Ramakrishna was aroused while into his tenure as a priest in Dakshineswar Temple. Vaishnava Bhakti entails five aspects of Santa, Dasya, Sakhya, Vatsalya and Madhura. Ramakrishna used to venerate both Lord Rama and Lord Krishna in their various manifestations, from which he discovered that he indeed sensed a vision of both these Lords. While being transformed into a special state of rapture, Ramakrishna sensed each Vaishnavi sadhana modes through Rama and Krishna.

Sanyasaa of Ramakrishna:

Ramakrishna was induced into the Sanyasaa mode of worship by a ferocious Vedantic spartan, Totapuri. While in Dakshineswar temple and engrossed with Maa Kali and her various visions, Totapuri had admonished Ramakrishna to abstain from any worldly prayers of Gods. Hence, in deep reverence, Ramakrishna practiced Advaita Samadhi for a prolonged stretch of time.

Later life of Ramakrishna:

In his later life, Ramakrishna came to be known as Ramakrishna Paramhansa and with tremendous magnetic force began to attract real seekers of God. He taught ceaselessly for fifteen years or so through parables, metaphors, songs and above all by his own life, the basic truths of religion. In the meantime, Ramakrishna had developed severe throat cancer. He was transferred to Shyampukur near Calcutta, where some of the finest physicians of the time, including Dr. Mahendralal Sarkar, were employed. Sarada Devi, Ramakrishna`s better half attended zealously to her husband in his last days. Finally, Ramakrishna attained Mahasamadhi at a Garden House in Cossipore on 18 August, 1886. The Paramhansa had left behind a committed band of 16 young disciples headed by the distinguished saint-philosopher and orator, Swami Vivekananda and host of householder disciples. Among his contemporaries, Keshav Chandra Sen and Pandit Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar, who were known to be against Hindu iconolatry, were his admirers.

24/11/2013

[Vasant Panchami is a festival full of religious, seasonal and social significance and is celebrated by Hindus all over the world with verve and new sense of optimism.]

Vasant Panchami is the festival dedicated to Saraswati, the goddess of learning. (Deepavali is dedicated to Lakshmi, goddess of wealth, and Navaratri Durga is dedicated primarily to Kali, goddess of strength, might and power.)

Magh Sud 5 (5th day of the bright fortnight of the lunar month of Magh) is the day of Vasant Panchami. Hindus all over the world celebrate this festival with great enthusiasm. This Panchami is also known as Saraswati Day. It is believed that this day is Saraswati’s birthday. Hindu temples are full of activities on this day.

Yellow colour is given special importance on this day. On Vasant Panchami, Saraswati is dressed in yellow garments and worshipped (with Puja, Havan etc.). Men and women try to wear yellow clothes on this day. Sweetmeats of yellowish hues are exchanged with relations and friends

Some people feed Brahmanas on this day. Pitri-Tarpan (ancestor worship) is done on this day. The god of love (Kamdev) is also worshipped on this day.

Children are taught their first words on this day (as an auspicious beginning to learning). Schools, colleges etc., (places of learning) organise special worship of Saraswati. Pandit Madan Mohan Malviya laid the foundations of Kashi Hindu Vishwa Vidyalaya on Vasant Panchami. This has become a world famous top class academic institution.

Hinduism has taken into account special significance of seasons and interwoven that with religious festivals e.g., Makar Sakranti, Vasant Panchami. People generally feel inclined to worship the presiding deity of the family (Ishta Devata or Devi) according to the individual’s faith and desires. Also, people generally tend to accumulate wealth and power. During the Kali Yuga (present age), the pursuit of money (wealth, power, name and fame) is everything to most people. Money is accorded god-like status.

But men of principle (men who can discriminate) worship goddess Saraswati for spiritual enlightenment. In their opinion, there can be no comparison between the king and the learned (spiritually advanced). The king is honoured within his kingdom, whereas the learned is respected (or worshipped) everywhere. Saintly people and people inclined towards spiritual progress attach great importance to the worship of goddess Saraswati.

The vehicle assigned to each of the three goddesses also symbolically represent their special powers. The white swan of Saraswati is symbolising Sattwa Guna (purity and discrimination). The owl of Lakshmi and the lion or tiger of Durga symbolise the other two gunas (Rajas and Tamas).

The first faint signals of the forthcoming festival of Holi manifest at Vasant Panchami. Seasons undergo change. The coming of springtime is heralded. Trees are displaying new shoots. New life is evident in the woods and fields. Nature decorates Mango trees with new blossoms. Wheat and other crops enliven with evidence of new life.

Vasant Panchami is a festival full of religious, seasonal and social significance and is celebrated by Hindus all over the world with verve and new sense of optimism.

23/11/2013

TANDAVA


The Gods & Godesses pleaded Lord Brahma to create another veda which would be simple for the common man to understand. It is believed that considering this request Lord Brahma created the Panchamaveda, Fifth veda, Natyaveda, an essence of the other four vedas. It is believed that he has taken pathya (words) form the Rigveda, abhinaya (gesture) from the Yajurveda, geet (music and chant) from Samaveda and rasa (sentiment and emotional element) from Atharvaveda to form the fifth veda, Natyaveda.

After creating this natyaveda, Lord Brahma gave the same to sage Bharata and asked him to popularise this veda on earth. Following the words of Lord Brahma, sage Bharata wrote Natyashastra or the Science of Dramaturgy, a great, comprehensive work on the science and technique of Indian drama, dance and music.Bharatanatyam might have got its name from sage Bharata also.The dancers still follow this work to perform.

There is also another story which says that Godess Parvathi tought this dance form to Usha, daughter of Banasura, a demon. Usha taught the same to the Gopikas of the city of Dwaraka, Lord Krishna's birth place. Thus the divine dance form Bharatanatyam was introduced to the mankind.

In Indian mythology,Lord Shiva is considered as the supreme lord of dance. This divine art form is performed by Lord Shiva & his wife Goddess Parvathi. The Dance performd by Lord Shiva is known as Tandava, which depicts his violent nature as the distructor of the universe. The tandava performed with joy is called Ananda Tandava and performed in violent mood is called Rudra Tandava. There are 7 types of Tandava. Namely Ananda Tandava, Tripura Tandava, Sandhya Tandava, Samara Tandava, Kaali tandava, Uma Tandava and Gauri Tandava. There are few people who believa that there are 16 types of Tandava. Tandava has vigourous, brisk movements.The dance performed by Goddess Parvathi is known as Lasya, in which the movements are gentle, graceful and sometimes erotic also. Some scholars call Lasya as the feminine version of Tandava. Lasya has 2 kinds. Jarita Lasya and Yauvaka Lasya.

The Gods & Godesses pleaded Lord Brahma to create another veda which would be simple for the common man to understand. It is believed that considering this request Lord Brahma created the Panchamaveda, Fifth veda, Natyaveda, an essence of the other four vedas. It is believed that he has taken pathya (words) form the Rigveda, abhinaya (gesture) from the Yajurveda, geet (music and chant) from Samaveda and rasa (sentiment and emotional element) from Atharvaveda to form the fifth veda, Natyaveda.

After creating this natyaveda, Lord Brahma gave the same to sage Bharata and asked him to popularise this veda on earth. Following the words of Lord Brahma, sage Bharata wrote Natyashastra or the Science of Dramaturgy, a great, comprehensive work on the science and technique of Indian drama, dance and music.Bharatanatyam might have got its name from sage Bharata also.The dancers still follow this work to perform.

There is also another story which says that Godess Parvathi tought this dance form to Usha, daughter of Banasura, a demon. Usha taught the same to the Gopikas of the city of Dwaraka, Lord Krishna's birth place. Thus the divine dance form Bharatanatyam was introduced to the mankind.

In Indian mythology,Lord Shiva is considered as the supreme lord of dance. This divine art form is performed by Lord Shiva & his wife Goddess Parvathi. The Dance performd by Lord Shiva is known as Tandava, which depicts his violent nature as the distructor of the universe. The tandava performed with joy is called Ananda Tandava and performed in violent mood is called Rudra Tandava. There are 7 types of Tandava. Namely Ananda Tandava, Tripura Tandava, Sandhya Tandava, Samara Tandava, Kaali tandava, Uma Tandava and Gauri Tandava. There are few people who believa that there are 16 types of Tandava. Tandava has vigourous, brisk movements.The dance performed by Goddess Parvathi is known as Lasya, in which the movements are gentle, graceful and sometimes erotic also. Some scholars call Lasya as the feminine version of Tandava. Lasya has 2 kinds. Jarita Lasya and Yauvaka Lasya.

The Gods & Godesses pleaded Lord Brahma to create another veda which would be simple for the common man to understand. It is believed that considering this request Lord Brahma created the Panchamaveda, Fifth veda, Natyaveda, an essence of the other four vedas. It is believed that he has taken pathya (words) form the Rigveda, abhinaya (gesture) from the Yajurveda, geet (music and chant) from Samaveda and rasa (sentiment and emotional element) from Atharvaveda to form the fifth veda, Natyaveda.

After creating this natyaveda, Lord Brahma gave the same to sage Bharata and asked him to popularise this veda on earth. Following the words of Lord Brahma, sage Bharata wrote Natyashastra or the Science of Dramaturgy, a great, comprehensive work on the science and technique of Indian drama, dance and music.Bharatanatyam might have got its name from sage Bharata also.The dancers still follow this work to perform.

There is also another story which says that Godess Parvathi tought this dance form to Usha, daughter of Banasura, a demon. Usha taught the same to the Gopikas of the city of Dwaraka, Lord Krishna's birth place. Thus the divine dance form Bharatanatyam was introduced to the mankind.

In Indian mythology,Lord Shiva is considered as the supreme lord of dance. This divine art form is performed by Lord Shiva & his wife Goddess Parvathi. The Dance performd by Lord Shiva is known as Tandava, which depicts his violent nature as the distructor of the universe. The tandava performed with joy is called Ananda Tandava and performed in violent mood is called Rudra Tandava. There are 7 types of Tandava. Namely Ananda Tandava, Tripura Tandava, Sandhya Tandava, Samara Tandava, Kaali tandava, Uma Tandava and Gauri Tandava. There are few people who believa that there are 16 types of Tandava. Tandava has vigourous, brisk movements.The dance performed by Goddess Parvathi is known as Lasya, in which the movements are gentle, graceful and sometimes erotic also. Some scholars call Lasya as the feminine version of Tandava. Lasya has 2 kinds. Jarita Lasya and Yauvaka Lasya.

23/11/2013

Origin of Kali
In a period of war between the Gods and the demons, the evil demon king Mahishasura took advantage of a brief respite to gather an army and declare himself the Lord of Heaven, Ruler of the Universe. This blasphemous title reached Vishnu, the head God, who shot a blinding light from his forehead in fury. Shiva was also angry and beamed a sharp ray of terrible light in the same direction. Brahma, Indra, and the other mighty Gods also shot forth-intense rays of light. At one point, all the Gods' rays joined, and the light culminated in the form of a woman: A face formed by Shiva's light, Yama gave her hair, and Vishnu her arms; the moon God Chandra's light formed two breasts, Indra's becoming her waist, and Varuna's her thighs; Earth's light gave her hips, and Brahma contributed feet; Agni, the fire God, fashioned her three eyes. Each God contributed their power to manifest the Devi, the great Mother Goddess.

As soon as the Goddess was created, the Gods prayed to her, worshipping her with praise; ornaments of jewels, earrings, bracelets, and a garland of eternal lotuses; and weapons, suchas a trident, a discus, and a thunderbolt. Shouting invocations to the Devi, the God's watched the demons charge towards them in battle.

The demons, armed with arrows, clubs, swords, and spears, went straight towards the enormous manifested Goddess' towering form, which was laughing with amusement. She easily smashed weapons, hurled demons and killed with her mighty sword and mace.


A demon the posed a threat to the Devi was the demon Raktabija, who possessed the magical power of creating new demons from his own blood. Everytime he was wounded, each spilled drop of blood generated another demon.Devi then produced from her THIRD EYE apure form of her fury to destroy the evil and that was Kali.
According to Hindu theology, Lord Brahma granted the boon to Raktavera that for every drop of his blood that fell on ground hundreds of demons like him would be produced. Thus the only way of slaying Raktavera was by not allowing even a drop of his blood to fall on the ground. Thereby Kali pierced him with a spear and drank all his blood as it gushed out. Kali once gave free rein to her blind lust for destruction. To stop the world from being destroyed Lord Shiva brought himself to the feet of Kali. On sensing her husband beneath her feet she stopped and thus the world was saved. She acquired her name Kali meaning 'conqueror of time' as she subdued her husband Lord Shiva by trampling over him. This way Devi the symbol of fertility conquered Shiva, the inexorable destroyer, who was equated with time.

Kali is the Goddess of destruction. The image of Kali usually shows her foot on Lord Shiva's chest, a severed head in one hand, her sword in the other, and wearing a garland of skulls. Kali is worshipped as the Mother Goddess who protects from evil. She also epitomises strength or 'Shakti' and the darker side of life. The actual puja takes place at midnight on the day of the new moon smeared with blood, the brow bearing a third eye, like Shiva's. She has four arms. She holds in one a weapon, in another the head of a giant, dripping blood; the other two are raised to bless the worshipers. Her terrible appearance is made all the more gruesome with her ornaments of necklace of snakes, skulls and heads of her sons and a belt from, which hangs demon's hands. If she is the destroyer of Mahisasura (as Durga), Shumbha, Nishumbha, Chanda, Munda, Raklavirya, she is also the compassionate Mother. The two mudras in her right ands, 'abhaya' (protection from fear) and 'vara' (granting of boons) and the raised blood-smeared sword in one of her left hands with the freshly severed head of a demon dangling from the other hand, with three eyes standing for the sun, the moon and fire (Agni) make her a most complex symbol of love, compassion and error.

Aspects of Kali are Chandi, the fierce and Bhairavi, the terrible in which she is the counterpart to Shiva's aspect of Bhairava, when he takes pleasure in destruction. Another name of this form is Chamunda. Kali Puja is performed on a new moon night. As Kali is associated with dark rites and devil worship, the rituals performed are austere and offered with great devotion. In the Hindu religious texts, different representations of Goddess Kali are available viz. Siddha Kali, Bhadra Kali, Raksha Kali, Shwashan Kali and Maha Kali.

23/11/2013

Sri Venkateswara Vajrakavacha Stotram

[The Diamond Armour of Venkatesa]
By Sage Markandeya


Narayanam Parabrahma,
sarvakaarana kaaranam
Prapadye Venkatesakhyaam,
Tadeva kavacham mama 1

I bow and salute that Venkatesa,
Who is lord Narayana himself,
Who is the divine Lord of all,
And who is the cause of all causes,
And chant his armour for myself.

Sahasra Seersha Purusho
Venkatesassirovatu
Pranesha Prananilayaha
Pranan rakshatu mey Harihi 2

Let my head be protected by,
Lord Venkatesa with thousand aspects,
Who is the lord of all souls,
And place where the soul merges.

Aakasaraat sutaanaatha
Aatmanam me sadavatu
Deva Devottamopayaad
deham mey Venkateswaraha 3

Let the Consort of the daughter of the sky,
May protect my soul always,
Let the body got from the lord of Lords,
Be protected by Lord Venkateswara.

Sarvatra sarvakaryeshu
Mangambajanireeswaraha
Palayenmam sada karma
saphalyam naha prayacchatu 4

Let the soul like consort of Alamelu Manga.
Take care of all my works always,
And lead me to good results of all of them.

Ya Etad vajrakavacha
mabhedyam Venkatesituhu
Sayam Prataha patennityam
mrutyum tarati nirbhyaha 5

This diamond armour of Venkatesa,
which can never be broken,
If read daily in the evening and morn,
Would help one to cross death without fear.