MANTRAS

MANTRAS

One of the forms of prayers is Mantra. It is defined as–"Mananen trayte iti" that which protects us by constant pondering. Mantras need not necessarily have a meaning. Mantras are so designed that they create certain vibrations in our body whether we are listening to them or whether we are reciting them ourselves. Since they are effective with the vibrations, they cannot be translated into any other language. They are like proper nouns, which have to be same irrespective of language. This also gives an open invitation for others to devise their own Mantras if they can. There is no bar. Only condition is that test your Mantra thoroughly for positive effect and early results for your own benefit.

Negative effects of vibrations are well known to all. Vibrations caused by noise, aeroplanes, bombs & earthquakes play havoc in our lives. Similarly the soothing vibrations received through patting, rocking, good music, and melodious voices of good speakers, singers, breeze etc, which affect us positively. They comfort us, calm us, put us to sleep and refresh us. They bring even a morose* to life. If simple vibrations can do so much good to us, imagine, what miracles properly designed mantra can do for us!

AUM
Let us now come to one of the important mantras. The most important is the monosyllable – Aum. Aum is so designed to generate vibrations, which originate at the navel and climb up the spinal cord to reach up to the medulla oblongata and the brain, which controls all functions and actions of our body.

"Tasya Vachakha Pranavah", so says ‘Patanjali’ in the ‘Yoga-Sutra’. It means ‘Oum’ is the address of God. It actually throws light on God. It is the indicator of place of God, the real self i.e." the Brahman".

Interestingly, navel is the main and the first source of energy in the beginning of any mammal’s life. In the mother’s womb, when the embryo comes to life, it is the umbilical cord connected to the navel that gives us the life sustaining juices and the oxygen or the ‘Pran’

This chanting really kindles the dormant energy lying at the base of the torso and at the end of the spinal cord. It travels upwards during the vibrations and finally reaches the brain spreading the light everywhere within.

To feel the vibrations, one can do a simple exercise during the chanting of "Aum". Close your ears by both the hands, palms blocking the ears and the thumbs touching the rear side of the neck, wherein lies the medulla oblongata, other fingers going upwards closely touching the skull. Close your eyes. Continue the chant. You can feel the vibrations coming up, if Aum is chanted in the bass tone.

(I received this as a forward and thought that it would be nice to put in my blog for all to read)

RAMA NAAMA (RAM NAAM) GOD'S NAME

RAMA NAAMA
My Periamma (Mother’s elder sister) says that however busy we are, the least we can do is take God’s name atleast 3 times in a day. It is believed that uttering the name of Rama 3 times is equivalent to 1000 names of Vishnu.

The Following Shloka is extracted from Vishnu Sahasranamam(1000 names of Vishnu)

“SRI RAMA RAMA RAMETHI
RAME RAAME MANORAME
SAHASRA NAMA THATTULYAM
RAMA NAMA VARAANANE.”

Immediately I asked her as youngsters always ask, how can the utterance of the name of Rama, 3 times can be equivalent to 1000 names of Vishnu?
Periamma said that there is a calculation based on Numbers in astrology.
This is how it works :
Numbers in the astrological books are described in the form of indicative words. These numerical epithets are called katapayathi.
Bana (arrow) i.e. 5,
Dweepa (island) i.e. 7,
Vara 7,
Vayu 5,
Surya 12,
Rudra 11,
Nakshatra 27.
Ka to Jha 1 to 9.
jna 0,
Ta to Dha 1 to 9,
na 0,
Pa to ma 1 to 5,
Ya to Ha 1 to 8.
From the above katapayathi numerological method
Ra = 2, ma = 5 and 2 x 5 = 10.
As Ramas name is uttered 3 times,
its value is 10 x 10 x 10 = 1000.
Isn’t that really nice, you just utter God’s name 3 times a day and get the fruits of uttering it a 1000 times. This is the least that our Modern day busy bees can do. Now no one can complain that we dont have time for prayers.

RAHU KAALAM, YAMA GANDA KAALAM & GULIKA KAALAM, LIGHTING LEMON LAMPS

RAHU KAALAM, YAMA GANDA KAALAM & GULIKA KAALAM, LIGHTING LEMON LAMPS

RAHU KAALAMMy mother used to follow the Rahu Kalam whenever anything important was done. The way she used to calculate was very funny as there is a formula for it and mind you that’s in English, it goes like this “ Mother Saw Father Wearing the Turban On Sunday”. Here Mother stands for Monday and the time starts with 7.30 in the morning and the beginning of each alphabet in the formula stands for that day of the week.

MOTHER	MONDAY	7.30AM TO 9.00 AM
SAW	SATURDAY	9.00 AM TO 10.30 AM
FATHER	FRIDAY	10.30 AM TO 12.00 hr
WEARING	WEDNESDAY	12.00 hr TO 1.30 PM
THE	THURSDAY	1.30 PM TO 3.00 PM
TURBAN on	TUESDAY	3.00 PM TO 4.30 PM
SUNDAY	SUNDAY	4.30 PM TO 6.00 PM

The Rahu Kalam is very important in Southern Part's of India. The rising period of Rahu is considered inauspicious in the South as he is considered a malefic for auspicious functions. It Varies from Place to Place, changing every day it is based on Sunrise and Sunset at your place. The time of Rahus rising differ on various days of the week.
1/8th part of each day is termed as the Rahu Kalam (The period of the north node). This part of the day is most inauspicious and should be avoided for all important activities.

Do not sign any major documents or start a new enterprise in this period. The total time of the period of rahu kalam is one and a half hours. This period will vary with different latitudes by a few minutes. For all practical purposes, it starts at 7.30 am on Monday, at 9.00 am on Saturday, but the excact time of Rahu kalam is to be calculated from the times of Sun rise and the sun set, divided by 8. The time duration of one and a half hours for every rahu kalam duration is based on the earliest division of the zodiac and the day into 16 instead of 12 as at present. In the DEVIMANA (ASHTHANGA) CALENDAR (prevalent even today for certain Devi Poojas) there are 16 months in a calendar year and 36 days in a month, 4 weeks of nine days each in every month.

Based on 24 hour clock.

DAY RAHU KAALAM

MONDAY 07.30 AM – 9.00AM

TUESDAY 15.00 PM – 16.30 PM

WEDNESDAY 12.00 PM – 13.30 PM

THURSDAY 13.30 PM – 15.00 PM

FRIDAY 10.30 AM – 12.00 PM

SATURDAY 09.00 AM – 10.30 AM

SUNDAY 16.30 PM – 18.00 PM

PRAYING TO DURGA DURING RAHU KAALAM BY LIGHTING A LEMON LAMP IS VERY EFFECTIVE
Although Rahu kaalam period is considered inauspicious, it is considered auspicious to pray during this time.
It is considered auspicious to light a lemon lamp to Goddess Durga on Tuesdays or Fridays during the rahu kaalam period. It is believed that Goddess Durga fulfills the desires of women.
Goddess Durga is known for protecting girls and women, she is Shakti. The word Shakti in Sanskrit means “ Sacred feminine force”. She is known as Jagatmata (Mother of the World). It is considered very auspicious to pray her.
Women who desire to get married, who desire for a child, women who pray for a happy married life and a long life for their husbands, pray to the Goddess Durga by lighting a lemon lamp during the rahu kaalam period on Tuesdays or Fridays which are believed to be the days of the Devi.
It’s also said that there is a delay in the marriage of many girls as they might have a Rahu dosha. So during Rahu kaalam elders advice to keep the lemon lamp and pray. It is a very effective parihaaram and has worked for many a people. Prayers, I believe have a deep psychological effect of human minds. In the yesteryears when elders gave certain advices to do certain things for God it was also a way of making the person think positive and feel hopeful for happy days to come in their life thereby having a psychologically healing effect on people who are depressed or thinking negatively or facing sadness or grief in their lives. Isn’t lighting a lemon lamp for the Goddess and thereby making time for prayers in our life better than visiting a psychiatrist and taking anti depressant drugs which keep you lethargic through the day.

How do we light the lemon lamp?
Step 1: It is believed that 3 Ripe yellow lemons have to be taken and cut into equal halves. When you cut 3 lemons, you get 6 pieces(6 halves), one is offered to Ganapati(Lord Ganesh) who had been given the boon by Goddess Parvati (Shakti and Durga are the forms of Goddess Parvati) that he will always get the privilege of being worshipped first before any Gods and Goddesses. So one piece of the lemon lamp is offered to Lord Ganesha and the remaining 5 pieces to Goddess Durga. We must remember that the number of lemon lamps lit for the Devi have to be always Odd Numbers, so 1, 3 5, 7 or 11 as per how you pray to the Goddess.

Step 2: The juice of the lemon has to be squeezed.

Note: The juice of the lemons cannot be consumed before lighting the lamp for the devi as it will be considered as leftover(“echhal” as they say in Tamil or “jhoota” as they say in Hindi). In some temples they have a vessel where in you can squeeze the lemon, incase you wan to squeeze the lemons at home and take you can keep the lemon juice in a vessel and after you light the lamp at the temple you can do Neivedyam (offer to God and take like Prasad) and consume the juice or make lemon sherbet out of it.

Step 3 : Scoop out everything inside the lemon, and turn it inside out, so it becomes like a cup. If its very wet wipe it with a tissue, otherwise it’s okay, now introduce a thread or a wicker or a ball of cotton shaped with a wicker on top and fill the lemon with ghee

Step 4: Apply some manjal (turmeric) and kumkumam (kumkum) on both sides of the lemon. Light the lamp, praying to the Goddess simultaneously requesting her to fulfill your wishes. Place the lemon lamp at the place allotted for keeping lemon lamps in the temple and bow to the Goddess.

 

Apply the kumkumam offered usually in the Durga temples to your forehead. For married ladies, they must apply the kumkumam to their foreheads, to the beginning of the partition of the hair above the forehead and to the Thali (Thirmangalyam/ Mangalyam/Mangalsutra). This is done as an indication that Goddess Durga will protect their married life and the life of her husband.

This is done to ward off the malefic effects of Rahu.

Rahu's chief deity is Durga (Who is another form of Parvati).

Goddess Durga is the ugra avatar of Goddess Parvati.

When you pray to Goddess Durga, who is the presiding deity of Rahu, Rahu will be pleased and the malefic effects will be reduced.

It’s ideal to light the lemon lamp for the Devi during Rahu Kaalam.

If you cant light that in Rahu kalam, doing in Pradosha kaalam is also good. This is quite important and more powerful.

Nitya Pradosha Kaalam: One and a half hours before dusk and half an hour thereafter; assuming a 6 p.m. sunset, this would be between 4:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. everyday.

KALAHASTI
Kalahasti, is a small town in Chittoor District of Andhra Pradesh, It has the famous Siva temple kalahastiswara. In Kalahasti a special puja to Rahu / ketu the nodes will be performed for people with Rahu / ketu dosham in their horoscopes. You can go to Tirupati and from there take a bus and almost all the trains to Tirupati stop in Kalahasti. Kalahasti is the Pancha bhootha sthalam and Lord Shiva is residing there in the form of air or wind. This is why even now you can see in the moola sthaanam 2 deepams will be lighted and 1 will always be flickering in the presence of wind (God) while the other stays still. It is also a dosha nivarthi sthala.(where u can get rid of your doshas(wrongs)) There are never ending miracles of this temple.

YAMAGANDA KAALAM
This time period is usually avoided for auspicious activities. Yamaganda is the son of Guru and he is also considered inauspicious and his rising period starts from Thursday, from 6.00 a.m. to 7.30 a.m. and going backwards i.e. on Wednesday 7.30 a.m. to 9.00 a.m. etc.

DAY YAMAKANDA KAALAM

MONDAY 10.30 AM - 12.00 PM

TUESDAY 9.00 AM - 10.30 AM

WEDNESDAY 7.30 AM - 9.00 AM

THURSDAY 6.00 AM - 7.30 AM

FRIDAY 15.00 PM - 16.30 PM

SATURDAY 13.30 PM - 15.00 PM

SUNDAY 12.00 PM - 13.30 PM

GULIKA KAALAM
Gulika is also called Mandi (i. e. the son of Manda alias Shani). His rising period is also not auspicious. Not only that, the raashi where he stands is not also used for auspicious functions. He rises twice a day. Once in day and other at night. However, inauspicious time is given 1 hours every day, starting from Saturday (Being son of Saturn) 6.00 a.m. to 7.30 a.m. and going backwards i.e. Friday, 7.30 to 9.00 a.m., and Thursday 9.00 a.m. to 10.30 Yamaganda Kalam

DAY GULIKA KAALAM

SUNDAY 15.00 PM TO 16.30 PM

MONDAY 13.30 PM TO 15.00 PM

TUESDAY 12.00 PM TO 13.30 PM

WEDNESDAY 10.30 AM TO 12.00 PM

THURSDAY 9.00 AM TO 10.30 AM

FRIDAY 7.30 AM TO 9.00 AM

SATURDAY 6.00 AM TO 7.30 AM

The Rahu, Gulika and Yamaganda are not considered in Maharashtra and other Northern states of India.
These things are totally based on personal beliefs and need not be strictly followed unless you are going to have some major event or activity in your life like signing a contract etc.
I hope this information proves useful to you. I have assimilated this info for educational purposes only, so that all are aware of this. I am not an expert and wouldnt be able to guide or help anyone as far as this is related.

His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada

His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada (1896–1977)

My Hero

In the 80’s, I read the book the Science of Self Realization by his holiness Swami Srila Prabhupada and the book had such a deep impact on my mind that I instantly fell in love with Swamiji, his explanations, his arguments and his thoughts had left a strong impression on me. I wanted to meet Swamiji and this led me on to know more about the Krishna Consciousness Movement. A few visits to the Hare Krishna Temple at Juhu confirmed my belief about the hero I had now started to worship and the greatness of the movement he had started. We are not alone and Krishna is always with us. The inclusion of the topic “Krishna Leela’s” in my blog is yet another tribute to my hero for through his teachings we learn about “Krishnaarpnam” (surrender to the lord), when we offer something to the lord (action, duty, work, even our thoughts) they will become pure, precious and everlasting.

I consider myself unfortunate that by the time I read about this great Swamiji, he was no more in this material world. The Acharya had died in 1977. It's sad that I couldn’t have the opportunity to meet or even see such a great personality in person. The search for the first ever hero in my life left me disappointed, I felt sad that I read about him only after his death. But now I realize that you don’t need to see your hero in flesh and blood, I have reconciled that the search for my hero His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada is in his preaching’s, his books, and within my heart. This is a tribute to my hero and I would want all the people who visit my blog to read about this larger than life personality and the great movement that he has left behind for all of us to nurture, understand and love.

(Below are the excerpts from another website which details the life of the divine Swamiji)

His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada was one of the foremost spiritual leaders of the twentieth century. The remarkable challenge that he undertook and successfully accomplished was the transformation of the most materialistic youth of the times not just a few, but literally thousands of them -- into the most godly personalities with the loftiest of spiritual and ethical ideals. This miraculous achievement has no parallel either in the past or in the present and very probably there would never be one in the future. This happened to be a marvel of just twelve years, precisely the last twelve years of his 82 years of life. It was all due to the fact that Prabhupada was an open book as an exemplary devotee of God, who would have been placed among the greatest of the Alvars or Nayanmars if only he had lived in ancient times. Coming in the lineage of Chaitanya mahAprabhu of the sixteenth century, he re-established the traditional bhakti school of Chaitanya in a totally modern context, by ‘building a house in which the whole world can live’. Till he was seventy he struggled alone to implement his master’s injunction of propagating the glories of Lord Krishna and transmitting the treasures of the SrImad bhAgavatam. But even in the land where these had been held, without any doubt, in superlative esteem by one and all, he could not succeed. Only three books were written by him. In the next twelve years he wrote sixty. Till he was seventy he initiated only one disciple. In the next twelve years a few thousands were initiated by him. . Till he was seventy the worldwide society of Krishna devotees was only in his dream. In the next twelve years not only did it come to fruition but it came to have more than one hundred centres all over the world. His unflinching and uncompromising devotion to the Supreme Transcendental Personality of Krishna made all this possible.

He was the Lord’s Gift to humanity at large.

Opulence, potency, fame, beauty, knowledge and dispassion are only some of the infinite qualities of the Supreme Personality that is Krishna , but each one of them is possessed by Him in infinite extent to the absolute degree. Not a leaf moves without the Will of Krishna. He is the Absolute Brahman. This declaration of the scriptures is the solid foundation for the movement now known all the world over as Krishna Consciousness, named as such by Prabhupada. Remaining faithful to the disciplic succession, that goes back to the days of Chaitanya, Prabhupada created a whole new international community of the young and old, male and female, scholars and laymen, all of them fully versed in the teachings of the Bhagavad-Gita and the Bhagavatam and all of them fully convinced that no man-made system can cure the ills of the world, it is only the eternal reality of Krishna that will do it. The logical conclusion is the unceasing chanting by this ocean of devotees, singly and collectively, of the classic mantra :

HARE KRISHNA HARE KRISHNA, KRISHNA KRISHNA HARE HARE

HARE RAM HARE RAM, RAMA RAMA HARE HARE

You can read about His Divine Grace on http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A._C._Bhaktivedanta_Swami_Prabhupada

The Power Of Prayers

The Power of Prayers

Prayer is a very powerful tool available to man to purify the mind and gain spiritual strength. Prayer is the foundation of success.

The sages tell us that for a prayer to be effective, faith in the Divine, concentration of the mind, and positive thinking are necessary pre-requisites before, during and after the prayer. If one prays for success and at the same time holds thoughts of failure within, the prayer will not be answered. Sages tell us that the mind is the transmitter of prayers. Thus, a prayer transmitted by a restless mind is akin to broadcasting over a broken transmitter. To receive God's answer to our prayers, sages provide the following instructions for prayers:

· Meditate before praying to calm restless thoughts. Keep the body still throughout meditation. "Be still and know you are God."

· According to yogic literature, the nerve center between the eye-brows (ajna chakra) is the transmitter of prayer and the heart is the receiver of God's answer to the prayer. If a prayer is properly transmitted, God's answer appears in the form of subtle feeling(s) arising in the heart following the prayer.

· To pray, focus attention at the center between the eyebrows and say the prayer mentally with the deepest devotion of your heart. Repeat the prayer until it becomes one with your consciousness.

· Always pray to God as His child, who demands the rightful share of all God's bounties. Never pray to God as a beggar.

· Only genuine prayers are fulfilled. "If you pray five hours daily that you might become a Henry Ford, that prayer will not be granted," explains Paramahansa Yogananda.

What is Mantra or Mantrams?

Sanskrit is the language of mantra, of spiritually empowered sounds. Its usage is to bring our minds back to the consciousness and the power of mantra.

Mantra is not just concerned with sound but with meaning. Each object is a symbol for the universe itself. Words represent this universal meaning broken down, fragmented and compartmentalized.

There is divinity in every being, if we recognize this it opens the doorways to infinity

What is Shloka or Shlokam?

Shloka is a verse, phrase, proverb or hymn of praise, usually composed in a specified meter. Especially a verse of two lines, each of sixteen syllables. Shloka is the primary verse form of the Sanskrit epics, Mahabharata and Ramayana

In the most carefully controlled scientific study ever performed on the effects of prayer on healing, cardiologist Randolph Byrd, formerly a University of California professor, showed that prayer is a powerful force in healing and that sometimes it can make the difference between life and death for the sick person.

A few Shlokas that can be recited everyday. Reciting these small shlokas can make you feel calm, happy and charged to face another pressurizing day.

EARLY MORNING PRAYERS (KARAAGRE VASATE)

The first thing when we get up in the morning before we see anyone or anything we must look at our open palms joint together and recite this mantra

“Karaagre vasati lakshmi

karamadhye saraswati .
karamooleh tu govinda

prabhaate karadarshanam”

The front part of the hands (the finger tips) are ascribed to Goddess Lakshmi, the Goddess of wealth, the middle part (the palm proper) to Goddess Saraswati - the Goddess of learning and the root (the part of of hand near the wrist) to Govinda (God). Therefore, every morning, one should have a respectful look at one's hand which symbolizes honest labor.

BEFORE GETTING DOWN FROM THE BED

“Samudravasane devi

parvatastana mandale
vishnupatni namastubhyam

paada sparsham kshamasva me”

O! Mother Earth, who has the ocean as clothes and mountains and forests on her body, who is the wife of Lord Vishnu, I bow to you. Please forgive me for touching you with my feet.

WHILE TAKING A BATH (GANGE CHA YAMUNE)

Gange cha Yamune chaiva

Godaavari Saraswati,

Narmadhe Sindhu Kaveri

Jale asmin sannidhim kuru”

In this water, I invoke the presence of holy waters from the rivers Ganga, Yamuna, Godavari, Saraswati, Narmada, Sindhu and Kaveri

BEFORE EATING (BHOJAN MANTRA - BRAHAMAARPANAM

“Brahmaarpanam brahma havih

brahmaagnau braahmanaa hutam
brahmaiva tena gantavyam

brahma karma samaadhinaa“

A process of offering is Brahman, the oblation is Brahman, the instrument of offering is Brahman, the fire to which the offering is made is also Brahman. For such a one who abides in Brahman, by him alone Brahman is reached

WHILE LIGHTING A LAMP

“Shubham karoti kalyaanam

aarogyam dhana sampadaa
shatrubuddhi vinaashaaya

deepajyoti namostute“

I salute the One who is the lamplight, that brings auspiciousness, prosperity, good health, abundance of wealth, and the destruction of the intellect's enemy

MANTRA FOR REMOVING ANY OBSTACLES

Chant this shloka everyday morning and evening while lighting a ghee lamp before any Hanuman picture. This mantra is said to remove the obstacles in your life.

“Sanjeeva parvathoddhara mama dukham nivaraya

ghoran upadravan sarvan nasha yakshasuranthaka

markatesha mahothsaha sarva shoka vinashaka

shatrun samhara mama raksha shriyam dhathwa cha mambhara”

BEDTIME PRAYER

“Karacharanam kritam vaa kaayajam karmajam vaa
shravananayanajam vaa maanasam vaaparaadham
vihitamavihitam vaa sarvametatkshamasva
jaya jaya karunaabdhe shriimahaadeva shambho

Oh Lord kindly forgive my wrong actions done knowingly or unknowingly, either through my organs of action (hand, feet, speech) or through my organs of perception (eyes, ears) or by my mind. Glory unto Thee O Lord, who is the ocean of kindness.