San Francisco Bay Area: Swamiye Saranam Ayyappa

Bhakti, Bhajans Sahasranama, and Laksharchana

2011-11-22T15:09:00.001-08:00

Bhakti, Bhajans Sahasranama,and Laksharchana

Bhakti& Bhajan
Bhakti is an important component ofmany branches of Hinduism, defined differently by various sects and schools.

Bhakti emphasizes religious devotionand sentiment above ritual and orthopraxy, an emphasis on conduct, both ethicaland liturgical, as opposed to faith or grace.
The Classical Sanskritterm bhakti has a general meaning of "attachment, devotion,fondness for, devotion to" etc. also in terms of human relationships, mostoften as beloved-lover, friend-friend, parent-child, and master-servant.It may refer to devotion to a spiritual teacher(Guru) as guru-bhakti,to a personal form ofGod, or to divinity without form (nirguna).

The Sanskrit noun bhaktiis derived from the verb root bhaj, whose meanings include "toshare in", "to belong to", and "to worship" It alsooccurs in compounds where it means "being a part of" and "thatwhich belongs to or is contained in anything else."
Bhajan, or devotional singing to God,is also derived from the same root. "Devotion" as an Englishtranslation for bhakti doesn't fully convey two important aspects of bhakti—thesense of participation that is central to the relationship between the devoteeand God, and the intense feeling that is more typically associated with theword "love".

An advaitic interpretation of bhaktigoes beyond "devotion" to the realization of union with the essentialnature of reality as ananda, or divine bliss. Bhakti is sometimesused in the broader sense of reverence toward a deity or teacher. Bhaktimargais usually used to describe a bhakti path with complete dedication toone form of God.

A more literaltranslation of bhakti would be "participation"; the sageNarada defines Bhakti as"intense love" for God.Similarly SageShandilya defines Bhakti as "intense attraction" for God. One whopractices bhakti is called a bhakta,whilebhakti as a spiritual path is referred to as bhakti marga, or thebhakti way.

Lord Ayyappa isreferred to Bhajana Priyan, becausemost devotees use Bhajans as a formof expressing their devotion to Him. Bhajans,unlike the Vedic Mantras, are easy for the common man to follow. We recite thenames of the Lord when singing the bhajanswithout even realizing it.

Sahasranama

Many religions includepraise of the Divine Name as an important part of their tradition. In Hinduismall of the most widely-known forms of the divine have sahasranama stotra devoted to them. Recitation and study of theseoften constitute part of the daily routine of formal worship both at home andin temples.

A sahasranama (Sanskrit:सहस्रनाम; sahasranāma)is a type of Hindu scripture in which a deity is referred to by 1,000 or moredifferent names. Sahasranamas areclassified as stotras, or hymns of praise, a type of devotional scripture. Sahasra means a thousand, or moregenerally, a very large number. Nama(nāman)means name. The literal translation of sahasranama is "a thousandnames".

A sahasranama providesa terse but encyclopedic guide to the attributes and legends surrounding adeity. There are also many shorter stotras, called ashtottara-shata-nāma stotras, which have only 108 names.

Among the NineExpressions of Bhakti, usually elaboratedin Hindu tradition, four have relevance to the use of sahasranamas:

shravana, listening to recitals of names and glories of God
nama-sankirtana (nāma-sankīrtana), reciting the names of God either set to music or not
smarana, recalling divine deeds and teaching of divine deeds.
archana (archanā), worshipping the divine with ritual repetition of divine names.

Laksharchana

A Lakshārchanā involvesthe repetition of names one hundred thousand times. Laksha, in Sanskrit,means one hundred thousand. This is an intensive version of the Sahasra-nāma-archanā.It involves the repeated chanting of sahasranamas, multiplying the number ofthe performances by the number of the people who joined in the chorus.

To achieve this goal severalpeople sit together and perform repetition of the names in chorus. Thiscontinues for a fixed time duration, usually for several days, chanting for acertain number of hours each day. The recital of the different participants forthe several days adds up to at least 100,000 repetitions of divine names.

There are occasions when a Koti archanā is alsoperformed to the deity by counting up to 100 Lakshārchanās. Koti (crore, in English) is one hundred lakshas; that is, ten million.

Such elaborate devotionsusually mean a good deal of expense and so they are usually done in temples orpublic organizations which can obtain the necessary sponsorship.

(source: Wikipedia)

Bay Area Ayyappasamaaj Events Update

2011-10-10T17:00:00.000-07:00

San Francisco Bay Area Ayyappasamaaj (http:://www.ayyappasamaaj.org) is very active in the celebration of Lord Ayyappa's functions at the Shiva Vishnu Temple in Livermore, California.

2011 Events

January 15, 2012: Makara Vilakku Puja
December 25: Irumudi Puja
December 17: Lakshaarchana
December 10: Ayyappa Mandalam Season Weekly Bhajans
December 3: Ayyappa Mandalam Season Weekly Bhajans
November 26: Ayyappa Mandalam Season Weekly Bhajans
November 19: Ayyappa Mandalam Season Starts
Ayyappa Monthly Abhishekhams: Ayyappa Abhishekham will be performed on every Uttara Phalguni day
Vishu Celebrations on April 23, 2011: Vishu weekend function will be celebrated on April 23, 2011 at 4:30 PM

2010 Events

December 26, 2010: Mandalam Season Ends
December 18, 2010: Kids Mala Dhaarana and Sahasranama/Lakshaarchana
November 20, 27, December 4, 11, 18: Weekly Bhajans during Mandala Season
November 13, 2010: Mandala Puja Starts
April 17, 2010: Vishu Celebrations: Livermore Shiva Vishnu Temple

2009 Events

April 19, 2009: Vishu Celebrations: Livermore Shiva Vishnu Temple
July 25: Monthly Ayyappa Abhisekham - Livermore Shiva Vishnu Temple
August 22: Monthly Ayyappa Abhisekham - Livermore Shiva Vishnu Temple
September 18: Monthly Ayyappa Abhisekham - Livermore Shiva Vishnu Temple
October 16: Monthly Ayyappa Abhisekham - Livermore Shiva Vishnu Temple
November 12: Monthly Ayyappa Abhisekham - Livermore Shiva Vishnu Temple
Nov 15: 2009 Ayyappan Mandala Puja Start
Nov 21, 28: 2009 Ayyappan Mandala Puja Weekly Bhajans
December 9: Monthly Ayyappa Abhisekham - Livermore Shiva Vishnu Temple
Dec 5, 12, 19: 2009 Ayyappan Mandala Puja Weekly Bhajans
Dec 25: 2009 Ayyappan Mandala Puja Celebrations Ends

2008 Events

Please join Ayyappasamaaj (http://www.ayyappasamaaj.org/) and our mailing list on Yahoo(http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Ayyappasamaaj/join) to get notified of Lord Ayyappa's pujas in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Swami Saranam!

Ayyappa Mandala & Irumudi Puja and Makara Vilakkku Puja

2011-10-10T15:31:00.000-07:00

Ayyappa Mandala & Irumudi Puja and Makara Vilakkku Puja

http://www.ayyappasamaaj.org/mandalam2011.htm

Ayyappasamaaj of San Francisco Bay Area (http://www.ayyappasamaaj.org/) will grandly celebrate its Annual Ayyappa Mandala & Irumudi Puja and Makara Vilakkku Puja at The Shiva Vishnu Temple, Livermore between Nov 16, 2011 and Jan 16, 2012.

With the grace of Lord Ayyappa we are ready to begin this year's Mandalam season on Nov 16th. We invite you, your family, and your friends to come participate in the planned devotional activities and receive the grace of Lord Ayyappa. If you are planning to wear mala this season to observe vratham and/ or take Irumudi, please let us know in advance.

The months of Kaartika / Vrishchika, Maargazhi / Dhanur are most auspicious for Lord Ayyappa, during which period Mandala Puja is celebrated. Devotees observe traditional austerities (vratham), which normally start from the first day of Kaartika/ Vrishchikam (November 16). Devotees initiate the vratham by wearing a Thulasi or a Rudraksha maala. After 41 days (on December 25th) the devotees end their vratham by carrying Irumudi and removing the maala. (Kids can observe short vratham days by wearing maala on December 17th and end it on December 25th). Irumudi is a cloth bag with two compartments containing offerings for the Lord.

Makara Vilakku Pooja is a seven-day festival conducted annually in the famous Ayyappa Temple at Sabarimala. The festival begins on the auspicious day of Makara Sankranthi, the first day of the Malayalam month of Makaram. Makara Vilakku Pooja commemorates the day on which idol of Lord Ayyappa or Dharma Sastha was enshrined in the temple and is the most important event that is conducted at Sabarimala.

Nov 16, 2011 6:00 PM –Start of Mandalam Season 2011 (to coincide with the Mandalam season start in Sabarimala)
November 19, 2011 - 4:30 PM - Mandalam Celebrations Weekend Program begins with Sankalpam, Mala Dharana, Abhishekam, Archana, and Bhajans followed by Dinner Prasadam
Nov 26, Dec 3, 10 at 5:00 PM - Weekly Bhajan followed by Aarti
Dec 17 4:00 PM Ayyappa Lakshaarchana and Sastha Preethi, Mala Dharana for kids followed by Bhajans and Aarathi. Click here to sign up for the Lakshaarchana.
Dec 25 at 9 AM - Mandalam ends with Irumudi Puja, Abhishekam, Archana, and Bhajans followed by Lunch Prasadam
January 15, 2011: 4:30 PM: Ayyappa Makara Vilakku Puja with Sankalpam, Abhishekam, Archana, Bhajans followed by Dinner Prasadam

This is an excellent opportunity for children to learn Ayyappa bhajans and sing them during the Puja. We will be performing Irumudi Puja on December 25th. Last year we had over 40 Ayyappas do the Irumudi Puja (including over 10 children)

Please participate with your friends and family
Please bring your children to learn Ayyappa bhajans on Saturdays
Please sign up for the Lakshaarchana
Please forward this information to at least five of your friends and family. Ask them to sign for Ayyappasamaaj Yahoo Groups. (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Ayyappasamaaj/join) and http://www.ayyappasamaaj.org/apps/auth/signup
If you are interested in taking vratham (deeksha) this year, please contact us immediately. We can provide you with Thulasi Mala to begin your vrutham. Several other activities are planned as well and we'll update you as we go along.

For information call: Vijay Gopal (925-321-0996), Arun Iyer (719-302-3291), Sudhakar Deevi (925) 518-4521, Manoj Empranthiri (408) 309-0695, Rajendran Nair (510-676-7402), Ravi Devaraj (650-888-6603)

http://www.ayyappasamaaj.org/

To join our mailing list, please sign up for our Yahoo Group (groups.yahoo.com/group/ayyappasamaaj/join)

Ganesha Chathurthi kids program 2011 at Livermore Shiva Vishnu Temple

2011-07-19T10:40:00.001-07:00

Dear friends,

The Youth and Education team at HCCC (Livermore Shiva-Vishnu Temple) is planning a religious and cultural program to celebrate Ganesha Chaturthi 2011 on August 27, 2011. The key highlight of this program is that children get a chance to perform the puja for Lord Ganesha and also participate in a cultural program.

Ganesha Chathurthi Children’s Program

Venue: Temple Assembly Hall

Date: 27^th August 2011 (Saturday)

Puja: 10:15 am to 12:00 pm

Children will be performing the puja followed by Prasadam distribution from 12:30PM to 1:30 PM

Cultural Program: 1:30 pm to 3:00 pm

To register for puja and/or cultural event, send an email to YandE.Events@gmail.com with the name, item performing and contact information of the participant

Individual or Group Slokas and Bhajans: 3-4 minutes.
Individual or Group Dance or Drama: 4-5 minutes

Last date for registration 25^th August 2011 (Thursday)

NOTE: Only registrations that can be accommodated in the limited time (1.5 hrs) will be accepted. Please register early!!!

Please visit http://www.livermoretemple.org/hints/content/html/2011/Ganesh_Puja.pdf or http://pramki.sulekha.com/blog/post/2011/07/ganesha-chathurthi-children-s-program-at-our-livermore.htm to get more information regarding the program.

We invite all interested devotees to register early for this event.

Dec 18 2010 - Mala Dharanama & Ayyappa Sahasranama/Laksharchana

2010-12-16T09:29:00.000-08:00

The Ayyappa Mandala Season is in full swing at our Livermore Shiva Vishnu Temple.

This coming Saturday, the puja and bhajans will start at 4:30 PM to give us extra time to handle kids mala dhaarana. If you have not already given your name, please send an email to ravi.devaraj@gmail.com if you are interested in mala dhaarana for yourself and/or your kid. Girls under the age of 10 and women over the age of 50 can do mala dhaarana and perform Irumudi puja which will be performed at the temple on December 26th at 9:00 AM.

Last weekend (12/11) we had 25-30 kids from Sarada Bhajan Mandali perform bhajans. They sang songs for all the gods and the entire temple was reverberating with the positive vibrations from the songs that the kids were singing.

LAKSHAARCHANA

As you all know, we have introduced the Sahasranama during our weekend bhajans. Our priests are doing a wonderful job in conducting the sahasranama.

If we have a 100 people performing Sahasranama at the same time, it is called a Lakshaarchana. If we have 50 people and we perform the Sahasranama two times, that also constitutes a Lakshaarchana. We request all devoteeds to come this weekend and participate in the Sahasranama so we can try and make it a lakshaarchana. Please note that if husband and wife perform Sahasranama, it counts as two people. Please bring your friends and relatives and ask them to participate in the sahasranama/Lakshaarchana.

A few devotees asked about the meaning of Laksharchana. Laksharchana is "Worship with the recital of a lakh of divine names of a deity." The way we are planning to do it is to have 100 (or more) of our devotees recite the Ayyappa Sahasranamam at the same time along with the priest.

I request all devotees to bring flowers to the temple this weekend.

I have uploaded a copy of the Ayyappa Sahasranamam in all four languages (tamil, telugu, malayalam, and english) to our www.ayyappasamaaj.org web site. You will need to register to the ayyappasamaaj.org site to gain access to the link.

http://www.ayyappasamaaj.org/apps/links/

Swami Saranam!
Prasad

Ayyappa Mandala Puja 2010

2010-10-15T11:01:00.001-07:00

Ayyappasamaaj of San Francisco Bay Area (http://www.ayyappasamaaj.org/) will grandly celebrate its Annual Ayyappa Mandala & Irumudi Puja and Makara Vilakku Puja at the The Shiva Vishnu Temple, Livermore between Nov 13th and January 16, 2011.

With the grace of Lord Ayyappa we are ready to begin this year's Mandalam season on Nov 13th. We invite you, your family, and your friends to come participate in the planned devotional activities and receive the grace of Lord Ayyappa. If you are planning to wear mala this season to observe viratham and/ or take Irumudi, please let us know in advance.

The months of Kaartika / Vrishchika, Maargazhi / Dhanur are most auspicious for Lord Ayyappa, during which period Mandala Puja is celebrated. Devotees observe traditional austerities (vratham), which normally start from the first day of Kaartika/ Vrishchikam (November 16). Devotees initiate the vratham by wearing a Thulasi or a Rudraksha mala. After 41 days (on December 26th) the devotees end their vratham by carrying Irumudi and removing the mala. (Kids can observe short vratham days by wearing mala on December 18th and end it on December 26th). Irumudi is a cloth bag with two compartments containing offerings for the Lord.

Nov 13 4:30 PM - Mandalam begins with Sankalpam, Mala Dharana, Abishekam, Archana, and Bhajans followed by Dinner Prasadam
Dec 18 4:30 PM Mala Dharana for kids followed by Bhajans and Aarathi
Nov 20, 27, Dec 4, 11 5:00 PM - Weekly Bhajan and Sahasranamam followed by Aarti
Dec 26 9 AM - Mandalam ends with Irumudi Puja, Abishekam, Archana, and Bhajans followed by Lunch Prasadam
January 16, 2011: 4:30 PM: Ayyappa Makara Vilakku Puja with Sankalpam, Abhishekam, Archana, Bhajans followed by Dinner Prasadam

This is an excellent opportunity for children to learn Ayyappa bhajans and sing them during the Puja. We will be performing Irumudi Puja on December 26th. Last year we had over 30 Ayyappas do the Irumudi Puja (including over 10 children)

- Please participate with your family on Nov 13 and Dec 26
- Please bring your children to learn Ayyappa bhajans on Saturdays (Nov 20, 27, Dec 4, 11)
- Please forward this email with the attached flyer to at least five of your friends and family. Ask them to sign for Ayyappasamaaj Yahoo Groups. (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Ayyappasamaaj/join)
- If you are interested in taking vrutham (deeksha) this year, please contact us immediately. We can provide you with Thulasi Mala to begin your vrutham. Several other activities are planned as well and we'll update you as we go along.

Please help spread the word by forwarding this to your friends.For more information, please visit the temple web site at http://livermoretemple.org/

For information call: Prasad Ramakrishnan (408) 705-8172, Ravi Shankar (650) 302-3612, Sudhakar Deevi (925) 518-4521, Manoj Empranthiri (408) 309-0695, Usha Namboodri (925) 803-1249

http://www.ayyappasamaaj.org/

To join our mailing list, please sign up for our Yahoo Group (groups.yahoo.com/group/ayyappasamaaj/join)

Common Elements Used in Hindu Puja

2010-07-13T09:52:00.000-07:00

Common Elements Used in Hindu Puja

This article contains a brief explanation of some common puja items and their usage in a puja ceremony. The list given below, by no means, is an exhaustive one and can be suitably supplemented with further details. Its main objective is to create a general understanding of these puja items and their relevance in a puja ceremony:

PUJA LAMP OR DIYA

By lighting lamp in puja ceremony, we pray that our life is filled with the light of divine grace and wisdom. Burning of ghee or oil signifies that we should burn our negative tendencies (वासना VASNAS) in order to purify our hearts. As ego is the root cause of many human problems, a burning wick teaches us to gradually diminish our ego and serve others with humility. We notice that a lamp always burns upwards. It gives us the message that we should acquire all those qualities which are necessary for a steady and upward progress in our spiritual life.

DHOOPBATTI, AGARBATTI (INCENSE) AND KAPOOR (CAMPHOR)

Burning of these items during puja ceremony emits nice fragrance. These items burn themselves out for making the whole environment peaceful and nice. It teaches us that we should also be ready to burn (sacrifice) our ego in order to spread the perfume of love and compassion for all.

FLOWERS AND FRUITS

Flowers signify beauty, purity, softness and fragrance. They also signify sweetness as bees make honey from their pollen. By offering flowers we pray to God for the beauty and purity of our minds. We also pray for the sweetness in our thoughts, speech and actions so that the fragrance of our good conduct reaches out to other people.
We are all bound by the law of karma. We reap the fruits of our past deeds. These karmic fruits keep us in the cycle of births and deaths. By offering fruits we pray to God to free us from the fruits of our actions, good or bad, that we performed in this life or past lives.

WATER

Water signifies purity. It is kept in a copper vessel during puja ceremony. Later, it is offered as (चरणामृत CHARNAMRIT) to the devotees. By drinking ‘charnamrit’ we pray for the purity of our heart, body and mind. This holy water is also sprinkled all over the place to spread the divine vibrations which it had absorbed during the ceremony.
It is important to understand the significance of water-kalash in a puja ceremony. In mythological churning of ocean by (देव DEVAS) and (असुर ASURS), one of the findings was a kalash filled with (अमृत AMRIT) (nectar of immortality). The water filled in the kalash for puja symbolizes the elixir of life, soul which is immortal. This water has to be pure, preferably Ganga jal (water from the Ganges) or the one obtained from a running stream.

RICE

The unbroken rice used in puja ceremony is called ‘akshat.’ It denotes longevity. Rice is placed near the base of the water-kalash. While holy water symbolizes purity in our life, rice brings blessings for a long life. Like water, rice also receives and transmits divine vibrations received during puja ceremony. Sisters use rice as an important ingredient of (तिलक TILAK) (a holy mark on forehead) for wishing long life for their brothers.

COCONUT

Coconut plays a key role in puja ceremony. It is centrally placed on the water-kalash with its tip pointing upwards. The tip attracts holy vibrations and transmits them back into atmosphere in the form of a fountain. The three eyes on coconut remind us about the three-eyed Shiva (त्रियम्बकेश्वर TRIYAMBKESHWAR).
The breaking up of coconut symbolizes the breaking up of our ego (selfishness, false pride). Therefore, by breaking coconut we remind ourselves to come out of our egotism and realize our true spiritual nature. Coconut has a vast number of uses. It is used as an important food ingredient. Water of a tender coconut is rich in minerals and has a soothing effect on us during summer time. Its outer shell and parts find many uses in rural areas. In fact, no part of coconut is considered wasteful. It teaches us to serve others
in every possible way. Considering its religious significance and usefulness, coconut is called (श्रीफल SHREEFAL) meaning God’s fruit.

TULSI LEAVES

TULSI (तुलसी, Basilica or Basil) is the most sacred plant in Hinduism. It is called (हरि प्रिय HARIPRIYA) meaning, someone who is very dear to Lord Vishnu. Therefore, Tulsi embodies Goddess Lakshmi. Tulsi is also known as Vrinda. Vrindavan, meaning forest (van) full of Vrinda, is the place where Shri Krishna danced with Radha Rani and other (गोपियाँ GOPIYAN) (milk maids) in (रास लीला RAAS LEELAS). So in that sense, Tulsi represents Radha Rani. Also, ‘Tulsi-Vivah’ depicts the wedding of Lord Ram and Sitaji. So, Tulsi also represents Sitaji. Tulsi, therefore, is the true representation of goddesses Lakshmi, (राधा रानी RADHA RANI) and (सीताजी SITAJI). Tulsi leaves have medicinal properties for curing many diseases. They are used in the ‘charnamrit’ for receiving blessings of all goddesses.

MANGO LEAVES

Mango is well known for its sweetness and is called the king of all fruits. According to a mythological story, mango leaves signify (अमरत्व AMARATVA) or immortality. With the use of mango leaves in the water-kalash, we remind ourselves for our actions to be always nice and sweet to others. Mango leaves also serve to remind us that we should not forget the ultimate goal of human life: to strive for receiving ‘amartava’ or liberation from the cycle of births and deaths.

BETEL (PAAN) LEAVES

Betel leaves (पान PAAN) are a symbol of freshness and prosperity. It is customary to offer paan as a mark of hospitality. If used in moderation, paan leaves are useful for human digestive system. They kill germs and bacteria and are useful in curing cold. A mythological story portrays paan leaves as (मृतुन्जय संजीवनी MRITUNJAY SANJEEVANI), thus highlighting their usefulness to human beings. Paan leaves are used in puja ceremony for receiving blessings for good health and prosperity in life.

ARECA NUTS (SUPARI)

Areca nuts (सुपारी SUPARI) symbolize strength and blessings for a long life. The use of supari together with paan leaves in puja ceremony is symbolic of our desire to receive blessings for a life full of strength, longevity, good health and prosperity. As supari has a hard shell, by offering it in puja, we surrender our hard, coarse qualities to God and pray for only pure and helpful qualities.

MILK

Milk is a sign of peace and tranquility. Milk is the first food that a mother gives to her baby. So it is associated with motherly love. It is an important ingredient of ‘panchamrit’ (the blessed food). It is also used in Lord Shiva’s Abhishekam (Shivji’s puja).

KESAR (SAFFRON)

Kesar is the symbol of (अग्नि AGNI) or fire, the power of God. Sikhs use saffron color in their religious flag to demonstrate their commitment to fight injustice. Hindu, Jain and Buddhist monks use kesaria robes as a mark of renunciation of worldly life. Therefore, kesar is both a symbol of strength as well as of renunciation for spiritual pursuits.

SANDALWOOD

Sandalwood is well known for its aroma and cooling effect on human body. Sandal incense sticks are an important puja item. Kesar and sandal paste is used in worshiping deities especially for ‘mastak-abhishek’ or applying tilak on the forehead of sacred idols.

HONEY

Honey is one of the five ingredients of panchamrit. The sweetness of honey reminds us to be nice and sweet to others in our speech, thoughts and actions. It is rich with many minerals and supplements which are important for our nourishment.

KUMKUM (VERMILLION)

Kumkum stands for our emotions and inner wisdom. The use of kumkum in puja reminds us to use our wisdom with equanimity so that our thoughts and emotions do not overpower us.

HALDI POWDER (TURMERIC)

Haldi (turmeric) is a common spice used in Indian cooking. It is also a sign of purity and is thus an important part of the puja ceremony. It is also used in ‘haldi-ceremony’ in weddings. Haldi is well known for its great medicinal value for general wellbeing as well as for the treatment of some incurable diseases.

PRASAD (BLESSED FOOD)

Prasad is the blessed food that has been offered to God during puja. The food becomes infused with the deity’s prana energy. Hence the name prasad, which literally means the bestower of eternal life. A specially prepared prasad called PANCHAMRIT (पंचामृत five nectars), which is made of five components: milk (cow milk is preferred), yoghurt, sugar, ghee (clarified butter) and honey. Later, this food is offered to all the devotees. With the distribution of prasad, we convey God’s blessings to everyone. When we eat prasad, we thank God for these blessings.

Livermore Shiva Vishnu Temple Mahakumbhabhishekam

2010-06-02T22:44:00.000-07:00

The Livermore Shiva Vishnu Temple will be celebrating its Maha Kumbhabhishekam between June 16-20, 2010.

Significance of Mahakumbhabhishekam

Though temples are built in the best traditional design with good materials, there may be portions of the temple which need renovation or repair after some time. Such renovations are usually done once in twelve years when Mahakumbhaabhishekams are performed by the devotees to renew their dedication to the temple and to re-vitalize their connection to the divine.

During such Mahakumbhabhishekams, the power of the temple deities is temporarily transferred by the priests to the kumbhas. These kumbhas are placed in the hall of ritualistic worship (Yagashala), where daily worship and rituals as well as special rituals are performed. During this period, the main sanctums and shrines are cleaned and renovated.

This is also the occasion for installing new vigrahas, brass kalashas on the gopuras, and any other special items in the temple. The new vigrahas are sanctified by purificatory rituals with water, milk Venkateshwara have separate Dhwajasthambhas , as laid down in the Agamas (religious texts). As an integral part of the Dhwajasthambha complex, the vehicles for each deity (Nandi for Shiva and Garuda for Vishnu) are situated facing the respective deity.

The three entities stand in line facing the and other ingredients, followed by netronmelana (eye-opening ceremony) for the new vigrahas, homas, and the ritual offering of cooked food. After the installation is completed, the divine energy is transferred back to the moola vigrahas of the temple as well as to the new vigrahas and kalashas by performing the Mahakumbhaabhishekam with the water from the kumbhas accompanied by the chanting of special mantras.

For more details pease visit

http://www.livermoretemple.org/hints/MKA2010/index.htm

2010 Vishu Celebrations: Livermore Shiva Vishnu Temple

2010-03-28T19:06:00.000-07:00

Dear Devotees,
Swami Saranam!

We will have Abhisekham followed by Bhajans and Aarathi to celebrate Vishu at our Shiva Vishnu temple in Livermore on Saturday, April 17 from 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Please spread the word around to your friends.

Vishu is a New Year festival held in the state of Kerala, south India (and adjoining areas of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu). This occasion signifies the Sun's transit to the
zodiac Mesha Raasi as per Indian astrological calculations. The day is marked with offerings called Vishukkani. The offerings consist of a ritual arrangement in the puja room of auspicious articles like raw rice, fresh linen, golden cucumber, betel leaves,arecanut, metal mirror, the yellow flowers holy text and coins, in a bell metal vessel called lighted bell metal lamp called nilavilakku alongside. On the day of Vishu, the custom is to wake up at dawn and go to the puja room with the eyes closed so that the Vishukkani is the first thing one see throng the well-known temples like Sabarimala Ayyappa Temple and Guruvayur Sree Krishna temple to have a
"Vishukkani Kazhcha" on the early hours of "Vishu" day.

Click here to read more about the significance of Vishu.

Program Details:
5:00 PM: Sankalpam, Abhishekam
5:30 PM: Thalapolli
5:45 PM: Bhajan Starts
7:00 PM: Bhajan Ends followed by Archana, Aarti and Teertha Prasadam

Swami Saranam!
Prasad Ramakrishnan

Ayyappa Mandala Puja Dec 2009

2009-12-25T18:20:00.000-08:00

December 25, 2009
LIVERMORE, CALIFORNIA

For the second year in a row, we had a grand finale to celebrate the Mandala season.

With the grace of Lord Ayyappa, the volunteers from AyyappaSamaaj -- http://www.ayyappasamaaj.webs.com, (Yahoo Groups: Ayyappasamaaj http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Ayyappasamaaj/join) performed Irumudi Puja for 25+ Ayyappas, manikandans, and maligaipurams at the Shiva Vishnu temple in Livermore, California to conclude the Ayyappa Mandala Puja for the year 2009 in a very grand manner. The function, held on December 25, 2009, was very well attended with over 300+ devotees participating in the event.

The people who took Irumudi fell into the following categories:

They have been going elsewhere, like Washington DC, to fulfill their obligations - several devotees who had been going there for years decided to do it here.
They have gone to Sabarimala before and wanted a way to continue their devotion

Irumudi Puja

Ayyappa Devotees visiting the Sabarimala Temple carry the Irumudi – a specially designed bag with two compartments. This ceremony is referred as Kettunira or Palli Kettu. The front portion of the bag is meant for keeping the puja articles and other offerings to the deities at Sabarimala. The other compartment is meant for holding the personal belongings.

The Irumudi Puja commenced with the traditional filling up of gheee into the mudra coconut. The mudra coconut is prepared ahead of the ghee filling ceremony by making a hole in the third (soft) eye of the coconut, draining the coconut water, and drying the inside of the coconut by showing it on a flame. After filling up the ghee, to the continous chanting of Sarana Ghoshams (http://pramki.blogspot.com/2008/12/sarana-ghosham.html) and Vazhinadai (http://pramki.blogspot.com/2008/12/vazhi-nadai.html) verses, the coconut filled with the ghee was sealed with a cork. Vibhuti, Sandal paste, and Kumkum were then applied to the Ghee filled coconut.

The other main contents of the front compartment of the Irumudi is the rice. All the devotees attending the function came in a procession to put rice into the Irumudi bag. A one dollar coin (kanikkai for Kuladhaivam) was placed into this rice bag. The symbolism of the kannikkai is worth mention. Different people have different gods as their Kula Dheivam, ruling diety for their family, who protects the family. When Ayyappa devotees undertake the pilgrimage to Sabarimala, Lord Ayyappa takes over the role of being the Kula Dheivam once the Ayyappas enter into Gods own country, also known as Ayyappa's Poongavanam. The kanikkai is safely retained by the devotees and is deposited as an offering to their kula dheivam at the end of the Sabarimala pilgrimage.

All the other Dhravyas required for performing Abhisekham for the lord, such as milk, honey, vibhuti, sandal, turmeric, kumkum, agarbathi, rose water, and betel leaves were then packed into the Irumudi bag. The Irumudi bag was tied by the senior Ayyappas who were there to volunteer for the event. The Irumudi is extremely sacred and the devotees protect its sanctity by making sure it does not touch the ground and is always handled with respect.
The priest came and offered prayers to the Irumudi, praying for the welfare of the pilgrim who is undertaking the pilgrimage. All the Ayyappas then carried the Irumudi bag on their head, and did a pradakshanam of the temple to the chanting of Sarana Ghoshams and Vazhinadai.

The Kanni Ayyappas planted an arrow (Saram) in the Saramkuthi that was setup at the event. After completing the symbolic pilgrimage, the senior Ayyappas then assisted the Ayyappa devotees with unpacking the Irumudi bag and collected all the dhravyas for performing Abhisekham on Lord Ayyappa. The abhisekham was conducted using the following contents of the Irumudi:

Ghee abhisekham
Milk Abhisekham
Chandana Abhisekham
Bhasma (vibhooti) Abhisekham
Panchamrutha Abhisekham (with dates, honey, sugar candy(kalkandu), raisins, jaggery)

Witnessing the abhisekham with the dhravyas carried in the Irumudi is an enchanting experience for all the devotees seeking the blessings of Lord Ayyappa.

Thalapolli

We had Thalapolli for our Lord Ayyappa to the accompaniment of "Chenda", the traditional music in all Kerala temples. Almost 100 women and children participated in the Thalapolli. Thalappoli, a ceremonial procession, is a significant item in most of the festivals in Kerala In this ritual, women or young girls carry thalam, which literally means plate, in their hands. Thalam is filled with rice, flowers and a lighted lamp. Thalappoli is considered a symbol of prosperity. The lord Ayyappa comes in a procession to bless the devotees to the chanting of Sarana Ghoshams and Vazhinadai.

MahaPrasadam

The special lunch for this event was prepared by the volunteers of AyyappaSamaaj (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Ayyappasamaaj/join with sponsorship from Dosai Place and Mayuri

Meaning of Tatwamasi

2009-11-21T21:39:00.000-08:00

Tat Twam Asi = Thou art you. This word of message is from the Chando gyopanishat, means “That is you” The diffusion of the word is Thath. Thwam. Asi. Tat means that, Twam means you, and Asi means is.

When we stand in front of the mirror, and point out to that, the reflection of us will also point at us. The thing which is in front of a mirror is the image and the idol of Iswara is called image. The image of god sees the reflection of us on the mirror of the world. The reflection on the mirror has no life or existence and it is not real. But we feel that it has life and existence and it is real.

This phenomenon, which make us feel the nothingness as the fullness and it is, according to the spiritual sciences, called Maya. Likewise, all the beings reflecting on the mirror of world feel that they are existing and moving. It is not only us but even the universe has no reality. The god is the only real one. All are its manifestations. It is only the reflection of God and the reality of it is felt as you and yourself. Tat is a consciousness of the oneself and it is also the God itself.

How the principle of ‘Tatwamasi’ is reflected in the worldly life, since having different kinds of problems arising? As per the laws of creation of universe the God has not created any difficulties or grievances or problems. But how a lot of problems occur in the worldly life? The reason for that, is not other thing, but the thought of your ‘self’, which you cannot avoid anyway. It is the only one thing that is ‘you’, which creates all the problems from the within of you. For example the grandeur of the deer reflects on its horns. But it is that horn which becomes the reason for its own death, by hanging on any creepers, binding the branched horn accidentally anywhere in the forest. If we ask whether the pride of the ‘self’ feeling of one man, is created by the God. May be, but the vicious side of it is not by God.

The reality beyond the experiences of our life reveals the truth saying ‘Thou art you’. Otherwise the feeling of your self or ego is really the Tat i.e god. If you felt your ego, that is your innermost soul or consciousness or Iswara. It is the man’s own desire for existence creates impediments in the flow of life and unfomfortfulness. It is the ‘you’ creates problems against your life; think ‘Tatwamasi’.

Provide light to destroy shade. To avoid darkness or shade of all the difficulties and grievances from your life which are created by your own ego, self or pride, you have to go to the light of God. For this satisfaction all the people arrive at the light of Sri Ayyappa to destroy his own ahanta, the egotism and all will end in bliss.

Nov 15, 2009: Grand Celebrations to Kick Off Ayyappa Mandala Season 2009

2009-11-16T18:25:00.000-08:00

Dear Devotees,

The Shiva Vishnu temple in Livermore, California along with Ayyappa Samaaj (http://www.ayyappasamaaj.org/; YahooGroups: Ayyappasamaaj -- Click here to join Ayyappasamaaj: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Ayyappasamaaj/join) kicked off the start of the Ayyappa Mandala Puja in a very grand manner on November 15, 2009.

The function was very well attended. We had 200+ devotees participating in the event.

The 18 steps for Lord Ayyappa was renovated and there were special decorations around the 18 steps. Check out the photos from the event on Picasa.

The puja started with Sankalpam and Abhishekham for Lord Ayyappa (with milk, curd, ghee, panchamrutham, Sandal, Turmeric, tender coconut water, and Bhasman) This was followed by a bhajans during which Lord Ayyappa was decorated and mounted on an elephant in preparation for the thalapolli procession to the chant of Vazhinada. The Thalapolli for our Lord Ayyappa was conducted to the accompaniment of "Chenda", the traditional music in all Kerala temples. Over 60 women and children participated in the Thalapolli. Thalappoli, a ceremonial procession, is a significant item in most of the festivals in Kerala In this ritual, women or young girls carry thalam, which literally means plate, in their hands. Thalam is filled with rice, flowers and a lighted lamp. Thalappoli is considered a symbol of prosperity

We then had bhajans for Lord Ayyappa that was sung in many languages with participation from people of all age groups. This was followed by Harihara Putra Shata Naamavalli (Archana). Many "Ayyappas" commenced their vratam by wearing the Thulasi Mala during the function. Many more "ayyappas" are scheduled to wear the Mala on the following weekends. The puja concluded with the singing of the traditional Padi Paattu and Harivarasanam.

There were over 30 volunteers from Bay Area Ayyappasamaaj who actively participated in the preparation and smooth conduct of the proceedings of the the puja.

Over 200 devotees ate the special Maha Prasadam (Vegetable Sambar Rice, Potato Curry, Vada, Curd Rice and Chakkara Pongal) that was prepared at the temple.

Ayyappasamaaj also released a bhajan booklet containing transliterated songs from Tamil, Malayalam, and Telugu songs. If you are interested in a personal copy, please send en email to ayyappasamaaj@gmail.com. You can check out the table of contents in the link http://www.ayyappasamaaj.org/.

We will be having weekly bhajans on Saturdays till the end of the Mandalam season. On December 25, 2009, we will have the conclusion of the mandalam celebration by performing Irumudi Puja followed by all the program items described above.

We invite all devotees to come to Livermore temple to get the blessings of Lord Ayyappa.

Swami Saranam!

Prasad

Sarana Ghoshams (Periya Paadhai)

2009-11-11T14:23:00.000-08:00

The following Saranams provide a representation of the key landmarks and places we trek on the periya-paadhai (long route from Erumeli to Sannidhaaanam).

Repeat Saranam Ayyappa after each verse.
1. Swamiye Sharanam Ayyappa
2. Sadhguru Nathane
3. Sachidananda Sathguru Murthiye
4. Ennishtta Deivame
5. Engal Kula Deivame
6. Aekaantha Vaasiye
7. Thani Vazhi Thunaivare
8. Sevipporkku Aanandha Moorthiye
9. Villali Veerane
10. Veera Manikandane
11. Pulippaal Konarndha Punniyane
12. Acchan Kovil Arase
13. Aariyankaavu Ayyave
14. Kulathu Puzhai Balagane
15. Erumeli Vaazhgiraatha Saasthaave
16. Pettai Thullum Saasthaave
17. Vettaikkoar Magane
18. Kotta Padigale
19. Vavar Swamiye
20. Perur Thodu Thaavalame
21. Thalappaarai Koattaiye
22. Kaalakatti Ashramame
23. Azhutha Nadhiye
24. Azhutha Nadhi Theerame
25. Azhutha Nadheesane
26. Azhutha Maede
27. Kallidung Kunre
28. Injippaarai Koattaiye
29. Udumpparai Koattaiye
30. Mukkuzhi Thavalame
31. Ilavan Thaavalame
32. Karivalaan Thode
33. Puducheri Aare
34. Karimala Aettrame
35. Aettram Kadiname
36. Aettri Thara Vaendum Bhagavaane
37. Karimalai Mugade
38. Karimalai Bhagavathiye
39. Karimalai Irakkame
40. Irakkan Kadiname
41. Irakki Thara Vaendum Bhagavaane
42. Pamba Nadhi Theerame
43. Pamba Nadheesane
44. Pambaiyin Sisuve
45. Pambaiyin Theerthame
46. Pambaiyil Snaaname
47. Pambaiyin Vilakke
48. Pambaiyin Satthiye
49. Pambaiyin Ganapathiye
50. Pandhala Raaja Kumaarane
51. Valiyaana Vattame
52. Cheriyaana Vattame
53. Neelamalai Aettrame
54. Dharma Peedame
55. Appacchi Maede
56. Ippachi Kuzhiye
57. Sabhari Peedame
58. Sree Rama Paadhame
59. Saranguthi Aale
60. Swamigaludaiya Sannidhaanangale
61. Swamigaludaiya Ponnu Padhinettu Padigale
62. Padhinettam Padi Kaavalare
63. Padhinettaam Padi Karuppanna Swamiye
64. Sangili Bhootha Naadha Swamiye
65. Valiya Kadutha Swamiye
66. Kocchu Kadutha Swaamiye
67. Karuppaayi Amma Deviye
68. Vavar Swamiye
69. Dhega Balam Tharanum Bhagavaane
70. Paadha Balam Tharanum Bhagavaane
71. Malai Aettri Tharanum Bhagavaane
72. Padi Aettri Tharanum Bhagavaane
73. Swamigaludaya Sannidhaaname
74. Swamugaludaya Dhwaja Sthambhame
75. Asvaa Roodare
76. Gaja Roodare
77. Swamigaludaya Karpoora Aazhiye
78. Swamigaludaya Bali Peedangale
79. Kannimeela Maga Ganapathi Bhagavaane
80. Naagaraaja Prabhuve
81. Swamugaludaya Dhivya Swaroopame
82. Swamigaludaya Dhivya Dharisaname
83. Neyyabhisheka Piriyane
84. Pushbhaabhisheka Piriyane
85. Paanaga Piriyane
86. Panjaamritha Piriyane
87. Payasanna Piriyane
88. Ney Thaengaay Piriyane
89. Naivediya Piriyane
90. Irumudi Piriyane
91. Athirvedi Piriyane
92. Kannimudi Piriyane
93. Sarana Ghosha Piriyane
94. Vedha Ghosha Piriyane
95. Saama Ghaana Piriyane
96. Karpoora Piriyane
97. Karpoora Jothiye
98. Kaantha Malai Jothiye
99. Jothi Swaroopane
100. Dhabajwaala Moorthiye
101. Chinmudra Dhaariye
102. Neela Vasthra Dhaariye
103. Nithya Bhrahmachaariye
104. Brumadhya Vaasare
105. Hrudhayakamala Vaasare
106. Ellaam Valla Iraivane
107. Aezhaikku Arul Puriyum Eesane
108. Aezhai Pangaalane
109. Aethilaarkku Uttra Thunaiye
110. Eelikkai Aayuthane
111. Pizhai Porutharulla Vendum Deivame
112. Nalla Suga Vaazhkai Alikka Vendum Swamiye
113. Enrum Engalukku Tunaiyaay Irunthu Vazhi Nadathi Chella Vendum Aandavare
114. Kaathu Rakshikkanum Bhagavaane
115. Swamigaludaiya Bhasma Kulangale
116. Swamigaludaiya Thiru Naagangale
117. Swamigaludaiya Parivaarangale
118. Swamigaludaiya Nagaraajakkale
119. Maligapurathamma Devi Loka Manja Maathaave
120. Swamigaludaiya Poongavanangale
121. Ural Kuzhi Theerthame
122. Kumbalanthode
123. Kavalaiyai Theerppavane
124. Kadanai Theerppavane
125. Annadhaana Prabhuve
126. Devi Sabhai Vasare
127. Sarva Klesa Naasa Swamiye
128. Sarvaabheeshta Pradhayakare
129. Sarva Roga Nivarana Om Dhanvathiri Moorthiye
130. Siddhi Vinaayaka Sivasakthi Vadivelan Thambiye
131. Samasta Abharathangalaiyum Poruthu Kaathu Rakshitarula Vaendum Bhagavaane
132. Om SwamiyeSwamiye Saranam Ayyappa

Nov 15 - Dec 25 2009: Ayyappa Mandala Puja: Livermore Shiva Vishnu Temple

2009-10-14T10:27:00.000-07:00

Ayyappasamaaj of San Francisco Bay Area (http://www.ayyappasamaaj.org/) will grandly celebrate its Annual Ayyappa Mandala Puja at the The Shiva Vishnu Temple, Livermore between Nov 15th and Dec 25th.

With the grace of Lord Ayyappa we are ready to begin this year's Mandalam season on Nov 15th. We invite you, your family, and your friends to come participate in the planned devotional activities and receive the grace of Lord Ayyappa. If you are planning to wear mala this season to observe viratham and/ or take Irumudi, please let us know in advance.
The months of Kaartika / Vrishchika, Maargazhi / Dhanur are most auspicious for Lord Ayyappa, during which period Mandala Puja is celebrated. Devotees observe traditional austerities (vratham), which normally start from the first day of Kaartika/ Vrishchikam (November 15). Devotees initiate the vratham by wearing a Thulasi or a Rudraksha mala. After 41 days (on December 25th) the devotees end their vratham by carrying Irumudi and removing the mala. (Kids can observe short vratham days by wearing mala on December 19th and end it on December 25th). Irumudi is a cloth bag with two compartments containing offerings for the Lord.

Nov 15 5pm - Mandalam begins with Sankalpam, Mala Dharana, Abishekam, Archana, and Bhajans followed by Dinner Prasadam
Dec 19 5 PM Mala Dharana for kids followed by Bhajans and Aarathi
Nov 21, 28, Dec 5, 12 - Weekly Bhajan on Saturdays at 6pm followed by Aarti –
Dec 25 9 AM - Mandalam ends with Irumudi Puja, Abishekam, Archana, and Bhajans followed by Lunch Prasadam

This is an excellent opportunity for children to learn Ayyappa bhajans and sing them during the Puja. We will be performing Irumudi Puja on December 25th. Last year we had over 20 Ayyappas do the Irumudi Puja (including over 10 children)

- Please participate with your family on Nov 15 and Dec 25
- Please bring your children to learn Ayyappa bhajans on Saturdays (Nov 21, 28, Dec 5, 12)
- Please forward this email with the attached flyer to at least five of your friends and family. Ask them to sign for Ayyappasamaaj Yahoo Groups. (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Ayyappasamaaj/join)
- If you are interested in taking vrutham (deeksha) this year, please contact us immediately. We can provide you with Thulasi Mala to begin your vrutham. Several other activities are planned as well and we'll update you as we go along.

Please help spread the word by forwarding this to your friends.For more information, please visit the temple web site at http://livermoretemple.org org

For information call: Prasad Ramakrishnan (408) 705-8172, Ravi Shankar (650) 302-3612, Sudhakar Deevi (925) 518-4521, Manoj Empranthiri (408) 309-0695, Usha Namboodri (925) 803-1249

To join our mailing list, please sign up for our Yahoo Group (groups.yahoo.com/group/ayyappasamaaj/join)

Monthly Ayyappa Abhisekham - Livermore Shiva Vishnu Temple

2009-07-16T16:08:00.000-07:00

Dear devotees,

We will be having monthly abhisekham for Lord Ayyappa at our Shiva Vishnu temple in Livermore, CA starting this July 25, 2009.

Shiva-Vishnu Temple requests all Devotees to participate and get the blessings of
Lord Ayyappa

Uttara Phalguni days in 2009

Saturday, 25 July, 2009
Saturday, 22 August, 2009
Friday, 18 Sept, 2009
Friday, 16 Oct, 2009
Thursday, 12 Nov, 2009
Wednesday, 9 Dec, 2009

Dates for 2010 will be announced in December

Sat, Sun Mon – Fri Program
5:00 PM 6:30 PM Sankalpam, Abhisekham, and Puja
5:45 PM 7:15 PM Bhajan Starts
7:00 PM 8:00 PM Bhajan Ends with Aarti and Teertyha Prasadam

Suggested Donation:
o Archana - $7
o Abhishekam for one time - $51
o Abhishekam every month for one year - $301

Shiva -Vishnu Temple at Livermore is celebrating Maha Kumbhabhishekam in 2010
Please plan on attending this important religious event

Rudra - Final Stotras

2009-04-21T13:44:00.000-07:00

Rudra - Final Stotras

Tryambakam yajaamahe sugandhim pushtivardhanam,
Oorvaaru kamiva bandhanan mruthyo rmuksheeya maamruthaath. 1

We salute and respect,
Him who is naturally scented,
Him who looks after his devotes by mercy,
And Him who has three eyes.
And pray and request,
To move us away from the catch of death,
Like the cucumber from its stalk,
And firmly put us in the path of salvation.

Yo Rudro agnaii yo apsu ya oushadeeshu,
Yo Rudro viswaa bhuvanaa aavivesa tasmai Rudraaya namo asthu. 2

Let our salutations be offered to that Rudra,
Who is in fire,
Who is in water,
Who is in plants and trees,
And who is in everything in the world.

Thamushtuhi ya swishu sudhanwaa yo viwasya kshayathi beshajasya,
Yashwamahe soumanasaaya rudram namobhir devaasuram duvasya 3

Pray and salute him,
Who has the best arrows,
Who has the best bow,
Who is the home of medicines,
That cure all the world’s diseases,
And who destroys asuras.
We salute that Rudra,
For making our minds pure.

Aayam me hastho bhagavaanayam me bhagavattara,
Ayam me viswa beshajo ayam shivaabhimarsana. 4

This my hand is my God,
This is higher than God to me,
This is the medicine for all sickness to me.
For this touches Shiva and worships him.

Ye the sahasramayutham pasaa mruthyo marthyaya hanthave,
Thaan yagnasya maayayaa sarvaanava yajamahe,
Mrutyave swaaha mrutyave swaaha. 5

Oh God who destroys the world.
I pray thee to keep away from me,
The thousands of ropes that you have,
Which is used by you to kill all beings,
Due to the power of my prayers.
This offering of fire is offered to death,
This offering of fire is offered to death.

OM namo bhagavathe rudraaya vishnave mruturme paahi,
Praanaanaam grandhi rasi rudro vishaanthaka
Thenaa annena aapya swa. 6

Om, my salutations to God,
Who is everywhere,
And to the Rudra
Let not death come near me.
You Rudra who lives in the junction of the soul and senses,
I pray to you who destroy everything, to be within me,
And due to that be satisfied,
With the food that I take as offering.

Om Shanthi ,Shanthi, Shanthi

Let there be peace, Let there be peace, Let there be peace

Ithi Sri Krishna yajur vedeeya taithireeya samhithaayam
Chathurtha Kande panchama prapaataka.

Thus ends the fifth chapter of the fourth canto of Taithireeya

collection of Krishna Yajur Veda.

Rudram

Rudram - First Anuvaaka

Rudram - Second Anuvaaka

Rudram - Third Anuvaaka

Rudram - Fourth Anuvaaka

Rudram - Fifth Anuvaaka

Rudram - Sixth Anuvaaka

Rudram - Seventh Anuvaaka

Rudram - Eigth Anuvaaka

Rudram - Ninth Anuvaaka

Rudram - Tenth Anuvaaka

Rudram - Eleventh Anuvaaka

Rudra - Final Stotras

Rudram - Eleventh Anuvaaka

2009-04-21T13:39:00.000-07:00

Eleventh Anuvaaka

Sahasraani sahasraso ye Rudra adhi bhoomyaam.
Teshaam sahasra yojane avadhanvaani thanmasi 11.1

We request thee oh Rudra,
To order your soldiers who are in thousands,
To keep their thousands of weapons,
Which are of thousand kinds,
Thousand miles away from us.

Asmin mahatyarnave anthareekshe bhavaa adhi. 11.2

In this vast sea of ether,
Whichever Rudra’s soldiers do exist,

Neelagreeva sithi kkantaa sarvaa adha kshama charaa 11.3

And those soldiers, who do exist,
Whose half side of neck is blue,
And the other half is white.
And live under the earth in Paathaala*.

Neelagreeva sithi kkantaa diva rudra upasrithaa 11.4

And those soldiers, who do exist,
Whose half side of neck is blue,
And the other half is white.
And who have attained heavens.

Ye vruksheshu saspinjaraa neelagreeva vilohithaa 11.5

And those soldiers, who do exist,
Who are on trees with colour of new grass,
With neck which is blue,
And whose body is especially red.

Ye bhoothanaam adhi pathayo visikkahsa kapardhina 11.6

And those soldiers ,who do exist,
Who are captains of the soldiers,
With some of them wearing the tuft,
And some with no hairs,

Ye anneshu vividhyanthi paathreshu pibatho janaan 11.7

And those soldiers ,who do exist,
Who trouble those people,
Who take food and drink from vessels

Ye padhaam padhii rakshaya Iilaa brudaa yavyudha. 11.8

And those soldiers, who do exist,
Who protect people who walk in the path,
And also protect those people taking all other paths,
And who take the form of those who save by giving food,
And who fight with enemies

Ye theerthani pracharanthi srukaavantho nishangina 11.9

And those soldiers ,who do exist,
Who carry sharp weapons,
And also those who carry swords,
And also those who travel protecting sacred waters.

Ya eetha bandascha bhooyaamscha diso rudraa vithasthire
Teshaam sahasra yojane avadhanvaani thanyasi. 11.10

We request all these your soldiers,
And also all those others wherever they are,
Spread in different directions,
To keep their bows,
Thousands miles away,
After removing the string.

Namo rudrebhyo ye prithvyaam ye anthareekshe,
Ye divi yesham annam vatho varshmishadha sthebhyo dasa,
Praceerdasa dakshina dasa pradeecheer daso udhiceer daso urdhwaa,
Sthebhyo namasthe no mrudayanthu the yam dwishmo,
Yascha no dweshti tham vo janme dadhaami. 11.11

My salutations to all those soldiers of Rudra,
Who are on earth,
Who are in the sky,
Who are in the worlds above,
And to those whom air and food,
Become weapons for killing beings.
I salute them with ten fingers,
I salute them facing the east,
I salute them facing south,
I salute them facing west,
I sauté them facing north,
I salute them facing above,
My salutations to all of them,
Let them grant happiness to me.
I would deliver those of my enemies,
And those who consider me as my enemy,
In to their wide-open mouth.

Rudram
Rudram - First Anuvaaka
Rudram - Second Anuvaaka
Rudram - Third Anuvaaka
Rudram - Fourth Anuvaaka
Rudram - Fifth Anuvaaka
Rudram - Sixth Anuvaaka
Rudram - Seventh Anuvaaka
Rudram - Eigth Anuvaaka
Rudram - Ninth Anuvaaka
Rudram - Tenth Anuvaaka
Rudram - Eleventh Anuvaaka
Rudra - Final Stotras

Rudram - Tenth Anuvaaka

2009-04-21T13:36:00.000-07:00

Tenth Anuvaaka

Draape Andha saspathe daridhra neela lohitha
Eeshaam purushaanam esham pasunaam maa
bhermaro mo eshaam kincha namamath. 10.1

Oh God who punishes the sinners in hell,
Oh God, who gives food to devotees,
Oh God, who is the form of light,
Oh God who has a black neck and red body,
Please do not give fear to these beings,
Please do not give death to these beings,
And please do not make any of these beings sick.

Yaa the rudra shivaa thanu shivaa viswaaha beshaji
Shivaa rudrasya beshaji taya no mruda jeevase 10.2

Oh, Rudhra, God of the world,
That medicine which cures the pain of birth and rebirth,
That medicine which mixes with you and makes all happy,
Is your holy form that is one with thine consort Shakthi,
And please bless us all with that form,
To make us live as we ought to live.

Imama rudraaya thavase kapardhinee kshyadweeraaya
Prabharaamahe mathim,
Yadhaa na sama sad dwipadhe chatushpadhe viswam pushtam graame
Asmin aathuram. 10.3

Oh Rudhra, God of the world,
Who wears dried tuft of hair,
Who is the sage who meditates,
And who kills his enemies,
Make mine wavering thought fixed on thee,
So that good will befall on us people and our cows,
And all beings would grow healthy without fail,
And are never ever get diseased.

Mruda no rudra thano mayaskrudhee kshyadweerayaa,
Namasaa vidhema the.Yachcham cha yoscha manu rayaaje
Pithaa tadha syama thava rudra preeneethou. 10.4

Oh, Rudra God of the world,
Make us all happy,
Add to our chances of salvation,
And diminish the strength of sinners,
And we will pray you with our salute.
And again pray to thee,
To give us the pleasure in this world,
And salvation in the other world,
Got by the father of the world Prajapathi , by your grace.

Maa no mahantha mutha maa no arbhakam
Maa na ukshantha-mutha maa na ukshitham.
Maa no vadhee pitharam motha maatharam priyaa maa
Nasthanuvo rudhra reerishaa. 10.5

Oh Rudhra, God of the world,
Never give trouble to our elders.
Never give trouble to our children,
Never give trouble to our lads,
Never give trouble to our children in the womb,
Never give trouble to our fathers,
Never give trouble to our mothers,
And never give trouble to our body, which is dear to us.

Maanaasthoke thanaye maa na aayushee maa no goshu
Maa no asweshu reerisha. Veeranmaa no rudra
Bhami tho avadhir havish mantho namasaa vidhema the. 10.6

Oh Rudhra, God of the world,
Never cause sorrow to our children and sons,
Never diminish our span of life,
Never cause sorrow to our cows,
Never cause sorrow to our horses,
And do not destroy in anger our efficient servants,
And we would come with holy offerings and salute you.

Aarathe gogna utha poorushagne ksyadweeraaya
Sumnamasthe the asthu.
Rakshaa cha no adhi cha deva brahmadhaa cha na
Sarma yachcha dwibarhaa. 10.7

Oh Rudhra, God of the world,
Let your fearful aspect be away,
From killing of beings,
From killing of people,
And our efficient servants.
And let your graceful aspect,
Be with us.
Oh God, please protect us,
Please talk to us with compassion,
And please give us the pleasure of this and other worlds,
That you posses.

Sthuhi srutham gartha sadam yuvaanaam mrugascha bheema
Upahathnumugram
Mruda jarithre rudra stavaa no anyanthe
Asmannnnivapanthu senaa 10.8

Oh mind always think,
Of that Rudra who stays in the lotus of our heart,
Of that Rudra who is young,
Of that Rudra who is powerful in killing of enemies,
Of that Rudra who is as fearful as a lion,
And of that Rudra who is full of fame.
And Oh Rudra, who is being praised,
Give immortal pleasures to this mortal body,
And let your chief soldiers,
Kill our enemies.
Who are different from us.

Parino rudrasya hethur varnakthu pari tweshasya
Durmathiragayo
Ava sthiraa madavadbhayasthanushva meedvasthokaaya
Thanayaya mrudaya. 10.9

Let the weapon of Rudra move away from us,
And the fearful thought of Rudra,
Which shines in anger,
And which is capable of destroying sinners,
Also move away from us.
Oh Rudra who grants all wishes of devotees,
Please make thine fearful anger,
Which is stable in destroying thine enemies,
Little soft at us, who praise,
And salute thee by fire sacrifices,
And please give pleasure to our sons and their sons.

Meedushtama sivathama shivo na sumanaa bhava
Parame vruksha aayudham nidhaaya kruthim vasaan
Aachara pinaaka bibradhaagahi. 10.10

Oh Rudra who is the greatest among those who grant wishes,
Oh Rudra who has a pleasant mien,
Please become one who does good to us,
And become one with a good mind.
Please keep thine weapons on the trees,
And come to us wearing the hide of tiger.
Please bring along thine bow pinaaka,
As an ornament.

Vikiridha vilohitha namasthe asthu bhagava,
Yaasthe sahasram hothayo anya mannibhavanthu tha. 10.11

Oh Rudra who throws riches at us,
And oh Rudra who is red coloured,
Let our salutations be with you.
Let your thousands of weapons,
Destroy our enemies who are different from us.

Sahasrani sahasradhaa baahu hosthava hethaya
Thaasameesano bhagava parachinaa mukhaa krudhi. 10.12

Oh Rudra in your hands are weapons,
In thousands and of thousand types.
Oh God who is all powerful,
Make their sharp ends not attack us.

Rudram
Rudram - First Anuvaaka
Rudram - Second Anuvaaka
Rudram - Third Anuvaaka
Rudram - Fourth Anuvaaka
Rudram - Fifth Anuvaaka
Rudram - Sixth Anuvaaka
Rudram - Seventh Anuvaaka
Rudram - Eigth Anuvaaka
Rudram - Ninth Anuvaaka
Rudram - Tenth Anuvaaka
Rudram - Eleventh Anuvaaka
Rudra - Final Stotras

Rudram - Ninth Anuvaaka

2009-04-21T13:33:00.000-07:00

Ninth Anuvaaka

Nama ireenyaya cha prapadhyaya cha 9.1.1

Salutations to him who is of the form of one who lives in arid land and to him who walks the paths.

Nama kimsilaaya cha kshyanaaya cha 9.1.2

Salutations to him who is of the form of one who lives in dry land and to him who is of the form of one who lives in good places.

Nama kapardhine cha pulasthave cha 9.1.3

Salutations to him who has matted hair and to him who stands in front to protect his devotees.

Namo goshtyaya cha gruhyaya cha 9.1.4

Salutations to him who is of the form of one who lives in stable and to him who lives in homes.

Namas thalpyaya cha gehyaya cha 9.1.5

Salutations to him who sits on the cot and to him who lives in ornamental houses.

Nama kaatyaya cha gahwereshtaaya cha 9.1.6

Salutations to him who lives in thorny bushes and who lives in caves.

Namo hridayaaya cha niveshpyaya cha 9.1.7

Salutations to him who is in deep still waters and to him who is in snow drops.

Namo pamswayaya cha rajasysyaya cha 9.1.8

Salutations to him who is in speck of dust and who is in the dust from mud.

Namo sushkyaya cha harithyayaya cha 9.1.9

Salutations to him who is dried piece of wood and who is in wet stem.

Namo lopyaya cha ulopyaya cha 9.1.10

Salutations to him who is in firm floor and who is on turf.

Nama oorvyayaya cha soormyaya cha 9.2.1

Salutations to him who is on flat land and to him who is on tides in the river.

Nama parnyaya cha parnasadhyaya cha 9.2.2

Salutations to him who is in green leaves and who is in dried leaves.

Namo apaguramanaya cha apignathe cha 9.2.3

Salutations to him who is armed and to him who kills his enemies.

Nama akkidathe cha prakkidathe cha 9.2.4

Salutations to him who troubles a little and to him who troubles most.

Namo va kirikebhyp devanam hrudayebhyo 9.2.5

Salutations to him who showers riches on his devotees and to him who exists in hearts of devas.

Namo viksheenakebhyo 9.2.6

Salutations to your deathless form in the hearts of devas.

Namo vichinvathkebhyo 9.2.7

Salutations to your form, which lives in hearts of, devas and grants all the wishes.

Namo anirhathebhyo 9.2.8

Salutations to your form, which lives in hearts of, devas and destroys sins.

Namo aamivatkebhya 9.2.9

Salutations to your form, which lives in hearts of, devas and travels everywhere.

Rudram
Rudram - First Anuvaaka
Rudram - Second Anuvaaka
Rudram - Third Anuvaaka
Rudram - Fourth Anuvaaka
Rudram - Fifth Anuvaaka
Rudram - Sixth Anuvaaka
Rudram - Seventh Anuvaaka
Rudram - Eigth Anuvaaka
Rudram - Ninth Anuvaaka
Rudram - Tenth Anuvaaka
Rudram - Eleventh Anuvaaka
Rudra - Final Stotras

Rudram - Eigth Anuvaaka

2009-04-21T13:30:00.000-07:00

Eigth Anuvaaka

Nama somaaya cha rudhraaya cha 8.1.1

Salutations to him who is the consort of Uma and to him who removes sorrow.

Namas thamraaya cha arunaaya cha 8.1.2

Salutations to him who is of the copper colour of the dawn and to him who is of the colour of sun after sunrise.

Nama sankhaya cha pasupathaye cha 8.1.3

Salutations to him who adds pleasure to us and to him who protects all beings.

Nama ugraaya cha bheemaaya cha 8.1.4

Salutations to him who is angry and to him who is fearful.

Namo agrevaghaaya cha dhoorevaghaaya cha 8.1.5

Salutations to him who leads and kills his enemies and to him who talks from a distance.

Namo hanthre cha haneeyase cha 8.1.6

Salutations to him who kills his enemies and to him who destroys everything towards the end.

Namo vrikshebhyo harikeshebhyo 8.1.7

Salutations to him who is the tree with green hairs of karma.

Namstharaaya 8.1,8

Salutations to him who is the star in the form of Om.

Nama sambhave mayo bhave cha 8.1,9

Salutations to him who appears as pleasure of this world and to him who appears as pleasure of salvation.

Nama sankaraaya cha mayaskaraaya cha 8.1.10

Salutations to him who gives the pleasure of this world and to him who gives the pleasure of the other worlds.

Nama shivaya cha shiva tharaaya cha 8.1.11

Salutations to him who is in the form of good things and to him who makes others who attain him good.

Namas theerthaaya cha koolyaya cha 8.2.1

Salutations to him who is the holy water and to him who is worshipped near the streams.

Nama paaryaya cha vaaryaya cha 8.2.2

Salutations to him who is being praised by great souls after salvation and to him who grants all that one wants in this world.

Nama pratharanaaya cha uttaranaaya cha 8.2.3

Salutations to him who helps us cross the river of sins and to him who lifts us to salvation.

Nama aathaaryaya cha aalaadhyaya cha 8.2.4

Salutations to him who makes soul enter this world and to him who encourages soul to enjoy the fruit of actions.

Nama sashpyaya cha phenyaya cha 8.2.5

Salutations to him who is in the grass by the riverside and who is in the foam of the river.

Nama sikathyaya cha pravaahyaya cha 8.2.6

Salutations to him who is in the sand by the side of the river and who is in the running water of the river.

Rudram
Rudram - First Anuvaaka
Rudram - Second Anuvaaka
Rudram - Third Anuvaaka
Rudram - Fourth Anuvaaka
Rudram - Fifth Anuvaaka
Rudram - Sixth Anuvaaka
Rudram - Seventh Anuvaaka
Rudram - Eigth Anuvaaka
Rudram - Ninth Anuvaaka
Rudram - Tenth Anuvaaka
Rudram - Eleventh Anuvaaka
Rudra - Final Stotras

Rudram - Seventh Anuvaaka

2009-04-21T13:27:00.000-07:00

Seventh Anuvaaka

Namo dunthubhyaya cha hananyaya cha 7.1.1

Salutations to him who is of the sound of a big drum and to him who is of the form of the drumstick.

Namo drushnave cha brumruchaaya cha 7.1.2

Salutations to him who never runs away from war and to him who examines the spy information about the enemy.

Namo dhootaaya cha prahitaaya cha 7.1.3

Salutations to him who is the messenger and who is the servant.

Namo nishangine cha ishuthimathe cha 7.1,4

Salutations to him who has the sword and to him who has the quiver.

Nama stheeshneshave cha aayudhine cha 7.1.5

Salutations to him who has sharp arrows and to him who has other weapons.

Nama swaayudhaaya cha sudhanvane cha 7.1.6

Salutations to him who has best weapons and to him who has good bow.

Nama shruthyaya cha pathyaya cha 7.1.7

Salutations to him who walks in footpaths and to him who travels in wide roads.

Nama katayaya cha neepyaya cha 7.1.8

Salutations to him who is in canal water to him who is in streams.

Nama soodhyaya cha sarasyaya cha 7.1.9

Salutations to him who is in water of a pool and to him who is in the water of a lake.

Nama nadhyaya cha vaisanthaaya cha 7.1.10

Salutations to him who is in the water of river and to him who is in the water of the pond.

Nama koopyaya cha vatyaya cha 7.2.1

Salutations to him who is in the water of well and to him who is in the water of spring.

Namo varshayaya cha avarshayaya cha 7.2.2

Salutations to him who is in rain water and who is also in places it does not rain.

Namo meghyaya cha vidhuyutyaya cha 7.2.3

Salutations to him who is in the clouds and who is also in lightning.

Namo idhreeyaya cha aathapthaya cha 7.2.4

Salutations to him who is in the form of clear sky of autumn and to him who is in the form of rain and sun.

Namo vaathyaya cha reshmiyaya cha 7.2.5

Salutations to him who is in the form of rainy storm and to him who is in the form of dry hoarse wind.

Namo vasthavyaya cha vaasthupaya cha 7.2.6

Salutations to him who is in materials of the house and to him who is the vaasthu purusha guarding the house.

Rudram
Rudram - First Anuvaaka
Rudram - Second Anuvaaka
Rudram - Third Anuvaaka
Rudram - Fourth Anuvaaka
Rudram - Fifth Anuvaaka
Rudram - Sixth Anuvaaka
Rudram - Seventh Anuvaaka
Rudram - Eigth Anuvaaka
Rudram - Ninth Anuvaaka
Rudram - Tenth Anuvaaka
Rudram - Eleventh Anuvaaka
Rudra - Final Stotras

Rudram - Sixth Anuvaaka

2009-04-21T13:24:00.000-07:00

Sixth Anuvaaka

Namo jyeshtayaa cha kanishtaya cha. 6.1.1

Salutations to him who is elder and to him who is younger

Namo poorvajaya cha aparajaaya cha 6.1.2

Salutations to him who is born before and to him who is born after

Namo madhyamaya cha apakalpaya cha 6.1.3

Salutations to him to him who is middle aged and to him who is too young

Namo jaganyaya cha budhniyaya cha 6.1.4

Salutations to him who is born from the middle and to him is born out of roots

Namo sobhyaya cha parthi saryaya cha 6.1,5

Salutations to him who is born in earth and to him who is born in other worlds.

Namo yaamyaya cha kshemyaya cha 6.1.6

Salutations to him to him who punishes in hell and to him who grants favours in heaven

Namo oorvarya cha khalyaya cha 6.1.7

Salutations to him who is in the fields and who is in gardens.

Namo shlokyaa cha vasanyaya cha 6.1.8

Salutations to him who is praised in the Vedas and to him who is praised at the end of Vedas

Namo vanyaya cha kakshyaya cha 6.1.9

Salutations to him who exists as tree in forest and to him who exists as plants in bushes

Namo sravaya cha prathisravaaya cha 6.1.10

Salutations to him who is of the form of sound and to him who is in the form of echo

Nama aasushenaaya cha asuradhaya cha 6.2.1

Salutations to him who is the fast moving troops and to him who is the fast moving cavalry

Nama sooraya cha avabindhathe cha 6.2.2

Salutations to him who is in the form of heroes and to him who is in the form of knights

Nama varmine cha varoodhine cha 6.2.3

Salutations to him who is armoured and to him who rides a chariot

Nama bhilmine cha kavachine cha 6.2.4

Salutations to him who wears the helmet and to him who is protected by the charms.

Nama sruthaya cha sruthasenaaya cha 6.2.5

Salutations to him who is famous and to him who has a famed army.

Rudram
Rudram - First Anuvaaka
Rudram - Second Anuvaaka
Rudram - Third Anuvaaka
Rudram - Fourth Anuvaaka
Rudram - Fifth Anuvaaka
Rudram - Sixth Anuvaaka
Rudram - Seventh Anuvaaka
Rudram - Eigth Anuvaaka
Rudram - Ninth Anuvaaka
Rudram - Tenth Anuvaaka
Rudram - Eleventh Anuvaaka
Rudra - Final Stotras

Rudram - Fifth Anuvaaka

2009-04-21T13:19:00.000-07:00

Fifth Anuvaaka

Namo bhavaya cha rudraya cha 5.1.1

Salutations to him who creates and to him who dispels sorrows

Nama sarvaya cha pasupathaye cha 5.1.2

Salutations to him who destroys sin and to him who is the lord of all beings,

Namo neela greevaya cha sithi kantaaya cha 5.1.3

Salutations to him who has a blue neck and who has white ash applied over his neck

Nama kapardhine cha vyupthakesaya cha 5.1.4

Salutations to him who has a crown of hair and to him who has a shaved head

Nama sahasrakshaya cha sathadanvane cha 5.1.5

Salutations to him who has thousands of eyes and to him who has hundreds of bows.

Namo gireesaya cha sipivishtaya cha 5.1.6

Salutations to him who is the lord of the mountain and to him who is light personified

Namo meedushtamaaya cheshumathe cha 5.1.7

Salutations to him who gives torrential rains and to him who caries arrows.

Namo hruswayaa cha vamanaaya cha 5.1.8

Salutations to him who is small and to him who is dwarf

Namo bruhathe cha varsheeyase cha 5.1.9

Salutations to him who is large who is storehouse of good qualities

Namo vruddhaya cha samvrudhvane cha 5.1.10

Salutations to him who is aged and to him whose fame is large.

Namo agriyaya cha pradhamaya cha 5.2.1

Salutations to him who existed before creation and to him who is first among Gods

Nama aasave cha ajiraaya cha 5.2.2

Salutations to him who is omnipresent and to him who moves fast

Nama seegriyaya cha seebhyaya cha 5.2.3

Salutations to him who is in fast streams and to him who is in great waters

Nama oormyaya cha aswanyaya cha 5.2.4

Salutations to him who is in fast tides and to him who is in still water

Nama stotrothasyaya cha dweepyaya cha 5.2.5

Salutations to him who is in rivulets and to him who is in islands

Rudram
Rudram - First Anuvaaka
Rudram - Second Anuvaaka
Rudram - Third Anuvaaka
Rudram - Fourth Anuvaaka
Rudram - Fifth Anuvaaka
Rudram - Sixth Anuvaaka
Rudram - Seventh Anuvaaka
Rudram - Eigth Anuvaaka
Rudram - Ninth Anuvaaka
Rudram - Tenth Anuvaaka
Rudram - Eleventh Anuvaaka
Rudra - Final Stotras

Rudram

2009-04-21T13:16:00.000-07:00

Rudram

The Sri Rudram occurs in Krishna Yajur Veda in the Taithireeya Samhita in the fourth and seventh chapters. This prayer to Rudra has two parts-the Namakam (verses ending with Nama) and the Chamakam (Verses ending with Cha May) each with eleven sections. It is also known as Satha Rudreeyam or Rudra Prasnam. While Namakam is a prayer to Rudra to forget about his avenging fierce, fearful and horrendous form and turn himself into a peaceful form and do good to us, Chamakam on the other hand lists out the blessings to be got from a prayer to Rudra and prays Him to regulate and bless our life for a moment forgetting his anger. This also has eleven parts.

The Sri Rudram is divided into eleven sections called anuvaakas.

In the first anuvaaka consisting of eleven sukthaas, Rudra is requested by the devotee to turn his fierce exterior and not use his weapons on his devotees. He is also requested to annihilate the sins committed by his devotees. This anuvaaka is chanted for all round development of the community as well as the well-being of the chanter. It provides a protective shield against diseases, devils, monsters, etc. Rudram - First Anuvaaka
In the second anuvaaka consisting of two sukthaas the Rudra is part of nature in all its glory as plants and medicinal herbs. He is requested to untie the bonds of the day-to-day life. This is chanted for destruction of enemies, possession of wealth, getting of kingdom and so on. Rudram - Second Anuvaaka
The third anuvaaka consisting of two sukthaas describe Rudra as a thief. He might have been presumed to be the stealer of ignorance from us. This anuvaaka is chanted to cure diseases. Rudram - Third Anuvaaka
In the fourth anuvaaka, consisting of two sukthaas, Rudra is the common man with his deficiencies, angularities and described as the creator and worker of all kinds. Rudram - Fourth Anuvaaka
In the fifth Anuvaaka, consisting of two sukthaas, several aspects of Rudra's personality, especially as God responsible for creation, preservation and destruction is described. This is chanted to get rid of ignorance and Maya, for victory against enemies, for begetting of a son, for avoidance of problems during pregnancy and for expansion of wealth. Rudram - Fifth Anuvaaka
In the sixth anuvaaka consisting of two sukthaas. Rudra is identified with changes of his personality over eons of time and the roles he has played in different ages. He is described as the source of the different worlds, Shrutis (Vedas) and its essence in Vedanta. This is chanted for the same aim stated in the fifth anuvaaka. Rudram - Sixth Anuvaaka
In the seventh anuvaaka, consisting of two sukthaas, his all pervading presence in nature in all its fury and majesty is described. This anuvaaka is chanted for the increase of intelligence, wealth, health and longevity. Rudram - Seventh Anuvaaka
In the eighth anuvaaka, Rudra is described as He who illumines other Gods and confers powers on them. The Panchakshari mantra viz. “Nama Shivaaya” occurs for the first time in Vedas in this anuvaaka. It is told that when you do not have time to chant the Rudra fully at least this eighth anuvaaka should be chanted. This anuvaaka is chanted for the destruction of enemies and re -possession of one’s assets. Rudram - Eigth Anuvaaka
In the ninth anuvaaka, which consists of two sukthaas, the unfancied and hard to live places where Rudra lives is listed out. In essence it means he is all pervasive. This anuvaaka is chanted for obtaining wealth, a good wife, good job, and the blessings of a son who will be devoted to Lord Shiva. Rudram - Ninth Anuvaaka
In the tenth anuvaaka, Rudra is again requested not to show his furious fear giving form and appear before the devotee in a peaceful calm form. The mantras unlike the ones till ninth anuvaaka do not end in Nama after every description. This anuvaaka is chanted for possession of wealth, cure of diseases, removal of fear, getting rid of the enmity of powerful people, absence of fear from all living beings, having the vision of Bhairava (Shiva in his most fearful aspect), absence from dangers and fears, blessings and the absolution of sins. Rudram - Tenth Anuvaaka
In the eleventh anuvaaka, consisting of eleven sukthaas, Rudra’s army called Ganaas is praised and they, wherever they exist, are beseeched to protect the devotees of Rudra. This anuvaaka is chanted for acquiring knowledge of past, present and future. Rudram - Eleventh Anuvaaka. This anuvaaka is followed by six stotras of Rudra.

Rudram - Fourth Anuvaaka

2009-04-21T12:24:00.000-07:00

Fourth Anuvaaka

Nama avyadheeneebhyo vividhayantheebyascha vo namo nama. 4.1.1

Salutations and salutations,
To him who is the evil spirits that surround and torment,
And to him who is the evil spirits that attack and kill.

Uganabhysthrum hathobyhascha vo namo nama 4.1.2

Salutations and salutations,
To him who is the good spirits that help,
And to him who is the evil spirits that are fierce.

Gruthsebhyo gruthsa pathibyascha vo namo nama 4.1.3

Salutations and salutations,
To him who is attached,
And to him who is the chief of those who are attached.

Vrathebhyo Vrathapathibyascha vo namo nama. 4.1.4

Salutations and salutations,
To him who is the assembly of different types of people,
And to him who is the chief of such assemblies.

Ganebhyo ganapathibyascha vo namo nama. 4.1.5

Salutations and salutations,
To him who is the member of a clan,
And to him who is the chief of a clan.

Viroopebhyo Viswaroopebhyascha vo namo nama. 4.1.6

Salutations and salutations,
To him who looks ugly,
And to him who looks just as every one in the world.

Mahadbhya kshullakebyascha vo namo nama. 4.1,7

Salutations and salutations,
To him who is a great soul,
And to him who is a weak being.

Radhibhyo aradhebhyascha vo namo nama. 4.1.8

Salutations and salutations,
To him who rides a chariot,
And to him who does not have a chariot.

Radhebhya radha pathibhyscha vo namo nama. 4.2.1

Salutations and salutations,
To him who is a chariot,
And to him who is the leader of the chariot.

Senabhya Senanibhyascha vo namo nama 4.2.2

Salutations and salutations,
To him who is the soldier,
And to him who is the leader of the armies.

Kshathrabya sangraheethrubyacha vo namo nama 4.2.3

Salutations and salutations,
To him who drives chariots well,
And to him who can hold the chariot from moving.

Sthakshabhyo rathakarebhyascha vo namo nama 4.2.4

Salutations and salutations,
To him who is a carpenter,
And to him who makes chariots.

Kulalebhya kamaribhyascha vo namo nama 4.2.5

Salutations and salutations,
To him who is the potter,
And to him who is the black smith.

Punchishtebhyo nishadebhyascha vo namo nama. 4.2.6

Salutations and salutations,
To him who is the hunter of birds who uses nets,
And to him who is the fisherman.

Ikshukrudbhyo dhanva krudhbyascha vo namo nama. 4.2.7

Salutations and salutations,
To him who makes arrows,
And to him who makes bows.

Mrugayubhya swanibhyascha vo namo nama. 4.2.8

Salutations and salutations,
To him who hunts animals,
And to him who drags dogs using a rope.

Swabhya swapathibhyascha vo namo nama. 4.2.9

Salutations and salutations,
To him who is a dog,
And to him who protects the dogs.

Rudram
Rudram - First Anuvaaka
Rudram - Second Anuvaaka
Rudram - Third Anuvaaka
Rudram - Fourth Anuvaaka
Rudram - Fifth Anuvaaka
Rudram - Sixth Anuvaaka
Rudram - Seventh Anuvaaka
Rudram - Eigth Anuvaaka
Rudram - Ninth Anuvaaka
Rudram - Tenth Anuvaaka
Rudram - Eleventh Anuvaaka
Rudra - Final Stotras

Rudram - Third Anuvaaka

2009-04-21T12:21:00.000-07:00

Third Anuvaaka

Nama sahamanaaya nivyadheen aavyadheenaam pathay namo nama 3.1.1

Salutations and salutations,
To him who stifles his enemies,
To him who beats his enemies,
And to him who is the leader of those who beat their enemies.

Kukubhaya nishangine sthenaanam pathaye namo nama. 3.1.2

Salutations and salutations,
To him who is the best,
To him who holds the sword,
And to him who is the leader of the thieves.

Nishngina ishudhimathe thaskaraanam pathaye namo nama. 3.1.3

Salutations and salutations,
To him who holds bows ready to shoot,
To him who has the quiver,
And to him who is the leader of the dacoits.

Vanchathe pari vanchathe sthayoonam pathaye namo nama 3.1.4

Salutations and salutations,
To him who cheats,
To him who is the greatest cheat,
And to him who is leader of those who steal by cheating.

Nicherave paricharaayaaranyanam pathaye namo nama 3.1.5

Salutations and salutations,
To him who goes inside to steal,
To him who goes outside to steal,
And to him who is the leader of thieves who steal in the forest.

Srukaavibhyo jikaam sathbhyo mushnathaam pathaye namo nama 3.1.6

Salutations and salutations,
To him who defends themselves with arms.
To him who troubles others,
And to him who is the leader of peasants who steal from their master.

Assemadbhyo naktham charadbhya prukrunthanaam pathaye namo nama. 3.1.7

Salutations and salutations,
To him who holds the sword,
To him who prowls in the night to steal,
And to him who is the leader of those who murder and steal.

Unmeeshine giricharaaya kulanchaanaam pathaye namo nama. 3.1.8

Salutations and salutations,
To him who wears the turban,
To him who lives in the forests,
And to him who is the leader of those who steal in houses and fields.

Ishumadbhyo dhanvaa vibhyascha bho namo nama 3.2.1

Salutations and salutations,
To him who holds the arrows.
And to him who holds the bows.

Aathanvanebhya prathi dhanebhyscha namo nama 3.2.2

Salutations and salutations,
To him who ties the string to the bow,
And to him who places the arrow on the string.

Ayaaschadbhyo visrujadbhyacha vo namo nama 3.2.3

Salutations and salutations,
To him who draws the string,
And to him who sends the arrows

Asyadbhyo vidhudyadbhya vo namo nama 3.2.4

Salutations and salutations,
To him who shoots arrows at an aim,
And to him who breaks the aim by the arrows

Aaseenebhya sayanebhyascha vo namo nama. 3.2.5

Salutations and salutations,
To him who sits,
And to him who lies down.

Swapadbhyo jagardbhyascha vo namo nama 3.2.6

Salutations and salutations,
To him who sleeps,
And to him who is awake.

Sthishtathbyo dhavadbyascha vo namo nama 3.2,7

Salutations and salutations,
To him who stands still,
And to him who runs.

Sababhya sabha pathibhyascha vo namo nama. 3.2.8

Salutations and salutations,
To him who is one among the audience,
And to him who presides over the audience.

Aswebhyo aswapathibhyascha vo namo nama. 3.2.9

Salutations and salutations,
To him who is the horse,
And to him who is the rider of the horse.

Rudram
Rudram - First Anuvaaka
Rudram - Second Anuvaaka
Rudram - Third Anuvaaka
Rudram - Fourth Anuvaaka
Rudram - Fifth Anuvaaka
Rudram - Sixth Anuvaaka
Rudram - Seventh Anuvaaka
Rudram - Eigth Anuvaaka
Rudram - Ninth Anuvaaka
Rudram - Tenth Anuvaaka
Rudram - Eleventh Anuvaaka
Rudra - Final Stotras

Rudram - Second Anuvaaka

2009-04-21T12:17:00.000-07:00

Second Anuvaaka

Namasthe asthu bhagavan visweswarayaa mahadevayaa tryambakaya,
Tripuranthakayaa trikagni kalaaya kalagni rudhraaya neela kantaaya,
Mrutyunjayaaya sarveshwaraaya sadashivaaya sriman maha devaaya nama. 2.0

Salutations to you God,
Who is the lord of the universe,
Who is the greatest among Gods,
Who has three eyes,
Who destroyed three cities,
Who is the master of the three fires,
Who is the Rudra who burns the world,
Who has a blue neck,
Who won over the God of death,
Who is Lord of every thing,
Who is ever peaceful,
And who is the greatest God with goodness,
Salutations again.

Namo hiranya bahave , senanye ,dhisaam cha pathaye namo nama. 2.1.1

Salutations and salutations,
To the God with golden hands,
To the God who is the chief of armies,
To the God who is the chief of four directions.

Vrukshobhyo , harikeshabhya , pasunaam pathaye namo nama. 2.1.2

Salutations and salutations,
To him who shines as trees,
To him who has green leaves as hair,
And to him who is the lord of all beings.

Saspinjaraaya , twishee mathe , padheenaam pathaye namo nama. 2.1.3

Salutations and salutations,
To him who is reddish yellow like leaf buds,
To him who shines in luster,
And to him who leads us in different directions.

Bhablushaaya vivyaadhine annanaam pathye namo nama 2.1.4

Salutations and salutations,.
To him who rides on the bull,
To him who is like disease to his enemies,
And to him who is the lord of all food.

Hari keasayaa upaveethine pushtanaam pathaye namo nama. 2.1.5

Salutations and salutations,
To him who has black hair,
To him who wears the sacred thread,
And to him who is the lord of all those who are healthy.

Bhavasya hethyai , jagatham pathaye namo nama. 2.1.6

Salutations and salutations,.
To him cuts the tree of mortal life,
And to him who is the lord of the universe.

Rudrayaa atha thavine kshetranaam pathaye namo nama 2.1.7

Salutations and salutations,
To him who is Rudhra,
To him who holds a tied bow,
And to him who is the Lord of fields.

Suthaaya hanthyaaya vanaanam pathaye namo nama. 2.1.8

Salutations and salutations,
To him who is the driver of the chariot of life,
To him who can never be harmed,
And to him who is the lord of the forest.

Rohithaaya sthapathaye vrukshaanam pathaye namo nama. 2.2.1

Salutations and salutations,
To him who is red coloured,
To him who is protector of every thing,
And to him who is the lord of all trees.

Manthrinee vanijaya kakshanaam pathaye namo nama 2.2.2

Salutations and salutations,
To him who is the minister,
To him who is the merchant,
And to him who is the lord of bushes and thickets.

Bhuvanthaye varivaskruthaa oushadinaam pathaye namo nama. 2.2.3

Salutations and salutations,
To him who is the creator of the world,
To him who is kind to his devotees,
And to him who is the lord of all plants.

Uchai goshaaya akranthayathe patheenam pathaye namo nama. 2.2.4

Salutations and salutations,
To him who shouts loudly,
To him who makes one cry,
And to him who is the leader of foot soldiers.

Kruthsna vheethya dhavathe sathvanaam pathaye namo nama. 2.2.5

Salutations and salutations,
To him who is surrounded by army,
To him who rushes to save his devotees,
And to him who is the lord of good people.

Rudram
Rudram - First Anuvaaka
Rudram - Second Anuvaaka
Rudram - Third Anuvaaka
Rudram - Fourth Anuvaaka
Rudram - Fifth Anuvaaka
Rudram - Sixth Anuvaaka
Rudram - Seventh Anuvaaka
Rudram - Eigth Anuvaaka
Rudram - Ninth Anuvaaka
Rudram - Tenth Anuvaaka
Rudram - Eleventh Anuvaaka
Rudra - Final Stotras

Rudram - First Anuvaaka

2009-04-21T11:51:00.000-07:00

Rudra -Prasnam

OM Namo Bhagavathe Rudraya

Om Salutations to the God who is Rudhra.

First Anuvaaka

Namasthe Rudhra manyava Uthotha Ishave Nama
Namsthosthu Dhanvane Bahubyam Uthathe Nama. 1.1

Salutations to your Ire, Rudhra and also salutations to your arrow..
Salutations to your bow and also to your both arms.

Yatha ishu siva thamaa shivam babuva the dhanu,
Shivaa sharavyaa yaa thava thaya no rudhra mrudaya. 1.2

Bless us with happiness our Lord,
With that arrow of thine, which is holy,
With that bow of thine, which is begetter of good,
With that quiver of thine, which is sweet.

Yaa the shivaa thanu raghoraa papakasini,
Thaya nasthanuva shantha maya gireesam thaabhi chakashihi. 1.3

Oh Rudra, who showers happiness on us from the Mount,
With your aspect which is peaceful,
Which is giver of good always,
And that, which is bereft of sin,
And which is the road to salvation,
And which takes us to taller heights,
Reveal to us the principle of the soul.

Yaa mishum giri shantha hasthe Bhibarshya sthave,
Shivaam girithra thaam kuru maa himsi purusham jagat. 1.4

Oh Rudra who feeds us sweetness sitting on the mount,
And who gives us solace sitting on the mount,
Please make the arrow in your hand,
Which you have brought to punish the sinners,
Peaceful and do not give trouble to people and the world.

Shivena vachasaa twaa gireesaacchha vadaamasi,
Yadhaa na sarva mi jjagadhaa yashmamsumanaa asath. 1.5

We praise and sing about you so that we attain you,
Oh, God who lives on the top of the mountains,
Be pleased to protect our relations and cows,
Grant them all, a disease free life,
And make them live with love towards each other,

Adhyavoo chadhadhi vakthaa pradhamo daiwyo bhishak,
Ahimscha sarvaan jambayanth sarvaschaa yathu dhaanya. 1.6

He who is first among everything,
He who is Godliness in Gods,
He who is the doctor curing the sins,
He who praises good deeds of devotees,
Forgetting the ills done by them,
May he kill all animals and asuras that trouble us,
And bless us all.

Aasau yasthamro aruna utha bhaabroo sumangala,
Yeh chemam rudra abhitho dikshu,
Sritha Sahastraso avaishaam heda eemahe. 1,7

He is red in colour,
He is more red in colour,
He is golden,
He gives rise to good things,
He is the Rudhra, who is the sun,
And so we bow before the thousands of Rudhras,
Who are spread in all directions,
And request them to cool themselves down.

Asou yo avasarpathi neela greevo vilohitha,
Uthainam gopaa adrusannath drushan udhaharya,
Uthainam viswaa bhoothani sa drushto mrudayathi na. 1,8

He who has the blue neck,
Is the one who rises as the copper colured sun.
Even lowly cowherds see this Rudhra who comes as sun,
Even the maids who carry water from rivers see him thus,
And even all the animals of the world see him thus.
Let this Rudra who is seen in the form of sun,
Grant us all happiness.

Namo asthu neela greevaya sahasrakshaya meedushe,
Adho ye asya sathvannoham thebhyo karannama. 1.9

Let my salutation go,
To the God who has a blue neck,
To the God who has thousands of eyes,
To the God who grants us all boons,
And also my salutations,
To his devotees who are his servants.

Pramuncha dhanvana sthava mubhayo rarthaniyorjyam,
Yascha the hastha ishawa paraa thaa bhagavo vapa. 1.10

Please untie the string connecting the ends of your bow, Oh God
Please put away arrows in your hand in thine quiver.

Avathasys dhanusthvam sahasraksha sathe shudhe,
Niseerya salyanaam mukha shivo na sumana bhava. 1.11

Oh God with thousand eyes,
Oh God with hundreds of bows,
Please break the sharp ends of arrows thine,
Please slacken the string of your bow,
And become God who does us good,
And God who has a calm mind.

Vijyam dhanu kapardhino visalyo bhanavaam utha,
Anesannasyeshwa aabhurasya nishamgadhi. 1.12

Oh God with the mane of hair,
Let your bow loosen its string,
Let your quiver become empty,
Let your arrows loose the power to hurt,
Let your sword be always in your scabbard.

Yaa the hethir meedushtama hasthe bhabhoova the dhanu,
Thayaa asman viswathasthava mayakshamya paribbuja. 1.13

He who is greatest among those who fulfill wishes of devotees,
With those weapons that you have and the bow in your hand.
Which do not cause infirmity to any one,
Please do save us from all troubles always.

Namasthe asthvayudhaa yanaathathathaya dhrushnave,
Ubhabhyamutha the namo bahubhyam thava dhanvane. 1.14

My salutations to thine strong weapons which are about to strike,
My salutations to your both hands and bow,

Pari the dhanvano hethi rasmaan vrunakthu viswatha,
Adho ya ishudhisthavare asmannidhehi tham. 1.15

Let your arrows pass away from us, oh Lord,
And let your quiver be kept for our enemies,
Who are like our sins.

Rudram
Rudram - First Anuvaaka
Rudram - Second Anuvaaka
Rudram - Third Anuvaaka
Rudram - Fourth Anuvaaka
Rudram - Fifth Anuvaaka
Rudram - Sixth Anuvaaka
Rudram - Seventh Anuvaaka
Rudram - Eigth Anuvaaka
Rudram - Ninth Anuvaaka
Rudram - Tenth Anuvaaka
Rudram - Eleventh Anuvaaka
Rudra - Final Stotras

Significance of Vishu

2009-04-19T21:42:00.000-07:00

In Kerala, the start of the Zodiac New Year*—when the sun enters into Sidereal Aries, Ashwini nakshatra—is celebrated as Vishu. It is said that what one sees when one first opens one's eyes on Vishu morning is an indication of what one can expect in the year to come. Thus on Vishu, effort is made to assure one opens one's eyes before an auspicious image—the Vishukkani.

While the festival is called "Vishu" only in Kerala, across India festivals sharing the same spirit—such as Ugadhi in Andhra Pradesh and in Karnataka, Gudi Padwa in Maharashtra, Bihu in Assam and Baisakhi in Punjab—are celebrated around the same time of year.

The Malayalam word kani literally means "that which is seen first," so "Vishukkani" means "that which is seen first on Vishu."

Arranged in the family puja room the night before by the mother in the family, the Vishukkani is a panorama of auspicious items, including images of Lord Vishnu, flowers, fruits and vegetables, clothes and gold coins.

Lord Vishnu, the preserver of creation, is the aspect of the Paramatman that is focused upon during Vishu. In jyotish, Indian astrology, Vishnu is seen as the head of Kaala Purusha, the God of Time. As Vishu marks the first day of the Zodiac New Year, it is an appropriate time to offer oblations to Lord Vishnu.

Akshatam, a mixture of rice and turmeric, which is divided into halves of husked and un-husked rice, is placed in a special bowl called an uruli. The uruli traditionally is made of panchaloham, an aggregate of five metals. Panchaloham being symbolic of the universe, which is comprised of the five great elements—earth, water, fire, air and space.

A nice, well-starched cloth is then pleated fan-like and inserted into a highly polished brass kindi (a spouted puja vessel used for pouring sacred water). The val-kannadi, a special type of mirror with an extremely long and thin handle, often decorated with gold, is also inserted into the kindi. The kindi is then placed in the uruli on top of the rice.

Two deepams, which are fashioned from the two halves of a split coconut, are also kept in the uruli. The wicks are made from pieces of starched cloth that are folded into bulbs at the base. These bulbs are placed into the coconut oil that fills the deepams, anchoring the wicks in place. The starch helps the rest of the wick to extend straight upwards so that they will properly burn. The lighting of the deepam welcomes God into our lives and is also symbolic of spiritual knowledge—the remover of the darkness of ignorance.

Gold—both in colour and in coin—is central to the Vishukkani. Kanikkonna, a golden-yellow flower associated with Sri Krishna is used liberally throughout the puja room. This flower only blooms when the sun is in its most exalted position astrologically—the month surrounding Vishu. In the puja room, the flower verily represents the sun itself, the eyes of Lord Vishnu. Gold coins are symbols of monetary affluence, as well as cultural and spiritual wealth, which the elders of the family must share freely with the younger generation. Vishukkaineettam, the distribution of wealth, is another aspect of the festival. It should be given freely and accepted with reverence. On Vishu, the highly affluent families will not only give money to their children but also their neighbours, perhaps the entire village.

The Vishukkani will also be laden with gold-coloured fruits and vegetables, such as bananas, jackfruit, golden cucumber, etc. The akshatam, as it is full of turmeric, also is gold in colour, as is the shiny brass of the kindi, the panchaloham and the reflection of the mirror.
Last but not least, a spiritual book, such as the Bhagavad-Gita, should be made part of the arrangement. The book is the pramanam—the instrument used for attaining the eternal, non-perishable wisdom of the Rishis—as well as a symbol of that knowledge itself.

The grandmother or mother who arranges the Vishukkani will sleep in the puja room after she is finished and then, waking during the auspicious hour of the Brahma muhurata (4:00 to 6:00 a.m.), she will light the oil-lamp wicks and take in the auspicious sight. She will then walk to the rooms where the rest of the family is sleeping and wake them. Covering their eyes, she will then lead them to the puja room, where she will allow them to take in the auspicious sight.

Upon opening one's eyes, one is overwhelmed with the glorious darshan of the Lord. The mirror—which is symbolic of Bhagavati (Devi), not only increases the lustre of the Vishukkani via the reflection it offers, but also shows our own face, reminding us that God is not someone sitting in the heavens upon a golden throne, but the pure consciousness that is our true nature. The mirror also points to the importance of making our mind pure enough to render this truth unadulterated.

The Vishukkani is not reserved only for those who come to the puja room, but is taken around—for the viewing of the elderly and sick who are perhaps too frail to come to the shrine. It is also brought outside and shown to the family cows. As it is brought to the cowshed, it in fact is on display for the birds, the trees, for all of nature to see.

Vishukkani points to a year of abundance—both spiritually and materially. Food, light, money, knowledge—all should fill our life. Taking in the Vishukkani we should pray that the vision remains with us throughout the year. It is not enough that the joy we take from viewing the Vishukkani comes only to our eyes. It must reflect in our thoughts and in our actions. The auspicious start of the year—which has come to us due to the grace of beginning it with a divine vision—is not for us alone. It is up to us to spread this love, happiness and hope to the rest of society.

The Sabarimala Temple which remains closed for the major part of a year is open for a longer period only during Mandala Makaravilakku season (November – December – January). Next major opening of the temple is during the Vishu season. The temple also opens on the first day of every Malayalam month.

Devotees can perform all the important rituals associated with the temple during the Vishu period. It is considered highly auspicious to have the ‘darshan’ of Lord Ayyappa on the Vishu day. A unique ritual performed by the head priest on the Vishu day is the distribution of coins or Vishu Kai Neetam.

At the Livermore Shiva Vishnu Temple in the San Francsico Bay Area, there was a grand function to celebrate Vishu. The function was well attended and attracted many devotees.

Swami Saranam!

Source: Archives of Amritapuri.org for the significance of Vishu

Vishu Celebrations: Livermore Shiva Vishnu Temple: April 19, 2009

2009-04-09T10:08:00.000-07:00

Dear Devotees,
Swami Saranam!

We will have Abhisekham followed by Bhajans and Aarathi to celebrate Vishu at our Shiva Vishnu temple in Livermore on Sunday, April 19 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Please spread the word around to your friends.

Vishu is a New Year festival held in the state of Kerala, south India (and adjoining areas of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu). This occasion signifies the Sun's transit to the zodiac Mesha (Mesha Raasi as per Indian astrology). The word "Vishu" in Sanskrit means "equal". Therefore Vishu is more probably denoting one of the equinox days. The festival is marked with offerings to the divine called Vishukkani. The offerings consist of a ritual arrangement in the puja room of auspicious articles like raw rice, fresh linen, golden cucumber, betel leaves, arecanut, metal mirror, the yellow flowers konna, and a holy text and coins, in a bell metal vessel called uruli. A lighted bell metal lamp called nilavilakku is also placed alongside. This arrangement is completed the previous night. On the day of Vishu, the custom is to wake up at dawn and go to the puja room with the eyes closed so that the Vishukkani is the first thing one sees. Devotees throng the well-known temples like Sabarimala Ayyappa Temple, Guruvayur Sree Krishna temple to have a "Vishukkani Kazhcha" on the early hours of "Vishu" day.

Program Details:
5 PM: Sankalpam, Abhishekam, and Archana
5:45 PM: Bhajan Starts
7 PM: Bhajan Ends with Aarti and Teertha Prasadam

Suggested Donations
Archana: $7
Abhisekham: $51

Swami Saranam!
Prasad Ramakrishnan

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An account of our Sabarimala pilgrimage January 2009

2009-01-22T16:55:00.000-08:00

Pre Jan 3 - Nine people from the US (3 from bay area, 2 from Maryland, 1 from Virginia, 1 from St. Louis, 1 from Kansas, 1 from Atlanta) congregate at Chennai.

Jan 3 - Nine of us along with 14 others (who come from Chennai, Pune, Bombay, etc.) tie Irumudi at Chennai at Guruswami's home, one at a time, all while singing bhajans, sarana ghoshams, etc. Three Ayyappas did their 18th yatra and, hence, carried the coconut sampling. After a great lunch we leave for Chennai Central to board Trivandram Express.

Jan 4 - We get down at Chenganur, and proceed to Chenganur Bhagavati Amman temple. We bathe at the nearby river, which we later came to realize was river Pampa, and visit the temple. Then we proceed to Pandalam, where we see Lord Ayyappa, Pandalam palace, and Thiruvabharanam. This year for the first time, they've replaced the old jewelry boxes with new ones made with sandal wood. They had carvings of the Sabarimala temple on the boxes. Then we proceed to Erumeli. We perform pettai-thullal, visit Vaavar sannathi and visit Sri Dharma Shasta temple. Then we begin the 60-km long trip via Peria paathai. We cross Perur-thodu thavalam and complete about 15 kms for the day ending at Kaalai-katti. Kaalai-katti is where Lord Shiva ties his bull and witnesses Lord Ayyappa killing Mahishi.

Jan 5 - We continue our trek past Azhutha malai, mukkuzhi, etc. walking almost 30 kms. Walking past karivalanthodu, puthu-cheri river, etc. we climb Karimalai, which is a steep 4km ascent. We halt at top of Karimalai for the night. It was very cold during the night.

Jan 6 - We descend the steep 4km Karimalai and proceed to Pamba past Seri-yaanai-vattam and Peri-yaanai-vattam. At Pamba we take a bath and climb the Neelimalai. The security was heavy past Pamba Ganapathi, where every one had to go thru metal detectors and all the bags were scanned using machines. When we reached Sabari-Peetom at 12 noon, the line for the 18-steps began right there, same as last year, when we stood in the line for 12 hours. Fearing the same this year, we approached the police and showed them a letter from the pilice commissioner and pleaded with them to let us walk past the line all the way to 18-steps. We climbed the 18-steps and at 12:58pm, 2 minutes before the Sannadhi closes we see Lord Ayyappa. It was just 30 seconds before Lord Ayyappa, but it felt like a 30 minutes before him - all the troubles of walking for the last 2 days on rocks with blisters and pain was instantly forgotten. Then we proceed to our accomodation in the donors cottage. We sang bhajans in the evening, and then proceeded to see Lord Ayyappa again at 11pm when Harivaraasanam was played - listening to the devotional voice of Yesudass.

Jan 7 - Early in the morning we waited in line to see Nirmalaya dharshan, but they started Nei abhishekam early by 5am, which we got to see. Then back at the room, we removed Nei from the Mudra coconut. We came back again to Sannadhi to perform Nei-abhishekam, then after abhishekam, we carried the abhishekam-ed Nei, accompanied by Karpoora Aaghzi, to the room, where we consumed the Nei. Then we visited the Manja matha temple, and got one more dharshan of Lord Ayyappa before we descended the Neelimalai back to Pamba, where we boarded our bus. After a long ride we reached Ettumanur temple. Then after dinner we proceed to Kaladi where we stay for the night.

Jan 8 - Kaladi is the birth place of Adi Sankara. We took bath in the Periyar river that Adi Sankara diverts by 3 kms closer to home so that his old mother doesn't have to walk that long to take a bath. Kaladi has a great temple for Goddess Saraswati - Sharadhamba. Then we proceed to Kodungalur Baghavathi temple, and then to Guruvayur. If you didn't know the story of Guruvayur, Guru and Vayu find Lord Krishna's statue (one that's formed by nature) washed from Mathura on the shores of Kerala and hands it over to Parasuram, who installs it at Guruvayoor. They change the alamkarams of Krishna every 1/2 hour - dressing him up as a boy in the morning and ending as a old man in the night. Finally we visit Shiva at Vadakunathar temple in the night. Then we board Trivandram express back to Chennai.

Jan 9 - We reach Chennai, go to Guruswami's house, distribute the prasadam and then go our ways after another great Sabarimala yatra.

Grand Celebration of Irumudi Puja at Livermore Shiva Vishnu Temple (Livermore, California)

2008-12-25T16:59:00.000-08:00

24 December, 2008
LIVERMORE, CALIFORNIA

Ayyappa showed us the way, and in a big way.

With the grace of Lord Ayyappa, the volunteers from AyyappaSamaaj -- http://www.ayyappasamaaj.webs.com, (Yahoo Groups: Ayyappasamaaj http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Ayyappasamaaj/join) performed Irumudi Puja for 20 Ayyappas, manikandans, and maligaipurams at the Shiva Vishnu temple in Livermore, California to conclude the Ayyappa Mandala Puja for the year 2008 in a very grand manner. The function, held on December 24, 2008, was very well attended with over 300+ devotees participating in the event.

The people who took Irumudi fell into the following categories:

They have been going elsewhere, like Washington DC, to fulfill their obligations - several devotees who had been going there for years decided to do it here.
They have gone to Sabarimala before and wanted a way to continue their devotion - we had people who have gone to Sabarimala 20, 12, 3, 1, year(s)
They have observed others doing this before and decided to start their own - we had one Maharastrian family do it.

Irumudi Puja

Ayyappa Devotees visiting the Sabarimala Temple carry the Irumudi – a specially designed bag with two compartments. This ceremony is referred as Kettunira or Palli Kettu. The front portion of the bag is meant for keeping the puja articles and other offerings to the deities at Sabarimala. The other compartment is meant for holding the personal belongings.

The Irumudi Puja commenced with the traditional filling up of gheee into the mudra coconut. The mudra coconut is prepared ahead of the ghee filling ceremony by making a hole in the third (soft) eye of the coconut, draining the coconut water, and drying the inside of the coconut by showing it on a flame. After filling up the ghee, to the continous chanting of Sarana Ghoshams (http://pramki.blogspot.com/2008/12/sarana-ghosham.html) and Vazhinadai (http://pramki.blogspot.com/2008/12/vazhi-nadai.html) verses, the coconut filled with the ghee was sealed with a cork. Vibhuti, Sandal paste, and Kumkum were then applied to the Ghee filled coconut.

The priest came and offered prayers to the Irumudi, praying for the welfare of the pilgrim who is undertaking the pilgrimage. All the Ayyappas then carried the Irumudi bag on their head, and did a pradakshanam of the temple to the chanting of Sarana Ghoshams and Vazhinadai.

After completing the symbolic pilgrimage, the senior Ayyappas then assisted the Ayyappa devotees with unpacking the Irumudi bag and collected all the dhravyas for performing Abhisekham on Lord Ayyappa. The abhisekham was conducted using the following contents of the Irumudi:

Ghee abhisekham
Milk Abhisekham
Chandana Abhisekham
Bhasma (vibhooti) Abhisekham
Panchamrutha Abhisekham (with dates, honey, sugar candy(kalkandu), raisins, jaggery)

Witnessing the abhisekham with the dhravyas carried in the Irumudi is an enchanting experience for all the devotees seeking the blessings of Lord Ayyappa.

Thalapolli

We had Thalapolli (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qLlvuV8hlSs ) for our Lord Ayyappa to the accompaniment of "Chenda", the traditional music in all Kerala temples. Almost 100 women and children participated in the Thalapolli. Thalappoli, a ceremonial procession, is a significant item in most of the festivals in Kerala In this ritual, women or young girls carry thalam, which literally means plate, in their hands. Thalam is filled with rice, flowers and a lighted lamp. Thalappoli is considered a symbol of prosperity. The lord Ayyappa comes in a procession to bless the devotees to the chanting of Sarana Ghoshams and Vazhinadai.

MahaPrasadam
The dinner for this event was prepared by the volunteers of AyyappaSamaaj (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Ayyappasamaaj/join with sponsorship from Namaste Plaza, Cupertino Bakery, and Shastha Batter.

The photos from this event are available at: http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/sredir?uname=tbombon&target=ALBUM&id=5283872242593521169&authkey=lVmbytE64MY&feat=email
The video coverage is being edited and will be ready in the next few days. We are also uploading the content to http://www.youtube.com/. You can access the links by typing "Ayyappa Mandala Puja" and looking for the name "tbombom".Here are the links to the content from the puja that was conducted on November 15, 2008.

Ayyappa Mandala Puja Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TUIg-a5QrLs
Ayyappa Mandala Puja Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i0SC22ZZ3EMA
Ayyappa Mandala Puja Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L9KeFpdHDBY
Ayyappa Mandala Puja Part 4 (Thalapolli): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qLlvuV8hlSs
Ayyappa Mandala Puja Part 8: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IWfjfU9wvBI

Click here to join Ayyappasamaaj: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Ayyappasamaaj/join

Swami Saranam!

Prasad

Sabarimala Ayyappan Vazhi Nadai

2008-12-21T18:38:00.000-08:00

Vazhinadai is the set of verses sung by devotees while trekking to Sabari Mala. The first Ayyappa says the first verse (example: Devan Saranam). All the other Ayyappas respond with (Devi Saranam).
Swamiye…………………………….. Ayyappo
Ayyappo …………………………..…Swamiye
Swami Saranam …………………..Ayyappaa Saranam
Ayyappaa Saranam ……………...Swami Saranam
Devane .........................................Deviye
Deviye ..........................................Devane
Bagavaane ...................................Bagavathiye
Bagavathiye .................................Bagavaane
Easwarane ...................................Easwariye
Easwariye ....................................Easwarane
Sankarane....................................Sankariye
Sankariye ................................... Sankarane
Devan Saranam …………………...Devi Saranam
Devi Saranam ……………………...Devan Saranam
Eswaran Saranam ………………..Eswari Saranam
Eswari Saranam …………………..Eswaran Saranam
Bagawan Saranam …………….....Bagawati Saranam
Bagawati Saranam …………….....Bagawan Saranam
Sankaran Saranam ……………....Sankari Saranam
Sankari Saraman ………………....Sankaran Saranam
Pallikattu ………………………….....Sabarimalaikku
Sabarimalaikku …………………....Pallikattu
Kallum Mullum …………………....Kaalukku Methai
Kaalukku Methai ………………....Kallum Mullum
Kundum Kuzhiyum ……………...Kannukku Velicham
Kannukku Velicham ………….....Kundum Kuzhiyum
Irumudikattu ……………………....Sabarimalaikku
Sabarimalaikku …………………....Irumudikattu
Kattum Kattu ……………………....Sabarimalaikku
Sabarimalaikku …………………....Kattum Kattu
Yaarai Kaana …………………….....Swamiyai Kaana
Swamiyai Kandaal ……………......Moksham Kittum
Eppo Kittum ……………………......Ippo Kittum
Dega Balam Thaa …………….......Pada Balam Thaa
Pada Balam Thaa …………….......Dega Balam Thaa
Aatma Balam Thaa ………….......Mano Balam Thaa
Aethi Vidappa .............................Thooki Vidappa
Thooki Vidappa .......................... Aethi Vidappa
Mano Balam Thaa …………….....Aatma Balam Thaa
Ney Abhisekham …………….......Swamikke
Swamikke ………………………......Ney Abhisekham
Karpoora Deepam .....................Swamikke
Swamikke ...................................Karpoora Deepam
Paneer Abhisekham ………….....Swamikke
Swamikke ………………………......Paneer Abhisekham
Avalam Malarum …………….......Swamikke
Swamikke ……………………….......Avalum Malarum
Swami Paadham …………….. ......Ayyappan Paadham
Ayyappan Paadham ……….........Swami Paadham
Devan Paadham …………….........Devi Paadham
Devi Paadham ……………….........Devan Padham
Easwaran Paadham ………..........Easwari Paadham
Easwari Padham …………….........Easwaran Paadham
Villali Veerane .............................Veera Manikandane
Veera Manikandane ...................Villali Veerane
Bhooloka Naathane .....................Bhoomi Prabhanjane
Bhoomi Prabhanjane .................. Bhooloka Naathane
Sadguru Naatha ...........................Ayyappa
Guruvin Guruva ......................... Ayyappa
Kaliyuga Varada .......................... Ayyappa
Kaanana Vaasa .............................Ayyappa
Kann Kanda Deivame ..................Ayyappa
Swami Thintakka Thom Thom …………………..Ayyappa Thintakka Thom Thom
Ayyappa Thintakka Thom Thom ………………..Swami Thintakka Thom Thom

Swamiye Saranam Ayyappa

Sarana Ghosham

2008-12-20T14:25:00.001-08:00

Sharana Ghoshams

Repeat Saranam Ayyappa after each phrase......
1. Swamiye
2. Harihara Sudhane
3. Kannimoola Mahaa Ganapathy Bhagavaane
4. Siva Shakti Vadivelan Sodarane
5. Maalikaippurattu Manja Devi Lokamadhave
6. Vaavar Swamiye
7. Karuppanna Swamiye
8. Periya Kadutta Swamiye
9. Siriya Kadutta Swamiye
10. Vanadevadha Maare
11. Durga Bhagavathi Maare
12. Achchan Kovil Arase
13. Anaatha Rakshagane
14. Anna Dhana Prabhuve
15. Achcham Thavirpavane
16. Ambalathu Arasane
17. Abhaya Dhayagane
18. Ahandai Azhippavane
19. Ashtasiddhi Dhayagane
20. Andmorai Aadarikkum Deivame
21. Azhuthayil Vaasane
22. Aariyankaavu Ayyaave
23. Aabadh Bhaandhavane
24. Ananda Jyotiye
25. Aatma Swaroopiye
26. Aanaimukhan Tambiye
27. Irumudi Priyane
28. Innalai Theerppavane
29. Naaga Raajakkale
30. Irudaya Kamala Vaasane
31. Eedillaa Inbam Alippavane
32. Umaiyaval Baalakane
33. Umaikku Arul Purindavane
34. Uzhvinai Akatruvone
35. Ukkam Alippavane
36. Engum Niraindhone
37. Enillaa Roopane
38. En Kula Deivame
39. En Guru Naathane
40. Erumeli Sri Dharma Shasthave
41. Engum Nirainda Naada Brahmame
42. Ellorkkum Arul Puribavane
43. Aetrumaanoorappan Magane
44. Aekaanta Vaasiye
45. Aezhaikkarul Puriyum Eesane
46. Aindumalai Vaasane
47. Aiyyangal Theerppavane
48. Opillaa Maanikkame
49. Omkaara Para Brahmame
50. Kaliyuga Varadane
51. Kan.Kanda Deivame
52. Kambankudiku Udaiya Naathane
53. Karunaa Samudrame
54. Karpoora Jyotiye
55. Sabari Giri Vaasane
56. Shathru Samhaara Moortiye
57. Sharanaagadha Rakshakane
58. Sharana Ghosha Priyane
59. Shabarikku Arul Purindavane
60. Shambhu Kumaarane
61. Satya Swaroopane
62. Sankatam Theerppavane
63. Sanchalam Azhippavane
64. Shanmukha Sodarane
65. Dhanvantari Moortiye
66. Nambnorai Kaakkum Deivame
67. Narttana Priyane
68. Pantala Raajakumaarane
69. Pambai Baalakane
70. Parasuraama Poojithane
71. Bhakta Jana Rakshakane
72. Bhakta Vatsalane
73. Paramashivan Puthirane
74. Pambaa Vaasane
75. Parama Dhayaalane
76. Manikanda Porule
77. Makara Jyotiye
78. Vaikkathu Appan Makane
79. Kaanaka Vaasane
80. Kulattu Puzhai Baalakane
81. Guruvaayoorappan Makane
82. Kaivalya Padha Daayakane
83. Jaati Mata Bhedam Illathavane
84. Shivashakti Aikya Svaroopane
85. Sevipporku Aananda Moorthiye
86. Dushtar Bhayam Neekkuvone
87. Devaadi Devane
88. Devarkal Thuyaram Therthavane
89. Devendra Poojitane
90. Narayanan Mynthane
91. Ney Abhisheka Priyane
92. Pranava Swaroopane
93. Paapa Samhaara Moorthiye
94. Paayasanna Priyane
95. Vanpuli Vaakanane
96. Varapradaayakane
97. Bhaagavatottamane
98. Ponambala Vaasane
99. Mohini Sudhane
100. Mohana Roopane
101. Vilaali Veerane
102. Veeramani Kantane
103. Sadguru Nathane
104. Sarva Rokanivarakane
105. Sachidananda Sorupiye
106. Sarvaabheestha Thayakane
107. Saasvatapadam Alippavane
108. Patinettaam Padikku Athipathiyae

Om Hari Hara Sudhan Aanantha Chittan Ayyan Ayyappa Swamiye Saranam Ayyappa

Sabarimala Melshanti and Tantri

2008-12-08T14:34:00.000-08:00

Though both the tantri and mel shanthi hail from the Brahmin community, there are several differences in the rights each one enjoy at a temple. While Tantri is the chief priest or presiding priest who has the final say in ritualistic matters, mel shanthi presides over the pujas only for a time-span.In the case of Sabarimala, tantris from the Thazhamon family supervise the pujas while the mel shanthi is selected every year through a draw of lots.

TANTRI

Seat of the Thazhamon family of tantris is Chengunnur in central Kerala. They are the traditional priests of Sabarimala temple. Apart from Sabarimala, the family presides over the pujas at Aryankavu, Achankoil and Kulathupuzha. The installation of idols at these temples was also performed by Thazhamon priests and this gives them a paternal status vis-a-vis the respective temple. ''The tantri turns a statue into God,'' points out Tantri Kandaru Rajeevaru of Thazhamon, one of the two Tantri familes in Kerala; the other being Tharanallur in North Kerala.

The myth about the origin of these families dates back to the time of Sage Parasurama. The sage brought two able Brahmins from Andhra to Kerala for looking after pujas at the 108 Sastha temples and 108 Durga temples he had built in the State after creating it from the Ocean. En route to Kerala they came on the banks of swirling River Krishna. For testing the powers of the Brahmins, the sage asked them to cross the river. The first priest walked over the current to the other bank. But the second priest stopped the flow of the river and walked through the river bed. Parasurama was pleased with them and granted them titles. While the Brahmin who walked over the water was called Tharananelloor (Tharanam means to cross), the other priest was called Thazhamon (the one who walked on the sand below the river).

The sage also bestowed the title Kandararu to the Thazhamon family. The present idol at the Sabarimala was installed by late Kandararu Sankararu. The earlier idol which was destroyed in a fire was installed by Kandararu Prabhakararu. Eldest among the present generation of priests at Thazhamon is Kandararu Neelakantararu. The others are his brother Kandararu Maheswararu and son Kandararu Mohanararu, and son of his late brother Kandararu Krishnararu, Kandararu Rajeevararu.

Each priest officiates the proceedings once in three years. The male child in the family is initiated into the tantric world soon after his upanayanam at the age of five. The boy observes three years of brahmacharyam and wears blades of the dharbha grass on his body. This period is followed by samavarthana kaalam. During this time the boy is taught vedas, mantras and other rituals. After samavarathanam, he will have to observe penance for a year. This is followed by a pilgrimage to Sabarimala as a junior tantri. He begins performing pujas alone at the age of 18. Before this he would've obtained the `Rahasya upadesham' (secret and sacred advice which is given to the member of family only at a particular age). Even the women of the family have to follow certain practices. From the third month of pregnance they have to start consuming medicated ghee. There are several other traditions to be followed in the successive months.

MEL SHANTHI OR CHIEF PRIEST

Unlike the tantri, the chief priest is selected every year. And one gets only one chance in his life. Only those brahmins with the deep knowledge of mantras and who satisfy many other criteria can apply for the post. The Devaswom Board holds the interview after a preliminary screening. The final selection is through draw of lots. The names of those selected from the interview are put in an urn. Title chief priest is written on a piece of paper and is deposited in another urn contaning similar number pieces. The tantri performs certain pujas and the urns are brought out of the sanctum sanctorum. A young devotee on pilgrimage is invited to draw the lots. He'll have to pick up one piece from each urn. When the name of a priest and the paper scribbled chief priest are drawn together, that person is appointed to the post.

HARIVARASANAM - Meaning

2008-12-08T09:46:00.000-08:00

Harivarasanam Viswamohanam
Haridadhiswaram Aaradhyapadhukam
Arivimardhanam Nithyanarthanam
Hariharathmajam Devamashraye
Saranam Ayyappa Swamy Saranam Ayyappa
Saranam Ayyappa Swamy Saranam Ayyappa

Repository of Hari’s boons,
Enchanter of universe,
Essence of Hari’s grace,
He whose holy foot is worshipped,
He who kills enemies of good thought,
He who daily dances the cosmic dance,
Son of Hari and Hara,
I take refuge in thee God.

My refuge is in you Ayyappa,
My refuge is in you Ayyappa.

Saranakirtanam Bakhtamanasam
Bharanalolupam Narthanalasam
Arunabhasuram Bhoothanayakam
Hariharathmajam Devamashraye
Saranam Ayyappa Swamy Saranam Ayyappa
Saranam Ayyappa Swamy Saranam Ayyappa

He who likes song of refuge,
He who is in the mind of devotees,
He who is the great ruler,
He who loves to dance,
He who shines like the rising sun,
He who is king of all beings,
Son of Hari and Hara,
I take refuge in thee God.
My refuge is in you Ayyappa,
My refuge is in you Ayyappa.

Pranayasathyakam Praananayakam
Pranathakalpakam Suprabhanjitham
Pranavamanidram Keerthanapriyam
Hariharathmajam Devamashraye
Saranam Ayyappa Swamy Saranam Ayyappa
Saranam Ayyappa Swamy Saranam Ayyappa

He whose soul is truth,
He who is the darling of all souls,
He who created universe,
He who shines with a glittering Halo,
He who is the temple of “OM”,
He who loves songs,
Son of Hari and Hara,
I take refuge in thee God.
My refuge is in you Ayyappa,
My refuge is in you Ayyappa.

Thuragavahanam Sundarananam
Varagadhayudham Vedavavarnitham
Gurukrupakaram Keerthanapriyam
Hariharathmajam Devamashraye
Saranam Ayyappa Swamy Saranam Ayyappa
Saranam Ayyappa Swamy Saranam Ayyappa

He who rides a horse,
He who has a pretty face,
He who has the blessed mace as weapon,
He who bestows grace like a teacher,
He who loves songs,
Son of Hari and Hara,
I take refuge in thee God.
My refuge is in you Ayyappa,
My refuge is in you Ayyappa.

Tribuvanarchitam Devathathmakam
Trinayanam Prabhum Divyadeshikam
Tridashapoojitham Chinthithapradam
Hariharathmajam Devamashraye
Saranam Ayyappa Swamy Saranam Ayyappa
Saranam Ayyappa Swamy Saranam Ayyappa

He who is worshiped by the three worlds,
He who is the soul of all gods,
He who is the lord of Shiva,
He who is worshipped by devas,
He who is who is worshipped three times a day,
He whose thought is fulfilling,
Son of Hari and Hara,
I take refuge in thee God.
My refuge is in you Ayyappa,
My refuge is in you Ayyappa.

Bhavabhayapaham Bhavukavaham
Bhuvanamohanam Bhoothibhooshanam
Dhavalavahanam Divyavaranam
Hariharathmajam Devamashraye
Saranam Ayyappa Swamy Saranam Ayyappa
Saranam Ayyappa Swamy Saranam Ayyappa

He who destroys fear,
He who brings prosperity,
He who is enchanter of universe,
He who wears holy ash as ornament,
He who rides a white elephant,
Son of Hari and Hara,
I take refuge in thee God.
My refuge is in you Ayyappa,
My refuge is in you Ayyappa.

Kalamrudusmitham Sundarananam
Kalabhakomalam Gathramohanam
Kalabhakesari Vajivahanam
Hariharathmajam Devamashraye
Saranam Ayyappa Swamy Saranam Ayyappa
Saranam Ayyappa Swamy Saranam Ayyappa

He who blesses with enchanting smile,
He who has is very pretty,
He who is adorned by sandal paste,
He who has a pretty mien,
He who is a like a lion to the elephants,
He who rides on a tiger,
Son of Hari and Hara,
I take refuge in thee God.
My refuge is in you Ayyappa,
My refuge is in you Ayyappa.

Srithajanapriyam Chinthithapradam
Sruthivibhushanam Sadhujeevanam
Sruthimanoharam Geethalalasam
Hariharathmajam Devamashraye
Saranam Ayyappa Swamy Saranam Ayyappa
Saranam Ayyappa Swamy Saranam Ayyappa

He who is dear to his devotees,
He who fulfills wishes,
He who is praised by Vedas,
He who blesses life of ascetics,
He who is the essence of Vedas,
He who enjoys divine music,
Son of Hari and Hara,
I take refuge in thee God.
My refuge is in you Ayyappa,
My refuge is in you Ayyappa.

Sabarimala - Introduction

2008-12-01T15:40:00.000-08:00

Hindu shrines are usually situated near river banks, sea shores or mountain top to help pilgrims meditate and to give a sense of peacefulness. The shrines to be found on hill tops are especially enthralling, not only because of their religious appeal but also due to its approachability.

The hill shrine of Sabarimala and its deity Lord Ayyappan is matchless in Hindu religion and peculiar to the Kerala State in South India. This forest abode of Lord Ayyappan is in the Western Ghats of India. Lord Ayyappan is a symbol of religious unity and communal harmony. Being born out of Mohini (the female incarnation of Lord Vishnu) and Lord Shiva, he is also known as Bhuthanatha, Dharmasastha, Hariharan, Ayyanar and Manikanta.

There are several temples dedicated to Lord Ayyappan all over India. Among these the important temples along the Western Ghats are: Kulathupuzha - Ayyappan is a child here, Aryyankavu - He is a bachelor here, Achankovil - here he is as Dharmasastha with Poorna and Pushkala (his wives) Sabarimala - here he is a yogi, meditating for the benefit of all.

Sabarimala (Mount Sabari - about 3000 feet above sea level) is the most favourite and significant temple in Kerala. Pilgrimage to this temple symbolizes the journey to heaven. The journey of spiritual candidate to Sabarimala is difficult and adventurous. The pilgrims observe severe austerities, wearing rudraksha or tulsi beads strings in the neck and trek up the forest to reach the temple. The feeling of delight and spiritual elevation one gets when devotees have the darshan (when devotee sees) of the deity is remarkable and significant. The magnetic charm is so high, it makes any devotee, who undertakes the yatra (pilgrimage) once, to revisit the shrine every year in quest of spiritual solace.

Sabarimala temple is open to all, irrespective of caste, creed, religion, social status or nationality. The pilgrims undergo 41 days of fast to cleanse the mind. He carries on his head, the holy ghee for the Lord's Abisheka filled in coconut in "Irumudi" (two compartment cloth bag). The temple is open only to males and menopaused females (beyond 50 years of age) and little girls below 10 years of age. This is because the Lord is a chaste yogi in Sabarimala. The male pilgrims are called 'Ayyappan' and the female pilgrims are called 'Malikappuram'.

The shrine is open only during specific period in a year. It is open from Mid-November to Mid-January and for first five days of every Malayalam month.

The Legend : Swami Ayyappan

2008-12-01T15:32:00.000-08:00

Om Shuklaambaradharam Vishnum
Shashivarnam Chaturbhujam
Prasanna Vadanam Dhyaayet
Sarva Vighnopashaantaye

Aashyaama Komalavishaalatanum VichitraVaasovasaanam
Arunotpala Daamahastam
Uttungaratnamakutam Kutilaagrakesam
Shaastaaram Ishtavaradam
Sharanam Prapadhye

Swamiye Saranam Ayyappa!

The descendants of Pandya dynasty discarded by Thirumala Naicker Diwan of Raja Vijayanagar, who was then ruling the Pandya Kingdom, comprising of Madurai,Tirunelveli, Ramananthapuram, were living scattered in places like Valliyur, Tenkasi, Shengottah, Achankovil and Sivagiri.

At that time, Pandyas were ruling in many parts of Travancore. The descendants of Pandya dynasty belonging to Chempazhanattu Kovil, living in Sivagiri were given the right to rule the country of Pandalam, by the King of Travancore eight hundreds years ago. King Rajasekara was the direct descendant of this dynasty.

King Rajasekara was very talented, courageous and just in his deeds. People were living happily and prosperously during his regime. However, the king was very unhappy that he had no children and his subjects were also worried that he had no heir to inherit his kingdom. As per the wish of the queen, both of them prayed Lord Shiva for blessing them with a child.

Mahishasuran, Son of Ramban, undertook a severe penance (Dhavam). Lord Brahma tried to distract his concentration, but having failed in his attempts, he appeared before the Asura and blessed him with a boon. Mahishasuran asked Lord Brahma to give him a boon by which no man in the earth would be able to kill him, and Lord Brahma conferred the boon on him.

Mahishasuran, armed with his boon, began to commit atrocities and murders on the earth and terrorised people. Fearing his wrath, people ran away to far away places. The Devas seeing the atrocities committed by Mahishasuran came to the conclusion that only a divine power could kill him and approached Chandikadevi (Mahishasuramardhini) pleading to put an end to Mahishasura who was misusing the boon given by Lord Brahma. Chandikadevi set out on her mission and killed Mahishasura in a duel, on earth.

Mahishi. daughter of Karamba, brother of Ramban undertook a severe penance in order to take revenge on the Devas, who were responsible for the death of her brother. Lord Brahma appeared and offered to confer on Mahishi any boon except that of immortality. Mahishi asked Lord Brahma to bless her with a boon by which nobody, except the son created out of the union of Vishnu (Hari) and Shiva (Haran), would be able to kill her. Lord Brahma gave the boon and Mahishi went to Devaloka and started harassing the Devas.

The Devas incurred the wrath of Durvasa Muni who cursed them. On the advice of Lord Mahavishnu that this curse could be removed only by administering Amrutham taken from Palazhi, the devas took it from the Palazhi, but the Asuras snatched it from them. Lord Mahavishnu in the disguise of Mohini, went to the Asuras and got back the Amrutham and restored it to the Devas. When Lord Shiva, went to see Lord Mahavishnu who was in the guise of a Mohini succumbed to her beauty and out of their union, was born a child, who was named Dharmasastha. Dharmasastha grew at Kailasham.

Lord Shiva, answered Rajasekara's prayer and ordered Dharmasastha to take the avathar of Ayyappan . On the day King Rajasekara went for hunting in the forest, Ayyappan took the form of a baby with a golden chain and bell around his neck and placed himself near the Pamba river.

The Eighteen Steps - Pathinettampadi

2008-11-30T19:21:00.000-08:00

Pathinettapadi (18 divine steps) to the sanctum sanctorium is divine in all aspects. Initially the 18 steps were made of granite. It was later covered with Panchaloha in the year 1985 to prevent it from deterioration. As per the tradition, ONLY those who undertake the penance for 41 days and those who carry the IRUMUDI on their head are allowed to use the steps.

Eighteen is considered as the code number to break into the soul of the Nature. The significance of 18 can be traced back to the Vedic age. The first Veda, believed to be protected by Lord Brahma himself, had 18 chapters. Later, Veda Vyasa divided it to create the four vedas: Rigveda, Yajur Veda, Sama Veda and Atharava Veda. Each of these vedas had 18 chapters.Veda Vyasa also wrote 18 puranas and 18 upa-puranas. The Bhagavad Gita has 18 chapters and the Kurukshetra war lasted 18 days

There are many mythological stories associated with the holy Patinettampadi.

Some believe the eighteen steps denotes the 18 puranas.
Othere believe it represents the 18 mountains in the Sabarimala region: Ponnambalamedu, Gowdenmala, Nagamala, Sundaramala, Chittambalamala, Khalgimala, Mathangamala, Myladummala, Sreepadamala, Devarmala, Nilakkalmala, Thalapparamala, Neelimala, Karimala, Puthuserrymala, Kalakettimala, Inchipparamala and Sabarimala
Others are of the belief that the first five steps denotes the indriyas (eyes, ears, nose, tongue and skin). The next eight steps signifies the ragas (tatwa, kama, krodha,moha, lobha, madha, matsraya, and ahamkara. The next three steps signifies the gunas (satwa, rajas and thamas). The seventeenth and the eighteenth denotes vidhya and avidya (ignorance).
The first three steps depict "Bhoomi, Agni, Vayoo & Akash", 6 to 9 steps for Karmendriya, 10 to 15 for Jhanandriya, 16th for mind 17th Intelligence and 18th Jeevathma Bhava. Those who cross all these steps are believed to achieve "Punyadarshan".
Some say that 18 weapons with which Lord Ayyappa destroyed the evil denotes the 18 steps.

The steep steps are so important and holy that no one can climb them without fasting for 41 days and carrying the holy irrumudi on ones' head.

Before ascending or descending the steps, pilgrims break coconut as an offering to the steps. One needs to have the sacre Irumudi on head while going up or down the 18 steps. While descending the steps the devotees climb down backwards facing the sanctum sanctorum.

One who climbs the Patinettampadi for 18 times shall plant coconut sapling in Sabarimala.
Built on a plateau about 40 feet high, the Ayyappan temple commands a lofty view of the mountains and valleys all around. The ancient temple has been rebuilt after a fire in 1950. Within the confines of the sanctum sanctorium with a copper-plated roof and four golden finials at the top, two mandapams, the belikalpura which houses the altar, the flag-staff replacing the earlier stone image of the deity, sits a beautiful idol of Ayyappa in panchaloha, an alloy of five metals, about one and a half feet tall.

Swami Saranam!

The Three Routes To Sabari Mala

2008-11-26T21:25:00.000-08:00

After filling the holy coconut with ghee and packing the essentials for offering Lord Ayyappa in the Irumudi (called ketunira), the Guru places the sacred Irumudi on head of the pilgrims while continuously chanting Saranams. The pilgrims leave the place without looking at anyone and bidding goodbye to family or friends. Walking barefoot the pilgrims proceed to realize the Self and attain Lord Ayyappa.

There are three routes to Sabarimala - (a) The Erumeli route (b) The Vandiperiyar route (c) The Chalakayam route.

ERUMELI ROUTE

The Erumeli route, used by Ayyappan himself during his forest expedition to kill Mahishi is described here.

1. Erumeli
2. Perur Thodu
3. Kaalaketi
4. Azhutha
5. Azhutha River
6. Kallidumkunnu
7. Inchipparakota
8. Mukkuzhi
9. Karivalam Thodu
10. Karimalai
11. Periya AnaVattam
12. Seriya AnaVattam
13. Pampa Nadi

1. Erumeli

Erumeli is about 65 Kms. south east of Kottayam, the nearest town in Kerala, and is set in a hilly terrain against the backdrop provided by the mighty Western Ghats. There are several rubber, coffee, and pepper plantations here. The only open land is the small village in the midst of these plantations. This sleepy village is transformed into a sea of humanity reverberating with the chants of thousands of "Ayyappas".

Erumeli detives its name from Mahishi, which in vernacular, is knows as "Eruma" (meaning buffalo). It is believed that the trunk of Mahishi after she was killed fell here. The ritual of Pettai Thullal, the dance of the hunters, observed here is also associated with the killing of Mahishi.

2. Perur Thodu

Perur thodu (thodu means canal) thavalam, as it is popularly called, is a river about 4 km from Erumeli. Lord Ayyappa rested here during his expedition. It is from here that the the rise begins. Giving alms here is important. By giving alms, one is disposing of all dharma and seeking asylum in Ayyappa. The forest beyond Perur Thodu is poongavanam (Ayyappan's garden), so called because of the lush vegetation and flowering plants and trees. According to traditional belief, no one except the pilgrims proceeding to Sabarimala has access to these divine forests. Wild animals were in plenty, but they gave way to the pilgrims when the whole forest resounded with their 'Saranams.'

3. Kaalaketti

About 10 km from Perur Thodu is Kalaketti ashramam. Kalaketti literally means the place where the Ox was tethered. The legend says that Lord Shiva, Ayyappa's father, came on his ox and tied it here and witnessed Lord Ayyappa killing Mahishi. Kalaketti is a beautiful valley. There is a shrine where the pilgrims light camphor and break coconuts.

4, 5. Azhutha & Azhutha River

Azhutha river, a tributary of the famed Pampa river flows in the east-west direction with a forceful current, is about 2 km from Kalaketti. On the far side of the river is the steep Azhutha hill, famous for its arduous track. In the ascent of 2 km of steep climb there is hardly anyone who does not shed tears.

6. Kallidumkunnu

At the summit of Azhutha is Kallidumkunnu, meaning a hill where pebbles are thrown. The pilgrims drop the pebble taken by them from Azhutha river here. This is done as the mortal remains of Mahishi was cast off here and filled with stones. Another version is that the pebbles represent the past sins of the pilgrims which they deposit here. Some say that the pebbles were Saligramas presented to the devas who assembled at the time of the killing of Mahishi.

7. Inchippara Kota

Inchippara Kota is the fortress of the robber chief Udayanan. At Inchipparakota there is Kotayil Sastha shrine. Pilgrims offer prayers here and break coconuts. This placec is notorious for its scarcity of water. Hence water is collevted from a small straem down the valley and stored here. From here the pilgrims descent the slippery path carefully.

8, 9. Mukkuzhi & Karivalam Thodu

The descent from Inchippara Kota of Azhutha hill ends at Mukkuzhi with Azhutha hill on one side and Karimala hill on the other. Pilgrims rest here for a while before commencing the trek to the next phase of the pilgrimage - the daunting Karimala.

Karivalam thodu is the entrance to Karimala. You reach Karimala after crossing Pudhucheri Aaru (river).

10. Karimala

Karimala is the abode of elephants which visits the Karimala canal to drink water. Pilgrims light the aazhi (campfire) to protect themselves from wild animals and cold weather. Unlike Azhutha which is climbed straight up, Karimala is climbed in stages in a winding manner. Karimala hill consists of seven levels and is climbed in stages. As the ascent of 5 km is difficult the pilgrims continuously chant saranams. On top of Karimala the terrain is flat suitable for the pilgrims to rest. It is interesting to see the Nazhikkinar - a well within a well with fresh spring like water. There deities of Karimalanthan, Kochukaduthaswami and Karimala Bhagawathi. From here after the exhausting descent, Pampa river is about 5 kms.

11, 12, 13. Periya AnaVattam , Seriya AnaVattam , Pampa River

Pampa is the most important and holy spot on the way to Sannidhanam. It is here that Lord Ayyappa was found by King Rajasekara. The Pampa river is as holy as the Ganges. The Pampa water purifies one from curse and evil.

The Pampa River is a combination of a number of rivers originating from the lands of Peermade. It is the third largest river in Kerala. It is considered as a 'Saint River'. It originates about 1650 m above the sea level. It has a length of 177 km. The river splits into several tributaries and falls into the Vembanad Lake. It runs through Ranni, Thiruvalla, Changanacherry and Ambalapuzha. Kakkiyar, Azhuthayar, Kakkatar and Kallar are the main tributaries. The main dams of this river are Pampayar and Kakiyar. Maniyar Irrigation Project and Sabarigiri Hydro Electro Project are situated there.

The renowned rice producing region, Kuttanad, gets water supply from Pampa River. The holy place Pampa, near to Sabarimala, is situated on the banks of the Pampa River. The Perunthnaruvi waterfalls on the banks of the Pampa River is a favourite picnic spot for both domestic and foreign tourists. The Aranmula Boat Race and Maraman Convention, at Maraman near Kozhenchery, are also held in this river.

Pampa Annadhanam (feast) and Pampa Vilakku are important rituals followed at the Pampa bank. Pilgrim groups prepare feast with the provisions taken from the Irumudi of the pilgrims. Thousands of pilgrims are fed at Pampa. When a group of pilgrims are ready to fed the fellow pilgrims they display a large papad outside their cottage. It is usually the kanniswamy who are fed first, as they are considered to be Lord Ayyappan himself. After the feast the Guru is honoured by pilgrims prostrating him and offering him the Gurudakshina.

Kanni Ayyappas move from kitchen to kitchen collecting the ashes which are considered to be very sacred. It is done with the belief that Lord Ayyappa would have had the feast in one of the cottages in the disguise of a pilgrim. The ash is taken home as prasadam.

On sunset pilgrim believe that Lord Ayyappan will be present at the banks of Pampa and the cottages are decorated with lights and candles. Small floats are decorated with lights called Pampa Vilakku are lit in the Pampa river.

Neeli Mala

The next morning after a dip in the cold Pampa river and performing pitru tarpanam (offering to ones departed soul) the pilgrims start their ascent towards the hill Neelimala after worshipping at the temple of Lord Ganapathi, Lord Rama, (avathar of Balaji) and Lord Hanuman. On the foot of the Neeli mala is the representative of the King of Pandalam. The pilgrims offer their respects to the representative. After seeking the permission of the representative to visit the shrine of Lord Ayyappa they proceed with their journey.

From here the Sannidhanam is about 6 km. The neeli mala is as difficult as the Azhutha and Karimala. The top of Neeli hill is called Appachi medu. Here there are two abysses - Appachi kuzhi and Ippachi kuzhi. Kanniswamy throw rice balls here to calm down the evil spirits present around the place. From this point the ground is almost even. A short distance from here is the Sabari peetam.

Sabari Peetam is the place where Shri Sabari, in Sri Rama's era, performed Tapas. Pilgrims worship here breaking coconuts, firing crackers and lighting camphor.

Half way between Sabari Peetam and Sannidhanam is Saramkuthi. Kanniswamy leave the wooden arrow they picked from Erumeli here.

The holy Pathinettampadi (18 steps) is a 15 minute walk from Saramkuthi. The Golden steps is such a magnificent sight. Pilgrims chant saranams loudly. After breaking the coconut they climb the 18 steps to have the darshan of Lord Ayyappa.

VANDIPERIYAR ROUTE

Vandiperiyar Route to Sabarimala comprises of Kozhikkanam, Pullumedu, Uppupara and Uralkuzhi Theertham. Vandiperiyar is about 29 km from Sabarimala.

Uppupara is about 10 km from Kozhikkanam in Idukki District. It can be accessed by a jeep or bus from Kumily and Vandiperiyar. The winding journey along the Periyar River and Pullumedu offers the most enchanting of the sights. The Kozhikkanam-Uppupara ghat road cuts through the verdant forest patch in the Periyar Tiger Reserve. The rolling hills draped in greenery, rare flora and fauna and the sprawling velvet lawns offer a breathtaking view for the tourists.
From Uppupara, Sabarimala Sannidhanam can be reached by climbing down 4 km by foot through the forest. This way along the dense forest also touches the Pandithavalam.

Uralkuzhi Theertham is about 1 km north-east to Sannidhanam. The name of the place is derived from the shape formed due to the falling of water on the rock (‘Ural’is a grindstone with a small dip used for making flour). The water from this spring is taken for the ‘abishek’, the holy ritualistic bathing of an idol using water. Devotees usually take a holy dip in this teerth, which can wash away the sins of a lifetime. The water flows towards the Kumbala Teerth.

During January to March, the Pathanamthitta District Tourism Promotion Council (DTPC) organizes trekking to the Sabari Hills. The trekking route is Ranni-Rajanpara-Nilackal-Sabarimala-Uppupara–Vandiperiyar.

Jeep services and KSRTC (Kerala State Road Transport Corporation) buses from Kumily and Vandiperiyar ply up to Uppupara. The 25 km journey by bus or jeep reaches to Uppupara from Vandiperiyar. From there the pilgrims must climb down by foot through Pandithavalam for about 4 km to reach Sannidhanam (Sabarimala). This route is convenient for the pilgrims from Tamil Nadu touching Kumily. The Kozhikkanam-Uppupara ghat road cuts through the verdant forest patch in the Periyar Tiger Reserve. One has to pass through Vallakadavu and Kozhikkanam to reach Pullumedu.

Devotees can also go from Vandiperiyar to Mount Estate (8 km) by vehicle and then walk to Sabarimala (12 km).

CHALAKAYAM ROUTE

Chalakayam route is the easiest route to Ayyappa Sannidhanam. Chalakayam is near Pampa River and the Sabarimala Temple is only 8 km from here.

Swami Saranam!

The Five Shastha Temples

2008-11-26T20:48:00.000-08:00

The Five Shastha Temples

There are five important temples dedicated to Lord Ayyappa in the Western Ghats in Kerala, including the famous Sabarimala Shrine. It is believed that these temples were founded by Lord Parashurama. Dharma Shasta or Lord Ayyappa is represented in different stages of his life in these temples. Legend has it that Lord Ayyappa passed through Kulathupuzha, Aryankavu and Achankoil on his return to Madurai with the milk of leopardess.

In the Ayyappa temple at Kulathupuzha near Thenmala in Kollam District, Lord appears as Balaka or child and is known as ‘Manikantan.’

At Aryankavu in Kollam District, Lord Ayyappa appears as a young man - Brahmachari. The temple is closely associated with the Pandi Raja of Madurai.

At Achankoil Sasta Temple in Pathanamthita District, the Lord appears as a Grahastha with his two consorts Poorna and Pushkala. The idol of Ayyappa here is in Rudraksha Shila.

At Sabarimala, Lord is depicted in the Vanaprastha form. And this is the most popular shrine.

At Ponnambala Medu or Kantamala, the Lord appears as yogi and the ‘Makaravilaku’ emanate from here.

It must be noted that temples dedicated to Lord Ayyappa or Dharma Shasta can be found in several parts of Kerala, in other Indian states and in foreign countries. In Kerala, even in temple dedicated to other gods in Hindu pantheon, there will be a Sasta shrine.

Kulathupuzha
The Lord Ayyappa Temple at Kulathupuzha near Thenmala in Kollam District of Kerala is an important shrine visited by Ayyappa devotees especially during the Mandala-Makaravilaku season. This Shasta shrine is located on the banks of Kulathu Puzha, a tributary of Kallada River, and is in the reserve forest. The deity here is Manikantan or the child form of Lord Ayyappa.
There is an interesting legend regarding the origin of the Ayyappa Temple at Kulathupuzha. Once and elderly Brahmin returning from his Rameshwaram pilgrimage camped on the Kallada Riverbank. His servants started the preparation for the evening meal and they looked out for stones to create the makeshift oven.

They found a fixed stone nearby and brought two stones to create the oven. But the fixed stone was bigger than the two stones. The servants placed two stones on top of other to adjust the height. Suddenly, the first stone grew a bit taller. The poor servants raised the level of the two stones again but the fixed stone again grew a bit taller. This exercise of adjusting the height continued for awhile.

Finally frustrated with the fixed stone, one of the servants hit the fixed stone with another stone. Suddenly blood gushed out of the fixed stone and the scared servants ran and reported the matter to the Brahmin. The Brahmin sprinkled some tirtha (sacred water) brought from Rameshwaram on the bleeding fixed stone. Soon, Lord Ayyappa appeared in the form of child before the Brahmin and his servants. The local chief who came to know about this incident built at temple for the deity.

Kulathupuzha town is situated on the Thiruvananthapuram - Shenkottai road. Kulathupuzha is 60 km north-east of Thiruvananthapuram and 64 km east of Kollam. Nearest railway station is at Kollam.

Aryankavu Ayyappa Temple
The Ayyappa Temple at Aryankavu in Kollam District is one among the five most important temples dedicated to Lord Ayyappa in Kerala. The shrine at Aryankav is known as Aryankavu Shastha Temple and Lord Ayyappa is depicted as a teenager (young boy) here. Ayyappa is known as Tiruaryan here and therefore the place got the name Aryankavu.
Surrounded by forests, the temple is located on the Trivandrum – Tenkasi National Highway. Just like in Sabarimala, women from the age 10 to 50 are not allowed inside the Aryankavu Ayyappa Temple.

The rituals and pujas followed at Aryankavu Sastha Temple is that of Tamil tradition. The sanctum sanctorum of the temple has idols of Devi, Shiva and Sastha. A young Ayyappa sits in the middle with Devi on the left side and Shiva on the right side.

The festival at the temple is celebrated during the last days of the Sabarimala Mandala Kalam. The most important festivals observed here include Pandiyanmudippu, Trikalyanam and Kumbhabhishekam.

The temple can be accessed by traveling on Kollam – Punalur – Thenkasi road or by traveling on the Trivandrum – Thenkasi road.

Achankoil Sastha Temple

Achankoil Shastha Temple, or the Dharmasastha Temple, is one among the five important temples dedicated to Lord Ayyappa in Kerala. Lord Ayyappa leads the Grihastha Ashrama life here – he is depicted as a family man or leads married life here. He is depicted along with his two wives – Purna and Pushkala. It is believed that the idol here was installed by Lord Parashurama.
The Achankovil Sastha Temple is famous for curing poisonous snake bites. The left hand of the idol of Ayyappa at Achankoil Shastha Temple always holds ‘Chandan’ (sandalwood paste) and Thirtha (holy water). The Chandan and Thirtha are considered to have medicinal properties to cure snake bites.

The temple complex also contains other deities associated with the Ayyappa legend. The festivals and rituals held here have strong Tamil roots.

The most important festival here is celebrated from the first to tenth day of Malayalam month Dhanu (December – January).

There are bus services from Punalur and Chengottai to reach the temple. Also there are private services from Konni, Aryankavu etc.

Grand Celebration of Ayyappa Mandala Puja (2008) at Livermore Shiva Vishnu Temple (Livermore, California)

2008-11-17T15:35:00.000-08:00

LIVERMORE, CALIFORNIA

The Shiva Vishnu temple in Livermore, California kicked off the start of the Ayyappa Mandala Puja in a very grand manner on November 15, 2008.

The function was very well attended. We had 250+ devotees participating in the event. Over 200 devotees ate the special dinner (Vegetable Sambar Rice, Potato Curry, Curd Rice and Chakkara Pongal) that was prepared by the volunteers at the temple. The volunteers from Ayyappa Samaaj (YahooGroups: Ayyappasamaaj -- Click here to join Ayyappasamaaj: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Ayyappasamaaj/join) sponsored the Annadhana on November 15th morning and also prepared the food that morning.

We had Thalapolli (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qLlvuV8hlSs ) for our Lord Ayyappa to the accompaniment of "Chenda", the traditional music in all Kerala temples. Over 50 women and children participated in the Thalapolli. Thalappoli, a ceremonial procession, is a significant item in most of the festivals in Kerala In this ritual, women or young girls carry thalam, which literally means plate, in their hands. Thalam is filled with rice, flowers and a lighted lamp. Thalappoli is considered a symbol of prosperity

The 18 steps for Lord Ayyappa was renovated and there were special decorations around the 18 steps.

We had bhajans for Lord Ayyappa that was sung in many languages with participation from people of all age groups. Many "Ayyappas" commenced their vratam by wearing the Thulasi Mala during the function. Many more "ayyappas" are scheduled to wear the Mala on November 23rd. There were over 30 volunteers from Bay Area Ayyappasamaaj who actively participated in the preparation and smooth conduct of the proceedings of the the puja.

We had video coverage and photo coverage for the event. The video coverage is being edited and will be ready in the next few days. We are also uploading the content to http://www.youtube.com/. You can access the links by typing "Ayyappa Mandala Puja" and looking for the name "tbombom".

Here are the links to the content that has already been uploaded:
Ayyappa Mandala Puja Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TUIg-a5QrLs
Ayyappa Mandala Puja Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i0SC22ZZ3EMA
Ayyappa Mandala Puja Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L9KeFpdHDBY
Ayyappa Mandala Puja Part 4 (Thalapolli): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qLlvuV8hlSs
Ayyappa Mandala Puja Part 8: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IWfjfU9wvBI

Click here to join Ayyappasamaaj: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Ayyappasamaaj/join

Swami Saranam!

Prasad

Significance of Vratam before pilgrimage to Sabarimala

1999-12-02T21:54:00.000-08:00

The meaning of the Vratam is a “Vow” or “Resolution.” When you undertake the Vratam for your pilgrimage to Sabarimala, you are taking a vow or a resolution to perform a certain set of activities and a vow or resolution to not perform certain other types of activities.

Clothes
The donning of the traditional black, blue or saffron clothes during the Vratam period has its own significance.

Blue: First the Lord is described as Neela Megha Shyamala Varnan. Most devotees wear the Blue colored Mundu, to associate themselves with the Lord.
Black: Lord Saneeshwara is ebony black in colour. And those people (Ayyappa Swamis) who suffer from Sani Doshams, are instructed by their Guruswamis to wear black Mundus, so that they may be released from Sani’s maleficent effects. Apart from this they are also guided to chant the 12 stotras that are pleasing to Saneeswara as they climb the Sabari Malai so that when the Ayyappa Bhakthas reach the top, Sani Bhagavan would have removed himself from their lives.
Saffron/Kaavi: Certain Ayyappa Bhakthas who live the life of a Sanyasi within the Grihasthasrama , detached attachment, wear Kavi vastram
White: Those who without any self interest devote their attention entirely on Him, wear white veshtis, as they consider Him as Nirguna Bhagavan.

Wearing the colored Mundu also has the added advantage of letting the others know that you are observing the Vratam. This is especially important as it relates to letting women know, so that they can distance themselves from the males who are observing Vratam.

Cleansing and Conditioning
The purpose of the Mandala Vratam is to cleanse the body and soul of the devotee and to prepare a devotee both physically and mentally for the journey.

A number of Ayyappa devotees are under the impression that they must desert their homes and stay in a secluded place while observing Vratam. This is not applicable in the present day. It was in vogue in those years in Kerala, where devotees used to go and stay in the temple mandap during the Mandalam season. The reason for that was due to the non availability of space for the women folk in their houses to be away from the main house during their periods. This was practiced during 1950s and 60s.

The most important thing to be observed is Celibacy and chanting of Saranams. All other things are secondary, including food habits. Of course, you have to follow strict vegetarian food. Some people avoid onion and garlic because they are considered to be aphrodisiacs; otherwise all other vegetarian food is allowed.

In those days, there was no short cut. One had either to trek the Peru Vazhi (periya paadhai – 40 KM) or the Pullumedu route, which was originally longer and tougher than the present day route. People used to return all the way through the Peruvazhi, after having Dharshan. In the present day, devotees have the option of trekking the Peru Vazhi or trekking the 7KM journey from Pampa to Sannidhaanam. In either case, you will be trekking through extremely steep mountains and wading through large crowds.

The Vratam is intended to condition your body and mind to undertake the journey. Here are some things that you can observe and the reasons for the same:

Take bath in cold/ lukewarm water twice a day - you don't get hot water in the forest!
Pray/ meditate to Lord soon after bath (twice a day) - prepares you for the mental journey
Be patient in every activity you do from driving to talking to spouse/kids/coworkers - you need lot of patience to undergo a 60kms trek not knowing what's in store
Don’t consume alcohol, tobacco, etc. - these are detrimental to the physical strength required (imagine you won't be doing these if you were training for marathon either)
Substitute one meal with only fruits (for breakfast / dinner), eat rice only one time a day (lunch/ dinner), eat chapatti (or something else) to round out the meals - this prepares you for the little food you get during the trek
Do not wearing footwear - you need to walk barefoot over the rocks during your trek through the Lord’s Poongaavanam (forest)!
Sleep on the floor without pillow - you don't get beds in the forest!

Food
Pray to the Lord before each meal and thank him for the meal. Lord Ayyappa is considered to be Annadhaana Prabhu. Try and feed the poor whenever possible. If you are living in the US, you may consider making Prasadam and taking it to the temple and distribute the Prasadam to other devotees.

Avoid consuming processed or packaged food. This only hurts your body. You should try and condition your body to be in as perfect a state as possible in preparation of the pilgrimage. If practical, devotees should eat only food cooked fresh at home by a person who had showered and prayed before preparing the food. Previous day food is considered to be stale and should be thrown away and not consumed whenever possible. Eat fresh fruits in lieu of chips and other “junk food.” Onion, Garlic should be avoided because of they are considered to be aphrodisiacs.

Be Practical

The one principle which our Guruswamy (who has been going to Sabarimala for over half a century) believes in is that Lord Ayyappa is our bosom friend. As long as you completely surrender to Him (sharanaagatham), and observe Bramacharya during the period, nothing else is mandatory and should be followed in the spirit of the concept. At a minimum, devotees should try and do the Namaskara Slokam (Loka Veeram …) and say as many Sharanams as possible. Each time you say the Sharanams, you are telling Lord Ayyappa that you are surrendering to Him.

During the Vratam period, devotees should try and spend as much time in the temple as possible. If there is an Ayyappa Puja happening in your area, you should try and attend it. Lord Ayyappa loves songs and bhajans, as is evidenced by the number of CDs and cassettes thar you see released every year with songs sung in His praise. Devotees should try to attend as many of the Ayyappa bhajans as possible.

The pilgrimage to Sabarimala is the best example of how He shows us that all of us are equal. You do not know whether the devotee who is trekking alongside you is the CEO of a company or a laborer. All are equal in His eyes. As a devotee, you should try and follow this principle as much as possible. You should look for opportunities to help with the organization of the puja, and assist other fellow devotees whenever possible.

The question that is frequently asked is --- Is it possible to observe these in US? We need to temper it to make it practical. We can't go to work with unkempt hair or without footwear. It is okay to cut hair, shave, wear footwear (there are some Ayyappas who announce in their work about the Vratam and grow a beard!). Outside of work, observe the austerities where possible - wear the black/saffron/ blue clothes at home, don't wear footwear at home (we don't do this even otherwise), don't shave during weekends, don't go to parties or others' houses (who are not observing Vratam- they could cook meat in their home), don't eat at restaurants (if you're not traveling), go to temple at least once a week, etc. The main requirement is for you to keep your mind pure by only thinking of God and work and nothing else.

What is sad though is that people have started going to Sabarimala by observing Vratam just for 10 days, which is not at all allowed. To carry the Irumudi and climb the sacred 18 steps one has to observe Vratam at least for 6 weeks.