Nithya Stotra Parayanam

Nithya sthothra Parayanam

Complied in English with translation
By
P.R.Ramachander
Sanathana Dharma better known as Hinduism is one of the greatest and finest of ancient religions. It preaches that every individual’s aim should be Moksha which in simple words means merger with the Ultimate truth called Brahman and reaching a state of no re birth.
Savants and sages of the religion suggest several methods to attain this enviable state. Of these the simplest is Bhakthi Yoga or devotion n to God, which ultimately merges you with God. To make this easily possible a pan theistic concept of God is enunciated by the religion. Also the Godhead is viewed in myriad forms so that the devotion to him can be done in a manner closest to our heart.He is viewed by some as a child or friend or mother or father or a cruel one who punishes or a kind one who is merciful or even as our sweet heart. This has resulted in varied type of prayers addressed to his or her favourite
Form of God.
Given below are prayers in Sanskrit with translation in English verse of prayers which a Hindu is supposed to do on various occasions and also prayers to several Gods:-

Stotras as soon as one wakes up:-
A Hindu is supposed to wake uo very early in the morning much earlier to sun rise. It is believed that the first thing you see in the morning determines one’s day.
As soon as one wakes up see he is supposed to see his palm and recite the following sloka:-

Karagre vasathu Lakshmi, Karamadhye Saraswathi,
Karamoole sthitha Gowri, Prabhate Kaa Darshanam.

Lakshmi lives in the tip of my palm,
Saraswathi lives in its middle,
And Gowri lives at its base,
So I see my palm in the early morn.

Earth is a Goddess to Hindus. She is one of the wives of Maha Vishnu one of the trinity of Hinduism. So it is necessary to ask her pardon before one sets ones foot on her.This is done by the following prayer:-

Samudhra vasane devi, parvatha sthana mandithe,
Vishnu pathni namasthubhyam pada sparsam kshamasva mae.

Salutations to you consort of Lord Vishnu,
Who is clothed by oceans,
And is adorned prettily by the mountains,
Pardon me mother, for setting my foot on you.

Cleanliness is a sin qua non-to every Hindu.He does purification of the body as well as the mind during his bath. Purificatory bath is ultimate if it is done in the sacred waters of some great rivers of India.The following prayers are recited while taking bath:-



Govindethi sada snanam Govindethi sada japam,
Govindethi sada dhyanam , sada Govinda keerthanam.

Meditate on Govinda while taking bath,
Meditate on him in your prayers,
Meditate on him while thinking of God,
And always sing his name.

Gange cha Yamune chaiva Godavari Saraswathi,
Narmada Sindhu Kaveri Jale asmin sannidhim kuru.

I pray you to enter,
This water meant for my bath,
Oh , holy river Ganga,
Oh, Holy river Yamuna,
Oh , Holy river Godavari,
Oh, Holy river Saraswathi,
Oh , Holy river Narmada,
Oh holy river Sindhu,
And holy river Kaveri.

Fire is one of the greatest Gods of Hinduism. He according to them acts as a bridge between this ordinary world and the Gods of heaven.Symbolically the lamp is lit and kept in the house.Here is a prayer addressed to the lamp:-


Shubham karothi kalyanam, aarogyam, dhana sampadam,
Shathru budhi vruddhi vinasaya deepa jyothi namo nama.


Salutations and salutations,
To the holy flame of the lamp,
Which bestows on me all that is good,
Health as well as wealth,
And destroys all my enemies.

Thulasi or ocimum plant is venerated by every Hindu and is invariably grown in the courtyard of every house.After lighting up the lamp he is supposed to clean up the thulasi plant and water it while reciting the following prayer:-


Thulasi shree sakhi shubhe , papa haarini punyade,
Namasthe Naradanuthe , Namo Narayana priye.

Oh , Holy Thulasi,
Bosom friend of Lakshmi,
Destroyer of sins,
Bestower of blessings,
Salutations to thee,
Who is praised by sage Narada,
And is the darling of Lord Narayana

Then he prays to the banyan tree which is the holy tree providing him with shade , happiness and prosperity,

Aswatha vruksha sthuthi(Prayer to the banyan tree)

Moolatho brahma roopaya madhyatho visnu roopine,
Agratha Shiva roopaya , vruksha rajaya the nama.

Salutations to the king of trees,
Whose roots are Lord Brahma,
Whose stem is Lord Vishnu,
And whose crown is Lord Shiva.


Then He prays to Gods and nature to make the day very great for him by reciting the following prayers:-

Brhama murari tripurandhakari,
Bhanu sasi Bhoomi sutho budascha,
Gurusca Shukra . sani rahu Kethava,
Kurvanthu sarve mama suprabatham.

Let God Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva,
Planets Sun, mercury, Jupiter,
Venus , Saturn, Rahu and Kethu,
Make this morning great for me.

Santhkumara, sanaka, Sananthana,
Sanathano apyasoori pingalow cha,
Saptha swara, saptha rasa thaani,
Kurvanthu sarve mama suprabatham.

May the sages, Sanathkumara, Sanaka, SanathaNA,
Aasuri and Pingala,
Let the seven musical notes
And let those seven nether worlds,.
Make this morning great for me.

Satharnva Saptha kulachalascha,
Saptharshayo dweepa pavanani saptha,
Bhooradhi kruthwa, bhuvanai saptha,
Kurvanthu mama suprabhatham.

Let the seven oceans,
Seven mountains,
Seven sages, seven forests,
Seven Islands and Seven Lokas,
Make this morning great to me.

He then turn east faces the Sun God and recites the following prayer:-.

Bhano, bhaskara Marthanda, Chanda rasmai, divakara,
Ayur, arogyam, budhim, sree yamscha dehi mae.

He who breaks the morn,
He who berings light to the world,
He who brings heat tio the world,
He who has scorching rays,
And he who is the maker of the day,
Give me long life,
Health, intelligence and wealth.

He then prays to the God to make his day peaceful by promotong harmony of the mind, body and spirit by reciting one of the most ancient prayers of the world:-

Saha veerya karava vahai,
Sahana navathu.Sahanou bunakthu. Saha veerya karavavahai.
Tejaswinaa vadheedamasthu maa vidwishavahaii.
Om shanthi, shanthi, shanthi.

Let Brahmam protect the teacher-student duo,
And also protect us,
We would work with vigour,
Let our learning be lustrous,
Let not we quarrel among ourselves,
Let there be peace, peace and peace.

He then reminds himself of the two great epics of India by reciting the following slokas:-

Eka sloki Ramayanam (Ramayana in one stanza)

Aadho Rama thapo vananu gamanam, Hathwa mrugam kanchanam,
Vaidehi haranam, jatayu maranam, Sugreeva sambhashanam,
Bali nigrahanam, samudhra tharanam, Lanka pureem dahanam,
Paschad Ravana Kumbha karna madanam, Ethat ithi Ramayanam

Once Rama went to forest,
He chased the deer,
Sitha was kidnapped,
Jatayu was killed, There were talks with Sugreeva,
Bali was killed,
The sea was crossed,
Lanka was burnt,
And later Ravana and Kumbha karna,
Were also killed.
This in short is the story of Ramayanam.

Eka sloki bhagawatham (Bhagawatham in one stanza)

Aadhou devaki devi garbha jananam, Gopi gruhe palanam,
Mayaa poothana jeevithaa apaharanam, govardhanodharanam,
Kamsa chedana, kouravadi hananam, kunthi sutha palanam,
Ethad bhagawatham purana kaditham sri Krishna leelamrutham


Born to queen Devaki,
Brought up by Gopis,
Took out the life of Ogress Poothana,
Lifted the Govardhana mountain,
Beheaded his uncle Kamsa,
Helped in killing the Kouravas,
And looked after the children of Kunthi.
This is in short the ancient story of Bhagawatha,
Which describes the nectar like play of Lord Krishna.

Then he prays to some great individuals of the Hindu lore.

Prayer to the five mothers

Gayathri thulasi gangam kamadhenum Arundatheem,
Pancha mathu smaren nithyam maha pataka nasanam.

Daily remembering the five mothers great,
Gayathru, Thulasi, Ganga,
Kamadhenu and Arundathi,
Will destroy the greatest sins.

Pancha kanya sthuthi. (Prayer to the five maidens)

Ahalya , Draupadi, Seetha, Thara, Mandodari thada,
Panchakanya smarn nithyam maha pathaka nasanam

Daily remembering the five maidens great,
Ahalya, Draupadhi, Seetha,
Thara and Mandodhari
Will destroy the greatest sins


Pancha devi sththi( Prayer to the five goddesses)

Uma, Usha cha Vaidehi Rema, Gangethi panchakam,
Prathareva smaren nithyam sowbhagyam vardhathe sada.

Daily early morn,
If one remembers the five devis,,
The goddess Uma,
The goddess of dawn Usha,
Lord Rama’s wife Vaidehi,
Lord Vishnu’s consort Rema,
And the holy river Ganga,
His good fortune will daily rise

No prayer is complete without offering prayers to one’s own teacher. So he prays to the teacher
Teacher (Guru)

Prayer to the teacher

Gurur brahma, gurur devo Maheswara,
Guru sakshad param brahma tasmai sri gurave nama
Teacher (Guru)

Gurur brahma, gurur devo Maheswara,
Guru sakshad param brahma tasmai sri gurave nama

Salutations to that Teacher.
Who himself is the ultimate truth,
Who is chief of all Gods.
And who verily is the truth himself.


Salutations to that Teacher.
Who himself is the ultimate truth,
Who is chief of all Gods.
And who verily is the truth himself.



Stothras for Ishta Devathas
The bakthi lore of Sanathana dharma extols its members to pray to his Ishta Devatha(Pet god),The devotee is given a wide choice to choose from.,This is not fanaticism but a bevy of options depending on ones personality,I am giving below prayers addressed to several Gods of the Hindus. If one has time it would be great if all prayers are recited.If not read atleast the stotras to your Ishta Devatha:-


Ganapathi
Elder son of Lord Shiva and Parvathy he is the remover of all obstacles .He has an elephant face and rides on a mouse.

Vakra Thunda Maha Kayam, Koti Soorys Sama prabham,
Nirvignam Kuru me Deva, sarva karyesshu sarvadha.

He who has an immense body,
He who has a broken tusk,
He who shines like billions of Suns,
Remove all hindrances,
From all my work and for all times

Shiva
He is one of the Trimurthies(trinity) in charge of destruction. He lives on Mount Kailasa and wears an elephants skin as shawo and the crescent on his head.He is the abode of peace and rides on Nandi the bull,

Shivam shivakaram, shantham shivathmanam, Shivothamam,
Shivamarga pranetharam, pranamai sada shivam.

Salutations to the ever peaceful Lord Sada Shiva,
Who is the abode of peace,
Who makes peace,
Who is peaceful,
Who is the soul of peace,
Who is the acme of peace,
And who shows the path of Shiva.


Mruthyunjaya
The name means he who is victorious over death.He is a form of Shiva and this prayer which occus in Rudram is supposed to give us long life as well as helps us to get rid of fear over death.

Om Tryambakam yajamahe
Sugandhim pushtivardhanam
Urvarurkamiva bhandhanam
Mrityor mukshiya ma -mrtat.

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

Nataraja the Lord of Chidambaram

Shiva who dances the thandava(male form of vigourous dance, presides over the temple in Chidambaram, You rarely find him in temples of North India.

Krupasamudhram, Sumukhan , Trinethram,
Jada dharmam Parvathy vama bhagam,
Sad shivam, Rudram anatha roopam,
Chidambaresam hrudhi bhavayami/

I salute with all my heart,
The Lord of Chidambara,
Who is the ocean of mercy,
Who is always pleasant,
Who has three eyes,
Who wears tuft of hair,
Who is always peaceful,
Who is full of anger
And who is an endless shape.

Vaidyanatha

The name means Lord of the doctors (a form of Shiva) and prayer to him is supposed to help in curing of diseases.He is the presiding deity in Vaitheeswaran Koil ,This temple also houses a separate temple for Chovvai. It is believed that Lord Rama pergformed the obsequies to Jadayu in this place.

Sri Rama Soumithri Jadayu Veda shadadanadithya Kujarchithaya,
Sri Neela kadaya dhaya mayaya Sri Vaidyanathaya Namasivaya.

My salutations to the great Lord Shiva,
Who is the chief among all physicians,
Who has been worshipped by Rama , Lakshmana and Jadayu,
And who has also been worshipped by Vedas, Subrhamanya, Sun and the mars.

Viswanatha the Lord of Kasi

The most holiest temple of Lord Shiva is in Varanasi also called Benares.The presiding deity in the temple is Viswanatha.Prayer to him is supposed to grant all wishes.

Ganga tharanga ramaneeya jada kalapam,
Gowri niranthara vibhooshitha vama bhagam,
Narayana priya managa mathapaharam,
Varanaasi pura puthim bhaje viswa natham.

Salutations to the lord of universe,
Who is the chief of the city of Benares,
Whose tuft is adorned,
By waves of river Ganga,
Who always keeps his consort,
In the left side of his body,
Who is dear to Lord Narayana
And who destroyed the pride of the God of love.

Ardha Nareeswara

Lord Shiva has given half his body to his consort Goddess Parvathy.This form of God has half of its bode as Shiva and the other half Goddess Parvathy.

Ambho dhara syamala kundalayai,
Tadith prabha thamra jada daraya,
Nireeswarayai, nikhileswaraya,
Nama sivayai cha Nama shivaya

Salutations to the consort of Shiva,
And salutations to the Lord Shiva,
To her who has long shining black hair,
To Him who has thick ,woven copper coloured tuft,
To her who is beyond all Gods,
And to Him who is the God of all universe.

Dakshinamurthy

This the holy form of Shiva in the guise of a teacher.The young Shiva who normally faces the south teaches the oldest and wisest sages just by his silence. People who meditate on Lord Shiva with a view to get knowledge leading to salvation prefer to meditate on Dakshinamurthy.

Gurave sarva lokanam, bhishaje bhava roginam,
Nidhaye sarva vidhyanam, Dakshinamurthaye nama

Salutaions to thr God of South,
Who is the teacher of all the world,
Who is the doctor for all diseases,
And who is the store house of all knowledge.

Shiva Lingam

Lord Shiva is normally worshipped in the form of Linga Except for a few exceptions like Nataraja , Dakshinamurthy etc, he is always represented in the form of Linga.

Deva muni pravararchitha lingam,
Kama Dahana karunakara lingam,
Ravana darpa vinasana lingam,
That pranamai Sada shiva lingam.

Salutations to the Linga which is ever peaceful,
Who is worshipped by Gods and sages,
Who burnt in to ash the God of love,
Who is the giver of mercy,
And who destroyed the pride of Ravana.

Subrahmanya

Most popular God of Tamils is the son of Lord Shiva.He killed the demon Sura Padma. And was the Commander in chief of the army of Devas.

Shadananam Chandana lepithangam,
Mahorasam Divya mayura vahanam,
Rudrasya soonum Suraloka nadam,
Brahmanya devam saranam prapadye

My salutations to God of Brahma,
Who has six faces,
Whose limbs are coated with sandalwood,
Who is the essence of everything,
Who rides on the holy peacock,
Who is the sin of Rudra,
And who is the chief of the world of Devas.

Hey Swaminatha karunakara deena bandho,
Sri parvatheesa muka pankaja padma bandho,
Sreesadhi deva gaa poojitha pada padama,
Vallesanada mama dehi karavalambham.

Oh Lord of Lord Shiva,
Oh store house of mercy,
Oh God who is nearest to the poor,
Oh God who is nearest to the lotus faced Shiva,
Oh God whose feet are worshipped by devas led by Vishnu,
Oh God who is Lord of Valli,
Please give me a helping hand.


Nandi

The big bull on which Lord Shiva rides.It is believed that before entering the temple of Shiva we are to take his permission.

Nandikesa Maha Bhaga, Shiva dhyana parayana,
Gowri sankara sevartham Anugnam dathumarhasi.


Oh Lord Nandi who is Lord of all bulls,
Who is immersed in prayer of Shiva,
Please give me permission,
To worship Lord Sankara with his consort Gowri.




Vishnu
The most important God of the trinity according to Vaishnavites , is in charge of looking after what has been created.He took nine avataras(incarnations) in the past viz. Matsya( Fish). Koorma (Totoise), Varaha( Boar), Narasimha (man- lion) , Vamana (dwarf) , Parasurama, Balarama and Krishna.. He is the most popular Indian deity.


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

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

Rama
Sri Rama , one of the greatet incarnations of Vishnu, showed the world how a man ought to live.It is believed that just uttering his name destroys all the sins committed.His story is Ramayana,

Aapadam apa hartharam dhataram sarva sampadam,
Lokabhi ramam Sri ramam bhooyo bhooyo namamyaham.

My prostrations to that Sri Rama,
Who removes all dangers in life,
Who gives all riches to his devotees,
And who is the darling of all the world.

Aarhanaam aarthi hantharam bheethanam bheetha nasanam,
Dwishatham kaladandam tham Ramachandram namamyaham

My salutations to that Ramachandra,
Who wipes of all miseries of the miserable,
Who wipes away all fear from those afraid,
And who is the God of death to his enemies.

Krishna

The second most important of Vishnu.He is impish, mischievous andgreat.His story is Bhagavatha.

Vasu deva sutham devam Kamsa Chanura mardhanam,
Devaki pramanandam Krishnam vande jagat gurum,

My salutations to Lord Krishna,
Who is the teacher of all the world,
Who is the son of Vasu deva,
Who killed Kamsa and Chanura,
And who is the darling of Devaki

Hare murare madhu kaita bhare, gopala Govindas Mukunda Sowre,
Yagnesa Narayana Krishna Vishno, Nirasrayam maam Jagadesa Raksha.

Oh God Hari,
Oh God who killed Mura,
Oh God who killed Madhu and Kaitabha,
Oh God who is protector of cows,
Oh God who lifted the earth,
Oh Lord , who gives immortal bliss,
Oh God who is hero among heroes,
Oh God who is the Lord of fire sacrifice.
Oh God in whom all souls reside,
Oh God who is black in colour,
And Oh Lord who is Vishnu himself,
I have become very helpless,
And So Oh Lord who is the master of universe,
Be pleased to save me.

Mookam karaothi vaachaalam , Pankum lankayathe girim,
Yat kripa thamaham vande paramananda madhavam.

Beseeching for his grace,
I bow before the great Madhava,
Who is storehouse of happiness,
Who makes the dumb one an orator,
And makes the lame one climb a mountain.

Venkatesa

The Lord of Thirupathi, which is the most holy temple of in South India.He along with his two consorts Padmavathi and Bhoodevi resides at the top of the hill. People who turn to him at the time of distress are in millions.He is also called Balaji, Ezhumalayan,, Malayappa Swami etc.

Srimad krupa jala nidhe sritha sarva loka,
Sarvagna, shaktha, nadavatsala, sarva seshin,
Swamin, Susheela, Sulabhasritha Paarijatha,
Sri Venkatesa charanow saranam prapadhye.

I fall at the feel of Lord Venkatesa,
Who is the river of mercy,
Who takes care of all the world,
Who is all knowing,
Who is dear to his devotees,
Who is universally able,
Who is store house of good qualities,
And who is the divine flower which can be attained easily,

Hayagreeva

The horse faced form of Vishnu is worshipped as the God of learning by the Vaishnavas.

Gnananda mayam devam nirmala spatikakruthim,
Aadharam sarva vidhyanam Haya greevam upasmahe.

My salutations to Lord Hayagreeva,
Who is personification of knowledge,
Who is as clear as the crystal,
And who is the foundation of all knowledge.

Narasimha

The angry incarnation of Vishnu in the form of man-lion is another popular incarnation of Vishnu. He emanated from a pillar to kill Hiranya Kasipu.

Govinda, Kesava, Janardhana, Vasudeva,
Viswesa, Viswa, Madhu sudhana, Viswaroopa,
Sri Padmanabha Purushothama, Pushkaraksha,
Narayana achyutha Narsimha namo namasthe

Salutations ans salutations to Lord Narasimha,
Who lifted the earth,
Who killed the asura called Kesi.
Who takes care of woes of people,
Who hides the world by illusion,
Who is the Lord of the universe,
Who is universe itself,
Who killed the asura called Madhu,
Who has form like the universe,
Who has a lotus on his belly,
Who is the greatest among males,
And who has lotus like eyes.

Ranganatha

The Lord of Sri Rangam, the most holiest town of the Vaishnavas is seen as reclining on his snake bed.The greatest exponents of Vaishnavism worshipped this form of Vishnu.

Lakshmi nivase, Jagatham nivase,
Hrut padma vase, ravi bimbha vase,
Krupa nivase, guna brunda vase,
Sri Ranga vase ramatham mano me.

Let the Lord of Sri Ranga,
In whom Lakshmi resides,
In whom the whole world resides,
Who lives in the lotus of my mind,
Who lives in the Sun,
In whom all the mercy resides.
And with whom all good qualities are a part,
Play in my mind always.

Pandu ranga

This form of Vishnu is very popular in Maharshtra and several savants prayed him ecstasically.

Maha yoga peede, thade Bhima nadhya,
Varam pundarikaya thadum munendrai,
Samagathya nishtanda kandam,
Para Brahma lingam bhaje pand rangam.

I sing the praises of Pandu ranga,
Who resides in the great seat of yoga,
In the shore of River Bhima,
The Lotus eyed one who gives boons to sages,
Who attracts devotees to himself,
And who is the personification of truth.

Achyutha

Achyutha means he who never slips or He who never changes. There are few soulful prayers addressed to Lord Vishnu in this form.

Achyuthachutha, hare paramathman,
Rama Krishna purushottama vishno,
Vasudeva bhagawan aniruddha,
Sree pathe ! samaya dhukka masesham.

That Hari who is the soul of soul,
Who has no death,
Who causes death at time of deluge,
Who is Rama and Krisna rolled in one,
Who is the greatest among males,
Who is the God of all the world,
Who never can be stopped,
And who is the lord of Goddess Lakshmi,
Be pleased to destroy all my sorrows.



Bala Krishna

The child form of Krishna has attracted thedevotion of the common man.He is loved in this form like their son by the devotees.

Karara vindena padaravindam,
Padaravinde mukharavindam,
Mukharavinde vinivesayantham,
Vatasya pathrasya pute sayanam,
Balam mukundam manasa smarami.

With all my mind,
I meditate on that baby, Krishna,
Who lies down on a banyan leaf,
Holding his lotus like feet,
By his lotus like hands,
And touching his lotus like face ,
By His lotus like feet,
And who attracts all by his lotus like face.

Mukunda

Mukunda means he who gives immortal bliss. One of the greatest savants of Vaishnavism Prince Kula Shekara Azhwar, prayed to Lord Vishnu in this form.

Sri Vallabhethi Varadhethi Dhaya Parethi,
Bhakthi priyethi Bhavaluntana kovidhethi,
Nathedhi, Naga sayanethi, Jagannivasa,
Thyalapinam prathi dinam kuru maam mukunda

Oh my lord who can only give delivarance,
Please make me capable of chanting every day,
Thy names such as,
Lord of all beings, He who can give all boons,
He who is the store house of mercy,
He who loves all his devotees,
He who can kill all problems of this world,
He who is Lord of every thing,
He who sleeps on the serpent,
And He who lives every where in this universe



Hanuman

Hanuman is the timeless devotee of Lord Sri Rama and is considered as God himself.People fervently believe that prayers addressed to Hanuman is answered by Lord Vishnu himself.

Yatra yatra Raghu Nada keerthanam,
Tathra tathra krutha mastakanchalim,
Bhashpa vari paripoorna lochanam,
Maruthim namatha rakashasanthakam,

I salute the Lord Hanuman,
Who is the exterminator of Rakshasas,
And who with a deeply bowed head,
And eyes full of tears,
Is present without fail,
Wherever the story of Rama is recited.

Manojavam marutha thulya vegam,
Jithendriyam budhimatham varishtam,
Vathathmajam vanara yudha mukyam,
Sree rama dhootham sirasa namami.

I bow my head befre,
The emissary of Lord Sri Rama,
Who is faster than mind,
Who is as fast as the wind,
Who has won over his senses,
Who is wisest among the learned,
Who is son of God of wind,
And who is the chief among,
An army of monkeys.

Dathathreya

It is the combined form of Vishnu, Brahma and Shiva and is a popular God of Karnataka and Maharashtra,

Jatadharam, Pandurangam,
Soolahastham Krupanidhim,
Sarvaroga haram devam,
Dathathreyamaham bhaje.

My salutations to Dathathreya.,
Who is with matted hair ,
Who is Lord Vishnu,
Who holds soola in his hand,
Who is store house of mercy,
And who is the panacea for all illness.

Sastha ( Iyappa)

Dharma Sastha and his incarnation Iyappa , who is the son of Shiva and Vishnu is one of the most poupular Gods of Kerala.His temple is in Sabarimalai. Millions of devotees visit his temple every year.
Loka Veeram , Maha poojyam , sarvam raksha karam vibhum,
Parvathy hrudayanandam, Sastharam Pranamamyaham.

My salutations to Sastha,
Who is the hero of the world,
Who is the one who is the greatest,
Who is the Lord who protects every thing,
And who gives pleasure to the mind of Parvathy

Vipra poojyam, Viswa vandhyam, Vishnur shambho priyam Sutham,
Kshipra prasada niratham Sastharam Pranamamyaham.


My salutations to that Sastha,
Who is woshipped by realized souls,
Who is saluted by the world,
Who is the darling son of Vishnu and Shiva,
And who can always be easily pleased.


Sun

Adhi deva Namasthubhyam,
Praseeda mama Bhaskara.
Divakara namasthubhyam,
Prabhakara namosthuthe.

Salutations to you , oh, most ancient God,
Show thine mercy on me, Oh God who brings light,
Salutations to you who brings the morn,
And to you who is the source of all light.

Lalitha

Worshipping God in the form of mother is an age old practice among Hindus.Of these the most popular Goddess is Lalitha.She is the consort of Lord Shiva and it is believed that by worshipping her , several super human powers can be obtained.

Sindhuraruna vigraham trinayanam manikya mouli spurath
Thara Nayaga sekaram smitha mukhi mapina vakshoruham,
Panibhayam alipoorna ratna chashakam rakthothpalam vibhrathim,
Soumyam ratna gatastha raktha charanam, dhyayeth paramambikam.

Meditate on that Ambika,
Who has a body of the colour of saffron,
Who has the three graceful eyes,
Who has a jeweled crown ,
Adorned by the moon,
Who always has a captivating smile,
Who has high and firm breasts,
Who has wine filled cup made of precious stones,
And reddish flowers in her hands,
Who forever is the ocean of peace,
And who keeps her red holy feet.


Annapurneswari

Another form of Goddess Parvathy .Took this form to give alms to her own consort Lord Shiva.She presides over the holy city of Varanasi.

Nithyaananda kari,Varaa abhya karee,
Soundarya rathnaakaree,
Nirddhotahakila ghora pavaanakaree,
Prathyaksha Maheswaree,
Praaleyachala vamsa pavavakaree,
Kasi puraadheeswaree,
Bhikshaam dehi, krupaa valambana karee,
Mathaa Annapurneswaree.

Hey , Mother Annaprneswari,
Who is The Goddess of Kasi,
Who helps others with kindness,
Who makes all days deliriously happy,
Who gives boons and shelter to all,
Who is the epitome of all beauty,
Who cleans up all sorrows from life,
Who is the ever-visible Goddess of the world,
Who is the star of the family of Himavan,
Please give me alms,
Ocean of kindness and compassion.

Sithala Devi

The Form of Goddess Parvathy which is believed to cure fever.She is worshipped in

Vandeham Seethalam Devim,
Rasabhastham Digambaram,
Marjanee kalasopetham,
Soorpalankrutha masthakam

My Salutations to Devi Sithala,
Who rides on a donkey,
Who wears the directions as dress,
Who holds in her hand the holy pot,this form to get rid of small pox.
Who holds in her hands a broomstick
And who holds in her hand a chaffer.

Meenakshi

A form of Goddess Parvathy as a princess of Pandya Kingdom and is the main deity of the city of Madurai.Literally means “She who is having a fish like eye”.

Jagadamba Kadamba moola vase,
Kamala modakendu mandahase.
Mada mandira charu druk vilase,
Mayi Meenakshi krupam videhi dase.

Oh mother of all universe,
Who lives below a Kadamba tree,
Who has a face like the full moon and Lotus,
Who bestows the world with her sweet smile,
Whose beautiful vision occupies the Madura temple,
And who is my Goodss Meenakshi,
Kindly shower your grace on this your slave.

Mookambika

The Goddess presiding over the city Of Kollur in Karnataka.She is a form of Goddess Parvathy but is supposed to grant wisdom, knowledge and intelligence. She is very popular among Keralites who all wish to teach the first alphabets in font of her on Vijaya Dashami day.

Naana kanchi Vichithra vasthra sahitham,
Naana vidhair bhooshitham,
Naana pushpa sukandha malya sahitham,
Naana janaa sevitham,
Naana veda purana sasthra vinutham,
Naana kalir pradham,
Naana roopa dharmam, mahesa mahishim,
Dyayami mookambikam.

I meditate on that Mookambika,
Who dresses herself in various dresses and silks,
Who is adorned in multifarious ways.
Who wears garlands made of various flowers,
Who is worshipped by different type of people,
Who is recognized by different puranas, Vedas and science,
Who bestows various blessings,
Who takes up various roles ,
And who is the consort of Mahesha.

Durga

She is the fearsome aspect of Goddess Parvathy and was created by her to fight against Shumbha and Nishumbha. She is popular among the entire length and breadth of India.The poor generally prefer to woship her.

Namasthe saranye Shive, saanukamhe,
Namasthe Jagat vyapike viswa roope,
Namasthe jagat vandhya padaravinde,
Namasthe jagat dharini Trahi Durge,

Salutations to her who is the slave of peace ,
And filled with compassion,
Salutations to her who is spread all over the world,
And who is of the form of universe,
Salutations to her whose lotus feet,
Are worshipped by all the world,
Salutations to her who takes care of the world,
Pease take care of me , Oh Durge.

Shyamala

Goddess who is considered as sister of Lord Vishnu.The name means “She who is black”

Manikhya veenam upa laalayanthim,
Madalasam manjula vag vilasam,
Mahendra neela dyuthi komalangim,
Mathanga kanyaam manasa smarami.

I meditate on the daughter of sage Matanga,
Who plays on the jewel studded Veena,
Who is voluptuous and who speaks sweetest words,
Who is worshipped by Indra , the king of devas,
And who has perfectly pretty form.

Lakshmi

The consort of Lord Vishnu , who is the Goddess of wealth.She was born out of the ocean of milk.

Namasthesthu Maha Maye,
Sri Pede Sura Poojithe,
Sankha Chakra Gada Hasthe,
Mahalakshmi Namosthuthe

Salutations to the great enchantress,
Who is the Goddess of wealth,
Who is being worshipped by Devas,
And who holds Conch, wheel and mace in her hands,
Again Salutations to the Mahalakshmi


Angam hare pulaka bhooshanamasrayanthi,
Bhringanga neva mukulabharanam thamalam,
Angikrithakhila vibhuthirapanga leela,
Mangalyadasthu mama mangala devathaya.

To the Hari who wears supreme happiness as Ornament,
The Goddess Lakshmi is attracted,
Like the black bees getting attracted,
To the unopened buds of black Tamala tree,
Let her who is the Goddess of all good things,
Grant me a glance that will bring prosperity.


Kanaka Lakshmi

Lakshmi is the Goddess of wealth.Adhi Sankara as a boy addressed her in this form to bless a poor Brahmin widow with wealth. “ Kanaka” means Gold,

Angam hare pulaka bhooshanamasrayanthi,
Bhringanga neva mukulabharanam thamalam,
Angikrithakhila vibhuthirapanga leela,
Mangalyadasthu mama mangala devathaya.

To the Hari who wears supreme happiness as Ornament,
The Goddess Lakshmi is attracted,
Like the black bees getting attracted,
To the unopened buds of black Tamala tree,
Let her who is the Goddess of all good things,
Grant me a glance that will bring prosperity.


Saraswathi

Mother Goddess in the form of Goddess presiding over knowledge and education.She is the consort of Lord Brahma.

Saraswathi Namasthubhyam, varade Kama roopini,
Vidhyarambham karishyami, sidhir bhavathu me sada.

My salutations to Goddess Saraswathi,
Who can take any form,
Who is the bestower of all boons,
And I start learning now,
With the prayer to her,
To make it very effective.

Yakundendu Thushara Hara Davalam, Ya shubra vastravrutham,
Ya veena vara danda manditha kara, Ya shwetha padmasana,
Ya brahmachyutha Sankara prbhruthibhi Daivai sada poojitha,
Saa maam pathu saraswathi bhagawathi Nissesha jadyabaha.

My saluations to Goddess Saraswathi,
Who is while like a Kunda flower,
Who shines like the full moon,
Who carries in her hand a Veena and a stick,
Who is seated on the throne of white Lotus,
Who is worshipped by the holy trinity,
With a prayer to drive away all my slothfulness.