My baby steps on
line
By
P.R,Ramachander
It was the
year 2002 .I had just started my
translation of Stotras to
English. In USA my new daughter in
law Smt
SAngeetha Narayanan created
a web site for me to put
all what I have done on line
At that time I had
done only very , very little and I had not given the original lyrics but only
my translations. Here are a few
lines of translation of a famous Guruvayurappan song from that web
site:-
When will my ears,
Drench in sweetness,
Of thy name, Lord Krishna
After hearing thy name,
When will I in ecstasy,
Drown in my tears, my Lord.
After becoming pure,
In this bath of tears,
When will I sing thy name,
For myself, My Lord.
When will I forget,
This land and sky,
After singing for myself, My Lord.
After forgetting the sky,
When will I dance,
In the ecstasy of name, My Krishna.
With the blessings of His Holiness Jayendra Saraswati
Swamigal Of Kamakoti Peetam, Kanchipuram. I have taken a lot of interest to
translate the sanskrit stotras into english language.Hope you will enjoy
reading them. Thanks for using my website.
Dedicated to the new generation Of Hindu Devotees..
History of stotras
The followers of Sanatana Dharma loosely translated as
the Religion Eternal or Truth Eternal otherwise known widely as Hinduism sang
their prayers to their God in Sanskrit. Hindus considered this language as
Girvani -the language of Gods. Possibly when this practice started it was the
language of the educated (Prakrit being the common man's language). After
thousands of years the Hindus have reached a stage when only a very small
minority understand Sanskrit. For the past 2-3 centuries the need to sing to
their God in the language understood and spoken by them was felt by the Hindus
and consequently mellifluous and enchanting prayers in many Indian languages evolved.
Primary invocation
All the Hindu prayers or functions start with the
chanting of the
famous hymn to Vigneswara praying him to remove all the
obstacles
in ones way. It starts with "Shuklambaradaram
." in Sanskrit.
Dressed in white thou art,
Oh, all pervading one,
And glowing with the colour of moon.
With four arms, thou art, Vishnu.
I meditate on thine ever-smiling face,
And pray, " Remove all obstacles on my way".
Vedic invocation
Vedas are possibly the first book ever composed by man.
Apart from story of the spread of Hindus and laws for
him to preserve his religion and culture, it has
several hymns.The best known is given below: -
Sloka starting with " Asathoma .."
From darkness lead me to light,
From ignorance lead me to knowledge,
From death lead me to immortality,
Let there be peace, peace and only peace.
Ganesha
He is the God to whom prayers are offered before the
start
of any work or function. His name means Remover of hurdles
and obstacles in our way (or in our efforts) and he is
the
son of Lord Shiva. He is also called Ganapathi, the lord
of
the army of Shiva. He has a head of an elephant and a
very
big belly. He rides on a mouse. He likes Modakas, a type
of steam cooked sweet
rice balls. He is the only God who
is worshipped with flowers, leaves and grass.
Vaishnavites call him Viswaksena and perform Poojas to
him.
He is possibly the most popular God in all over South
India
and Maharashtra.
Sloka starting with "Gajanananm"
King of elephants,
He who is worshipped by all living souls,
He who eats fruits and savories,
Son of our Goddess Uma*,
He who destroys sorrow,
Salutations to thine lotus feet,
Oh, Lord, the remover of obstacles.
* Another name for Parvathy
Sloka starting with" Mooshika vahanam."
He who rides on a mice,
He who has modakas* in his hand,
He who has ears like a fan,
He who is our source of knowledge,
He who is beautifully dwarf,
He who is son of Easwara, our Lord,
Salutations to Thine lotus feet,
Oh , Lord, the remover of obstacles.
* sweet rice balls
Sloka starting with
"Eka dantam."
He who has only one tusk,
He who has a very big body,
He who shines like a molten gold,
He who has a king- sized belly,
He who has broad deep eyes,
Lord, I bow before Thee,
King of Ganas.
Sloka Starting with"Ambikahridayanandam."
Giver of happiness to Parvathy,
He who worships his mother,
He who is dear to his devotees,
Bundle of energy,
I bow before thee,
King of Ganas*.
* The army of Shiva
Sloka starting with "Pranamya sirasa devam Gowri."
We bow before thee our God,
Remover of all our obstacles, Oh Lord,
He who is Son of Parvathy,
And he who is in his devotee's minds,
If we think of thee my God,
We will get all our wants , God.
Sloka starting with "Sindhooravarnam."
He who is saffron in colour,
He who has two hands,
He who is the chief of all Gods,
He who has a big belly,
He who sits on a lotus,
He who is served by all the devas,
He who is meditated upon by saints,
I bow before thee my God.
Shiva
The Hindu gods form a trinity which consist of Brahma
the creator (or Generator), Vishnu the administrator
(or organizer) and Shiva the destroyer. But among the
gods, Shiva has been and would be the most popular.
He lives in the cremation ground, and adorns himself
with a dead elephants skin. He has a blue neck with
live snakes as ornament. He has given half is body
to his consort Parvathi. He also keeps the waxing
crescent of moon on his head .He is mainly
worshipped in the form of a Linga. The other most
popular form is that Of Nataraja the king of Dance.
His devotees normally meditate on him by repeating
the Panchakshara- "Namasivaya". Here are some
prayers
to him: -
Sloka starting "Kripasamudram".
Sea of mercy,
Pleasant faced one,
Lord with three eyes,
Thou who is bedecked with halo of uncut hair,
He who has given his left half to Parvathy,
He who is always calm and collected,
Personification of awesome ire,
Oh, immeasurable and unfathomable one,
Help me keep you in the portals of my heart,
Lord of Chidambara*.
*The temple town in South India.
Sloka staring with "Hey, Chandrasekara."
Wearer of waxing moon,
Killer of Cupid, God of love,
He who has a Sula* in his hand,
Lord of majestic mountains,
Consort of the daughter of the mountains,
Lord of everything that I know,
Destroyer of all evils and designs,
King of all living in this world,
Eradicator of fear and cowardice,
My Lord of Lords,
Help me cross,
This deep sea of life,
Oh, Lord of Universe, help.
*trident in the weapon of Shiva.
Sloka starting with "Visweswaraya NaraKarnava."
Lord of lords of all universe,
The boat to us all humans,
That helps us
To cross river of ego,
Nectar to the ears of humans,
Wearer of waxing moon,
Coloured thou art like the burning camphor,
Carrier of the halo of
disheveled hair,
Oh Lord, help me thy slave,
To kill this sorrow of poverty,
Oh Lord, you are not in our grip,
We who are in thine pray to thee Lord.
Sloka starting with
" Rudram Pasupathim Stanum.."
Personification of valour,
Lord of us all humans,
Oh, unassailable one,
The one with a bluish neck,
I bow my head before thee,
And I am sure,
That God of death would never visit my house.
Sloka starting with" Gangataranga Ramaneeya."
He who dances on the shores of Ganges,
He whose mien dances along with him,
In whose left resides Gowri forever,
Darling of Vishnu,
The king of Varanasi,
Salutations to thee, Lord of Universe.
Sloka starting with " Matha Cha Pavathy."
My mother is Parvathy,
My father is Lord Shiva,
My relations are the devotees of Shiva,
And I belong to all the world.
Sloka starting with" Dehi Me Kripaya Shambo"
Give me death without pain,
Give me life without dependence,
Oh, Shiva, the God of the universe.
Vishnu
The administrator and organizer of universe,the
second most popular God among the holy trinity,
sleeps on a thousand headed snake,which floats
on the sea of milk. He has two consorts Lakshmi
and Bhoodevi(Earth). Unlike Shiva ,He is a black
like a cloud.Several temples are dedicated to him
in his human forms called avataras.In the original
form he has temples in the form of Anantha
Padmanabha,Narasimha,Panduranga and Venkitachalapathi.
He is worshipped as Narayana, Kesava, Achyuta and so
on. He is meditated with the repetition of Astaksksharam
-"Om Namo Narayanaya". Here are some of the
slokas
dedicated to him: -
Sloka starting with "Akasath Pathitham"
Like all the water,
That falleth from heaven,
Reaches the sea,
Salutations to all Gods,
Reaches me, Kesava* the Lord of Heaven.
keshava - *One of the names of Vishnu,
because he killed an asura called Kesi.
Sloka starting with "Artha Vishanna .."
He who is worried.
He who is afraid,
He who is fearing catastrophe,
He who is diseased,
He who has received bad news,
When he sings out to "Narayana*"
He gets rid of all his sorrows.
Narayana - *Name of Vishnu meaning he who
is born out of water.
Sloka starting with
"Santhakaram Bhujaga. "
Salutations to you Vishnu
Who is personification of peace,
Who sleeps on the giant snake,
Who has a lotus on his belly,
Who is the lord of all Gods,
Who is of the colour of the cloud,
Who does good to every one,
Who is always in the heart of Lakshmi*.
Who is the destroyer of fear,
And lord of all the worlds.
Lakshmi - *Consort of Vishnu , the goddess of wealth.
Sloka starting with " Lakshmi Nivase ,Jagatham
nivase."
He in whom Lakshmi lives,
He who is everywhere in the world,
He who resides in the lotus of my mind,
He who is living in the burning Sun,
He in whom mercy resides,
He in whom all that is good lives,
He who lives in Sriranga*,
Come and live in my mind.
Sriranga - *Temple town in South India where the lord is
sleeping on Adisesha.
Sloka starting with "Andhasya Me ,Hritha.."
Lord , I am blind,
Of the wealth of wisdom in me,
Lord , I am a thief,
Stealing pleasures from my organs,
And I have fallen Lord,
In the deep dark
well of passion,
Save me my Lord Lakshmi Narasimha*,
Give me thine hand of support.
Narasimha - *One of the avatars of Vishnu half man and
half lion.
Sloka starting with"Lakshmipate Kamalanabha."
Darling of Lakshmi,
He who has a lotus on his belly,
The lord of all Gods , Vishnu,
The Krishna who lives in heaven,
He who is stealer of all passion,
He who has eyes like the sea,
He who is all over the universe,
He who is slayer of Kesi*,
He who takes care of the world,
He who is the lord of all universe,
Lord of all Gods,
Give thy hand of support,
For my redemption.
*Kesi is of an asura
Subrahmanya
Also known as Karthikeya , he is the son of Shiva
and Parvathy. He is the commander in chief of the
armies of Devas. He has six faces and twelve hands
and rides on a peacock. He has a flag with a cock
in it. He has two wives Devayani (daughter of Indra
the king of Devas) and Valli ( daughter of an
ordinary hunter king). He is possibly the most
popular God of TamilNadu. Here are some of the
stotras praising him:-
Sloka starting with "Shadananam Kumkuma Raktha
Varnam.."
God with six faces,
Who is of the color of saffron like blood,
He who is brainy among the brainiest,
He who rides on a peacock,
Son of Lord Shiva,
Chief of army of devas,
Lord mine, I bow at your feet.
Sloka starting with " Namameesa Putram .."
Salutations to son of Lord Shiva,
Oh the fairest one,
Who makes the mind of his devotees glad,
He who won over the enemies of all Gods,
He who has eyes of fire like the hoary sun,
He who is a darling of Parvathy*,
The friends of devotees of Shiva,
As sacred as fire to all of us,
Give us thine help, Oh lord.
*Parvathy-consort of Shiva
Sloka starting with "Hey, Swaminatha
Karunakara"
Hey, My master and my Lord,
Ocean of mercy ,
Friend of oppressed,
Darling of the Lord of Parvathy,
He whose feet is worshipped by Gods,
Lord of Valli*,
Give me a hand of support,
For my redemption.
* Valli - Consort of Lord Subrahmanya
Sloka starting with "ishtartha Siddhi.."
Giver of boons,
Enabler of all powers,
Son of our Lord Easwara,
Pet of us all,
Boon giver to the gods of this earth,
He who was born to Ganga*,
He who does good to every one,
I seek refuge in thee Lord.
Ganga -River Ganges
Sloka starting with "Jajvalyamanam Suravranda."
Hey resplendent God,
He who is worshipped by all Gods,
He who has a temple near Kumaradara*,
He who has face
that attracts all,
He who is most handsome of Gods,
I seek refuge in thee Lord.
* Kumaradhara
River near Pazhani
Hanuman
Is it possible for a devotee to become God? Yes,
say the Hindus. Hanuman, who lived in Rama's
shadow all his life , is one of the most popular
Gods. He is the son of Vayu and is a monkey.
He is called Mahabir, the great hero in North India.
Devotees easily identify themselves with his simple
devotion to God Rama. Here are some slokas about
Hanuman:-
Sloka starting with "Manojavam .."
He who has won over his mind,
He who is as fast as wind,
He who controls all his wants,
He who is greatest among intelligent,
Son of Vayu*,
Chief of the clan of monkeys,
I bow before thee, Rama's emissary.
* Vayu- God air.
Sloka starting with "Yatra Yatra Raghunatha"
In all those nooks and Corners,
Where the lord of Raghu* is sung about,
In all such nooks and corners is he,
With tears flooding from the eyes,
Salutations to my Lord Maruthi*,
He who saw the end of all evil ones.
* Raghu-ancestor of Rama, Maruti- another name of
Hanuman.
Sloka starting with "Apatbyo Raksha ."
Anjaneya* my refuge,
Save me from danger always,
And Oh Lord Anjaneya*,
Free me from this bondage,
And give me everlasting peace.
* Anjaneya- Another name of Hanuman meaning son of
Anjana.
Sloka starting with "Prapannanuragam..
The everlasting spring of compassion,
Thou with luster of Gold all over,
He who looks after all of us,
Thou Store house of courage,
Thou who makes all beings good,
He who fights his battles , well,
I worship thee, Son of Vayu,
My holy friend.
Sloka starting with " Namaste
Sadabrahmacharibya.."
Salutations to thee ever unmarried,
Salutations to thee the son of Vayu,
Salutations to thee with body of steel,
And salutations to Thee emissary of Rama.
Lakshmi
Lakshmi is the Goddess of wealth and is the wife of
Vishnnu. Along with her Lord she sits on Adisesha
but when alone she sits on a red lotus. The God of
love, Manmatha the God of love is her son. She came
out of the sea of milk when churned by the Suras and
Asuras . Here are a few hymns to pray her:-
Sloka starting with"Mahalakshmim Namastubyam.."
Salutations to Mahalakshmi*,
Salutations to Goddess of Devas,
Salutations to darling of Vishnu,
Salutations to the Ocean of Mercy.
*Mahalakshmy-A name of Goddess Lakshmy meaning
great Lakshmi.
Sloka starting with"Nama Ksheerarnavasute."
I bow before thee, Daughter of Ocean,
I bow before thee, she who carries the three worlds,
Save me Goddess of Gods,
Darling of the God of Gods.
Sloka starting with" Daridroyth Trahi.."
Save me from poverty, Oh Lakshmi,
Please shower mercy on me,
Salutations to thee who made all the world,
Salutations to thee who made the worlds holy.
Sloka starting with " Adilakshmi Namastubyam.."
Salutations to
thee Adi Lakshmy*,
Personification of all that is holy,
Give me fame, Give me wealth and Give me all I wish.
Salutations to
thee Santhana Lakshmy*,
She who gives me sons and grand sons,
Give me sons, Give me wealth, Give me all I wish.
Salutations to thee
Vidyalakshmy*,
Personification of holy knowledge,
Give me knowledge, give me arts , give me all I wish.
Salutations to thee
Danalakshmy*,
Destroyer of poverty,
Give me wealth, give me fame, give me all I wish.
Salutations to thee
Danyalakshmy*,
She who is adorned with ornaments,
Give me cereals, Give me wealth, give me all I wish.
Salutations to thee Gajalakshmy* ,
Personification of all Gods,
Give me cattle, give me wealth, give me all I wish.
Salutations to thee Veeralakshmy* ,
She who is the form of all strength,
Give me valour, give me strength ,give me all I wish.
Salutations to thee Vijayalakshmy* ,
She who leads one to victory in all,
Give me victory,Give me happiness, give me all I wish.
*Adilakshmy-The primeval form of Lakshmy
*Santhanalakshmy-She who gives us Children
*Vidyalakshmy-She who gives us knowledge
*Dhanalakshmy-She who gives us wealth
*Danyalakshmy-She who gives us grains
*Gajalakshmy- She who gives us animal wealth
*Veeralalakshmy- She who gives us courafe
*Vijayalakshmy- She who gives us victory.
Parvathi
Among the goddesses in India she is the most popular.
She is worshipped as
Shakthi -the primal power behind
every God. She is the wife of Shiva and has several
forms. In her ferocious form , she is Durga or Kali.
In her mild forms she is Annapurni , Akhilandeswari
or Rajarajeswari. She is also the mother of Ganesha
and Subrahmanya and sister of Vishnu. Here are a few
hymns to pray her.
Sloka starting with "Na thatha , ne matha."
Oh Bhavani*, my Goddess divine,
I do not have father nor mother,
I do not have relations, nor the giver
I do not have sons nor daughters,
I do not have wife nor knowledge,
Nor do I have work to do,
So you are my refuge and only refuge Bhavani*.
*Bhavani - Another name of Parvathy.
Sloka starting with"Nityananadakari."
She who is always drowned in bliss,
Giver of boons to thine devotees,
She who is as beautiful as a pearl,
She who makes everything holy,
She who is Goddess present with us,
She who is a refuge of us at the end of the world,
She who is the queen of Kasi*,
Please give me alms, mother of mercy,
Goddess of Food for the needy.
* Kasi- modern day Benares, a holy town for Hindus.
Sloka starting with "Srichakra Madye Sthithe"
She who resides in the middle of Srichakra*,
She who destroys evil spirits and bad men,
She who burns away
passions entire,
She who is free from passion,
Salutations to thee oh, my mother.
* Srichakra- A holy design representing Goddess
in all her forms.
Sloka starting with"Matharme, Madhu.."
My dearest mother,
Destroyer of Madhu and Kaidabha,
She who stole the soul of Mahisha*,
She who killed Doomralochana*,
Hey ,killer of Chanda* and Munda*,
She who took away from this earth,
Rakthabija* - the most aweful
Oh Goddess , who killed Nishumba*,
Killer of Shumba*,
Annihilate all my sorrows.
* Different Asuras whom the Goddess killed.
Sloka starting with"Ashtou Bhujangim.."
She who has eight hands,
The killer of Mahisha*,
She has a conch and a wheel in her hands,
She who is armed with bows and spears,
She who is a sage beyond compare,
She who was born with the Vedas,
I bow at your feet, Mother Durga*.
* Mahisha an asura, Durga- a fiery form of the Goddess.
Sloka starting with"Ya Devi Sarva Bhuteshu.."
To her who is in every being,
In the form of Vishnu Maya,
To her my salutations, salutations
And salutations.
To her who is in every being,
In the form of action and knowledge,
To her my salutations, salutations
And salutations
To her who is in
every being,
In the form of pure Intelligence,
To her my salutations, salutations
And salutations
To her who is in every being,
In the form of peaceful slumber,
To her my salutations, salutations
And salutations
To her who is in every being,
In the form of mental strength,
To her my salutations, salutations
And salutations
To her who is in every being,
In the form of thirst to know,
To her my salutations, salutations
And salutations
To her who is in every being,
In the form of soulful shame,
To her my salutations, salutations
And salutations
To her who is in every being,
In the form of everlasting peace,
To her my salutations, salutations
And salutations
To her who is in every being,
In the form of soulful mercy,
To her my salutations, salutations
And salutations
To her who is in every being,
In the form of mother divine,
To her my salutations, salutations
And salutations.
Sloka starting with"Sarva Mangala Mangalye"
She who is holy among the holiest,
Consort of my Lord Shiva,
She who is the giver of all boons,
I seek thine grace,
Goddess of three forms,
To thee Narayani*,
My salutations.
* Narayani- Another name for Parvathy.
Krishna
Possibly the most popular avatara of Vishnu
is Krishna who is worshipped as a little baby
by Yasoda, as a sweet heart by Radha, as the
all knowing one by Pandavas and as an extra
ordinary friend by Kuchela . He can be
worshipped in several aspects. His devotees
become a mother or father to him or a sweetheart
to him or a great disciple to the master or a
close friend to whom you can open up your mind.
Though born to Devaki and Vasudeva in prison,he
was brought up by the Cowherd king
Nandagopa
and his queen
Yasoda. His greatest contribution
to humanity is the philosophy that he expounded
in Bagawat Geeta. Here are some slokas about him:-
Sloka starting with"Vasudeva sudham devam.."
God, who is son of Vasudeva*,
Slayer of Kamsa* and Chanura*,
He who gives ecstasy to Devaki*,
I worship thee, Krishna,
The teacher of all the world.
*Vasudeva - Father of Lord Krishna,
*Kamsa - Uncle of Krishna
*Chanura - a wrestler in the employ of Kamsa
*Devaki - Natural mother of Krishna.
Sloka starting with "Kasturi Tilakam .."
He who wears Tilaka* made of Kasturi*,
In his broad forehead,
Wearer of Koustuba* , the rarest of gems,
In thine majestic chest,
In the bridge of thine nose,
Thou wearest the rarest of pearls,
In thine pretty hand thou has a flute,
And beautiful
bangles of Gold.
Thou wearest soulful sandal,
All over thine body,
And thou rarest of all gems in this world,
Thou playest with the Gopika* damsels,
As thou playest with my mind, always.
*Tilaka - The
crimson dot worn on the forehead
*Kasturi - musk
*Koustuba - a rare jewel
*Gopika - cowherd women living in Brindavan.
Sloka starting with "lokan Unmadhayan"
He who makes all the world ecstasic,
He who gives us the essence of Vedas,
He who can melt mountains by his music,
He who can benumb all beings with love,
He who makes all cows delirious with happiness,
He who makes all the cowherds astonished,
He who makes sages and saints love this world,
He who gives soul to the seven notes,
He who gives meaning to the eternal sound "Om"
Please send the music of flute to me,
To make my life thine.
Sloka starting with "Adaram Madhuram ."
Sweet are thine lips, Krishna,
So are thine sweet cherubic face,
Sweet are thine
jet black eyes, Krishna
So is thine soulful laugh,
Sweet is thine loving heart, Krishna
So is thine beautiful gait,
Hey king of all sweetness in this world,
Everything about Thee is sweet.
Sloka starting with "Karara Videna "
With Thine pretty hands, divine babe,
You hold Thine tender feet,
And with Thine tiniest
of feet,
Thou touchest Thine divine face
And Oh my Lord,
Thou bewitches us all by thine pretty face,
Heh little babe, thou who sleepest ,
On a tiny banyan leaf,
You are with me, little babe,
Give me all thine love.
Sloka starting with " Anganam Anganam Andare"
Between two beautiful Gopis*,
There is one cherubic Krishna,
Between two handsome Krishnas
There is one sweet little Gopi*,
In this Round robin of ,
Soulfl play with Gopis*,
My lord Krishna plays a soulful flute.
Gopi - *Cowherd women of Brindavan.
Rama
Possibly the most perfect avatara of Vishnu, Rama
has been the model for each and every Hindu since
ages. He was a super human being model of courtesy
and male hood , dutiful son, right husband, loving
brother , hero of heroes and so on. The epic
Ramayana sings about him. His name means, he who
attracts. How true ! Here are some slokas in his
praise.
Sloka starting with "Ramam Lakshmana Poorvajam
.."
Lakshman's elder brother, Rama,
The star of Raghus clan, Rama,
Seetha's Lord of Lord Rama,
Enchanting one, Rama,
Ocean of mercy, Rama
Treasure of all that is good, Rama,
Lover of devotees of God, Rama,
Lover of all who are just, Rama,
King of kings, Rama,
Votary of truth, Rama,
Son of Dasaratha , Rama,
He who is beautifully black, Rama,
He who is peace personified, Rama,
Salutations to thee,
Bewitcher of the world,
And he who is a
diamond of Raghu's clan,
And killer of Ravana.
Sloka starting with :Sree Ramachandra Charanu
Manasa"
I think in my mind of Holy Rama's feet,
Words that shower from my mind too are thee,
I bow my head at Holy Rama's feet,
And I seek refuge in holy Rama's feet.
Sloka starting with "Matha Rama"
My mother is Rama,
So is he my father,
My master is Rama,
So is he my friend,
Rama the merciful,
Is everything to me,
So I know not anything except Rama.
Sloka starting with " Dakshine Lakshmano".
In his south is
Lakshmana , his brother dear,
At his left is Seetha, the daughter of Janaka,
In front of him is Hanuman his glorious friend,
I pray to thee lord, the son of Raghu.
Sloka starting with "Sree Rama Rama Raghunandana
"
Rama, Rama, thou art the son of Raghu,
Rama, Rama, thou art brother of Bharata,
Rama, Rama, thou are victorious in all battles.
Rama, Rama, I seek refuge at thine feet, Rama
Nama Ramayana
A devout Hindu believes that if he reads Ramayana
( The story of Rama) daily , he would be nearing
his God.He also would like to meditate on the name
'Rama' , so that all his sins are washed off.
Nama Ramayana is the story of Rama written for this
purpose. Apart from condensing the story , it helps
the devotees to meditate on the different sterling
aspects of Rama.Here is a translation in English
to help the devotees to do just that.
Bala Kanda
My Rama, Essence of all that is Godly, My Rama
My Rama, Essence of the destroyer, My Rama
My Rama, Who sleeps on the snake Sesha, My Rama
My Rama, Who was saluted by Brahma and all Devas, My Rama
My Rama, Who was born in Sun's dynasty, My Rama
My Rama, Who was a source of joy to Dasaratha, My Rama
My Rama, Who made life of Kausalya very happy, My Rama
My Rama, Who was most dear to Viswamitra, My Rama
My Rama, Who killed ogress Thadaka in the deep forest, My
Rama
My Rama, Who drove away Maricha, My Rama
My Rama, Who saved the prestige of Koushika, My Rama
My Rama, Who helped Ahalya to regain form, My Rama
My Rama, Who was worshipped by Goutama the sage, My Rama
My Rama, Who was given boons by Gods and Sages, My Rama
My Rama, Who was darling of people of Mithila, My Rama
My Rama, Who broke the bow of Trayambaka, My Rama
My Rama, Who was garlanded by Princess Sita, My Rama
My Rama, Who became happy marrying Sita, My Rama
My Rama, Who destroyed the ego of ParasuRama, My Rama
My Rama, Who looked after the people of Ayodhya, My Rama
Ayodhya Kanda
My Rama, Who is personification of all good, My Rama
My Rama, Who was darling of all citizens, My Rama
My Rama, Who was like the full moon in a cloudless sky,
My Rama
My Rama, Who obeyed the words of his father, My Rama
My Rama, Who was worshipped by his friend Guha, My Rama
My Rama, Who was taken care of by Guha, My Rama
My Rama, Who was worshipped by Sage Bharadwaja, My Rama
My Rama, Who lived in Chitra Koota Mountains, My Rama
My Rama, Who became sad by death of Dasaratha, My Rama
My Rama, Who was requested to return by Bharata, My Rama
My Rama, Who did the obsequies for his father, My Rama
My Rama, Who gave his shies to Bharta, My Rama
My Rama, Who went to Dhandaka Forests, My Rama
Aranya Kanda
My Rama, Who killed the Bad Virata, My Rama
My Rama, Who was worshipped by Sage Sarabhanga, My Rama
My Rama, Who was blessed by Sage Agastya, My Rama
My Rama, Who was honoured by King of Eagles, My Rama
My Rama, Who lived near five banyans, My Rama?
My Rama, Who insulted the voracious Surpanaka, My Rama
My Rama, Who killed Khara and Dhushana, My Rama
My Rama, Who chased the deer wanted by Sita, My Rama
My Rama, Who killed Mareecha in deer's form, My Rama
My Rama, Who started searching for the lost Sita, My Rama
My Rama, Who Sent The King of Eagles to Heaven, My Rama
My Rama, Who ate the fruits given by Sabari, My Rama
My Rama, Who cut the hands of Kabanda, My Rama
Kishkinda Kanda
My Rama, Who was served by Hanuman, My Rama
My Rama, Who promised to help Sugreeva, My Rama
My Rama, Who killed the proud Bali, My Rama
My Rama, Who sent monkeys all over the world, My Rama
My Rama, Who was consoled by Lakshmana, My Rama
Sundara Kanda
My Rama, Who was worshipped by the Great Monkeys, My Rama
My Rama, Who removed all obstacles from their path, My
Rama
My Rama, Who is the support of life of Sita, My Rama
My Rama, Who was abused by the bad Ravana, My Rama
My Rama, Who was praised by the great Hanuman, My Rama
My Rama, Who became upset because Sita cried, My Rama
My Rama, Who saw the Chudamani of Sita, My Rama
My Rama, Who was consoled by the great monkey, My Rama
Yudha Kanda
My Rama, Who marched towards Ravana's place, My Rama
My Rama, Who was accompanied by the army of monkeys, My
Rama
My Rama, Who gave protection to Vibhishana, My Rama
My Rama, Who built the bridge across the sea, My Rama
My Rama, Who killed Kumbhakarna, My Rama
My Rama, Who defeated the army of Asuras, My Rama
My Rama, Who made Ravana helpless, My Rama
My Rama, Who slew Ravana in battle, My Rama
My Rama, Who destroyed the bad asuras, My Rama
My Rama, Who saw Dasaratha from the heavens, My Rama
My Rama, Who became Happy on seeing Sita, My Rama
My Rama, Who made Vibhishana the king of Lanka, My Rama
My Rama, Who traveled back in Pushpaka plane, My Rama
My Rama, Who was honoured by Sage Bharadwaja, My Rama
My Rama, Who saved the life of Bharatha, My Rama
My Rama, Who was ornament to the city of Ayodhya, My Rama
My Rama, Who made everybody happy, My Rama
My Rama, Who sat on the throne of gems, My Rama
My Rama, Who was the greatest of Sun dynasty, My Rama
My Rama, Who got the respect from Vibhishana, My Rama
My Rama, Who was honoured by the dynasty of monkey kings,
My Rama
My Rama, Who ruled over the entire world, My Rama
My Rama, Who granted all boons to his devotees, My Rama
Rama, Rama, Victory to you Rama, Rama , Rama
Rama, Rama, Victory to you, Rama
Bhaja Govindam
All the stotras in Sanskrit are in praise of God
and are vehicle of devotion (Bhakti) to the Hindu Gods.
Side by side there were great sages who were searching
the truth (God) in the more esoteric manner. This is the
path of Gnana (realization) .Bhaja Govindam is the real
integration of Bhakthi and Gnana and caters to the common
man as well as the Pundit. These stotras in two parts
were
written by Adi Shankara. Chanting these with
understanding
the meaning is bound to elevate human soul to further
heights.
Pray Govinda, Pray Govinda,
Pray Govinda, You fool,
For all the ken with you,
Will not be there,
When your end is near.
Daily comes the night, eve and morn.
The autumn and spring,
Comes again and again every year.
Time forever plays with life,
But desire does not desert this body forever. . (Pray Govinda..)
The sun in the back,
And the fire behind,
Prevents biting cold during the day,
Knees meet the chin during the night,
To keep one warm.
And food comes by the daily begging,
Life is spent below a tree,
But desire does not desert this body forever. (Pray Govinda..)
Till you are able to earn,
The wealth that everybody yearns,
All the family you love,
Will love and care.
But when the cage of your body gets old,
They would not even ask you,
“How are you?” (Pray Govinda..)
Men with hairs overgrown,
Men with a shaved head,
Men with a well-cut hair,
Men with ochre robes,
See the world,
But pretend they don’t,
And suffer all the way,
To fill their belly forever. (Pray
Govinda..)
Read and imbibe Bhagavat Gita,
Drink a drop of the holy Ganga,
At least once salute the Lord,
Then the God of death,
Will not bother you forever. (Pray
Govinda..)
The limbs have become weak,
The head has become fully bald,
There are no teeth in the mouth,
And the old man totters with an aid of a stick,
But desire does not desert this body ever. (Pray Govinda..)
The child’s mind is engaged in play,
The youths mind is engaged in his lasses charms,
The old man’s mind is full of worries,
But no one thinks of the Ultimate Truth. (Pray Govinda..)
Again and again one is born,
And again and again one dies,
And again and again one sleeps in the mother’s womb,
Help me to cross,
This limitless sea of Life,
Which is uncrossable, my Lord (Pray
Govinda..)
Again and again this dark nights,
Again and again this luster full days,
Again and again these months and years,
But pride and desire never leaves you forever (Pray Govinda..)
Why this passion, when one totters with age,
Why the search for water in the dried up lake,
Why search for relations, when wealth dries,
There is no desire for life,
When you get real knowledge. Of truth (Pray
Govinda..)
A lady’s busts divine,
Her bellies shapely,
They are but gates of deceit,
And the joy that is given out,
Is by flesh and fat alone..
Think of this,
Day in and day out
(Pray Govinda..)
Who am I?
Where from did I come?
Who is my mother ?
Who is my father?
Think of these,
Realize that this world,
Is but a meaningless
mirage,
And Leave this
dream like world (Pray
Govinda..)
Sing the Geetha,
And His thousand names,
Meditate on the Lord of Lakshmi,
Spend time with good souls,
Give all the wealth to the poor. (Pray
Govinda..)
Till the breath is in the body,
All friends ask your welfare,
When it leaves your frame,
Even your darling wife,
Is full of fear of you , Hey fool (Pray
Govinda..)
It is but for pleasure,
That a lady is sought,
Slowly the body gets sick,
The only path leads you,
To your death for sure,
Still no one leaves the sinful ways. (Pray
Govinda..)
Like collecting strewn
rags all the way,
In life one collects sin and good deeds.
Realize that me or
you,
Is not the truth.
In your newly chartered path
Still why are you sad?
(Pray Govinda..)
Take bath in Ganga,
Take a dip in the ocean,
Observe penance,
Give money to charity.
All faiths tell you without fail,
And if you do not realize this truth,
Even in hundred lives,
You will not attain the Lord. (Pray
Govinda..)
You get joy,
Of meditation or passion,
Or you get joy,
In solitude or in company,
But All these are
but impermanent.
Try to make your mind one,
With Para Brahmam,
That is the only permanent joy. (Pray
Govinda..)
BHAJA GOVINDAM –Dwadasha Panjarika Stotra.
(The twelve pearls of wisdom)
Sankara Bhagvat Pada
Pray Govinda, Pray Govinda,
Pray Govinda, You fool,
For all the ken with you,
Will not be there,
When your end is near.
Wealth that you earn,
Has no meaning in life,
The real truth in it, is,
That it gives no pleasure,
The wealthy are but scared,
Even of him whom they beget, (Pray
Govinda..)
Who is your darling wife?
And who is the son whom you love,
This world is but strange,
Who are you, where from you came?
Think of these, Think of these (Pray
Govinda..)
Proud as peacock are you,
Of all the millions that you have,
And of all those who are with you,
Day in and day out,
And of the strength of youth in you.
Time, the thief is doing its job,
Of stealing them by and by,
All these are yes today and no tomorrow. (Pray Govinda..)
Leave out your passion,
Leave out your anger,
Leave out your love for money,
Leave out your yearning in life,
Think and think, who you are?
Those who find it not, are but fools,
And are always happy in hell. (Pray
Govinda..)
He lives in the deep dark forest,
Or below a big banyan,
Sleep he does on the bare floor,
He has given up his all,
Who in this entire world, so big,
Is as happy as he is.
(Pray Govinda..)
You would be one with Him
If but you can see them as one,
Your enemy whom you hate,
Your friends whom you love,
Your sons whom you adore,
And all other friends who are so close.
And if this entire world.
Is to you all and the same.
(Pray Govinda..)
In you and in me is Govinda,
So on whom will you show your ire?
See all as one and one as all,
Leave this difference between one and one. (Pray Govinda..)
Control your senses, you fool,
Withdraw from all your wants,
Try to find the
difference.
Between that which is perennial,
And that which is not ,
Live and think in that He,
This is what will make you,
Decision maker supreme.
(Pray Govinda..)
Like the tiny drop of water,
Floating on a lotus leaf,
The life today is here,
And tomorrow there,
This world full
of aches ,
And bloated ego,
(Which is like an air filled up ball)
Is a place of sorrow.
(Pray Govinda..)
Why this thought ,
Of eighteen countries, Hey Lunatic,
Fold your hands tight,
Think of Him,
Who controls ,
All that in you.
(Pray Govinda..)
With good pals in this world,
You loose desire for things,
With loss of this terrible desire,
You loose passion
for life,
With loss for this passion,
You realize the
truth.
(Pray Govinda..)
With your mind trained,
By your spiritual guide,
You can cross the sea of life,
And once you cross the sea,
You can see the Govinda in your heart. (Pray Govinda..)
Twelve pearls of wisdom
these,
Are taught to those,
Hungry souls,
Suffering all the
life.
(Pray Govinda..)
Annapurnashtakam
These prayer gems addressed to Annapurneswari ,
the queen mother of Varanasi is one of the greatest
stotras in existence. Chanting or singing this will
help one to achieve all ambitions.
Hey , Mother Annapurneswari,
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.
Hey , Mother Annapurneswari,
Who is The Goddess
of Kasi,
Who is adorned with jewels of variety,
Who is dressed in
golden silk,
Who has a
beautiful chest,
Adorned with golden chains full of gems,
Who is the epitome of all beauty,
Please give me alms,
Ocean of kindness and compassion..
Hey , Mother Annapurneswari,
Who is The Goddess
of Kasi,
Who gives bliss through Yoga,
Who destroys enemies,
Who makes dharma
and wealth permanent,
Who shines like moon , sun and fire,
Who takes care of all the three worlds,
Who gives all the wealth,
Who fulfills all wishes,
Please give me alms,
Ocean of kindness and compassion..
Hey , Mother Annapurneswari,
Who is The Goddess
of Kasi,
Who lives in a cave in Mount Kailasa,
Who is also called Gauri, Uma and Sankari,
Who is an ever-blissful maiden,
Who is known only through
meaning of Vedas,
Who is personification of “OM”,
Who opens the gates of
Moksha,
Please give me alms,
Ocean of kindness and compassion..
Hey , Mother Annapurneswari,
Who is The Goddess
of Kasi,
Who is the vehicle of the seen and unseen ,
Who is carrying
the universes inside her,
Who cuts of attachment to this world,
Who is the beacon of light for all science,
Who makes the Lord
of Universe happy,
Please give me alms,
Ocean of kindness and compassion..
Hey , Mother Annapurneswari,
Who is The Goddess
of Kasi,
Who is the Goddess of earth and its beings,
Who is the knowledge, wealth and valour of the world,
Who is the ocean of compassion,
Who has lustrous blue hair,
Who gives happiness to all,
Who is personification of happiness,
Please give me alms,
Ocean of kindness and compassion..
Hey , Mother Annapurneswari,
Who is The Goddess
of Kasi,
Who is described by all alphabets,
Who gives Shambhu
the three powers,
Who is Kashmira the Goddess of three cities,
Who is the intoxicant in three forms,
Who gives rise to daily existence,
Who is the enemy of all sorrows,
Who fulfills the desire of every one,
Who is dawn in life of all,
Please give me alms,
Ocean of kindness and compassion..
Hey , Mother Annapurneswari,
Who is The Goddess
of Kasi,
Who is adorned with all precious gems,
Who is the daughter of Daksha,
Who is the epitome of beauty,
Who feeds all the world her milk of song and writing,
Who is the Goddess of all ,
Who is the fortune of all,
Who fulfills the wishes of devotees,
Who always does good,
Please give me alms,
Ocean of kindness and compassion.
Hey , Mother Annapurneswari,
Who is The Goddess
of Kasi,
Who is like billions of moon , sun and fire,
Whose smile is like the rays of the moon,
Whose hair has the luster of moon, sun and fire,
Who is coloured like the moon and the sun,
Who has a chain of beads and a book in her hands,
Who has a spear
and rope also in her hands,
Please give me alms,
Ocean of kindness and compassion.
Hey , Mother Annapurneswari,
Who is the darling of Sankara,
Please give me
alms,
Of knowledge and
renunciation.,
For me forever.
My mother is Goddess Parvathy,
My father is God Maheswara,
My relations are the devotees of Shiva,
And my country is the universe.
Meanings of those marked in Italics :
Annapurneswari - A form of Parvathu with a pot of food in
one hand and ladle in another.
Kasi - Modern Benares , the holiest city of Hindus
Himavan - The Himalaya Mountains , the father of Goddess
Parvathi
Yoga - A mental and physical disciopline used by Hindus
to get Moksha.
Dharma - The ultimate duty
Kailasa - The Mountain on which Lord Shiva and Parvathy live.
Gauri,Uma,Sankari – Names of Goddess Parvathy.
Vedas - The four holy books of Hindus.
OM - Pranava the first and most holy sound
Moksha - Salvation
or hindu concept of becoming one with God
Shambu - Name of God Shiva
Kashmira - One of the names of Goddess Parvathy
Daksha - Father of Sati devi alias Goddess Parvathi
Sankara - Name of God Shiva
Parvathy - Literally daughter of mountains, the consort
of Lord Shiva
Maheswara - Lord of the the Universe , a name of Lord
Shiva
Guruvayurappan
One of the major approaches to God in Hinduism is through
love…
The prime example of this is the Nayaki-Nayaka bhava, the
love
of a sweet heart to her beloved expounded by savants like
Gouranga
MahaPrabhu and Jaya Deva, that of a son to his mother as
expounded
by Ramakrishna Paramahamsa etc.One of the rare examples
of this
love is that of
parent to their beloved child.This is the form in
Guruvayur in Kerala whose presiding deity is the impish
babe
Guruvayurappan..Several poets have poured their heart out
to this
child. Here are two examples:-
Names of Her
When will my ears,
Drench in sweetness,
Of thy name, Lord Krishna
After hearing thy name,
When will I in ecstasy,
Drown in my tears, my Lord.
After becoming pure,
In this bath of tears,
When will I sing thy name,
For myself, My Lord.
When will I forget,
This land and sky,
After singing for myself, My Lord.
After forgetting the sky,
When will I dance,
In the ecstasy of name, My Krishna.
In an ecstatic dance,
When will I erase,
The designs in the floor of life, My Lord.
After erasing the design,
When will I jump with glee,
With happiness and joy, My Krishna.
When will I fall in thine lap,
After the jump with glee,
Mother dear.
When I sleep, my mom,
After falling in thine lap,
With joy and happiness, My Mom.
Narayana Jaya
You are the coral from the deep sea,
Which was found by Gopis, Narayana
You are that divine flower,
Which flowered in the river of devotion, Narayana
You are that divine Sound,
That makes the roaring Gokula Silent, My Narayana.
You are the divine word,
Which will never leave once it wets my toungue, Narayana
You are the divine song of joy,
That makes you forget the world, Narayana.
You are the divine water,
That is taken by Brahma and Devas, Narayana
You are the yearning sigh of love,
That comes out in the Veena of Narada, Narayana
You are that four letter holy name,
That was seen as heaven by Ajamila, Narayana.
For sinners, it is tough,
To sing thy name, Narayana,
Hey tounge, you who lifts up to talk,
Will you sing today, Narayana.
You are the boat shown by Madhava,
To cross this dreadful life, Narayana
Hey Narayana, We will drown today,
In the sweetness of your name, Narayana.
Naryana Hare, Narayana Hare,
Narayana Hare, Narayana Hare.
