The Hindu Prayer – Eulogy on Various aspects of Hinduism

Hinduism

-Hinduism is like an all-encompassing ocean. Here, in the West only rational thought is considered essential for science and faith for religion. Hinduism stresses the whole consciousness, which also includes rational thought and faith, and is more universal. It is a living philosophy of life.

-Hinduism is the oldest living religion of the world. Great thinkers all over the world agree with this. Any one individual or a prophet does not formally enunciate Hinduism. It is the collection of revelations to several saints during their period of rigorous and disciplined meditation (Tapasyaa). This collection of revelations is known as the Vedaas.

-Hinduism is a natural way of life. It is not a constructed main road but a self-formed footpath trodden by the continuous walking of masses by their own will and choice. Hinduism is never imposed on any body at any time and is only religion in the world that does not believe in conversion. It wants everyone to realise the Almighty through their own will.

-Hinduism is a symbol of unity. It is not a single religion, but a composite one where people of various religions were put together under a single shade. The diversity of rituals, belief, castes, food, dress, social behaviour, languages and politics have not been able to destroy the deeper spirituality of Hinduism.

-Hinduism is the religion of experience. It is not based on dogmas and creeds to be accepted with blind faith, but is based on self-realisation. -Hinduism allows absolute freedom in the faith and mode of worship, not insisting that God could be reached through only a particular name, place or path.

-Hinduism has sacred scriptures written by women saints, no other religion matching this feature.

-Hinduism states that God is everything and everywhere.

-Hinduism is a religion of love and gratitude, and of tolerance and patience giving due respect to all religions.

OM ॐ

Om is the Akshara, or the imperishable – i.e. God. Om is the Universe, and this is the exposition of Om. The past, the present and the future, all that was, all is, all that will be, is Om. Likewise all else that may exist beyond the bounds of time, that too is Om.

Another word for Om is Pranava (‘Nu’ meaning praise and `Pra’ meaning superior) Thus Om means the best prayer or praise.

The letters AUM also stand for the mantra `Tat Twam Asi’ which means That which you are., Man’s realisation of divinity within himself. This relieves man from the fragmentation of body, mind, psyche and spirit.

Om is composed of three sounds ‘AH’, `00′, `MM’. It is the first word uttered and from it come all the alphabets and all the phonetics.

The letter `AH’ begins the sound of OM and this sound is the first letter of the alphabet in all languages.

The letter `00′ sustains the sound of OM. And finally `MM’ ends the sound of OM.

Hence Om stands for the Trinity – Brahmaa (The Creator), Vishnu (The Sustainer) & Mahesh (The Destroyer).

The Sanskrit `Om’ and the Latin ‘Omne’ come from the same root.’Omkar’

for the Sikhs and `Amen’ for the Christians may also come from the same

root.

The Mantra Om precedes all Hindu prayers. It is the original sound of Brahmaa. It may be practiced silently or vocally. The vibration of it should permeate the whole of our beings. It helps purify the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual aspects of our being.

“On the bow of the mystic syllable Om, place the arrow of the Self, point at the target of Brahman, with an undistracted mind stretch the bow and penetrate the mark,”

– Mundak Upanishad.

Havan Yagya

The Sacrificial Fire

Hindus believe that the purification of the mind and spirit is even more important than the purification of the body. It is through meditation, acts of worship and goodwill to all humanity that this is achieved.

Yagya is one of the most significant forms of Hindu act of worship. The sacred fire has a very special place in all Hindu religious ceremonies. During Yagya, Ghee, food and ‘Havan Samagree’ (consisting of vegetable matter, roots, food stuffs and sandal wood) are offered to the sacred fire. The act of praying while offering these items to the fire is called ‘Aahootee’. The timing of the individual offerings made during the Yagya, should coincide with the utterance of the word ‘Swaahaa’. The offerings should be dropped into the fire with the palm facing up: the offerings should not be thrown in!

During Havan we are not praying to the actual fire in front of us. The fire, ‘Agni’ (in Sanskrit) denotes warmth and light and thus signifies God, Who is radiant and bright, and leads us from darkness to light, untruth to truth, and death to immortality.

During the Yagya, besides the physical acts of worship, we are concentrating on the highest qualities of God that we, mere mortals, are capable of imagining; at the same time we are exalting ourselves to rise above the mental, emotional and spiritual level we are at the time. This is where mere repeating and chanting of the Mantras in a rote manner is not as useful, as when we recited the same with some understanding of the beautiful and rich meaning that they carry.

0 Lord, I pray for the strength and splendour of my powers of speech, respiratory system, sight, hearing, centres of love, feeling and heart, my throat and brain, my hands and arms; my whole body for my personal ends and for the service of all.

THE PANCHA MAHAYAGYAS

There are five great daily sacrifices that are to be performed by every householder.

They are:

1. Brahma Yajna, called also Veda Yajna, sacrifice to Brahman or the Vedas or the sages;

2. Deva Yajna, sacrifice to the celestials;

3. Pitri Yajna, sacrifice to the manes;

4. Bhuta Yajna, sacrifice to all the creatures; and

5. Manushya Yajna, sacrifice to men.

The performance of these five Yajnas is conducive to the spiritual evolution or growth of a man. He gradually learns that he is not a separate entity or isolated creature or isolated unit, but is a part of a great whole. He obtains knowledge by studying the sacred scriptures written by great Rishis. He gets help from his friends, relatives and fellow-beings. His parents gave his physical body. The milk of cows, grains, vegetables and fruits nourishes his body. The five elements help him. He cannot live without oxygen and water. The Devas and the Pitris bless him. Therefore, he owes a fivefold debt to Nature. He must pay back his debt by performing these five sacrifices daily. Further, numerous insects are killed by him unconsciously during walking, sweeping, grinding, cooking, etc. This sin is removed by the performance of these sacrifices.

THE FIVE YAJNAS (or yagyas)

The Rishis, the Devas, the Pitris, the Bhutas and the guests expect help from the householders. Hence, they should perform these five sacrifices daily. Teaching and studying of scriptures is Brahma Yajna; Tarpana or offering of water to the ancestors, and Sraaddha, form Pitri Yajna; Homa or oblations into the fire is Deva Yajna; Bali or offering of food to all creatures is Bhuta Yajna; and hospitality to guests is Manushya Yajna or Atithi Yajna.

Brahma Yajna or Rishi Yajna

Every man should study daily the sacred scriptures. He should share the knowledge with others. This is Brahma Yajna or Rishi Yajna. By so doing, he

pays the debt to Rishis.

Deva Yajna

Lord Krishna says in the Bhagavad Gita: “Having, in ancient times, emanated mankind together with sacrifice, the Lord of Creation said, ‘By this shall ye propagate; be this to you the fulfiller of desires. With this, nourish ye the shining ones, and may the shining ones nourish ye. Thus nourishing one another, ye shall reap the highest good. For, nourished by sacrifice, the shining ones shall bestow on you the enjoyments you desire. A thief verily is he who enjoyeth what they give without returning them anything. The righteous, who eat the remains of the sacrifice, are freed from all sins; but the unpious who cook for their own sake, they verily eat sin” (Ch. III-10, 11, 12, 13). Manu says: ” Let a man ever engage in the study of the Vedas and in the rites of the Devas; engaging in the rites of the Vedas, he supports the movable and the immovable kingdoms.” These sacrifices turn the wheel of life in accordance with the divine will and thus help the evolution of man and the worlds.

Pitri Yajna

Offering libations, etc., to the forefathers, regularly, is Pitri Yajna.

Bhuta Yajna

Distribution of food to cows, dogs, birds, fish, etc., is Bhuta Yajna.

Manushya Yajna

Feeding the poor is Manushya Yajna. Feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, giving shelter to the homeless, comforting the distressed, etc., are all forms of Manushya Yajna. Any kind of service to the suffering humanity is Manushya Yajna. Feeding a guest is Manushya Yajna.

BENEFITS OF THE PANCHA MAHAYAJNAS

By daily doing such acts of kindness and sympathy, man develops mercy. Hatred vanishes. His hard egoistic heart is gradually softened. He cultivates cosmic love. His heart expands. He has a wider outlook on life. He tries to feel his oneness with all beings. His old feeling of separateness on account of selfishness and egoism is gradually thinned and eventually eradicated. He learns that he can be happy only by making others happy, by serving others, by helping others, by removing the sufferings of others and by sharing what he has with others. The five great daily sacrifices teach man his relations with his superiors, his equals and his inferiors.

Man has no separate individual existence. He is connected with the world. He is like a bead in the rosary. His whole life must be a life of sacrifice and duties. Then only he will have rapid evolution. Then only he will realize the supreme bliss of the Eternal. Then only he will free himself from the round of births and deaths and attain immortality.

NOTE: This information, I found on the net. The contains are not mine. Please feel free to contact me if you are the author of this article. Whoever has written its beautiful. I am just being the medium and wanted to share these information to all the Hindu in the world.

Kalabhairavashtakam – Kasi (कालभैरवाष्टकम्)

Kalabhairavashtakam (कालभैरवाष्टकम्)

  By Adi Sankaracharya

 ॥अथ कालभैरवाष्टकम्॥

श्रीगणेशाय नमः ।
देवराजसेव्यमानपावनांघ्रिपंकजं । व्यालयज्ञसूत्रमिंदुशेखरं कृपाकरम् ॥
नारदादियोगिवृन्दवन्दितं दिगंबर । काशिकापुराधिनाथकालभैरवं भजे ॥१॥
भानुकोटिभास्वरं भावाब्धितारकं परं । नीलकण्ठमीप्सितार्थदायकं त्रिलोचनम् ॥
कालकालमम्बुजाक्षमक्षशूलमक्षरं । काशिकापुराधिनाथकालभैरवं भजे ॥२॥
शूलटंकपाशदण्डपाणिमादिकारणं । श्यामकायमादिदेवमक्षरं निरामयम् ॥
भीमविक्रमं प्रभुं विचित्रतांडवप्रियं । काशिकापुराधिनाथकालभैरवं भजे ॥३॥
भुक्तिमुक्तिदायकं प्रशस्तलोकविग्रहं । भक्तवत्सलं स्थितं समस्तलोकविग्रहं ।
विनिक्कणन्मनोज्ञहेमकिंकिणीलसत्कटिं । काशिकापुराधिनाथकालभैरवं भजे ॥४॥
धर्मसेतुपालकं त्वधर्ममार्गनाशकं । कर्मपाशमोचकं सुशर्मदायकं विभुं ॥
स्वर्णवर्णशेषपाशशोभितांगमण्डलं । काशिकापुराधिनाथकालभैरवं भजे ॥५॥
रत्न५पादुकाप्रभाभिरामपादयुग्मकं । नित्यमद्वितीयमिष्टदैवतं निरंजनम् ॥
मृत्युदर्पनाशनं करालदंष्ट्रमोक्षणं । काशिकापुराधिनाथकालभैरवं भजे ॥६॥
अट्टाहासभिन्नपद्मजाण्डकोशसंततिं । दृष्टिपातनष्टपापजालमुग्रशासनं ॥
अष्टसिद्धिदायकं कपालमालिकाधरं । काशिकापुराधिनाथकालभैरवं भजे ॥७॥
भूतसंघनायकं विशालकीर्तिदायकं । काशिवासलोकपुण्यपापशोधकं विभुं ॥
नीतिमार्गकोविदं पुरातनं जगत्पतिं । काशिकापुराधिनाथकालभैरवं भजे ॥८॥
कालभैरवाष्टकं पठन्ति ये मनोहरं । ज्ञानमुक्तिसाधनं विचित्रपुण्यवर्धनं ॥
शोकमोहदैन्यलोभकोपतापनाशनम् । प्रयान्ति कालभैरवांघ्रिसन्निधि नरा ध्रुोवम् ॥९॥

॥इति श्रीमच्छङ्कराछचार्यविरचितं कालभैरवाष्टकम् सम्पूर्णम्॥

Translation
Deva raja sevya mana pavangri pankajam,
Vyala yagna suthra mindu shekaram krupakaram,
Naradadhi yogi vrundha vandhitham digambaram,
Kasika puradhi nadha Kalabhairavam bhaje. 1

I salute Kalabhairava, the lord of the city of Kasi,
Whose lotus like feet is being served by Devendra,
Who is merciful and wears the moon on his forehead ,
Who wears a snake as his sacred thread,
Who wears the different directions as his cloth,
And who is worshipped by sages like Narada.

Bhanu koti bhaswaram, bhavabdhi tharakam param,
Neelakanda meepsidartha dayakam trilochanam,
Kalakala mambujaksha maksha soola maksharam,
Kasika puradhi nadha Kalabhairavam bhaje. 2

I salute Kalabhairava, the lord of the city of Kasi,
Who shines like billions of suns,
Who helps us cross this miserable ocean of life,
Who is supreme and has a blue neck,
Who has three eyes and grants us our desires,
Who is the death to the God of death*,
Who has lotus flower like eyes,
Who has the undefeatable trident,
And who does not have decay.
* could also be translated as death to the time.
 
Soola tanga pasa danda pani madhi karanam,
Syama kaya madhi devamaksharam niramayam,
Bheema vikramam prabhum vichithra thandava priyam,
Kasika puradhi nadha Kalabhairavam bhaje. 3
 
I salute Kalabhairava, the lord of the city of Kasi,
Who has a spear, a chord and a stick as weapons,
Who is black in colour and the primeval cause,
Who is deathless and the first God,
Who is free from decay and ill health,
Who is the Lord who is a great hero,
And who likes the special vigorous thandava*

 *dance with male’s vigorous movements. .
 
Bhukthi mukthi dayakam prasashtha charu vigraham,
Bhaktha vatsalam shivam* , samastha loka vigraham,
Vinikwanan manogna hema kinkini lasath kateem,
Kasika puradhi nadha Kalabhairavam bhaje. 4

 I salute Kalabhairava, the lord of the city of Kasi,
Who fulfills desires and also grants salvation,
Who is well known for his pretty mien,
Who is a form of Shiva ,who loves his devotees,
Who is the God of the entire world, 
Who assumes various forms,
And who has a golden waist thread,
On which jingling bells are tied.
* Another version mentions as Stitham –the one who is static.

Dharma sethu palakam, thwa dharma marga nasakam,
Karma pasa mochakam , susharma dayakam vibhum,
Swarna varna sesha pasa shobithanga mandalam,
Kasika puradhi nadha Kalabhairavam bhaje. 5

 I salute Kalabhairava, the lord of the city of Kasi,
Who maintains the bridge of dharma in life,
Who destroys paths which are not right,
Who saves us from the ties of Karma,
Who is the lord who makes us ashamed ,
When trying to do wrong things,
Who has a shining body because of golden rope ,
With bells tied in various places.

Rathna padukha prabhabhirama padayugmakam,
Nithyamadwidheeyamishta daivatham niranjanam,
Mrutyu darpa nasanam karaladamshtra mokshanam,
Kasika puradhi nadha Kalabhairavam bhaje. 6

 I salute Kalabhairava, the lord of the city of Kasi,
Who has feet adorned by the shine of gem studded sandals,
Who is eternal and does not have any one second to him,
Who is our favorite God who bestows everything,
Who takes away the fear of death from humans,
And who grants them salvation by his terrible teeth.

Attahasa binna padma janda kosa santhatheem,
Drushti pada nashta papa jala mugra sasanam,
Ashtasidhi dayakam kapala malikadaram,
Kasika puradhi nadha Kalabhairavam bhaje. 7
 
I salute Kalabhairava, the lord of the city of Kasi,
Whose loud roar is enough to destroy all those created by Brahma,
Whose sight is sufficient to destroy all sins,
Who is crafty and strict ruler,
Who can grant the eight occult powers,
And who wears the garland of skulls.
 
Bhootha sanga nayakam, vishala keerthi dayakam,
Kasi vasa loka punya papa shodhakam vibum,
Neethi marga kovidham purathanam jagatpathim,
Kasika puradhi nadha Kalabhairavam bhaje. 8
  
I salute Kalabhairava, the lord of the city of Kasi,
Who is the chief of the society of Bhoothas,
Who grants broad based fame,
Who is the lord who judges good and bad deeds,
Of those who live in Varanasi,
Who is an expert in the way of righteousness,
And who is eternally old and lord of the universe.

Kalabhairavashtakam patanthi yea manoharam,
Jnana mukthi sadhanam , vichithra punya vardhanam,
Soka moha dainya lopa kopa thapa nasanam,
Thea prayanthi Kalabhairavangri saniidhim druvam. 9

Those who read this enticing octet on Kalabhairava,
Which is the source of eternal knowledge,
Which increases the effect of righteous deeds,
And which destroys grief, passion, poverty, want and anger,
Would surely reach the holy presence of Kalabhairava.

Translated by: P.R.Ramachander

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Bhairav (श्रीभैरव)

श्रीभैरव

श्रीभैरवलाई भगवान शंकरको पाँचौ अवतार एवं प्रमथादि गणमध्ये एक मानिन्छ । यो स्वरूप लिएर शिवले नृसिंहलाई वशमा ल्यउनु भएको थियो । शिवको अंश भएका भैरवको शक्तिलाई भैरवी भनिन्छ ।
शुद्ध स्फटिक झै हजारौं सूर्य झौ तेजस्वी, नीलो मेघ समान, नीलप्रभायुक्त ठूला-‍ठूला दाँतले गर्दा भयानक मुख भएका, हिंडदा अनेक शब्द निकाल्ने, सर्पका मेखला धारण गर्ने, अग्निको वर्ण झै केश भएका दिगम्बर, कुमारीश एवं महाबलशाली श्रीभैरव सम्पूर्ण योगिनी, भूत-प्रेत तथा पिशाचको अधिपति हुनुहुन्छ । कालो वर्ण, दश हात र तीन नेत्र भएका श्रीभैरवले हातमा खड्ग, त्रिशुल, पासो, डमरु, खप्पर र वरदमुद्रा धारण गर्नु भएको छ । अत्यन्त क्रोधशाली एवं चौंसठ्ठी योगिनीसंगै नाच्दै हिंडने श्रीभैरवले आफ्नो वाहन कुकुरलाई सधैं साथ लिनु हुन्छ ।
भयङ्कर डरलाग्दो स्वरूप भएका श्रीभैरवलाई भूतनाथ, श्मशानवासी, मांसासी, खर्पराशि, पिंगलोचन, कंकालधारी, कपालमाली, भूतध्यक्ष, दैत्यहा, नागपाश, त्रिलोचन, दिगम्बर, योगिनीपति, आदि हजारौं नामले पुकारिन्छ ।

श्रीभैरवले आफ्नो भक्तहरूलाई सबै आपदबाट उद्धार गर्ने, सम्पूर्ण दुःख नाश गर्ने, सबै शत्रुलाई दमन गरी पीडा दिने, सम्पूर्ण रोग तथा डस-त्रासलाई नाश समन गरी अभय गरिदिनु हुन्छ । यस्ता अत्यन्त बलशाली श्रीभैरवको जसले श्रद्धा एवं प्रशन्नतापूर्वक ध्यान गरेर जप गर्दछ त्यसले बल, तेज, यश, सौभाग्य प्राप्त गर्नु साथै उसको सम्पूर्ण मनकामना पूरा हुन्छ ।