श्रीसंकष्टनाशनं गणपतिस्तोत्रम् – Sankata Nashana Ganapati Stotra

।। श्रीसंकष्टनाशनं गणपतिस्तोत्रम् ।।

श्रीगणेशाय नमः । नारद उवाच । 

प्रणम्य शिरसा देवं गौरीपुत्रं विनायकम् । भक्तावासं स्मरेनित्यं आयुःकामार्थसिद्धये ॥१॥

प्रथमं वक्रतुण्डं च एकदन्तं द्वितीयकम् । तृतीयं कृष्णपिङ्गाक्षं गजवक्त्रं चतुर्थकम् ॥२॥

लम्बोदरं पञ्चमं च षष्ठं विकटमेव च । सप्तमं विघ्नराजेन्द्रं धूम्रवर्णं तथाष्टमम् ॥३॥

नवमं भालचन्द्रं च दशमं तु विनायकम् । एकादशं गणपतिं द्वादशं तु गजाननम् ॥४॥

द्वादशैतानि नामानि त्रिसंध्यं यः पठेन्नरः । न च विघ्नभयं तस्य सर्वसिद्धिकरः प्रभुः ॥५॥

विद्यार्थी लभते विद्यां धनार्थी लभते धनम् । पुत्रार्थी लभते पुत्रान्मोक्षार्थी लभते गतिम् ॥६॥

जपेद्गणपतिस्तोत्रं षड्भिर्मासैः फलं लभेत् । संवत्सरेण सिद्धिं च लभते नात्र संशयः ॥७॥
अष्टेभ्यो ब्राह्मणेभ्यश्च लिखित्वा यः समर्पयेत् । तस्य विद्या भवेत्सर्वा गणेशस्य प्रसादतः ॥८॥

॥इति श्रीनारदपुराणे संकष्टनाशनं गणपतिस्तोत्रम् सम्पूर्णम् ।।

Having saluted Deva-Vināyaka — Who is the son of Gaurī, and Who is the abode of devotees — by head, one should continuously remember His [following] names for the fulfillment of all the desires. The first is Vakratuṇḍa, the second is Ekadanta, the third is Kṛṣṇapiṅgākṣa (Who has dark yellow eyes), and the fourth is Gajavaktra (Who has an elephant-face).[1—2]

The fifth is Lambodara (Who has an extended belly), the sixth is Vikaṭa (Who is difficult to defeat), and the eighth name is Dhūmravarṇa (Who has a smoke-color complexion). The ninth is Bālacandra, the tenth is Vināyaka, the eleventh is Gaṇapati, and the twelfth is Gajānana (Who has an elephant-head).[3—4]

O Lord! That man who studies these twelve names three-times (during the three sandhyā), to him there is no fear of obstacles and he achieves all the siddhi.[5]

Veda Sara Shiva sthavam (वेदसार शिवस्तव:) by Adi Shankaracharya (श्री शंकराचार्य)

वेदसार शिवस्तव:

by

श्री शंकराचार्य  (Adi Shankaracharya)

पशूनां पतिं पापनाशं परेशं
गजेन्द्रस्य कृत्तिं वसानं वरेण्यम्
जटाजूटमध्ये स्फुरद्गाङ्गवारिं
महादेवमेकं स्मरामि स्मरारिम्  ॥१॥

I remember the only Mahādeva, Who is the enemy of Smara (Kāmadeva), Who is the Lord of the animals for sacrifice, Who destroys the sins, Who is the Lord beyond everyone, Who has a cloth made from elephant-skin, Who is the best, and Who has a shaking stream of Gańgā in the midst of the matted-hair locks.||1||

महेशं सुरेशं सुरारातिनाशं
विभुं विश्वनाथं विभूत्यङ्गभूषम्
विरूपाक्षमिन्द्वर्कवह्नित्रिनेत्रं
सदानन्दमीडे प्रभुं पञ्चवक्त्रम् ॥२॥

I praise Lord Śiva, Who is Maheśa, Who is the Lord of demi-gods, Who destroys the grief of demi-gods, Who is resplendent, Who is the Lord of the world, Who has abundant ornaments, Who has variegated (colorful) eyes, Who has the Sun, the Moon and the Fire as three eyes, Who is always blissful, and Who has five-heads.||2||

गिरीशं गणेशं गले नीलवर्णं
गवेन्द्राधिरूढं गुणातीतरूपम्
भवं भास्वरं भस्मना भूषिताङ्गं
भवानीकलत्रं भजे पञ्चवक्त्रम् ॥३॥

I adore Lord Śiva, Who is the Lord of the Himālaya, Who is the Leader of Gaṇa, Who has a blue-colored throat, Who sits on the best among bulls, Whose true nature is beyond the qualities, Who is the universe, Who is resplendent, Who is adorned with ashes, Who is the consort of Bhavānī, and Who has five-heads.||3||

शिवाकान्त शंभो शशाङ्कार्धमौले
महेशान शूलिञ्जटाजूटधारिन्
त्वमेको जगद्व्यापको विश्वरूपः
प्रसीद प्रसीद प्रभो पूर्णरूप ॥४॥

O Śambhu, Who is the resplendence of Śivā, Who has the half-moon on the forehead, Who is the great Īśāna, Who holds a trident, and Who has matted-hair tress-locks! You are the only One pervading in this universe, manifesting as the world. O Lord, Who is complete! Please be happy. Be happy.||4||

परात्मानमेकं जगद्बीजमाद्यं
निरीहं निराकारमोंकारवेद्यम्
यतो जायते पाल्यते येन विश्वं
तमीशं भजे लीयते यत्र विश्वम् ॥५॥

That Lord — Who is beyond the Ātman, Who is the only One, Who is the fundamental element of the world, Who is the beginning, Who is without passion, Who is without form, and Who is propounded by the ॐ-kāra — Who gives birth, nourishes, and deludes this whole universe, I adore that One.||5||

न भूमिर्नं चापो न वह्निर्न वायु-
र्न चाकाशमास्ते न तन्द्रा न निद्रा
न गृष्मो न शीतं न देशो न वेषो
न यस्यास्ति मूर्तिस्त्रिमूर्तिं तमीडे ॥६॥

That Lord, Who is not the ground, Who is not the water, Who is not the fire, Who is not the wind, Who is not the skies, Who is not the sleep or deep-sleep, Who is not the heat, Who is not the cold, Who is not a country, Who is not a physical form, and Who does not possess a form — I praise that Lord in the trinity-form.||6||

अजं शाश्वतं कारणं कारणानां
शिवं केवलं भासकं भासकानाम्
तुरीयं तमःपारमाद्यन्तहीनं
प्रपद्ये परं पावनं द्वैतहीनम् ॥७॥

I take the refuge in Śiva, Who is without birth, Who is eternal, Who is the reason behind all the reasons, Who is the Only One, Who shines everything that shine others, Who is turīya (pure impersonal state of soul), Who is beyond darkness (tamas), Who is without a beginning and an end, Who is beyond everyone, Who is pure, and Who is without duality.||7||

नमस्ते नमस्ते विभो विश्वमूर्ते
नमस्ते नमस्ते चिदानन्दमूर्ते
नमस्ते नमस्ते तपोयोगगम्य
नमस्ते नमस्ते श्रुतिज्ञानगम्य ॥८॥

I bow to You, I bow to You, O Śiva, Who is resplendent in all the wordly-manifestions! I bow to You, I bow to You, O Śiva, Who is the idol of complete bliss! I bow to You, I bow to You, O Śiva, Who is reachable by penance and Yoga! I bow to You, I bow to you, O Śiva, Who is reachable by Veda and knowledge.||8||

प्रभो शूलपाणे विभो विश्वनाथ
महादेव शंभो महेश त्रिनेत्र
शिवाकान्त शान्त स्मरारे पुरारे
त्वदन्यो वरेण्यो न मान्यो न गण्यः ॥९॥

O Lord, Who holds a trident in hands, Who is the resplendent Lord of the world, Who is Mahādeva, Who is Śambhu, Who is the great Lord, Who has three eyes, Who is the resplendence of Śivā, Who is serene, Who slayed Smara (Kāma), and Who slayed Pura! There is nothing better or different from You which is countable or respectable.||9||

शंभो महेश करुणामय शूलपाणे
गौरीपते पशुपते पशुपाशनाशिन्
काशीपते करुणया जगदेतदेक-
स्त्वंहंसि पासि विदधासि महेश्वरोऽसि ॥१०॥

O Śambhu, Who is Maheśa, Who is full of compassion, Who holds a trident, Who is the Lord of Gaurī, Who is the Lord of sacrificed animals, Who destroys the shackles of animals, Who is the Lord of Kāśī! Only You are with compassion in this world. You are the great Lord, Who destroys, protects, and holds the world.||10||

त्वत्तो जगद्भवति देव भव स्मरारे
त्वय्येव तिष्ठति जगन्मृड विश्वनाथ
त्वय्येव गच्छति लयं जगदेतदीश
लिङ्गात्मके हर चराचरविश्वरूपिन् ॥११॥

O Deva, Who is the universe, Who slays Smara! This world emanates from You. O Mṛḍa, Who is the Lord of the world! The world sits inside You. O Īśa, O Hara, Who pervades the entire universe as moving and unmoving forms! This world finally contracts into Your egg-shaped form (lińga) during deluge.||11||

Trasnlation from stutimandal

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.

Garuda Purana – DEATH AND AFTER

God Garuda and Lord Krishna’s conversation 

Garuda said– ‘ After visiting all the three ‘Lokas’ (World) I found the Earth (Prithvi) little overcrowded as compared to other ‘Lokas’. I also found that it provided better opportunities to a man both for materialistic enjoyments as well as his spiritual advancement. So, I have come to the conclusion that ‘Prithviloka’ was the best of all the ‘Lokas’ in every respect.

But, all round prevalence of sorrow and misery in ‘Prithviloka’ made me sad. I was really perplexed to see people performing complex rituals after the death of their relative. All these rituals appeared so absurd to me. I was really amazed to see people laying down their dead relatives on the ground. I could also not understand why a dead body is laid on the bed of ‘kusha’ grass and sesame seeds. I witnessed so many rituals that surprised me, for instance I could not understand the reason why donations are made after a man dies. I am puzzled by the mystery called death or, what becomes of him after he dies. The sight of sons lifting the dead body of their father on their shoulders is still fresh in my memory. I could not understand the reason why ‘ghee’(clarified butter) is applied on a dead body or why the relatives of the deceased chant ‘Yama sukta’ facing north. I was also surprised to see the son of the deceased being debarred from having meal along with his other relatives.

O Lord! Please reveal to me the significance of making ‘pinda- daans’ or, the significance of ‘tarpan’ rituals? Please tell me the proper method of offering ‘pinda daan’ and invoking ancestors? I find it hard to believe that all the deeds virtuous or evil committed by a man follows him after his death.’ This way Garuda flooded Lord Krishna with a barrage of questions and sought clarifications on them.

Lord Krishna replied–” I am so delighted that you have asked such important questions for the benefit of mankind. I am revealing to you the secrets, which were hitherto unknown even to the deities and yogis.

O Garuda! A man should try to beget a son with the help of means as mentioned in the scriptures because there is no salvation for a person bereft of son.

” Lord Krishna then went on to describe the proper rituals which are performed after the death of a man and said-

” First of all, the area should be purified by coating it with a layer of cow-dung (Gobar). This purified area is called ‘mandal’ and it is graced by the presence of the ‘Trinity’– Brahma, Shiva and Myself. Sesame seeds are then sprinkled on the purified area and kusha grass is spread. A person whose death is imminent is then laid down on the bed of kusha grass. Scriptures say that a person who does not leave his mortal body in the above mentioned way, wanders hither and thither in the form of a restless spirit. No amount of rituals can put such a soul to rest.

O Garuda! Sesame seed has manifested from my sweat and hence is extremely pure. All kind of evil forces like, ghosts, spirits, demons, etc. keep away from the place where it is used. Similarly, Kusha grass has manifested from my body hair and is graced by the presence of ‘Trinity’– Brahma, Shiva and Vishnu. Deities are satisfied if kusha grass is offered to them while ancestors are satisfied by the offerings of sesame seeds.

Scriptures say that if dying man is laid down on the bed of kusha grass spread on the land purified by cow-dung, he becomes absolved of all his sins.

There is a great significance of donating salt after the death of a person. Salt owes its origin to Me and donating it helps ancestors in attaining heaven. Donating salt also helps in reducing the pain and sufferings of a dying man and this is why it is donated along with other articles after a death of a person.

The relatives of the deceased should chant the sacred ‘Yama sukta’ facing north because it helps him to attain liberation.”

Source: riiti.com