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Aditya Hrudayam

Introduction In our culture it is often found that the forces of nature themselves as deities are worshipped like the wind, the water, the earth, the fire and so on. One among these deities is Surya, the presiding deity of our Sun, also known as Aditya (due to his being the son of Aditi), who is worshipped as the sustainer of life on earth. Our culture has given prime importance to worship of the Sun through the practice of Sandhyavandana, the ritual to be performed by all Dvijas (wearers of the sacred thread, lit. twice-born) everyday during sunrise, noon and sunset, where our prayers are offered to the Lord Surya through the chanting of the Gayatri Mantra, the sacred hymn to the (brilliance of the) Sun God, revealed in the Rig Veda (Rig Veda 3.62.10). Another important hymn to the Sun-God is the Aditya Hrudayam, the subject of this article. This is a Stotram, or a sacred hymn, dedicated to Lord Aditya. The story During the final between Rama and Ravana in Ramayana. Rama has used all
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Bilvastakam

त्रिदलं त्रिगुणाकारं त्रिनॆत्रं च त्रियायुधं त्रिजन्म पापसंहारम् ऎकबिल्वं शिवार्पणं Tridalam trigunakaram trinetram cha triyayudham Trijanmapapasamharam ekabilvam shivarpanam त्रिशाखैः बिल्वपत्रैश्च अच्चिद्रैः कॊमलैः शुभैः तवपूजां करिष्यामि ऎकबिल्वं शिवार्पणं Trishakhaih bilvapatraishcha hyachchidraih komalaih shubhaih Tavavapujam karishhyami ekabilvam shivarpanam कॊटि कन्या महादानं तिलपर्वत कॊटयः काञ्चनं क्षीलदानॆन ऎकबिल्वं शिवार्पणं Koti kanya maha danam tila parvata kotayah Kanchanam sheela danena ekabilvam shivarpanam काशीक्षॆत्र निवासं च कालभैरव दर्शनं प्रयागॆ माधवं दृष्ट्वा ऎकबिल्वं शिवार्पणं Kashikshetranivasam cha kalabhairavadarshanam Prayagamadhavam druishtva ekabilvam shivarpanam इन्दुवारॆ व्रतं स्थित्वा निराहारॊ महॆश्वराः नक्तं हौष्यामि दॆवॆश ऎकबिल्वं शिवार्पणं Induvare vratam sthitwa niraharo maheshwara Naktam haoushyami devecha eka bilvam shivarpanam रामलिङ्ग प्रतिष्ठा च वैवाहिक कृतं तधा तटाकानिच सन्धानम् ऎकबिल्वं शिवार्पणं Ramalinga pratistha cha vaivahika krutam tatha t
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Gayatri Mantras

ॐ वेदात्मने च विदमिहे हिरण्यगर्भा धीमहि | तन्नो: ब्रह्म: प्रचोदयात् | ॐ चतुर्मुखाय विदमिहे कमण्डलुधाराय धीमहि | तन्नो: ब्रह्म: प्रचोदयात् || ॐ ऐं वाग्देव्यै विद्महे कामराजाय धीमहि। तन्नो देवी प्रचोदयात्॥
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How to Do Sandhyavandanam

How to Do Sandhyavandanam | Surya Namaskaram in Eleven Steps In the previous post, I have explained the meaning and importance of performing SandhyAvandanam. Now, I am going to tell you about the method of performing Sandhyavanadanam in a very simple manner. The whole process of doing it may take 10 minutes approximately through these 11 steps which I came to know through an elder member of our family. The article may be long as I am trying to explain it in a clear manner. But, once you understand the method, it will become very easy for you to perform it quickly. This SandhyAvandanam is to be performed only by men after they become eligible for it by way of undergoing the sacred thread ceremony (Upanayanam). This sacred thread will be always on your body after once it is worn to you till your death. When it becomes old and torn, it needs to be replaced from time to time chanting the Gayatri mantra as prescribed by the Vedas. You need to wear the traditional men's dhoti and kanduva
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Lakshmi Stotram

वन्दे पद्मकराम प्रसन्न वदनाम सौभाग्यदाम भाग्यदाम हस्ताभ्याम् अभय प्रदाम् मणि गणैः नाना विधै: भूषिताम् भक्ताभीश्ट फल प्रदाम् हरिहर ब्रह्मादिभि: सेविताम् पार्श्वे पंकज शंख पद्म निधिर्भ्युक्ताम् सदा शक्तिभिः || सरसिज नयने सरोजहस्ते धवळा तरामसुक गन्धमाल्य शोभे भगवति हरिवल्लभे मनोज्ञे त्रिभुवन भूतिकरि प्रसीद मह्यं ॥ लक्ष्मीम् क्षीर समुद्रराज तनयाम् श्रीरंग धामेश्वरीम् दासीभूत समस्त देव वनिताम् लोकैक दीपांकुरॉम श्रीमन मन्द कटाक्ष लभ्द विभव ब्रह्मेन्द्र गंगाधराम् त्वाम त्रैलोक्य कुटुम्बिनीम् सरसिजाम् वन्दे मुकुन्द प्रियाम् ॥ मातर्नमामि कमले कमलायताक्षि श्री विष्णु हृत्कमल वासिनि विश्वमात क्षीरोदजे कमल कोमल गर्भ गौरि लक्ष्मी प्रसीद सततम् नमताम् शरण्ये ॥
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24 Keshava Namas

24 Keshava Namas First of all, let me be clear that the prefix  "Om"  refers to the sound which vibrates all through the universe in the form of spiritual sound waves reaching to God. The suffix  "namaha"  or "Namah" refers to the fact that "I am saluting" (the performer of this worship), or bowing my head or folding my hands before God. So these both words are used as the prefix and suffix in almost all prayers. 1)  Om Keshavaaya namaha   ( one who possesses dense, black curled hair. It is also interpreted as one who Himself is Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva. K is for Brahma, and a hidden letter A in 'e' is for Vishnu and 'ish' in esh is for Shiva. The full word of Keshav is broken into K+A+Ishav) 2)  Om Naaraayanaaya namaha  ( one who has his abode as water/ocean, or,  who is the abode for all living beings. "aayanam" means resting place and "naara" means either water or all living things) 3)  Om Maadhavaaya namah
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Vedic Process to eat food - parishEchana

It is also known as Bhojana Vidhi by some of those people and as Parishechanam also by many others. Parisheshanam is spelled as parishEchana in Sanskrit (పరిషేచనము in Telugu). After the food is served, before starting the meal, you need to sprinkle some drops of water around your plate twice chanting some slokas and then drink some drops of water to start the meal. It is done in the following manner. i) Take some drops of water into your right hand, chant the Gayatri mantra of "Om bhoor bhuva........" while circumambulating the water around your plate. ii) Again take some drops of water and chant "Sathyam Twarthena Parishinchaami" while sprinkling the water again around the food. (It is a combination of the words "Satyam + thva + Ruthena). The meaning of it is that "I am sprinkling water around Sathyam and Righteousness". (Both Sathyam and Right mean the same thing and they refer to the "Food" which is the Eternal Truth in this context. You
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