Shastras, shlokas and devotional music

[swamykool]

Dear Members,

Astrology is intricately connected with the Shastras (scriptures) and more often than not we stumble upon a roadblock due to some confusion about the meaning of a shloka. Also many a time astrologers prescribe certain mantras to be recited (japa) for propitiation of planets - without giving clear instructions about how the mantras are to be recited. Mantras are most effective when recited according to shastriya guidelines of certain chhandas (rythms) like anushtup chhanda or mandakranta chhanda. The rythmically undulating waves of sound and proper breathing techniques endow tremendous benefits. And devotional music is soothing to the mind, both for the depressed and the happy.

In an insomnia fuelled brainwave I suddenly thought of opening this thread, where we can discuss all the above. Everybody, whatever your level of sanskrit, are welcome to contribute. My own sanskrit is none too good and is sketchy at best. So don't be afraid or coy.

I specially request respected seniors like Srinivas ji, Dev ji and others who are learned in the Sanskrit language and the scriptures to contribute and clarify our doubts.

Refering to yours truly, my spirituality quotient is around zero and my bhakti quotient runs in the minus. So my contributions would be from a critical angle. But others are welcome to contribute from a spritual angle or any angle.

Just one request, please keep your contributions pertinent to the topic of this thread.

Regards
swamykool

[swamykool]

Dear all,

As an auspicious beginning, allow me to present the famous Ram Raksha Stotra written by Maharishi Budha Koushika. Recitation of this stotra is taken to be enough for propitiating all planets, singly or together and imparts tremendous benefits to the reciter, both physical, mental and circumstantial.

In a single phrase - Ram Raksha Stotra is meant for Nava Graha Shanti. It is a Maha Mantra, Parihar of all parihars.

This stotra is to be sung or recited in the Anushtup Chhanda. Given below is a classical recitation of the Ram Raksha Stotra by Pandit Milind Joshi, in the Anushtup Chhanda, proper metere and crystal clear pronuntiation. I have rarely come across any better.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oJ8a2QY4kdw

In the next post I'll provide the full stotra in English script.

Regards
swamykool

[swamykool]

Hi all,

This is the full Ram Raksha Stotra in Roman script. If anybody wants devnagari script, that can be arranged too. Like all sanskrit shlokas, this stotra has its share of huge compound words (samasa) which I have tried to break down (sandhi-vichchhed) with dashes (-) for easier understanding. The words you see conjoined with dashes are actually a full compound word. Apart from ease of understanding, its easy on the teeth too.

For benefic effect it has to be recited at least once a day. It takes about 10 minutes.

Shri Ram Raksha Stotra

Viniyogah:
Om shri ganeshaya namah
Aasya Shri-ramrakshastrotra-mantrasya budhakaushik rishih:
ShriSitaramcandro devta anushtup Chhandah Sita shaktih
Shrimad hanuman keelakam
ShriRamchandra-preetyarthe
Ramrakshastotrajape vinyogah:

atha dhyanam:
Dhyayod-ajanubahum dhrita-sharadhanusham baddha-padmasana-stham
Peetam vaaso vasaanam navkamaladala-spardhi-netram prasannam .
Vamankaruddham sita-mukhakamala-milallochanam neeradaabham
nanalankara-deeptam dadhatamaru-jatamandanam Ramachandram .

ITI DHYANAM
Charitam Raghunaathasya shatakoti pravistaram I
Ekaikam-aksharam pumsam maha-patakanashanam II 1 II

Dhyatva nilotpalashyamam Ramam rajeevlochanam I
Janaki-lakshmanopetam jata-mukuta-manditam II 2 II

Sasitoorna-dhanurbana-paanim naktam-charaantakam I
Swalilayaa jagat-tratu-mavirbhuntam-ajam-vibhum II 3 II

Rama-rakshaam pathet pragyaha papaghaneem sarva-kamadam I
Shiro-me Raghavah patu bhalam Dasharathatmjah II 4 II

Kausalyeyo Drishau Patu Vishvaamitra-priyah-shrutee I
Ghranam paatu makha-trata mukham saumitrivatsalah II 5 II

Jihvaam vidya-nidhih paatu kantham bharatavanditah .
Skandhau divyayudhah paatu bhujau bhagnesh-karmukah II6II

Karau seetapatih paatu hridayam jaamadagnyajit I
Madhyam paatu khara-dhwamsi naabhim jaambvadashrayah II7II

Sugriveshah katee paatu sakthini hanumat prabhuh I
Uru Raghuttamah paatu rakshakula-vinashkrit II 8 II

Januni setukrita-paatu janghey dasha-mukhaantakah I
Paadau vibhishana-shreedah paatu Ramokhilam bapuh II 9 II

Etaam Ramabalopetam rakshaam yah sukriti pathet I
Sa chiraayuh sukhiputri vijayi vinayi bhavet II 10 II

Patal-bhutala-vyoma-chaarinash-chhadmachaarinah I
Na drashtumapi-shaktaste rakshitam ramnamabhih II 11 II

Rameti Ramabhadreti Ramachandreti vaa smaran I
Narey na lipyate papauh bhuktim muktim cha vindati II 12 II

Jaga-jai-traika-mantrena Rama-namnabhi-rakshitam I
Yah kantthe dharayetasya karasthah sarva-siddhyah II 13 II

Vajra-panjara-namedam yo Ramakavacham smaret I
Avyahatagah sarvatra labhate jayamangalam II 14 II

Adishtavan yatha swapne Ramarakshaimam harah I
Tatha likhitavana-pratah prabuddho budha-kaushikah II 15 II

Aramah kalpa-vrikshanam viraamah sakalapadam I
Abhirama-strilokanam Ramah Shriman sah nah prabhuh II 16 II

Tarunau roopa-sampannau sukumarau mahabalau I
Pundreeka-vishalakshau cheera-krishnajina-ambarau II 17 II

phala-moolashinau dantau tapasau brahmacharinau I
putrau dasharathasyaitau bhratarau Rama Lakshmanau II 18 II

Sharanyau sarva-satvanam shreshtthau sarva-dhanushmatam I
Rakshah kula-nihantarau trayetam no raghuttamau II 19 II

Attasajjadhanusha-vishusprisha-vakshaya-shuganishanga-sanginau I
Rakshnaya mama Rama-lakshmanavagratah pathi sadaiva gachchhatam II 20 II

Continued.....

[swamykool]

Continued....

Sannaddhah kavachi khadagi chapa-bana-dharo yuva I
Gachchhan-manoratho-smakam Ramah paatu salakshmanah II 21 II

Ramo daasharathih shooro lakshman-anucharo bali I
Kakutsthah purushah purnah kausalyeyo raghuttmah II 22 II

Vedanta-vedyo yajneshah purana-purushottamah I
Janakivallabhah shriman aprameya parakramah II 23 II

Ityetani japannityam madbhaktah shraddhyanvitah I
Ashvamedhadhikam purayam samprapnoti na samshayah II24II

Ramam doorvadala-shyamam padmaksham peetavasasam I
Stuvanti namabhirdivyeh na te samsarino narah II 25 II

Ramam Lakshmana-poorvajam raghuvaram sitapatim sundaram I
Kaakutstham karunarnvam gunanidhim viprapriyam dharmikam II 26 II

Rajendram satyasandham Dasharatha-tanayam shyamalam shantamurtim
Vande Lokabhiramam Raghukulatilakam Raghavam Ravanarim I
Ramaya Ramabhadraya Ramchandraya Vedhasey
Raghunathaya nathaya sitayah pataye namah II 27 II

Shri Ram Ram Raghunandan Ram Ram
Shri Ram Ram Bharatagraja Ram Ram
Shri Ram Ram Ranakarkasha Ram Ram
Shri Ram Ram Sharanam bhav Ram Ram II 28 II

Shri Ram Chandra Charanau manasa smarami
Shri Ram Chandra Charanau vachasa grinami
Shri Ram Chandra Charanau Shirasa namami
Shri Ram Chandra Charanau Sharanam prapadhye II 29 II

Mata Ramo Matpita. Ramachandrah
Swami Ramo matsakha Ramachandrah
Sarvasvam may Ram Chandra Dayaluh
Nanyam jaane naiva jaane na jaane II 30 II

Dakshiney Lakshmano yasya vamey cha janakatmaja I
Purato marutir-yasya tam vande Raghunandanam II 31 II

Lokabhiramam ranaranga-dheeram
Rajeev netram Raghuvamsha natham
Karunyaroopam karunakaram tam
Shri Ram Chandram Sharanam prapadhye II 32 II

Manojavam maruta-tulya-vegam
Jitendriyam buddhimatam varishttham
Vatatmajam vanara-yutha-mukhyam
Shri-Rama-dootam Sharanam prapadhye II 33 II

Kujantam Ram rameti madhuram madhuraksharam I
Aaruhya Kavita-shakham vande Valmiki-kokilam II 34 II

Apdampa-hartaram dataram sarvsampdam I
Lokabhiramam Shri Ramam bhooyo bhooyo namamyaham II 35 II

Bharjanam bhava-beejanam-arjanam sukhasampdam I
Tarjanam yamadootanam Ram Rameti garjanam II 36 II

Ramo Rajamani sadaa vijayate Ramam Ramesham bhaje
Ramena-bhihta nishachara-chamoo Ramaya tasmai namah
Ramannasti parayanam partaram Ramasya dasosmyaham
Ramey Chittalayah sada bhavtu me bho Rama mamuddharh II 37 II

Ram Rameti Rameti Ramey Rame manoramey I
Sahastranama tat-tulyam Rama nama varananey II 38 II

Iti Budha-Koushika Virachitham Rama Raksha Stotram Sampoornam II



(whoooooooof... guys I don't think I'll have many teeth left if I continue with this kind of things. How'bout yours? )

Regards
swamykool

[suniti]

Dear Swamykool-ji

Very nice idea, thanks so much for taking this time
its a good idea for shlokas and all as a thread and
i personally even feel that even the act of writing such things like this stotram down is a sadhana in itself...
There is a sanskrit documents website although many may know about this site im giving the link anyway it has so many stotras and chants also in the devanagari text
http://sanskrit.safire.com/Sanskrit.html

Pranaams
suniti

[swamykool]

Hi Suniti,

Thanks for the link. Btw, since you are practicing such things, the shlokas need to be recited one line while inhaling and one line while exhaling, isn't it?

swamykool

[Dev]

Hi Swamykool:

This is an excellent thread as for as the title goes and I expect the contents too to be good since you started the thread .
Anyway around 3 and a half years back, I was given this parihara of asking me to recite this Ramaraksha stotra on all days and I got the sanskrit version from the net and started chanting and found that it gave me lot of inner peace. I was then in great trouble and it helped me for sure. It is very simple for those who have problems chanting in sanskrit. The sloka is easier to chant since the words are relatively very simple.
About devotional music, of course, music is my field and all that I say may only appear to be an exaggeration. Music itself is divine, a form of yoga, that gives inner peace to performers as well as listeners. They dont need to understand the words nor the music part but still will get inner peace.

Dev

[swamykool]

Hi Dev ji,

Your observations are very true sir. Even Shri K N Rao, in one of his articles prescribed the Rama Raksha Stotra for complete Nava Graha Shanti. I am trying to practice it, it really has some effect.

Look Dev ji, what most people don't understand is that Mantras make you stronger from inside so you can deal with your troubles more effectively and avoid the deleterious effects. Mantras do not make your troubles disappear by magic. Sufferings brought forth by prarabdha karma must be gone through.

By the way, how did you like the rendition on youtube? Its one of the very best IMHO. Milind Joshi has done it properly in the Samavedic rules, with perfect chhanda. Not like the bleating of sick goats which line chanting often sound like.

I will try to contribute more as and when I come across them. You are the trained classical singer and sanskritist, we all expect you, Ramanan ji and others to make your contributions to this thread and enrich it.


regards
swamykool

[Dev]

Hi Swamykool,

Yes, I agree with you. Sufferings brought forth by prarabdha karma must be gone through. It is easily said but like a bitter tablet, difficult to swallow. Whether we swallow it or not, when we experience it, we would eventually realise, we have no other option.

But the frame of mind that we have is more important. Like when a scorpian bit a rishi, he did not bother and do anything to that. When his sishya asked him, he said, scorpian has the tendency to bite and my inherent nature is to remain calm. So its biting in reality did not cause pain in him.
So by reciting this Ramaraksha stotram, Rama would give you inner strength and you would not feel the pain to that extent but you would already of got rid of most karmas connected to that. It is like pain killer injection given by dentist. If the mind is not hurt, then that is the best one can have.

I am yet to listen to the rendition on youtube? I am at the office where utube site is blocked for obvious reasons. So I will see it in the night. Yes, Samaveda is musical and from it originated nada and music.

Yes, do try to contribute more and I am sure I would like the attachements that you would send.
I dont agree you dont know about spirituality or divinity, you know about them but may be you are not spiritual.
Yes, I will try to contribute whatever and whenever I can.

I am sure you will reach 100 pages of the thread soon with meaningful and useful posts without having one liners with no meanings(which someone boasted of some time back when he was nearing that number)

Dev

[swamykool]

But the frame of mind that we have is more important. Like when a scorpian bit a rishi, he did not bother and do anything to that. When his sishya asked him, he said, scorpian has the tendency to bite and my inherent nature is to remain calm. So its biting in reality did not cause pain in him.
So by reciting this Ramaraksha stotram, Rama would give you inner strength and you would not feel the pain to that extent but you would already of got rid of most karmas connected to that. It is like pain killer injection given by dentist. If the mind is not hurt, then that is the best one can have.

Dev ji,

I could not have put it better than this. Yes, we have all gone through turmoil and loss, some more some less. And we all know how such periods can turn a person inside out and wring him like a towel. In such situations only inner strength makes the difference. Mantra japa, meditation and charity increases that inner strength. If this thread provides a little hope and inner strength to people in trouble, i will consider our efforts successful.

And Dev Ji, i have not set any target number of pages for this thread. I started this with the holy name of Ram, let Ram take it where he will.

Regards
swamykool

[swamykool]

Hi Guys,

Those of you who would like to have the Ram Raksha Stotra in devnagari script, please get it from the link below.

https://rcpt.yousendit.com/1178980963/7 ... 00&s=19104

regards
swamykool

[spidey]

Dear Swamykool ji ,
Since this is a thread on shlokas/stotras , I thought of posting my favorite stotra - the Aditya Hridayam Stotra.

Source : http://www.harekrsna.de/aditya-hridayam.htm

http://www.harekrsna.de/download/aditya-hridayam.pdf

The pdf contains both the sanskrit version as well as it's english transliteration.

People who want to recite this are advised to first practise listening to the MP3 for sometime before trying to start chanting straightaway.


Thanks and Regards,
Spidey

[swamykool]

Hey Spidey,

Thanks a tonne for the link. When you get home, have a go at the link for RRS in youtube. Let me know how you like it.

swamykool

[Dev]

Thanks Swamycool. Right from the beginning my istadev was Ram even when I was aware of others too.
I was only joking about someone trying to celebrate the thread nearing 100 pages without much useful and sane stuff written in it. I am sure we will all not do that .
Dev

[suniti]

Hi Suniti,

Thanks for the link. Btw, since you are practicing such things, the shlokas need to be recited one line while inhaling and one line while exhaling, isn't it?

swamykool

Hi Swamykoolji
The rules for Stotra are much more relaxed than the rules for Vedik chanting...
so with regard to the breathing in something vedic the breath is taken at the end of the line(inhalation), which in some cases is a bit difficult, like usually in Sri Rudram comes the famous
"Namaste astu bhavagan vishvesvaraaya mahadevaaya tryambakaaya triupuraantakaaya trikaalaagni kaalaaya kalaagni Rudraaya nilakanthaaya mrutyunjayaya sarveshvaraaya sadashivaya sriman mahadevaaya Namah "

There is no breathe taken in the middle of this in the tradition from which i learned, and i would like to add that though difficult it is honestly great fun as well, especially in group chanting

This is according to my limited knowledge, i am sure there are more who know much more than me so please correct me if there are any other ways so that i may learn.

@Devji do you think you could put some of the poetry of Sadashiva Brahmendra here as well? That would be a pleasure to read

Pranaams
suniti

[Dev]

Hi Suniti:

Your suggestion is good. Here is a popular Sadashiva Brahmendra's kriti. I could not attach sanskrit version here, do you know how to do it?

r¯agam: hindoLam t¯al.am: ¯adi
pallavi
bhaja re gop¯alam. m¯anasa
bhaja re gop¯alam
caran.am
bhaja gop¯alam. bhajita kucelam.
trijaganm¯ulam. ditisutak¯alam || 1 ||
¯agamas¯aram. yogavic¯aram.
bhoga´sar¯ıram. bhuvan¯adh¯aram || 2 ||
kadanakat.horam. kalus.vid¯uram.
madanakum¯aram. madhusam. h¯aram || 3 ||
natamand¯aram. nandaki´soram.
hatac¯an. ¯uram. ham. savih¯aram || 4 ||

Response to all threads are very slow may be due to Ashada masa .
Dev

[spidey]

Dear Dev ji,
Instead of posting the sanskrit text directly , you can make an image (jpg or bmp ) out of it and then attach it.

Thanks and regards.
Spidey

[Dev]

Thanks Spidey. I have it as pdf file. How to attach it here?

Dev

[spidey]

Dear Dev ji ,

1) Click on post reply. Write something in the reply box.
2) Just below the text box/submit button , there is an "upload attachment" tab.
3) Go there and attach the file

I think this would enable you to attach the file.

Thanks and regards,
Spidey

[Dev]

Hi Spidey:
Thanks, actually it says the extension PDF is not allowed. Then how to attach?
Dev

[Talib]

Swamy G,

Many thanks for this thread, couldn't stop paying you the reagrds.

looking forward to see further contribution.

Thanks Spidey, Suniti Ji, Dev Sahib

Lots of love to u

[spidey]

Dear Dev ji ,
As discussed I am attaching page 9 of the PDF file.

Thanks and regards,
Spidey

[Dev]

Thanks Spidey for attaching the same. Suniti, sanskrit translator of this forum would enjoy the song and bring out the importance. Brahmendra was a follower of advaita. His one hand was cut off by miscreants and he was still walking unnoticed. Then the cut portion got stuck to the main by itself. He has composed 24 kritis all in sanskrit. One Manasa sancharare is the most famous one. His samadhi is in Tamilnadu Nerur and Manamadurai.

Dev

[swamykool]

Hi Spidey,

Looks like attaching pdf files with forum posts is not a very good idea. It becomes too large and messes up the page. Better stick to simple jpegs.

swamykool

[spidey]

Hi Swamykool ji,
This is a jpeg itself ... but it seems that during conversion pf PDF to JPG the dimensions of the image got messed up. I will resize the image and post it again today after i go home.

Thanks and regards,
Spidey