Month: August 2008

Vayu Stuti Purashcharane

Regular chanting of Vayu Stuti brings amazing benefits. The experience of people who have done this is testimony to the power of the Stuti. As Sri Prabhanjanacharya says, “Vayu Stuti has the approval of Mukhya Prana himself”. Many people chant this daily.

Each of the 41 shlokas in Vayu Stuti is supposed to give us special benefits. There is a certain method called “Purascharane” which is done to garner the benefits of a particular Shloka. When it comes to mantras, there are many many ways of doing Purascharane but with Vayu Stuti there are few “sanctioned” methods of doing the same.

  • First, the “Abheeshta Shloka” (shloka whose benefits we desire) is to be chosen. Then, start with the Nakha stuti and chant up to the desired shloka. Chant the desired shloka 108 times. Go till the end and finish with the Nakha stuti. Repeat the Nakha stuti and chant the entire Vayu stuti in the reverse order. Finally, end with the Nakha stuti
  • Start with the Nakha stuti, chant Vayu stuti, and end with Nakha stuti. Repeat Nakha stuti, chant Vayu stuti in reverse order and end with Nakha stuti. Then, chant the Abheestha Shloka 108 times. Repeat the whole procedure as described previously once again. Here Abheeshta Shloka chanting is placed between two sets of complete recitation (in mala order).
  • Start with the Abheeshta Shloka and recite till the end and finish with Nakha stuti. Repeat Nakha stuti again and chant in reverse order. End with Nakha stuti. Recite Nakha stuti once again and reach till the shloka before Abheeshta Shloka. This completes one mala. Repeat this a total of 7 times. Or this is done once a day for seven consecutive days.

I am sure there are a few other ways of doing Purascharane as well. Will update them here once I have information on them.

The phala or fruits of chanting each particular shloka is as below. The Abheeshta Shloka can be chosen based on this. The numbers represent Shloka numbers of Vayu stuti.

  1. Vak siddhi (power of speech)
  2. Jnana siddhi (good thinking)
  3. Remedy for diseases
  4. Mantra siddhi
  5. Parakrama siddhi (valour)
  6. Friendship
  7. Freedom from bondage
  8. Relief from mental distress
  9. Happiness from women
  10. Happiness from children
  11. Victory over enemies
  12. Overcome sorrow
  13. Remove poverty
  14. Gain respect
  15. Hari bhakti siddhi (grace of God)
  16. Moksha
  17. Gain manly vigor
  18. Improve power of medicines
  19. Physical strength
  20. Victory over enemies
  21. Fulfills ones desires
  22. For clearing obstacles
  23. Victory in a dispute
  24. For a job
  25. Vak siddhi
  26. Guru bhakti
  27. Success in undertakings
  28. Clearance from false allegations
  29. Improve influence
  30. Win over opponents during debates
  31. Dishearten enemies
  32. Protection from untimely death
  33. Charming personality
  34. Increase all-round skills
  35. For name and fame
  36. Develop detachment
  37. Recover losses
  38. Earn money
  39. Santaana siddhi (get children)
  40. Fulfillment of desires
  41. Detachment
Update: Based on valuable comments provided by Sri Prasanna, I am updating this entry with two important methods for Purascharane.
Sri Vyasaraja Paddathi: Nakha Stuti, Abheeshta Shloka to 41, 1 to 41, Nakha Stuti
Sri Vadiraja Paddathi: Nakha Stuti, 1 to 41, Abheeshta Shloka to 41, 1 to 41, Nakha Stuti
In both cases, repeating the iteration as above five times is called Panchaka. Repeating the Panchaka seven times constitutes a Saptaka. Totally, 35 iterations are performed. In the end, Homa and Brahmana Santarpana is to be performed.

Vayu Stuti in Kannada script

Today I managed to transliterate the Vayu Stuti of Trivikrama Panditacharya in Kannada script. You can download the same from the “Mantras” page.

The Vayu Stuti is also known as the “Hari Vayu Stuti” and is a great Stotra praising Mukhya Prana (Vayu) and the three avatars of Mukhya Prana viz Hanumanta, Bhima and Sri Madhva. It was composed by Sri Trivikrama Panditacharya. Trivikrama Pandita was a great Advaitic scholar and the chief scholar of the palace of King Jayasimha of Kasaragod (known then as Vishnumangala). Sri Madhva famously debated with him for 15 days and defeated him. Sri Trivikrama not only became a Madhva, but also turned to be a favorite student of Sri Madhvacharya.

The circumstances around the composition of the Vayu Stuti is also fascinating. Sri Madhvacharya had already established the Krishna Temple at Udupi and used to worship it himself. During Naivedya (ceremonial offering of food to the Lord), the santum sanctorum used to be covered. Only Sri Madhva would be inside and the others would wait outside chanting the Dvadasha Stotras. After a while, when the procedure was complete, Sri Madhva would ring the bell indicating that it was time for Aarathi.

One day, in spite of a very long wait, the bell did not ring. People outside got anxious and finally requested Trivikrama Pandita to have a look inside. When Trivikrama Pandita did so, he was stunned. He had a vision of the three avatars of Mukhya Prana – Hanumanta, Bhima and Sri Madhva simultaneously worshipping Lord Rama, Lord Krishna and Lord Veda Vyasa respectively. Trivikrama Pandita got into a trance like state and instantly starting composing the Vayu Stuti.

When the Vayu Stuti was complete, he presented the same to Sri Madhva. The greatness of Sri Madhva was that he truly practiced what he preached. While he greatly appreciated the Stuti, he pointed out a mistake in the same. He noted that the Stuti was completely in praise of Vayu and not a lot of praise of Lord Vishnu was present. He therefore instantly composed the short, 2-para Narasimha Nakha Stuti and instructed that whenever anyone recited the Vayu Stuti, it had to be started and ended with the Narasimha Nakha Stuti. This custom is strictly followed to-date.

The Narasimha Nakha Stuti is a short stuti praising the finger-nails of Lord Narasimha. Sri Madhva, in his entire philosophy, has highlighted the infinite greatness of Vishnu and pointed out that the others are incomparably inferior to him. The Nakha Stuti is once again testimony to that principle. The entire 41 verses of Vayu Stuti praises various capabilities, attributes and greatness of Vayu. And Sri Madhva placed the Nakha Stuti above it. All it does is praise the finger-nails of Vishnu!!

I hope many of you download and benefit from the pdf. Corrections are always welcome.

Sri Krishna Janmashtami

Tomorrow is Sri Krishna Janmashtami. A very important festival for all Vaishnavas throughout the world. There are several ways in which this festival is celebrated. Madhvas celebrate it by fasting the whole day and offering Arghya (oblations) to Krishna and Rukmini late evening. Special Pujas are also held.

On this ocassion, I am uploading the kannada version of “Ashta Mahishi Yukta Krishna Stotram” to my mantras page. This is a very unique stotra composed by Sri Vadiraja Swamy. Lord Krishna is glorified along with the praise and description of his Ashta Mahishis or eight queens. These eight i.e. Rukmini, Satyabhama, Jambavati, Kalindi, Nila, Mitravrinda, Bhadra and Lakshana were the main wives of Lord Krishna during his avatar. While Rukmini and Satyabhama were avatars of Lakshmi, the rest had a partial “avesha” or amsha of Lakshmi.

Shri Shrisha Gunadarpana Stotra

The circumstances under which Sri Vadiraja Swamy composed the Shri Shrishagunadarpana Stotra is very interesting.

The King of the Vijayanagara kingdom, Achyuta Raya lost all his wealth in the treasury. He approached Sri Vadiraja Swamy and pleaded for help. Sri Vadiraja then composed the Shri Shrisha Gunadarpana Stotra and taught him a certain method of chanting the same. He asked the King to chant the stotra and “Narayana Kavacha” in the form of a mala. Starting with the stotra, the King was to chant the Narayana Varma next and then the stotra once again. Sri Vadiraja asked the King to chant this combination one thousand times!

Some other scholars present with the King objected to this. Their contention was that the “Lakshmi Hrudaya” stotra was more powerful and forced the King to perform the 1000 repetitions using Lakshmi Hrudaya instead of the stotra. The King’s situation did not improve. When the King came back to Sri Vadiraja, Swamiji smilingly told him that though the Lakshmi Hrudaya was a very powerful stotra, it was cursed by Lakshmi herself.

Sri Vadiraja went on to narrate a story that a certain devotee had requested Lakshmi to shower him with wealth by chanting the Hrudaya. When Lakshmi told him that it was not in his Prarabda Karma to obtain the wealth, the devotee changed his name and insisted that it was equivalent to a rebirth now. Lakshmi showered him with wealth for a brief duration and then made the curse that the Hrudaya stop having its effect then on.

Sri Vadiraja’s story convinced the King. He went on to perform the Japa 1000 times. Needless to say, it worked!

It is believed that chanting the stotra in the above manner 1000 or 100 or 54 or 28 or 12 or 8 or 5 times is extremely beneficial.

Note: Maha Lakshmi is the Bhagya Devate and not just the giver of wealth, as is the common misconception.

Note: No stotra in Kali Yuga is a magic wand. Prarabda Karma and proper efforts are both required.

Note: You can download the stotra from the Mantras page.

Sri Raghavendra Ashtotthara Shathanamavali

Yesterday, the 337th Aradhane (anniversary) of Sri Raghavendra Swamy concluded. Every year, in Shravana Masa Krishna Paksha, the aradhane is celebrated on the first, second and third day of the Paksha (fortnight). In 1671 A.D, Sri Raghavendra Swamy entered his brundavana alive on the second day of this Paksha. That ocassion is remembered through the Aradhane.

There are many stotras that have been composed in praise of this great Dvaita Saint. Sri Bichale Appannacharya was a great devotee of Sri Raghavendra Swamy and has composed numerous stotras. One such very famous work is the Raghavendra Ashtotthara Shathanamavali which contains 108 names (descriptions would probably be a better word) of Swamiji.

On the ocassion of the aradhane, I am uploading the Ashtotthara Shathanamavali, in Kannada script, to my mantras page. Feedback, corrections and comments are welcome!