Category Archives: Blog

In our tradition, it is customary to light a lamp during the inauguration of any function or occasion. Equally significant is the shloka chant which accompanies the lighting of the lamp.

शुभं करोति कल्याणम् आरोग्यम् धनसंपदः
शत्रुबुद्धिविनाशाय दीपज्योतिर्नमोस्तु ते
दीपज्योति: परब्रह्म दीपज्योतिर्जनार्दनः
दीपो हरतु मे पापं दीपज्योतिर्नमोस्तु   ते

May the Deepa Jyothi  bring in auspiciousness, welfare, good health and wealth. May our namaskar be to the Deepa Jyothi for destroying the feeling of enmity in us.  Deepa Jyothi symbolizes the Parabrahma as well as the maintainer – Janardana/Lord Vishnu. May the Deepa take away my sins.  Namaskar to the Deepa Jyothi.

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The benefits of chanting the Ganesha Atharvasheersham are clearly articulated in the Phala Shruti of this mantra. Sometimes the Phala Shruti is chanted along the main text of the mantra but on certain occasions it is skipped while chanting. Let us try to analyze the meaning of the Phala Shruti and understand the benefits,

एतदथर्वशीर्षं॑ योऽधी॒ते स ब्रह्मभूया॑य क॒ल्पते ।
He who studies the Atharvasheersham becomes immersed (or) one with Brahman

स सर्वविघ्नै॓र्न बा॒ध्यते ।
He is not obstructed by any hurdles.

स सर्वत्र सुख॑मेध॒ते ।
He obtains peace & comfort everywhere.

स पञ्चमहापापा॓त् प्रमु॒च्यते ।
He gets relief from committing of the five great sins

सा॒यम॑धीया॒नो॒ दिवसकृतं पापं॑ नाश॒यति ।
Studying in the evening destroys the sins committed in the morning.

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Agni in the Vedas has the role of an invoker who takes our prayers to the higher gods and brings them to us. The first mantra of the Rig Veda is itself an adoration of Agni, describing his qualities, one of which is that of an invoker.

अग्निम् ईडे पुरोहितम् |
यज्ञस्य देवं ऋत्विजम् |
होतारं रत्नधातमम् |

“I praise Agni, who leads from front, the deity of the Yagna, the bearer of truth, the invoker, the supreme instiller of delight”. ‘Hotr’ is one who invokes and brings to us the various divine forces. The first two mantras of the much chanted Shree Sukta are a testimony to this role of Agni.

१) हिरण्यवर्णां हरिणीं सुवर्णरजतस्रजाम्
चन्द्रां हिरण्मयीं लक्ष्मीं जातवेदो म आवह |

“O Agni (Jataveda)! , bring me that Lakshmi, who is of the hue of gold, who is the spouse of Hari, who is garlanded with ornaments of gold and silver, who is radiant like the moon and has the shine of gold”.

The Purusha Sukta in the Vedas describes the qualities of the Purusha and cover the aspect of knowing the Purusha. The Purusha is the divine consciousness, the universal spirit governing this world. The Rishi who has experienced the Purusha declares

वेदाहमेतं पुरुषं महान्तम् |
आदित्यवर्णं तमसस्तुपारे |
सर्वाणि रूपाणि विचित्य धीरः |
नामानि कृत्वा अभिवदन् यदास्ते |धाता पुरुस्ताद्यमुदाजहार |

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Madusudhana Saraswati has beautifully described the path of devotion, the ladder which one has to climb to achieve the state of god – realization. It helps us to ascertain where we are on this journey and gives us the direction to progress further. It is simple, yet very profound.

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It is very important for the Vedic mantras to be chanted with the proper intonations that are referred to as “Swaras”. Another basic criterion is that the Vedas ought to be learnt from a learned Guru (Teacher) who passes the knowledge to the Shishya (Disciple). This is a tradition that is prevalent from the start of civilization. This is essentially imbibed in the teachings of the Vedas that gives utmost importance to the teacher – “Acharya Devo Bhava” that is translated as “The teacher is a form of God”.

Recitation of the Vedic mantras regularly has multifold benefits. It improves the concentration, brings positive energy and bestows mental and spiritual strength to the reciter. It is scientifically proven that the chanting of the Vedic mantras regulates the
breathing (prana) and has the effect of pranayama and also has the power to heal. Along with the intonations the reciter needs to be conscious of the essence of the Vedas i.e. to relate the self to the Supreme Being or the Param Atma who is the source of the creation and exists in all forms in this material universe and also permeates beyond the material existence and is formless.

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