Sri Rudram Sri Ananth Krishnan Vedas form the foundation of our Hindu Religion and root of our Hindu Culture. Knowledge and Wisdom are enshrined in Vedas. Vedas are: 1) anadi, i.e. without a beginning in terms of time; 2) apourusheya, i.e. no human authorship; and 3) root of all creation. The Vedas constitute both the essential and sustaining knowledge, as vital as the breath of life. Our AcharyAs have also been encouraging us to ensure that Veda mantras are propagated and sustained over generations. With this in mind, Sringeri Acharya Sri Chandrasekhara Bharati Swamigal described perseverance in prayers to God as a panacea to counteract the ill effects in one s life [excerpted from the book on His Golden Words]. These ill effects manifest themselves as obstacles caused by ones past and present actions ( karma ). Thus, to overcome these obstacles that one faces in life, we consistently seek the blessings of the Lord by repeatedly reciting (persevere) His mantras. Sri Rudram is such a mantra and as the name implies it mitigates the obstacles one faces. These obstacles can be material, physical or spiritual. The word Rudram is derived from ru - to sound, rud - to shed tears as caused by obstacles in one s life, and dru to flow - rum dravayati iti rudrah. If one understands the oneness with God, then that individual is responsible for all his actions and consequently also his bad actions. God as a chastiser corrects the person - that is symbolically represented by Him making us cry. Also, Rudram etymologically has several meanings - it is interpreted as: one who removes all sins and melts in compassion; one who leads us to selfknowledge, one who removes all the miseries as caused by the obstacles of Samsara leading us towards liberation etc. In Yajur Veda, Sri Rudram is considered as the most important, as it is right in the middle of the Veda like the core of a fruit - it appears in the fourth KAnDa within the seven KAnDas of Yajur Veda Samhita. In the heart (center) of Sri Rudram is the powerful mantra known as panchakshari - the core essence describing the eternal truth in Godhood ( paramatma swarupam ). vidyani shrutirutkrishta rudraikadashini shrutau, tatra panchaakshari tasyam siva ityakshara divyam - Among the sources of learning, the Vedas are supreme; in the Vedas Sri Rudram is supreme; in the Sri Rudram PanchAkshari (five letters) mantra namashivaya is supreme; in the panchakshari mantra the two letters shiva is supreme. Because of this Sri Rudram is used in daily prayers and special religious functions (pujas and homas). If nothing else it should be recited as often as you can (possible daily) and is given a special place by our learned Seers. swashakhaopanishad gita vishnornama sahasrakam, rudram cha pourusham suktam nityam Avartayet bhudah - One should repeatedly recite the Upanishads from one s own Veda shakha, gita, vishnu sahasranamam, Sri Rudram and pursha suktam. Sri Rudram is also called rudropanishad and shatarudriyam. It is considered as one of the primary instruments for attaining - liberation from this mundane cycle of births and deaths - samsara and hence touted as an upanishad. Because Sri Rudra appears in hundreds of places and in hundreds of forms within yajur veda shaka, it is also called shatarudriyam. Each mantra is replete with deep spiritual significance and is a great help for meditation. Because of the mental and spiritual significance our ancient Acharyas - Adi Shankara, Bhatta Bhaskara, Vishnu Suri, to name a few - have written elaborate commentaries on Sri Rudram. It is also said that all the Gods are pleased when one recites Sri Rudram and several repetitions will tantamount to a prayaschittam -penance against various sins committed by us. vrukshasya mulasekena hakhaha pushyanthi vai sada, shiva rudrajapat prita, prita evasya devatah Just like watering the roots of a tree helps the growth of the branches (of the tree), (similarly) praying to Sri Rudra pleases all Gods.sarvopaniShadam sarah rudradhyayah- Sri Rudram contains the essential meanings of all upani- Shads. All things in this world, that one visualizes, are nothing but a manifestation of His majestic form ( rupam ). Sri Rudra (shiva - the Auspicious One) appears in various forms, shapes, and poses within Sri Rudram - to cite a few: as a runner, sleeping, awake, as an old person, as a young per- 21
Sri Rudram son, as a tree, as grass, as a thief, as a tall person, as a dwarf etc. etc.; nay, all things in the world are nothing but his various representations. Veda mantras are to be understood properly and the implied meaning is more important than the literary meaning. The recitation of Sri Rudram, while understanding its meaning and significance, leads one to experience Ishwara bhavam to perceive God in everything and in everyone. The Veda mantras have to be recited with the proper phonetic intonations - swarams. It is shown by our seers that with proper intonations, the sounds synchronize and tune up with the body s nervous system to the benefit of the physical, mental and intellectual aspirations of the devotee. Several scriptures expound these benefits of Sri Rudram and shatarudriyam. yaha shatarudriyamatete sah) Atma puta bhavati, brahmahatya puta bhavati...(kaivalyopanishad) - By performing shatarudriyam one gets rid of all the sins. tannamah ityuapsita, namyantehsmai kamah (bhrigu valli, taittirya upanishad) Whatever one wishes, these wishes are fulfilled (by repetition of Sri Rudram. This Vedic homage to Sri Rudra (Sri shiva) through recitation of Sri Rudram, is remarkable not only for it s phonetic grandeur but also for its universality of approach to the Divine. Sri Rudra to whom these prayers are addressed is the Supreme Being who is omnipresent -AmIevatkebyaha and manifests himself in myriads of forms for the diverse spiritual aspirants. Sri Rudram is also known as namakam because of the mantras carry the word namah or namo namah appear in front of them (- appears 183 times in the Sri Rudram text). The word namaha construes a total surrender to the Lord and thus saluting the Lord with the obeisance namah fulfills all of one s aspirations. Sri Rudram is followed by chamakam and is so referred because of the appearance of the words cha me (and for me). The namakam and chamakam are recited together to accrue various benefits and go by the name rudra adhyaya. sarvada sakrutva japed anena gjnyanamapnoti ( Kaivalyopanishad) - reciting this constantly one always attains the enlightment. Having thus expounded the benefits of Sri Rudram, we can now revert to Acharya s advice on repetition and perseverance. As Lord Krishna describes in Srimad bhagavad gita, if one performs continuous and unattached Karma it 22 leads to Jnyana. Similarly, if one perceives recitation of Sri Rudram as Karma, the process of repetition of the same leads to Jnana - thus repetition of Sri Rudram helps one to improve the mental alacrity towards Atma vicharam (inquiry of the Self). To ease the question of how many repetitions, the sutrakaras (sages who standardize the way the mantras are to be recited) such as bodhayana, Apasthamba, and others have prescribed a five-fold methodology or path called panchanga rudriya for the performance of japa, homa and archana. They are called (1) rupam, (2) Ekadasha rudram, (3) rudriyam, (4) maharudram and (5) athi rudram. The recitation of Sri Rudram and Chamakam together once is called rupam (or swarupam - shape) of Sri Rudra adhyaya (Reading Sri Rudram). The recitation of Sri Rudram with one anuvakam (paragraph) of chamakam, and thus repeating eleven times to correspond to the eleven anuvakas of the chamakam is called rudra EkAdashini or EkAdasha rudram. Repeating this eleven times is called laghu rudram or rudriyam. Eleven times of this is maha rudram and eleven times the last one is called ati rudram. Name Sri Rudra rupam EkAdasha rudram laghu rudram maha rudram ati rudram Number of Repetitions of Sri Rudram Once Eleven Times 121 Times 1331 Times 14641 Times In writing this article I have borrowed unabashedly from the teachings and sayings of our Gurus and Acharyas. Therefore I claim no original authorship to this article - except where there are omissions and errors they are entirely mine - and I dedicate this to the lotus feet of our Acharyas. Finally, the essential message of the Vedas is to remind the human beings of their divinity and help them realize their true nature. With that in mind let us participate in this wonderful event (Maha Rudram) and seek the blessings of the Lord. vedaischa sarvaih ahameva vedyah - I am known through all the Vedas says Krishna in bhagavad gita.
Chamakam: Desires for Fulfillment in Life Dr. M. G. Prasad (www.taranga.us) Introduction Many of us ask questions like, what is the driving force of human beings; what is the purpose or objective of human life etc. Our scriptures say that it is the desires that drive the lives of human beings; the objective of human beings is to achieve happiness. So the driving desire culminating in happiness becomes the means and the objective of the life in human beings. Here the words desire and happiness are used in the widest application of their meanings encompassing both the material and spiritual aspects of life. It is to be noted that a human being is an integration of body, mind and spirit. It is to be expected that different people have different types of desires and also differ in their concept of happiness. Vedic scriptures advise that happiness at physical, mental and spiritual levels have to be in harmony with in each person. The happiness derived (through fulfillment of desires) at the body and mind levels ( material level) is transient happiness, whereas the happiness or bliss at the spiritual level is eternal in nature. So, one must manage his material desires tuned to seek advancement towards eternal bliss rather than being content with short term pleasures. The Fourfold Objective of Life The Vedas and Vedic literature clearly provide vision and guidance for a human being to manage his desires through the fourfold objective that are interdependent called purushartha goals to pursue. The sages of sanatana dharma enumerate purushartha as consisting of these four objectives, namely dharma, artha, kama and moksha. dharma is the principle that holds us all together, and practice of which protects us here and hereafter. artha is the earning of material wealth. kama is the pursuit of desires ranging from basic needs to material abundance. moksha is freedom from the bondage of life. Yogi-Seer Sriranga Sadguru says the order of enumeration of four objectives of life, - dharma, artha, kama and moksha is proper and should not be interchanged. This is because artha and kama should be pursued within the bounds of dharma and moksha. Thus leading our lives by pursuing purushartha ensures both worldly happiness (short term happiness) and ultimately spiritual Bliss (eternal happiness). It is to be noted that when a desire is within the confines of dharma as an element of purushartha, then that desire could form the building block towards eternal happiness. Lord Krishna says in bhagavad giita that, In all beings, I am the desire that does not confront the dharma (7-11). Whereas, when a desire does not follow dharma in the pursuit of short term body/mind happiness, then that desire becomes adharmic towards the path of regression... The chain of emotions desire (kama), anger (krodha), greed ( lobha), delusion (moha), arrogance (mada) and jealousy (matsarya) leading to the destruction of the individual is documented in the bhagavad gita (2-62,63). Thus it is to be noted that a person experiencing any of five states of mind namely anger, greed, delusion, arrogance and jealousy, is due to the pursuit of this adharmic desire. Thus given that human life is driven by various desires, one is faced with the question of what desires to pursue for fulfillment in life. Fortunately, Chamakam (TaittirIya Samhita) provides a long list of coveted desires, the pursuit of which can advance one towards moksha through the pursuit of purushartha. Chamakam Chamakam comprises the Veda mantras traditionally chanted after Namakam. Namakam and Chamakam together are generally referred as Sri Rudram, Sri RudrAdhy- Aya, ShatarudrIya or RudropaniShat. Namakam is the fifth and Chamakam is the seventh chapter of the fourth book of TaittirIya (Samhita) rescension of Krishna Yajur Veda. Namakam and Chamakam get their names because the word NamaH (salutation) repeats 183 times and the words Cha me (and to me) repeat 358 times respectively. Chamakam - its parayana and / or usage in worship bestows on the devotee, the various material needs and inner virtues that he seeks in the life s journey through the practices of dharma, artha and kama towards moksha (fulfillment in life). There are two available commentaries on Chamkam - by sayana and vishnusuri. The commentary by sayana 23
Chamakam: Desires for Fulfillment in Life emphasizes the approach of karma kanda (for carrying out Yajnya), whereas the commentary by vishnusuri emphasizes the approach of jnyana (spiritual practice). It is important to note that both the karma (ritualistic) and jnyana (spiritual) approaches are like two sides of a coin karma is a pre-requisite for jnyana. Towards the end of a homa ritual, the Chamakam is chanted in its entirety during the VasordhAra. causing a continuous stream of clarified butter to flow into the sacred fire through a long wooden ladle made of special wood (Oudumbara). Chamakam provides a detailed list of needs that a devotee desires or asks for, both for worldly living and spiritual fulfillment. It is generally observed that one would not know what things to seek or pray, which would bring long term happiness in physical, mental and spiritual domains. It is for this reason, it is said that the Vedas are like mother (VedamAta) who bestows impartially what is truly good for us for both worldly and spiritual happiness. A brief overview of the 11 anuvakas (paragraphs) of Chamkam is given below with references to the first few words of respective anuvakas: A detailed study of Chamakam reveals that the hundreds of things listed are legitimate desires for a spiritual aspirant. It is interesting to note that some things listed in Chamakam are simple, yet rarely prayed for by the devotees. Some examples of such simple yet very important desires are: May Lord Rudra grant me (1) pleasant and good mind, (2) truthful speech, (3) anger about my negative tendencies, (4) intellect to take right decisions (5) desires which are beneficial to me, (6) relatives who are in harmony with me (7) courage in times of difficulties (8) good bed (for good sleep), (9) a good morning associated with taking bath and sandhyavandana (10) knowledge in Vedas and ShAstras and (11) knowledge of Brahman (Brahma Vidya). The list of desires that are desirable to be prayed for, include the seeking of final realization of the Supreme Being. The devoted study and the contemplation along with the chanting of Namakam and Chamakam in the ritualistic homa will bestow on the devotee, the blessings of Lord Rudra who is Omnipotent, Omnipresent and Omniscient. anuvaka # Desires Objects of desires included in the prayer 1 36 Nourishment of Body and Mind to help in Divine worship (vajash cha me ), 2 38 Personality Development to motivate worship of Rudra (jyeshtham cha me, Adhipatyam cha..) 3 36 Materialistic and spiritual Happiness (Sam cha me, mayas 4 38 Grains and food for himself and for worship (Urkcha me, soonruthaa cha..) 5 31 Materials for Home construction and yajnya (ashmaa cha me mruththikaa 6 20 Vedic Deities, Supreme Being, the indweller in them (Agnischa me indras 7 29 Vessels for holding juices for sacrifice; denotes levels of Spiritual knowledge (agumshus cha me rashmish 8 22 Accessories to perform yajnya; individual Self merging in to Supreme Being (idhmas cha me barhis 9 21 Success Fruits of yajnya including spiritual knowledge (agnis cha me gharmash 10 31 Merging of Faculties in him and Supreme Being - Bliss (garbhaash cha me vathsaash 11 41 A Benediction - odd and even number together signifies many faculties and things in the universe (ekaa cha me thisrash Concluding Remarks Even a brief study of Chamakam reveals that it describes the needs that a devotee seeks to nourish his body, mind 24 and the spirit resulting in his internal and external development spanning physical, mental and spiritual domains. Chamakam and Namakam articulate manifestations of
Guru Panchakam Lord Rudra as the Omnipotent Supreme Being. The purpose of doing the yajnya such as EkAdaSha-rudra, maharudra and atirudram is for material well-being and spiritual development of devotees through the worship of Lord Rudra as Supreme Being. References 1. Sri Rudradhyaaya. Sri Sri Ranga Priya Swami, Arya Samskriti, Mysore, India, 1995 2. Sasvara Mahanyasadi Mantraaha, Vidwan Sheshachala Sharma, Sharada Vidya Pratishtana, Bangalore, India 2010 3. Sri. Rudram and Chamakam, T.R. Rajagopala Aiyar, Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Mubai, India 1991 4. Sri Rudram and Purusha suktam, Swami Amritananda, Sri Ramakrishna Math, Chennai, India, 1997 5. Laghunyasa, Sri Rudra Chamakam, Purusha Suktam, P.R. Ramachander, M B. Publishers, Chennai, India, 2006 Guru Panchakam Shashank Davanagere Poem in Sanskrit pééuiéï-ìméërélélsléqéç SÍ ÉhÉÉqlÉÉrÉ-lÉÎlSuÉkÉïlÉqÉç AÍpÉlÉuÉÌuɱÉ-mÉëÉhÉ-iÉÏjÉïqÉç UÌuÉ-xÉWûxÉë-iÉÑsrÉ-mÉëMüÉzÉqÉç méôhéïzéízé-ìsuréméëpééuéqéç péyirééqéç DÎmxÉiÉ-mÉëSqÉç Transliteration bharati-priyanandanam dakshinamnaya-nandivardhanam abhinavavidya-prana-tirtham ravi-sahasra-tulya-prakasam purnasasi-divyaprabhavam bhaktyam Ipsita-pradam Meaning aéñâ méçcémüqéç iéïjéïç ÉÏcÉUhÉmÉëxÉÉSqÉç zéiémüéåìoû-eélqé-mééméwûuhéqéç AÉkrÉÉiqÉyiMüqÉsÉÌuÉMüÉxÉqÉç iéïuç aéñâxmézéïméìué ÉqÉç Éå ÉÇ zééusécélsìqééæívûìléséréqéç ÉÏxÉͳÉSÉlÉÇ pé üí³éíkéqéç guru pamchakam tirtham SrIcharaNaprasAdam SatakoTi-janma-pApaharaNam AdhyAtmahRtkamalavikAsam tiram gurusparsapavitram kshetram SAradAchandramauLinilayam SrIsannidAnaM bhaktannidhim (A)jÉïÇ zééx ÉÉhÉÉÇ pééåkémüqéç eélqéuéìwûiré-xéékéléqéç xéé ÉÉiÉç zéçmüu-såízémüqéç (a)rtham SAstrANAM bhodhakam janmarahitya-sadhanam sakshat SaMkara-deSikam O bhaarathi s beloved son The treasure of dakshinaamnaayam The prana teertham of Sri Abhinava Vidya Teertha Mahaswami Though Your prakasam is like a thousand suns It feels like the gentle moonlight of a full moon The granter of the desires of bhaktas, Teertham, given by You, is our prasadam It removes the paapams of our koti janmas And makes the lotus of adhyatmam sprout in our hearts The banks (teeram) that You live has been made pavitram with Gurus Sparsa The place You live is the Nilayam of Sarada and Chandramouli Sri Sannidhanam (His Holiness) You are the Nidhi (treasure) for us bhaktas You teach the meanings of Sastras Which helps us break this cycle of janmas You are verily the Adi Shankara 25