Being's Self

Who can with eyes and mind fathom The depths of God who lies within The hearts of all as Seer sole? They say that goal of man is God, But who is God and how is He Contacted by efforts of men? If Being Whole is God's essence, What alignment can then suffice To be the being which is God? Do not all things enjoy being, As they exist which is being? Since Beingness is everywhere, How does one enter Being's Self? Is not restraint of self the way To reach the Self intriguingly? The control, then, is self's return To itself as the lone Knower, Since knowing what is not oneself Sunders the self as knower-known, A contradiction in the Self. Some say it is sense-abstraction, Which signifies the wrenching act Of senses from the object world This deed of self would keep the world Apart from itself as other Than its own being as if things Have no being, but void they are. If things are naught, where is the need To draw the self from their clutches? The secret, then, is not withdrawal, But communion of Self with Self Which uncleaved ranges in and out. Here is a feat which mind's powers Do not unwary can perform, Sharp, subtle as a razor's edge. As trackless track of birds in sky Or fish in brine invisible, Is this the blessed path to God. Caution, then, seeker, be awake, And know the Truth by Grace Divine. Swami Krishnanada

NirvAna Shatkam

निर्वाण शतकम
[Click on the title to listen to a mellifluous rendition of this song]
Mano budhya ahankara chithaa ninaham,

Na cha srothra jihwe na cha graana nethrer,

Na cha vyoma bhoomir na thejo na vayu,

Chidananada Roopa Shivoham, Shivoham. 1

Neither am I mind, nor intelligence ,

Nor ego, nor thought,

Nor am I ears or the tongue or the nose or the eyes,

Nor am I earth or sky or air or the light,

Indeed am I auspiciousness,

That auspiciousness alone am I

Na cha praana samgno na vai pancha vaayur,

Na vaa saptha dhathur na va pancha kosa,

Na vak pani padam na chopa stha payu,

Chidananada Roopa Shivoham, Shivoham. 2

Neither am I the life-breath,

Nor am I the five airs, nor am I the seven elements,

Nor am I the five sheaths that enevlop the soul,

Nor am I voice or hands or feet or anus,

Indeed am I auspiciousness,

That auspiciousness alone am I

Na me dwesha raghou na me lobha mohou,

Madho naiva me naiva matsarya bhava,

Na dharmo na cha artha na kamo na moksha,

Chidananada Roopa Shivoham, Shivoham. 3

Neither do I harbor aversions nor any desires, neither greed nor lust

Nor intoxication nor jealousy,

Nor even am I the fourfold pursuits - wealth, passion, goodness, salvation,

Indeed am I auspiciousness,

That auspiciousness alone am I

Na punyam na paapam na soukhyam na dukham,

Na manthro na theertham na veda na yagna,

Aham bhojanam naiva bhojyam na bhoktha,

Chidananada Roopa Shivoham, Shivoham. 4

Never do I have good deeds or sins or pleasure or sorrow,

Neither do I have holy chants or holy water or holy books or fire sacrifice,

I am neither food or the consumer who consumes food,

Indeed am I auspiciousness,

That auspiciousness alone am I

Na mruthyur na sankha na me jathi bhedha,

Pitha naiva me naiva matha na janma,

Na bhandhur na mithram gurur naiva sishya,

Chidananada Roopa Shivoham, Shivoham. 5

Nor death nor doubts nor any distinction of caste,

Relationless - neither father nor mother, indeed am I birthless,

Neither relations nor friends, neither a teacher nor a student,

Indeed am I auspiciousness,

That auspiciousness alone am I

Aham nirvi kalpah nirakara roopah,

Vibhur vyapya sarvathra sarvendriyanaam,

Sada me samatvam na mukthir na bandhah

Chidananada Roopa Shivoham, Shivoham. ६

I am all pervasive. I am without any attributes,
and without any form. ,

I envelope all forms from all sides and am beyond the sense-organs.

Neither am I bound, how thence liberated

Indeed am I auspiciousness,

That auspiciousness alone am I

Purandara Dasa

muLLu koneya mElE

muLLu koneya mElE mUru kereya katti
eradu thumbadhu omdhu thumbalE illa

thumbalilladha kerege bamdharu mUvaru
oddaru ibbaru kumtaru obbage kAlE illa

kAlilladha oddage kottaru mUru emmegaLa
eradu baradu omdhakkaruvE illa

karuvilladha emmege kottaru mUru
honnugaLa eradu savakalu omdhu sallalE illa

salladhidhdha honnige bamdharu mUvaru
notagAraru ibbaru kurudaru obbage kaNNE illa

kaNNilladha notagArage kottaru mUru
UrugaLa eradu hALu omdhakke okkalE illa

okkalilladha Urige bamdharu mUvaru
kumbAraru ibbaru chomcharu obbage kayyE illa

kai illadha kumbAranu mAdidha mUru
madikegaLa eradu odaku omdhakke budavE illa

budavillada madikege hAkidharu mUru
akkikALa eradu bEyadhu omdhu bEyalE illa

bEyalilladha akkige bamdharu mUvaru
nemtaru ibbaru uNNaru obbage hasivE illa

hasive illadha nemtage kottaru mUru toNapegaLa
eradu thAkadhu omdhu thAkalE illa

thAkalilladha toNapeya thAkisi sadhgathIya
nIyabEku puramdhara viTTala rAya

“Three lakes were built on the sharp point of a thorn, out of which two ponds were dry and the third never got filled,

“Three simpletons came to the unfilled ponds, two of them were lame and the third had no legs at all,

“Three buffalos were sold to the legless simpletons, two of the buffalos were sterile and the third didn’t have any calf at all,

“Three sovereigns were paid for the buffalos, two of which were counterfeit and the third was not acceptable,

“ Three inspectors came to check the sovereigns, two of them were blind and the third did not have eyes at all,

“Three villages were given as grants to the blind inspectors, two villages were in ruins and the third was deserted,

“Three potters came to live in the villages, two of them were disabled and the third didn’t have hands at all,

“Three pots were made by the potters, two of which had holes and the third was bottomless,

“Three rice grains were cooked in the pots, two of which were spoiled rice and the third didn’t cook at all,

“Three guests arrived to eat the rice, two of them were on fast and the third was not hungry at all…”

muLLu koneya mElE mUru kereya katti
eradu thumbadhu omdhu thumbalE illa

Outer meaning: Three lakes are built on the tip of a thorn and two cannot be filled and one is not filled.

Tip of a thorn represents infinitesimally small entity.
Here it means jIva. why?

“ashvabAlAgramAdAya vibhajya shatadhA hi tat.h | punashcha shatadhA bhinnaM kiyanmAnaM bhavishyati | tAvad.hbrahmAdi\ - jIvAnAM parimANaM prakIrtitaM ||”

If one takes the tip of horse’s tail and splits into one hundred parts and takes one part and further divides into one hundred parts, that is known to be the size of the jIvas starting from Brahma.

Lake represents body. The jIva or svarUpadeha is surrounded by three bodies - anAdi linga shaIra, aniruddha deha and sthUla deha (gross body, which we all see).

The first two dehas, viz. linga deha and aniruddha deha cannot be filled with sAdhanodka (meaning not possible to accomplish sAdhana), while the gross body is needed for sAdhana. But even this is not filled because our sAdhana is not yet complete or I am not doing enough sAdhana.

“sADhana sharIravidhu nI dhayadhi kottadhdhu sADhAraNavalla sADhupriyane”

thumbalilladha kerege bamdharu mUvaru oddaru ibbaru kumtaru obbage kAlE illa

Outer meaning: For the lake that is not filled, came three stone-cutters or diggers. Two are lame and one does not have legs.

Three stone-workers are three stages that happen to the gross body - boyhood, youth and old age.

Boyhood and old age are like lame. In boyhood, one is immature and indulges in playing and fun. In old age infirmity, weakness and fatigue set in. Thus these two are hard to utilize for sAdhana. While in youth, one has lot of strength to do sAdhana, but there is no full effort or willingness to indulge fully.

Thus not having leg is like not having willingness.

kAlilladha oddage kottaru mUru emmegaLa eradu baradu omdhakkaruvE illa

Outer meaning: Three buffalos are given to the legless worker. Two are barren and one does not have calf.

The three buffalos are the three desires known as IshhaNatraya - wife, children and wealth. It is well known that when youth sets in, the three desires set in.

Wife and children are hindrances to dharmasAdhana. One may argue what if they are cooperative in dharmasAdhana.

But, still the bandha/bondage is a handicap in doing full sAdhana. Wealth need not be dharmapratibandhaka and instead it can be only dharmasAdhana. But more often than not, it is used for pleasure seeking only.

Thus its not having calf is like its not having “dharma-chitta” (transferred epithet - the person does not utilize all wealth only for dharmakAryas) .

karuvilladha emmege kottaru mUru honnugaLa eradu savakalu omdhu sallalE illa

Outer meaning: Three gold piles were given to the calfless buffalo. Two were utilized and one was never utilized.

One buys items with gold. The wealth can be spent in three ways - 1. spend in dharma mArga 2. spend in adharmamarga 3. let it rot like a miser.

One may observe that it takes the course of the last two. This is how the wealth is utilized.

The first one - dharma marga - is not utilized at all.

salladhidhdha honnige bamdharu mUvaru notagAraru ibbaru kurudaru obbage kaNNE illa

Outer meaning: For the wealth, which is not utilized in dharma mArga, came three debtors.

Two are blind and one does not have eyes.

The three debtors are the three kinds of karmas 1. Sanchita 2. AgAmi and 3. PrArabdha One does not know what the first two are and so they are like blind. One can gauge the third one as that is reflected in what happens to us all our life. Thus it is perceivable, but still one is so engrossed in materialistic pleasures, that one has no eye to see the third one also.

kaNNilladha notagArage kottaru mUru UrugaLa eradu hALu omdhakke okkalE illa

Outer meaning: Three towns are given to the eyeless debtor. Two are deserted and one does not have any inhabitants.

All the ones, who are undergoing prArabdha, are equipped with three guNa-s - sattva, rajas, tamas.

Rajas and tamas cannot lead to moksha and so they are like deserted towns. Even though sattva mArga can lead to moksha, one does not use it for that and so it is like having no inhabitants.

okkalilladha Urige bamdharu mUvaru kumbAraru ibbaru chomcharu obbage kayyE illa

Outer meaning: Three pot makers came to the town without inhabitants. Two are have crippled arms and one does not have arm.

Sattva guNa can be further sattvatamas, sattvarajas and sattvasattva. The three abhimAni devatas for these are Rudra, Brahma and Vishnu respectively.

Rudra and Brahma are not independent and so they are crippled (svatantro bhagavAn.h vishhNuH - only Lord Vishnu is independent) . Though Vishnu is independent and capable of giving us moksha, He has not relieved us from this saMsAra. Thus “not having arm/hand” is to be taken figuratively to mean not wiling to help us.

kai illadha kumbAranu mAdidha mUru madikegaLa eradu odaku omdhakke budavE illa

Outer meaning: The One unwilling to use hands, made three pots - two have holes (broken) and one does not have bottom.

Vishnu, who is has not used His hand to help us, gave three tools - knowledge, detachment and devotion. We don’t have knowledge and detachment and so they are broken. We try to have devotion, but devotion without knowledge and detachment is like a bottomless pot. Devotion must have the support of knowledge and detachment. Otherwise it is futile.

budavillada madikege hAkidharu mUru akkikALa eradu bEyadhu omdhu bEyalE illa

Outer meaning: Three rice grains were put in this bottomless pot. Two cannot get cooked and one did not get cooked at all.

The bottomless devotion has three forms which are like thee rice grains - sAttvika bhakti, Rajasika bhakti and tAmasika bhakti. Rajasika bhakti and tAmasika bhakti cannot lead us to moksha and so they cannot get cooked. sAttvika bhakti can lead us to moksha, but we are not utilizing it and so this did not get cooked at all.

bEyalilladha akkige bamdharu mUvaru nemtaru ibbaru uNNaru obbage hasivE illa

Outer meaning: Three relatives came to this uncooked grain. Two don’t eat and one is not hungry.

This sAttvika bhakti can be exercized by the three “karaNa-s” (means, known as trikaraNa-s) , viz. mind, word and body (thought, speech and action). Speech and action without thought cannot lead us to moksha. Also as body gets destroyed, the tongue and body cannot taste the moksharasa. Mind and chitj~nAna can lead us to moksha, but the jij~nAsa itself is lacking. The mind is not hungry.

hasive illadha nemtage kottaru mUru toNapegaLa eradu thAkadhu omdhu thAkalE illa

Outer meaning: This hungerless relative is given (hit with) three cudgels (punishing rods). Two can’t touch and one doesn’t touch.

The mind is put to pain by the sorrows of past, future and current births. We have no clue about the past and future births. Thus we don’t remember those pains and so they can’t touch. We experience the pain of current birth and so it certainly can have impact on us; but unfortunately, it is not having an impact on us.

thAkalilladha toNapeya thAkisi sadhgathIya nIyabEku puramdhara viTTala rAya

Outer meaning: By making the untouching cudgel touch us, Oh Purandara viTThala! please grant us moksha.

By making us realize the impact of the sorrow of current birth, Oh Purandara viTThala! guide us on the path of moksha by giving knowledge, devotion and detachment and grace us with moksha.

the mystic doctrine

14 In the infinite wheel of Brahman in which everything lives and rests, the pilgrim-soul, or the reincarnating self is whirled about when it thinks that it and the supreme Ruler are different or separate. It attains immortality when it is blessed or favoured by Him.

15 This is verily declared as the supreme Brahman. In that is the triad. It is the firm support. It is the indestructible. By knowing what is therein, the knowers of Brahman become devoted to Brahman, merge themselves in it and are liberated from birth.

16 The triad are the world, the individual soul and the supreme Soul. The triad are the enjoyer, the objects of enjoyment and the supreme Soul.

17 The Lord supports this universe which consists of a combination of the perishable and the imperishable, the manifest and the unmanifest. As long as the individual soul does not know the Lord, it is attached to sensual pleasures. It becomes the enjoyer and is bound. When it knows the Lord, it is released from all fetters.

18 The knowing Lord and the unknowing individual soul, the Omnipotent and the impotent, are both unborn. She (Prakriti), too, who is connected with the enjoyed and objects of enjoyment, who causes the realisation of the enjoyer and enjoyed, is unborn. When all these three are realised as Brahman, the Self becomes infinite, universal and inactive (free from the sense of agency and actor).

19 Matter is perishable, but God is immortal and imperishable. He, the only God, rules over the perishable matter and the individual souls. By meditating upon Him, by union with Him, finally there is cessation of all illusion.

20 By knowledge of God all the bonds of ignorance are destroyed; there is a cessation of birth and death with distress destroyed. By meditating on Him one attains the third state, viz., universal Lordship at the dissolution of the body. All his desires are gratified and he becomes one without a second.

21 This is to be known as eternally existing in one's own Self. Truly there is nothing higher than that to be known. When one recognises the enjoyed, the object of enjoyment and the dispenser or the supreme Ruler, all has been said. This is threefold Brahman.

22 Realisation is not achieving something. It is only knowing one's own infinite nature by tearing the veils, by annihilating the ignorance, by cutting asunder the three knots, viz., ignorance, desire and action.

23 As fire is not perceived when it is latent in its cause, the firewood, and yet there is no destruction of its subtle form, because it is again perceived in its cause, the firewood, by rubbing, so also the Atman is perceived in the body by meditating on the sacred syllable Om.

24 By making one's own body the lower piece of wood or friction-stick, and the syllable Om the upper friction-stick, and by practising the friction or churning of meditation, one will realise God who is hidden, as it were.

25 As oil in sesamum seeds, as butter in curd, as water in river-beds and as fire in wood, even so is Atman perceived within his own self by a person who beholds Him by truth, austerity (by controlling his senses and the mind).

26 The Atman which pervades all things like butter in milk, is rooted in Self-knowledge and austerity. This is the mystic doctrine concerning Brahman. This is the mystic doctrine concerning Brahman.

Shani Jayanti

सूर्य पुत्रो दीर्घ देहो विशालाक्षः शिवप्रियः।

मन्दचारः प्रसन्नात्मा पीडां हरतु मे शनिः ॥

Suryaputhro Deerghadeho Vishaalaakshah Shivapriyah |

Mandachaarah Prasannathmaa peedam harathu me Shanih ||

Dasaratha Shani Stotra


It is said that during the reign of king Dasaratha when Shani was about to enter Rohini Nakshatra, king Dasaratha worshipped Shani and pleased with his prayers Saturn did not enter Rohini during the reign of king Dasharatha. Hence the Dasaratha Shani stotras are considered an excellent remedy for Saturn related troubles.

Shani Shodasanama stotra

Kona shanaischaro mandah chhayaa hridayanandanah
Maargandaja sudhaasouri neelavastraan janadyutih
Abrahmanah kroorakroora karmaatangi grahanaayakah
Krishnodharmaanujah shantah shushkodara varapradah

Apart from this reciting the following dashanama stotra of Shani by Dasharatha near a Pepal tree is also a highly recommended one.

Shani Dasanaama Stotra

Konastha pingalobabhruh
Krishnoroudraantakoyamah
Souri, shanaischaro mandah
Pippaladishu sansthitah

Dasaratha Shani Stotram

Om. asya shree shanaishchara stotrasya
dashratha rishi
shanaish-charo-devata
trishtup chandahah
shanaish-chara preety-arthe jape viniyogah
dasharatha uvacha

Om. Of Sri Shani Stotra,

Dasharatha is the Rishi (seer of the mantra). Shanaishchara is god (related to this hymn). Trishtup is metre. Enjoined is repetition (of this hymn) for the appeasement of Shanaishchara (Saturn).

kono-antaka roudra-yama-tha babhruh
krishnah shanih pingala manda sourih
nityam smrito yo harate cha peedam
tasmai namah shree ravi-nandanaya

Prostrations to Sri Ravinandana (Saturn), who when regularly remembered as (the ten names listed in the first and second line of this verse) steals away the suffering (misfortune of the devotee).

sura asurah kim purusha ragendra
gandharva vidyadhara panna-gash cha
peedyanti sarve vishama-stitena
tasmai namah shree ravi-nandanaya

Prostrations to Sri Ravinandana, by whose unfavourable position, gods, demons, celestial beings, celestial musicians, celestial masters of various wisdom-teachings and even celestial snakes succumb to sufferings.

nara narendra pashavo mrigendra
vanyas-cha ye keeta-patanga-bringah
peedyanti sarve vishama-stitena
tasmai namah shree ravi-nandanaya

Prostrations to Sri Ravinandana, whose unfavourable position brings agony to laymen, emperors, common animals, huge animals, forest creatures, insects, flies and humming bees (irrespective of their status).

desah-cha durgani vanani Yatra
sena-nivesah pura-pattnani
peedyanti sarve visham-stitena
tasmai namah shree ravi-nandanaya

Prostrations to Sri Ravinandana, whose unfavourable position brings about suffering to countries, citadels, forests, war-camps, houses and cities.

tilairya-vair-masha gudanna danaih
iohena neelambara danato va
preenati mantrair-nijavasare cha
tasmai namah shree ravi-nandanaya

Prostrations to Sri Ravinandana, who is appeased by giving in charity things like sesame, paddy, black-gram, molasses, rice pudding, iron, blue cloth etc., and by chanting mantras on his own day (Saturday).

prayaga-koole Yamuna tate cha
sarasvati punya-jale guhayam
yo yoginam dhyana-gatopi sookshmas
tasmai namah shree ravi-nandanaya

Prostrations to Sri Ravinandana, who manifests in subtle form before the yogis who meditate on him at any holy bank of prayag (confluence) of two rivers; Yamuna and Saraswati, or in a cave.

anya-pradeshat swagriham pravishtas
tadeeya-vare sa narah sukhe syat
grihad gato yo na punah prayati
tasmai namah sri ravi-nandanaya

Prostrations to Sri Ravinandana, who bestows happiness to a person when He enters His own house (constellation); (though) when He leaves the house, does not return for a long time.

srashta swayam-bhoor bhuvana trayasya
trata hareesho harate pinakee
ekas tridhah rig yajuh sama murtis
tasmai namah sri ravi-nandanaya

Prostrations to Sri Ravinandana, who is the creator of three worlds, who is the self-manifested being, who is Hari the protector and Pinakin (Siva, bearer of the three pointed spear or pinaka), the destroyer, all in one, as well as the embodiment of the three-fold Vedas; Rig, Yajus and Saman.

konasthah pingala babruh
krishno roudroantako yamah
sourih shanaish-charo manday
pippalandena sam stutah

Thus, Pippalada praises Thee (by chanting your ten names as contained in lines 1-3).

etani dasha-namani
pratar-uthaya yah pathet
shanaishchara-krita peeda
na kadachid bhavishyati
Harih Om

He who chants these ten names, getting-up early in the morning, will never suffer from the pain caused by Saturn. Harih Om.

The glory of the Sun

Hiranmayena patrena satyasyapihitam mukham

tat tvam pusan apavrnu satyadharmaya drstaye pusann

ekarse yama surya prajapatya vyuha rasmin

samuha tejah yat te rupam kalyanatamam tat te pasyami yo sav asau purusas soham asmi

The face of the Truth is covered by a golden vessel - lid. Open it, O Nourisher! Remove it - lift it - so that I may behold your Real nature.O Nourisher, lone Traveller of the sky! Controller! O Sun, Offspring of Prajapati! Gather Your rays; withdraw Your glaring blinding radiance - that I would see, through Your Grace, that form of Yours which is the most auspicious. I am indeed He, that Purusha, who dwells there!