PART 1 Om Aim Hreem Srim Shivarama Anaghaa Dattaaya Namaha This is a propitious Maha Mantra , whose incantation enables

devotees to experie nce divine grace and mercy, effortlessly and swiftly. This mantra consists of si xteen syllables in four sections. The first section contains the beejaksharas O m, Aim3, Hreem and Sreem. The second section has two Naama mantras, namely, Shiv a and Rama. The third section refers to Anaghaaa Datta; and the final section co mprises of the salutation Namaha, which connotes the offering of respect, devoti on and similar emotions. By chanting Namaha, devotees display their total devoti on to God. Albeit, there are four sections, the first letter Om constitutes the basis for a ll letters and mantras, and is in effect the essence of all the mantras and crea tion. Om is also known as Pranava. The Sikshaavalli in the Taittariya Upanishad defines and describes the importance of Om. The entire world consists of the imp ortant elements, matter and sound. Speech is a manifestation of sound; and matte r or material things are represented by their related word or phrase. Thus, that word or phrase indicates fundamental matter or some material object. The universe in its entirety consists of the same matter, which exists throughou t the universe. Matter is omnipresent in the universe, and the former s ubiquitous nature is termed as Param Brahma. Moreover, the Upanishads describe matter as P aram Brahma. Hence, Param Brahma permeates each and every thing and force rangin g from the Lord Chathurmukha Brahma (Creative Force) to tiny micro organisms. I t is also the reason, why Param Brahma is called as Sat, or Sat Chid Aananda . Let us examine a simily: A gold bar is moulded into various ornaments like bangl es, necklaces, waistbands, or other ornaments. Whatever the ornament, the princi pal element in it is gold. Similarly, common factor in rivers, wells, lakes, and seas is water. Though the matter (Substance) appears in a multitude of forms, t he essence remains the same. (The forms and shapes are temporal.) This is the re lationship between Param Brahma and all other appearances in the Universe. The Vedas declare that the Universe is that nothing but a representation of Sach chidananda Para Brahma. This is the ultimate philosophy of the Vedas and can con sequently be termed as the principle of the Vedanta . The Para Brahma is an eter nal and holy potion that constitutes the essence of life and the life force. It cannot be destroyed and it is everlasting. As that Para Brahma or omnipresent matter is very powerful and all pervasive, th e word that represents it must also be equally very powerful and omnipresent. Th at word is the Pranava or Omkara . As a result, the Omkara is bestowed with all the attributes of the Para Brahma and for that reason it is a very powerful and eternal mantra . This fact has been reiterated by the Upanishads. This sacred Om is the progenitor of the vocabulary of each and every language in the world. Moreover, scholars have accepted that all languages have emerged fro m Om. Accordingly, Om can be termed as the holy repository of sound; and it cons titutes the armour of Para Brahma. Genesis of OM: Param Brahma has neither a beginning nor an end and hence omni present. Similarl y, the word denoting Param Brahma OM does not have genesis. This is one school o f thought among Pundits . Hence, literally OM is ever ready syllable. Another school of thought defines that OM has an origin. This is similar to the metamorphosis of the Creation. Param Brahma (Nirguna Brahma) in conjunction with Maya becomes the Saguna Brahma and assumes the forms of Five Elements, a numb er of deities and innumerable creatures of the universe. These creatures are liv ing beings formed by the five principal elements, namely, Ether, Air, Energy, Wa ter and Earth. According to this theory of grammar, the sound Om manifests itsel f in several ways, as it is the resonance of Param Brahma. Omkara is formed by the sounds Akara, Ukara and Makara. These sounds constitute the foundation for the formation of the vyaahrutis , the verses of the Gayatri m antra, the three Vedas and several other important braches of science. In fact, Om is the first and foremost basis for every sound and every science, and it is the quintessence of the Universe.

Each and every form of matter has a name. As such, the more the types of matter, the more the names. Similar to the manifestation of Param Brahma in various sha pes and forms of deities and life forces, it representative term OM also conveys several meanings. There are several names that have been formed from the Omkara , which constitutes their essence. According to etymology, OM derives from Verb Ava (with the suffix of Man). This Ava verb (in Samskruta) has several meanings, in accordance with the context. So me of its more common meanings are protection, state, light, affection, satisfac tion, informed, entering into, listening, ownership, begging, working, wish for, radiance, possession, embracing, seeking asylum, violence, division, increment, and becoming powerful. Param Brahma performs various acts, through the deities, human beings, life forc es and other creatures. In reality, He pervades them and conducts all the chores . As, Om represents the Param Brahma, it also implies several meanings and dutie s; and such is its significance. For this reason, Om is known as the Ekakshara Brahma. In accordance, with established principle, only seekers in advanced stag es of practice such Yateeswaras are permitted to indulge in the practice of Omk ara. It has also been proclaimed that without the upadesha of a Guru, no one sh ould chant the Omkara or Pranava. Therefore, only those practitioners who had ob tained their Guru s upadesha are eligible to chant the Pranava. As such, the holy scriptures prohibit those who had not obtained such upadesha to exclusively chan t the syllable, from chanting the mantra Om. From this it can be construed that Pranava or Omkara is a very powerful mantra. In order to chant this mantra as Upasana , the aspirant should have satisfied th e aforementioned criterion. Those who fail to fulfil this eligibility criterion should abstain from the practise of Omkara; otherwise, they could be prone to di re consequences. As an illustration of this all important concept, electricity is not supplied di rectly to houses from the place of its generation. The various Hydel and Thermal Power projects produce high voltage electricity, which is unsuitable for domest ic use, since the voltage of the electricity used in homes is much less. A step down transformers reduces the voltage of the electricity from the point of gener ation, before supply it to the houses. Failure to do so would have fatal consequ ences. Therefore, Sadguru directs His disciples to either chant the bijaksharas of dei ties or the Omkara, depending on their eligibility and capacity. A religious asp irant who has completed the rigorous practises of the Brahmacharya , Gruhastha and Vaanaprastha stages of life is deemed to have acquired the required eligibi lity to proceed further along the spiritual path. Such an aspirant becomes the b est practitioner and his Sadguru will impart the required precepts and instruct him to chant the Pranava exclusively, during meditation or Japa . Our hoary Shas tras have established this tenet. Therefore, spiritual aspirants must perforce chant the bijaksharas taught by their Sadguru, to the extent prescribed by the L atter. However, Pranava is the cornerstone of every sound or mantra. In practice, we pr efix Omkara to every mantra, while chanting them. This has become the universal practice; and Sadgurus prefix the Omkara to the mantra that they teach their dis ciples. Accordingly, Sri Swamiji has also prefixed this mantra with the Omkara. This practise constitutes the best means of teaching mantras to disciples. Moreover, this beneficial practise will fulfil their earthly desires and enhance their spiritual development. That is the ultimate objective of this Mantra. Aim Hreem Sreem We have understood that Param Brahma has donned several forms and characters, du e to the mysterious alignment with Maaya. If a task has to be completed, a corre sponding aspiration should exist. This can be termed as a desire - ICHCHHAA; who se fulfilment depends on the possession of complete knowledge about the manner i n which that goal can be attained. One should thoroughly examine the available m ethods, tools and other essential considerations. One should also possess a bett er understanding of the merits and demerits of the task on hand. This constitute s knowledge GNAANAM.

After acquiring such knowledge, one should have the ability to successfully carr y out the task. This is termed as KRIYAA SAKTI or will power and capacity to exe cute a task. Therefore, in order to fulfil a task, the performer should possess desire, knowledge and competence to perform it. In the absence of these qualitie s, no one can perform any task or attain any objective. If a person is desirous of performing a task or attending to duties, then such a person should chant the mantras that are connected to the bijaksharas Aim, Hrea m and Srim. These bijaksharas are reflections of Knowledge, Competence and Fortu ne. In the science of Mantras, the bijakshara Aim implies a demonstration of educati on and refers to the goddess of education Saraswati Devi. The Hreem bijakshara refers to the Goddess Durga Devi or Para Sakti who is the provider of the necessary power to complete tasks and achieve success in any end eavour. The Goddess Lakshmi Devi is the provider of prosperity and everlasting fortune; and the bijakshara Sreem refers to Her. Shiva, Rama In the second section of this mantra, there are two important words, namely, Shi va and Rama. The word Shiva signifies Goodness and prosperity; whereas the word Rama denotes beauty and bliss. The underlying objective of this mantra is to bes tow upon the person who chants it, all the good qualities implied in the meaning of the words Shiva and Rama. Shivaaya Vishnu Rupaaya Shivarupaaya Vishnave| Shivasya hrudayam Vishnur Vishnoscha hrudayam Shivah|| Yatha Shiva mayo Vishnu revam Vishnu mayasshivah| Yathaantaram na pasyaami tathaa me swastiraayushi|| The true nature in the Form of Lord Shiva is to provide emancipation from worldl y bondages; this is known as Moksha . The essence and philosophy of Manifestatio n of Lord Vishnu is to ensure prosperity and to provide protection. For this rea son, those who worship both these Gods, without any discrimination, definitely p rocure all the virtues in both of them and never undergo any suffering. As such, these persons obtain unbounded prosperity. According to the Vedas, those who worship Lord Hari in the form of Lord Shiva, a nd Lord Shiva in the form of Lord Hari, obtain prosperity that persists througho ut their entire life. To render this concept easier to understand, recourse can be had to an anecdote in the Puranas , which clearly describes the importance of abstaining from differentiating between Lord Vishnu and Lord Shiva. To further elucidate this concept, it has been recorded in the Puranas that Lord Shiva continually chants the name of Lord Rama, which constitutes His most favo ured name for the purpose of chanting. For instance, Eswara chants: Sri Raama Raameti Rame Raame Manorame Sahasra Naama Tattulyam Raamanaama Varaanane|| This is the exalted Raama Nama, which is a combination of the eight letters of t he Narayana Maha Mantra. It is empowered with the beneficial effects of the asht aakshari . The holy mantra Rama resulted from the combination of the letters of Raa from the Vishnu mantra and Ma from the Shiva Panchaakshari . Consequently, the holy word Raama eliminates differentiation between Lord Hari a nd Lord Shiva. It vehemently declares that both of them are one and the same. Mo reover, Raama integrates all the qualities of the mantras related to these two G ods. Therefore, the chanting of this mantra is more than adequate for religious aspirants and worshippers. Lord Shiva had declared that the chanting of the Rama mantra was equivalent to chanting the thousand names of Lord Vishnu. Thus, Lord Shiva had recommended this mantra to scholars and laymen, alike. This is a simp le and convenient method of worshipping these Gods, and its importance lies in t he fact that it was taught by Lord Shiva Himself. Another gratifying attribute of this Shiva Raama mantra is that Lord Rama alone provides Shiva or moksha, and other fortunes. Hence, Lord Rama is also known as Jagadabhi Rama or Aatmaa Rama. Therefore, every devotee has to worship Lord Rama . This is the fundamental import of this mantra. In fact, both the words Hari and Hara have originated from the same root verb or

Dhaatu . The Hru Dhaatu implies elimination; and in its application, it should be understood that the Dhaatu would eliminate the sins of devotees, remove the e ffects of their sins from their life, purify them and direct them toward Aatma T attva . The third section of this mantra includes the term Anaghaaa. Anaghaaa Dattaaya Anaghaa represents the Goddess Lakshmi Devi. She is the bestower of everlasting fortune, prosperity, lustre and beauty. She also provides enormous wealth to her devotees. An object loses its erstwhile splendour on being stained with dirt or covered wi th dust. When such contamination is removed, that object would shine with all of its former glory and radiance. This is a natural phenomenon. If we chant this mantra, it will eliminate our sins and the contamination caused by these sins. Thus, we stand to regain that which we had lost; furthermore, we would receive all the prosperities of this world and in addition, our spiritual awareness would be significantly enhanced. An examination of the inner meaning of the word Anaghaa reveals that the naama m antra destroys the sins of devotees. A perusal of the events related to Lord Dat ta establishes that, in the Kritayuga ; the Lord demonstrates His wealth of peac e, and Siddhi or, through the medium of Goddess Anaghaa. In fact, Lord Dattatreya revealed this Anaghaa form to the leader of celestials Indra and his minions, and the Maharshis during a war with the demon Jambhaasur a. Subsequently, He made this revelation to His staunch devotee Kaartaveerya arjuna , and imparted knowledge about the philosophy and essence of Anaghaa to him. In His discourse He had stated that human beings commit sins through their thought, speech and action of body. As a result of these sins, they experience several d ifficulties and undergo untold suffering. The power of Anaghaa protects them fro m the consequences of their sins. In essence, the Goddess Anaghaa prevents the a ttitude of sin; emends their pitiable mental condition and coaxes them onto the path of righteousness. This is the fundamental objective of Goddess Anaghaa who protects devotees and reveals to them the right path to reach their goal. The sole requirement for humans to get relief from their sins is pure knowledge. In the absence of such pure knowledge, no person can avoid evil thoughts and si nful acts. In order to procure such knowledge, all it requires is to seek the pr otection and guidance of the Sadguru, for it is only He who can save humans from the outcome of their sins. As such, Lord Dattatreya is the Sadguru for all huma n beings. He is the first Guru in the lineage of Gurus; and He is the Guru of Gurus. Seeki ng the protection of Lord Dattatreya absolves human beings of their sins and eli minates the sinful acts that contribute to their sins. Every human being constantly is trapped in the continuously revolving giant whee l of ignorance, lust, desires and deeds. In order to achieve liberation from thi s wheel of Karma , a factor external to this, shall help the humans to escape. Lord Dattatreya comes to the rescue of humans who wish to liberate themselves fr om ignorance. The Trinity - Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva comprise the divine incar nation of Lord Dattatreya. This incarnation is the embodiment of pure knowledge; and the true purport of this mantra is the offering of one s heartfelt obeisance to Lord Dattatreya for emancipation. It is a well-known fact narrated in Datta Puranam, that the mere chanting of the letters of Da tta provides devotees with indescribable prosperity and fortune. Another important feature of this mantra is that it establishes the unity of God hood in the Supreme Self and Sadguru. The Gist of the Mantra Lord Dattatreya is the representation of Para Brahma and signified by Omkara. He is the bestower of will, knowledge and executive capacity upon his devotees. Mo reover, He provides them with happiness and contentment, destroys their sins and corrects their sinful behaviour. Let us offer our genuflections to such great S adguru Dattatreya. This is the meaning of this versatile mantra.

Resolving Confusion There is every possibility for a person to entertain doubts and to get confused, as under: If the Param Brahma (Paramaatma ) is omnipresent, He should reside wi thin us also. If such be the reality, why should we pray to him? A deeper inquir y could further enhance such doubts and misgivings. The fact of the matter is th at we are the representatives and reflections of that Eternity called Paramaatma . Hence, it is not necessary to offer our salutations to it. This beginning of r etrospection is the basis of all knowledge and the underlying principle of this mantra. Namaha To resolve the predicament, the meaning of the word Namaha is now taken up for d iscussion. In language, the word Namah falls under the category of Avyaya, (the unchangeable). Literal meaning of the term Avyaya is that which does not perish . Hence, the term Namah connotes the immutable. It has neither a beginning nor a n end, and it is everlasting. In Sanskrit grammar, a word that has no gender, number or which cannot be shared is termed as avyayam. Therefore, the last word of this mantra Namaha is related to the first word Om. We have come to know that the Pranava is the representati on of Param Brahma. Similarly, the word Namah is also an Avyaya. Thus, it depicts the characteristic of avyayam. Consequently, those who chant th is mantra with this constant feeling and without any distraction, undeniably att ain the highest exalted stage of wisdom, which is imperishable and unchangeable. This is the spiritual meaning of this mantra. In language, some Avyayas pre-exist naturally, and they are known as Nipaata. Ot her category of Avyayas, are the outcome of the conjoining of two or more words with different interpretation. Furthermore, there is another interpretation of t Prahvi Bhave. This derivative form his word Namah ; derived from the verb Na Ma denotes bowing down or prostrating respectfully to another person. This act by t he devotee should be construed as a deed of veneration, whereby the devotee disp lays respect towards his favourite deity. The underlying meaning of this concept is that the Jeevatma is offering its sal utations to the Paramaatma. However, the initial doubt remains unresolved; if bo th these aatmas are one and the same, then who salutes whom. The most suitable answer to this doubt was provided by Sage Sankaracharya Swamy in his inimitable poems. Satyapi bhedaapagame Naatha tavaaham na mamakeenastwam| Saamudro hi tarangah Kwachana Samudro na Taarangah|| O! God! I possess the same consciousness that resides in You too. This is the tr uth. For instance, there are waves generating from the sea and receding to it. T he ebb and flow of the waves recedes after sometime. The element in the sea is w ater. The waves are composed of this very same element - water. However, they are called the waves of the sea and never the sea of waves. In the same manner, I belong to you and end in you, not otherwise. This is the clarifi cation provided by this great hymn; to disentangle the quagmire in our mind. Every individual experiences three types of emotions and behavioural patterns ac cording to the level of his spiritual practice, consciousness and the results of his past karma. Sometimes, we like to worship God wholeheartedly and perform ph ysical service to Him. At other times, we obtain great pleasure by listening to discourses about God. We convince ourselves that we are successfully performing various activities, due to the will of the Almighty. Sometimes, on account of ve ry great devotion, we attain a super sensuous state, which is replete with vastl y enhanced pleasure. At such times, we may lose awareness of our physical body. A religious dictat must be properly comprehended; otherwise the aspirant would b e exposed to the danger of developing pride and arrogance. This aspect of devotion is much better understood by scrutinising a discussion b etween the Lord Anjaneya and Lord Sri Rama. The great devotee, Sri Anjaneya made a supplication to Lord Rama in the following couplet:

Deha Buddhyaasmi Daasaste Jeevabuddhyaa Tvadamsakaha| Aatmabuddhya tva mevaham thridha me nischitha mathihi|| O! Lord! When I have conscious of my body, when I presume that this body is mine , I am Thine devoted vassal. When I indulge in philosophical thinking, I recogni ze myself as the reflection of Your consciousness. By Your grace, when I have at tained the highest level of the Samadhi state after obtaining kaivalya , I reco gnize that you and I are the same and there is no difference between us. There i s no duality in that state; and only oneness is experienced, which is Advaita . In this manner, I undergo three stages of devotion. This is also equally applicable to all of us; and the Namah word teaches us the three types of devotion, namely providing bodily service, contemplation of the r eflection of the almighty within us and contemplation of oneness in the Advaita state. We should deeply inculcate these Characteristic virtues in our mind and b e mindful of this distinction. Thus one can redeem the benefits of the Mantra Ja pa to its fullest extent. Each and every devotee must always chant this Maha Mantra, in order to attain th e highest stages of devotion and spirituality. It can be chanted individually or collectively with a group of devotees. Such chanting will bestow excellent resu lts upon the participants. Furthermore, this mantra not only provides positive o utcomes to those who chant it, but it also enriches our nation and serves to est ablish world wide peace. Till the next Dattatreya Jayanthi, each family must cha nt this Maha Mantra, for at least 16,00,000 times. May the mercy and grace of Lord Dattatreya Sadguru descend upon you. Jaya Guru Datta! 1 Great Vedic hymn 2 Seed letters 3 The inner or mystic teaching 4 Four faced 5 Ai in Aim, like Ice 6 Truth, consciousness and bliss 6 The philosophical foundation of the Sanatana Dharma 7 Symbol representing Om 8 Vedic hymn 9 Scholar 10 Divine power of illusion 11 Qualified Lord 12 Pronouncement of mystic words 13 Single letter 14 Lord of the Yatis or sages 15 Spiritual advice 16 Systematic practise 17 True Guru 18 Celibate Student 19 Householder 20 Forest dweller 21 Repetition of a mantra 22 Scriptures 23 The Omnipotent Divine Mother 24 Liberation from the cycle of death and rebirth 25 Mythological narratives 26 Lord Shiva 27 Eight letters 28 Five letters 29 Principle 30 Realisation of one s self 31 Righteous age 32 Great Sages 33 Law of moral causation

34 Great God or Lord Shiva 35 Universal soul 36 Immutable 37 Individual Soul 38 A supernatural state in which the consciousness of the experiencer and the ex perienced become one 39 Freedom from all bondage 40 Absence of duality

PART 2 Datta Raksha Mantra OM AIM HREEM SHREEM SHIVA RAMA ANAGHA DATTAYA NAMAHA Song: Pranava Swarupam Raga: Rushya Ketu Priya Talam: Aadi Pallavi: Pranamami Girija Shivananda Nandanam Animadi Sidhiprada Sri Vighnarajam Charanam: 1. Gana Raja Yogi Gana Vandya Padam Pranamami Girija Shivananda Nandanam 2. Ganaraja Yogi Gana Vandyapadam Pranamami Girija Sri Sachidanandam Om Aim Hreem Shreem Shiva Rama Anagha Dattaya Namaha This is a divine mantra . A century and a half ago, some Indian migrants to the West Indies, had desired to learn some mantra. In accordance with the inspiratio n of Lord Dattatreya, this mantra was imparted to them. They chanted this mantra for several crore times. Eventually, in 1995, a homa was performed in the West Indies; corresponding to the number of times that japa had been performed wit h this mantra. This very same mantra is now being discussed as the Datta Raksha Mantra. Since that time, japa is being performed on this mantra. Maharishi Patanjali ha d stated that thajjapaha thadardhamananam; which connotes that japa is not the m ere recitation of a mantra, but that it is the mental recital of its esoteric me aning, which is essential to render it pure japa. Therefore, without knowing the true meaning of a mantra, japa is incomplete. Moreover, this mantra consists of sixteen syllables; and those who chant it would be curious to discern its entir e implication. The following discourse provides the true and complete connotatio n of this mantra. According to the Sastras , it is not permissible to chant mantras that do not be gin with the seed letter Om. However, this mantra begins with Om and there is no need to prefix it specifically. In the alphabets, ? Kara comes first. The lette r A occurs in the beginning of the alphabet. Similarly, Om Kara precedes everyth ing else in mantras. This tenet is equally true for the beejaksharas or seed let ters. The confluence of letters is words and that of words sentences. The combination of sentences is either a poem or causerie . Om Kara is known as Parabrahma . The Agama Sastras declare that the alphabets originate under different circumstanc es. The Holy Scriptures or Smrithis have declared the origin of Om Kara as: Omkaraschadha Sabdascha Dvavethou Brhmanaha Pura| Kantam Bhitva Viniryathou Thasman Mangalika Vubhow|| The sounds Om and Adha have emerged from the pharynx of Lord Brahma. In other wo rds, Lord Brahma was the first to pronounce them. Consequently, they are divine and devout.

In addition, it is established that the chanting of Om bestows all prosperity up on the aspirant. In general, people commence any piece of work or address any is sue, after an auspicious sign. This has always been the tradition. Therefore, th is mantra begins with the Om Kara sound. Moreover, Om is the manifestation of Lo rd Ganapathi; and it is for this very reason that Muthu Swami Dixit had praised Lord Ganapathi as Pranava Swarupa Vakrathundam. The trunk of Lord Ganapathi represents the Om Kara. The lyric Pranava Swarupam, written by Sri Swamiji, depicts the Om Kara characteristic of Lord Ganapathi. Ac cording to the Vedas , the Om Kara is Lord Brahma, the deity Vayu, the Atma, the eternal and all pervasive Lord Paramatma, and everything in the Universe. Om Kara is also known as Pranava. That which transports anything to the Lord Par amatma is Pranava. One Yogiswara had pronounced Pranava as Pra-naava. Naava conn otes a ship, which is used to cross the sea. This is another meaning of Pranava. To reinforce this implication, Maharishi Patanjali declared Thasya Vachakaha Pr anavaha; or that this Pranava describes the characteristics of the Lord Paramatm a. Those who board the ship of Pranava certainly and directly reach the abode of Lo rd Paramatma. Such intimacy is provided by the Pranava; therefore, it is the Lor d Paramatma. It is like travelling in a bus to reach one s destination. When the bus reaches th e destination, it is said that the destination has arrived, and the passengers a re still inside the bus. Thus, the bus becomes the destination even though the p assengers have not alighted from it. Similarly, the Pranava becomes the Lord Par a Brahma for those who travel in it. Thus, Om Kara is bestowed with all the attributes of Lord Para Brahma. Nirupa, N ishkriyatva, Nirmohatwa, Shuddhatwa, and Sachidananda Swarupa are the qualities of Lord Paramatma, and Om Kara also possesses them. The nirguna Paramatma has taken the form of saguna Paramatma to incarnate as t he different Divine Incarnations; such as Lord Rama and Lord Krishna. Similarly , the nirguna Om Kara has transformed into the saguna form, which is Lord Ganapa thi. He is worshipped as Akshara Brahma or Vidya Ganapathi. There is no differen ce between Lord Ganapathi and the Om Kara. The Ganapathi Kavacham states Om karo me siraha paathu or may the Om Kara protect my head. All mantras have the names or seed letters of the Rishis , deities and a specifi c structure. The Om Kara mantra also has Rishis and deities. Let us examine this from this perspective. Lord Parabrahma is the Rishi of this Pranava maha mantra . Rishi implies the person who had established the mantra. Unlike the other mant ras, the Om Kara was not created by any person, and no one had authored it. Ther efore, Lord Para Brahma is at once the propounder and presiding Rishi for this m antra. The Lord Paramatma is the presiding deity of the Om Kara mantra. The deity of a mantra is that deity whose blessings are sought by chanting that mantra. Accordi ng to the Upanishads , the Lord Paramatma had taught the Om Kara mantra in His d iscourses. Spiritual knowledge is greater than any other blessing. Knowledge of Tatva is knowledge of the reality. It removes the perception of difference betw een God and the devotee; and the latter, comes to realize that there is no disti nction between him and God. This state is termed as the Advaita state. This is t he ultimate state in spirituality. The purpose of this Om Kara japa is to attain that state. Salvation is nothing but unifying with the Lord Paramatma. He is th e presiding deity of this mantra of Om Kara. The prosody of the Om Kara is the G ayatri Chanda or Gayatri meter. Prosody is based upon the number of letters, syllables, and structure of verses. This is applies to each and every verse, and the Gayatri is no exception. Om Ka ra appears to be a single letter, and one may entertain a doubt as to how it cou ld comply with the rules of prosody. The following serves to clarify these reser vations. Om Kara is the basis for every sound in the Universe. It is the manifestation of Lord Brahma, in the form of sound. Om Kara depicts the Veda Brahma who in turn represents the invisible Nada Brahma. Om Kara is as pure as sudda nada. All the alphabets, prosodies, verses, Vedas and languages merge into the Om Kara.

The sea remains a single water body after having merged all the rivers into itse lf. Om Kara is akin to the sea, and in this context, it would not be incorrect t o declare that the Om Kara adheres to the Gayatri Chanda. At this juncture, the question arises as to why it should be associated with this Gayatri Chanda. It i s on account of the fact that the Aditya Brahma mantra, which is a daily chanted by many people, is in the Gayatri Chanda. There is no mantra that is superior t o the Aditya Brahma mantra. Na Gayatryaha param mantram. The chanting of the Bra hma mantra purifies the conscience of the aspirant. The Rishis integrated Gayatr i Chanda with the Om Kara, in order to stress this fact. Om Kara falls under the Lathavya Gothra. Lathavya implies the one that procures. It also denotes that which eliminates or removes. What is to be procured? Peopl e have either forgotten or ignored the existence and state of the atma or the in dividual soul. Realization of this has to be restored to them, and the Om Kara p erforms this task. Therefore, it is called Lathavya Gothra. In addition, the Om Kara gets rid of the bondage due to the cycle of birth and death. It literally c uts off these bonds, and is therefore known as the Lathavya Gothra. It has been proclaimed that the Lord Chathurmukha Brahma is the son of Om Kara. This implies that Lord Brahma was the first to have practiced the Om Kara. The color of Om Kara is white, its character is noble and the Atharva Veda is its bi rth place. In addition, its visage is knowledge, and it can be divided into the three parts Am, Um and Mam. Am is the seed of the Om Kara, Um is its power and t he last syllable Mam is indispensable. Om Kara must be practiced for attaining m oksha . One should have that resolve, while practicing the Om Kara. As such, it is a very powerful mantra. The Sage Shankara Bhagavadpadacharya, in his commenta ry on the Panchakshari, praised the Om Kara as follows: Om Kara mantram samyuktham Nithyam dhyayanthi Yoginaha| Kamadam mokshadam thasmath Omkaraya namo namaha|| The yogis recite any mantra by prefixing Om to it. The mantra that is without Om in the beginning is of no value. The Om Kara satisfies all the desires of the a spirant and finally bestows moksha. Salutations to the Om Kara or Omkaraya namo namaha. Song: Ragam: Rathipathi Priya Aadi Thalam: (Chathurasr anada) Pallavi: Sarvadhara saiva matha Sarvakara sama vithatha Om Aim Hreem Shreem mantramatha Shreem Hreem Aim Om manu vinutha 1. Sadane Sadane Kritha Janana Manuje Manuje Kritha Manana Vadane Vadane Kritha Ranana Hridaye Hridaye Kritha Chalana 2. Sujane Sujane Shruthi Vihitha Kujane Kujane Chira Duritha Purushe Purushe Katu Charitha Shithi Yo Shithi Mridutha Adha Yo 3. Bhuvi Sa Vinutha Surabhimayi Gagane Viditha Dhvanirupa Adha Bhu Thaga Sam Padi Kila Sa Sukha Sa Dhanatha Sthithi Subhaga 4. Anukana kuhare suchi ruchira Suragana nikare shivadayitha Rathi pathi priyaya sama sushama Sachidanandada mahitha rama Pallavi: sarvadhara saiva matha Sarvakara sama vithatha Om Aim Hreem Shreem mantramatha Shreem Hreem Aim Om manu vinutha

The second syllable in the Raksha Mantra is Aim. It is the seed letter of the Go ddess Saraswathi. The combination of the sounds A and E produces the sound AE. I f A and AE are conjoined, then the sound AI is obtained. When the syllable Ma is added to AI, it results in the seed letter AIM. In the AIM seed letter, there are three conjunctions or phonetic units. These th ree units represent three powers and states. The Mantra Sastra declares the seed letter of AIM as the vagbhava beejam. The Goddess Saraswathi Devi is the presid ing deity of speech and education. Vagbhava denotes that which had derived from the Goddess Saraswathi Devi. It can be construed as the one that generates spoke n words. Another meaning of this term is that of a provider. According to the Pu ranas, the deities of speech, Vasinya and others, intoned the beejaksharas AIM f or several years, so as to obtain the capability to inscribe the Lalitha Sahasra nama. In Sanskrit, the word AI signifies love and devotion. AI had emerged from the beejakshara AIM. It is impossible to describe the power of this beejakshara. The renowned sage Shankara Bhagavadpada employed the word AI in the Aigiri Nand ini verse. There is an exceptional incident that exemplifies the power of the beejakshara A IM. It relates to Maha Kavi Kalidas, and helps us to better understand the effec t of this beejakshara. The king of Ujjain was engaged in finding a suitable bridegroom for his daughter . His intention was to marry his daughter to a great poet and scholar. He delega ted this duty to his minister, and directed him to search for such a scholar. Th e minister harbored malafide intent towards the king and therefore decided to pr ocure an insane person as the prospective bridegroom. His plan was that such a s in law could be easily controlled by him. In the course of his insidious miss on ion, the minister chanced upon a person, who was loping off the branch of a tree on which he was seated. The minister was beside himself with joy at having succ eeded in his search; and he immediately presented this fool to the kind and pron ounced him to be a wise person. The king, as was his wont, believed his minister s words, and forthwith ordered arrangements for the marriage of his daughter with that fool. The princess was clever and astute, and recognized on the very first day of her marriage that her husband was an illiterate fool. She realized that she and her father had been deceived by the minister. She decided to transform her husband i nto a great scholar and took a vow to that effect, with absolute self determinat ion. She told her husband that unless he became competent and a good poet, she w ould not talk to him and would even refuse to gaze upon his countenance. The fool of a husband asked her as to where he was to obtain such proficiency. T o this the princess advised him to approach the nearby Kalika temple and pray fo r the blessings of the Goddess. The simpleton repaired to the temple, closed the doors and prostrated himself at the feet of the Goddess. He prayed with devotio n and beseeched the Goddess to bestow knowledge and erudition upon him. Anon, th e Goddess Kalika Devi materialized before him and inscribed some beejaksharas on his tongue. He did not know what She had written on his tongue; however, immedi ately after the Goddess had written these beejaksharas, the fool become a schola r. Thereupon, he recited the following verses in praise of the Goddess: Dwaipayana Prabhruthi Chapayudha Thridiva sopana dhulicharana Papapa Haswamanu Japanuleenajana Thaapaapanoda nipuna Neepalayaa Surabhi Dhupalaka duritha Kupaadudamchayathu mam Rupadhika shikhari bhupaala Vamsamani deepayitha bhagavathi He stated that adyaprabhrithi avanathangi thavasmi dasaha. O! Mother! I am your servant from this moment. Das connotes a servant, and as he had offered himself as a servant to the Goddess Kali, he came to be known as Kalidas. There is no m ention of his previous name. In this manner, Kalidas became a great poet, and hi

s literary works were acclaimed by everyone. Kalidas was amazed at his transformation and he queried his Guru Maharishi Vyas a. Swami! I was a shepherd and a fool. How did this transformation take place in one single day, with the blessings of the Goddess? How is it possible for me to compose poetry? How did all this take place? Please explain it to me. Maharishi Vyasa replied: Dear Kalidas! You had accumulated virtue in your previous births. In your previou s birth, you were a shepherd, and you used to shout AI, AI to control your sheep . You recited AI for countless times. The sound AI is the beejakshara of Goddess Saraswathi Devi. You had unwittingly chanted it, as if it were japa. By virtue of that japa, you procured the blessings of Goddess Kalikamatha in this birth. T hat is the secret of your scholarship and poetry. This narrative establishes the power of the beejakshara AIM. The shepherd had un knowingly chanted that beejakshara and emerged a great poet. If the same beejaks hara is chanted with the knowledge of its power, then it provides unbounded pros perity and to the practitioner. One should always remember this important fact. After the obstacles have been eliminated, one should choose knowledge and educat ion. For this reason, the second beejakshara AIM has been incorporated into the Raksha Mantra. The japa of this beejakshara confers education, knowledge and abi lity upon its practitioner. Hey Vani Hey Vani Pallavi: Hey Vani Hey Vani Hey vani Hey Vani Hey Vani Charanam: 1. Aim beeja vase hey Vani Ananda dhare hey Vani Sri Kalidasanethri hey Vani Kavyaprakase hey Vani 2. Omkara vaedye hey Vani Bhavarogavaidye hey Vani Suswethavarne hey Vani Amritha prakase hey Vani 3. Pusthakahasthe hey Vani Vedaswarupini hey Vani Lasadakshamale hey Vani Nadaprakase hey Vani 4. Hamsadhirudhe he Vani Hamsai rupasye hey Vani Vivekahamse hey Vani Sohamprakase hey Vani 5. Veenaavinodini hey Vani Yogaprakase hey Vani Varasidhidayini hey Vani Hey Vani Hey Vani Hey vani Hey Vani Hey Vani Let us know analyze the beejakshara Hreem. It is derived from the Hru nya verb. It eliminates sins; thus, it is Hreem. This beejakshara relates to both Lord Shiva and Lord Vishnu. It is known as Shakthi beeja or the seed of Power. Although Sh akthi Tantra contains several crores of mantras, Panchadasi has a significant pl ace in it. All the remaining mantras have emerged from the panchadasi. Therefore , it is termed the mantraraja or king of mantras. It is composed of three parts, which are collectively known as thrikutam. Each kuta ends with the beejakshara Hreem. It behaves as the termination of the previous kuta and the beginning of t he subsequent kuta. As such, the panchadasi should not be considered as Ekaavrit hi, and this is the fundamental rule, Vis a Vis the panchadasi. On the basis of the Panchadasi, Lord Hayagreeva Swami had taught the esoteric Tr isathi. There are sixty names in the Trisathi that relate to the Hreem Kara. In order to comprehend the power of Hreem, one has to understand all these sixty na mes. We will now discuss them in a rapid manner. Pallavi:

The Goddess Raja Rajeswari Devi is the manifestation of Hreem Kara. It is Her ab ode and She has untold affection towards it. The Hreem Kara has emerged from Her and She is the embodiment of all the mantras based on it. Hreem is Her characte ristic, and She is greatly pleased if the Hreem Kara is chanted. She established Herself in the Hreem Kara, which is Her ornament and conduct. Aspirants worship Her by chanting the Hreem Kara. The Goddess resides in the Hreem Kara and She i s its womb. Moreover, Her name is Hreem. The venerable Goddess Tripuramba is depicted by the Hreem Karam and worshipped b y it. She sits on the pedestal of Hreem. She is realized through Hreem and recol lected with Hreem. As such, Hreem is the Goddess Raja Rajeswari Matha; Hreem is Her body and Hreem has emerged from the Goddess Shakthi Durgi. In the practice of Shakthi, Hreem is predominant and constitutes the first and m iddle parts of Goddess Shakthi. Her head is adorned with a diamond called Hreem, and She is the tongue of fire that had emerged from the site of a fire termed a s Hreem. The Goddess Raja Rajeswari is the Hreem, which is the moon light. Hreem is also the light of the sun, the wave of the sea. The Goddess had emerged from the root of Hreem, which contains Her qualities. She is the swan in the reservo ir of water called Hreem; and the Goddess Parvathi Devi is the peacock that stro lls in the garden known as Hreem. She is the deer in the Hreem forest, and She i s the parrot in the cage known as Hreem. The Goddess constitutes the lamp for th e precinct termed as the Hreem; and She is the lioness that resides in the cave termed Hreem. She is none other than the bee that flies around the lotus known b y the name of Hreem. She is the honey in the Hreem flower and She is the bouquet termed Hreem. That Goddess ParaShakthi is the embodiment of the Hreem Kara and the dove that perches atop the structure known as Hreem. The Goddess is the poti on that emerged from the sea of milk, termed the Hreem. The Goddess Lakshmi Devi resides in the Hreem lotus and She is the Goddess Para Shakthi. If Hreem were an island of diamonds, then the Goddess constitutes the g littering lights of that island. If Hreem were the tree, the Goddess is the parr ot that is nestled in the hollow of that tree. The Goddess is the priceless diam ond that is secured in the stronghold known as Hreem. She is the reflection of t he mirror termed as Hreem, and her nervous system is the Hreem. The Goddess Uma Devi dances on the stage known as Hreem. If Hreem were to be an oyster shell, th en the Goddess is the pearl within it. She is represented by Hreem; and if Hreem were to be a golden pillar, the Goddess constitutes the diamond idol inscribed in that pillar. If Hreem were to be the sea of the Vedas, then the Goddess is the repository of the Upanishads in it. She constitutes the fruit of the japa of Hreem. If Hreem i s a garden, the Goddess is a plant in it. If Hreem were the Himalayas, the Godde ss constitutes the River Ganga that is born in it. She is the Kousthubhamani eme rgent from the sea termed Hreem. She is the Hreem mantra, in Her totality. She i s pleased on the intonation of the Hreem mantra. The Goddess provides eternal pr osperity to the person who chants that mantra. This fact is established by Trisa thi Namavali, which states that there is no difference between Goddess Para Shak thi and Hreem. We are chanting such a great Hreem Kara as the third beejakshara of this Raksha Mantra. Song: Ragam: Sri Raga Pallavi: Thalam: Khandanada Sri Lakshmi MaaLakshmi Jaya Jaya Lakshmi Sthira Lakshmi Shubha Lakshmi Sri Ashta Lakshmi Sri Lakshmi Maa Lakshmi Jaya Jaya Lakshmi

Charanam: 1. Aravichu kamalaala wuyyalalo Chiruletha keratala woopulalo Vudayinchu kiranala giliginthalo Chirunavvu chindinchu o Bala Lakshmi 2. Aa Vishnu hrudayamme thana illuga Ala paalavelliye padakilluga Pasi Manmadhuni saaki laalinchuchoo

Musimusiga navveti o Prouda Lakshmi 3. Santhame thanakoppu puchenduga Saadhanale thanakimpu sommuluga Ghana yogi hridayala perantamul Saginchi karuninchu o Vrudha Lakshmi 4. Thana bhakthulaku thane kanu thalliga Nija saadhakula kaatma samsidhiga Ihapara soukhyalu varshaluga Rakshinchu Sri Sachidananda Lakshmi Pallavi: Sri Lakshmi maaLakshmi Jaya Jaya Lakshmi Sthira Lakshmi shubhaLakshmi Sri AshtaLakshmi The fourth beejakshara of this maha mantra is Shreem. It represents the Goddess Lakshmi. In general, Goddess Lakshmi is known as the Goddess Sri Lakshmi . The Sri in this name is the seed letter Shreem. Sahi Srihi Amritha Sathaam , Godd ess Sri Lakshmi is the Amritha Swarupini for the virtuous. The Vedas state that Goddess Lakshmi is represented by the beejakshara Shreem. There are several holy verses like Durga Suktha, Narayana Suktha, Nila Suktha, Rathri Suktha, Saraswat hi Suktha. All these scriptures are named after the deity to whom they relate. H owever, the Suktha of Goddess Lakshmi Devi is known as the Sri Suktha. This is d ue to the fact that there is no difference between the beejakshara Shreem and th e Goddess Lakshmi Devi. The verse in Sri Suktha Shriyam Devi mupahwaye connotes that I am inviting Goddess Lakshmi Devi. Similarly, Shrirma Devi jushathaam indicates that may God dess Sri Lakshmi bless me! This beejakshar can be pronounced as Shrihi or Sri. On conjoining the M so und, it becomes Shreem, the beejakshara. The arcane beejakshara in the Shodasi p ractice is this very same Shreem. The letter Sa is the combination of S and A. T he combination of the beejaksharas of Agni and Eem with Sa, produce the beejaksh ara Shreem. S denotes Lord Shiva; and the Puranas, in several places, declare that t he Goddess Lakshmi is the sister of Lord Shiva and that the Goddess Parvathi is the sister of Lord Vishnu. Therefore, the beejakshara Shreem simultaneously repr esents the siblings Lord Shiva and Goddess Lakshmi Devi. The Sri Suktha disclose d the secret that the Bilva is the favorite tree of Goddess Lakshmi Devi. In fact, the beejakshara of Goddess Lakshmi Devi is EEM. It is comprised of two e s. One of them represents Goddess Lakshmi Devi and the other represents Lord Narayana. From this perspective, the beejakshara EEM is the beejakshara of both Goddess Lakshmi and Lord Narayana. The chanting of the beejakshara, Shreem, bequeaths fame and prosperity on the practitioners. Such aspirants would amass wealth, live contentedly and enjoy considerable longevity. Shortcomings like ang er, greed, cruelty and evil intentions would be eliminated. Lakshim ksheerasamudra raja thanayam Sri Ranga Dhameswareem Daasibhootha samastha deva vanitham lokaika deepankuram| Sri Manmanda kataksha labda vibhava Brahmendra Gangadharaam Thvam Thrilokya kutumbineem sarasijaam vande Mukunda Priyaam|| The above description completes the first part of the Raksha Mantra. The second part of this discourse discusses the significance of Shiva and Rama. Jaya Guru Datta 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Vedic hymn A crore is equal to ten millions Powerful fire ritual Repetitive chant of a mantra Great Sage Holy Scriptures Prose Supreme Being or God

9 The body of scriptural knowledge that relates to the performance of ceremonial worship and rituals 10 Primary texts of the Sanatana Dharma 11 Unqualified 12 Qualified 13 Seers 14 The inner or mystic teaching 15 Fundamental principle 16 Four - headed 17 Salvation 18 Religious or spiritual teacher PART 3 Second Day Shivanamani bhavimthemtharamge Mahathi jyothishi manini mayaardhe| Durithaanyapayaanthi duradure Muhurayanthi mahanthi mangalani|| Undoubtedly, the Shiva Nama is supreme in the universe. It constitutes the worl d s illumination, absolves all sins and sanctifies the mind of he who chants it me ntally. In other words, the mere thought of the Shiva Nama destroys all sin. As such, it bestows good fortune and happiness upon the person who chants it. Song: Shiva Shiva Shankara thava charanam Pallavi: Shiva Shiva Shankara Thava Charanam Hara Hara Shankara Mama sharanam Charanam: 1. Omkruthi rupa thava charanam Omkaranatha thava charanam Omkrutha bhaktha thava charanam 2. Nagadhara pujya thava charanam Nagagravasa thava charanam Nagajakantha thava charanam 3. Manojadaha thava charanam Makhavidhvamsaka thava charanam Maheshadeva thava charanam 4. Shistajanavana thava charanam Shikshithadaithya thava charanam Shiva swarupa thava charanam 5. Varada bhayada thava charanam Vrushabhavahana thava charanam Vanithardamga thava charanam 6. Yaksheshamitra thava charanam Yamijana sannutha thava charanam Yamadama sheela thava charanam 7. Shadaksharakhya thava charanam Shanmukhathatha thava charanam Sachidananda thava charanam

According to the Puranas , just hearing the name Shiva confers the benefit s that are usually obtained after performing tapas for centuries. The Puranas a re based on the Vedas . One of the Vedas is the Yajur-Veda; and the Krishna Yaju r Veda, which is in seven parts, is one of its sub divisions. The fourth or midd le chapter of this Krishna Yajur-Veda enshrines the Sri Rudram contains the sacr ed Panchakshari mantra or Namassivaya in the Namassomaya, which is the fifth q uestion in the Krishna Yajur-Veda. The name of Lord Shiva constitutes the basis of the Panchakshari. The Telugu dictionary, Amara Kosha provides several meanings for the wor d Shiva. Some of these are Swasreyasam Shivam Bhadram Kalyanam Mangalam Shubham. As such, Shiva denotes auspiciousness, and some of its meanings are good fortun e, welfare, marriage, and prosperity. Moreover, the verses of Shiva Kavacham state that maa mavyayaha pathu Shiva ssay aanam. In other words, Lord Shiva eliminates the ignorance of His devotees. He a wakens people who are lost in the slumber of the darkness of ignorance. He elimi nates sleep induced by ignorance, and renders His devotees alert and ever wary o f such darkness. A true appreciation of the power and greatness of Shiva Nama is evidenced by an episode in the Holy Scripture, Bhagavata. In that incident, the Goddess Sati Dev i established the prominence and supremacy of the Shiva Nama. The Monarch Daksha Prajapati performed his daughter Sati Devi s marriage with Lord Shiva on an auspicious day. The newly married couple was beside themselves with joy. The Goddess Sati Devi was elated at having married Lord Shiva and similarl y, Lord Shiva was thrilled to have Her as His wife. Since then, Lord Shiva accor ded protection to the different worlds in the creation with eight shoulders. There was peace in the universe under the protection of Lord Shiva. However, the king found it difficult to tolerate this peace! Subsequently, Daksha Prajapathi decided to perform a yajna . He made all the necessary preparations and invited each and every deity, with the exception of Lord Shiva. The king had wantonly o mitted to invite Lord Shiva to the yajna. He did not invite his daughter, becaus e he would have had to invite his son-in-law. Some of the deities reprimanded the king for having failed to invite Lord Shiva. They told him that the yajna would be incomplete, if the offerings were not rec eived by Lord Rudra. Despite their wise counsel, Daksha refused to invite the Lo rd. The king said: He dwells in the cremation ground, wears the skin of an animal and rides a bull. By inviting such an individual to my yajna, my reputation would be harmed. The deities kept their counsel, at this contention of Daksha, and they stopped a ny further endeavours to either cajole or impel Daksha to invite the Lord. The news of the yajna reached goddess Sati Devi. She was also informed that the arrangements for the yajna had been splendid and all the deities had attended it . She told the Lord Shiva about the yajna and suggested that they also should go to it. Lord Shiva said: You had not been invited by your father. If you go there without being invited, y ou will be insulted. It would harm your dignity and honor. Sati Devi said: At least permit me to attend the yajna performed by my father. Please allow me to go there. Lord Shiva said: You will be subjected to insult. The people gathered there would demean your resp ect and reputation. You cannot tolerate such insult, humiliation and indignity y ou are going to face there. So do not attend the yajna. Despite these discourses, goddess Sati Devi did not pacify. She insisted that Sh e should attend the yajna. At last, without any other go, Lord Shiva permitted H er to go. Goddess Sati Devi went along with Her followers to the yajna place. As told by Lord Shiva, the King Daksha had humiliated Sati Devi. He acrimoniously talked with Her that why she came when he did not invite them. He also scolded L ord Shiva. Sati Devi could not tolerate those accusations. She wanted to immolat

e herself in the fire of the Yajna. She praised the power of Shiva nama and decl ared it to the world. Her teaching about the power and greatness of Shiva Nama is very important and k nowledge providing even for today s world. Let us carefully listen to it. Yad vyakshram nama gireritham nrinam Sakruth prasangath aghamasu hamthithath| Pavitra keerthim thamalanghya shasanam Bhavanaho! Dweshti shivam Shivetharaha|| O! Contemptible father! You are blaming and dishonoring the Lord Shiva, the chan t of whose name eliminates all the sins, even it is chanted playfully. He has di vine and sacred reputation. His orders and words are binding for the world. You are dishonoring and scolding such great Lord Shiva Parameswara. You are a traito r of Lord Shiva and committing sin against the Lord by reproaching Him. You and your supporters will have to face dire consequences and would be eradicated soon . In that manner, goddess Sati Devi cursed her father and immolated Herself in the fire of the yajna. We know what had occurred subsequently. In Maha Bharatha, the Lord Sri Krishna taught the glory and greatness of Shiva N ama. He declared that there is not any other mantra greater than the Shiva Nama. Those who chant the Shiva Nama would be liberated from the cycle of births and deaths. Those who chant it at the time of their death would certainly receive th e place, which is reserved for great Maharishis and hermits. Idham Dhyanam Idham Yogaha Idham Dhyeyamanuththamam| Idham japyamidam jnanam Rahasya Midamuthamam|| Shiva Nama is the meditation. It is yoga. It is to be meditated. There is no oth er great mantra than the Shiva Nama. It has to be chanted. It is the ultimate kn owledge and enlightenment. It is the greatest secret. The Maha Bharatha teaches that the Shiva Nama is the greatest mantra among the other mantras. Maharishi Rishabha Yogi had compiled the Shiva Kavacham, in which it has been de clared that chanting the Shiva Nama would do away with inauspicious dreams, bad omens, unfavorable conditions, evil intentions, impoverishment, bad habits, unde sirable accomplices, calamities, psychological stresses, fears, poisons, unfavor able planetary effects, and diseases. Shiva Agamam states that one should view the Shiva Nama as a mantra revealed by the Lord Para Brahma. We often hear the words Satyam, Shivam and Sundaram. Among them, the word Shivam indicates the word Chit in Sachidanandam. Chit connotes Jnana or knowledge. Jna na is enlightenment, and it is of the form of light. In the same manner, the Shi va Nama depicts effulgence. Consequently, Lord Shiva is worshipped in the form o f the Jyothirlinga . Lord Shiva is light and His mercy bestows the ultimate knowledge upon the aspira nt. Shankaram Shankaram Pallavi: Shankaram Shankaram Vanchitha Maram Bhajatha Varavaram Sri Galam Chitkalam Khanditha Kaalam Namatha Hathamalam Caranam: 1. Maanasaadrutha Bahubhavanam Nana Jeevakarollasanam 2. Karunaya Dhruthabhuvanaganam Avagathi vitharana madha kala vikaranam 3. Kamadam Hruthamadana madam Kalitha pramadam Sachidanandam

RAMA NAMAM

Ramanamame Nadu Garjanam Ragam: Keeravani di Pallavi: Anu Pallavi: Prana devude naku mitrudu Vargashatkame naku shathruvu 1. Bhakthi yogame nadu sadhanam Bhakthulandaru bandhumithrulu Upiranthayu pranavanadamu Hridaya shabdame layanyasamu 2. Nidravasthaye namaskaramu Nadu jeevanam neeku arpanam Rakthavahame pampatheerthamu Naramulanniyu punyanadamulu 3. Matalanniyu vedapankthulu Chinthalanniyu dhyananishtalu Karmalanniyu chera sadgathi Sachidanandude naku Maruti Rama namame nadu garjanam Kamadevuniki idi visarjanam

Talam: A

The Rama Namam is unrivalled. It has great taste, and words are incapabl e of describing this taste. No comestible has such sweetness or taste; and not s urprisingly, people praise the sweetness of Lord Rama s name. One may wonder as to how a name can possess taste. The answer is provided only on experiencing the s ame. If a person is thirsty and his mouth is dry, then he can produce the saliva by the chanting of the name of Lord Rama ten times. In this manner, the chantin g of the Rama Nama will reduce thirst. This has been proved by several studies and experiments, and does not co nstitute mere hearsay. The name of Lord Rama is akin to a lake of sweet water in the desert. It is sufficient to hear the Rama Nama, if a person wants to get ri d of his fears, infuse courage and confidence in his heart. The very same Rama N ama serves to strike terror in the hearts of sinners. Rama eva param dhyanam Rama eva param thapaha| Rama eva param jnanam Ramo brahmaiva naparaha|| Rama is the meditation. Rama Nama is the tapas. Rama is knowledge. Moreo ver, the Ramopanishat states that Rama is the Para Brahma . Ramodri kuteshavadha vipravaso saLakshmano vyad Bharathaagrajosman Lord Rama is the elder brother of prince Bharatha. May Lord Rama, accomp anied by prince Lakshmana protect me in my journey! This verse is from the Naray ana Kavacham. To discern the greatness and power of the Rama Nama, it is important to examine a short story of the Puranas. Once, Lord Shiva performed incomparable ta pas for thousands of years in Kailas. He remained immersed in that tapas for tho usands of years. The Goddess Parvathi Devi did not have the courage to disturb H im. She waited till Lord Shiva completed the tapas. After several thousand years had gone by, Lord Shiva gradually opened His eyes; and the Goddess Parvathi Dev i asked Her Divine Consort: Swami ! When all the deities, humans and demons performing tapas, with Yo u as the focal point, to whom did You perform this tapas? To this Lord Shiva replied: O! Parvathi! The Rama Nama constitutes the Maha Mantra for Me, You and e veryone else. I have performed tapas for all these years, with this very same Ma

ha Mantra. The Goddess Parvathi Devi was amazed at the words of Lord Shiva. From th en onwards, She is chanting Rama Namam. On one occasion, the Sage Narada visited the pilgrim centre Kasi. At tha t place, he noticed that the people, who departed from their mortal coil after h aving bathed in the River Ganga and worshipped Lord Viswanath, directly proceede d to Kailas and were absorbed into Lord Shiva. The bewildered Sage approached Lo rd Shiva and asked: Parameswara ! Every place on earth is of the same value to You; then how is it that only the people who die in Kasi get directly absorbed into You and li berated? Lord Shiva replied with a smile: Narada! All this transpires due the power of the Rama Nama. This reply served to enhance the bewilderment of Sage Narada. He stated S wami! The city of Kasi belongs to You and is under Your authority. The River Gan ga originates from your head. As such, the people who die in Kasi receive libera tion only on account of Your will and blessings. In what way is Lord Rama relate d to this process? Lord Shiva laughed at the doubt raised by the Sage and replied Narada! Ra ma is Para Brahma! The Rama Taraka Mantra signifies Lord Rama. Taraka denotes th e Pranava . In other words, it bestows liberation. In the entire creation there is no mantra that is comparable with the Pranava, except for this Rama mantra. I impart the Taraka mantra to the devotees who are dying in Kasi. Those who liste n to that mantra in their last moments are spared further births and deaths. I a bsorb these people. Even people who lead an ordinary life receive these benefits by virtue of the Rama mantra. This is the reason for my maintaining that all th is happens, on account of the power of Rama Nama. Do you understand now? Sage Narada s doubts were set at rest, by the explanation provided by Lord Shiva. He continued on his customary journey through the three worlds, all the while cantillating Narayana! Narayana! During his journey, Sage Narada happened t o meet Prachethasa, who had received the blessings of the Saptharishis . Sage Na rada detected an extraordinary energy or power flowing within Prachethasa. The e ffect of this discovery was that Sage Narada felt inclined to encourage Pracheth asa to compose the Ramayana. Thereupon, the Holy Sage descended to the Earth and taught Prachethasa the Rama Nama mantra. However, the latter was unable to corr ectly intonate the mantra. Consequently, Sage Narada transposed the mantra and a sked him to recite it as Ma Ra. Prachethasa began to chant the transposed mantra as Ma Ra, Ma Ra, Ma Ra and derived great pleasure from this exercise. MaRa denotes a human, who is prone to death or who has the characteristi c of dying; whereas, Rama connotes eternal happiness. The latter enables humans to attain immortality from a state of transience. The Rama Nama consists of such tremendous power. Prachethasa, was also known as Rathnakara, was a hunter. The Rama Nama transformed him into a great sage and provided him with the power to write the Ramayana. He later became popular as Maharishi Valmiki. In the Ramayana, Maharishi Vasishta named the sons of king Dasaratha. Th e author of the Ramayana, Maharishi Valmiki commented that Ramasya Lokaramasya bh rathrir jyeshtasya nithyashaha. This verse states that Maharishi Vasishta named t he first born of king Dasaratha as Sri Rama because the latter provides happines s to the entire world through His very existence on earth. Lord Rama had three brothers who accompanied him wherever He went, and s erved Him with the utmost dedication. Thus, the Rama Nama is a powerful mantra. In order to make the power of Rama Nama, known to everyone, Lord Parama Shiva in carnated as Anjaneya Swami. He used Maharishi Viswamithra as the cause for His m ission. Once in the past, the Emperor Gaya had kicked Maharishi Viswamithra, uni ntentionally, when it had been dark. The enraged Viswamithra informed Lord Rama about this enormous affront. Lord Rama had sworn to kill king Gaya for having kicked His Guru. Gaya f eared for his life and approached Anjana Devi, the mother of Lord Anjaneya. He r equested her to protect him. She assured him and instructed her son to protect G aya. Lord Anjaneya accepted the duty of protecting Gaya; but He was unaware of t

he identity of the adversary. Moreover, He had no knowledge regarding the oath sworn by Lord Rama, regarding Gaya. Thus, He consented to protect king Gaya. The outcome of these events was a great battle between Lord Rama and Anjaneya Swami . In this battle, Lord Rama s army was defeated by Lord Anjaneya. Even the r edoubtable princes Lakshmana, Bharatha, and Satrughna were defeated in the battl e with Lord Anjaneya. Eventually, Lord Rama had to participate in the engagement . Thus, Lord Rama under the guidance of Maharishi Viswamithra entered the battle field. However, Lord Anjaneya did not engage in hostilities with Lord Rama. He sat on a rock, closed His eyes and began to chant the Rama Nama mantra. Lord Ram a launched several of His weapons against Lord Anjaneya but could not defeat Him . Finally, Lord Rama discharged the all powerful Rama Bana towards Lord Anjaneya . Surprisingly, it also returned back to Lord Rama without harming Lord Anjaneya . In desperation, Lord Rama asked Maharishi Viswamithra, Gurudeva! This is unbeli evable. Why it is happening? Is Anjaneya more powerful than me? Or has my power diminished? Maharishi Viswamithra had been keenly waiting for this event to transpir e; and he called upon all the people and proclaimed Listen attentively, this skir mish between Rama and Anjaneya took place, in accordance with God s will. It serve d to demonstrate the fact that the Rama Nama is more powerful than Lord Rama s Arr ows. Lord Parama Shiva had intended to reveal this fact to all the worlds. That is why all this happened. Those who chant the Rama Nama will be unaffected by ev il. Moreover, this event establishes the fact that the power of Rama Nama is sup erior to God s power. Maharishi Viswamithra beckoned Lord Anjaneya and Lord Rama and declare Ra ma! Anjaneya is your eternal devotee. This is indisputable; and the purpose behi nd this episode was to proclaim the power of Rama Nama to the worlds. Thereupon, Lord Anjaneya prostrated before Lord Rama, Who blessed Him. S ince then, the power of Rama Nama has come to be known to the world. Song: Hanuma palikina Rama Namamu Pallavi: Hanuma palikina Rama namamu Haddu lerugani shakthi dhamamu Caranam: 1. Brahmalokapu suti margamu Brahma sabhakahvana patramu Amrutha sarasiki aridi mettadi Rama mudrika lichu chettadi 2. Marana rogamu manpu mandadi Sathya saramu vippu vindadi Korkelichedi kalpatharuvadi Sachidanandamu nindu cheruvadi On another occasion, Lord Anjaneya praised the Rama Nama as follows: Naiva yojyo Rama mantraha Kevalam mokshadayakaha Ihike samanuprapthe Mam smareth Ramasevakam Do not chant the Rama mantra for fulfilling earthly desires. I am here t o fulfill your mundane desires. The Rama mantra bestows moksha upon the aspiran t. It removes all desires, and reveals the final goal that one has to attain. There is another narrative, which describes the power of Rama Nama. It i s an amusing account, which helps us better understand the greatness of Rama Nam a. Lord Krishna had established Himself, in the famous pilgrimage centre Pu ri, along with His brother Balarama and sister Subhadra. Lord Hanuman had witnes sed His master Lord Rama in Lord Sri Krishna. Thus, Lord Hanuman associated Hims elf with Lord Krishna; and He came to know that Lord Krishna had incarnated in P

uri. Lord Hanuman wished to perform worship at Ayodhya and Puri in one single da y. Consequently, He commenced to adore Lord Sri Krishna at Puri in the morning; and Lord Sri Rama at Ayodhya in the evening. Since Puri was the abode of Lord Jagannadha, a number of maharishis vis ited that place. They set up their humble habitations near the hill Neelachala a nd commenced tapas. They had constructed their huts on the seashore; which the d eity of the sea, Samudra, found distasteful. Every day, after sunset, Samudra pr oduced huge waves to inundate the kuteeras erected by the maharishis. Their hom akundas were also destroyed by these monstrous waves. The maharishis prayed an d pleaded with Samudra, in order to pacify him; but to no avail. Finally, the di stracted maharishis sought refuge at the feet of Lord Jagannadha. The Lord bestowed his world bewitching smile upon the hapless maharishis and said you possess the solution to this predicament, but choose to seek the he lp of others. The maharishis urged Him Swami! Please clarify the meaning of these words. To thi s Lord Jagannadha replied, Maharishis! Lord Hanuman is visiting you daily. If you seek his protection, then Samudra would not dare to disturb you. Therefore, bes eech Lord Hanuman to remain with you. The maharishis genuflected before Lord Jagannadha and returned to their abodes. In accordance with His usual practice, Lord Anjaneya returned from Ayodh ya the next day, so as to offer his prayers at Puri. He arrived at the seashore, in order to conduct some special pujas . The maharishis, who were eagerly lying in wait for Him; procured large and heavy ropes and captured Lord Anjaneya. Lord Anjaneya could not understand why the maharishis had bound Him. So he asked them Why have you shackled Me? The maharishis detailed the difficulties that they had to countenance, d ue to the unwarranted hostility displayed by the deity Samudra. They prayed to L ord Anjaneya to be with them forever. Lord Anjaneya acceded to their supplicatio ns. When it was evening, Lord Anjaneya remembered Lord Rama of Ayodhya. He could not remain in Puri and left for Ayodhya, after breaking his bonds. This was unk nown to the maharishis. The next morning, Lord Anjaneya remembered Lord Jagannadha of Puri and f lew back, so as to offer his salutations to the Lord. The maharishis once again confined Lord Anjaneya, and employed chains of steel. They prayed to Him to stay with them, and once again, Lord Anjaneya agreed. However, in the evening, he fl ew away after breaking the chains; and the waves submerged the huts of the mahar ishis. In this manner, several months had transpired. Lord Anjaneya used to agre e to stay with them but would fly back to Ayodhya in the evenings, as soon He th ought of Lord Rama. Finding this problem to be insoluble, the maharishis once ag ain sought refuge at the feet of Lord Jagannadha. The Lord said: Maharishis! I already informed you that if you capture Lord Hanuman and keep him with you, your problem will be solved. Why you have come to me again? The maharishis said: Swami! We did as you advised us. We had chained the Lord Anjaneya with strong rop es and steel chains but the Lord broke them all and left us. With a smile, the Lord Jagannadha said: O! Munis ! I thought you people were wise. You misunderstood my words of detainin g Lord Anjaneya. You chained him with ropes and chains; whereas the reality is t hat He cannot be confined with anything, except the Rama Nama, which binds him. Therefore, chant the Rama Nama every evening; and Lord Hanumantha will be unable to leave you as long as you keep chanting the Rama Nama. The following morning, Lord Hanuman came to Puri and stayed there till evening; when it was time for Him to return to Ayodhya. At that time, the maharishis bega n to sing the Rama Nama. On hearing the Rama Nama, Lord Hanuman was elated and w as instantaneously lost in deep devotion. He soon entered a deep state of devot ion and witnessed Ayodhya in that very place. He witnessed Lord Rama in Lord Jag annadha, and joined the maharishis in singing the Rama Nama. They sang throughou

t the night, and in the morning, Lord Hanuman served Lord Jagannadha. In the eve ning, once again the Maharishis sang the Rama Nama, and Lord Hanuman stayed ther e, with the utmost devotion. In this manner, the maharishis became accustomed to singing the Rama Nama in the nights, and forsook sleep. From then onwards, Lord Hanuman permanently resided in Puri; and He is called Bedi Anjaneya. Although this incident story appears to be strange, it denotes the power of Rama Nama. It established that the Rama Nama will provide the blessings of L ord Rama as well as that of Anjaneya Swami. Yathra yathra Raghunadha keerthanam Thathra thathra krutha masthakanjalim Bashpavari paripurnalochanam Maruthim namatha rakshamthakam| Ramudamma Ramudu Ramyamaina Devudu Pallavi: Caranam: 1. Padamethi Thakenu Bandarathi thunakanu Palavanti swachamaina Bhama vokathe puttenu 2. Shivuni dhanasu nethenu Sita manasu nothenu Rakshasali brathuku lella Virigi mukka layaenu 3. Bhargavundu mandipadachu Dhandhadimpu chesenu Vani urdhvagathulu thuli Vachi padamantenu 4. Ganga neetilona Guhudu Padayugali kadigenu Ganga thalli pongipoyi Ningi nanti yegirenu Pallavi: Ramudamma Ramudu Ramyamaina devudu 5. Rekka thegina pitta koraku Vekki vekki edchenu Ashru tharpanammu chesi Amaraloka michenu 6. Valachinatti nathi vidachi Kothi kougalinchenu Rakthi kanna thanaku bhakthi ramya manuchu chatenu Pallavi: Ramudamma Ramudu Ramyamaina devudu Ramudamma Ramudu Ramyamaina Devudu

7. Manishi yaguta nilapikonuchu Mahima lenno chesenu Sachidananda yogamichi Sadhu janula gachenu Pallavi: Ramudamma Ramudu Ramyamaina devudu In the Vishnu Sahasra Nama, the Rama Nama appears as follows: Ramo viram

o viratho margo neyo nayaha. The sage Shankara Bhagavadpada has described the power of Rama Nama as f ollows: Nithyananda Lakshane Asmin Yoginaha Ramanthe Ithi Ramaha The yogis conjoin with the eternal happiness of Para Brahma, Which is no ne other than Lord Rama. Ramanthe Yogine Yasmin Nithyanande chidathmani| Ithi Rama Padenaithath Param Brahma abhidheeyathe|| Chidatma denotes the Para Brahma; and the yogis merge in this chidatma, it is Lord Rama the Para Brahma. Swechchaya Ramaneeyam vapuhu Vahanadva Dasharadhi Ramaha| Lord Vishnu incarnated Himself as the son of king Dasaratha. He has take n this incarnation without any request and of His Own free will. He had also tak en a beautiful human body and He was called Lord Rama. After the completion of the teaching of Vishnu Sahasra Nama, the goddess Parvathi Devi asked Lord Parameswara: Parameswara! The thousand names of Lord Vishnu are excellent. I have a qu estion; what would be the condition of the people who cannot narrate all these t housand names? Would they not attain liberation? Lord Shiva replied emphatically: Parvathi! Your question is invaluable. Those who cannot recite the thousand names of Lord Vishnu can also attain liberation. What is required is the intonation o f the maha mantra Sri Rama Rama Rama three times, daily. This practice is sufficie nt to obtain moksha. It is the equivalent of the Vishnu Sahasra Nama. The mere c hant of Rama Nama provide liberation and rescues humans. Sri Rama Rama Ramethi Rame Rame Manoharame| Sahasranama Thaththulyam Rama nama varanane|| Song : Pallavi: Ramam Shyamala Megha Komala Ruchim Rakendu Bimbananam Rakendu Bimbananam

Caranam: 1. Rakshoghnam Ravijarchitham Raghuvaram Rathnojwalathundalam Rathnojwalathundalam 2. Rajeevaksha Mamaanusham Ranabala Program Ramanugraham Program Ramanugraham 3. Rajendram Ramaneeya Rupa Masakruth Dhyaye Jjaganmohanam Dhyaye Jjaganmohanam Jaya Guru Datta 1 2 3 4 5 Name of Lord Shiva Holy Scriptures Deep meditation or ascetism Primary texts of the Sanatana Dharma Five lettered sacred Vedic Hymn

6 Vedic sacrifice 7 Lingam of light 8 Ultimate soul 9 Lord 10 Great Vedic hymn 11 Greatest amongst the deities 12 Sound of the Sacred Symbol OM 13 Chanting 14 The seven great sages 15 Liberation 16 Great Sages 17 Huts 18 Place where fire is worshipped 19 Prayers 20 Ascetics PART 4 Third Day Pallavi: Anagha Dattaya Namaha Anagha managham vande Amba Managham Vande

Caranam: 1. Kundalinim Tham Vande Sweekrutha Rupam Vande Athrija Saram vande Chitra Viharam Vande 2. Asura Shirogam Vande Vinatha Manojnam Vande Sathatha Pavithram vande Sachidanandam Vande Anagha is the first and only word in the third part of the Raksha Mantra. Agham signifies sin. The Lord who is sinless and Who eliminates all the sins of devote es, is none other than the Lord Anagha Swami. The power of Lord Datta destroys t he devotees sins. This power is termed as the Goddess Anagha Devi. In general, devotees intonate Namassivai cha Namassivaya. Analogously, the devotee s can also chant Anaghayai cha Anaghaya . There is no difference between Lord Shiva and Lord Vishnu; similarly, there is no difference between Goddess Anagha Devi and Lord Anagha Swami. Moreover, the name Anagha is the most favored name for Lo rd Dattatreya. The Lord likes this name to a much greater extent, as has been di sclosed by Him in the Markandeya Purana . On one occasion, the deities had to countenance a grave risk in the form of the demon Jambhasura. The guru and counselor of the deities, Brihaspathi or Jupiter , advised them to seek the protection of Lord Dattatreya, in order to overcome t he mortal danger posed to them by Jambhasura. He further advised them to repair to the Sahyadri mountain range, the abode of Lord Dattatreya. The deities sang p eans in praise of the Lord, in order to obtain His mercy and blessings. Lord Dat tatreya subjected these deities to a number of ordeals; which they withstood suc cessfully. Subsequently, they praised Lord Datta Swami, in the following manner: Anaghastvam Jagannadha Na Lepa Sthava Vidyathe| Vidya Kshalana Suddhanthaha Nivishta Jnana Deedhithe||

O Lord Datta Swami! You revealed yourself as a philanderer and toper. Moreover, You also disport Yourself as a transgressor and betrayer of religious customs an d righteousness. However, the fact remains that You are above all these precepts . You are Anagha, the One who is untouched by sin and He to whom sins do not att ach themselves. You are Jagannadha, the protector of the worlds. Your character is flawless. You are the inner soul, which is unblemished and which is purified by Jnana or knowledge. You are the pious One. Anagheyam Munisreshta Jaganmatha na Dushyathi| Yasa vidya thava Vibho! Sarvajnasya Hridisthitha|| O Lord! The Lady seated beside Thee is no ordinary woman. She is the Mother of t he worlds, the Goddess Anagha Devi. She is the embodiment of Your jnana and know ledge. It is a universal fact that the Sun s rays are not contaminated, even on co ming into contact with an evil person. In the same manner, both of You are free from all sins and all desecrations. Till that time, Lord Dattatreya had subjected the deities to a variety of tests. However, the moment the deities articulated the word Anagha, the Lord was rende red calmer and exhibited great friendliness towards them. He instructed the deit ies to employ whatever means possible, and to bring the demon Jambhasura before Him. The deities obeyed His instructions and enticed the demons to the place whe re the Lord resided. The goddess Anagha Devi positioned Herself on the demon s head, and Lord Dattatrey a exterminated the demon Jambhasura, in an expeditious manner. This story shows that the word Anagha had proved to be of great help to the deitie s; in their endeavor to obtain the blessings and support of Lord Dattatreya, so as to get rid of the demon Jambhasura. Once upon a time, King Kritha Virya had ruled over the kingdom of Haihava. He wa s an able ruler, whose rule was to the satisfaction of his subjects. In due cour se of time, he passed away at a ripe old age. The Muni Garga directed Karthavee rya, the son of the deceased king, to ascend the throne. However, Karthaveerya r efused to become the king until he had acquired the required competence and powe rs. Accordingly, he pleaded with Muni Garga to help him in his endeavor. Garga advised him to seek the help of Lord Datta Swami. Immediately, Karthaveery a repaired to the Ashram of Lord Datta, where he served the Lord for thousands o f years. He cheerfully, underwent the various tests imposed upon him by the Lord . One day prince Karthaveerya obtained an opportunity to praise Lord Datta, and he intoned the following verse: Devasthvam hi Puranoyaha Svam Mayam Samupashrithaha Anaghasthvam Thadhaiveyam Devi Sarva Bhavaranihi Lord! You are He that the Puranas extol. You act as if You are influenced by Ma ya , whereas it is You who generates Maya. You are Anagha and She is Anagha Dev i, the Mother of the Universe. Please deign to bestow Thine blessing upon me. Lord Dattatreya was pleased with this supplication of prince Karthaveerya and st ated as under. This statement declares the power of the name of Anagha. Lord Datta said: Varam Vrineeshva Guhyam me Thvaya Nama Yadeeritham| Thena Thushtihi Para Jatha Thvayyadya mama Pardhiva|| O Karthaveerya! You had praised Me by invoking My secret name Anagha. I am fully pleased by the Anagha Nama. I will grant you whatever you desire. Pradasya Myavadhoothascha Hanishyamyava Manyatham| Sathvam Varaya Bhadram the

Varam Yanmanasechchasi|| O! Karthaveerya! Whoever praises the union of Me, My eight sons and the Yogamath a, by employing the names Anagha Swami and Anagha Devi, stands to procure unlimi ted boons from Me. I will provide such devotees with all round prosperity and fo rtune. I will eliminate their ill-fame or disgrace. However, I will not spare pe ople who denigrate My name. Therefore, O! Kartaveerya! By invoking My most secre t name; which is powerful in all aspects; you have gained my blessings. Ask what ever you want, and I have decided to grant the Ashta Siddhis to you. Karthaveerya was flabbergasted at this unexpected turn of events; which had obta ined for him the blessings of He who had been subjecting him to a host of severe trials. As such, he understood that the mere chanting of the word Anagha had be en the cause of his sudden great fortune. Karthaveerya was beside himself with j oy at this great fortune; and he asked of the Lord several wishes, which were un precedented. The Lord Anagha Swami, not to be outdone, granted boons that had hi therto never been bestowed upon a devotee. It is to be comprehended that the mere chanting of the name Anagha had procured illimitable fortunes for Karthaveerya. Therefore, the name Anagha is a very powe rful mantra. In the Vishnu Sahasra Nama, the name Anagha is the one hundred fort y sixth name. The Sage Bhagavadpada has described it as follows: Agham na vidyathe asyethi anaghaha apahathapapma ithi sruthehi. According to this Vedic sentence, Apahathapapma connotes that the Lord is sinles s. Therefore, He is Anagha. Everything turns into ash on entering the fire. Simi larly, all the Dharmas, virtues and sins are burned by Lord Anagha Swami. As suc h, He is Anagha. The sky is free of all smells. No smell can be attached to the sky. Similarly, no sin can touch the Lord. Therefore, He is Anagha. From the above discussion, it is clear that the name Anagha constitutes a superi or power. With this fact in mind, Sri Swamiji introduced a great Vrata to the d evotees and named it the Anaghashtami Vrata. In this Vrata, the Ashta Siddhis ar e invoked in the place reserved for offspring. Lord Anagha Swami and Goddess Ana gha Devi are established in the place of the father and mother. Then the perform er of the Vrata conducts worship to them. A large number of people have performe d this Vrata till now and received innumerable blessings and untold prosperity. There are a number of devotees who have performed this Vratha, daily for eightee n years, without any break. This Anaghashtami Vratha eliminates every impoverish ment; and its performers are sure to receive Ashta Siddhis . Padmasanothana Manojnapadam Padmam dadhanam na bhayam cha panyoha| Yoghsthiram nirbhara kantipunjam Dattam prapadye Anagha namadheyam|| He reposes in the lotus posture and thereby provides an opportunity to perceive His feet and head. He bears a lotus in one hand and displays the symbol of prote ction in the other. He is in a state of yoga, possessed extraordinary radiance a nd brilliance, and bears the name Anagha. He is the Lord Datta Swami; and I seek his protection and blessing. Padmasanastham padayugma nupuraam Padmam dadhanaam abhayam cha panyohi| Yogerdha sammelitha nischalaksheem Dattanuraktam Anagham prapadye|| She reclines in the lotus posture, wears anklets embellished with bells, bears a lotus in one hand and displays the symbol of protection in the other. Her eyes are half closed and firmly secured in yoga. She depicts love towards Lord Datta Swami. She is the Goddess Anagha Devi, and I seek her protection. Song: Pallavi: Anaghashtami Vrathamuthamam Bhakthavali vanchapradam 1. Yathranagha yogaprabha Dattonagho jnanam param Sidhyashtakam puthrathmakam

Samsevyathe

Sampujyathe

2. Yath sevanath Kashtam gatham Pidavali samyathyapi Ujjrimbhathe subhamunnatham Sri Sachidanandathmakam So far, we have learned of the features and implications of the Anagha name that is contained in the Raksha Mantra. In this mantra, the last word Dattayanamaha constitutes the crowning glory. Now, we will learn about the word Dattaya in the salutation Dattaya Namaha. However, let us first pray to Lord Datta. Song: Dattamasraye Sadguruthamam Pallavi: Datta masraye Sadguruthamam Caranam: 1. Sadhu sangama kshema dayakam Bodhithagama sthoma vaibhavam 2. Bhakthi tharpitham mukthi sampadam Sakthi sundari mohanakrithim 3. Bhedadhee haram hridaya bhasuram Sachidanandadam sarva sammatham The specialty of this Raksha Mantra lies in its composition. It has several seed letters of various gods and goddesses. However, it ends with the singular form of the Dattaya Namaha . Aakasath pathitham thoyam Yadha gachchathi sagaram Sarvadeva namaskaraha Keshavam prathigachchathi This sloka states that every drop of rain from the sky merges with the sea. Simi larly, the invocation of each and every deity reaches Lord Kesava. This can also be termed as Sri Gurum Prathi Gachchathi . In this context, the first and foremost guru is Lord Dattatreya. Therefore, every prayer offered to the de ities, invariably reach Lord Dattatreya. The Raksha Mantra ends with Dattaya nama ha . The secret of using this crown is that all these salutations reach Lord Datta treya. Upon examination, it can be understood that the word Datta is not a name; but an h onorific title of the Lord. Our Lord Datta Swami does not have any name. In gene ral, a person obtains a name, subsequent to the performance of the naming ceremo ny by the parents. This is in accordance with what is laid down by tradition. Ho wever, the father of Lord Dattatreya, Maharishi Athri did not conduct any naming ceremony, because he knew that his son was the Paramatma, who is beyond such li mitations. Both Maharishi Athri and his consort Anasuya realized that their son was beyond any tradition. At this juncture, we may wonder as to how He came to b e called Datta. This name was attributed to Him because He presented Himself as a gift to the world. Maharishi Athri and Anasuya had performed severe penance on the hill Rukshadri, which is located near the river Nirvindya. All the deities were confused as to w ho was to bestow the fruit of the tapas upon this holy couple. In order, to reso lve this problem, the deities convened a meeting, to which they invited the Lord s Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva. The deities beseeched the Holy Trinity to grant app ropriate boons to maharishi Athri and his wife. As such, the 33, 00, 00,000 deit ies decided that any boon to be granted, was to emanate from the Holy Trinity. Thereupon, the Holy Trinity repaired to the place where maharishi Athri was perf orming penance and stated, We have decided to be adopted by you.

Dattam indicates a gift. In English, a gift is referred to as a present . Both Datta and Present have three meanings. The English word present connotes a gift, this is the first meaning. The word present can be truncated into pre and sent . Pre-sent can be understood as a thing or person that had been sent, previously. This meaning comes into play, in the context in which the deities had decided to send the Hol y Trinity. Thus, pre-sent, in this context, implies the Holy Trinity, and this i s the second meaning. Present also denotes the current or existing time. The latter is the extant and correct time. Past time relates to the time that has elapsed; and future time co nnotes time that is in the offing. Both past and future times are non-existent, and assumed periods of time, which cannot be experienced by anyone. Therefore, o nly the present has existence. That is why the great mahatmas declare: varthama nena varthamthe. They live only in the present. As such, the word Datta has these three meanings and the Holy Trinity employed i t. They transformed themselves into a boy with three heads and approached mahari shi Athri and Anasuya. Since the Holy Trinity used the word Datta, prior to inca rnating as that Boy, the Latter was known as Datta. The verb Datta changes into Dattaya in its nounal form. Digambaram bhasma sugandha lepanam Chakram trisulam damarum gadayudham Padmasanam yogi munindra vanditham Dattethi nama smaranena nithyam The Dattatreya Vajra Kavacham states that He is unattired, besmeared with ashes, bears weapons like the chakra , trishula , damaruvu , and gada , seated in the lotus posture, and praised and worshipped by the Yogis and Maharishis. He is the Paramatma and He is Lord Dattatreya. We should worship Him by chanting the name Datta. The Narayana Kavacham states that Dattasthva yogadadha yoganadhaha. In other wor ds, Lord Datta is the master of Yoga and He removes the obstacles that stand in the way of my becoming an able person. The science of grammar declares that whenever the word Namaha occurs, should be pronounced with stress on last syllable. This Namaha is the last word in the Rak sha Mantra. It is mandatory, in the process of worship, to assume the different deities, bei ng worshipped, as the bodily parts of the principal God who is being worshipped. Otherwise, they can be assumed to constitute other forms of this principal God. In this Mantra, the second precept is followed; wherein, the deities referred to in the Mantra are presumed to be different manifestations of Lord Dattatreya. T he word Namaha denotes salutation. In the Raksha Mantra, Lord Datta Swami is rep resented through several Gods, and the salutations are offered to this Lord Datt atreya. This is the underlying purpose of the word Namaha, which is used at the end of the Mantra. Namaha is used to indicate that the Lord is the protector and the worshipper is his vassal. The devotee is required to worship the Lord with the utmost respect and love, and feeling of servitude towards the Lord. Devotees should prostrate t hemselves and salute the Lord. Namaha also implies the absence of duality. There is no Maya. All that exists is one and the same. The devotee, whilst attempting to comprehend this great truth , should keep repeating to himself that there is no difference between the Lord and him. Over a period of time, the devotee develops the feeling that the Lord a nd he are one and the same. This is the concept of oneness, which the devotee mu st develop. While performing such salutation, the performer should maintain his backbone and head in one straight line. He should sit erect in that posture; joint his hands in such a way that the palms of his hands touch each other, and then place them upright in front of his heart. The heart has the shape of an inverted lotus. The union of the hands should be i

n the opposite direction, in the upright position. This connotes one lotus above the other, which is known as the dual lotus or union of lotuses. This suggests an integration of the devotee s heart the Lord. The left palm represents the Jeeva tma and the right palm the Paramatma . When both these palms are united at the heart lotus, the distinction between the Jeevatma and Paramatma ceases to exist, and the all encompassing experience of the Pure Kevalatma is experience. This i s the true implication of the word Namaha. The aforementioned descriptions provide us with several definitions of the Raksh a Mantra. From amongst these, we can select the meaning that is most appealing to us. After that we should chant the Raksha Mantra as follows: OM AIM HREEM SHREEM SIVA RAMA ANAGHA DATTAYA NAMAHA. Any Mantra can be utilized for three fundamental purposes. First, it can be chan ted for deriving earthly desires such as removal of suffering or for achieving p rosperity and comforts. Secondly, it can be chanted for spiritual development an d lastly, it can be invoked without any desires or objectives. The last aim is t ermed as paramardhikam, which means that the chanting of the mantra can be used to integrate ourselves with the deity of the mantra. Among these three types, the last one is the best. However, the first two method s when employed in an appropriate manner, contribute to the paramardhikam. As such, the Raksha Mantra provides all these three results. One can choose any one of these options and chant the Mantra to achieve that goal. They will certai nly attain their objective. Last year, we had chanted the Navagraha Mantra for several crores of times. The Raksha Mantra is more appropriate for this year. This Mantra has several seed le tters of various Gods. Chanting this Mantra is tantamount to invoking these Gods in the form of their seed letters. On the auspicious day of Vaikunta Ekadashi , if we perceive Lord Maha Vishnu, we receive a result that is equivalent of having a vision of the three crore deiti es, simultaneously. Similarly, if we chant this Raksha Mantra, we receive the be neficial result of intoning all the Gods mantras. Therefore, all of the devotees are required to chant this Mantra with utmost com mitment and to inform the number of times they have done so to the Avadhootha Da tta Peetham, Mysore. Next year, during the celebrations of Datta Jayanthi, there will be a Maha Yaga , with regard to this Raksha Mantra. The result of that Yaga will protect you, your family members, relatives and fri ends. May the Adi Guru, Lord Dattatreya Swami bless you! OM AIM HREEM SHREEM SIVA RAMA ANAGHA DATTAYA NAMAHA

Song: Pallavi: Om Aim Hreem Shreem Siva Rama Anagha Dattaya Namaha Caranam: 1. Thavakila Vani Rama cha Girija Parama sushuma viditha vinutha 2. Kamalaja rupa vishala vibhava Karuna nilaya paripalayamam 3. Murahara rupa muneesa sarana Kamala Ramana krupayoddharamam 4. Jagadava Shambho Swakeeravani Kalithardhano Sachidananda Jaya Guru Datta 1 Mythological narratives 2 Religious or spiritual teacher

3 Ascetic 4 Mythological narratives 5 Divine power of illusion 6 Eight occult powers 7 Religious practice 8 Complete fortunes. The eight attributes of the prosperity. 9 Noble minded 10 Adjective of noun 11 Discus 12 Trident 13 Small percussion instrument 14 Mace 15 Individual soul 16 Universal soul 17 Important festival pertaining to Lord Vishnu