prayer to sai

Prayer to Sai
Translation By P. R. Ramachander
[Here is a very beautiful prayer to Sai Baba of Shirdi in Hindi)
Dheena Dukhiyom se Prem Kao,
Sai Prasanna Hoga,
Prem Karo, Prem Karo, Prem Karo,
Sai Prasanna hoga,
Love the oppressed,Love those who are sad,Sai would be pleased with you,
Love, love and Love,Sai would be pleased with you.

Sai Meraa, Main theraa,
Yeh prem ki bhakthi dhara,
sai prem ki bhakthi dhara

Sai belongs to me,And I belong to Sai,This is the stream of love,
This is the stream of love of Sai.

Dhayaa karo, Kripa karo,Sai
Raksha karo, Mere Sai,
Raksha karo, Mere Sai
Oh Sai, Show kindness, show mercy,Oh my Sai, protect me,
Oh, my Sai, protect me.

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Garbha Raksha stotram

Garbha Raksha Stotram:
Prayer for safe delivery - To be recited by Pregnant Mothers
By Sage Sounaka
Translated by P. R. Ramachander

Ehyehi Bhagawan Brahman,
Praja kartha, praja pathe,
Pragruhsheeniva balim cha imam,
Aaapathyaam raksha garbhineem.

1Please accept this sacred Offering, Lord Brahma,Who creates people,
And who is the lord of the people,And be pleased to protect,
This lady who is in the family way,From all dangers.

Aswini deva devesou,
Pragrhneethaam balim dwimam,
Saapathyaam Garbhineem cha imam,
Cha Rakshatham pooja yanaya.

2)Oh Aswini Devas,
Who are the doctors of Gods,
Please accept this sacred offering,
And be pleased to protect,This lady who is in the family way.Because of this worship offered to you.From all dangers.

Rudraascha ekaadasa prokthaa,
Pragruhananthu balim dwimam,
Yushmaakam preethaye vrutham,
Nithyam rakshathu Garbineem.
3)Oh Holy Rudras who are eleven,Please accept this sacred offering,
Which has been made as per your wish,To get your mercy and blessing
,And be pleased to protect daily,This lady who is in the family way.

Aadhithya dwadasa prokthaa,
Pragrahneethwam balim dwimam,
Yushmagam thejasaam vrudhya,
Nithyam rakshatha garbhineem.
4)Oh Holy Sun Gods who are twelve,Please accept this offering,
So that your great luster increases,Be pleased to accept this
sacred offering,And be pleased to protect daily,This lady who is
in the family way.

Vinayaka Ganadhyaksha,
Shiva Puthra Maha Bala,
Pragrahneeshwa balim cha imam,
Sapathyam raksha garbhineem.
5)Oh Vinayaka, Oh Ganesa,Oh Son of Lord Shiva,Oh God who is very
strong,Please accept this sacred offering,And be pleased to protect,
This lady who is in the family way.From all dangers.

Skanda Shanmukha Devesa,
Puthra preethi vivardhana,
Pragrahneeshwa Balim cha imam,
Sapathyaam raksha Garbhineem.
6)Oh Skanda, Oh God with six heads,Oh God who is the chief of devas,
Oh God who increases the love for our sons,Please accept this sacred
offering,And be pleased to protect,This lady who is in the family way,
From all dangers.

Prabhaasa, Prabhavassyama,
Prathyoosho maruth nala,
Druvoo dhura dhuraschaiva ,
Vasavoshtou prakeerthitha,
Pragrahnee thwam Balim cha imam,
Nithyam raksha garbhineem.
7)Oh Prabhasa, Oh Prabhava, Oh Syama, Of Prathyusha,Oh Marutha,
Oh Anala, Oh Dhruva, Oh Dhuradhura,Who are the eight sacred Vasus,
Please accept this sacred offering,And be pleased to protect daily,This
lady who is in the family way.

Pithur devi, Pithusreshte,
Bahu puthri, maha bale,
Bhootha sreshte Nisa vase,
Nirvruthe, sounaka priye,
Pragrahneeshwa balim cha imam,
Sapathyam raksha garbhineem.
8)Oh Goddess of my manes, Oh Goddess who is greater than my
manes,Oh Goddess who has all women as daughters,Oh Goddess
who is very strong,Oh Goddess who is greater than all beings,
Oh Goddess who protects us at night,Oh Goddess, who does not
have any blemishes,Oh Goddess who was worshipped by Sounaka,
Please accept this sacred offering,And be pleased to protect,This
lady who is in the family way,From all dangers.

Raksha Raksha Mahadeva,
Baktha anugraha Karaka,
Pakshi vahana Govinda,
Sapathyam raksha Garbhineem.
9)Oh God who is greatest,Be pleased to protect and protect,
Oh God who showers blessing on his devotees,Oh Govinda,
who rides on a bird,Be pleased to protect,This lady who is
in the family way,From all dangers

* Daily sit in front of a photo of Goddess with any small offering
(Fruits, milk or any other food article) and recite as follows:
During the second month read the first two slokas 108 times daily;
During the third month read the first three slokas 108 times daily;
During the fourth month read the first four slokas 108 times daily;
During the fifth month read the first five slokas 108 times daily;
During the sixth month read the first six slokas 108 times daily;
During the seventh month read the first seven slokas 108 times daily;
During the eighth month read the first eight slokas 108 times daily;
During the ninth month read all the nine slokas 108 times daily;
It is believed that this would ensure safe delivery.

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vishu on April 14th:Wish You all A Happy and Prosperous Vishu and Tamil New Year

vishukani

cassia fistula

vishu:

If your first step is wrong, the whole journey will be wrong. World over an emphasis is put on beginnings. Getting off to a good start is essential, as the beginning is the foundation upon which everything that comes after rests. Indian culture, perhaps more than any other, stresses the importance of beginning things properly. The position of the stars and planets is taken into consideration to insure auspicious beginnings, homas are performed and stotrams are chanted to Lord Ganesha in order to remove potential obstacles before the start of any undertaking. Prayers to God are always offered. Even when studying the Upanishads, which declare the only true power to be our own Self, shanti mantras are chanted before beginning each session of study.
Ultimately, all these are ways of humbly admitting our finitude, the limited nature of our efforts, and are a means of supplicating to the Divine for favourable outcome. "Grace alone is the deciding factor." By taking into consideration even subtle nuances beyond our intellectual understanding when we begin a project, we are both showing the sincerity of our effort as well as our faith in the words of the scriptures and the Guru.

Vishu is one of the important festivals of Kerala. It comes in the month of April usually on the 14th, when the sun enters into Sidereal Aries, Ashwini nakshatra—is celebrated as Vishu. According to the traditional Malayalam calendar, it is the 1st day of Malayalam month Medam which is the astronomical New Year. Traditional rituals are followed to bring in another year of prosperity.

It is said that what one sees when one first opens one's eyes on Vishu morning is an indication of what one can expect in the year to come. Thus on Vishu, effort is made to assure one opens one's eyes before an auspicious image—the Vishukkani.
While the festival is called "Vishu" only in Kerala, across India festivals sharing the same spirit—such as Ugadhi in Andhra Pradesh and in Karnataka, Gudi Padwa in Maharashtra, Bihu in Assam and Baisakhi in Punjab—are celebrated around the same time of year.The Malayalam word kani literally means "that which is seen first," so "Vishukkani" means "that which is seen first on Vishu."

The Malayalam word kani literally means "that which is seen first," so "Vishukkani" means "that which is seen first on Vishu.The night before Vishu, the mistress of the house prepare the Kani. In a big pot, coconuts, a gold ornament, a new cloth, fruits, cereals and Konna (cassia fistula) flower is kept. Behind the pot a mirror and the garlanded deity of Krishna is kept. Around the deity, lighted lamps will be arranged. Early morning on the Vishu day, the master of the house sees the Kani and then the rest of the family follows. Children's are brought blind folded from their beds to where the Kani is kept.

Lord Vishnu, the preserver of creation, is the aspect of the Paramatman that is focused upon during Vishu. In jyotish, Indian astrology, Vishnu is seen as the head of Kaala Purusha, the God of Time. As Vishu marks the first day of the Zodiac New Year, it is an appropriate time to offer oblations to Lord Vishnu.
Akshatam, a mixture of rice and turmeric, which is divided into halves of husked and un-husked rice, is placed in a special bowl called an uruli. The uruli traditionally is made of panchaloham, an aggregate of five metals. Panchaloham being symbolic of the universe, which is comprised of the five great elements—earth, water, fire, air and space.
A nice, well-starched cloth is then pleated fan-like and inserted into a highly polished brass kindi (a spouted puja vessel used for pouring sacred water). The val-kannadi, a special type of mirror with an extremely long and thin handle, often decorated with gold, is also inserted into the kindi. The kindi is then placed in the uruli on top of the rice.
Two deepams, which are fashioned from the two halves of a split coconut, are also kept in the uruli. The wicks are made from pieces of starched cloth that are folded into bulbs at the base. These bulbs are placed into the coconut oil that fills the deepams, anchoring the wicks in place. The starch helps the rest of the wick to extend straight upwards so that they will properly burn. The lighting of the deepam welcomes God into our lives and is also symbolic of spiritual knowledge—the remover of the darkness of ignorance.
Gold—both in colour and in coin—is central to the Vishukkani. Kanikkonna, a golden-yellow flower associated with Sri Krishna is used liberally throughout the puja room. This flower only blooms when the sun is in its most exalted position astrologically—the month surrounding Vishu. In the puja room, the flower verily represents the sun itself, the eyes of Lord Vishnu. Gold coins are symbols of monetary affluence, as well as cultural and spiritual wealth, which the elders of the family must share freely with the younger generation. Vishukkaineettam, the distribution of wealth, is another aspect of the festival. It should be given freely and accepted with reverence. On Vishu, the highly affluent families will not only give money to their children but also their neighbours, perhaps the entire village.
The Vishukkani will also be laden with gold-coloured fruits and vegetables, such as bananas, jackfruit, golden cucumber, etc. The akshatam, as it is full of turmeric, also is gold in colour, as is the shiny brass of the kindi, the panchaloham and the reflection of the mirror.
Last but not least, a spiritual book, such as the Bhagavad-Gita, should be made part of the arrangement. The book is the pramanam—the instrument used for attaining the eternal, non-perishable wisdom of the Rishis—as well as a symbol of that knowledge itself.
The grandmother or mother who arranges the Vishukkani will sleep in the puja room after she is finished and then, waking during the auspicious hour of the Brahma muhurata (4:00 to 6:00 a.m.), she will light the oil-lamp wicks and take in the auspicious sight. She will then walk to the rooms where the rest of the family is sleeping and wake them. Covering their eyes, she will then lead them to the puja room, where she will allow them to take in the auspicious sight.
Upon opening one's eyes, one is overwhelmed with the glorious darshan of the Lord. The mirror—which is symbolic of Bhagavati (Devi), not only increases the lustre of the Vishukkani via the reflection it offers, but also shows our own face, reminding us that God is not someone sitting in the heavens upon a golden throne, but the pure consciousness that is our true nature. The mirror also points to the importance of making our mind pure enough to render this truth unadulterated.
The Vishukkani is not reserved only for those who come to the puja room, but is taken around—for the viewing of the elderly and sick who are perhaps too frail to come to the shrine. It is also brought outside and shown to the family cows. As it is brought to the cowshed, it in fact is on display for the birds, the trees, for all of nature to see.
Vishukkani points to a year of abundance—both spiritually and materially. Food, light, money, knowledge—all should fill our life. Taking in the Vishukkani we should pray that the vision remains with us throughout the year. It is not enough that the joy we take from viewing the Vishukkani comes only to our eyes. It must reflect in our thoughts and in our actions. The auspicious start of the year—which has come to us due to the grace of beginning it with a divine vision—is not for us alone. It is up to us to spread this love, happiness and hope to the rest of society. In Kerala, the Kani in the temples of Guruvayur, Ambalapuzha and Sabarimala are famous. Special pujas are held in these temples where the people go to worship and pray for a prosperous New Year.
The families then celebrate the day with joyous abandon by bursting fire crackers. The feast or the 'sadya' is prepared by the women of the household and the whole family sits down to enjoy the vishu lunch together.

Wish You all A Happy and Prosperous Vishu and Tamil New Year

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