chaupāī
jaya hanumāna jñāna guṇa sāgara ।
jaya kapīśa tihu lōka ujāgara ॥ 1 ॥
rāmadūta atulita baladhāmā ।
añjani putra pavanasuta nāmā ॥ 2 ॥
mahāvīra vikrama bajaraṅgī ।
kumati nivāra sumati kē saṅgī ॥3 ॥
kañchana varaṇa virāja suvēśā ।
kānana kuṇḍala kuñchita kēśā ॥ 4 ॥
hāthavajra au dhvajā virājai । [auru]
kānthē mūñja janēvū sājai ॥ 5॥
śaṅkara suvana kēsarī nandana । [śaṅkara svayaṃ]
tēja pratāpa mahājaga vandana ॥ 6 ॥
vidyāvāna guṇī ati chātura ।
rāma kāja karivē kō ātura ॥ 7 ॥
prabhu charitra sunivē kō rasiyā ।
rāmalakhana sītā mana basiyā ॥ 8॥
sūkṣma rūpadhari siyahi dikhāvā ।
vikaṭa rūpadhari laṅka jalāvā ॥ 9 ॥
bhīma rūpadhari asura saṃhārē ।
rāmachandra kē kāja saṃvārē ॥ 10 ॥
lāya sañjīvana lakhana jiyāyē ।
śrī raghuvīra haraṣi uralāyē ॥ 11 ॥
raghupati kīnhī bahuta baḍāyī (ī) ।
tuma mama priya bharata sama bhāyī ॥ 12 ॥
sahasra vadana tumharō yaśagāvai ।
asa kahi śrīpati kaṇṭha lagāvai ॥ 13 ॥
sanakādika brahmādi munīśā ।
nārada śārada sahita ahīśā ॥ 14 ॥
yama kubēra digapāla jahāṃ tē ।
kavi kōvida kahi sakē kahāṃ tē ॥ 15 ॥
tuma upakāra sugrīvahi kīnhā ।
rāma milāya rājapada dīnhā ॥ 16 ॥
tumharō mantra vibhīṣaṇa mānā ।
laṅkēśvara bhayē saba jaga jānā ॥ 17 ॥
yuga sahasra yōjana para bhānū ।
līlyō tāhi madhura phala jānū ॥ 18 ॥
prabhu mudrikā mēli mukha māhī ।
jaladhi lāṅghi gayē acharaja nāhī ॥ 19 ॥
durgama kāja jagata kē jētē ।
sugama anugraha tumharē tētē ॥ 20 ॥
rāma duārē tuma rakhavārē ।
hōta na ājñā binu paisārē ॥ 21 ॥
saba sukha lahai tumhārī śaraṇā ।
tuma rakṣaka kāhū kō ḍara nā ॥ 22 ॥
āpana tēja samhārō āpai ।
tīnōṃ lōka hāṅka tē kāmpai ॥ 23 ॥
bhūta piśācha nikaṭa nahi āvai ।
mahavīra jaba nāma sunāvai ॥ 24 ॥
nāsai rōga harai saba pīrā ।
japata nirantara hanumata vīrā ॥ 25 ॥
saṅkaṭa sē hanumāna Chuḍāvai ।
mana krama vachana dhyāna jō lāvai ॥ 26 ॥
saba para rāma tapasvī rājā ।
tinakē kāja sakala tuma sājā ॥ 27 ॥
aura manōratha jō kōyi lāvai ।
tāsu amita jīvana phala pāvai ॥ 28 ॥
chārō yuga pratāpa tumhārā ।
hai prasiddha jagata ujiyārā ॥ 29 ॥
sādhu santa kē tuma rakhavārē ।
asura nikandana rāma dulārē ॥ 30 ॥
aṣṭhasiddhi nava nidhi kē dātā ।
asa vara dīnha jānakī mātā ॥ 31 ॥
rāma rasāyana tumhārē pāsā ।
sadā rahō raghupati kē dāsā ॥ 32 ॥
tumharē bhajana rāmakō pāvai ।
janma janma kē dukha bisarāvai ॥ 33 ॥
anta kāla raghupati purajāyī । [raghuvara]
jahāṃ janma haribhakta kahāyī ॥ 34 ॥
aura dēvatā chitta na dharayī ।
hanumata sēyi sarva sukha karayī ॥ 35 ॥
saṅkaṭa ka(ha)ṭai miṭai saba pīrā ।
jō sumirai hanumata bala vīrā ॥ 36 ॥
jai jai jai hanumāna gōsāyī ।
kṛpā karahu gurudēva kī nāyī ॥ 37 ॥
yaha śata vāra pāṭha kara kōyī । [jō]
Chūṭahi bandi mahā sukha hōyī ॥ 38 ॥
jō yaha paḍai hanumāna chālīsā ।
hōya siddhi sākhī gaurīśā ॥ 39 ॥
tulasīdāsa sadā hari chērā ।
kījai nātha hṛdaya maha ḍērā ॥ 40 ॥
dōhā
pavana tanaya saṅkaṭa haraṇa – maṅgaḻa mūrati rūp ।
rāma lakhana sītā sahita – hṛdaya basahu surabhūp ॥
siyāvara rāmachandrakī jaya । pavanasuta hanumānakī jaya । bōlō bhāyī saba santanakī jaya ।
RELIGIOUS SIGNIFICANCE OF KARTIK
If the every-day calendar year is taken as beginning in January and ending in December, we can consider the Kartik Snaan festival on the full moon day of the month of Kartik as the last major religious festival of the year.
The entire month of Kartik is regarded as auspicious – with Kartik New Moon celebrated as Divali and Kartik Full Moon as a special day of prayer and purification with ceremonial bath in the holy waters of the Ganga.
Kartik Full Moon is sometimes referred to as Dev Divali, being the day in which the Devatas celebrated Divali after being freed from the tyranny of Rakshasas like Tripurasur and Tarakasur.
WHY ARE THE RIVERS REGARDED AS DEITIES
Many great civilizations in history flourished on the banks of great rivers, and it was the same in India. It is easy to see how the ancient communities depend on the rivers for sustenance. Water for washing, cooking, irrigation, transport and disposal of waste made life in the communities possible. Even in death, the river bank was the location for cremation as disposal of the ashes and mortal remains of the deceased was easily done through the river. Therefore it is logical that rivers were considered Deities.
ORIGIN OF THE GANGA
The Ganges (Ganga Maa) has been considered one of the holiest rivers in Indian civilization since ancient times. Its origin is at the feet of Lord Vishnu in Vaikunta, she flows to the earth through the hair of Lord Shiva, and meanders across the land until her meeting with the sea in the bay of Bengal.
A king of India named Sagar, an ancestor of Sri Raam, was having an Aswamedha yagya. In this ceremony a horse was let loose and was followed by the king’s army. If any local rulers challenged the authority of the king they would capture the horse and so declare their intention to fight the king’s army. If the horse was left free to roam throughout the kingdom, then the king knew he had the support of all the divisions of the kingdom.
Indr deva stole the horse and hid it in the ashram of Kapil Muni. The king’s army, made up of 60,000 sons of Sargar, mistakenly assumed that Kapil Muni was responsible and they challenged the sage to a battle. They were no match for the sage, who destroyed them all in an instant with his spiritual might. When Kapil Muni was asked how these men who had died by his hand could find peace in the afterlife, he replied that if the holy waters from heaven would wash over their mortal remains they would find salvation.
Bhagirathi, a descendent of King Sagar, did tapasya to Lord Vishnu for Ganga to descend on the earth, and also prayed to Lord Shiva to cushion the force of the water so it could flow gently to the earth from his head as a holy river. In this way Ganga Maa flowed over the ashes and bones of the 60,000 deceased ancestors of Bhagirathi and so liberated them. Ever since, Ganga Maa is consider a symbol of purity on earth and capable of washing away sins of the devoted.
HOLINESS OF KARTIK MONTH
The Hindu month of Kartik (mid Oct./mid Nov) is considered to be one of the holiest of Hindu months. Besides the celebration of Divali and the Snaan (bathing) festival on full moon day, the entire month is dedicated to prayer of various kinds.
The harsh monsoon rains are over, the flooded rivers have subsided and it is safe to bathe and frolic in them once again.The water is cool and refreshing. So a daily bath in the water conditions the body for the coming cold of the winter season. The moonlight of the autumn nights is especially pleasing and auspicious. It is said that the rivers and ocean absorbs the spiritual power of the moonlight and blesses the bathers as they dip themselves in the water during this period.
RELATION OF KARTIK WITH LORD SHIVA – After the destruction of Tripurasur, Lord Shiv bathed in the ocean during Kartik and did tapasya on the shore to atone for the necessary task of removing these three rakshasas from the world. Similarly Karttikeya also destroyed Tarakasur at this time. RELATION OF KARTIK WITH LORD VISHNU – Lord Vishnu’s Matsya avatar took place at this time to rescue the Vedas from captivity at the hands of Rakshasas. RELATION OF KARTIK WITH LORD KRISHNA – Lord Krishna performed Damodar Lila in this month when he was being mischievous as a child and had to be tied up to a mortar by Mother Yashoda.
WHY IS THE KARTIK SNAAN AUSPICIOUS.
The entire month is dedicated to Kartikeya, the son of Lord Shiva. Bath in the holy river is considered auspicious throughout the month. However the day of full moon is considered especially holy. In the Puranas, when Lord Ganesh won the contest between him and Kartikeya by doing pradakshina around his parents rather than going around the world, Kartikeya was encouraged by Narad Muni to leave Kailash forever. He journeyed to South India, never to return. Lord Shiva and Parvati Devi visit their son once a year. Lord Shiva sees him on new moon day and Parvati Devi sees him on Full Moon day.
After her long journey to visit Kartikeya, she took bath in the waters outside the ashram. The refreshing nature of the water, coupled with the joy of seeing her son, caused her to bless all rivers and oceans on the face of the earth with the spiritual power of Ganga Maa on that day, which was Kartik Full Moon. This makes puja, prayers and bath at the rivers and oceans on this day very auspicious.
MAKING KARTIK SNAAN RELEVANT TO EVERYDAY RELIGIOUS PRACTICE
It is common Hindu practice to ask for blessing of holy water each and every day at bath time regardless or whether it is Kartik or not. A simple prayer invoking the waters of the seven holy rivers to bless and purify us can be used in our daily routine.
GANGE CHA YAMUNA CHAIWA
GODAVARI SARASWATI
NARMADE SINDHU KAVERI
JALESMIN SANIDHIM KURU
It means “I pray to Ganga, Yamuna, Saraswati, Godavari, Narmada, Sindhu and Kaveri, the seven holy rivers of the land to purify this water and so bless me”. May this holy occasion of Kartik Snaan bring peace and blessing to us all.
PARVATI DEVI BEGINS HER TAPASYA
On returning to her home in a dejected state of mind when Lord Shiva vanished after destroying Kaamdev, Parvati Devi sought the help of Narad Muni. His advice included the jaap of the Panchakshari mantra “NAMAH SHIVAAYA” and constant meditation on His form and glory while undergoing dedicated tapasya for His grace.
DEFINITION OF TAPASYA
A generic and non-religious definition of tapasya can be “a dedicated attempt to achieve a specific objective”. An example is a student studying for an examination. His entire attention is focused on the studies to the exclusion of everything else. The objective is success in the examination. No matter what the distractions that may be present in his environment the student has a single-minded determination to succeed. This can apply to spiritual life as well. Parvati Devi’s tapasya involves Her single-minded focus on her prayer to succeed in winning the hand of Lord Shiva. The usual translations for the word “tapasya” are penance, austerity, and sacrifice. It can include acts such as fasting, jaap and meditation. However the interpretation of the word always involves the dedicated attempt to achieve a particular goal.
The origin of “tapasya” is the root word “tap” which means warmth, heat or fire. The Vedas use the analogy of a bird incubating its egg, keeping it warm until it is hatched and new life can begin. During the incubation of the egg the bird has no other purpose, it will neglect to feed itself even, until it’s objective is achieved. In a spiritual sense, the energy generated by the practice of tapas such as fasting, jaap and meditation, is likened to a spiritual warmth or fire. This fire has the power of purification. It is capable of burning the impurities of the mind and intellect such as desire and ego so a new, pure consciousness is born as it were. This “fire” of tapasya when generated by intense austerity was described in the scriptures as scorching the earth as in the case of Lord Shiva’s penance, or making the the Devas uncomfortable as in the case of Parvati’s penance.
HOW DID PARVATI DEVI PERFORM HER TAPASYA
There is a detailed description of Parvati’s tapasya in the Shiva Purana. It involved fasting. She first subsisted on fruits alone for a long time, then only leaves, then only water, then took nothing at all. Fasting controls the senses, most important of all is the sense of taste, but it involves all the senses.
In the summertime she built several fires and sat in meditation surrounded by the heat of the flames. In wintertime she sat submerged in the cold water of the holy river. In the wet seasons she stood in the open air without shelter from the rains. Throughout all these activities she constantly recited her mantra of Om Namah Shivaya and meditated on The Lord ‘s form. When the Devas were scorched with the heat of Her tapasya, they appealed The Lord Brahma and Lord Vishnu to help them by convincing Lord Shiva to grant Parvati Devi her wish.
THE GITA’S INSTRUCTION ON TAPASYA.
The physical activities involved in Parvati Devi’s tapasya are found in mental conditions in Lord Krishna’s instruction to Arjuna about becoming a yogi. Her penance lasted thousands of years and Lord Krishna in the Gita 6/41 says ABHYAASENA TU KAUNTEYA, persevere and practice. Her penance involved strict fasting, and in Gita 2/68 Lord Krishna says INDRIYAANI INDRIAARTEBHYAS TASYA PRAGYA PRATISHTITA – he whose senses are restrained from their sense objects, is of a stable mind. Her penance involved being oblivious to heat, cold, rain and extremes of the environment, in Gita 12/18, it describes a yogi as SHITOSHNA SUKHA DUKHESU – he who is the same in heat and cold, happiness and sadness.
SIGNIFICANCE OF TAPASYA
Each of the activities of Parvati Devi, and also each of the mental conditions required of Arjuna, deal with a specific requirement of a yogi in the world.
DURATION OF TAPAS – it is a long term activity and immediate results are impossible. STRICT FASTING – control of the senses is very important, developing freedom from body consciousness. FREEDOM FROM EXTREMES OF OPPOSITES – with the outward senses under control, then the mind also comes under control and the yogi behaves the same whatever the conditions of his existence.
RESULT OF TAPASYA
The performance of tapasya brings peace and bliss internally and exerts a positive influence on the environment externally.
In the Shiva Purana, the perseverance of Parvati Devi in her tapasya brought about a complete reversal of the condition of the environment. The location was described as desolate and scorched beyond recognition by the fire of Lord Shiva’s energy when Kaamdev was destroyed. Now it was a lush green paradise and animals that are natural enemies were living there in peace with each other. Similarly in Gita 12/13, Lord Krishna describes a yogi and devotee as ADVESHTA SARVABHUTAANAAM – he who hates no one, who is friendly towards all. In that chapter of the Gita verses 12 onwards to the end , a complete description of the mental state a yogi is given by Lord Krishna that matches the physical activities of Parvati Devi’s tapasya of the Shiva Purana. Perseverance in spiritual activity, sense control and stability of mind are qualities that can be developed in a modern day yogi in today’s world also.
Mahashivaratri is a night-time festival: ratri meaning night. The night of Mahashivaratri is divided into 4 sections each of 3 hours duration. Each 3-hour section is called a Parhara. On each of the praharas, puja is performed and the Shiva Lingam is bathed with auspicious articles such as milk, dahie, ghee and honey. A devotee usually spends the entire night in prayer, worship and meditation to Lord Shiva. The day leading up to the festival is spent in fasting as a way of preparing for the ceremonies.
These two aspects of Mahashivaratri, fasting during the day and prayer throughout the night, make this one of the holiest of all festivals. Fasting involves the control of all the senses and dedication of all work and activity to The Lord, so this is a way of transcending the Rajasic tendencies of the mind. Staying awake in prayer throughout the night overcomes the Tamasic nature of the personality. Therefore, when both the Tamas and Rajas natures are overcome then Satwic predominates, making it easier to focus on The Lord.
In most formal ceremonies in the temples, the night of Mahashivaratri begins at 6:00 pm with puja, kirtan, jaap and abishekam of the Shiva Lingam. Abishekam is the ceremonial bathing of the Lingam with the auspicious articles (milk, dahie, ghee, honey, coconut water, sugar cane juice, etc.), and also water, accompanied by the chanting of mantras. This procedure is repeated at 9:00 pm, 12:00 am, 3:00 am with the ceremonies ending at 6:00 am or sunrise. The time between the pujas and abishekam is spent in bhajans or reading of the scriptures, etc.
The following is a simplified procedure that can be followed at home with basic preparation and materials. A Shiva Lingam is set up in a thali or tray and the puja and abishekam done on the Lingam with the thali or tray preventing spills, etc. The puja can be as simple as offering the 5 basic puja articles – gandh or perfume, pusph or flowers, dhoop or incense, deep or arti and naivedya or prasad. This is called panch upchar puja or puja with 5 steps or offerings. The mantras accompanying each offering can also be a very simple single line mantra.
1ST PRAHARA -6:00 PM.
Puja to Lord Shiva
Offer perfume to the Lingam with the prayer:
Om Namaha Shivaaya Gandham Samarpayaami.
Offer flowers with the prayer:
Om Namaha Shivaaya Pushpam Samarpayaami.
Offer incense with the prayer:
Om Namaha Shivaaya Dhoopam Samarpayaami.
Offer arti with the prayer:
Om Namaha Shivaaya Deepam Samarpayaami.
Offer prasad with the prayer:
Om Namaha Shivaaya Naivedyam Samarpayaami
After this 5-step puja process, the abishekam of the Lingam with milk is done by pouring a lota of milk in a slow continuous stream over the Lingam with the recitation of: OM HOUM ISHAANAAYA NAMAHA. Then the Lingam is bathed with pure water using the mantra: OM SHIVARATRI VRATAM DEVA PUJA JAPA PARAAYANA, KAROMI VIDHIWAT DATAM GRIHAAN ARGYAM MAHESHWARA. OM NAMAHA SHIVAAYA.
After the abishekam, using a japa mala 108 recitations of the Panchashri mantra, Om Namaha Shivaaya, can be done.
2nd PRAHARA -9:00 PM
Panch upchar puja is repeated as before.
Abishekam with dahie using the mantra: OM HOUM AGHORAAYA NAMAHA.
Then the Lingam is bathed with water using the mantra as above.
Jaap of Panchaashari mantra is done again.
3rd PRAHARA – 12:00 AM
Panch upchar puja
Abishekam with ghee using the mantra: OM HOUM VAAMADEVAAYA NAMAHA.
The Lingam is bathed with water using the above mantra.
Jaap of Panchaashari mantra is done.
4th PRAHARA – 3:00 AM.
Panch upchar puja.
Abishekam using honey with the mantra:OM HOUM SADHYO JAATAAYA NAMAHA.
The Lingam is bathed with water as before.
Jaap of Panchaashari is done.
The ceremony can be concluded at sunrise or 6:00 am with a simple havan and final arti for the murtis and Lingam.
The abishekam using the 4 articles described here is done in a specific order: milk, dahie, ghee then honey as the last offering. The symbolism here is that milk is the least purified of the three articles and so is first. Dahie is formed by a little preparation and purification of the milk but the ghee is made by an even greater degree of purification. Hence the order of milk, dahie then ghee represents the gradual but increasing purification of the devotee as the night progresses. Finally honey is offered representing the Amrit of immortality.
The greatness of the worship during Mahashivaratri is given in several kathas of the Puranas. One of the most popular describes Parvati Devi asking Lord Shiva which of the many ceremonies in His honor does he cherish the most. Lord Shiva replied: the 14th. night of the dark half of the month of Phalgun (Feb/March), is my most favorite time. The devotee pleases more by mere fasting than by ceremonial baths and rituals, etc.
Once upon a time, a hunter named Suswara lived in the town of Varanasi. He was returning home one evening from the forest with the birds he had killed but nightfall came before he arrived home. He tied his dead birds in a bundle at the base of a tree and fearing for his safety, climbed up the tree to spend the night. Unknown to the hunter the tree happened to be Lord Shiva’s favorite tree, the Bilva tree, and there was a Lingam at the base of the tree. To keep from falling asleep the hunter passed the time by plucking leaves off the tree and absent-mindedly dropping them to the Lingam below. The dew trickled down his body and also fell on the Lingam. Therefore the hunter spent the entire night involuntarily and unconsciously worshiping Lord Shiva. The day dawned and the hunter returned home.
At the time of the hunter’s death, the messengers of Yama came to take his soul to hell for the sins of his lifetime. They found that Lord Shiva’s messengers had already arrived to escort the soul of the hunter to Shiva Loka due to the benefit of his worship of the Shiva Lingam, involuntary though it may have been.
Parvati Devi was greatly impressed with this narration of Lord Shiva and she related it to her friends and so the greatness of the worship of God on this night is known to all mankind.
The philosopical basis of this story has been explored in several scriptures. The name of the hunter is Suswara which is indicative of good qualities or virtues. He works in the forest – i.e., the world. He kills wild animals which is symbolic of the destruction of evil tendencies of the mind. He climbs the bilwa tree which represents spiritual progress. His unconscious and involuntary worship shows the state of development where every act is an offering to God. He lives in Varanasi – the spiritual centre not only of the country but in the human body it represents the spiritual eye of wisdom. Therefore the description by Lord Shiva of a hunter in the forest really represents the life of a yogi in the world.
May we enjoy the blessing of Lord Shiva on this auspicious day.