Category: Spirituality

Gāyatrī is a chandas, a vedic meter, designed with 24 syllables (phonemes) and having three pada (feet) each having eight syllables. This conception of gāyatrī is based on (a) the standard mantra pada which is of eight syllables called aṣṭākṣarī. This is the simplest form of the mantra-pada. स-स-व-द प-र-र-ज | sa-sa-va-da pa-ra-ra-ja and (b) the fact that Agni devatā, the deva of bhū-loka (earth plane of consciousness) has three legs.

Each leg is pointed at a direction of 120° from the other. Together, the three legs cover the 360° of the geo-centric zodiac.

Sister’s House – 16 Bosepara Lane
This article deals with the pages of history to find out why Calcutta’s 16 Bosepara Lane has been declared a Heritage Building.

“My home is, in my eyes, charming” writes the illustrious resident of 16, Bosepara lane, Calcutta at the dawn of the last century. “With its two courtyards, its limited second story, and its quaintly-terraced roofs, built at five different levels, it is a rambling specimen of the true old Hindu style of building.

 In the Bhagavat Gita, Kṛṣṇa reveals His universal form (Viśvarūpa) to Arjuna which was so formidable for the great hero to even behold. Therefore, before jumping to worship Viśvarūpa, we need to see the teachings in the Śrīmad Bhagavataṁ. Bear in mind that the Viṣṇu avatāra are sustainer of things based on their specific forms.

There are at least three parts to the Nārāyaṇa Kavacha. The three principal parts are the

aṣṭākṣarī mantra ॐ नमो नारायणाय (om namo nārāyaṇāya). Aṣṭākṣarī means aṣṭa (eight) akṣara (syllable)
dvādasākṣarī mantra ॐ नमो भगवते वासुदेवाय (om namo bhagavate vāsudevāya).

॥प्रार्थना॥
दुश्टस्थम्बनमुग्रविन्घ शमनं दरिद्यविद्रवनं
विग्नैघं बगले हर प्रतिदिनं कल्यणि तुभ्यम् नमः।
कञ्चन पीठनिविष्टं मुनिवरसादरघूर्नितप्रभं
करुणपूरितनयं श्रीबगलपीतम्बरां वन्दे॥
|prārthanā||
duśṭasthambanamugravingha śamanaṁ daridyavidravanaṁ
vignaighaṁ bagale hara pratidinaṁ kalyaṇi tubhyam namaḥ|
kañcana pīṭhaniviṣṭaṁ munivarasādaraghūrnitaprabhaṁ
karuṇapūritanayaṁ śrībagalapītambarāṁ vande||

॥ध्यानं॥
मध्ये सुदाब्धिमणिमण्डपरत्नवेद्यं
सिम्हासनोपरिगतां परिपीतवर्णं।
पीताम्बरभरणमाल्यविभूषितांगीं
देविं स्मरामि धृतमुद्गरवैरिजिह्वं॥
||dhyānaṁ||
madhye sudābdhimaṇimaṇḍaparatnavedyaṁ
simhāsanoparigatāṁ paripītavarṇaṁ|
pītāmbarabharaṇamālyavibhūṣitāṁgīṁ
deviṁ smarāmi dhṛtamudgaravairijihvaṁ||

॥त्रिश्तुप् च्छन्द मन्त्र॥
ॐ ह्रीं बगलामुखी सर्वदुष्टानां वाचं मुखं
स्थम्भय जिह्व कीलय कीलं बुद्धि नाशाय ह्रीं ॐ स्वाहा।
||triśtup cchanda mantra||
om hrīṁ bagalāmukhī sarvaduṣṭānāṁ vācaṁ mukhaṁ
sthambhaya jihva kīlaya kīlaṁ buddhi nāśāya hrīṁ om svāhā|

The five Mahāpuruṣa of Orissa are the initiators of the lineages. Our lineage of Vedic astrology comes from the holy feet of Sri Achyutananda.

अच्युताय नमस्तुभ्यं गुरवे परमात्मने।
सर्वतन्त्रस्वतन्त्राय चिद्घनानन्दमूर्तये॥
acyutāya namastubhyaṁ gurave paramātmane |
sarvatantrasvatantrāya cidghanānandamūrtaye ||
Pancha Mahapurusha of Orissa …
Pancha means five and sakha means friends – it is noteworthy that just like Sri Krishna referred to Arjuna as a friend, so also did Chaitanya Mahaprabhu refer to these five Maha Purusha (great men) disciples of his as Pancha Sakha or five friends.