Sri:
Srimathe Sri Lakshminrusimha Parabrahmanae Nama:
Guidelines ordained by the Vedas to lead a contented life
( 1 ) Um
(Divine nectar from Sri U.Ve Mukkur Lakshminarasimha Chariyar upanyasams)
(Compiled by: Sri.U.Ve. Mukkur Srinivasan)
1. For those who can chant mantras and stotras with their mind constantly fixed upon the divine feet of Lord Vishnu, their dwelling place becomes Sri Vaikuntha.
2. If Vishnu is uttered, it is a divine name. If it is chanted as “Om Vishnave nama:”, it becomes a mantra. It is a noble mantra with six syllables. The Supreme Lord is greatly pleased if a flower or tulsi leaf is offered at His divine feet chanting “Om Vishnave nama:”.
3. Tulsi leaf should be plucked very carefully without the nail touching the leaf. The verse, ”Tulsi ! Amritha Janmasi ! Sadha Thvam Kesava Priye!” should be chanted while thus collecting.
4. The flower or tulsi leaf should be placed in front of our heart and it should be offered at His divine feet saying, ‘This heart of mine is nectarous. I am surrendering this heart. I am surrendering my whole self at your divine feet’.
5. While thus offering the flower, the meaning of the following verse should be thought of and recalled.
Ahimsa Prathamam Pushpam
Pushpam indriya nigraha:
Sarva bhootha daya pushpam
Kshama Pushpam Viseshatha:
Santhi: pushpam thapa: pushpam
Gnanam pushpam thathaivacha
Sathyam ashtavitham pushpam
VishNo: preethi karambhaveth.
6. Truthfulness is the most preferred flower to offer to the Lord. Manusmrithi says “Let truthfulness be your voice always. Let it be a pleasant truthfulness. While speaking truth, you should not hurt anybody. At the same time a lie should not be uttered to please somebody. Let this be your Dharma”.
7. While doing archana chanting “Vishnave nama:”, we have to see whether we possess the above mentioned eight. If we perform archana with this feeling, we would automatically get these eight flowers – i.e. gunas.
8. We are offering a flower. We chant a divine name. He returns it eight fold. He is so compassionate. We do the archana with the knowledge of the result. If we do not receive the desired result, it means that our nishtai is not enough. We have to continue doing that again and again with nishtai till we achieve the desired result.
9. The great sage Vyasa refers to the terrible kaliyuga as docile. Why? Because, it is possible to receive the result of performing one Ashwametha yagna by just listening with concentrated devotion to the chanting of the mantras, in this Kaliyuga. There is a catch in this easy way. That is “with concentrated devotion”
10. We must possess the power of pranayama if we aim to get the concentrated devotion. Pranayama can easily be described as an exercise through which we inhale and exhale our breath. But the period for which we are able to hold our breath inside is most important. That time period should increase gradually. Then we can control our mind.
11. The mind which is swaying like a jasmine creeper should be steadied by pranayama and should be wound around a support – i.e. Emperuman’s divine feet. Then the mind would prosper having that as a hold.
12. Pranayama can be performed by ladies also. It can be practiced chanting slokas without uttering mantras. The mother of Sri. Ramaa, Kousalyadevi had practiced pranayama . She reaped a divine result.
13. Thus if we make an effort to reach Him with the strength of pranayama, every thing would become easily reachable. There is nothing that cannot be achieved if we attempt with the strength of pranayama.
14. Eight represents the divine name of the Lord ‘Om Namo NarayaNaya‘. What are the things that is bestowed by that?
Kulam tharum selvam thanthidum
Adiyar paduthuyar ayinaellam
Nilam tharam seyyum neeLvisumbarulum
Arulodu perunilamaLikkum
Valam tharum matrum thanthidum
Petrathaayinum aayina seyyum
Nalam tharum sollai naan kandu konden
Narayana ennum naamam
(Peria Thirumozhi 1-1-9)
Meaning: The tirunamam Narayana gives a good life, of wealth and family, and rages to ground all travails, facing devotees, then grants the rule of the Sky and Earth with benign grace. It gives a man strength, and all that there is, with love that exceeds a mother’s. It gives the pure good, I know the Mantra, Narayana the Divine name.
15. The divine name Narayana is capable of getting us Moksha.
16. We should not have a desire for this body. We should imprint in our minds Adhi Sankara’s words – ” who is eligible for Moksha?” ” That one who considers his physical body as dead while being alive, is eligible for Moksha”.
17. Paramatma resides inside us. We have to understand and realize what the noble scripture says – that the paramatma who can pervade everything, resides both inside us and also inside insentients (achetanas – lifeless objects).
18. We can see the one who resides inside us through the mantras taught by the Acharyas.
19. We should not memorise a mantra reading it from a book. It would never bestow the desired result if it is chanted after getting it memorised from a book. We have to prostrate at the feet of Acharya, learn it from him, and then only we can bring it into practice.
20. We should have similar/equal devotion towards the mantra, the Demi-god represented by the mantra and the acharya who taught us the mantra. Only then, it would be fulfilled. i.e. It would bestow the desired result.
21. The Gayathri mantra protects those who chant it very regularly. The Ashtakshara also protects thus. The gents should recite the Ashtakshara after chanting Gayathri mantra.
22. The Pranava should never be separately chanted. It should be chanted along with the mantra in three syllables. The ladies should pronounce Pranava as ‘um’.
23. If some deed is performed by a person according to his own wishes and desires against the sastras or scriptures, he would not attain fulfillment. This is Bhagavan’s own saying.
24. We have to live according to sastras or scriptures without making the Supreme Lord angry.
25. The affection showered on us by the sastras or scriptures is greater than thousand parents.
26. All auspicious things and good results flow towards the one who lives according to the sastras or scriptures. He would be praised wherever he goes.
27. Our sampradaya glorifies Aacharam and anushtanam ( rituals and practices) more than gnana (knowledge)
28. Only if the one who preaches, follow the rituals and practices, others would practice. Otherwise they would start asking, ‘why we should do it when he himself is not practicing?’
29. Gazing at the sun is a very important practice. Those who see the sun as their first action (anushtaanam) or when Sun comes out in the horizon are considered great people. Hence we have to get up before the sun rises and prostrate expecting his arrival.
30. The Lord incarnated as Sri RAmA in the clan of sun. When He incarnated as Sri Krishna he took birth in the clan who saw the sun first everyday.
31. Sri Lakshmi Nrisimha has such a Sun as His right eye.
32. The one who is the ‘Akaara‘ in the Pranava (the first letter), who has Surya as His eye, who resides in the ‘Um‘ akshara, who blesses those who take refuge in His divine feet, is our Mattapalli Lakshmi Nrisimhan. Let us praise His glory and derive happiness on this auspicious day.
|| Sakalam Bhadramashnuthae! ||