Mantras 

I use Sanskrit mantras taken from Hindu Philosophy, which are typically about different deities that hold different meanings and different powers. It has been stated that the recitation of Sanskrit Mantras can bring transformation in you, while leading you to power and strength, and softness as well.

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The combination of sounds directs the force of creation. The currents transmute the limitations of linguistics and become tools for power.  The beauty of using a mantra is that it has no meaning for our literal mind. It surpasses the logic and our need for meaning. This vibration transmits greater vitality for it is meaningless to the functions of the intellect.

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Mantras speak to the universe, our cells, and soul’s directly. The sound itself reverberates through our body acting as nourishment for the soul. As it vibrates within, the mantra emanates and blesses outside of us to affect the subtle fields of energy in the universe.

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Different sounds have different effects on the human psyche. A soft sound of wind rustling through leaves soothes our nerves, the musical note of running stream enchants our heart, and thunders may cause awe and fear.  Sanskrit dates back 7000-8000 years. Used before language, before the written word, its sounds are not simply phonetic but rather carry within them the very sounds of creation. The sounds are onomatopoeic (which means the utterance mimics  a sound) and transmit the raw power of the universe.

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Ganesha Mantra 

 

Om gam ganapataye namaha

Aum gam gahna- paht-AH-yay nam-AH-ha

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Om: the primordial fundamental sound symbolic of the Universal Absolute

Gam: seed syllable for Ganesha

Ganapataya: another name for Ganesha 

Nama: I bow to

Ha: yo!  Celebrating the essence of the mantra

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Closing Blessing: May all of your obstacles be removed so that flow, forgiveness, acceptance and ultimate healing enter your life.  May all obstacles that are blocking the connection to your spirit and your heart energy; both known and unknown, be dissolved.  May you experience freedom, connection and abundance in each and every area of your life. 

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Purpose

To remove obstacles to plant new seeds & clear the path for new beginnings. 

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The Story​

Also known as Ganapati, Ganesha, is Shiva’s first son, who is often depicted in various postures with the head of an elephant and a big belly. He is typically seen with four arms holding an axe in one upper arm and a noose in the other upper arm. In most instances, he holds his own broken tusk in one hand with his trunk turned to the left sampling a delicacy held in his lower left hand. He is portrayed at all times with a mouse by his side which is said to be his vehicle.

 

Here is one of the many stories of how Ganesha received the head of an elephant:

 

Parvati (pictured above on the right), the wife of Lord Shiva (pictured above on the left) was alone at home and wanted to have a bath. She needed to have a guard at the door, as Shiva was not at home. So out of earth, she created a child, and asked him to guard the entrance while she took a bath. While Parvati was bathing, Lord Shiva came to the scene and wanted to enter the house. However Ganesha blocked him from entering saying that it was his mother's orders not to allow anyone inside. Enraged, Lord Shiva cut off Ganesha's head and entered the house. Parvati, upon learning this, was overcome with grief. Upon learning that Ganesha was his own son, Lord Shiva felt sad too. Parvati then asked Lord Shiva to go down the Himalayas (their abode), cut off the head of the first animal he sees and splice it onto the headless body of Ganesha. The first animal Lord Shiva found was an elephant and that is how Lord Ganesha came to have the elephant's head and thus, infinite wisdom.

 

This universe would be in chaos if there was no supreme law governing these diverse groups of entities. The Lord of all these groups of atoms and energies is Ganesha. He is the supreme consciousness that pervades all and brings order in this universe.

 

Lord Ganesh also symbolizes intelligence in the body and the highest process of creation, being the higher mind, which is crucial for reasoning and discernment.

 

It is traditional to chant this mantra at the commencement of new beginnings, such as a new course, new relationship, new business venture or before the start of rituals and ceremonies and also before undertaking any auspicious event or occasion (and even before buying a new vehicle or home).

 

Ganesha is known as the Remover of Obstacles. Devotees connect to Ganesha to protect against adversity, dispel fear and to gain material prosperity and success in life. The Ganesha statue with trunk on the right side is called Siddhi Viniayaka. It is believed that connecting to this form of Ganesha is said to bring about quick results.

 

Vinayak Chaturthi: which is Ganesha’s birthday (September 2), is grandly celebrated with a festival that extends for a period of up to 11 days. Intricately moulded clay images of Ganesha with red flowers and red sandalwood paste with colorfully decorated umbrellas beside it, are placed on pedestals and worshipped. Offerings of modaks and laddus (which are sweet Indian desserts), are made to Ganesha and free food known as Prasadam is distributed to devotees. The Idol is then taken in a procession to the nearest body of water and immersed with great reverence and respect. This celebration is one of the most important power times in the year to welcome Ganesha, the Lord of fortune and wisdom, into your life and receive his blessings for the fulfilment of your desires, success, prosperity and new beginnings of all kinds.

 

Another myth is that Ganesha’s tiny mouse could not bear his weight and tripped. The moon started laughing at the funny sight. Ganesha got angry and cursed the moon saying that anyone who looks at the moon on the night of the Ganesh Chaturthi during Bhado will be falsely accused.  The moon begged Ganesha to remove the curse and Ganesha also realised that he had overreacted but he could not take the curse back.  Now anyone who looks at the moon on the night of the Ganesh Chaturthi may be falsely accused.

 

Ganesh Chaturthi  is when the Shukla Paksha (Waxing Moon period) a period of 15 days, which begins on the Shukla Amavasya (New Moon) day and culminating Purnima (Full Moon) day and is considered auspicious because it is favorable to growth or expansion on every plane of existence i.e. Mental, Physical and Spiritual Plane.  Bhado in translation to our calendar is August / September.

 

It is also believed that for the household purpose, The Ganesha statue should be in sitting position so that the god stays in your home. Whereas for festivals, he can be standing.

 

If you want to keep Ganesha statue in the home for material prosperity then the trunk should be touching or close to the laddu (the sphere shaped sweet that Ganesha holds). This represents Ganesha having his favorite food in his hand and will offer the prasad (another Indian food) to its devotees also. Here the laddu represents material gain and prosperity. If you want to have spiritual wisdom or spiritual bliss then the trunk should be close or touching the Modak.

 

Normally in temples, you will see the Ganesha statues with the trunk facing the right. This is because we are to worship the right side trunk Ganesha daily. Any mistake in a ritual can bring the wrath of the deity. The Ganesha statue with trunk on the right side is called as ‘Siddhi Vinayaka‘ because if worshiped correctly then it can give quick results.

 

Right sided Ganesha statue is believed to represent our Pingala Nadi which is on our right side, related to the energy of the sun, male energy, Shiva. It has fiery nature but can give quick results. If the fire is used properly, it can cook your food; and at the same, the fire element will also help your stomach to digest food. However, at the same time, fire can also burn you if handled improperly. So you have to follow the rituals properly if you want to have right sided Ganesha Statue in your home.

 

Right Curved Trunk of Ganesha

 

Ganesha idols with right curved trunks are called Sidhi Vinayak and they need special worship. According to Puranas, Sidhi, a daughter of Brahma, is a wife of Ganesha. Worshipping this statue helps in the manifestation of desires or powers. It is considered most lucky and auspicious to worship this form of Ganesha. The powers of Ganesha and Sidhi work powerfully to bring success to endeavors when all others have failed. It acts powerfully to bring speedy results bestowing prosperity, knowledge, and final emancipation.

 

Ways to connect to Sidhi Vinayak:

 

• Bathe daily and remain without dust.

• Such idols have the Sun`s principle active in them. If prayers are not done as per Vedic norms,

then it will burn away the results that are bound to come.

• Red sandal paste should be applied as tilak to Ganesha.

• Dress must be changed every day and they must be washed in clean water.

• Fresh flowers or blades of Durva grass should be offered with devotion and lovingness.

• Ghee lamps must be lighted along with scented agarbattis.

• Mantras should be chanted and arati of camphor must be shown to him.

• Food offerings of sugar candy, modak or laddoo or boiled channa gram should be made to Ganesha.

• These offerings to the Lord constitute the five elements of nature: earth, fire, water, air and ether.

 

Spiritual significance of Ganesha

 

One must perform these sacred acts with purity in body and mind. Only if a person does these acts with selflessness does the Lord respond to his prayers. It represents the pingala nadi and this is related to the Sun`s energy. In the Sun`s energy flowing through the right trunk, reside the trinity- Brahma, Shiva, Vishnu. The idol has the blessing of a million suns. Pingala nadi corresponds to the right sympathetic nervous system that governs the supra-conscious mind. It has immense power to give what one desires. It needs regular purificatory rites of mantra chanting. But this form of Ganesha holds the hot power of pingala nadi in the psychic body. Hence, he is very powerful and is not forgiving if we do not follow Vedic norms in connecting to him.

 

Mantras to recite:

 

“Om Sri Ganeshaya Namaha” - Chanting this mantra 108 times before Sidhi Vinayaka idol will bring success in all efforts. Students will shine well in their studies if they recite this mantra.

 

“Om Gam Ganeshaya Namaha” - Reciting this mantra will remove all the obstacles before commencement of any activity.

 

The Ganesha with the trunk facing forward represents our Sushumna Nadi - our central channel where feminine and masculine, moon and sun, cooling and heat, are all balanced.

 

The Ganesha with the trunk swung upright in the air represents Kundalini energy which has reached the crown chakra.

 

Also, remember in mind that Ganesha is a sattvic (Sattva is one of the 3 Gunas or modes of existence - Sattva means balance and harmony, positivity, luminosity and creativity). So it is recommended to avoid having non-vegetarian food at home. This is to help create a pure environment. The favorite food of Lord Ganesha is Modak and Laddu. Whenever you plan to make prasad for Ganesha then make with a lot of devotion and purity. Never taste the food which is meant to be offered to Ganesha. Once Ganesha has taken the prasad then only you can consume the food as a prasad. Secondly, avoid adding onions and garlic to the food which is meant to be offered to Lord Ganesha.

 

Avatar in Sanskrit means “descent”; in Hindu mythology, a deity descends from heaven to earth for a specific purpose. Sacred texts like the Ganesha Purana and Mudgala Purana state that Ganesha assumed eight avatars, each manifesting in a different epoch and descriptive of a single attribute. All the avatars had one purpose – to slay a demon for the purpose of restoring peace and harmony in the world, with each form taking on a separate and individual significance of its own.

 

Vakratunda: Lord of the Twisted Trunk / Vanquished the demon Matsarasura

 

As Vakratunda, Ganesha embodies the formless spirit of the Universe or Brahman. In this avatar, He defeated the demon, Matsaryasura (Envy), who came into being when Indra, king of the Gods, once lapsed into absent-mindedness. Performing austere penances to Shiva won Matsaryasura the boon of fearlessness. He soon brought all the gods, including mighty Shiva, to their knees. Dattatreya, the unified form of the Holy Trinity, advised them to invoke Vaktratunda and divulged to them, the powerful seed mantra ‘Gam’. Their penance bore fruit – Vakratunda appeared seated on a lion and defeated Matsaryasura.

 

In the long run, there is nothing that envy cannot overcome; it can only be defeated by the purely abstract form of the divine, here symbolized by Ganesha’s trunk.

 

Additional Activities

 

Journal & Burn: Pinpoint obstacles that may be invading your life with a simple “Journal & Burn” Ritual. 

 

Step #1: Intentional Journaling Exercise

 

Detail a situation in your life where you are experiencing stress.  Be very detailed.  Next, go through your journal entry and make a list of all of the obstacles in your situation and write them on a loose piece of paper.

 

Step #2: Burning Ritual 

Take a small piece of paper and write out the obstacles on it.  Use a fire safe container in a well-ventilated area and make the following declaration:  “I hereby release these obstacles (read the obstacles on your paper), to Ganesha for them to be removed”, and burn the paper. 

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Lakshmi Mantra 

Om Hreem Sri Lakshmi Bhyo Namaha

 

Om HA-REEM, SHREE, lahk-shmee bye-oh, nam-AH-ha 

 

Purpose

Used to evoke love, beauty, health and prosperity.

 

Closing Blessing: May you feel the beauty of your soul shine outward, each and every day, as you connect to the ever available abundance that becomes available from experiencing both the light and the dark.  May you be open to all the blessings that are available to you as you travel on your journey to each destination. 

 

om: the universal sound 

hreem: an exclamation

sri: glory, adorning 

lakshmi: goddess lakshmi 

bhyo: bestow me

namaha: I bow to (Lakshmi) 

 

The Story

 

Lakshmi was born from the stirring of the primordial milky ocean - the same sea that Chandra was born.  The name Lakshmi is derived from the Sanskrit word Laksya, which means aim or destination.  Lakshmi is the goddess of wealth and prosperity of all forms, material and spiritual.

 

Like most Hindu mythology, Lakshmi’s origin story has many different versions and is always embellished with many surreal, magical or even unbelievable elements. Lakshmi’s story begins with a meeting between Sage Durvasa and Lord Indra. 

 

Sage Durvasa, with a lot of respect, offers Indra a garland of flowers. Indra takes the flowers and rather than humbly placing them around his own neck, he puts the garland on the forehead of his elephant Airvata. The elephant takes the garland and throws it down on the earth - after all, he is an elephant. He didn’t know better! 

 

Durvasa gets angry at this disrespectful treatment of his gift and he says to Indra, “you have an inflated ego and in your arrogance, you have disrespected me!” Durvasa curses Indra, stating that his kingdom will be ruined just as he ruined the garland by throwing it onto the ground in his excessive pride.

 

Durvasa walks away and Indra returns to his home. The changes in Indra’s city start to take place following Durvasa’s curse. The higher powers and the people start to lose their vigour and energy, all the vegetable products and plants start dying, men stop doing charity, minds become corrupted, and everyone’s desires become uncontrollable.  With the higher powers getting weak in Indra’s home town, the demons invade and defeats them. Everything became chaotic.

 

This is the reason that both the higher powers  (light) and Demons (darkness) reside in us and are representative of the good and evil within us.

 

After being defeated, the higher powers went to Vishnu (the preserver of the universe) who suggested they churn the ocean to restore the power back to the light. The work of churning this primordial ocean will bring back the elixir of immortal life to the higher powers.

 

The churning is symbolized by a literal tug of war between the Gods and Demons in the story.  Being a vast body, it would take all of the gods and all of the demons to churn the ocean. So the gods took a snake and wrapped it around Mount Madura. They then sunk the whole mountain into the milky sea. With the gods at the tail end and the demons at head, they both pulled, uncoiling the snake, causing the mountain to spin and the primeval sea to swirl. 

 

From this churning many things rise up out of the ocean, including Lakshmi AND the elixir of immortal life.  Goddess Lakshmi rises out of the waves, fully grown, gorgeous and on a lotus flower. Eventually through some tricky slight-of-hand the elixir of immortal life also is returned to the gods and order in the universe is restored. 

 

Lakshmi is depicted in Indian art as an elegantly dressed, prosperity-showering golden-coloured woman standing or siting in the padmasana position upon a lotus throne, while holding a lotus in her hand, symbolising fortune, self-knowledge, and spiritual liberation. 

 

One of the lessons in this story is that when we get arrogant or angry, it leads to an inability to perform good work. We will lack mental peace, willpower and have a meaningless life. It also shows us that we sometimes have to work with our adversaries, finding compromise and collaboration in order to restore order for a greater good. 

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Hanuman Mantra

1. Om Shri Hanumate Namaha

2. Hanuman bolo, hanuman bolo, jai sita ram, jai jaya hanuman

 

Om: the universal sound
Shri: Mr
Hanumate: Hanuman
Nama: I bow
Ha: yo! 

Bolo: say

Jai: to hail someone or indicate praise or admiration 

Jaya: Victory

Sita: An avatar, or incarnation, of Lakshmi, Goddess of abundance. Lakshmi and Vishnu incarnate on earth as Sita and Rama. Sita is known for her devotion and purity, and is the central female character of the Ramayana.

Ram/rama: An avatar, or incarnation, of Vishnu, the lord of the universe. Rama's story is told in the Ramayana, his wife is Sita, and he is known for his compassion and courage. 

 

Closing Blessing: May the connection to your wisdom be strong and powerful. May your intuition speak clearly, and may you have the courage to listen.

 

Purpose

Used to evoke wisdom, strength & power 

 

The Story

Hanuman's name originates from the Sanskrit hanu, meaning “jaw,” and man.

 

Hanuman was the son of Vayu, the god of the wind, and Anjana, a celestial nymph, also known as Punjikastala, from the kingdom of Lord Indra. One day while she was roaming the heavens. She saw a monkey rishi deep in meditation. The sight of the cross legged monkey made her giggle. Rather than admiring his devotion, she was unable to control herself and burst out laughing. The monkey rishi was so deep in meditation that he did not even know that someone was laughing at him. She thought that he was ignoring her, so she started to pester him even more and unkindly threw fruit and stones at him. When one of the mangoes hit the rishi on his head, he opened his eyes and was startled, his meditation was broken. He looked around furiously and saw Anjana ready to throw another stone.

 

The monkey sage lost his patience and was enraged at Anjana's behaviour. He was even more angry that she had interrupted his meditation. He was so angry that he cursed her. The curse was that she would take the form of a monkey, as she had made fun of a monkey.  She pleaded to the sage to take back his curse she was so sorry for her actions and truly repented.  The rishi could see that she was genuinely sorry and was unable to take back the curse as the words had been spoken. He then told her that the curse would only be broken when she gave birth to an incarnation of Lord Shiva. The monkey vanished into thin air, and she was left with her new face of a monkey.

 

She continued to pray to Lord Shiva. She decided to go for a walk in the forest and came across and Ashram.  The people inside the ashram were kind and holy people and did not make fun of her monkey face. She was feeling very hungry after a long day, and accepted the fruits they offered. The people of the ashram ‘priests’, wanted to know who she was and where she had come from. She was too embarrassed to tell her tale of the curse, and who she was previously.  She told them her name was Anjana, and decided to make up a new identity, leaving her past life behind her and start a new beginning. She felt this new name was destined for something special.

 

The priests told Anjana that she was a very brave lady, they looked scared.  They told Anajana that they would not go to the forest at night. They told Anjana of a huge demon Sambasadan who lived there. He was as monstrous demon and had been terrorising people in the forest.  They were worries that he was going to attack the ashram and were preparing to defend themselves. Anjana told the priests, that she would help them.

 

Anjana made a small Shivling on the ground and began to pray to Lord Shiva, and Goddess Parvati.  She prayed to help these good and kind people and protect them from the demon. She prayed for strength and bravery. Anjana suddenly heard the words fill her ears, “Sambasadam can be defeated only by his own blood my child...May you be victorious...'

 

Anjana knew her prayers had been answered and she was filled with hope, which would guide her to victory. She got ready for the battle. As she was picking up the weapons she saw another man standing beside her, she could not see his face. The man looked like a warrior and was very well-built. Anjana thought the priest had called this warrior or King to help fight the demon. The man wore a coat of scars and looked like he had fought many battles. When the man turned to face Anjana she could not believe her eyes he had a face of a monkey.  The monkey man introduced himself as Kesari, the king of the monkeys, and this was his territory.

 

Suddenly there was a thunderous roar, the huge demon was hurtling towards the ashram. Kesari picked up his weapon and charged at the demon. Together the two of them along with some people from the ashrama and a small monkey army fought with the demon. Kesari could not defeat the demon, even with his skills.  The demon moved very quickly and changed forms. Finally Kersari hurt the demon, his blood flowed to earth. Anjana raced over and dipped the arrows in the demon’s own blood. She rapidly fired the arrows at the demon. The demon let out mighty cries as each arrow pierced him. Kesari saw what Anjana had done and dipped his own weapons in the demons blood, and continued to fight. As each blood dipped weapon hit the demon he began to melt. His deafening cry echoed through the forest. He had finally been defeated and the forest was safe again.

 

A priest approached Anjana and told her that when someone has helped their people win a battle they offer a gift as custom. She asked Anjana if she would consider marrying Kesari, Anjana looked surprised. She knew he was a brave and extremely intelligent man. Anjana was willing if she thought Kesari would be. The priest told Anjana that Kesari was already willing to marry Anjana. A special and auspicious day was chosen and Kesari and Anjana got married. After their marriage, both Anjana and Kesari daily worshiped Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati. They led a very happy married life.

 

Meanwhile in the city of Ayodhya, King Dasaratha had no children of his own and was performing a ritual for children. He was given a sweet pudding to share with his three wives. King Dasaratha gave the pudding to Kausalya and Kaikeyi.  However as the king was about to give the pudding to Queen Sumithra, and a bird snatched the pudding and flew away. Both Kausalya and Kaikeyi immediately gave a portion of their own pudding to Queen Sumithra, and that is why she gave birth to twins – Lakshmana and Shatrugana. Queen Kausalya gave birth to Rama, the hero of the Ramayana and Queen Kaikeyi gave birth to Bharata.

 

The bird who stole the pudding was actually an apsara (heavenly being) named Suvarchala. Suvarchala was very hasty and often would act without thinking. He had been cursed by Lord Brahma to take the form of a bird due to his previous wrong doings. Lord Brahma however changed the curse and said that Suvarchala would only be  freed from her curse if she touched the pudding given by Lord Agni to King Dasaratha.

 

Suvarchala saw his chance to lift the curse and snatched the pudding from Queen Sumitra. Immediately she changed form and became an apsara. The pudding fell towards Vayu, the Wind God following the orders of Lord Shiva, Vayu blew the pudding straight towards the forests where Anjana and Kesari were staying.

 

Anjana and Kesari had just finished thier morning prayers when Anjana saw the pudding. Anjana and Kesari looked surprised when they heard a heavenly voice, 'Take this offering Anjana. It has the power of the Wind God as he was the one who blew it you and the essence of Lord Shiva inside it. You will have a healthy brave boy, who will be the incarnation of Lord Shiva...Take the pudding...'Anjana gave birth to one of the most powerful heroes of Ramayana – Hanuman. Our beloved Monkey god. Anjana was freed of her curse (her face returned to normal) as she had given birth to an incarnation of Shiva. 

 

Hanuman was named  Anjaneya [Son of Anjana]. He was also called as Pavanputra, (Son of the Wind God). He was called so because he had the essence of the Wind God, he has many names and was alsio called  Hanuman was also called as Kesharinandan  (Son of Kesari) 

 

Even as a child, Hanuman had great powers. One morning, he saw the sun rising and thought it was a great yellow ball. He decided to get hold of it so that he could play with it. Indra, the king of gods, saw Hanuman leap into the sky and wanted to stop him. And how did he do that? He threw his weapon, the Vajra (thunderbolt) at the child. Hanuman fell to earth, wounded.

 

Hanuman’s enraged father decided to go on a strike until the one who hurt his child was punished. Imagine if there is no wind on earth! How would it be? No gentle cooling breeze when the sun blazes down. No power to move the rain-bearing clouds. Why, after a point, both humans and animals couldn’t breathe. Vayu’s strike made life on earth difficult.

 

The gods knew they had to make Vayu less angry,  so they offered the baby a multitude of boons. Brahma said that no weapon would ever hurt Hanuman and that he would be able to change his form at will and travel wherever he chose. Indra’s boon was that the Vajra would no longer hurt the child and that his body would be stronger than the weapon. Varuna, the god of the ocean, offered him protection from water. Agni, the god of fire, blessed him with immunity to fire. Surya, the sun god, gave him the power to change the size of his body. Yama blessed him with good health and immortality. Vishwakarma, the divine architect, offered a boon that Hanuman would be safe from all objects of his creation. With all these boons, Hanuman became a great warrior who played a crucial role in the Ramayan.

 

The Ramayana is an ancient Sanskrit epic which follows Prince Rama's quest to rescue his beloved wife Sita from the clutches of Ravana with the help of an army of monkeys. It is traditionally attributed to the authorship of the sage Valmiki and dated to around 500 BCE to 100 BCE.  It is comprised of seven different books.

 

Dasharatha was the King of Ayodhya and had three wives and four sons. Rama was the eldest and his mother was Kaushalya. Bharata was the son of Dasharatha’s second and favorite wife, Queen Kaikeyi. The other two were twins, Lakshmana and Shatrughna whose mother was Sumithra. In the neighboring city the ruler’s daughter was named Sita. When it was time for Sita to choose her bridegroom (at a ceremony called a swayamvara) princes from all over the land were asked to string a giant bow which no one could lift. However, as Rama picked it up, he not only strung the bow, he broke it. Seeing this, Sita indicated that she had chosen Rama as her husband by putting a garland around his neck. Their love became a model for the entire kingdom as they looked over the kingdom under the watchful eye of his father the king.

 

A few years later, King Dasharatha decided it was time to give his throne to his eldest son Rama and retire to the forest. Everyone seemed pleased, save Queen Kaikeyi since she wanted her son Bharata to rule. Because of an oath Dasharatha had made to her years before, she got the king to agree to banish Rama for fourteen years and to crown Bharata, even though the king pleaded with her not to demand such a request. The devastated King could not face Rama and it was Queen Kaikeyi who told Rama the King’s decree. Rama, always obedient, was content to go into banishment in the forest. Sita and Lakshmana accompanied him on his exile.

 

One day Rama and Lakshmana wounded a rakshasas (demon) princess who tried to seduce Rama. She returned to her brother Ravana, the ten-headed ruler of Lanka. In retaliation, Ravana devised a plan to abduct Sita after hearing about her incomparable beauty. He sent one of his demons disguised as a magical golden deer to entice Sita. To please her, Rama and Lakshmana went to hunt the deer down. Before they did though, they drew a protective circle around Sita and told her that she would be safe for as long as she did not step outside the circle. After Rama and Lakshmana left, Ravana appeared as a holy man begging alms. The moment Sita stepped outside the circle to give him food, Ravana grabbed her and carried her to his kingdom in Lanka.

 

Rama then sought the help of a band of monkeys offer to help him find Sita. Hanuman, the general of the monkey band can fly since his father is the wind. He flew to Lanka and, finding Sita in the grove, comforted her and told her Rama would come to save her soon. Ravana’s men captured Hanuman, and Ravana ordered them to wrap Hanuman's tail in cloth and to set it on fire. With his tail burning, Hanuman escaped and hopped from house-top to house-top, setting Lanka on fire. He then flew back to Rama to tell him where Sita was.

 

Rama, Lakshmana and the monkey army built a causeway from the tip of India to Lanka and crossed over to Lanka where a cosmic battle ensued. Rama killed several of Ravana’s brothers and eventually confronted the ten-headed Ravana. He killed Ravana, freed Sita and after Sita proved here purity, they returned to Ayodhya where Bharata returned the crown to him. 

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Gayatri Mantra

Aum

Bhur Bhuvah Svah

Tat Savitur Varenyam

Bhargo Devasya Dheemahi

Dhiyo Yo nah Prachodayat 

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Aum: the primordial fundamental sound symbolic of the Universal Absolute

Bhur Bhuvah Svah: “past,” “present,” and “future,” are called Vyahrities. Vyahriti is that which gives knowledge of the entire cosmos or “ahriti”.  By uttering these three words, the person who chants it contemplates the Glory of God that illumines the three worlds or the regions of experience. 

Tat – In simpler term, it means “that”, because it stated description through speech or language, the “Ultimate Reality.”

Savitur – “Divine Sun” (The ultimate light of wisdom)

Varenium – “Adore”

Bhargo – “Illumination”

Devasya – “Divine Grace”

Dheemahi – “We Contemplate”

Dhi – “Intellect”

Yo  – “Who”

Nah – “Ours”

Prachodayat – “Requesting/Urging/Praying” 

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Purpose

“Oh, creator of the universe. 

We meditate upon thy supreme splendor. 

May thy radiant power illuminate our intellects, destroy our ignorance and guide us in the direction of enlightenment by purifying our inner hearts.”

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Lokah Mantra

Lokah Samastah Sukino Bahavantu

 

low-KAH sahm-as-STAH soo-kee-no BAH van TOO

lokah: location, realm, all universes existing now

samastah: all beings sharing that same location

sukhino: centered in happiness and joy, free from suffering

bhav: the divine mood or state of unified existence

antu: may it be so, it must be so (creating a powerful declaration)  

 

Closing Blessing: May all beings be happy and free. May the thoughts, words, and actions of my own life contribute in some way to that happiness and to that freedom for all, for the purpose of ultimate connection. 

 

Purpose

Though the original source of the mantra is unknown, it is said to be part of a traditional Sanskrit sloka (song of praise).