Sheetala Stotram

[Guest guest]

Namaste,

 

I thank each and every one of you from the bottom of my heart for elaborating on

Mother Sheetala. I found another interesting article on the web I thought may be

you will be interested.

 

"On Mon, 03 Dec 2001 10:22:07

madathil nair wrote:

>Reference Dirk Gysel's request for information on Maa Maariamman and the

>commendable inputs that followed from Maa's children Vandana Balagopal,

>Sankar Viswanathan, et al.

>

>Permit me to post the following:

>

>Although Maariamman Pooja and temples are a hallmark of the great Tamil

>culture, Seethala worship should be seen in an all-India (or pan-Hindu)

>context and perspective as it is quite ancient and not strictly isolated to

>Tamil Nadu.

>

>I am resident abroad and, therefore, has no easy access to sources of

>information on Maariamman. I cannot, therefore, offer substantial material

>to support my suggestion. However, I remember there was, few months ago, a

>news report from Calcutta in foreign newspapers with a photogrpah showing

>Bengali women rolling in the rain to please Seethala Devi. It will therefore

>be a good idea for Dirk Gysels to gor for a wider search for information on

>Seethala Devi. West Bengal and surrounding areas can probably generate very

>interesting information.

>

>Besides, I reproduce below in English alphabet a Sanskrit Sthothram in

>praise of the Devi. I have been chanting this for years now in my morning

>prayers of Lalitha Sahasranama, Devi Mahathmya etc. I had got it originally

>in Malayalam script and then learnt it by heart. The original or its source

>is now not traceable here. Who authored it is also unknown. Perhaps, there

>is no need to name an author as Mahadeva is identified as the rishi.

>Nevertheless, I presume it is quite old like the many precious sthothras and

>manthras that we have in Sanskrit. With my rudimentary knowledge of

>Sanskrit grammar, I have made the reproduction as error-free as possible and

>hope it will be of some use to Dirk Gysels and all Maa's children. May Maa

>forgive this son for any inadvertent errors.

>

>The contents of the sthothra suggest that it is effective not only against

>epidemics like small pox, chicken pox etc. but also against all diseases,

>blindness, evil planetary influences and generally against all afflictions

>that "explode" or "break-out violently" (as the word "visphotaka" is used).

>One must, therefore, think that the intent of the sthothra should cover even

>bomb blasts and nuclear explosions. Or whom else to call other than our

>dear Mother in these days of reckless terrorism?! I do chant this sthothram

>repeatedly whenever someone in the family or friends fall sick. And Maa has

>always been very kind to see that there are no complications!

>

>I belong to Palghat. It is the main gateway to Kerala from Tamil Nadu. A

>lot of Tamil culture has, therefore, passed into Palghat through the famous

>Palghat pass. We have umpteen number of Maariamman temples in the District

>where every year Maariamman Pooja is celebrated with much fanfare in the

>summer. Here also, the traditional Maavu (referred to by Mr. Sankar

>Viswanathan) is offered to Maa. In Palghat, it is known as "Pachcha" and

>includes some special spices. It is sweet as well as deliciously pungent

>too. Neem leaves are important. Neem sprigs are hung all around the pooja

>pandals and waved by the "velichapadus" (the closest English term I can find

>for this word is "oracles" - these are men whose bodies have been entered

>into by the Devi and who act as go-betweens between Her and the devotees).

>Flowers of 'flame of forest' are also hung on the pandals - probably because

>they are red in colour - the favourite colour of Maa. Most Maariamman temple

>compounds in Palghat have other deities like Pechiamman, Changilikkaruppan

>et al seated around Maa. In my childhoold days (I am talking about the

>fifties and sixties), devotees used to offer the blood of sheep and chicken

>during Maariamman Pooja to please Pechi Amman. The velichapadu of the deity

>used to literally drink the blood gushing out of the beheaded animals. This

>practice has since been proscribed by law. In those days, families used to

>sponsor special poojas at the temple when members recovered from attacks of

>small pox.

>

>SEETHALAASTHOTHRAM

>

>(ASYA SREE SEETHALAASTHOTHRASYA MAHADEVAHA RISHI, ANUSHTUP CHANDAHA,

>SEETHALA DEVATHA, LAKSHMEER BEEJAM, BHAVANI SAKTHIHI, SARVAVISPHOTAKA

>NIVRUTHYARTHE JAPE VINIYOGAHA)

>

>VANDEHAM SEETHALAAM DEVIM RAASABHASTHAAM DIGAMBARAAM

>MAARJANEEKALASOPETHAM SOORPAALANKRITHA MASTHAKAAM

>

>VANDEHAM SEETHALAAM DEVIM SARVAROGABHAYAPAHAAM

>YAAMASAADYA NIVARTHETHA VISPHOTAKA BHAYAM MAHAT

>

>SEETHALE SEETHALE CHETHI YO BROOYATH DAAHAPEEDITHAHA

>VISPHOTAKABHAYAM GHORAM KSHIPRAM THASYA PRANASYATHI

>

>YASTHWAMUDHAKAMADHYETHU DHYATHWA SAMPOOJAYENNARAHA

>VISPHOTAKABHAYAM GHORAM GRIHE THASYA NA JAAYATHE

>

>SEETHALE JWARADAGDASYA POOTHIGANDHAYUTHASYA CHA

>PRANASHTACHAKSHUSASYA THWAMAAHUR JEEVANOUSHADHAM

>

>SEETHALE THANJUAAN ROGAAN NRUNAAN HARASI DUSTHYAJAN

>VISPHOTAKAVIDEERNAANAAM THWAMEKAMRITHAVARSHINI

>

>GALAGANDAGRAHAHA ROGAHAH YE CHANYE DAARUNAM NRUNAM

>THWADANUDHYANAMAATHRENA SEETHALE YAANTHI SAMKSHAYAM

>

>NAMANTHRO NAUSHADHAM THASYA PAAPAROGASYA VIDYATHE

>THWAAMEKAM SEETHALE DHATHRIM NAANYAM PASYAAMI DEVATHAAM

>

>MRINAALATHANTHUSADRUSIM NAABHI-HRINMADHYA SAMSTHITHAM

>YASTHWAM SAMCHINTHAYETH DEVI THASYA MRITHYURNA JAAYATHE

>

>ASHTAKAM SEETHALA DEVYAHA YAH PATETH SATHATHAM NARAHA

>VISPHOTAKABHAYAM GHORAM GRIHE THASYA NA JAAYATHE

>

>SROTHAVYAM PATITHAVYAM CHA SRADDHA-BHAKTHI SAMANYUTHAIHI

>UPASARGAVINASAYA PARAM SWATHSYAYANAM MAHAT

>

>SEETHALE THWAM JAGANMAATHA SEETHALE THWAM JAGATPITHAH

>SEETHALE THWAM JAGADDHAATHRI SEETHALAYAI NAMOH NAMAHA

>

>RAASABHO GARDHABHASCHAIVA KHARO VAISAKHANANDANAHA

>SEETHALA VAAHANASACHAIVA DURVAKANDA NIKRINDANAHA

>

>ETHANI KHARANAAMANI SEETHALAGRE THU YAH PATETH

>THASYA GEHE SISOONAM CHA SEETHALAARUNG NA JAAYATHE

>

>SEETHALAASHTAKAMEVEDAM NA DEYAM YASYA KASYACHIT

>DAATHAVYAM CHA SADAA THASMAIH SRADDHA-BHAKTHIYUTHAYAVAI

>

>May Maa Seethala protect us allo.

>

>Jai Maa!

>

>

>Madathil Nair

"

 

 

 

Om Sri Matre Namah.

>

 

 

 

 

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