Guest guest Posted December 20, 2004 Report Share Posted December 20, 2004 The Universal Omkaara Form Sri Sarabesvara is Siva's Universal Omkaara form. He is the great Lord who keeps the universe in check. He is the root cause of the many divine manifestations, the pancha bootha sakthi that underlies the physical universe, the Nava Naayakas, the Devas and all mantra, tantra, yantra, yoga, siddhi potentialities. He is the One who blesses all beings with peace and prosperity. If we deserve to be famous, it's Sri Sarabesa who grants us fame. If we deserve to be courageous, it's Sri Sarabesa who grants us courage. He's the great motivator. If we get stuck in the course of our endeavors, He's the One who motivates us to move forward and helps us make progress. He is the grantor of peace and tranquility. He is the dispenser of all that's good and the vanquisher of all that's evil. He's the eternal Well Wisher of all beings. Within Siva who is the root cause of siddhi (spiritual attainment) and buddhi (spiritual intelligence), Sri Sarabesa is the Parasakthi who is the Lord of bakthi (devotion) and balam (spiritual fortitude). Sarabesvara Avatar The scriptural texts known as the Puranas have described the Lord's Sarabesvara manifestation in detail. What we present here is that which has been conveyed to us by the Siddhas. The great Lord Narayana manifested as Sri Narasimha to rid the universe of the evil that was Hiranyakasipu. Evil Incarnate Hiranyakasipu had oppressed the universe with his tyranny. He was a consummate egomaniac. His arrogance knew no bounds and he was certain that he could do whatever he pleased. He found much pleasure in subjecting all beings, including the Devas, to much pain and suffering. To protect the denizens of the universe and to give the evil one his due, Lord Narayana manifested his wrathful, aggressive Narasimha man- lion form. Sri Narasimha tore the demon apart thus putting an end to his tyrannical rule. To ensure that Hiranyakasipu's brand of evil is forever banished from the universe, Sri Narasimha consumed every drop of Hiranyakasipu's blood and then wore the demon's mangled body as a garland. Thus He made sure that none of the evil one's physical remains made contact with the universe. The inimitable man-lion roared and performed a terrifying dance. His eyes shone like great balls of fire and His blood curdling roar struck fear in everyone. The universe shuddered at this aggressive form of the Lord. No one could approach Him and no one could bear His all consuming aggressive energy. So the Devas, Rishis and Siddhas approached Sri Siva and requested His protection. Sri Siva, with the full support of Sri Soolini and Prathyankira Devis and Their respective entourages, manifested His supremely aggressive Sarabesvara form. He embraced Sri Narasimha, cooled Him down and made Him accessible to all beings. Different Roles in Different Yugas Sri Sarabesvara, being Siva's Universal Omkara form, is not a new avatar. It was an avatar that was recreated during Sri Narasimha avatar. Sri Sarabesa has existed through all the yugas. In each yuga, Sri Sarabesvara takes on a role that's best suited for the characteristics of that yuga and the state of spirituality in that age. The Kritha Yuga is an age of dharma (righteousness). During this yuga, Sri Sarabesvara takes on the role of anugraha moorthi, the beatific Lord who blesses one and all with His grace. When righteousness falters in this age, He assumes the role of dhanda moorthi, the One who corrects and absolves small mistakes and errors. During the Tretha Yuga, He dons the role of dhanda moorthi. In the Dvaapara Yuga, Sri Sarabesvara is a ugra moorthi, the destroyer of sins and evil. In the Kali Yuga (the present age), He is the prabandha moorthi who protects the virtuous and those engaged in selfless service from evil. He is the vanquisher of the foes of virtue. He's the protector of the pious and the virtuous. He destroys the evil in the evil ones and transforms them into virtuous beings. Tranquil Forms and Aggressive Forms The One formless, attribute-less Absolute manifests both tranquil and aggressive forms. The Lord manifests Himself as Dakshina Moorthi, the Universal Teacher, in a form that's the very definition of peace and tranquility. He also manifests Himself as Sarabesvara, the Universal Protector, in what's a supremely wrathful, aggressive form. It's the same Lord who manifests both forms. To bless peace loving souls like Siddhas and rishis, the Lord manifests His peaceful, tranquil forms. To put the demonic, egomaniacal evil ones in their place, He manifests His wrathful, aggressive forms. Since the Kali Yuga (the current age) is an age of evil, it's very important that we worship the Universal Protector if we want to stay away from evil. Many Manifestations It's the same Lord who manifests Himself as Siva, Narayana, Sakthi, Ganapathi, Muruga and so on. There are many many divine manifestations. This is because the Lord recognizes our imperfections and our failings; He knows that different beings have different temperaments; He knows that different forms may appeal to different beings. Thus, out of his compassion for our failings, He manifests His innumerable divine potencies in innumerable avatars. Human beings are different by way of economics, education, temperament, style of thinking, karma baggage and other factors. They also differ in the perfection of their surrender to the Divine Will or the lack of it. So each one of us may gravitate to a different divine manifestation. As the _expression goes, different strokes for different folks. Different divine forms may appeal to different people, but it's the same God who receives us all in the end. In a time of moral decadence and rise of evil, the worship of Sri Sarabesvara is an ideal recourse for all of humankind. The Siddhas worship and revere all divine forms because each divine form was manifested by God for our spiritual and material welfare. If the Siddhas do this, should we not? It's our spiritual duty to acknowledge each divine avatar with gratitude and render worship to all of these divine forms. Perfect Timing While every minute of every day is ideal for worship, The Siddhas have specified certain time periods that are particularly suited for the worship of Lord Sarabesvara, the Great Protector. These are the Nitya Pradosha Kaalam and the Raahu Kaalam time periods of each day. Raahu Kaalam is inauspicious for material activities but ideal for worship. These time periods on Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday are particularly important for Sarabesvara worship. Since the Nitya Pradosha Kaalam and Raahu Kaalam time periods coincide on Sunday, it's of paramount importance that all of us worship Lord Sarabesvara on Sunday during this time period. Roughly speaking, this time period starts at two hours before sunset and ends one hour after sunset. While ardent devotees of the Great Protector will worship Him every day, all others must at the very least dedicate this three hour period for Sarabesvara worship every week. The Sarabesvara, Ugraha Prathyankira Devi and Narasimha avatars happened during the Pradosham time period. The Nitya Pradosham time period on the Thrayodasi thithi (the thirteenth thithi) is known as Paksha Pradosham; it occurs once in each paksham. It's one of the most spiritually potent times within each paksham (fortnight). The Sarabesvara, Ugraha Prathyankira Devi and Narasimha avatars must be worshipped during this time period. While it's important to worship Lord Sarabesvara during the Nitya Pradosham time period everyday, make sure you at least worship Him during the Paksha Pradosham time period every fortnight. Pradosham worship during Paksha Pradosham is very popular in Siva temples, but it's very important that we worship Sri Narasimha also during this time period. There are Narayana temples where this practice is followed like in the Kaattu Azhagiya Narasimha Temple near Trichy in south India. A clean mind in a clean body. Before you start your worship of Lord Sarabesvara, shower, wear clean clothes and wear the appropriate spiritual mark on your forehead. You're now ready to glorify Sri Sarabesvara. Kambaharesvara - The Lord in the Pillars The divine form of Sri Sarabesvara is often found in temple pillars. Hence He's also known as Kambaharesvara (kambam = pillar). In the town of Thirubuvanam, near Kumbakonam in the south of India, there's a special sanctum for Sri Sarabesvara in the Kambaharesvara temple. Kambaharesvara also means the Lord who destroyed fear (kambam = fear, tremor). Lord Sarabesvara, the great protector, destroys any trace of fear in His devotees. The Great Protector manifests His unimaginable spiritual energy in temple pillars as Kambaharesvara Linga Sakthi. This process is set in motion by a team of great beings known as the Sikandi Siddhas. These Siddhas first imbue these pillars with their spiritual presence and in the process they cleanse these pillars and make it ready for Sri Sarabesvara's entry. They then request the Great Protector to become present in these pillars for the benefit of those who visit the temples. The ever merciful Sarabesa agrees with their selfless plea and manifests His divine energy in these pillars. This process is known as Sarabesvara Linga Aavaahanam. Lord Sarabesa showers His blessings on temple visitors from this vantage point. Worshipping the Sarabesvara form found in temple pillars is therefore very important, especially on Sunday evenings. The Sikandi Siddha team is led by Sri Dhandala Maharishi. The Sikandi Siddhas are part of a class of Siddhas known as Amavasya Siddhas. The first and foremost peedam (seat) of this entire set of great beings is adorned by Sri Kavacha Jaloosha, the composer of the extremely potent armour mantra of Sri Sarabesvara. It's important that we glorify Sri Kavacha Jaloosha and the Sikandi Siddhas during Sarabesvara worship. He's a Rarity The unique Sarabesvara form is not that easy to find. It's not seen in all temples. Just like a great diamond is not that easily found, so too is the Sarabesvara form. One must put in some effort to have a vision of the Great Protector's form. As said before, there's a special shrine for Lord Sarabesvara in the Thirubhuvanam Kambahareswara temple. The Siddhas speak volumes about the spiritual potency of this shrine. The Sarabesvara of Thirubuvanam is a deena dayaala moorthi, He who pardons the sinners. He destroys bad habits, evil tendencies and incurable addictions. He transforms liars, thieves, addicts, rogues, lechers and violent ones into model citizens. The Sarabesvara form can be also be seen in Thaaraasuram near Kumbakonam, Kaaraikudi, Maadambaakkam near Madras, Koyambedu near Madras, Thirisoolam near Madras, Arunachala, Madurai, Chidambaram amongst other places. The Siddhas say that celebrating Paksha Pradosham in those temples where the Sarabesvara form is found is very very effective. If Paksha Pradosham were to fall on a Sunday, it's that much more potent! Use the Agasthiar Panchaangam (spiritual calendar) to identify those Paksha Pradosham days that fall on a Sunday. On these days, celebrate Pradosham in a temple where the Sarabesa form is present. This is a simple Siddha prescription for making rapid spiritual progress. To go from place A to place B, you can walk, run, ride a bus, take a cab, drive and so on. In spirituality, following a Siddha prescription is like riding a supersonic jet towards the ultimate goal of seeing God, knowing God and merging with God. Follow the Siddha prescriptions and achieve rapid spiritual progress. The Sarabesvara Dance Gait As the saying goes, one bad apple can spoil the entire barrel. Likewise, the demon Hiranyakasipu's evil inspired many others to embrace the path of evil too. It's hard to stay true to the path of virtue, but it's easy to embrace the path of vice. And so did a lot of souls, following Hiranyakasipu's lead. As a result of this, the universe suffered and decayed. Because of Hiranyakasipu, there was asura sakthi (the force of evil) everywhere. This disturbed and confused even the virtuous ones; they had to spend their positive energy acquired through a lot of spiritual hardwork to counteract these evil forces. But common folk don't have this power and hence they fell into evil ways. They got dislodged from the path of righteousness and virtue. It was at this stage that the great Lord Narasimha decided to rid the universe of this force of evil. As we mentioned earlier, He assumed the frightening Man lion form and destroyed the demon. The entire universe trembled at the aggressive energy projected by Sri Narasimha. To combat the evil effects of Hiranyakasipu's reign of terror and the consequent decadence of the universe, Sri Narasimha decided to destroy the evil forces wherever they had taken hold. So the great Lord danced in anger in all parts of the universe where evil had taken root. He sought out every one of these locations throughout the universe and destroyed the accumulation of asura sakthi through His wrathful dance; the very touch of His lotus feet destroyed evil! His bare footed dance physically consumed the evil. Lands that had been entrenched in evil for centuries were restored to their pristine purity the moment Sri Narasimha set foot on them. The positive energy generated by the spiritual hard work of thousands of rishis and Siddhas over thousands of years alone can deal with this kind of evil, but Sri Narasimha destroyed this evil in moments because of His divine potencies. This act of Sri Narasimha also illustrates the importance of selfless service in a world that's becoming more and more selfish with every passing day. The blaze of Sri Narasimha's positivism destroyed Hiranyakasipu's blaze of evil. Nonetheless, it was still a blaze and none could withstand its all consuming power. Narasimha's radiance was like the brilliance of a billion suns. Who can withstand this brilliance? The fire of pristine purity and ultimate knowledge? No one could and hence they petitioned Sri Siva for help. As we mentioned before, Sri Siva manifested the Sarabesvara form and in what was a most unique gait, placed His bare feet exactly on top of every one of Sri Narasimha's footprints, absorbed the intense heat (ugra sakthi) of Sri Narasimha into Himself and restored equilibrium everywhere. These particular spots are unique because they have been touched by the feet of both Hari and Hara! They are replete with Sarabesa sakthi, His divine energy. And this unique gait of the Lord is known as Saaluvesa nadana gathi, the Sarabesvara dance gait. To remember this act of compassion and to show our gratitude to the Great Protector, we must walk bare foot to the temple for Sarabesa worship. Fear Not Sri Sarabesvara is the Lord of Fearlessness. His devotees have nothing to fear from. The great Lord protected the terror stricken Devas. Just like He solved their problem and pacified them, He removes the fear instilled by evil ones. He protects peace loving devotees from the oppression of the evil minded. He gives His devotee the courage to withstand any evil while staying true to the spiritual path. So everyone must worship Sri Sarabesvara. If the evil minded worship Sarabesa, they will get transformed into virtuous souls. The Kali Yuga, the present age, is an age of decadence marked by the rise of evil. There's a palpable onset of negative forces, an increase in evil and vices. However, only the positive will prevail. The pious ones who have perfect faith in God alone will endure and prosper. But they will have to endure tests of patience; they must persevere against the forces of evil. It is Sri Sarabesvara who receives those virtuous souls who withstand these severe tests by the Sathguru's grace and who never swerve from their devotional and selfless duties. It is He who grants them mukthi (salvation). Remover of Enmity Enmity is an evil that's widespread in the Kali Yuga. There's enmity amongst relatives, amongst siblings, amongst neighbors and amongst colleagues at work. There's enmity pretty much everywhere. This epidemic of enmity is one of the reasons we have to face a lot of problems in the current age. Because of enmity in the family there are inheritance related problems. Because of enmity amongst colleagues and the consequent back stabbing, there are problems at work. Because of enmity amongst neighbors, there are problems where you live. Thus there's no peace and tranquility because of enmity. Many a time, one's enemies become clients of purveyors of black magic. These evil practices can cause much harm. So how can one protect oneself from becoming a victim of one's enemies? How can one put an end to enmity and rise above these problems? By worshipping Sri Sarabesvara and surrendering to His all conquering grace. There's no other way, say the Siddhas. Sri Sarabesvara is the universal panacea for the enmity problem that's rampant in our times. He puts an end to enmity by reforming enemies and transforming them into virtuous beings. Fortifier of the Mind A sound mind is crucial for spiritual progress. Mental strength is important, but when one is beset with problems, physical or otherwise, the first deserter is the mind; it loses its strength and resolve to stay true to the spiritual path. The onset of disease can make the mind lose its composure. A weakened mind leads to a weakening of bakthi both towards God and Sathguru. And weakened bakthi leads to spiritual downfall. To protect oneself against this possibility, one must maintain a healthy mind in a healthy body. Since bad health can cause spiritual ill effects like loss of faith, it's important to maintain good health. This can be easily achieved by the grace of Sri Sarabesvara. Natural cures and natural medicines will help increase our faith in God. Hence the importance of Ayurvedic and Siddha medicines. The spiritual potency in moolika medicinal herbs keeps your spiritual self in good stead even if your physical being is afflicted. The chemicals in modern medicine will affect both the body the state of one's mind. When the mind is weak, it becomes susceptible to virulent attacks by negative forces. These negative forces wreak havoc in one's spiritual self; they cause bad, impure and evil thoughts to arise in the mind. Doubts rear their ugly head and they weaken one's spiritual resolve. For example, when one is suffering from the flu and is running a high temperature, he can't even think of God, let alone recite the names of the Divine. He thinks only about the body and the pain he's going through. The mind refuses to go into prayer mode however hard he tries. But can we protect ourselves from such possibilities? Yes! The grace of Sri Sarabesvara can fortify the mind and protect our spiritual selves. To make sure that the mind stays true to God, we must worship Sri Sarabesa. It's Sarabesa's grace that protects us from losing our mental strength and fortitude. Irrespective of whether we're struck by disease or by problems caused by enemies, Sarabesa's grace keeps our mind in good stead. This is the first reward we get from Sarabesa worship. Even if you worship Sarabesa but once, the beneficial effects of that worship alone fortifies your moral fibre and results in enough mental steel to preserve your internal strength in the face of disease and opposition. Whatever spiritual mental strength you have collected till then is conserved and protected by Sarabesa worship. It doesn't mean that you have to spend thousands on Sarabesa worship. Simple worship as described in this article will do, if offered in a spirit of bakthi and surrender. No More Nightmares However great the odds against us may be, Sri Sarabesa makes sure that we don't lose our confidence and our mental strength. It's His grace which helps us meet and overcome any opposition without losing our spiritual strength. To get this mind of steel, one must worship Sarabesa atleast every Sunday during the Raahu kaalam time period. Place a picture of Sarabesa (like the one provided in this article) in your home shrine and meditate on the Great Protector's love and compassion for all beings. Request His all conquering grace. If you have His grace, nothing can stop your spiritual efforts. Without a strong mind, how can we make progress in spirituality? Without a strong mind, how can we meet the obstacles that life places in our way? We will lose our mental composure and also our faith in God. If you want to make sure that this doesn't happen to you, worship Sri Sarabesa atleast every Sunday during the Raahu kaalam time period. There are many kids who wet ther beds frequently. Then there are kids who cry out in terror because of nightmares. There's a simple solution to these problems. Let these kids make sandalwood paste themselves and apply it to the picture of Sarabesa in their home shrine. This simple worship will put an end to their bedwetting and other problems arising from nightmares. Recall that Sri Sarabesa is the destroyer of fear. He is the Lord of fearlessness who is waiting on His wings to protect both children and adults. There are many adults who suffer from nightmares too. They see weird dreams; they dream of snakes, of thieves, of themselves being trapped in dense forests and so on. These dreams can be terrifying and upset one's state of mind. But why fear when the Great Protector is ready to help? Before going to bed, recite the Sarabesvara kavacham hymn (provided elsewhere in this article). Both in the morning and evening, do archana using little spheres made out of sandalwood paste, turmeric paste or butter while reciting the 108 lines that glorify Sarabesa (provided elsewhere in this article). Do this regularly. This simple worship will put an end to problems arising from this kind of fear and panic attacks. The Protector of Battered Wives As we mentioned before, the Nitya Pradosham time period is an ideal time for worshipping Sri Sarabesvara. Who can derive immediate benefit from daily Sarabesa worship during the Nitya Pradosham time period? Battered wives, say the Siddhas. There are many households that are under the tyranny of demoniacal husbands. These demons make life a living hell for everyone in that household. Unfortunately, this is also a problem which can not be brought out into the open easily. The wives of these maniacs thus have to suffer in silence. What a nightmare! Can one reason with a wife-beater? No. It's like reasoning with Hiranyakasipu. It'll be of no avail. So what can one do? Well, one can bring the power of Sri Sarabesa to bear on such demons. Womenfolk subject to this tyranny must worship Sri Sarabesa during the Nitya Pradosha Kaalam time period everyday. The power of this worship will quell the demoniacal qualities in their husbands and transform them into reasonable human beings. For how can there be evil in a household in which Sri Sarabesa is worshipped! The protective genius of Sri Sarabesa destroys the evil in the evil ones and transforms them into virtuous beings. Wear the Lord's Armour The Sarabesvara Kavacham hymn is the Lord's armour in words. Reciting it constantly is equivalent to wearing the Lord's armour. This armour is like an impregnable fortress; it makes the devotee invincible against any negative or evil force. Thus Sarabesa worship is replete with power. It makes rapid spiritual progress possible. Since the power to stand up to evil forces is an important facet of spirituality, wearing the Lord's armour is very important, especially in the Kali Yuga. The Sarabesvara kavacham hymn is a boon to womenfolk, in particular. Those who recite it constantly can easily get rid of fear and panic attacks. The Lord's armour promotes family unity; it gets rid of dysfunction in family units. It reforms those husbands who have succumbed to demoniacal tendecies. It solves pesky in-law problems. Many are the women who feel that they lack support and protection. These women in particular should recite the kavacham hymn constantly. Women of the world, the Lord's armour is the one unfailing solution to all your family problems! It's your source of endless strength, support and protection. Embrace it with all your heart and reap the benefits. Some families are subject to a succession of sudden and unexpected deaths. In some other families, family members are victims of frequent accidents. Because of these happenings, many women lead lives filled with terror and uncertainty; they don't know what will happen the next moment. Living with this kind of uncertainty is torture. The Siddhas say that such women should worship Sri Sarabesa with love and devotion, especially on Sundays during the Raahu Kaalam time period and during Nitya and Paksha Pradosham time periods. As part of their worship, they should make sandalwood paste themesleves and apply it to the divine form of Sri Sarabesa. The Great Protector will protect such women; He will be their armour, their strength and their protection. With the Great Protector on their side, they will have nothing to fear from. Salvation From Bad Habits and Incurable Addictions As we have mentioned elsewhere, the Kali Yuga (the current age) is an age marked by the rise of evil. Many are the evil proclivities in this yuga. Many beings succumb to bad habits and addictions like alcoholism, smoking, sex related excesses, lust, covetousness, jealousy, lying, bribery, corruption, cheating and treachery. The result of these bad habits is a lot of bad karma baggage which the soul must work out. There's no other way out. The soul has to go through The effects of bad karma manifest themselves as severe trial and tribulations in one's life, many a time in the shape of painful diseases. The soul has to go through these problems to recompense for the bad karma. This process may take many, many lifetimes. Alternatively a Sathguru can assume the burden of this bad karma and burn it off with his punya sakthi (spiritual power). But this is only for a lucky few. Is there anything else a soul can do to offset the effects of its bad karma? Yes, that soul which performs pradosham worship, theertha kandi worship and other worship procedures under the guidance of a Sathguru can offset its bad karma with the Sathguru's grace. The Siddhas say that the bad karma accumulated by the evil proclivities of the Kali Yuga can best be destroyed by the worship of Sri Sarabesa, Ugraha Prathyankira Devi and Narasimha during the Pradosham time period. Why? Because this sort of bad karma can only be burnt by a special potency of the Lord known as the Neelakanta Agni Sakthi which pervades the world during the Pradosham time period. The Sarabesa Narasimha Duo As we mentioned before, the Sarabesa form is like a rare diamond; it's not that easy to find. We have mentioned some temples where this unique divine form is found. The Siddhas say that if the divine forms of Sri Sarabesvara and Narasimha are found in opposite pillars facing each other, the beneficial effects of this divine combination are beyond words; the spiritual results get magnified manifold. So here's a spiritual project for you. Seek out temples where this divine duo is present and do your Sarabesvara pooja there. Share your findings with friends and family and involve them in Sarabesvara worship. Do all of this from a totally selfless standpoint. This is an easy way of pleasing Sarabesa, the Great Universal Protector. Sarabesvara Gayatri Mantra There's a Gayatri mantra that's specific to each and every divine manifestation. Here's the one in honor of Lord Sarabesvara: Om Saaluvesaaya vidhmahé pakshi raajaaya dheemahi thannó Sarabesvara prachodayaath Pronunciation Guide: é - long "eh" sound, as in mane, fame ó - long "oh" sound, as in gold, bold. This Gayatri mantra can also be recited while performing abishekam for Sri Sarabesvara. Sarabesvara Kavacham Hymn Composed by the great Siddha, Kavacha Jaloosha, and handed down to us by Sathguru Venkataraman, this short and sweet hymn envelops the devotee with the protective power of Lord Sarabesvara, the Great Protector. Sarabesvara is My Armour Narasimha uggiram udaitthu vandha Paramasivam paravaiyaai ezhundha en kóvé Hara Hara enach cholli aanandhamaakki unnai urattha kuralil koovi azhaippén Saaluvésaa endré siram irandum kan moondrum kooriya mookkudané karam naangaai enaik kaattharulum karunaakarané param porulé Sarabesaa vaazhi vaazhiyé Pronunciation Guide: é - long "eh" sound, as in mane, fame ó - long "oh" sound, as in gold, bold. Meaning He who quelled Narasimha's wrath Paramasivam, My Lord! You took form as a great bird "Hara, Hara," I say and you fill me with bliss divine Loudly will I call out for You, O Saaluvesa! With two heads, three eyes, a sharp beak And hands four, You protect me, O Lord of Mercy! You are the Primordial One, the Ultimate Truth! O Sarabesa! Hail to You! Hail to You! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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