Special Postings for Srimad Azhagiya Singar's 82nd Thiru Nakshatram : Sri Lakshmi Hayavadhana Naksjatra Maalilaa : Part I

[Guest guest]

 

 

 

 

SrI:

 

Dear Sri Devotees of SrI

Hayagreeva Para Brahmam :

 

Today , adiyEn will start a series

of postings on a garland (MaalikA)

of stars ( Nakshatrams) for Sri

Lakshmi HayagrIvan by VaikunThavAsi ,

SrI Sevaa Swamy .There are 28

slOkams in this Nakshatra MaalikA.

 

Nakshatra means one that does not

decay. When they are equated to

flowers used in the creation of

a Garland for the Lord or PirAtti,

then they have to be considered as

unfading , eternal flowers .

 

Nakshatras are lunar mansions .

There are 27 of them and

some times a 28th nakshatram

named "Abhijith" ,an intercalary

nakshatram between SravaNam

and UttarAshAda is mentioned .

Abhijit is laghu or short in time

and is an auspicious constellation .

The Nakshatra Maalas normally

contain references to 27 stars .

Nakshatrams are described in

PurANams as wives of Chandran

and daughters of Daksha PrajApati.

 

Let us look now at the names of

the 27 Nakshatrams in Sanskrit and

Tamil and provide their meanings

as well as the names of these stars

in modern astronomy :

 

1. Asvinee/Asvati/Horse Women or

Asvinee DevathAs/Beta and

Yepsilon Arietis

 

2. ApabharaNee/BharaNi/Bearer of

New Life/ Arietis 35,39,41

 

3. Kruttikaa/ Kaartikai/Star of Fire

or One who cuts/ Pleaides .

 

4. RohiNee/ RohiNee/Red one/

Aldebaran

 

5. Mrugaseersham/Mrugasersham/

head of a deer /Part of Orionis

 

6. AardhrA/ThiruvAdhirai/Moist One/

Betelgeuse

 

7. Punarvasu/Punarpoosam/Return of

the Light /Castor and Pollux

 

8. Pushyam/Poosam/Nourishing/

Parts of Caneri constellation

 

9. AaSlEshaa/Aayilyam/ Embracer/

Hydrae

 

10. Makha/ Makam/The great One/

Regulus

 

11. Poorva Phalguni/Pooram/Former

Reddish One/Leonis

 

12. Uttaraa Phalguni/ Uttiram/The

Latter Reddish One/Denebola

 

13. Hasta:/Hastam/The Hand

The Thirunakshatram of Lord

VaradarAjan

 

14. ChitrA/Chittirai/Bright One

 

15. Swaati/Swaati/The Sword of

Independence , The nakshatram

associated with Lord Narasimhan

 

16. ViSAkhA/ViSAkam/Fork shaped.

Swamy NammAzhwAr's birth star.

 

17.AnurAdhaa/Anusham/Disciple of

Divine Spark

 

18. JyEshtA/Kettai/The Eldest.

Adhi VaNN SaThakOpa Jeeyar's

Thiru Nakshatram.

 

19.Moolam/Mooam/The Root

 

20. PoorvAshADaa/PoorADam/

Early Victory or the Undefeated.

VishvaksEnar's Thiru Nakshatram

and that of Swamy AlavantAr.

 

21. UttarAshADaa/UttirAdam/

Latter victory or Latter

Undefeated

 

22. SravaNam/ThiruvONam/Hearing.

Lord Of Thirumalais' birth star

as wella s Swamy Desikan.

 

23. SravishThA/Avittam/ The richest

One

 

24. Satabhishak/Satayam/Hundred

 

25. Poorva prOshDapadhA/PoorattAti

/Former Happy Feet

 

26. Uttara PrOshDapadhA/uttirattAti

/Latter Happy Feet. Birth star of

HH 45th pattam , Prakrutham

Srimath Azhagiya Singar( Dec 7,08)

 

27. Revatee/Revati/The wealthy.

Lord RanganAtha's Birth Star.

 

28. Abhijith

 

The orbit of the Moon (Chandran)

around our Earth is 27.3 days .

The Moon takes ~1 day to pass thru

each Nakshatram.

 

The list of 27 Nakshatrams are

cited in Vedic texts ( Atarva Vedam

and Taittriya SamhitA) .

 

Nakshatra Maalika is a form of

poetry used to praise one's ishta

dEvatA . Here , SevA Swamy Pays

tribute to Lord Lakshmi HayagrIvan.

ArasANippAlai Venkatadhvari Kavi

has blessed us with a Nakshatra

Maala for Mahaa Lakshmi in His

Lakshmi Sahasram .

 

In each of the 27 slOkams of

Nakshatra Maalika , the name of

the Nakshatram will be woven in .

Let us cite as examples two slOkams

of Lakshmi Nakshatra Maalika from

VenkatAdhvari Kavi:

 

Sri RanganAyaki's Thirunakshatram

is Uttaraa Phalguni ( Panguni Uttiram).

Therefore , She is the atishtAna

Devathai for this nakshatram. The Kavi

prays to her for his auspicious speech

not to be directed at the lowly (rich

and the powerful , Kshudhra PursuhAs):

 

Maa ramstAtichalE khalE nrupakulE

Vaguttaraa Phalgunee

tyASAsEahamaharniSam tadhitaradh

yaachAmi nO jAtuchit (slOkam 12)

 

In another slOkam paying tribute to

SwAti Nakshatram , the poet prays:

Oh Compassionate Mother ! the rain

that falls on the mango, Jack Fruit

trees also falls on poisonous trees .

Similartly , May Your rain of Dayaa

fall on me ,the useless person as well.

 

Mayi sarvApakrutikshamEpi

klaaya Svaatheeva SeetAm DayAm

 

HarikAntE! bhuvanOpakAra-

niratEshvanyEshu dhanyEshviva

 

panasAmrAdhi-maheeruhEshu dhadhati

bhUreeNi vaareeNi saa

VishavrukshEapi muhu: pravarshati

na kim ViSvamBa ! KaadhamBinee (15)

 

adiyEn will take up the First slOkam of

Sri Lakshmi Hayavadhana Nakshatra

Malaikaa in the next posting .

 

NamO SrI HayagreevAya ,

Daasan , Oppiliappan Koil V.Sadagopan