Mantras - 11

[Guest guest]

Prayer Hymns from the Vedas

 

Rig Veda Hymns on 'One God'

 

idam mitram agnim aahu atO,

divya sah suparnah garuthman,

yEkam sat viprah bahudah vadanti agnim,

yama matarisvaanam aahuh.

 

( Rig Veda - Verse - I. 164 .46 )

 

They call Him (It) Indra, Mitra, Varuna, Agni; and

He is the heavenly nobly-winged Garuthman!

To what is One, Sages giving many a title, Agni,

Yama, Matharisvan they call it!!

 

aakaasat patitam tOyam yathaa gaccati saagaram,

sarva dEva namskarah kEsavam pratigacchati,

kEsavam pratigacchati Om nama iti.

 

 

Just as all the water that fall from the sky inescapably reach the sea,

Let all salutations to all the Deities reach only Kesava;

indeed they only reach Kesava.

(Here " Kesava " stands for Paramatma encompassing Brahma, Vishnu and

Siva)

 

Vedic Prayers

 

kaayEna vaacaa manasEndriyairvaa,

buddhyaatmanaa vaa prakrutE svabhaavaat,

karOmi yadyat sakalam parasmai,

naarayanaayEti samarpayaami.

 

 

I dedicate to the supreme person " Narayana " all that I do

by means of the body, words, mind, by the organs of action,

the organs of knowledge and by the impulsion of nature.

 

Mantra Pushpam

 

It is customary to recite Mantra Pushpam or a short version of it, at

the conclusion of all major prayer rituals in the Temples and at home

pooja functions. Often we offer flowers to the Deities at this time,

making some people to think that this is something to do with the

flowers (pushpam).

 

The verses of Mantra pushpam is given in Yajurveda. It is actually a

recitation about the origin and evolution of the natural forces like

water, air, fire, earth, Sun and the stars and not just praising God.

 

" yOpaam pushpam "

 

yOpaam pushpam vEda,

pushpavaan prajaavaan paSumaan bhavati,

candramaa vaa apaam pushpam,

pushpavaan prajaavaan pasumaan bhavati,

ya yEvam vEda.

 

yOpaa maayatanam vEda, aayatanavaan bhavati,

Agni rvaa apaamaayatanam, aayatanavaan bhavati,

yO agnE raayatanam vEda, aayatanavaan bhavati,

aapOvaa agnE raayatanam, aayatanavaan bhavati,

ya yEvam vEda.

 

yOpaa maayatanam vEda, aayatanavaan bhavati,

vaayurvaa apaamaayatanam, aayatanavaan bhavati,

yO vaayO raayatanam vEda, aayatanavaan bhavati,

aapOvai vaayO raayatanam, aayatanavaan bhavati,

ya yEvam vEda.

 

yOpaa maayatanam vEda, aayatanavaan bhavati,

Asauvai tapanna paa maayatanam, aayatanavaan bhavati,

yO mushyatapata aayatanam vEda, aayatanavaan bhavati,

aapOvaa amushyatapata aayatanam, aayatanavaan bhavati,

ya yEvam vEda.

 

yOpaa maayatanam vEda, aayatanavaan bhavati,

candramaavaa apaa maayatanam, aayatanavaan bhavati,

yascandramasa aayatanam vEda, aayatanavaan bhavati,

aapOvai candramasa aayatanam, aayatanavaan bhavati,

ya yEvam vEda.

 

yOpaamaayatanam vEda, aayatanavaan bhavati,

nakshatraaNivaa apaa maayatanam, aayatanavaan bhavati,

yO nakshatraaNaa maayatanam vEda, aayatanavaan bhavati,

aapOvai nakshatraaNa maayatanam, aayatanavaan bhavati,

ya yEvam vEda.

 

yOpaa maayatanam vEda, aayatanavaan bhavati,

parjanyOva apaa maayatanam, aayatanavaan bhavati,

yah parjnya syaayatanam vEda, aayatanavaan bhavati,

aapOvai parjanya syaayatanam, aayatanavaan bhavati,

ya yEvam vEda.

 

yOpaa maayatanam vEda, aayatanavaan bhavati,

samvatsarOvaa apaa maayatanam, aayatanavaan bhavati,

yassamvatsara syaayatanam vEda, aayatanavaan bhavati,

aapOvai samvatsara syaayatanam, aayatanavaan bhavati,

ya yEvam vEda.

 

yOpsu naavam pratishTitaam vEda, pratyEvatishTati.

 

The meaning of the verse is as follows: The world is all made of water

and is the basic of everything and is worthy of our prayers. As water is

cool so also the moon is cool like a flower in the water. He who

understands this gets all prosperity (with progeny and cattle). Fire is

also a producer of this water and the air is a producer of the fire. As

the sea water rises as vapor to the clouds and falls as rain to give us

the warmth and prosperity, the Sun is related to the water. As we see

the star (through astrological position) which determines the rain and

prosperity, we see the relation of stars for all this prosperity through

water. Each year, as we get the rainy season to get our rains, the year

around seasons get importance. On this water the world revolves around

like a boat sailing in the ocean and he who understands this gets all

the prosperity.