Showing posts with label Padarasa Deities. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Padarasa Deities. Show all posts

Padarasa Venkateswara Swamy

Padarasa Venkateswara Swamy Rs.5250/-
Parad Venkateswara Swamy in Telugu పాదరస వేంకటేశ్వర స్వామి
Mercury Venkateswara Swamy in Tamil பாதரச பெருமாள்
(All Inclusive, Free Delivery within India,
No Extra Charges, No Hidden Costs)

This Product is available on cash on delivery (COD). If you are interested call +919840259871 or +914424837505 and give your name, address with pincode, phone number and the product will be sent to you through Vpp Post.  You could pay the amount to your area postman and receive the product. Delivery Period : 7 to 10 Working Days, Picture shown may vary from original.

For Speedy Delivery & Discount : Discount 5% For Payments through Bank Transfer, Our Bank Details – Lakshmi Vilas Bank, Account Holder Name – V. Premkumar, Account Number – 0440301000001628, Branch – Chennai T.Nagar, IFSC. Code – LAVB0000440, Delivery Period : 3 to 5 Working Days.


Our Address : BakthiToday Pavithra Saamagri Parisodhana Nilayam, Balabharathi Nilayam, New No. 49, Rangarajapuram Main Road, Kodambakkam, Chennai, Tamilnadu, India, Pincode 600024. Email : balabharathi_bakthitoday@yahoo.com, Mobile : +919840259871, Landline : +914424837505, Open : 7 Days a week 9.00am – 8.00pm.
Venkateswara also known as Srinivasa, Balaji, and Venkatachalapati, is believed to be a form of the Hindu god Vishnu. Venkateswara means "the Lord who destroys the sins of the people". According to the Hindu scriptures, Vishnu, out of love towards His devotees, incarnated as Venkateswara and appeared for the salvation and upliftment of humanity in this Kali Yuga age. He is considered the Supreme form of Vishnu in this age. The Venkateswara swami temple is also called Kaliyuga Vaikuntam.
It is said that Lord Kubera lent money to the God Venkateswara (a form of the god Vishnu) for His marriage with Padmavati. In remembrance of this, the devotees going to Tirupati donate money and gold in Venkateswara's Hundi ("Donation pot"), so that He can repay Lord Kubera.
The name Venkateswara can be split into multiple parts in Sanskrit: Vem (Destroy), Kata (Sin), and Ishwara (Supreme Lord). Using this etymology, Venkateswara refers to the Supreme Lord who destroys sins. He is the main deity in Tirupathy. The ancient Vishnu Kautuvam describes Him as Souryaraya, the one who destroys the evil and who comforts us. He is fondly called Venkanna in the folklore of Andhra Pradesh. He is also known as "Srinivasa", "Balaji, venkatesa and by many other names.
He is also worshipped with the name Tirupati Thimmappa all over Karnataka. The presence of seven hills in the area influenced alternate names for the deity: such as Edukondalavadu in Telugu and as Ezhumalaiyan in Tamil, both of which mean "Lord of the Seven Hills". According to legend, the temple has a murti (deity) of Lord Venkateswara, believed to have resided there for the entire Kali Yuga.
In his mangala sloka in 'Sri Bhashya', the Lokaguru Shrimath Ramanujacharya declares the glory of Lord Venkateswara:
"akhila bhuvana janma sthema bhangAdi lIle
vinata vividha bhuta vrAta rakshaika dikshe |
Sruti Sirasi vidIpte brahmaNi SrInivAse
bhavatu mama parasmin Semushi bhakti rUpA ||
May my intellect assume the form of Bhakti in Srinivasa, the highest Reality, revealed in the Vedanta as the Lord who creates, protects and destroys the whole universe with sportive ease and who has taken a vow to protects all creatures who seek Him."
The Venkatam hill is believed to be a part of the celestial Mount Meru brought to the earth from Vaikuntam by Garuda (Lord's vehicle), say the Puranas. The Hills are said to be a manifestation of Adi Sesha (the cosmic serpent). The Seven hills of the Tirumala are said to represent the seven hoods of Adi Sesha.
Many Vaishnavacharyas and saints have praised the Tirumala Hill with great devotion. Tirumala Mambi, a descendent of the great ascetic Narada, spent his whole life in serving the Lord.
References to the tirumala also found in several of Puranas. Tirumala is one of the 108 sacred shrines of the Sri Vaishanava tradition. According to the Puranas, Lord Vishnu stayed on the earth for some time in the Avatar of Swetha Varaham and rose out of pushkarini as Swayambhuva. His spouse Lakshmi Devi appeared in Alamelu Mangapuram. This Swetha Varaha Avatharam was installed in the temple situated to the west of Swamy Pushkarni. The great religious leader Ramanujacharya visited this shrine on a pilgrimage and systematised the process of worship in accordance with the SriVaishnava that continues to date.
According to the scripture Sthala Purana, the legend of Venkateswara's Avatar (incarnation) is as follows: Once, some rishis headed by Kasyapa began to perform a sacrifice on the banks of the Ganges. Sage Narada visited them and asked them why they were performing the sacrifice and who would be pleased by it. Not being able to answer the question, the rishis approached Sage Bhrugu, who according to the Vedas, is believed to have an extra eye in the sole of his foot. To reach a solution after a direct ascertainment of reality, Sage Bhrigu first went to Satyaloka, the abode of Lord Brahma. At Satyaloka, he found Lord Brahma reciting the four Vedas in praise of Lord Narayana, with each of his four heads, and attended upon by Saraswati. Lord Brahma did not take notice of Bhrigu offering obeisance. Concluding that Lord Brahma was unfit for worship, Bhrigu left Satyaloka for Kailasa, the abode of Lord Shiva. At Kailasa, Bhrigu found Lord Shiva with Parvati, and so, did not notice his presence. Bhrigu then left for Vaikunta, the abode of Lord Vishnu.
At Vaikunta, Lord Vishnu was reposing on Adisesha with Sri Mahalakshmi in service at His feet. Finding that Lord Vishnu also did not notice him, the sage was infuriated and kicked the Lord on His chest, the place where Mahalakshmi resides. Vishnu, in an attempt to pacify the sage, got hold of legs of the sage and started to press them gently in a way that was comforting to the sage. During this act, he squeezed the extra eye that was present in the sole of Bhrigu's foot. The extra eye is believed to represent the sage's egotism. The sage then realised his grave mistake and apologized to Vishnu. Thereupon, the sage concluded that Lord Vishnu was the most supreme of the Trimurti and told the rishis the same.
Sri Mahalakshmi was angered by the action of Her Lord in apologising to Bhrigu who committed an offence. Out of anger and anguish, She left Vaikuntha and resided in Karavirapur now known as Kolhapur. After the departure of Mahalakshmi, a forlorn Lord Vishnu left Vaikunta, came down to Earth, and took abode in an ant-hill under a tamarind tree, beside a pushkarini on the Venkata Hill, meditating for the return of Lakshmi, without food or sleep.
Taking pity on Lord Vishnu, Brahma and Maheshwara decided to assume the forms of a cow and its calf to serve Him. Surya, the Sun god, informed Mahalakshmi of this and requested Her to assume the form of a cow herdess and sell the cow and calf to the king of the Chola country. The king of the Chola country bought the cow and its calf and sent them to graze on the Venkata Hill along with his herd of cattle. Discovering Lord Vishnu on the ant-hill, the cow provided its milk, and thus fed the Lord. Meanwhile, at the palace, the cow was not yielding any milk, for which the Chola Queen chastised the cowherd severely. To find out the cause of lack of milk, the cowherd followed the cow, hid himself behind a bush and discovered the cow emptying her udder over the ant-hill. Angered by the conduct of the cow, the cowherd aimed a blow with his axe on the head of the cow. However, Lord Vishnu rose from the ant-hill to receive the blow and save the cow. When the cowherd saw the Lord bleed at the blow of his axe, he fell down and died of shock.
The cow returned to the Chola King, bellowing in fright and with blood stains all over her body. To find out the cause of the cow's terror, the King followed her to the scene of the incident. The King found the cowherd lying dead on the ground near the ant-hill. While he stood wondering how it had happened, Lord Vishnu rose from the ant-hill and cursed the King saying that he would become an Asura because of the fault of his servant. The King pleaded innocence, and the Lord blessed him by saying that he will be reborn as Akasa Raja and that the curse would end when the Lord will be adorned with a crown presented by Akasa Raja at the time of His marriage with Padmavati. With these words, the Lord turned into stone.
Thereafter, Lord Vishnu, also known by the name of Srinivasa, decided to stay in Varaha Kshetra and requested Sri Varahaswami to grant Him a site for His stay. His request being readily granted, Srinivasa ordained that a pilgrimage to His shrine would not be complete unless it is preceded by a bath in the Pushkarini and darshan of Sri Varahaswami and that pooja and naivedya should be offered to Sri Varaha swami first. Vishnu built a hermitage and lived there, attended to by Vakuladevi who looked after Him like a mother.
A while later, a King named Akasa Raja who belonged to the Lunar race, came to rule over Thondamandalam. Akasa Raja had no heirs, and therefore, he wanted to perform a sacrifice. As part of the sacrifice, he was ploughing the fields when his plough turned up a lotus in the ground. On examining the lotus, the King found a female child in it. The king was happy to find a child even before he performed a sacrifice and carried it to his place and gave it to his Queen to tend to it. At that time he heard an aerial voice which said "O King, tend it as your child and fortune will befall you". As she was found in a lotus, the king named her Padmavati. She grew up as a princess into a beautiful maiden and was attended by a host of maids.
One day, Lord Srinivasa, who was hunting, chased a wild elephant in the forests surrounding the hills. In the elephant's pursuit, the Lord was led into a garden, where Princess Padmavati and her maids were picking flowers. The sight of the elephant frightened the Princess and her maids. But the elephant immediately turned around, saluted the Lord and disappeared into the forest. Lord Srinivasa, who was following on horse back, saw the frightened maidens, but was repulsed with stones thrown at Him by the maids. He returned to the hills in haste, leaving His horse behind. The Lord informed Vakuladevi that unless He married Princess Padmavati, He would not be calmed.
The Lord then narrated the story of Padmavati’s previous birth and His promise to marry her. After listening to Srinivasa's story of how he had promised to marry Vedavati in her next birth as Padmavati, Vakuladevi realised that Srinivasa would not be happy unless He married her. She offered to go to Akasa Raja and his Queen and arrange for the marriage. On the way she met the maids of Padmavati returning from a Shiva Temple. She learnt from them that Padmavati was also pining for Srinivasa. Vakuladevi went along with the maid servants to the Queen.
Meanwhile, Akasa Raja and his Queen Dharanidevi were anxious about the health of their daughter, Padmavati. They learnt about Padmavathi's love for Srinivasa of Venkata Hill. Akasa Raja consulted Brihaspati about the marriage and was informed that the marriage was in the best interest of both the parties. Kubera lent money to Lord Srinivasa to meet the expenses of the marriage. Lord Srinivasa, along with Lord Brahma and Lord Shiva started the journey to the residence of Akasa Raja on his vahana Garuda. At the palace entrance, Lord Srinivasa was received by Akasa Raja with full honours and taken in procession on a mounted elephant to the palace for the marriage. In the presence of all the Devas, Lord Srinivasa married Princess Padmavati, thus blessing Akasa Raja. Together, they lived for all eternity while Goddess Lakshmi, understanding the commitments of Lord Vishnu, chose to live in his heart forever.
Venkateswara's temple, today is located at the top of the Seven hills in Tirumala. It stands as a special place, commemorating the marriage between the two. Everyday, a kalyana utsavam celebrates the divine union in a celebration that stretches to eternity. Even today, during the Brahmotsavam at the temple, turmeric, kumkum and a sari are sent from the temple to Alamelu Mangapuram, the abode of Padmavati. In fact Tirupati is rarely visited without paying a visit to Alamelu Mangapuram. In the light of this background, it has become the favored destination of many newly wed couples who pray for a happy wedding similar to that of Srinivasa and Padmavati.
A tale associated with the temple goes thus: A helper boy called Bala was once falsely accused of being a thief. When people started chasing him he had to run for his life. He was hit on the head by the mob and his head started bleeding profusely. He ran to the Tirupati Temple of Lord Vishnu and ran to the main door of the temple. When the people entered the temple, they couldn't find the boy but saw the head of God's idol bleeding. It was considered that the boy was sheltered and protected by Vishnu himself, and the priests put cloth on the idol's head to control the bleeding.
Inside the Tirupati Balaji Venkateswara Temple
Garbha Gruha
The Garbha Gruha, or sanctum, is where the main deity of Lord Sri Venkateswara resides. The deity stands majestically in the Garbha Gruha, directly beneath a gilt dome called the Ananda Nilaya Divya Vimana.
This exquisitely wrought deity called the Mulaberam is believed to be self-manifested, as there has been no known sculptor possessing the capability to sculpt deities so proportionately and beautifully. Further, no human being is known to have installed it in the shrine.
Ordinarily, the Lord wears a gold kiritam (crown) which has a large emerald embedded in front. On special occasions, he is adorned with a diamond kiritam.
On his forehead, the Lord has a thick double patch of up wrought namam (tilak) drawn with refined camphor, which screens his eyes. In between the two white patches is a kasturitilakam.
His ears are bedecked with shining golden makara kundalas. The fist of His raised right hind hand is implanted with a gem-set chakra, and the corresponding left fist with the sankha. The slightly outstretched front right hand, has its fingers pointing to His lotus feet, as the only recourse to His devotees to attain oneness with Him and enjoy eternal bliss. His front left hand is akimbo to assure His devotees of protection, and to show that the samsara sagara is only hip-deep if they seek His refuge.
His body is clothed with a pitambaram tied with gold string, and a gold belt to which are attached tiny, jingling gold bells. He is adorned with precious ornaments. He has a yajnopavita flowing down cross-wise from His left shoulder. He bears Sri Lakshmi Devi on His right chest and Sri Padmavathi Devi on His left chest. He bears Nagabharanam ornaments on both shoulders.
His lotus feet are covered with gold frames and decked with clinging gold anklets. A strong curved belt of gold encompasses his legs.
During Abhishekam, we can have darshan of Goddess Lakshmi.
The Ananda Nilaya Divya Vimana was covered with gilt copper plates and surmounted with a golden vase, in the thirteenth century, during the reign of the Vijayanagara king, Yadava Raya.
Pilgrims are not allowed to enter the Garbha Gruha (beyond Kulasekara path).
Venkateswara's abode is in the Venkatam hills (the hills are more often referred to as Edu Kondalu) near Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh. The main temple of Venkateswara is the Tirumala Venkateswara Temple. The Tirumala temple is believed to be the richest of all the temples in the world. The temple is located in Chittoor district of Andhra Pradesh, a state in Southern India.
Many saints have visited the shrine and worshipped Venkateswara. Notable among them is the foremost Jagadguru Adi Sankaracharya, who came to Tirumala and placed the Sri Chakra at the feet of Venkateswara and sang the song "Sri Vishnu Paadadi Keshanta Sloka", in which the Jagadguru describes the beauty of the Lord from the crown to the toes.
The Venkateswara Suprabhatam, being the morning recital of prayers and songs of awakening, is believed to have been written and sung by one of Ramanujacharya's disciples who visited the temple with his Guru.ShriVyasatirtha worshipped Lord Venkateswara for 12 long years. Shri Vyasatirtha was Asthana Guru of king KrishnaDevaraya of Vijayanagara Empire. Shri Vadirajatirtha, most prominent among the Madhva saints, is believed to have climbed the Tirumala hill on his knees because it appeared to him like a huge Shaligrama and is said to have given a garland of shaligram to the Lord.
There is also a Govindaraya(Vishnu) temple in the Tirupati town down below the hills that has Vishnu in Yoga Nidra with Sri devi and Bhudevi next to him. Traditionally, Kurubas is said to have built the temples on top of the mountains for the worship of Vishnu.
Indian emigrants have built numerous temples dedicated primarily to Lord Venkateswara in their communities outside India. These include the following:
Canada  - The Richmond Hill Hindu Temple Toronto, Ontario
Shri Shiva Vishnu Temple Melbourne, Victoria (Carrum Downs)
Shiva Vishnu Temple, Cleveland, Ohio
Sri Venkateswara Devasthanam, Pontiac, Michigan (Parashakthi Temple, Pontiac, MI)
Livermore, California (Shiva-Vishnu Temple)
Sri Venkateswara Temple of North Carolina, Cary, North Carolina[6]
Sri Venkateswara Temple Of Colorado, Castle Rock, Colorado. (S V Temple Colorado)
Sri Venkata Krishna Kshetra, Tempe, Arizona (Udipi Temple)
Sri Venkateswara Temple, Corpus Christi, Texas (SV Temple of Corpus Christi)

  • PEDESTRIAN ROUTES TO REACH TIRUMALA THROUGH ALIPIRI AND GALI GOPURAM – WHICH IS 9 KMS IN DISTANCE WITH 3550 STEPS TO CLIMB THE HILL.THROUGH SRIVARI METTU (STEPS) – WHICH IS 3 KMS IN DISTANCE WITH 2400 STEPS TO CLIMB THE HILL.
  • FOOT PATH ROUTE TO REACH TIRUMALA TIME CONSUMPTION FACTOR TEEN AGE GROUP - 1 HOUR.PLUS 40 YEARS GROUP - 2 HOUR.IF APPLYING TURMERIC AND KUM KUM – 3 HOURS WITH EASE AND COMFORT.NOTE : IF YOU ARE WITH ANY SERIOUS AILMENT TAKE LOT OF PRECAUTION.
  • SRIVARI METTU PEDESTRIAN ROUTE AFTER GETTING DOWN AT TIRUPATI FROM YOUR POINT OF ORIGIN ACROSS THE COUNTRY. REACH ALIPIRI POINT FROM BUS STAND OR RAILWAY STATION .
  • SRIVARI METTU PEDESTRIAN ROUTE FROM HERE TAKE A FREE TTD BUS SERVICE TO REACH SRIVARI METTU ALIGHTING POINT WHICH IS 12 KMS IN DISTANCE VIA TIRUPATI ZOOLOGICAL PARK AND SRINIVASA MANGAPURAM VILLAGE. KEEP YOUR BAG AND BAGGAGES WITH PROPER LOCK AND GIVE THE SAME AT FREE TRANSPORTATION FACILITY COUNTER AND GET PROPER RECEIPT FOR IT. NOTE : WITHOUT LOCK THEY WILL NOT TAKE THE LUGGAGES AND IT IS TOTAL FREE SERVICE FROM TTD BOARD. NOTE : IN SRINIVASA MANGAPURAM YOU CAN HAVE THE DARSHAN OF LORD KALYAN SRINIVASA.
  • SRIVARI METTU PEDESTRIAN ROUTE : PURCHASE ENOUGH SNACKS, COOL DRINKS, GLUCOSE PACKETS ETC ACCORDING TO YOUR PHYSICAL NEEDS AND STAMINA AT SRINIVASA MANGAPURAM OR ALIPIRI ONLY. YOU WILL NOT GET ANYTHING DURING YOUR FOOT PATH JOURNEY.
  • SRIVARI METTU PEDESTRIAN ROUTE : ENTIRE ROUTE IS WELL COVERED WITH ROOF TOP CEILING FOR PROTECTION AGAINST SUN AND RAIN.
  • SRIVARI METTU PEDESTRIAN ROUTE STEPS ARE EXCELLENT AND CONVINIENT TO WALK.
  • SRIVARI METTU PEDESTRIAN ROUTE SECURITY COVERAGE IS EXCELLENT THROUGHT THE FOOT PATH ROUTE.
  • SRIVARI METTU PEDESTRIAN ROUTEBETTER MOVE IN GROUPS OF FOUR AND ABOVE.BEST TIME TO WALK IS BETWEEN 6 AM TO 6 PM THAT TO IN BROAD DAY LIGHT.
  • SRIVARI METTU PEDESTRIAN ROUTEDRINKING WATER FACILITY IS EXCELLENT WITH WATER TAPS AT EVERY 50 STEPS.
  • SRIVARI METTU PEDESTRIAN ROUTEIF YOU ARE APPLYING TURMERIC AND KUM KUM TO STEPS IN THE FOOT PATH YOU NEED TO PURCHASE 2 KG OF TURMERIC, 1 KG OF KUM KUM AND TWO SMALL BOWELS TO PLACE THE SAME AND COCONUT TO BREAK AT THE STARTING POINT.
  • SRIVARI METTU PEDESTRIAN ROUTETHIS FOOT PATH ROUTE IS WITH 2400 STEPS TO CLIMB COVERING A DISTANCE OF 3 KMS.
  • SRIVARI METTU PEDESTRIAN ROUTE AFTER COVERING A DISTANCE OF 1250 STEPS COLLECT FREE DARSHAN BIOMETRIC TICKET.NOTE : AFTER COLLECTING THE TICKET YOU HAVE TO REPORT FOR DARSHAN WITHIN 24 HOURS AND TICKETS ARE NOT INTER CHANGEABLE.
  • SRIVARI METTU PEDESTRIAN ROUTE : FREE DARSHAN BIOMETRIC TICKET AS TO BE STAMPED FOR VERIFICATION AT 2050 STEPS.NOTE : AFTER COLLECTING THE TICKET YOU HAVE TO REPORT FOR DARSHAN WITHIN 24 HOURS AND TICKETS ARE NOT INTER CHANGEABLE.
  • SRIVARI METTU PEDESTRIAN ROUTE : AFTER STAMPING YOU NEED TO COVER ONLY 350 STEPS TO REACH TIRUMALA. NOTE : THIS FOOT PATH ROUTE WILL TAKE YOU NEAR VAINKUNTAM -1 COMPLEX.
  • SRIVARI METTU PEDESTRIAN ROUTE : AFTER REACHING TAKE ROOM OR LOCKER FOR STAY.COLLECT YOUR LUGGAGE NEAR TOLL GATE POINT. IF YOU WANT TO OFFER YOUR HAIRS, SAME CAN BE DONE AT THE PLACE OF STAY ONLY. HAVE BATH BEFORE DARSHAN AND WEAR CLEAN CLOTHES.THEN GO FOR LORDS DARSHAN THROUGH VAIKUNTAM – Q COMPLEX 1 FOOT PATH ENTRY POINT.
  • SRIVARI METTU PEDESTRIAN ROUTE: TAKE DARSHAN OF LORD.IN THE SERVICE OF LORD. 

Padarasa Garuda

Padarasa Garuda Rs.5250/-
(All Inclusive, Free Delivery within India,

No Extra Charges, No Hidden Costs)

Padarasa Garuda in Telugu పాదరస గరుడ
Padarasa Garuda in Tamil பாதரச கருட

This Product is available on cash on delivery (COD). If you are interested call +919840259871 or +914424837505 and give your name, address with pincode, phone number and the product will be sent to you through Vpp Post.  You could pay the amount to your area postman and receive the product. Delivery Period : 7 to 10 Working Days, Picture shown may vary from original.

For Speedy Delivery & Discount : Discount 5% For Payments through Bank Transfer, Our Bank Details – Lakshmi Vilas Bank, Account Holder Name – V. Premkumar, Account Number – 0440301000001628, Branch – Chennai T.Nagar, IFSC. Code – LAVB0000440, Delivery Period : 3 to 5 Working Days.


Our Address : BakthiToday Pavithra Saamagri Parisodhana Nilayam, Balabharathi Nilayam, New No. 49, Rangarajapuram Main Road, Kodambakkam, Chennai, Tamilnadu, India, Pincode 600024. Email : balabharathi_bakthitoday@yahoo.com, Mobile : +919840259871, Landline : +914424837505, Open : 7 Days a week 9.00am – 8.00pm.

"Among birds only Garuda (variously known as garutmat, the winged, suparna, of lovely wings, tarkshaya, the son of Tarksha-Kasyapa, paksi-raja and pattagotama, the lord of birds) is noteworthy. He is the son of Vinata, the great-grand-daughter of the Prajapati Kasyapa. The law-minded grandfather of the world, who did tapas at the banks of the Lamhitya. Arjuna the charioteer of Surya is his brother and Sumati his sister. Sumati was married to king Sagara and on that account Garuda is called matula (maternal uncle) of the sixty-thousand sons of Sagara.  Garuda is the king of the birds and often acts as a messenger between the gods and men. Garuda has the head, wings, talons and beak of an eagle and the body and limbs of a man.
Garuda bears an everlasting hostility to the serpants -- pannagasana, bhujagiri, and other synonyms are his popular epithets - who are possessed of panic the moment they smell of him and try to slip away from his sight in whichever direction possible.
Seeing Garuda in the sky and hearing his voice are considered auspicious. Garuda Bhagavan was born on a Swathi Star Day in the month of Aavani, Sukkila Panchami. Periyalwar, the incarnation of Sri Garuda was also born on the same Swathi Star. This is also the birth star of Lord Narasimhar. The blessings of Garudalwar will help the girls to get married quiclkly. The father of Garuda is Kasiyabar (Son of Mareeshi ) and mother Vinathai (Daughter of Dhakshan). It is customery to look for Sri Garuda during ‘Kumbabishegam’. ‘ Periya Thiruvadi ‘ is the name of Sri Garuda


he Garuda Seva celebrated in Kancheepuram at Arulmigu Devarajaswamy Temple. Brahmotchavam during Vaikasi Vishaka festival is world famous. Lakhs of people throng the Temple. On that day Lord Varadarajar who leaves the temple on Garuda Vahanam (Mount) at 4 ‘o clock in the early morning returns to the temple at noon after giving darshan to devotees.
His principle feat is the carrying off of ambrosia from the home of Mahendra, disregarding the blazing flames that were set around it as hurdles. He is also glorified for having saved the Balakhilyas from getting crushed under the heavy branch of the Sucandra-nyagrodha as it gave way under his own weight, rendered heavier by the elephant and the huge tortoise whom he was carrying as food on his onward journey to the Mahendra-bhavana for ambrosia. He is said to have carried a long distance the entire branch along with his load (of the elephant and the tortoise) and dropped it over a habitation of the Nishadas.
Garuda is renowned for his great speed. He ranges in the sky like a meteor, throwing the clouds topsyturvy. The gush of wind produced from his wings causes a tremor in the mountains, a strong flutter in the water of the sea and overturns a large number of trees. Visnu has a great liking for him on account of his might and speed, and employs him as His conveyance. Garuda not only serves Visnu as his conveyance, but also assists him in actual fighting. He flung away the Rakshasa Malyavan fighting against Visnu and released Rama and Laksmana in the Lanka war from the effects of Indrajit's sarpa-bandha."
And given that we will close this series with examples of Garuda murtis from Karnataka in the South, we also offer an excerpt from Garuda Dandakam, spoken by Tamil Swami Desikan, who was initiated into the Garuda Mantram by his Acarya, Sri Appullar. Incidentally, the Tamil word 'pul' means 'a bird'. Here the reference is to the divine bird, Garuda, who is also known as Pakshi Raja (the king of Birds). The Garuda Mantram includes among its five syllables the two syllables constituted by the word 'pakshi'.
This Garuda Mantram was a mantram of Appullar's family. After instructing Sri Desikan on all relevant Sri Vaishnava granthas, Rahasyas Tarka and Vyaakarna, Sri Appullar initiated him into the recitation of Garuda Dandakam, which glorifies Garuda by observing the following:
·         Vedas praising Garuda Bhagavaan
·         Garuda's service to Sriman Narayana as His Vehicle and Flag
·         His matrimonial status with his two wives, Rudrai and Sukeerthi
·         His adornment of great serpents as his jewellery on his limbs
·         His heroic deed in bringing nectar from Indra Loka
·         His other heroic deeds in battles on behalf of his Lord
·         His splendour as the Amsa (aspect) of Para Vasudeva, his Sankarshana Swaroopam
·         His manifestion in five individual forms
·         His conferral of Vedhanta Vidya to his aspiring devotees, i.e., his status as an Acarya
·         The worship of Lord Garudan by learned scholars and saints
·         His power as the Garuda Mantra Moorthy
·         His power to bless one with the four Purusharthas (goals) of life
·         His incarnation as Garudan as a result of the prayers of the Vaalakilya sages
·         His power to bless one with the true knowledge, or Brahma Vidya
·         Sri Garuda Dandakam
Salutations to Sri Garuda with beautiful wings
·         Sloka 1
·         Nama: pannaganaddhaaya vaikunta vasavardhineh
Sruti-sindhu Sudhothpaada-mandaraaya Garutmathe
·         My salutations to Garuda with the beautiful wings. His limbs are adorned by the mighty serpents that he has conquered in battle. They are his jewellery. He does all the intimate kainkaryas to his Lord and is His Antharanga dhaasan. Garuda is devoted always to the Lord and His services. He is adept like the Mandara Mountain in churning the milky ocean of Vedas and to bring out the Brahma Vidyas. We can get the benefits of these Brahma Vidyas by offering our worship to him. My salutations are to him.
·          
·         Dhandakam Paada 1
·         Garudamakhila Veda NeeDadhirooDam Dhvishath Peedanothkantithaakunta
vaikuntapeetikrta skandhameedhe SvaneeDaa gatipreetha Rudraa Sukeerthi
sthanaabhoga-gaaDopakuDa sphuratkantakavraata veda vyataavepamaana
dhvijihavaadhikalpa vishppaaryamaaNa sphataavatikaa ratna rochischataa raaji-
neerajitham kaanti kallolinee raajitam
·         Sri Garudans wives Rudrai, Sukeerthi - Bindignavile
·         Garuda Bhagavan has designed the Vedas as his cage and uses that cage as his seat. (This suggests that the Vedas sing his praise). His Lord Sriman Narayana is bent upon destroying the enemies of His devotees. No one can stop Sriman Narayana in these endeavors. When He sets about to destroy the enemies of His devotees, he uses the shoulders of Garuda as his transport. When Garuda transports his Lord on His missions, his wives-Rudrai and Sukeerthi-- miss his absence from home. When the Lord’s mission is successfully concluded, Garuda returns to his wives and they embrace him intimately with affection. In that ecstatic state, the hairs on the body of Garuda become stiff like thorns. This in turn hurts the serpents, which are covering his body. The serpents are overcome with fear and they raise their hoods. On those occasions, the ratnas positioned on their hoods radiate their brilliant red rays. That splendorous group of red rays appear at that time as the mangala Aarathi to Garuda and he sparkles in that flood of red light.
·          
·         Dhandakam Paada 2
·         Jaya Garuda Suparna Darveekaraahaara Devaadhipaahaarahaarin diwowkaspati
Kshipta Dambholi Dhaaraa kinaakalpa Kalpaantha Vatoola Kalpodhayaanalpa
Veerayithoodhyacchamatkaara Dhaityaari Jaitra Dhwajaarohanirdhaaritothkarsha
Sankarshanaatman Garutman Marutpanchakaadheesa Sathyaathimurthe na Kascchit
samas te namaste punaste nama
·         O Garuda Bhagavan! You have been named Suparna, because of the beauty of your wings. Serpents of immense size serve as your food. You brought Nectar, the food of the Devas- from Indra Loka to release your mother from the bonds of servitude. Indra got angry at you during that time and threw his Vajra weapon at you. The sharp edge of that powerful weapon caused wounds on your wings and rest of the body. The welts from those wounds look today as pieces of jewellery on your body and attest to your heroic deed in defeating Indra. Your other heroic deeds stand out like the mighty winds that sweep the universe during the time of the great deluge. You are sitting on the flag of your Lord, which denotes His victory over His enemies; from your position on the flag of your Lord, we are able to infer your glories. You have incarnated as Sankarshana among the four Vyuha Murthys of Sriman Narayana, which are Vasudeva, Sankarshana, Pradhumna and Aniruddha.
·         You have divided yourself into five forms-- Satyar, Suparnar, Garudar, Taarkshyar and Vihageswarar-- and matched those five forms with the five Vayus (Praanan, Apaanan, Samaanan, Udhaanan and Vyaanan) and shine thereafter as a supreme Devan. O Lord with the most exquisitely beautiful golden Wings! There is none, who is equal to you. I offer my salutations to you first and then again repeat my salutations.
·          
·         Dhandakam Paada 3
·         Nama Idhamajahath-saparyaaya Paryaaya-niryaata- pakshaanilaasppalanodhvela
PaToti Veechi- chapetaahataagaadha paatala Bhankara sankruttha nagendra
peetaasrunee bhaava bhasvannakhasreNayE chandatundaaya nrtyat bhujanga
bhruve vajrine dhamshtrayaa thubhyam Adhyaatmavidyaa vidheyaa vidheyaa
bhavath dhasyamaapaadhayeta dhayaTaasccha meh
·         O Garuda Bhagavan! Learned scholars offer their uninterrupted worships to you. Your wings in flight generate mighty winds that stir up all the oceans and make them flow over their boundaries. The waves that rise and fall from those powerful winds reach down to the netherworld (Paatalam) and the effect is like a violent blow given by the palm of one’s hand.
·         A frightening sound heard as "Bhaam" reverberates around the world at that time. The mighty elephants guarding the quarters are shaken up by this mighty sound of "Bhaam" and run to attack you, the generator of that sound. Your rows of sharp nails acting as the elephant goad attack those angry elephants of the quarters and repulse them. Your mighty beak raises terror in the minds of your enemies. When you knot your brows, it looks like the movement of the hood of a Cobra. Your canine teeth look like the Vajra weapon of Indra and strikes terror in the hearts of your enemies. My salutations to you of such limitless glory! May thou bless me so that Brahma Vidyas become easy to be possessed by me! Please bless me out of your infinite compassion so that I can have the good fortune to offer kainkaryams to you.
·          
·         Dhandakam Paada 3
·         Manuranugata Pakshi-vaktra sphurattharakas taavakaschitrabhanupriyaa
sekharastthrayathaam nasthrivargaapavarga prasuthi: paravyoma dhaaman
valadhveshidharpajjvalath Vaalakilya PratigynaavatheerNa sTiraam tatvabuddhim
paraam bhaktidhenum jaganmoolakandhe Mukundhe mahaanandadhogdhreem
dhatiTaa mudhaakaamaheenamaheenaanthaka
·         O Garuda Bhagavan residing permanently in Sri Vaikuntam! Your mantram confers to the reciters the four fold (Dharma-Artha-Kama -Moksha) goals of Life. That mantram of yours made up of 5 syllables, has the Pranavam as its first syllable. At the end, it carries the syllable associated with the wife of Agni. May the mantram of that structure protect us! Once, Devendran became arrogant over his powers and insulted the Sages with the name of Vaalakilyas. (The sages got angry and cursed Indra. They cursed that Indra’s arrogance be destroyed by an incarnation of Sankarshana (Garuda) on a future date). You were born from the vow made by the Vaalakilyas that you destroy the mighty arrogance of Indra and you made their words come true. You serve as the lord of Death for mighty serpents that challenged you.
·         Please bless me with the discriminating knowledge to distinguish between true (superior) and false (inferior) knowledge. Your Lord is the fundamental and principal cause of all the universes. Please bless me to have the cow representing the limitless devotion to your Lord, so that it can yield for me its delectable milk. May that devotion of mine be free from the distractions of the insignificant and evanescent pleasures of life! May thou confer on me the boon of possessing such a superior devotion to your Lord and True Knowledge about Him!
·          
·         Sloka 2
·         Shat-thrhimsathgana-charanoh nara paripaati naveena Ghumbhagana:
Vishnurata-dhandakoyam Vigatayathu vipaksha Vaahini Vyuham
·         This entire Garuda Dhandakam is of the form of one slokam. This has four Paadas. Each of the Paadas has 36 GaNaas. Each Gana has three syllables. This Dhandakam follows strictly the rules of composing Dhandakams and has the NagaNaas and RagaNaas in each of the Paadas and yields novel word constructions. When one recites this Garuda Dhandakam, it will destroy the formations of the enemies, who have assembled to do battle with us and scatter them to the winds.
·          
·         Concluding Sloka
·         Vichitra siddhidada: soyam Venkatesa Vipascchitaa
Garudadhwaja-thoshaaya Gheetho Garudadhandaka
·         “Bless us with the superior devotion to your Lord - Garudan, Pomona”
·         This Garuda Dhandakam was composed and sung by adiyen, the Vidwan known as Venkatesa to please the Lord, who has Garuda on His flagstaff. The recitation of this Garuda Dhandakam will confer on the reciter multifold blessings and fulfill their heartfelt wishes of every kind.

vyAdhUta-kesara-saTA-vikarALavaktram
hastAgravisphurita-sha~NkhagadAsi-chakram |
AviShkR^itaM sapadi yena nR^isiMharUpam
nArAyaNaM tamapi vishvasR^ijaM namAmi ||
The mantras of garuDa, the vAhana of shrImannArAyaNa, are well known in the tantras. Though the upAsanA of gAruDa mantra is associated popularly with cure for snake bite or sarpabhaya nivR^itti, the mantra is used to procure various other benefits as well. gaRuDa is worshipped with different mantras in different forms such as mahAgaruDa, AshugaruDa, sarpAshana garuDa, prachaNDa garuDa, mAyA garuDa, sammohana garuDa, jvAlAmAlin, kUTagAruDa etc.
Some of the fruits ascribed to garuDopAsanA are:
dR^iShTaprayogabahuLaM dR^iShTAdR^iShTArthasAdhakam |
AkaraM sarvasiddhInAM divyaM paramagAruDam ||
AyurArogyavijayadhanadhAnyasamR^iddhidam |
putradaM vAkpradaM nR^INAM sarvasaubhAgyavardhanam ||
rAjavashyaM lokavashyaM shtrIpuMvashyaM tathaiva cha |
sarvarakShAkaraM puMsAM sarvashatrunibarhaNam ||
yuddhe tu vijayaM rAjA prApnuyAdyuddhadurmadaH |
sarvavyAdhiprashamanaM sarvama~Ngalama~Ngalam ||
saptakShudrakaraM mantraM saptakShudraharaM tathA |
kR^ityAshUnyakaraM chaiva kR^ityAshUnyaharaM tathA ||
shAntikaM paushTikaM chaiva aShTaishvaryakaraM param |
bahunA.tra kimuktena chaturvargaphalapradam ||
The primary application of the mantra is in the removal of different kinds of poison such as sthAvara, ja~Ngama, kR^itrima, sahaja, sha~NkA and hAlAhala. The upAsanA of the various garuDa mantras also bless the upAsaka with miraculous powers, mastery over snakes, health, wealth, success, prosperity, progeny, speech, victory in wars, freedom from enemies etc. The use of garuDa mantra in vashya, AkarShaNa, stambhana, mohana, ucChATana, mAraNa and unmAdana [kShudrasaptaka] are also described in the shAstras. The mantra is used for both abhichAra and pratyabhiChara. Similarly, gAruDa kR^ityA is of great might and can be used for offence or defense.
For laukika and AbhichArika prayogas, garuDa is visualized independently, with his shakti [lakShmIH, kIrtiH, jayA, mAyA] or attendants [suparNa, tArkShya, vainateya, bhIma], sporting various weapons. However, for protection or sAtvikopAsanA, garuDa is always visualized carrying shrImannArAyaNa. gAruDa mantras are classified into four types: bIja, piNDa, saMj~nA and pada and their use is based on the purpose of upAsanA. Pada mantra described in dakShiNAmUrti samhitA as also the pa~nchAkSharI mantra are popular among shrIvidyA upAsakas. In shrIkrama tantra, amR^ita garuDa is an a~Nga of dhanvantari, who in turn is the a~Nga of vAsudeva represented by the 12 syllabled mantra. The stuti mantra, which is technically a mAlA mantra, is used to offer puShpA~njali to garuDa.
The garuDa maNDala involves the worship of nine gAruDa mUrtis with their respective mantras. mahAgaruDa is stationed at the center of the maNDala surrounded by the eight mUrtis in the eight cardinal directions. mahAgaruDa is described as suvarNAbha [of golden complexion] below the knees, himaprabha [of white complexion] from waist below, ku~NkumAruNa [red like the rising sun] from neck and below and clear like the quartz above the neck. His left and right feet respectively exhibit the ku~nchita and svastika postures. His feet touch the pAtALa and head extends beyond the brahma loka. His nose is long, blue in color and terrifying whereas the ears are charming and decorated with mANikya kuNDalas. His face, shining with three eyes, is fierce due to the protruding sharp teeth. His eyes are tawny reddish in color [kapila varNa] and he is adorned with the best of ornaments. His hands are long and shoulders are gigantic. The nine great serpents form his ornaments. He wears ananta and guLika as bracelets in his two hands, vAsuki as the yaj~nasUtra, takShaka as the waist band, kArkoTaka as the necklace, padma and mahApadma as ear ornaments and sha~Nkha as the headgear. He is seated on a lotus and sports wings that extend infinitely in either direction. He shines with eight hands in which he holds sha~Nkha, chakra, sudhAkumbha, nAga, muShTi, gadA and khaDga. Two of his hands are engaged on serving the lotus feet of shrImannArAyaNa seated on his back, along with bhagavatI ramA. The garuDa pa~nchAkSharI kalpa from kAshyapa samhitA and garuDa kalpa of AkAshabhairava tantra deal extensively with the upAsanA of pakShirAja.
Aku~nchya sarvamaparaM pravisArya pAdam
tirya~NmukhaM chaTulachakravivR^ittasha~Nkham |
anyonyaghaTTitakaraM lalashabdayukta-
muDDIyamAnamanishaM smara duHkhash
Antyai ||




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