“This book contains Sri Rudram, a hymn from the Vedas, the sacred book of the Hindus. Diving deeply into the book brings Isvara into one’s life so that one comes out with namah on one’s lips and Isvara in one’s heart.”
I am very happy that Arsha Vidya Research and Publication Trust is bringing out a second edition of Sri Rudram. The first edition would not have been possible but for the efforts of Swamini Pramananda, who carefully transcribed and edited it at the Anaikatti Gurukulam. Smt. Nirmala Shankar with her vision and commitment spared no efforts to publish the book.
I have gone through the book and have made some changes here and there. At the request of many devotees, I have added the few mantras that are traditionally chanted at the end, although the Rudra Prasna is complete with the mantra before ‘tryambakam’.
It is indeed a book of blessing. May Lord Rudra bless the reader.
Sri Rudram, a hymn in praise of Lord Rudra, appears in many sakhas of the Veda namely, the Kama and Madhyandina sakhas of the Sukla—Yajur-Veda, and the Taittiriya, Kataka, Maitrayani sakhas of the Krsna- Yajur—Veda. Although in the different sakhas, the mantras differ slightly from each other, all the mantras beautifully reveal the omnipresence of the Lord. Sri Rudram, as commented upon by Pujya Swami Dayananda Saraswati, is based on the mantras of the Taittiriya sakha of the Krsna—Yajur Veda.
In Sayanacarya’s Veda—bhasya, Sri Rudram is looked upon as an anga for both karma and jnanam. As an anga for karma, Sri Rudram blesses the vaidika with prosperity here and in the hereafter; while the mantras chanted with no desire for results, niskama—karma, supported by an understanding and contemplation of the Lord as revealed in the mantras, form a prayer. As a prayer, when Sri Rudram is recited by a seeker, the mantras become an aid in the discovery of oneself as non- separate from the Lord.
Sri Rudram consists of eleven sub-divisions called anuvakas. The mantras of these anuvakas include individually in some sections and collectively in some other sections, details such as the name of the rsi, the sage, who discovered the mantras; the chandas, the meter of the mantra; the phala, the result that accrues to the one who chants the mantras a specific number of times; and the dhyana sloka, verses for contemplation upon the Lord before chanting the mantras.
This book has been compiled from a series of talks given by Pujya Swamiji to the three year resident students of Vedanta at Anaikatti, Coimbatore, in 1997. I thank Swami Sakshatkritananda for his Sanskrit editorial assistance and formatting of this book. It has been a great joy for me to transcribe and edit these manuscripts. This work has been symbolic of my own journey into discovery of Isvara’s omnipresence, through Pujya Swami’s beautiful unfoldment of bhagavat-svarupa. Like a beacon of light in a dark forest, Pujya Swamiji’s life and teachings have been a guide to hundreds of seekers throughout the world. I am sure Sri Rudram as presented by Pujya Swamiji, will be another great source of inspiration and discovery of the Lord’s countless glories. With the kind support of Smt. Sneha Parija, a student of Pujya Swamiji, this book has been published in memory of her late father, Shri Birakishore Sahoo, for sharing the sacred message of Sri Rudram with seekers of truth.
Among the various Vedic hymns recited daily by a vaidika, the Sata Rudriua occupies a prime place. Popularly known as Sri Rudram it is in praise of and prayer to the Lord. A part of both Sukla and Krsna Yajur- vedas, the hymn is a source of inspiration for the namavalis consisting of one thousand and eight names that reveal and praise the Lord invoked in a particular form. In the epic Mahabharata, Bhisma gives thousand names of Lord Visnu, known as Visnu-sahasranama. Many such namavalis are mentioned in various puranas. Both in form and content these namavalis are not different from the Vedic Rudram. Even in the Vedas, one does not see a section like SrI Rudram consisting of many names of the Lord along with the word, namah, salutation. The famous five-syllabled mantra, namassivaya, is from this great hymn.
Nama-japa is perhaps one invariable element in the religious life of a vaidika. Even now one can see religious people from different parts of India doing mental or oral japa daily. The kirtan groups that sing 'Hare Rama ... Hare Krsna' are in fact doing japa. The mode of repeating different names of the Lord has crossed geographical and cultural borders. A devout Muslim repeats the ninety-nine names of Allah.
This repetition is japa. A faithful Christian tells the rosary beads repeating a sentence seeking mercy from the Lord. This too is japa. The most ancient source of this mode of prayer is Saia Rudriya.
The hymn is also called Namaka because the word namah is added to a word or words in the dative case depicting the Lord. The words in the verses of Visnu- sahasranama are only in the nominative case and therefore namah has no place. But in a ritual of offering flowers unto the altar of Visnu, namah is added to every name appropriately modified to dative case, giving the sense, 'unto'.
There are three types of prayer based upon the predominant means of accomplishing an act of prayer: kayika, vacika and manasa.
Kayika: A Vedic fire ritual is kayika because the physical limbs and materials are involved in the ritualistic prayer. The Vedic ritual is substituted by a more popular form of worship, that of the Lord at an altar, as is done in a temple. Worship of the Lord either at home or in a public place of worship is also kayika. Though the form of prayer is kayika, it implies the use of speech and the mind.
Vacika is oral prayer. It is popular in all religious traditions. In this form, the organ of speech, vak, as well as the mind are involved. Any form of recitation, including that of a choir in the church, comes under this category.
Manasa is an act of prayer done purely by the mind, manah, which is why it is called manasa, meaning mental. It is also called dhyana, meditation. When the physical act of worship, kayika, is mentally done, it is meditation. Only the mind is involved here. The Sata Rudriya is used in all three forms of prayer. The whole hymn is used in a kayika ritual, implying either an altar of Siva or of fire. It is also used for oral japa which is vacika. When a part or the whole of the hymn is repeated mentally, it is manasa.
Besides being a hymn of prayer, Sata Rudriya is like an upunisad revealing the truth of jiva, the individual, jagat, the world and Isvara, the Lord. It also provides the means for gaining eligibility for the knowledge unfolded by the upanisad. The different names of the Lord chanted in one's prayer also reveal the truth of the Lord as one and non-dual, the vision of the upanisad. The hymn, therefore, is rightly called Rudropanisad. The implied meaning of the words of the Lord serve as upanisad and the words in the hymn with their simple meaning become a means for gaining the eligibility for knowledge. This hymn is also considered very efficacious in neutralising the result of wrong actions. A human being is subject to punya and papa. The difficulties people go through in their lives are often the papas of previous actions actualised in the form of obstructions for a person in pursuit of spiritual knowledge. Sata Rudriua is one of the efficacious means to neutralise them. Even for citta- naiscalya, freedom from emotional upheavals in one's life, Sata Rudriya is highly recommended by people who know the Vedic tradition very well. In one of the upunisads it is said, "The one who repeats Sata Rudriya is freed from the papa incurred by hurting a brahmana, robbing somebody's wealth and so on ... "
The Vedic japa is reverentially talked about even in the puranas, In the Kurma-purana, there is a story of a king called Vasumanas, who did gayatri-upasana for many years. As a result of his prayer, the Lord appeared to the king in the very form he was praying to. Requested by the king for the means to moksa from samsara, the Lord told him, "Listen to these secret names of mine given in one place, even though they are mentioned individually in different parts of the Vedas. Add namah to each word and do namaskara,living a life of dharma. You will free yourself from samsara" What is the logic here? It needs to be discussed.
Listening to Vedic chanting of the Süktams (hymns) with intonations (svaras) is an enchanting experience. Chanting them, is even more so. Listening and chanting right meaning is both inspiring and elevating. Reflecting tods to realization of the supreme Truth that they convey. And meditating Vedic chanting is a part of the daily morning routine all Chinmaya Mission Vedanta Courses at Sandeepanis Gurukulas). The Rishi Putras (students) learn, among other Vedic hymns, the famous Purusa Suktam and Sri Rudra Satum. Pujya Gurudev's commentary and my notes on the Parast Suktam is already in print. In the present Vedanta Course (2021-2023) at Sandeepany Sadhanalaya, Mumbai, I decided to study, reflect and teach the beautiful meaning of Set Rudra Suktam to the Rishi Putras, who had already learnt chant it. It was truly a revealing and inspiring experience for me. May it also be so for all of you.
I well appreciate the hard and patient labour of love and dedication that goes into the making of a book, right from the recording of my talks, transcribing, editing, re-editing, repeated proof-reading, pagination, designing, financing to the final printing of a book. I sincerely thank all whom I am aware of and unaware of, who worked for bringing out Sri Rudra Süktam in this beautiful form. A special thanks to Shri Ravi & Smt. Nandini Nene for sponsoring the first print of Sri Rudra Süktam. May the blessing of Rudra Bhagavan and Pujya Gurudev be on all of them and their families.
The Vedas: Vedas are the realizations of eternal Truths that guide creation, revealed to Sages in their seat of meditation. The entire body of the knowledge enshrined in the Vedas are called mantras, as are individual sentences, verses and sections. Vaidika mantras are, therefore, not man-made (apauruseya), and are eternal (nitya). They have remained unchanged in their pristine glory over thousands of years as they were handed down through an unbroken lineage of the teacher and the taught (guru-sisya parampara).
Vaidika Mantras: They are composed in prose, poetry and song and are chanted with particular intonations. According to the science of pronunciation (siksa), they should be recited with the correct alphabetic pronunciation (varna) and the right accent (svara) (consisting of the elevated (udatta), lower pitched (anudatta) and unaccented intonations (svarita)). They are chanted with the correct time (matra) required to pronounce - be it short, normal or long and with the right emphasis and effort (balam). There should be uniformity and right conjoining of the letters (santana)." The right chanting should be learnt from an adept teacher. Such recitation has enabled the Vaidika mantras to retain their purity of words and meaning. The mere chanting of the Vaidika mantras has a tremendous effect on the body and mind. However, it is better to say the mantras without intonations than to chant them wrongly.
This book will be of great value to those who seek Self Knowledge. Although the Rudraprasna is considered to epitomize the karma kanda, each subsequent reading of this exploration will offer greater insight into the essential Vedantic thought that informs the mantras.
Generally, people chant the Rudram without much awareness of what it conveys. This teaching helps us understand the mantras and appreciate the vision of oneness or sameness they present. It also encourages us to rise above the limitations imposed by dogma to recognize that Isvara alone is manifest as all that exists.
'You may start the religious life with an idea of a localized God, but it is important to rise above that conditioning,' Swami Tattvavidananda says. 'You have to reach a point where you recognize that God is everywhere, or better still, everywhere is God. Every spiritual aspirant will know that in the context of Vedanta, there can be no better ideal to emulate than what these words of advice convey.
Swami Tattvavidananda Saraswati is a Scientist-turned-philosopher, having had his Vedic education in childhood, first under the tutelage of his father, a well-known Vedanta scholar, late Brahmasri Rani Narasimha Sastry, Mahamahopadhyaya and President Award winner. Excelled in his Vedic studies even at the tender age of 11, he was encouraged by his teachers to pursue modern academic studies too and thus he did his doctorate in chemistry while nurturing his Vedic roots. He also pursued his Sanskrit studies and earned a doctorate in Sanskrit as well.
After a successful stint in a public sector undertaking as a Scientist, he left the service to enter that field which is close to his heart viz. teaching Vedanta. He later became a sanyasin-disciple of Pujya Swami Dayananda Saraswathi of Arsha Vidya Gurukulam, and acquired greater insights in Advaita philosophy and thus dedicated himself to study and teaching of Advaita philosophy. He has provided excellent Telugu translations to Shankara Bhashyam of several Upanishads and several English books of Advatic literature authored by him, have become very popular in all over the World.
Special mention has to be made to his monumental work of commenting on Vyasa Bhagavatham, coming in three volumes. He was awarded "Sahitya Puraskar" for his work Bhagavatha Sapthaham in Telugu. An eminent teacher much sought after USA, Europe, and India, he also finds time to promote a number of service activites. Swamiji was honored with the coveted title Mahamahopadhyaya by Rashtriya Samskrita Samsthanam, Tirupati for his contributions to teaching and writings of Vedanta.
The pivotal role of the Rudraprasna in the Hindu tradition is well known. The mantras in it represent important aspects of rituals or karma and are an integral part of temple worship. However, in this book, Swami Tatvavidananda reveals elements of the Rudraprasna that are less well understood. He teaches that apart from their significant association with prayer, these mantras exemplify the tremendous vision of don Vedanta as well. Being that it is not something traditionally associated with the Rudram, this book offers a fresh and unique perspective on the subject.
The commentaries of Sri Sayana and Sri Bhatta Bhaskara are a valuable introduction to these Vedic mantras. Swamiji uses them as the foundation for his own explanations, but these commentators largely focus on the karma and upasana, so the vision of the rishi does not always come through. In truth, much of what passes for conformity to tradition nola adi attests not to the vision of the seer but to the interpretation of the commentator.
Swamiji's effort has been to examine the entire context creatively and with an independent understanding, and he gamierit thus presents a very interesting and novel approach to the study of the verses themselves.
**Contents and Sample Pages**
Rudra mantras have a very important place in Vedas. They help us to manifest the power of healing and the upward evolution of the consciousness.
This commentary help the aspirants to lead a happy life overcoming the obstacles.
About the Vedas The Vedas was the beginning of our spiritual knowledge; the Vedas will remain its end. These composition of an unknown antiquity are as many breasts of the eternal mother of knowledge from which our succeeding age have all been fed…” (Sri Aurobindo)
In the Hindu tradition Vedas is a single collection of all mantras revealed to various rishis. From this source Krishna Dvaipayana Vyasa compiled four collections. They are Rig Veda Mantra Samhita Yajur Vedas Mantra samhita. These four collections are mentioned by name and function is several Veda mantras such as Shukla Yajur Veda (31.9), Atharva Veda (10.7.20) etc. as the Brhadaranyaka Upanishad (2.4.10) declares all these four collection of mantras are the oral revelations of the supreme Being to the rishis.
A Veda mantra is outwardly a poetic verse. At a deeper level it is the expression of the intuition arising out of the depths of the soul of the rishi. It is the voice of the rhythm which has created the worlds and is still creating perpetually several of its aspects. A mantra is packed with the power of the askesis (tapas) of the rishi to whom it was revealed. Even a person who has earlier exposure to the veda can feel its power when a devotee chants it in the proper mode note that the verses of the poem or epics of famous poets like Kalidasa are melodious and full of aesthetic beauty but they are not mantras.
In the Hindu tradition these book are regarded as the source of all wisdom interpreted in a broad sense. These books contain the seed of the doctrine or the philosophical thought which blossomed into the teaching of the Upanishada and Vedanta; they also contain the seed of the later practices and procedures for self-realisation and actualization and the disciplines of Yoga with its numerous branches. This view of the content of the Veda mantras is stated in Several mantras of the Veda such as Shukla Yajur (36.1) quoted below:
Racham vacham prapadye Mano Yajuh prapadye Sama pranam prapadye Chakshuh shrotram prapadye
The Rig veda mantras propound all the speech or all the ideas and thoughts leading to all sided perfection the Yajur veda develop the mind which is the source of all actions the for completely developing our potential. The Atharv veda gives the methods of perfection of our body and senses like eyes (chakshu) or hearing.
About Yajur Veda Taittiriya Samhita In course of time Yajur Veda Samhita had several different Variations or recensions called as Krishna Yajur veda (KYV) samhita and the shukla veda (SYV) samhita. Taittirya samhita is one of recensions of the Krishna Yajur Veda Samhita along with Maitrayani Samhita. Kapishthala samhita and Katakha samhita. The shukla Yajur veda samhita has two recensions namely Vajasaney Madhyandina and Vajasaneyi Kanva. There is heavy overlap between the KYV books like Taittiriya and SYV books like the Vajasaneyi. The Rudra hymns in this book are from KYV Taittiriya samhita. These hymns with some variations are also in SYV Vajasaneya Samhita.
Note that there are three types of mantras in Veda namely Rk, Sama and Yajus. A Rk mantra is in one of several metres like gayatri, anushtubha etc. sama mantra has more elaborate structure designed for singing. All other mantras are Yajus which are in rhythmic prose.
TS and rudra hymns have both rk mantra and yajus mantras. Note that about a fourth of all rk mantras in KYVTS are also in Rig Veda samhita. Thus persons who state, we are Yajur vedins hence we cannot recite Rig Veda mantras are quite mistaken.
The focus of the Yajur Veda is yajnaor sacrifice specifically the inner yajna (antar yajna) occurring in our subtle body. The outer rite is only a physical framework for those who cannot do the inner yajna. To quote sri aurobindo The elements of the outer sacrifice in the Veda are used as symbols of the inner sacrifice and self offering we give what we are and what we have in order that the riches of the divine truth and light may descend into our life and become the elements of our inner birth into the truth a right thinking a right understanding action must develop in us which is the thinking impulsion and action of that higher truth rtasya presha rtrasya dhitih and by this we must build up ourselves in that Truth. Our sacrifice is a journey a pilgrimage and a battle a travel towards the Gods and we also make that journey with agni the inner flame as our path finder (pathikrt RV 2.23.6 and other) leader. [Hymns to the mystic fire note that a common word for yajna is adhvara whose two component adhva (path) and ra (movement) indicate that its meaning is journey.
Sri Aurobindo add as the doctrine of the Rig Veda is the seed of the teaching of the Vedanta so is its inner practice and discipline is a seed of the later practice and discipline of yoga KYV TS gives ample clues to the control of prana called later as the science of pranayama. For instance consider the mantra in TS.
Ayur yajnena Kalpatam Prano yajnena Kalpatam Apano yajnene kalpatam Mano yajnene kalpatam Yajno yajnene kalpatam
At this point we have to face certain realities. Almost all orthodox pundits and the lay persons associated with KYV TS are admirers and staunch followers of the great teacher sayana and his ritualistic commentary (bhashya) on KYV TS. The commentary of Sayana is magnificent and voluminous; it gives the minutes details for the performance of the rites. Sayana declares in his introduction that the aim of the Veda specifically KYV TS is to help a person realize his material desires and ward off unwelcome thing (ishta prapti anishta Parihara) by means of rituals. Sayana commentary view KTV TS as a book of elaborate outward rites yajna performed with extensive recitation of mantras and the offering into the fire in the fire-altar of soma juice ghee rice etc. something the organs of an animal killed nearby are also offered.
Tittiri: symbol and legend: A name in the Vedic tradition is not merely an identifier; it reveals the contents and power of the object or entity it denotes. This statement is especially true for names of Vedas and Upanishads. There is an understandable curiosity about the meaning of the word taittriya which indicate something connected with tittiri. Clearly there was a rishi with the name Tittiri who was a disciple of Vaishampayana according to a quotation given in. but what is tittiri? Rendering sacred words in Veda such as hamsa as goose paramahamsa as the supreme goose and tittiri as a partridge may satisfy the sadistic pedantry of some scholars. Person who reverse the Veda must seek the deeper (paroksha) meaning of the words while studying the texts.
To understand the meaning of the word in Veda we have to seek the Veda itself not secondary sources like purana. The word titiri is mentioned along with a legend in Ts (2.5). a paraphrase of the legend in TS (2.5.1) is as follows: Tvashtr is the divine architect who creates a variety of forms according to both RV and TS (2.6.10). his son or creation Vishwarupa the all form had three heads: with one head he imbibed Soma, the delight of existence; with the second e drank sura, the liquor; and with the third head he ate food (anna). Indra realising the dangers of Vishvarupa becoming all-powerful separated the three heads. The head, which imabibed Soma, became kapinjala; that which drank sura became, kalavingka; and that which ate food became tittirl ' The text mentions only these names and does not specify that the are birds.
Kapinjala means rays of spiritual Sun, (ka: who, pin: drinks, jala: waters); it is a synonym of the chataka bird -which drinks the waters coming directly from the sky before - touches the earth. Kalavingka means one who destroys (la) the knowing (vingka), clearly a demonic force.
To understand tittiri, note that it Occurs in R (1.36.7) as titir-vamsa. Sri Kapali Sastry in' his Rig Veda Bhashya [C3, Vol. 4] translates it as "that which overcomes the foes (such as ignorance)." He gives the Paninian derivation: terste tiraterva liti kvssuh, anyat sarvam chhandasam.
The symbolism behind the legend is easy, to understand. The three heads correspond to the three types of beings namely gods or' devah demons like Vrtra and finally humans. The Gods made of Light enjoy the Delight or Soma; the demons like liquor; humans depend on food. Indra the lord of Divine Mind foresees that if this All-form (vishvarupa) should become all-powerful, the demonic head would become all powerful. Hence he separates the three heads even in their formative stages. The form which came from the gods merge-d Or became the rays of spiritual Sun (kapinjala); the demonic form rejoined the forces of ignorance which hide the knowledge and energies from the humans.
Recall that tittiri is said to come from the head which eats sans, i.e., it represents human beings. Thus tittiri symbolises the forces or beings which help human beings in getting the knowledge which overcomes the psychological foes such as ignorance and falsehood. This title gives an excellent clue to the contents of TS. Overview of Taittiriya Samhita (TS): TS is made up of seven books or Kanda having five to eight prapathakas, each prapathaka having nine to forty six anuvakas, a typical number being eleven to fourteen: The total number of prapathakas is 44. Prapathaka is also known as Prashna.
The entire Kanda 4, one half of Kanda 1 and one half of Kanda 7 have mantras. The rest of the book has prose passages giving routine ritualistic details and also some anecdotes and legends. All, these anecdotes are symbolic as shown earlier by the Tittiri.
Kanda 4 deals with the lighting of the fire. Its fifth and seventh prapathaka contain the famous litany to Shiva-Rudra known as namaka and chamaka. The seventh prapathaka of kanda 4 called chamaka or the shower of riches has one anuvaka on numbers ranging from one to a very large number. This kanda has some geometric details about the construction of the complex bird- shaped fire-altar.
Kanda 1 has the four important inner yajnas namely darshapurnamasau ( 1.1), agnishtoms ( 1.2 -1.4), vajapeya ( r. 7) and rajasuya (1.8). rajasuya is the royal consecration. Even though one usually regards it as an elaborate external rite of anointing the king with water (abhisheka), the person will obtain the full powers only when he meditates and invokes the divine powers. The water poured on the head will not grant him anything.
The Kanda 7 has mantras for the famous Ashvamedha yajna. The second prapathaka of kanda 7 deals with the adoration of the number ranging from odd to even numbers and ending in very large number like ten raised to the power of twelve.
A feature of TS is that some of the mantras are repeated in the same kanda or a different one.
Namaste astu bhagavan visvesvaraya mahadevaya… Srimanmahadevaya namah…
Sri Rudram
To the Lord of the Universe Effulgence Omniscient My salutations The three-eyed God Destroyer of the three cities The states of waking, dream and sleep Fire of time, past, present, to be Destroyer of time, yet timeless is he Blue-necked Lord, vanquisher of death He is the Lord of all Endowed with every wealth May be bless us, the Sovereign Supreme
A literal translation can never capture all that the hymn inspires. The translator of let go the terseness of prose and take to free style, giving expression to the grasp of every lime…
When one wants to capture in words the glories of the Lord, one finds oneself crossing the norms that govern objective writing. One resorts to exclamations, hyperboles and high sounding adjectives amounting to seeming exaggeration. Bt all of them are meant to capture the Lord, the whole, of infinite hues. That is what the Vedic Hymn Sri Rudram presents. A literal translation can never capture all that the hymn inspires. The translator has to let go the terseness of prose and take to free style, giving expression to the grasp of every line. I see this in this English rendering of the hymn by Smt. Sheela Balaji. She has grasped the whole and luckily she has the facility of expression. I congratulate her for this inspiring contribution.
In this book, a great Vedic ritual "Rudrekadasi" is detailed with explanatory notes in English for the easy understanding and learning the rationale of the rituals.
For the benefit of those who for various reasons are not familiar with the Sanskrit language and are now- a-days more familiar with the English language explanatory notes have been incorporated at relevant places so .that the rationale of this form of worship will be under-stood.
Shri. N.Anantharama Ayyar was an erudite scholar who read widely, the Hindu scriptures and explained them in simple language to reach out to larger audience. His mission in life was to relive the Indian culture and scriptures in the hearts of the people. For this he strived tirelessly throughout out his life. more so after I his retirement from government service.
He was well versed in the Vedas, Upanishads and the Bhagavad Gita and rendered many lectures on them. He delivered a series of lectures on the Ramayana, which lasted for over three years! He has authored several books on Hindu scriptures where he has given explanations and interpretation of the works of the great Adi Sankara, To name a few, "Sivanandalahari". "Anandalahari", "Bhaja Govindam". His other works included "The essence behind Rudraekadasi", "Importance of Sandhyavandandam", prayers that young ones could recite daily. His language is simple and lucid and his analysis, thought provoking and practical.
Shri. N.Anantharaman Ayyar was an erudite scholar who read widely, the Hindu scriptures and explained them in simple language to reach out to larger audience. His mission in life was to relive the Indian culture and scriptures in the hearts of the people. For this he strived tirelessly throughout out his life, more so after his retirement from government service.
He was born into an illustrious Brahmin family in Moncombu, Kerala. He received his early education in Kerala and then went to Chennai to do his honors and masters in Political science from Loyola College. Soon after, he joined the Income Tax department and served the government in various capacities finally retiring as Commissioner of Income Tax, Mumbai. After retirement, he was appointed as the Director at Rajendra Prasad Institute of Management Studies and Research, Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Mumbai.
A self made man, he was simple in living and believed in total honesty and straight forwardness in life. All his actions and speech lived his beliefs. He had keen interest in Hindu philosophy and management precepts which he extrapolated throughout his life. He was well versed in the Vedas, Upanishads and the Bhagavad Gita and rendered many lectures on them. He delivered a series of lectures on the Ramayana, which lasted for over three years! He has authored several books on Hindu scriptures where he has given explanations and interpretation of the works of the great Adi Sankara. To name a few, "Sivanandalahari", "Ananda lahari", "Bhaja Govindam". H is other works included "The essence behind Rudraekadashi"," Importance of Sandhyavandandam", prayers that young ones could recite daily. His language is simple and lucid and his analysis, thought provoking and practical. All his works are in simple English Language.
All this would not have been possible but for the silent, strong support of his wife, Srimati Ambujam Anantharaman. She stood by him in all his endeavors. Shri. Anantharaman Ayyar passed away in June 2009.But He is alive through his works, which will give peace to all those who read them.
The Vedic rituals prescribed by great sages were designed to preserve the Vedas by creating an interest in these rituals which promote the beneficial aspects and welfare of the mankind. A devotee, who is earnestly seeking to expiate his sins, gets relief from and cure of any afflictions, and diseases, one who is desirous of prosperity, peace of mind, longevity and good health, can achieve all these by the chanting of the Sri Rudra mantra. Sri Rudra mantras which are very potent extolling the greatness and omnipresence of Lord Siva as Rudra. The great Panchakshara mantra "Namah Sivayaa" is in the central portion of the Sri Rudra chapter and is so to say the central jewel of the chapter.
For several centuries these procedures have been followed in the worship of Lord Siva so that peace, prosperity, physical and mental health and spiritual uplift are assured to the sincere devotee. The procedure for performance of this form of worship and its variants are sought to be set forth in this publication.
In this book, a great Vedic ritual 'Rudrekadsini is detailed with explanatory notes in English for the understanding of members of the Brahmin community who for reasons of earning their livelihood are more familiar with the English language and are desirous of learning the rationale of the rituals.
For the benefit of those who for various reasons are not familiar with the Sanskrit language and are nowadays more familiar with the English language explanatory notes have been incorporated at relevant places so that the rationale of this form of worship will be understood and the asthikas are persuaded to follow the path of devotion and thereby the path of jnana to comprehend the limitlessness of God. If out of a hundred people who go through this book, a few at least take up earnestly the study and practice of this worship I shall feel amply rewarded.
"May He, the Lord and Supreme seer, Rudra, who is first among all Gods and revealed in the Vedas, who sees Hirnayagarbha being born, bless us with auspicious moments with unbroken thought of the supreme reality".
Those who belong to this Bharatha Desa, are the inheritors of the great heritage in the form of the source of the knowledge called Vedas. The Vedas and allied branches of knowledge called Vedaangas, Smrithis and Sutras are our cherished heritage which we should strive to protect and preserve. Traditionally it was the duty of the three classes of people, the Brahmanas, the Kshatriyas and Vaisyas, to learn the Vedas and to protect and cherish and nourish the study and practice the Vedas. Out of the above three classes called the "varnas", it was the supreme responsibility of' Brahmans Or Brahmins as they have come to be known, to devote their life to the study of the Vedas, and not only help in the preservation of the vast body of knowledge through the practice of various rituals, but also help others in the proper performance of the Vedic rituals so that the benefit is for the world and not merely for a section of the community.
When Veda Vyasa' the great sage, codified and classified the vast Vedic knowledge into four Vedas, called Rg,' Yajur, Sama, and Atharva, he also took into consideration the difficulty of future generations to master the Vedas completely or even to know a fraction thereof. So at the end of the Dwapara Yuga, more than 5100 years ago, he took care to sub-divide each Veda into different branches or recensions called Veda saakhas for the facility for learning. He also entrusted to select Maharshis or sages, each Veda and its sakhas for propagation and preservation through disciplined and devoted disciples. Thus he hoped that even though in the Kaliyuga, that succeeded Dwapara Yuga, the lives of human beings will be of much shorter duration and their mental, physical and spiritual powers will be very much lower, the Vedic heritage would be preserved by specialization in the limited codified form by various learned men and the Vedic heritage would be preserved in that manner.
There were then 1180 Veda sakhas according to some scholars. each "self contained" in that one group could devote itself to the study of at least one saakha or branch. Rgveda had 21 Sakhas, Yajurveda 109, Samaveda 1000 and, Atharvaveda 50. Rgveda saakhas were entrusted to sage Paila, Yajurveda sakhas to sage vaisampayana. Maharishi Jaimini was given the charge of Samaveda and sage Sumantha was entrusted with Atharvaveda sakha.
I need not mention here the sudden deterioration in the latter half of the 20th century of Vedic learning and the decline of interest of Brahmanas in preserving and propa gating the Vedic knowledge, nor need to go into the causes thereof. Though the great acharyas of the various religious institutions are doing something to keep the flame of the Vedas living, much more requires to be done, not only by religious leaders, but also by the communities entrusted with the preservation and propagation of the Vedas.
The Vedic rituals prescribed by great sages were designed to preserve the Vedas by creating an interest in these rituals which promote the beneficial aspects and welfare of the mankind.
In this book, a great Vedic ritual "Rudrekadsini "is detailed with explanatory notes in English for the understanding of members of the Brahmin community who for reasons of earning their livelihood are more familiar with the English language and are desirous of learning the rationale the rituals.
Among the four Vedas, the Yajurveda is of great importance for performance of the yagnas and other rituals. According to some scholars out of the 100 and.odd saakhas Yajurveda, the original texts propagated by sage Vaisampayana, now only 64 recensions exist collectively known as Krishnayajurveda and the remaining 36 recensions are collectively known as "Suklayajurveda" propagated by another sage and a nephew of Vaisampayana, Sri Yajnavalkya. The 64 recensions are collectively known as Krishnayajurveda; mentioned already. One of the sakhas of Krishnayajurveda has come to be known as Taittireeya sakha and is prevalent in South India.
Each Veda saakha has a Samhitha or mantra portion and a Brahmana portion containing the methodology using the mantras in various rituals. The Taittireeya Brahmana towards its end contains an Aranyaka portion and finally the Upanishads.
Although the word ‘yajna’ stands for ‘activity’, not all activities can be termed ‘yajna’. It is only those activities that lead to the purity of the physical body, of the senses, and of the ego, and those activities that are performed not because of any worldly desire but for the realization of the Ultimate Reality that are called ‘yajna’.
There was a time when yajna, in its real form, was respected by everyone. However, today because of the lack of deep knowledge, and the non-observance of the proper rules for performing rituals, yajnas retain just their outward form. A yajna performed within the parameters of the rules of the scriptures, and with devotion to the Lord, is the highest example of nishkam karma. This kind of karma does not cause bondage, while the bondages that already exist, are weakened (Gita 3.9 and 4.22). If a yajna is performed correctly then, at the end, Mahajnana, or Ultimate Knowledge, can be achieved.
The inspiration for the Atirudra Mahayajna first arose in the mind of Sw. Purnananda. With the co-operation of the Ashram sisters, and by Shri Shri Anandamayee Ma’s kheyal, the Atirudra Mahayajna, was completed in all perfection. Moreover, every person who was present at the Yajna, gained spiritually from it.
Shri Shri Ma said, “Such a yajna takes place in Satyuga.” She used to say, “Everything is in everything. Kaliyuga is in Satyuga, and Satyuga is in Kaliyuga. Shri Shri Ma also said, “A yajna such as this may have never taken place in the past and may not take place in the future.”
At the beginning of the Yajna, Shri Shri Ma said that I was to be the yajman of this Yajna, an honour that was granted to me only by Her grace. Shri Shri Ma’s kheyal, Sw. Purnanandaji’s resolve to do everything as perfectly as possible, and the co-operation of the Ashram sisters, all of which were evident from the beginning of the Yajna up to its purnahuti, were instrumental in the successful completion of this unparalleled Yajna. For this, Sw. Purnananda and the other brahmacharinis deserve our gratitude.
Where Purna-brahma-narayana is present in the form of Yajna-narayana, there is also present Puma, Puma, and Purna.
Those who want to perform a yajna will get much information and guidance from this book. May Bhagavan Ashutosh and Shri Shri Ma shower their divine blessings upon everyone! sarve bhavantu sukhinah sarve santu niramayah I sarve bhadr&i payantu ma kas’cidth4ikhabhag bhavet I I May all be happy! May all be without disease! May all perceive the auspicious! May no one partake of sorrow!
This book has been compiled by Rohini Purang based on the following sources: 1. Books: Akhanda Mahayajna by Gurupriya Devi, Shri Shri Anandamayee Charitable Society, Calcutta; Yagya-mimansa by Pandit Veniramsharma Gaur, Vaidik Pustakalaya, Varanasi; Atirudrayajna Mahotsava by Pandit Vamadeva Mishra, a booklet printed on the occasion by Shri Shri Ma Anandamayee Ashram, Kankhal 2. Articles: Rudratatva tatha Rudrayajna by Km. Gauri Banerjee, Ma ka Aishwarya by Km. Gunita, Ma ka Punya Smaran by Shri Kamlapati Tripathi, The Ati Rudra Mahayajna at Kankhal by Shri R. K. Baneijee, all of which appeared in Ananda Varta, as well as Dr. Padma Misra’s unpublished, handwritten article. 3. Recollections of a few participating pandits: Dr. Vyas Mishra, Dr. Rama Krishna Mandalikar (Munnuji), Dr. Kailash Chandra Sharma Dave, Dr. Hridaya Ranjan Sharma, Dr. Narayan Mishra, Dr. Kimj Behari Pande, Shri Om Prakash, and Shri Ambarish Kala. 4. Further inputs from the members of the Atirudra Mahayajna Committee, as well as Smt. Vamadeva Mishra, Dr. Patanjali Mishra, Dr. Surya Narayana Nanda, and Dr. Balaji Satpathy.
An Atirudra Mahayajna was conducted in the year 1981, in the presence of Shri Shri Anandamayee Ma, and with her blessings, in the Shri Shri Ma Anandamayee Ashram in Kankhal. It commenced on the 6th of May, which was the Shuklapaksha Tritiya of the month of Vaisakh, also called Akshay Tritiya2, and conduced eleven days later, on the 16th of May. This Yajna was conducted with the aim of seeking the blessings of Rudra3 for the welfare of all Creation.
Several mahatmas, heads of religious organizations, and hundreds of devotees and religious-minded people attended this function. The pradhanacharya4 , Pandit Vamadeva Mishra, along with a hundred and thirty-fourother ritviks5 , conducted the pujas and havans that formed a part of this grand ritual-worship of Rudra. Accompanied by the mantras of the Rudra Ashtadhyayi6, the yajman7, Brahmachari Bhaskarananda, and the ritviks offered oblations into the eleven kundas8 of tle specially constructed Sushlisht mandap9. Those who carried out the rituals, as well as others who were involved in their preparation and organisation, took utmost care tosnaintain the highest possible standards of scriptural accuracy and ritual purity at all times. These two factors are extremely vital for the efficacy of karmakanda, or the ceremonies and rituals prescribed in the Vedas.
Emphasising upon the uniqueness of the Yajna, Ma said, “A Yajna like this takes place in Satyuga. You all have seen many big yajnas in the past and will see many in the future, but you may not be able to see one like this. Many yugas pass but a Yajna like this cannot be seen. A yajna such as this may have never taken place in the past, and may not take place in the future. You all are very fortunate that you are present in this Yajna. Whoever has come to have darshan of it has some connection with it.” Ma said many other things too, on other occasions, which indicated the great ritual, spiritual and religious significance of this Yajna.
The proximity of the Anandamayee Ashram to the ancient Daksheshwar Templet° in Kankhal was of Significance too. Shankaracharya Abhinavsachchidananda Tirtha, head of the Dwarika Sharada Peetha arid a special invitee to the function, remarked that by honouring Shiva in this Yajna, Ma had done something that Daksha1’ had failed to do at his yajna in ancient times.
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