Sri Subrahmanya Bhujangam is a Stotra sung under inspiration by Sri Adi Sankaracharya at Thiruchendur. When he meditated upon Subrahmanya before worship, he became aware of the presence of a selfluminous light shining within his Hrudaya and words came out of his mouth extempore in Bhujanga metre. It is said that Acharya then actually saw a huge serpent (Audisesha) worshipping the Lord and so Acharya adopted Bhujanga metre for the Stotra.

May all those who read the Subrahmanya Bhujangam of Adi Shankara be the recipients of the benign Grace of Lord.

I deem it a great honour to have the opportunity to write the foreword to the second edition of the English edition of Subramanya Bhujangam, by Adi Sankara, one of the greatest of men who had walked on earth. This honour I owe to Shri M.Ganesa Iyer, whom, I had the privilege to know intimately for over twenty-five years and who has rendered the English translation of the Subramanya Bhujangam.

In the year 1969 at the ripe old age of 82 that Shri Mrithin jaya Ganesa lyer, popularly known as Thiruppugazh Ganesa lyer, for his services to popularise Thiruppugazh, rendered the English translation of Subrahmanya Bhujangam of Shri Adi Shankara. It was Shri Kailasam Iyer of Giri Press that readily came forward to publish the English rendering of the Subrahmanya Bhujangam and to donate a portion of the sale proceeds of the book to Uttara Swami Malai, New Delhi. When Dr.M.G. Varadarajan, son of Shri M.Ganesa lyer, wanted to bring out a second edition of Subramanya Bhuja ngam, Shri Krishnan of Giri Brothers though keen to undertake the work, did not find it possible. At this stage Shri T.N.C.Varadan of the Little Flower Co., a worthy son of a worthy father Shri V.Krishnaswami Sarma, came forward to undertake the publication. It is only appropriate that Giri Press, which was a pioneering printing press and Little Flower Co., publishers, spreading "Spiritual Sunshine" for the past many years, should be associated with the publication of the English rendering of Subramanya Bhujangam of Shri Adi Sankara. Dr. M.G. Varadarajan would like to recognise with grateful appreciation, the efforts taken by Shri Krishnan of Giri Press and Shri Varadan of Little Flower Co., in bringing out the work of Shri M. Ganesa Iyer.

Sri Subrahmanya Bhujangam is a Stotra sung under inspiration by Sri Adi Sankaracharya at Thiruchendur. When he meditated upon Subrahmanya before worship, he became aware of the presence of a selfluminous light shining within his Hrudaya and words came out of his mouth extempore in Bhujanga metre. It is said that Acharya then actually saw a huge serpent (Audisesha) worshipping the Lord and so Acharya adopted Bhujanga metre for the Stotra.

There are two versions as regards Acharya's worship at Tiruchendur.

One version is, One Abhinava Gupta became envious of Acharya's fame and success. He resorted to abhicharam (inducement of evil spirits) to give trouble to Acharya with serious diseases. At the beginning, Acharya treated it lightly as one that ought to be suffered as Prarabdha Karma. One day he had a very severe attack. In his sleep, Lord Parameswara appeared before him in his dream and said, "Go to Tiruchendur and worship Lord Subrahmanya. Your disease will disappear completely" and gave him Vibhooti Prasadam." Acharya wore that Vibhooti and by his yogic powers transported himself bodily before the Sannidhi of Subrahmanya Swami at Tiruchendur. When he began to worship the Lord, he actually saw a huge serpent also doing pooja to the Lord.

**Contents and Sample Pages**