I have not been able to get some Stotras on Lord Brahma, excepting this one from Kalidasa in Kumara Sambhavam.
Brahma Suktham
”
Salutations for You, Who has the three forms of Brahmā, Viṣṇu and Śiva, Who was the only being before the creation, Who divided (the universe) into the three qualities (guṇa), and Who became manifold thereafter.[2.4] O Brahmā, Who is the unborn One! That ever-sprouting seed which was cast by you in the midst of the waters, from that the universe — comprised of the inert and the ambulant (came into existence). You are hailed as its progenitor.[2.5]
Bringing forth your glory by the means of your three states (of Brahmā, Viṣṇu and Śiva), You, Who is the One, become the cause of generation, protection and destruction.[2.6] The feminine and the masculine are the divisions of Your own, of One whose form was split (into two) out of a desire to sire. These two came to be known as the mother and the father of the creation forming a part of the (process of) generation.[2.7]
The sleep and the awakening of Yours, Who has split (time) into night and day as per your own measurement of time, are the dissolution and appearance of the beings.1[2.8] You are the cause of the universe, and are yourself without a cause. You are the end of the world, and are without an end. You are the beginning of the universe and are without a beginning. You are the Lord of the universe, and without a Lord.[2.9]
You know Yourself by Your own self; You create Yourself by Your own self; You are absorbed in Yourself only by Your own capable self.[2.10] You are fluid and You are solid; You are infinite and You are infinitesimal; You are light and You are heavy; You are manifest and You are non-manifest; and You have Your free will in the (eight) siddhi (such as aṇimā).[2.11]
You are the cause of the speeches (hymns of the Veda), whose commencement is the ॐ, whose enunciation is by the the three rules (of udātta, anudātta and svarita), whose execution is the yajña and whose fruit is heaven.[2.12] They determine You to be the prakṛti, which incited (the beings) to the objects (of existence — dharma, artha, kāma and mokṣa). And they know You only to be the observer of the prakṛti, the indifferent puruṣa.[2.13]
You are the father of the ancestors; You are the God of the demi-gods; You are superior to (even) the most supreme, and You are the creator of the creators.[2.14] You are the offering and (also) the offerer; You are the enjoyment and (also) the enjoyer; You are the known and (also) the knower; You are the ultimate object of meditation and (also) the meditator.[2.15]
Footnotes:
1 A day of Brahmā is said to be made of one hundred four-yuga cycles (caturyugī). The first fifty cycles is when the universe stays and in the next 50 is is dissolved.
2 The translator wishes to thank the commentary of Mallinātha for its invaluable insights.
The form of Vishnu represented here as Janardhana, who destroys janma (birth) brought about by avidya(ignorance) and bestows on the worshipper the awareness of his identity with the Lord.
backwater destination Paravur and 2 km from Varkala-Sivagiri Railway station. It is situated near the Arabian sea shore.It is referred to as Dakshin
Kashi (Benares of the south).
The presiding deity of this temple is Sri Janarthana Swami. The deity is found in standing position facing towards the east. His right hand is position as if he is performing “Aachamanam“.
The Deity facing East,has His right hand is raised towards his mouth and legends say that if his hand goes nearer to his mouth, the world will come to an end.
It is believed to happen at the end of the Kali Yuga.
There are more Janardhana temples in India, about 12.
Varkala Janardhana temple is the oldest, about 2000 years old.
Legend:
According to the legend, attracted by the music from Narada’s Veena, Lord Vishnu started following him and reached Satyaloka.
Seeing Lord Vishnu, Brahma prostrated before him. Lord Vishnu soon realized that he has reached Satyaloka but did not realize that Lord Brahma is prostrating before him and left back to Vaikunta.
It seemed as if Lord Brahma is falling towards the feet of Narada and all the devas laughed.
This made Brahma angry and he cursed devas to be born as humans in the earth. Devas repented their folly and begged to be forgiven. Brahma replied that the curse would be withdrawn when they do a penance to please Lord Janardana.
Devas asked where that place is where they should do the penance. Brahma told them that the place where Sage Narada’s ‘Vastra’ falls will be the sacred place.
It is Varkala where his ‘Vastra’ fell and Devas did the penance accordingly to get relieved of the curse.
According to Mahabharata, Balabhadran has visited the place for pilgrimage.
Poojas.
Performance of Tharppana here is considered important.
Four poojas are conducted in a day by the priest.
The chief priest should be from another place, not from Varkala
Sub-deities are Ganapathi, Shastha, Ananthan (Nagam) Shiva, Chandikesha, and Hanuman.
A ten-day festival with Arattu is conducted on the Malayalam month of Meenam on the day of Uthram.
Nearest Airpor/Railway Station, Bus Station.Trivandrum
Ancient Hindus had an exhaustive knowledge of Metallurgy.
References to Gold, Silver,Bronze, Copper,Zinc, iron and Steel are found in the ancient texts.
First supply of weapons were made by India to Mediterranean around 3000 BC.
QtubIronPillar
”
British records of the 18th century show that the country had 20,000 furnaces operating across the country indicating the geographical spread of this knowledge.
Crucibles
Purvokta – bijalohanametasyameva varnitam
Uttamadhamamadhyapabhramsanam galanavidhau
Musassaptottaracatussatabheda itiritah II
Translated as – (The melting) of the aforesaid base metals is described here only. In the melting methodology, of good, coarse, average and pig metals, 407 varieties of crucibles are mentioned.
Tasarn dvadasavargah syurjatinirnayah kramat I
Translated as – In the order of origin, there are 12 groups in them.
Lohesu ye bijalohastesam galanakarmani II
Dvitiyavargoktaruusa eva srestha itiritah I
Translated as – In the melting of base metals, it is said, that the second group of crucibles is the best.
Translated as – In the melting of these (base metals), crucibles are remembered from each class of these. The crucible varieties in the second category is mentioned as forty, in order, by the great sages, in (the work) Musha-kalpa.
Amongst these, the one that is mentioned as the fifth named Antar-mukha (inward reflecting) is said to be the best in the melting of base metals.
Brhad-vimana-shastra (BVS) came into being in the modern times as a revealed text, the revelation having occurred through one Mr. Anekal Subharaya Shastry (born in 1866). An (unpublished) enquiry with the descendents of the family shows that Mr. Shastry had found the manuscript and attempted glory for himself by delivering it as a revelation. Swami Dayananda Saraswati (1824: 1888) in his A treatise on Rig-veda (1875) refers to Bharadwaja’s Vimana-shastra.
Bharadwaja’s Vimana-shastra is considered a part of Yantra-sarwaswam – All about machines.
This is one of the 40 sections that Yantra-sarwaswam is made of. One school of thought places Bharadwaja in 4th century BCE.
Tortoise Furnace
Kurmavyasatikamevamuktva sastranusaratah I
TatsvarfIpaparijfianarthamakararh sarnpracaksate II
Translated as – Having stated the Tortoise furnace, as per the scientific treatise, now let us study the shape and size, for further study.
Caturasrarh vartularh va kurmakararn yathavidhi I
Vitastidasakarn kundarn karayet bhuvi sobhanam II
Translated as – A square, circular or tortoise shaped pit of ten palms may be prepared nicely in the earth.
Bhastrikasthapanaya tu tatpurobhagatassphutarn
Kurrnangavat pancamukham pithamekarn
prakalpayet II
Translated as – For the installation of the air-blower, clear space may be marked on the front side. A tortoise like five-corned structure may be constructed.
Watch The Video.
A vast number of statements and materials presented in the ancient Vedic literatures can be shown to agree with modern scientific findings and they also reveal a highly developed scientific content in these literature.
The great cultural wealth of this knowledge is highly relevant in the modern world.
Techniques used to show this agreement include:
– Marine Archaeology of underwater sites (such as Dvaraka)
– Satellite imagery of the Indus
– Sarasvata River system
– Carbon and Thermoluminiscence Dating of archaeological artifacts
– Scientific Verification of Scriptural statements
– Linguistic analysis of scripts found on archaeological artifacts
– A Study of cultural continuity in all these categories……..
Varahamihira’s Brhat-samhita describes Vajra-lepa and Vajra-sanghata.
The Ashoka Pillar is basically a sand-stone pillar coated with Vajra-Sanghata to look like a metal pillar.
Mauryan caves in Bihar also have a coating that gives the surface the look of glass.
References to metallurgy may be found in the ancient Tamil literature.
A research survey at Kodumanal has unearthed the remains of an ancient blast furnace, its circular base distinguishable by its white colour, probably the result of high temperature. Around the base, many iron slags, some with embedded burnt clay, vitrified brick-bats, many terracotta pipes with vitrified mouths and a granite slab, which may have been the anvil, have been recovered.
Absence of potsherds and other antiquities has suggested that the smelting place was located outside the boundary of habitation.
More furnaces were discovered at the same site with burnt clay pieces with rectangular holes.
The pieces were part of the furnace wall, the holes designed to allow a natural draught of air to pass through evenly into the furnace. Many vitrified crucibles were also recovered from this site; one of them notable because it was found in an in situ position.
Evidence of steel making is also found in the crucibles excavated at this site.
In addition to iron and steel, the metallurgy seems to have possibly extended to copper, bronze, lead, silver and gold objects.
At Arikamedu, there were indications of small-scale workshops containing the remains of working in metal, glass, semiprecious stones, ivory and shell.
Kodumanal has yielded evidence for the practice of weaving, in the form of a number of intact terracotta spindle whorls pierced at the centre by means of an iron rod, indicating the knowledge of cotton spinning and weaving.
To further strengthen this theory, a well preserved piece of woven cotton cloth was also recovered from this site.
Dyeing vats were spotted at Arikamedu.
Many brick structures have been located at Kaveripumpattinam during on-shore, near shore and off-shore explorations; these provide proof for building construction during Sangam age.
The on-shore structure include an I-shaped wharf and a structure that looks like a reservoir.
The wharf has a number of wooden poles planted in its structure to enable anchorage of boats and to facilitate the handling of cargo.
Among other structures, there is a Buddhist vihara with parts of it decorated using moulded bricks and stucco.
Near shore excavations yielded a brick structure and a few terracotta ring wells.
Off-shore explorations located a fifteen course brick structure, three courses of dressed stone blocks, brick bats and pottery.
At Arikamedu, there were indications of a structure built substantially of timber, possibly a wharf.
Conical jars that could have been used for storing wine and oil have been found near structures that could have been shops or storage areas
. Evidence of continued building activity are present at this site, with the most distinctive structures being those of a possible warehouse, dyeing tanks and lined pits(wiki)
“His rise to a major position in the pantheon was facilitated by his identification with a host of Vedicdeities,including Purusha, Rudra, Agni, Indra, Prajāpati, Vāyu, and others”
The difficulty arises when tries to identify Shiva with Iswara is the fact that Iswara means Personal God.
This term Isvara appears for the first time in Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra, where the meaning is Personal God.
Among the six systems of Hindu philosophy, early Samkhya and Mimamsa do not consider the concept of Ishvara, i.e., a supreme being, while later Samkhya, Yoga, Vaisheshika,Vedanta and Nyaya believe in the existence of an Ishvara..
It is in origin, The term ‘Shiva’ a nominalized adjective meaning “capable, able, being in control”, like īśa “owning, possessing” derived from a root īś- “to own, possess; rule over”, ultimately cognate with English own (Germanic *aigana-, PIE *aik-). The theological meaning “the Supreme Being” first arises in the Manu Smriti, while īśa is used as a name of Rudra somewhat earlier, in the Shvetashvatara Upanishad(c. 300 BCE), considered the first evidence of the development of that deity, the later Shiva, into a supreme, cosmological god.
In Saivite traditions of Hinduism, the term is used as part of the compound “Maheshvara” (“great lord”) as a name for Shiva. In Mahayana Buddhism it is used as part of the compound “Avalokiteśvara” (“lord who hears the cries of the world”), the name of a bodhisattva revered for her compassion. When referring to divine as female, particularly in Shaktism, the feminine Īśvarī is sometimes used.
According to Purans Shiva is different from Rudra, Rudra being an Amsa, Manifestation of a part of Shiva.
Shiva has been given the following Prime Attributes in terms of functionality,
Visweswara,
Mahadeva,
Triyambaka,
Thripuraanthaka,
(Thrikaakgni) Kaala,
(Kallakgni) Rudra,
Neelakanta,
Mrthuyunjaya,
Sarveswara,
Sadashiva,
Rudra is one among and Chief of 11 Rudras, Ekadasa Rudras,
The Vamana Purana describes the Rudras as the sons of Kashyapa and Aditi.
The Matsya Purana notes that Surabhi – the mother of all cows and the “cow of plenty” – was the consort of Brahma and their union produced the eleven Rudras.
Here they are named Nirriti, Shambhu, Aparajita Mrigavyadha, Kapardi, Dahana, Khara, Ahirabradhya, Kapali, Pingala and Senani – the foremost.[4] The Harivamsa, an appendix of the Mahabharata, makes Kashyapa and Surabhi – here, portrayed as his wife – the parents of the Rudras.[3][5] In another instance in the Mahabharata, it is Dharma (possibly identified with Yama) who is the father of the Rudras and the Maruts.[1]
Rudra, identified with the Puranic Shiva (pictured) is associated with the Rudras.
The Vishnu Purana narrates that Rudra – here identified with Shiva – was born from the anger of the creator-god Brahma.
The furious Rudra was in Ardhanari form, half his body was male and other half female. He divided himself into two: the male and female. The male form then split itself into eleven, forming the eleven Rudras. Some of them were white and gentle; while others were dark and fierce.
They are called Manyu, Manu, Mahmasa, Mahan, Siva, Rtudhvaja, Ugraretas, Bhava, Kama, Vamadeva and Dhrtavrata.
From the woman were born the eleven Rudranis who became wives of the Rudras. They are Dhi, Vrtti, Usana, Urna, Niyuta, Sarpis, Ila, Ambika, Iravatl, Sudha and Diksa. Brahma allotted to the Rudras the eleven positions of the heart and the five sensory organs, the five organs of action and the mind.Other Puranas call them Aja, Ekapada (Ekapat), Ahirbudhnya, Tvasta, Rudra, Hara, Sambhu, Tryambaka, Aparajita, Isana and Tribhuvana.
In one instance in the epic Mahabharata, the Rudras are eleven in number and are named Mrgavadha, Sarpa, Nirriti, Ajaikapad, Ahi Budhnya, Pinakin, Dahana, Ishvara, Kapalin, Sthanu and Bhaga.
While Kapalin is described the foremost of Rudras here, in theBhagavad Gita – a discourse by the god Krishna in the epic – it is Sankara who is considered the greatest of the Rudras. Both Kapalin and Sankara are epithets of Shiva
.In another instance, they are described as sons of Tvastr and named: Vishvarupa, Ajaikapad, Ahi Budhnya, Virupaksa, Raivata, Hara, Bahurupa, Tryambaka, Savitra, Jayanta and Pinakin.
While usually the Rudras are described to eleven, in one instance in the Mahabharata; they are said to be eleven thousand and surrounding Shiva.
The eleven groups of hundred are named: Ajaikapad, Ahi Budhnya, Pinakin, Rta, Pitrrupa, Tryamabaka, Maheshvara, Vrsakapi, Sambhu, Havana and Ishvara..
It seems to me that though Shiva is not mentioned in the Vedas directly,considering the meanings of the Attributes to the Nirguna Brahman,
The Reality, it would seem that the term Shiva is an indicator of the Nirguna Brahman in its entirety without Name and Form but called as Shiva to
enable us to understand the Concept of Nirguna Brahman as Auspicious.
Of all the Paarayanas the Vishnu Sahasranama is the one that granst peace of Mind, apart from bestowing Knowledge to Brahmins, Victory to Kshatriya
, Wealth to Vaisyas and Prosperity to Sudras.
The Vishnu Sahasranam is believed to have been divulged to Arjuna and Yudhistra by Bhishma, the Grand sire of the Mahabharata,a s he lay dying awaiting the arrival of Uttarayana for his death.
His Bhishma was granted a boon to choose his own time of Death as recognition for his having done what one can not do( Bhisma means , one who does what others can not do), that of relinquishing the desire for women in order to ensure that his father could marry a woman he wanted.
Vishnu with Lakshmi
As Bhisma was lying in a bed of arrows prepared for him by Arjuna, Yusdhistra was asked by Lord Krishna to seek the advice of Bhishma on how to run a Government and about Dharma.
On being asked thus, Bhisma looks at Krishna and says,
“Krishna, you are the Lord and the Universe and the Personification of Dharma.
When you are here it would not be proper for me to speak on these highly esoteric Truths.
I am eager to listen to you”
Lord Krishna replies,
‘Son of Ganga, it is most powerful and auspicious if the Dharma is taught by the One who has practiced than by the One who set
Yudhistir asks,however, first, about what would be shortest route to get the auspicious results and by reciting whose name one would get the benefit of reciting the names of all Gods.
Kimekam Daivatham Loke Ki vaapyekam Parayanam’
‘By chanting whose Name shall I get the benefit of chanting all the Gods Names?
What Bhishma taught Yudhistir is the Vishnu Sahasranama.
The Vishnusahasranama as found in the Anushasana Parva of the Mahabharata is the most popular version of the 1,000 names of Vishnu.
3. The person who strung together the thousand names as part of the Mahabharata and preserved it for the world was none other than Sage Veda Vyasa, the foremost knower of the Vedas, who is considered an avatar of Vishnu;
4. Bhishma considered chanting of the Vishnu sahasranama the best and easiest of all dharmas, or the means to attain relief from all bondage;
5. It is widely accepted that the chanting of this Stotram gives relief from all sorrows and leads to happiness and peace of mind;
6. Vishnu sahasranama is in conformity with the teachings of the Gita.”
Adi Sankaracharya, the Advaita enlightened master, in verse 27 of his hymn, Bhaja Govindam, said that the Gita and Vishnu sahasranama should be chanted and the form of the Lord of Lakshmi, Vishnu should always be meditated on.
The line ‘Om Namo Bhagavathe Vaasudeeya’, in the ‘Dhyaaana Sloka was composed by Adi Shankaracharya and it is the identification by which Shankara’s version is easily identified.
He also said that the Sahasranama bestowed all noble virtues on those who chanted it.
Madhvacharya, the Dvaita philosopher, said that the Sahasranama was the essence of the Mahabharata which in turn was the essence of the Shastras and that each word of the Sahasranama had 100 meanings.
Two of the names in Vishnusahasranama that refer to Shiva are “Shiva” (names # 27 and # 600 in Adi Sankara’s commentary) itself, “Shambhu” (name # 38), “Ishanah” (name #6 4), and “Rudra” (name # 114). Most notably, Adi Shankara, according to one interpretation, has not interpreted these to mean that the deity Shiva and the deity Vishnu are the same.[6] Specifically, he asserts that the deity Vishnu is Brahman itself (not just an aspect[disambiguation needed] of Brahmam).[7] Again, he notes that “only Hari (Vishnu) is eulogized by names such as Shiva“,[8] a position consistent with interpretations of the Srivaishnavite commentator Parasara Bhattar. Parasara Bhattar had interpreted Shiva to mean a quality of Vishnu, such as “One who bestows auspiciousness.”.[9] In fact, the Shri Rudram, a sacred prayer for Hindus and devotees of Shiva in particular, describes Vishnu as an aspect of Shiva in the fifth anuvaka.
However, this interpretation of the name Shiva has been challenged by Swami Tapasyananda‘s translation of Sankara‘s commentary on the Vishnusahasranama.
He translates the 27th name, Shiva to mean:”One who is not affected by the three Gunas of Prakrti, Sattva, Rajas,and Tamas;
The Kaivalaya Upanishad says, “He is both Brahma and Shiva.” In the light of this statement of non-difference between Shiva and Vishnu, it is Vishnu Himself Who Is exalted by the praise and worship of Shiva.”
Based on this commonly heldAdvaitan point of view which has been adopted by Smartas, Vishnu and Shiva are viewed as one and the same God, being different aspects of preservation and destruction respectively.
As many Sanskrit words have multiple meanings, it is possible that both Vishnu and Shiva share names in this instance, e.g., the name Shiva itself means “auspicious” which could also apply to Vishnu.
Parasara Bhattar, a follower of Ramanujacharya has interpreted the names “Shiva” and “Rudra” in Vishnu sahasranama to mean qualities or attributes of Vishnu, and not to indicate that Vishnu and Shiva are one and the same God.
Vaishnavas worship Vishnu in his four-armed form, carrying conch, disc, flower and mace in his hands, believing that to be the Supreme form.
However, Smarthas do not subscribe to this aspect or personification of God, as Smarthas say that God is pure and thus devoid of form.
Additionally, they believe that God is not limited by time nor limited by shape and color. Vaishnava traditions are of the opinion that Vishnu is both unlimited and yet still capable of having specific forms, as to give arguments to the contrary (to say that God is incapable of having a form) is to limit the unlimitable and all-powerful Supreme.
In the Sri Vaishnava tradition, the Bhagavad-gita and the Vishnu Sahasranama are considered the two eyes of spiritual revelation.
Based on another verse in the Padma Purana which says that the benefit of chanting the one thousand names of Vishnu can be derived from chanting one name of Rama, and a verse in the Brahma Vaivarta Purana equating the benefit of chanting three names of Rama with one name of Krishna.
However, it is important to realize that those verses in those puranas are not to be interpreted literally, as many believe that there is no difference between Vishnu and Krishna.
These verses can be interpreted as it is more important to have pure bhakti or devotion than merely repeating the many names of God without emotion. Indeed, Shri Krishna Himself said, “Arjuna, One may be desirous of praising by reciting the thousand names. But, on my part, I feel praised by one shloka. There is no doubt about it.”
Within Vaisnavism some groups, such as Sri sampradaya, adhere to and follow the Rig Veda: V.I.15b.3, which states “O ye who wish to gain realization of the supreme truth, utter the name of Vishnu at least once in the steadfast faith that it will lead you to such realization.
![Description English: The iron pillar in the Qutb complex near Delhi, India. Date May 2008 SourceOriginal photograph Author Photograph taken by Mark A. Wilson (Department of Geology, The College of Wooster). [1]](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3f/QtubIronPillar.JPG)
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