Amma chanting slokas and poems

Amma had firm faith in prayer, positive thinking, and the power of the said word. She read the book ‘Your Word is your Wand’, and ‘Positive Thinking” even while we were in Calcutta, ie, way back in ‘70s!

Even the Vedic hymns and various prayers are chanted to spread positive energy, in her opinion. So, she chanted slokas while pottering around the kitchen [maybe that is why her cooking was good], and in last year of her life, when she was bed-ridden, her room would ring with prayers…… Srinath Vishno Nrhuhare Murare and Samudra Vasane Devi in the early mornings….. Sarva Mangala Maangalye at all times and especially if she heard us speak of some mishaps somewhere in the world, as she said that the Divine Mother would ward off all ills…… Benaka Benaka Ekadanta, Pacche kallu, Paani Peetha with a mischievous glint in the eye, as this was a prayer to Lord Ganesha by kids.

When I would check her temperature, or blood sugar reading, and tease her ‘oho, lets see what we get’, she would majestically intone “The Lord is in charge of my affairs, and I have nothing to fear!” This would give me courage. Her bird like bright eyes would follow me around the room, and when I said, “oh, all okay”, she would sigh with pleasure and say “I told you so”, and in case she had high fever, or high blood sugar, she would say “Let them stay with me. Poor things, where will they go?”. Even infections and high sugar would instantly become something to be smiled at, and not feared!

Amma would ask Appa to chant Indrakshi sthothra [by Purandara Rishi] which has the power to cure many illnesses, specially fever. The presiding deity for the sthothra is Indrakshi Durga. The kernel of the chant is Lakshmi, the strength behing the Manthra is Bhuvaneswari and its axis is Bhavani.

Indrakshi Gayathri

Basmayudhaya vidmahe , raktha nethraya deemahi,

Thanno jwarahara prachoidayath

She who can turn everything in to ash,

She who has blood red eyes,

Please take away this fever from me.

Though any other patient in her condition would be happy to be left lying in bed, Amma was a courageous soul who would co-operate with my clumsy attempts to get her off the bed and onto the plastic chair we had bought, so that she could be taken to the bathroom for a bath. She would happily ignore all my shouts [i, in my haste behaved as if I had to move a mountain! ] and start singing some song, or the sloka ‘Gangeche yamune chaiva”.

Bathing is a time when people take a shower to shed the physical impurities and dirt of their body. Following is the Shloka/ Sloka for a Holy Bath, which amma would recite while taking a bath.

"Gange Cha Yamune Chaiva Godavari Saraswati,
Narmada Sindhu Kaveri Jalesmin Sannidhim Kuru"

Meaning: The literal meaning of this mantra is: "In this water, I invoke the presence of divine waters from the rivers Ganga, Yamuna, Godavari, Saraswati, Narmada, Sindhu and Kaveri. These rivers are considered as goddesses and I pray to them for considering me for their blessings.

Significance: God has given us a beautiful life to live and has created this beautiful world. There are massive rivers and oceans in it. Many rivers like, Ganga, Yamuna, Saraswati etc have their own significance. Taking bath in these rivers is considered auspicious. So, reciting this Sloka with a sincere heart brings you the benefit of taking bath in these rivers.

I used to joke to her that even day to day tasks like getting out of bed or having a bath can become occasions for invoking one of our hundreds of gods/goddesses, whereupon she would launch into explanations as to the beauty and inner meaning of the various slokas.

Meenakshi Pancha Ratna was also one of her favourites, as it extolled the Divine Mother.

Udyath bhanu sahasra koti sadrusam, Keyura harojjwalam,
Bimboshtim smitha danthapankthi ruchiram, peetambaralankrutham,
Vishnu brahma surendra sevitha patham, Thathwa swaroopam shivam,
Meenakshmi pranathosmi santhathamaham, karunya vara nithim.

I always bow before that Meenakshi, who is the treasure house of mercy……etc.

Amma would get so enthralled while chanting about the beauty the Devi, or how other gods also prayed to Goddess Shakti, that she would turn rosy and excited like a small child on beholding her favourite toy.

I read somewhere that Krishna being the perfect God [perfect in beauty, perfect in love, perfect as a child and a great warrior], prayer to Him would be good for those who seek to ‘repair’ their bodies. On telling Amma this, I had the opportunity to hear her chant…

“Agre kurunaam atha pandavanam,

Dushasane ahwatha vastra kesha,

Krishnaa tad akrosh tadanya natha,

Govinda, damodara Madavethi., “

When in front of Kurus and Pandavas,
Dushasana dragged her by her clothes and hair,
Angered, Draupadi seeing no other lord,
Called “Oh Govinda, Oh Damodhara,Oh Madhava.”

Oolukhale Sambharitha thandulamsa cha,

Sanghatyayantyo khila gopikaashcha,

Gayanthi gopyo janithanuragha,

Govinda, Damodhara, Madhavethi., 

Pounding the mortar full of grains,
With the pestle again and again,
The Gopis due to their budding love,
Sing “Oh Govinda, Oh Damodara and Oh Madhava.”

Amma would lyrically sing, and enact the single minded love of the gopikas for Krishna, and how they saw Krishna in everything they did….. they even pounded Krishna [grain] and sold Krishna [hawking milk and curds, they shouted “Krishna, Krishna…. Govinda…. Damodara”].

Nearness of death

Amma was near death, and knew it. She would often sing the long forgotten Punyakoti poem, most melodiously [I often wondered at her lung power…… she a patient with asthma, a collapsed lung, and frequent lung infections!!].

This was sung by the mother cow Punyakoti, who had to sacrifice herself to a lion, entreating the other cows in the herd to feed and nurture Punyakoti's calf. Probably all mother sing this poignantly........ but it brought tears to my eyes......

Punyakoti - a forgotten tale

dharaNi manDala madhyadoLage

mereyutiha karNATa dEshadOLiruva

kALinganemba gollana pariyanentu pELvenu

I speak about the cowherd Kalinga residing in the resplendent country of Karnata(ka) within the middle region of the earth .

eLeya mAvina marada kELage koLalnUduta golla gauDanu

baLasi ninda turugaLannu baLige karedanu harushadi

gange bAre gauri bAre tungabhadre tAyi bAre

puNyakOTi nInu bArE endu gollanu karedanu

golla kareda dhwaniya kELi ella hasugaLu bandu nindu

chelli sUsi hAlu kareyalu alli tumbitu bindige

satyavE bhagavantanemba puNyakOTiya katheyidu

Playing his flute under the young mango tree, the cowherd called to the cattle standing around him , “ Ganga (e) come, Gauri come, mother Tungabhadre come, Punyakoti you too come”

On hearing the cowherd’s voice, the cows came closer, and he milked them so that the vessel was filled to the brim.

This is the tale of Punyakoti who believed that Truth is God

habbidA male madhyadoLage arbhutAnendemba vyAghranu

abbarisi hasihasidu beTTada kibbiyoLu tAniddanu

moredu rOshadi guDugutA huli bhOriDuta

chhangane jigidu negeyalu chedari hOdavu hasugaLu

In the middle of the spreading forest, a hungrily roaring tiger named Arbhutan lived in a cave among the mountains

Bellowing and thundering with rage, the tiger in search of a meal leapt and jumped amidst the cattle upon which they ran helter - skelter.

puNyakOTi emba hasuvu tanna kandana nenedukonDu

munna hAlanu koDuvenenuta chendadi tA barutire

indenage AhAra sikkitu endu bEgane dushTa vyAghranu

bandu baLasi aDDagaTTi nindanA hulirAyanu

The cow named Punyakoti, thinking of her child and planning to feed her was coming by . “Today I have found food” thought the wicked tiger and circling the cow he stood blocking her way

mEle biddu ninnanIgale bILahoyvenu ninna hoTTeya

sILibiDuvenu enuta kOpadi khULa vyAghranu kUgalu

ondu binnaha huliye kELu kandaniruvanu doDDiyoLage

ondu nimishadi moleya koTTu bandu sEruve nillige

hasida vELege sikkidoDaveya vashava mADade biDalu nInu

nusuLi hOguve matte baruveya husiya nuDiyuvenenditu

“I will fall upon you and bring you down. I will split your belly” screamed the tiger.

Punyakoti says “Listen Tiger, I have a request. I have a son in the cowshed. I will feed him and return to you in a minute”

“At a hungry time when I have cornered you, if I do not capture you, you will slip away. Will you come back? You are lying” says the tiger

satyavE namma tAyi tande satyavE namma bandhu baLaga

satya vAkyake tappi naDedare mechchanA Jagadeeshanu

satyavE bhagavantanemba puNyakOTiya katheyidu

“Truth is our mother and father. Truth is our near and dear. If the truth is not followed, the Supreme Self will not approve” answers Punyakoti

This is the tale of Punyakoti who believed that Truth is God

kondu tinnuvenemba hulige chendadinda bhAshe koTTu

kanda ninnanu nODi pOguve nendu bandenu doDDige

Ara moleyanu kuDiyalamma Ara baLiyali malagalamma

Ara sEri badukalamma Aru nanage hitavaru

“I have come after promising the tiger who wanted to kill and eat me that I will return to him after seeing you” says Punyakoti to her child

Punyakoti’s calf: “Whose udder shall I drink from? By whose side shall I sleep? With whom shall I live? Who is there to be good to me?”

ammagaLirA akkagaLirA enna tAyoDa huTTugaLirA

kanda nimmavanendu kANiri tabbaliyanI karuvanu

munde bandare hAyabEDi hinde bandare odeyabEDi

kanda nimmavanendu kANiri tabbaliyanI karuvanu

Punyakoti: “Oh mothers and sisters, those born to my mother, please look upon this orphan calf as your own”

“If he comes in front of you, please do not gore him. If he gets behind you kindly do not kick him. Please look upon this orphan as your own child.”

tabbaliyu nInAde magane hebbuliya bAyannu hoguvenu

ibbarA R^iNa tIritendu tabbikonDitu kandana

satyavE bhagavantanemba puNyakOTiya katheyidu

“Son, you have become an orphan. I am going into the mouth of the great tiger. Our bond ends here” Punyakoti hugs her child

This is the tale of Punyakoti who believed that Truth is God

gOvu karuvanu biTTu bandu sAvakAshava mADadante

gaviya bAgila sErinintu tavakadali huligenditu

khanDavideko mAmsavideko gunDigeya bisiraktavideko

chanDavyAghrane nInidellava nunDu santasadindiru

Leaving the calf behind, the cow with no further delay stood in front of the cave door and said anxiously

“Take my flesh, take my meat. Take the warm blood from my heart. Oh fierce tiger, have all this and be happy”

puNyakOTiya mAta kELi kaNNanIranu surisi nondu

kanneyivaLanu kondu tindare mechchanA Jagadeeshanu

enna oDahuTTakka nInu ninna kondu Ena paDevenu

ennutA huli hAri negedu tanna prANava biTTitu

Listening to Punyakoti’s words, the tiger was pained. Shedding tears, he says “If I kill and eat you it will not please God Almighty”

“You are like a sister born with me. What will I gain by killing you?” So saying, the tiger jumped down and gave up his life

satyavE bhagavantanemba puNyakOTiya katheyidu

This is the tale of Punyakoti who believed that Truth is God

* * *

Even now, I can hear my Amma's voice, chanting slokas, singing songs, and generally enlivening the surroundings..... when she was moving about, and even when she was bed ridden during the last year of her life.

Amma reinforced my faith in God, and it is but natural that the last words she uttered were 'Sai Ram.... nanna bittbudu', telling me not to disturb her as it was dinnertime [7.30 pm on 16.8.08] and I was trying to roll her over.

Actually, I was trying to roll amma over to check her blood sugar which was low at 7 pm, to see if she needed further glucose. But in a short time, she breathed her last, peacefully and in her own bed, with Appa holding her hand.

As we are devotees of Sri Satya Sai Baba, we all generally chanted Sai Ram sai ram, and Amma has even composed hymns on Swamy and published it in a book titled "Udaya Raga". The only hymn I knew was "HAalu gadalalli aalad elaymele, leela yalli pavadisiha aadikeshava, Srilola baal gopala, yelailo yelo Belagaittu, narayana, Sai Narayana"

Amma used to love chanting Lakshmi Narasimha Karavalambam. She said that fervent recitation of these hymns on Lord Narasimha (one of the two stotras Adi Sankara composed on Him) will always help one smoothly get over difficulties with the Lord's helping hand.

Srimat payonidhi nikethana chakra pane,

Bhogeendra Bhoga mani ranjitha punya moorthe,

Yogeesa shaswatha saranya Bhavabdhi potha,

Lakshmi Narasimha Mama Dehi Karavalambam.

Oh Great God Lakshmi Narasimha, who lives in the ocean of milk,

Who holds the holy wheel as weapon, who wears the gems of the head,

Of Adhisesha as ornaments, who has the form of good and holy deeds,

Who is the permanent protection of sages, and who is the boat which helps us cross,

This ocean of misery called life,

Please give me the protection of your hands.

S. Lalita Rao