Maha Lakshmi Ashtakam - Lyrics and Audio

 Maha Lakshmi Ashtakam ( Sloka chanted by Indra)

 Mahalakshmi, who is the consort of Vishnu is worshipped as goddess of wealth by the Hindus. In the beginning of creation she took form from the left side of Vishnu and was later born again from the sea of milk, when the devas churned it for getting nectar. She resides on the chest of Maha Vishnu as Sri Vatsa. It was she who took birth as Seetha and Rukmani. This very simple prayer is very ancient and has been chanted by generations for solving all their problems


Audio



Lyrics with Meanings :

Namosthesthu Maha Maye,Sree peede, sura poojithe!!
Sanka, chakra, Gadha hasthe,Maha Lakshmi Namosthuthe. 1

( Salutations and salutations to Goddess Mahalakshmi*,Who is the great enchantress,Who lives in riches,Who is worshipped by Gods,And who has conch, wheel and mace in her hands.)

Namasthe garudarude,Kolasura bhayam kari,
Sarva papa hare, devi,Maha Lakshmi Namosthuthe. 2

Salutations and salutations to Goddess Mahalakshmi.Who rides on an eagle,Who created fear to Kolasura,And is the goddess who can destroy all sins.)

Sarvagne Sarva varadhe,Sarva dushta Bhayam karee!!
Sarva dukha hare, devi,Maha Lakshmi Namosthuthe. 3

(Salutations and salutations to Goddess Mahalakshmi.Who knows everything,Who can grant any thing,Who appears fearsome to bad people,And is the goddess who can destroy all sorrows.)

Sidhi budhi pradhe devi,Bhakthi mukthi pradayinee!!
Manthra moorthe, sada devi,Maha Lakshmi Namosthuthe. 4

(Salutations and salutations to Goddess Mahalakshmi,Who grants intelligence and occult powers,Who grants devotion to God and salvation,Who can be personified by holy chants,And who is Goddess for ever.)

Adhyantha rahithe, devi,Adhi Shakthi maheswari!!
Yogaje yoga sambhoothe,Maha Lakshmi Namosthuthe. 5

(Salutations and salutations to Goddess Mahalakshmi.Who neither has an end nor beginning,Who is the primeval power,Who is the greates Goddess,Who is born out of hard penance,And who can be personified by meditation.)

Sthoola Sukshma maha roudhre,Maha Shakthi Maho dhare!!
Maha papa hare devi,Maha Lakshmi Namosthuthe. 6

(Salutations and salutations to Goddess Mahalakshmi,Who is micro and also gross,Who is most fearsome,Who is the greatest strength,Who within her holds the worlds,And is the Goddess who can destroy sins.)

Padmasana sthithe, devi,Para brahma swaroopini!!
Para mesi, jagan matha,Maha Lakshmi Namosthuthe. 7

(Salutations and salutations to Goddess Mahalakshmi,Who is the goddess who has the seat of Lotus,Who is the personification of the ultimate truth,Who is Goddess of all,And who is the mother of all the worlds.)

Swethambara dhare, devi,Nanalankara bhooshithe!!
Jagat sthithe, jagan matha,Maha Lakshmi Namosthuthe. 8

Salutations and salutations to Goddess Mahalakshmi,Who wears white cloth,Who wears variety of ornaments,Who is everywhere in the world,And who is the mother of all the worlds.)

Phala SruthiMaha lakmyashtakam stotram,
Ya padeth Bhakthiman nara,
Sarva sidhi mavapnothi,
Rajyam prapnothi sarvadha.

(Those men who read this octet praising Mahalakshmi,With devotion and discipline,Would make all powers as his own,And also would attain the kingdom for ever.)

Yeka kale paden nithyam, maha papa vinasanam,
Dwi kale paden nithyam Dana dhanya samanvitha,
Tri kalam paden nithyam Maha shathru vinasanam,
Maha Lakshmir Bhaven nithyam Prasanna, varada Shubha.

(If this is read daily once, great sins committed would be destroyed,If this is read twice daily, you would be blessed with wealth and grains,If this is read thrice daily, your great enemies would be destroyed,And the goddess Maha Lakshmi would be with you,With happiness, with blessings and with good tidings.

Whoever with devotion recite this hymn to SriMahaa Laxmi, composed in eight stanzas, attains all success through the Grace of Mahaa Laxmi Devi.

Take flowers or unbroken grains of rice in yourhands. Meditate upon the goddess, saying:

YA SA PADMA SANASTHA VIPULA KATI TATI PADMA PATRAYAT AKSI

GAM BHIRA VARTANA BHISTANA BHARANA MITA SUBHRA VASTROTTARIYA

YA LAKSMIR DIVYA RUPA IRMANI GANA KHA CITAIH SNA PITAHEMA KUMBH AIH

SA NITYAM PADMA HASTA MAMA VASATU GRHE SARVA MANGALYAYUKTA SWAHA
 
Laksmi who is seated on a lotus, has eyes as wideas lotus petals, massive hips, deep navel, and heave breasts, wears white upperand lower garments, wears jewelry, is bathed from a golden pitcher, carries alotus in her hand, and is associated with every auspicious sign, let her residein my house.
Drop the flowers and the rice at the feet of the goddess

-Devotionalonly

A Strong Woman Vs a Woman of Strength

  
Today I came across this beautiful article on net while I was searching for some health related info. Got inspired by reading this poem and thought of sharing it with women everywhere . I am sure one who reads this poem will be surely inspired.
Enjoy reading....!!!

      A strong Woman versus a woman of strength   

A strong woman works out every day

to keep her body in shape

but a woman of strength looks deep inside

to keep her soul in shape

A strong woman isn’t afraid

of anything

but a woman of strength shows courage

in the midst of her fear

A strong woman won’t let anyone

get the best of her

but a woman of strength gives the best

of her to everyone

A strong woman makes mistakes

and avoids the same in the future

but a woman of strength realizes life’s mistakes

can also be blessings and capitalizes on them

A strong woman walks

sure footedly

but a woman of strength knows

when to ask for help

A strong woman wears the look

of confidence on her face

but a woman of strength

wears grace

A strong woman has faith

that she is strong enough for the journey

but a woman of strength has faith

that it is in the journey that she will become strong

~Dee Cheeks

Journey Of Baba from Patri to Shiridi

Did any one wonder who were the parents of Shiridi Sai Baba?...where was He actually born?
Well I am sure everybody would have...specially those who have read the books on baba have these question in their minds.

Today we went to a temple in Fremont, where Baba's Prana pratishta was going on and there came an ardent devotee of Baba named vishwanathan from Texas, who narrated the birth and journey of Baba from Patri ( a small village in Maharashtra) to Shiridi and how Baba was born to Ganga Bhavajya and Devagri Amma in Patri with the blessings of Lord Shiva and Parvati. Also that Baba is none other than Lord Shiva himself in the human form.

I was so moved by the story and thought of narrating a summary of  Baba's journey from Patri to Shiridi in my blog today. I have taken some info from net to describe the story.

So blessed were the couple with three children. The third child being Lord Shiva himself.
The child was left in a forest under a banyan tree, as Ganga Bavajya wanted to see Lord Shiva in his true form by performing penance. Devagri Amma, did not know whether to  follow her husband or to take care of the child, decided not to leave her husband and took his path with full of tears leaving the child in the forest.

The child was  raised by a Fakri (mendicant) named Roshan sha and he called him by the name Majida. In those days there were clashes between Hindus and Muslims. Under such conditions, the behavior of this boy used to be peculiar. He would suddenly enter into a temple one day and start yelling, "Rama is God, Shiva is Allah". Both Hindus and Muslims used to admonish and punish him. On seeing this, Roshan Sha’s wife used to suffer a lot. Finally, unable to withstand the complaints against the boy, she decided to hand over the boy to a Sadhu by name Venkusa in a nearby village.Venkusa was a devotee of Lord Venkateshwara. He used to visit temples, Masjids and also Gurudwara. he had no discrimination in terms of cast and creed.
(Example : Raised Baba with the name Majida only)


One day when he visited a temple Sawaghahi Dargah in Ahmedabad, he heard the following words coming from there : "Salaam alekum Maharaj! You are born with a purpose. A hundred miles from Selu Village, there is a another village by name Manwat. There Allah, who is born for setting this world right, is being brought up in a fakir’s house. After you go back to Selu from your pilgrimage, the boy will be brought to you. You must accept this boy as your pupil and teach him . This is God’s work . The boy will be grown up in your care and will become ‘Guru’ for the entire world."

So we can say Venkusa is the Samardha Sadguru of Sai baba. He taught him all the shastras, vedas and gave him all the powers. The boy who was just completing 16 years of age appeared fully mature, with divine powers.Venkusa told the boy that he had done his duty as per God’s decision and the day was not far off when they would be separated


Venkusa wanted to give the boy all the valuable ornaments he was wearing but the boy declined to have them. Instead he requested Venkusa to give him the brick which had hit him on his forehead while saving him (boy) from the murderous attack. Overwhelmed by his request and with tears rolling down from his eyes, Venkusa gave him the brick with his blessings. He wished that the brick alway’s be the boy’s companion and life partner. The boy also requested Guru Venkusa to give him the piece of cloth drenched with blood while cleaning his injury.

Moved emotionally by such a request Venkusa tied the cloth piece around the forehead of the boy and declared that it would protect the boy at all times. He told him to proceed along the banks of river Godavari and the place where he found complete peace would be abode. He also advised him to keep away from women and wealth .


After walking for three days along the banks of River Godavari, the boy reached a place called Kopargaon in the year 1854, Margashira month on the third day after full moon. After taking rest for a day, he again proceeded and reached the village of Shirdi by evening. Not willing to approach anyone for shelter, he began to live under the shade of a big neem tree.

This is the journey of Baba from Patri to Shiridi.
I was very happy to know this story as I was not aware of the life history of Baba and wanted to share this today, so that many would be aware of this.


-----------------Om Sri Dwarakamayi---------------------------

Quick Cravings - Pani puries

 My craving for Pani Puries....always

Who does not like pani puri? and specially when u r in US ...its a craving to have it if u just see a pani puri recipe or read about pani puries.

It was weekend and we went to the grocery store ...saw the pani puri packet there...and I couldn't resist to take one packet. Eventhough we get pani puries here...Hyderabadi pani puri cannot beat any of them here :)

I remembered my cousin Shalu who prepared pani while I was in bangalore. It was so very delicious and tempting ofcourse ...so iI asked her how to make it and she gave me a ready made quick recipe.

Simple and easy - not much fuss about it.

 

Ingredients:

For the Pani: 

Green chillies - 4

Mint - 1 cup

Pani puri masala - 2 tbsp

For the Stuffing:
Boiled chana - 1/2 cup

Boiled potato - 1

Onion - 1

Coriander- handful

pani puri masala - 1 tsp

Method:

1. Make a paste of green chillies and mint. Add it to 4 glasses of water with required amount of black salt (or normal salt) and 2 tbsp pani puri masala.

2. for the stuffing : mix all the above mentioned ingredients, and add pinch of salt. Mix gently.

Enjoy the pani puris..!!!!

Double Century - Our WeDsite

I was going through our wedding pics and found our marriage website. Was very excited to know that we completed 200+ days of our marriage....I pinged Mahesh on gtalk and showed him our marriage wedsite....We totally forgot about this...and were happy to see our site again.

Dipika-Mahesh wedsite.com

Andhra Cauliflower Pickle - Crispy and Tangy

 Andhra pickles always taste spicy and lip smacking . No wonder that there are 100's of variations and varieties in pickles.

I first heard about cauliflower pickle in Hyderabad
When I made this pickle at home, Mahesh loved it extremely and finished one large bottle in just 1 week. Even today he insists me to do cauliflower pickle, when I say that I would try other pickle this time :)

The aroma of ginger- garlic enhances the taste of the pickle. Goes well with parathas and hot rice :)

This pickle was taught to me by my friend Kavita. Later we all gathered at one of my friends place at our apartment and made this pickle . We took step by step clicks, to publish in my blog.

 I told them I would be posting it pretty soon but I took very long time, as my other posts were in queue :(
So today its the Cauliflower pickle turn.

Ingredients: 
 Cauliflower - 1
 Red Chilli  powder - 1/2 cup
Salt - Little less than 1/2 cup
Garlic cloves - 8 - 10
Ginger 1 " - 4 -5
turmeric - 1 tsp
Lime - 1 (small - 2)

(To be roasted slightly and powdered)
 Mustard seeds - 2 Tbsp
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Fenugreek seeds - 1/2 tsp

For Seasoning:
Oil - 5 tbsp
Mustard seeds - 1 tbsp
Curry leaves - 1 sprig
Dried red chillies - 5 -6

Method:
1) Separate the florets  into small pieces , wash them properly and allow it to dry on a clean  napkin cloth and put them in a large  dry bowl.

2) Roast the above  mentioned ingredients (mustard, cumin and fenugreek seeds) and powder them. Grind ginger garlic to a coarse paste.

3) In a bowl mix all the dry ingredients. This helps to taste the mix and modify salt- chilli mixture according to your  taste.
4) Add this mix to the florets.

5) Finally prepare the tempering and allow it to cool for 5 minutes. Add this to the mixture , Squeeze lime juice and keep aside for a day.

6) The pickle leaves the juice and florets shrink a bit. Crispy, tangy and finger licking  pickel will be ready .
Transfer this in an air tight jar and refrigerate it. Stays for about 1-2 weeks.

Marble In The Spoon- Chetan Bhagat

A very inspiring article by Chetan Bhagat :- A very talented Indian Author, who studied at IIT Delhi and then at  IIM-A. I like the way he narrates his stories. I have read all his books and my all time favorite book is "Five Point Someone - What not do at IIT
Here is a wonderful speech given by Chetan @ symbiosis, pune  : Marble in the spoon

Nature designed with a random set of genes and circumstances in which we were born. To be happy, we have to accept it and make the most of nature’s design. Are you? Goals will help you do that. I must add, don’t just have career or academic goals. Set goals to give you a balanced, successful life. I use the word balanced before successful. Balanced means ensuring your health, relationships, mental peace are all in good order.

 There is no point of getting a promotion on the day of your breakup. There is no fun in driving a car if your back hurts. Shopping is not enjoyable if your mind is full of tensions.

 You must have read some quotes – Life is a tough race, it is a marathon or whatever. No, from what I have seen so far, life is one of those races in nursery school, where you have to run with a marble in a spoon kept in your mouth. If the marble falls, there is no point coming first. Same with life, where health and relationships are the marble. Your striving is only worth it if there is harmony in your life. Else, you may achieve the success, but this spark, this feeling of being excited and alive, will start to die. 

One last thing about nurturing the spark – don’t take life seriously.Life is not to be taken seriously, as we are really temporary here. We are like a pre-paid card with limited validity. If we are lucky, we may last another 50 years. And 50 years is just 2,500 weekends. Do we really need to get so worked up? 

It’s ok, bunk a few classes, goof up a few interviews, fall in love. We are people, not programmed devices.

                               Dont be serious , be sincere


 One can read his entire speech at : http://itsfine.wordpress.com/2008/07/24/chetan-bhagats-speech-at-symbiosis/

Foods That Shrink The Stomach

Yesterday I was going through some health related diet plans on net and found this article very interesting. It was about Foods that shrink your stomach :)
And Who doesn't want to reduce the belly fat?

This is a very common problem observed now a days. Many of my friends asked me to post a diet plan related to stomach shrink. So before I could post something on diet menu, I thought of posting first on foods that harm and heal the stomach.

The reason for the belly bulge could be the bloat not the fat. Beat the bloat with a new easy menu.

First let's see which food causes the bloat.


Common salt makes you retain the water, puffing up the belly. Most of us are addicted to salt and an average person consumes double the recommended level. Go easy on salt, shake away the salt shaker.


aerated cool drinks, candy, soda, gum etc. are the foods to be avoided. Once the air reaches the digestive system, it is experienced as gas resulting in bloated belly.


Our stomach does not totally digest the artificial sweeteners found in foods like soft drinks, chewing gum, cereals, candy, cakes etc Bacteria in the large intestine ferment them causing gas and even diarrhea.


High volume foods such as fresh fruits and vegetables, though healthy take up more room in your stomach. It is not a good habit to consume them in large portions. Distribute the consumption over the day.


Constipation makes the belly bloat. Eat the food rich in fiber such as lady's finger, cabbage, cucumber, potato, sprouts, leafy vegetables, broccoli, peas, carrot, cauliflower and fruits such as oranges, grapes, guava, pear, figs, peach, plum etc... Start the day with a breakfast cereal rich in fiber, which gets the digestive system moving.


Foods such as bananas, papaya, tomato sauce, orange, cooked spinach and potatoes rich in Potassium helps the body to flush excess water, reducing the belly bloat.


The imbalance of the bacteria in the digestive tract can cause the digestive system to slow down resulting in bloated belly. Yogurt which contains live bacteria balances the digestive tract, speeds up the digestion.


To shrink the stomach drink more fluids. Women who do not drink sufficient water can get the blown-up belly feeling.


Distribute the consumption of food evenly over the day. Kick the habit of having three meals per day, start eating little quantities every 2 - 3 hours. In this way the food consumed gets digested quick and easy, does not result in belly bulge.

Olive oil helps to burn the fat, lowers the cholesterol.

Instant oatmeal helps in burning the belly fat.

A Tribute To Mothers - Happy mothers Day

What is a Mother? 
A mother is  someone who guides and inspires.
She helps us  to attain our dreams and desires.
Wisdom and  insight are part of her way,
and her faith  in her children brightens their days.

All  mothers are rich when  they love their children.  There are no poor  mothers, no ugly ones,  no old ones. Their  love is always the  most beautiful of joys.

—Maurice Maeterlinck (1862-1949)

What a mother can do … 

My  mother said to me,  "If you become  a soldier, you'll be  a general; if you  become a monk, you'll  end up as the pope."  Instead I became a  painter and wound up  as Picasso.

      The boy's mother read the note and said, "My son Tom isn't 'too stupid to learn.' I'll teach him myself." And so she did.
      When Tom died many years later, the people of the United States of America paid tribute to him by turning off the nation's lights for one full minute. You see, this Tom had invented the light bulb—and not only that, but motion pictures and the record player. In all, Thomas Edison had more than one thousand patents to his credit. 
A partially deaf boy came home from school one day carrying a note from officials at the school. The note suggested that the parents take the boy out of school, claiming that he was "too stupid to learn."

My mother  was the making of me. 

—Thomas A. Edison (1847-1931)



This is a beautiful telugu song on mother, which I dedicate it to my Mom.
Happy mother's day Amma...

Truly Inspirational : No arms, no limbs and no worries

Nick Vujicic - No arms, no limbs , no worries ..and yet he is happy...!!!!
Loves the way he is and loves living his life to the fullest
- Life without limits says Nick.
 No words - have a look at this video

Bhagyada Lakshmi Baramma Song + Lyrics

 Bhagyada Lakshmi Baramma is a beautiful Kannada devotional song, composed by Shri Purandara Dasa on Goddess Lakshmi.
You will find this song in every house during Lakshmi pooja...
I have loaded two songs:   sung by  Bhimsen Joshi and other by MS Subbalakshmi.









Lyrics :

Pallavi
Bhagyada Lakshmi Baramma Nammamma Ni Sau

Caranam 1

Hejjaya Mele Hhejjeyanikkuta Gejje Kalgala Dhvaniya Toruta
Sajjana Sadhu Pujeya Velege Majjigeyolagina Benneyante

Caranam 2

Kanaka Vrstiya Kareyuta Bare Mana Kamanaya Siddhiya Tore
Dinakara Koti Tejadi Holeva Janakarayana Kumari Vedha

Caranam 3

Attittalagalade Bhaktara Maneyali Nitya Mahotsava Nitya Sumangala
Satyava Toruva Sadhu Sajjanara Cittadi Holeva Puttali Bombe

Caranam 4

Sankhye Illada Bhagyava Kottu Kankana Kaiya Tiruvuta Bare
Kunkumankite Pankaja Locane Venkataramanana Binkada Rani

Caranam 5

Sakkare Tuppada Kaluve Harisi Shukravaradha Pujaya Velage
Akkareyulla Alagiri Rangana Cokka Purandara Vithalana Rani

Types of fat and which is the best?

These days I am spending my time on learning keyboard (Electric Piano)..n playing Tennis.

I love to explore a lot many things and try to learn new always....apart from just blogging...:P 

So I kept my blog aside for 2 days and practiced two songs:Hrudayam ekkada unnadi and piyu bole on my own....with Mahesh's support. 

Will be posting my Piano experiences soon..!!!

Meanwhile have a look at a few health tips..

Types of fat and which is the best?

 1. Highly Recommended for Health:-

1. Olive Oil - The best of all oils. It does not absorb in our body.
2. Fish Oil - Omega 3 (contained in NI's Circulytes) haspoly-unsaturated fat. It's good for our brain cells.
3. Peanut Oil - It contains Vitamin E. A small dosage is recommended only.

2. Not Recommended for Health

1. Vegetable Fat - Palm oil is worst than coconut oil. It is high in cholesterol and highly unsaturated.
2. Coconut Oil - It has saturated fat.

Specific Food & Beverages

1 Egg when eaten too much can cause High Colon Cancer. Risk Ovary Cancer, Prostate Cancer.

2 Cabbage is highly recommended for health reason.

3 Tomato is best eaten raw with a bit of olive oil for better absorption. Other alternative is to take tomato sauce.

4 Coffee is good because it contains 2 anti-oxidants. Inhaling the coffee aroma for half each day is equivalent to eating two oranges a day. However, the residue of over-burned coffee is extremely bad for health. It can cause cancer.

5 Tea, as long as it is in its original tea leaves and not processed into BOH or Lipton packets, it is good for health. Tea contains 30 anti-oxidants. Recommended dosage is 4 cups a day

 Exercise and be fit

Have a balanced lifestyle. Exercise regularly. 

F : Frequency: 3 to 5 times a week.

I : Intensity: Exercise till we sweat and breath deeply.

T : Types of exercises: Find one that suits our age, lifestyle, etc. 

Have regular check-up

Once we reach the age of 45 & above, it is recommended that we go for regular comprehensive health examination. Early detection may save lives.

So get set go....