vande shAradAm.h

[Anand Hudli]

 The Goddess, devI is worhipped in Her various forms during
 the first nine days of the month of Ashvina, also called the
 navarAtra. On the seventh, eighth, and ninth days, She is
 worshipped in the form of mahAsarasvatI, the Goddess of learning.
 The chaNDI-pATha, a reading of the durgA-saptashatI (700 verses
 on durgA) is also done on all the nine days.

 shuklAM brahmavichArasAraparamAmAdyAM jagadvyApiniiM
 vINApustakadhAriNImabhayadAM jADyAndhakArApahAm.h |
 haste sphATikamAlikAM cha dadhatIM padmAsane saMsthitAM
 vande tAM parameshvarIM bhagavatIM buddhipradAM shAradAm.h ||

 shuklAM - white complexioned
 brahmavichAra - inquiry into Brahman
 sAra - essence
 paramAM - supreme
 AdyAM - the original
 jagadvyApiniiM - pervader of the world
 vINApustaka - the Veena and book
 dhAriNIM - holder
 abhayadAM - bestower of safety
 jADyAndhakArApahAM - who drives away the darkness of dull intellect
 haste - in the hand
 sphATikamAlikAM - a garland of crystals
 cha - and
 dadhatIM - holding
 padmAsane - seated in a lotus
 saMsthitAM - situated
 vande - I bow to
 tAM - that
 parameshvarIM - the supreme IshvarI
 bhagavatIM - the Goddess
 buddhipradAM - the bestower of intellect
 shAradAM - ShAradA

 I bow to that Highest IshvarI, Goddess ShAradA (Sarasvatii),
 who is white complexioned, who is the supreme essence of the
 inquiry into Brahman, who is the origin of the world and pervades
 it everywhere, who holds the  (musical instrument) Veena (lute) and
 book (in two of Her hands), who (displays the abhayamudra) with
 another hand (indicating that She bestows safety by driving away
 fear), who in ( Her fourth) hand holds a garland made of crsytals,
 who is seated in a lotus, who drives away the darkness of dullness of
 intellect, and who bestows intelligence.

 Another popular verse on sarasvatI:

 yA kundendutushhAra-hAradhavalA yA shubhravastrAvR^itA
 yA vINAvaradaNDamaNDitakarA yA shvetapadmAsanA       |
 yA brahmAchyutashaMkaraprabhR^itibhirdevaiH sadA pUjitA
 sA mAM pAtu sarasvatI bhagavatI niHsheShajADyApahA  ||

 May She, Goddess sarasvatI protect me (from dullness of intellect),
 who is as white as the white jasmine, moon, snow, and garland, who is
 dressed in white clothes, whose hand is adorned by the excellent vINA
 (lute), who is seated in a white lotus, who is always worshipped by
 the gods beginning with BrahmA, ViShNu, and Shiva, and who drives
 away all dullness of intellect.

Anand





______________________________________________________
Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com