Festivals & Observances पर्व एवं व्रत

श्रीराम राम रामेति रमे रामे मनोरमे । सहस्रनाम तत्तुल्यं रामनाम वरानने ॥

śrīrāma rāma rāmeti rame rāme manorame | sahasranāma tattulyaṃ rāmanāma varānane ||

Meaning: “Rāma, Rāma, Rāma” — in this delightful name I rejoice; the name of Rāma, O fair-faced one, equals the thousand names of Viṣṇu.

Benefit: Śiva’s own teaching to Pārvatī: three utterances of the name carry the merit of the whole Sahasranāma.

सर्वमङ्गलमाङ्गल्ये शिवे सर्वार्थसाधिके । शरण्ये त्र्यम्बके गौरि नारायणि नमोऽस्तु ते ॥

sarva-maṅgala-māṅgalye śive sarvārtha-sādhike | śaraṇye tryambake gauri nārāyaṇi namo’stu te ||

Meaning: O auspiciousness of all that is auspicious, O consort of Śiva, accomplisher of every aim, refuge, three-eyed Gaurī, Nārāyaṇī — salutation to you.

Benefit: The best-loved verse of the Caṇḍī — recited for auspiciousness in the home, the fulfilment of rightful wishes and the Mother’s protection.

हिरण्यवर्णां हरिणीं सुवर्णरजतस्रजाम् । चन्द्रां हिरण्मयीं लक्ष्मीं जातवेदो म आवह ॥

hiraṇya-varṇāṃ hariṇīṃ suvarṇa-rajata-srajām | candrāṃ hiraṇmayīṃ lakṣmīṃ jātavedo ma āvaha ||

Meaning: O Jātavedas (Agni), bring to me Lakṣmī — golden-hued, lovely as a doe, garlanded with gold and silver, radiant as the moon.

Benefit: The opening of the Śrī Sūkta — recited with a lamp lit for prosperity, grace, abundance of grain and cattle, and a home where Lakṣmī stays.

कृष्णाय वासुदेवाय हरये परमात्मने । प्रणतक्लेशनाशाय गोविन्दाय नमो नमः ॥

kṛṣṇāya vāsudevāya haraye paramātmane | praṇata-kleśa-nāśāya govindāya namo namaḥ ||

Meaning: Salutations again and again to Kṛṣṇa, son of Vasudeva, Hari, the Supreme Self, Govinda — destroyer of the sorrows of those who bow to him.

Benefit: A prayer of surrender — recited for release from distress and bondage of every kind.

सर्वमङ्गलमाङ्गल्ये शिवे सर्वार्थसाधिके । शरण्ये त्र्यम्बके गौरि नारायणि नमोऽस्तु ते ॥

sarva-maṅgala-māṅgalye śive sarvārtha-sādhike | śaraṇye tryambake gauri nārāyaṇi namo’stu te ||

Meaning: O auspiciousness of all that is auspicious, O consort of Śiva, accomplisher of every aim, refuge, three-eyed Gaurī, Nārāyaṇī — salutation to you.

Benefit: The best-loved verse of the Caṇḍī — recited for auspiciousness in the home, the fulfilment of rightful wishes and the Mother’s protection.

ॐ गं गणपतये नमः ॥

oṃ gaṃ gaṇapataye namaḥ ||

Meaning: Salutation to Gaṇapati, lord of the hosts.

Benefit: Recited before every beginning — removes obstacles and grants success, learning and a steady intellect.

ॐ नमो भगवते वासुदेवाय धन्वन्तरये अमृतकलशहस्ताय सर्वामयविनाशनाय त्रैलोक्यनाथाय श्रीमहाविष्णवे नमः ॥

oṃ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya dhanvantaraye amṛta-kalaśa-hastāya sarvāmaya-vināśanāya trailokya-nāthāya śrī-mahā-viṣṇave namaḥ ||

Meaning: Salutation to the blessed Lord Vāsudeva as Dhanvantari, who holds the pot of nectar, destroyer of all disease, lord of the three worlds, the great Viṣṇu.

Benefit: Recited by physicians and the sick alike — for healing, vitality and a long, healthy life.

मृत्युना पाशदण्डाभ्यां कालेन श्यामया सह । त्रयोदश्यां दीपदानात् सूर्यजः प्रीयतां मम ॥

mṛtyunā pāśa-daṇḍābhyāṃ kālena śyāmayā saha | trayodaśyāṃ dīpa-dānāt sūryajaḥ prīyatāṃ mama ||

Meaning: By this gift of a lamp on the thirteenth, may Yama, son of the Sun — with Death, with noose and staff, with Time and with Śyāmā — be pleased with me.

Benefit: Spoken while the south-facing lamp is set at the threshold at dusk — it guards the household against untimely death.

हिरण्यवर्णां हरिणीं सुवर्णरजतस्रजाम् । चन्द्रां हिरण्मयीं लक्ष्मीं जातवेदो म आवह ॥

hiraṇya-varṇāṃ hariṇīṃ suvarṇa-rajata-srajām | candrāṃ hiraṇmayīṃ lakṣmīṃ jātavedo ma āvaha ||

Meaning: O Jātavedas (Agni), bring to me Lakṣmī — golden-hued, lovely as a doe, garlanded with gold and silver, radiant as the moon.

Benefit: The opening of the Śrī Sūkta — recited with a lamp lit for prosperity, grace, abundance of grain and cattle, and a home where Lakṣmī stays.

कृष्णाय वासुदेवाय हरये परमात्मने । प्रणतक्लेशनाशाय गोविन्दाय नमो नमः ॥

kṛṣṇāya vāsudevāya haraye paramātmane | praṇata-kleśa-nāśāya govindāya namo namaḥ ||

Meaning: Salutations again and again to Kṛṣṇa, son of Vasudeva, Hari, the Supreme Self, Govinda — destroyer of the sorrows of those who bow to him.

Benefit: A prayer of surrender — recited for release from distress and bondage of every kind.

मनोजवं मारुततुल्यवेगं जितेन्द्रियं बुद्धिमतां वरिष्ठम् । वातात्मजं वानरयूथमुख्यं श्रीरामदूतं शरणं प्रपद्ये ॥

manojavaṃ māruta-tulya-vegaṃ jitendriyaṃ buddhimatāṃ variṣṭham | vātātmajaṃ vānara-yūtha-mukhyaṃ śrīrāma-dūtaṃ śaraṇaṃ prapadye ||

Meaning: Swift as the mind, fast as the wind, master of the senses, foremost of the wise, son of the Wind, chief of the vānara host, messenger of Śrī Rāma — in him I take refuge.

Benefit: Recited for courage, strength, protection on journeys and freedom from fear.

हिरण्यवर्णां हरिणीं सुवर्णरजतस्रजाम् । चन्द्रां हिरण्मयीं लक्ष्मीं जातवेदो म आवह ॥

hiraṇya-varṇāṃ hariṇīṃ suvarṇa-rajata-srajām | candrāṃ hiraṇmayīṃ lakṣmīṃ jātavedo ma āvaha ||

Meaning: O Jātavedas (Agni), bring to me Lakṣmī — golden-hued, lovely as a doe, garlanded with gold and silver, radiant as the moon.

Benefit: The opening of the Śrī Sūkta — recited with a lamp lit for prosperity, grace, abundance of grain and cattle, and a home where Lakṣmī stays.

ॐ गं गणपतये नमः ॥

oṃ gaṃ gaṇapataye namaḥ ||

Meaning: Salutation to Gaṇapati, lord of the hosts.

Benefit: Recited before every beginning — removes obstacles and grants success, learning and a steady intellect.

सर्वमङ्गलमाङ्गल्ये शिवे सर्वार्थसाधिके । शरण्ये त्र्यम्बके गौरि नारायणि नमोऽस्तु ते ॥

sarva-maṅgala-māṅgalye śive sarvārtha-sādhike | śaraṇye tryambake gauri nārāyaṇi namo’stu te ||

Meaning: O auspiciousness of all that is auspicious, O consort of Śiva, accomplisher of every aim, refuge, three-eyed Gaurī, Nārāyaṇī — salutation to you.

Benefit: The best-loved verse of the Caṇḍī — recited for auspiciousness in the home, the fulfilment of rightful wishes and the Mother’s protection.

कृष्णाय वासुदेवाय हरये परमात्मने । प्रणतक्लेशनाशाय गोविन्दाय नमो नमः ॥

kṛṣṇāya vāsudevāya haraye paramātmane | praṇata-kleśa-nāśāya govindāya namo namaḥ ||

Meaning: Salutations again and again to Kṛṣṇa, son of Vasudeva, Hari, the Supreme Self, Govinda — destroyer of the sorrows of those who bow to him.

Benefit: A prayer of surrender — recited for release from distress and bondage of every kind.

ॐ नमो भगवते वासुदेवाय ॥

oṃ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya ||

Meaning: Salutation to the blessed Lord Vāsudeva.

Benefit: The dvādaśākṣara — by this mantra the child Dhruva saw the Lord within six months; recited for devotion, protection and liberation.

ॐ त्र्यम्बकं यजामहे सुगन्धिं पुष्टिवर्धनम् । उर्वारुकमिव बन्धनान्मृत्योर्मुक्षीय माऽमृतात् ॥

oṃ tryambakaṃ yajāmahe sugandhiṃ puṣṭivardhanam | urvārukam iva bandhanān mṛtyor mukṣīya mā’mṛtāt ||

Meaning: We worship the three-eyed Lord, fragrant, the nourisher of all; as a ripe gourd is freed from its stalk, may he free us from death, not from immortality.

Benefit: The great death-conquering mantra — japa of 108 for health, long life, recovery from illness and fearlessness.

ॐ घृणिः सूर्य आदित्यः ॥

oṃ ghṛṇiḥ sūrya ādityaḥ ||

Meaning: Oṃ — the radiant one, Sūrya, the son of Aditi.

Benefit: The eight-syllable Sūrya mantra — recited with arghya at sunrise for health, eyesight, vitality and a bright intellect.

ॐ भूर्भुवः स्वः । तत्सवितुर्वरेण्यं भर्गो देवस्य धीमहि । धियो यो नः प्रचोदयात् ॥

oṃ bhūr bhuvaḥ svaḥ | tat savitur vareṇyaṃ bhargo devasya dhīmahi | dhiyo yo naḥ pracodayāt ||

Meaning: We meditate on the adorable radiance of the divine Savitṛ; may he awaken our understanding.

Benefit: The mother of the Vedic mantras — recited at sunrise, noon and sunset for clarity of mind, inner light and the blessing of the Sun.