I am back in Chicago from today. Great trip – came primarily to spend time with my parents, which I did fully this time. It was hot, hotter and hottest temperature but managed to sail through this….
During this trip, I came across many conversations and incidents/people and realize that there has been a very increased fear of black magic that has increased the worship of Goddess Varahi, Goddess Prathyangara and Meru worship etc. While I am not saying don’t worship any of these goddesses, I am only saying, please take proper precaution before you do something. Goddess Varahi is the chief of staff for Lalitha – she is extremely a beautiful goddess, which gives us all benefits – no doubt. For instance, the mula mantra of Varahi should not be chanted during day. While I was in India, in one of the TV channels, they were showing an abishekam video and the mula mantra chanting on the background! Besides any mula mantra should be given to us by a guru who has a good lineage and credibility – this applies to any devata – be it Ganapathy. Google or some hearsay can’t be or shouldn’t be trusted.
Same applies for Meru worship too….I happened to visit my someone’s place who has a meru to drive away negativity etc. That person ended up getting on his own from a store and started doing kunguma Archanai. He did not even know the right vs wrong way of keeping it. If a Sri Chakram is kept in a wrong way, that itself will cause enough problems. Please see what Mahaperiyava has to say about Sri Chakram (which is a 2-D version of meru) – English – Tamil . Very simply put – never buy meru on your own. If someone gives it to you, do not accept if you do not know what to do. It is not a decorative piece in your swami room. Same applies to Sri Chakram.
In order to drive any negativity, we do not need meru – a Rama Nama can drive away everything. During my conversation with that friend, I told that as Mahaperiyava devotees, we have nothing to fear as He is always with us to protect. What we lack is that bhavam and belief on our own mantras/stotrams etc….Once we know that He is always with us, how can black magic work against Him? We have Ganapathy,Rama, Krishna, Kamakshi, Sivan etc – do ashtotram, sing bhajans, thevaram, thiruvasagam, kolaru pathigam etc.
Use extreme caution while dealing with Sri Chakram, Meru or any devatas that require special attention etc.
I may not be an expert in this area but know enough to identify if someone is doing it wrong. My intention of this posting is only to caution against things that we might accidentally do wrong…
Let us listen to Mahaperiyava’s advices.
Periyava sharanam.
Categories: Announcements
thank you so much for this mesage, kamakshi amma has led me here, i was very in bhakthi in amma that i wanted to buy a meru and was searching for one, but i found your mesage and now i have understood, thank you for the message again
Good that you did not buy. Meru/Sri Chakram should come to you from a guru- you should not buy it. Until you find a guru with Amma’s blessings, continue your bakthi and prayers to Her through thousands of slokas/stuthis etc.
kaamam, krodham, lobam, mogam, madham, maachariyam. We should avoid these 6 things for this worship. Hence inner purity will come
I find this really misleading. Varahi is not a goddess to fear worship. If have a pure heart and utter her name in full beilef she blesses and protects. I have felt it in my life several times. I have prayed during the day or whenever i feel like praying to her. Any God or divine forces will bless if prayed with pure belief and devotion.
So stop scaring people.
Hi Varaji,
I started praying to varahi amman after I noticed that prayers are done for her in temple on panchami days. Since then I have been visiting temples on panchami days and offered her flowers and pomegranate and do archanai. I also started praying to her at home every evening around 7-8 pm. That is my usual evening prayer time. I googled and got a few varahi malas from youtube and started singing those during prayers. The priest at the temple told me that I should check if varahi is my athi devathai. If she is not, then no matter how much prayers I do, she will not bless me. I’m really confused.
Apt warning.. for dvijas who do sandhyopasana no such issues will arise. Those who don’t do shud start sandhyopasana and it shud be enough. Others can chant NAMA OF NARASIMHA
Much has been said on this topic.
Mahaperiyavaa has repeatedly stressed that 100% inner purity is a MUST before we embark on such ritualistic worship of Meru and Sri Chakra.
Without inner purity. and self-control over oneself, such worships will drag the worshiper to doom.
I have seen several such devotees starting off with much pomp and grandeur, and slowly their ego and greed gets multiplied and after some time, they fall into the pit.
Without Inner Purity, there is nothing we can achieve in the realm of Spirituality through such rituals.
So let us stick to constantly improving upon our ethical and moral values and stick to ‘Namasmarana’
As and when we reach the appropriate stage, then Mahaperiyava will guide us to higher mode of worship (if at all it is required).
Thanks a lot for your reply. Please can you share details of doing shodashopachara pooja for Kamakshi ambal Vigraham. It will be helpful to me
Sir, What is the appropriate way to do RAMANAMA japa? Do I need a guru to initiate me to do RAMA Nama Japa? Or without a guru, is it enough if I recite only RAMA, RAMA, 108 times daily. Or do I have to say, SRIRAMAJAYAM, SRIRAMAJAYAM, 108 times daily, Instead of saying RAMA, RAMA, is it advisable to write RAMA, 108 times? Please advise.
Thank you
Sakuntala
Namaskaram,
As Sri Periyava has mentioned in Deivathin Kural, it is always advisable to get Bhagawan Nama or Mantra deeksha from a Guru. However, you do not have to wait till that time. Adiyen had the great Bhagyam to have the darshan and interaction of some of the great Bhagawan Nama Japa exponents; Sri Sri Krishna Premi Anna, Pujyasri Guruji Amma, Guruji Gopalavallidasar. Here are a couple of few key takeaways:
1. There is no need to count Nama Japa. If you are chanting Rama or Siva nama just keep chanting without keeping track of the count. The man upstairs will take care of the count. Same goes for writing. However there is nothing wrong in counting, it just becomes business like.
2. There is no appropriate way to chant Bhagawan Nama. There are ABSOLUTELY no rules or restrictions. We can and SHOULD chant wherever and whenever you want 24×7, 365. It can and should be chanted even in restrooms and during all Theetu times. Care MUST be exercised before we start chanting mantras (anything that starts with Om or ends with Namaha)
I can go on but the above should get you started, What is stated above is inline with Deivathin Kural. Rama Rama
Jai Ma
Pranam
SriSri Ramachandra has said that His special mission is to save those who take refuge in Him, Yuddhakanda, Valmiki Ramayana, by saying, tavAsmi, i am YOURS.
It may be difficult sincerely to say “i am YOURS (100%)” for most of us, but if we can sincerely say that ” i am trying, but at this point cannot sincerely say ‘i am YOURS 100% but am going to keep trying hard’ it is a good start. Same thing exactly with SriSri Mahaswamigal, total sincerity.
God sees the heart, and cannot be bought with set numbers of anything. Sri Ramakrishna often used to warn that God is not a market commodity, like spinach, that can be purchased by “throwing down a few coins”. Sri Ma Anandamayi would say that God gladly gives everything, except Him/Herself, BUT it is entirely possible that GOD would choose to take you into His/Her Lap. That is something done without any condition, not purchased with any set of japas, rituals, etc.
So, pursuant to the suggestion to just chant the Names of God with great love, the thought, ‘i am YOURS’ can also be cultivated.
Pranam
Hare Srinivasa
Dear Sri Mahesh,
Added to your suggestion of ‘Rama Nama’ and so many other Stotrams what can act as a shield – Nrusimha Kavacham, Kanda Sashti Kavacham, Shanmuga Kavacham, Varaha Kavacham etc.
The state of fear mentioned above is a sad reflection of the fact that we have, as a society discontinued daily chants of Sahasranamam and Trikala Sandhyavandhanam interspersed with Gayathri Japam.
Not so long ago, these were routine across many families- I have seen my late Grandfather doing the above – daily with staunch regularity. The result was the all round well being of the whole family apart from absolute peace around the family. Today when I see, at times, either me or my cousins going through regular difficulties I remember these routines of my Grandfather (which a few years ago led me to re-start Sandhyavandhanam thrice a day).
Simply put – WHERE Gayathri is there, PERIYAVA is there. WHERE PERIYAVA is there, there is no job for other unwanted energies!
Fear of “other things” are often a direct result of discontinuing “our dharma”.
(We must meet the next time you are here – been in touch for years now without meeting).
Can we chant 25 names of Lalitha Maha Tripurasundari, 16 names of Shyamala Devi and 12 names of Varahi Devi from Lalitopakhyanam during pooja. I have a Kamakshi amman Vigraham at my home and doing pooja
Yes…Very much
Thanks a lot for your reply. Please can you share the details of doing shodashopachara pooja for Kamakshi ambal Vigraham. It will be helpful to me
A right piece of caution and the need to revere the age old practice of initiation of a disciple by a competent guru for any type of upaasana. As rightly said, Nama Japam, is good enough and practical step. Even here initiation by a guru is valuable. For people eligible to do, Tri kala Sandhya vandhanam and Gayatri Japam is more than abundant. In fact, for such people our Acharyal advises to do 1000 Gayatris at least on Sundays, or any other weekly a holiday apart from the daily Nithya Karmanushtanam. In fact if this is done daily well and good.To do 1008 Gayatri Japam it takes about an hour and a half. This could be done suitable to one’s convenience as often as possible.
Very well said. If people do regular Sandhya Vandanam with as amny gaytris as possible, it should take care of all the negativeness.
Well said Sir .. additionally Sri Mahesh has been re-iterating on Sunday Sahasra Gayathri often times via this blog. What more do we need?
Thank you for this article. I am so surprised and disappointed to see shops and amazon.com selling Meru. Meru worship needs first a person who is capable of such a worship and proper initiation.
Very true, we have to be careful in worshipping powerful Goddess. I am even scared to go to some Powerful Mariyyaman or Kali koil and can’t see the Thee Midi worship etc.
very true and rightly said about all these worships. Now a days many of the things have become a play and considered another song and playing all day in a shop especially Gayathri mantram and other moola mantram. Individuals have to be aware of what is good or bad to take a right approach.it is good to take the advise of family Guru’s when starting something new like Meru pooja.
Thank you very much Anna.
Right advice. In the first sloka in PRACHNOTRA RATHNA MALIKA of Sri Adi Sankara, it is stated that we have to follow the GURU VACHANAM. Janakiraman. Nagapattinam
Please give the correct method of Meru worship
why do you need a meru? Pl explain
Correct question Mahesh..,.,
Jai Ma
Jai M