Friday, November 13, 2009

NARAYANEEYAM SLOGAM -Dasakam: 1

॥ ॐ नमो भगवते वासुदेवाय ॥॥ ॐ श्रीकृष्णाय परब्रह्मणे नम: ॥
Narayaneeyam has its own efficacies like relief from illness, happy family life, good progeny and the good fortune to be wealthy. One will attain good health, long life and realize one’s dreams if one chants these slokas with full awareness of their meaning.Whenever i am depressed or I am in worries I used to read Narayaneeyam . I read it so many times.When now I began to read again Narayaneeyam and it just occurred to me that I must translate Narayaneeyam into English, I began immediately I refer meaning for slogas from Late Brahmasree Sengalipuram Anantharama Deekshidar has given Bhagavatham and Narayaneeyam Discourses in Tamil. Learning the language of prayer is not very easy ......and that was the toughest lesson I learnt . I am not a scholar in Sanskrit. With Guruvayoorappan’s blessings i am trying to translate .. May He bless us
Dasakam: १ Shlokam: 1
Lord Krishna in the holy shrine of Guruvayoor is the greatest good fortune of mankind in this Kali Yuga:
॥ ॐ नमो भगवते वासुदेवाय ॥॥ ॐ श्रीकृष्णाय परब्रह्मणे नम: ॥
सान्द्रानन्दावबोधात्मकमनुपमितं कालदेशावधिभ्यां
निर्मुक्तं नित्यमुक्तं निगमशतसहस्रेण निर्भास्यमानम् ।
अस्पष्टं दृष्टमात्रे पुनरुरुपुरुषार्थात्मकं ब्रह्म तत्वं
तत्तावद्भाति साक्षाद् गुरुपवनपुरे हन्त भाग्यं जनानाम् ॥ १ ॥

SaandraanandaavabOdhaatmakamanupamitaM kaaladeshaavadhibhyaaM
nirmuktaM nityamuktaM nigamashatasahasreNa nirbhaasyamaanam .
aspaShTaM dR^iShTamaatre punarurupuruShaarthaatmakaM brahma tatvaM
tattaavadbhaati saakshaadgurupavanapure hanta bhaagyaM janaanaam .. १
The Brahma Tatwa ,which is dense concentrated Bliss, which is of the nature of the Pure Consciousness, This Brahma Tatwa which is not easy to grasp. Even the Vedas cannot fully comprehend or describe it but it can be attained through single minded devotion by the true Bhakthas of Lord Krishna in the Guruvaayur temple. Oh! What good fortune for the people who seek thy Grace.
 Slogam-2Dasakam-1
एवंदुर्लभ्यवस्तुन्यपि सुलभतया हस्तलब्धे यदन्यत्
तन्वा वाचा धिया वा भजति बत जन: क्षुद्रतैव स्फुटेयम् ।
एते तावद्वयं तु स्थिरतरमनसा विश्वपीड़ापहत्यै
निश्शेषात्मानमेनं गुरुपवनपुराधीशमेवाश्रयाम: ॥ २ ॥

evaM durlabhyavastunyapi sulabhatayaa hastalabdhe yadanyat
tanvaa vaachaa dhiyaa vaa bhajati bata janaH kshudrataiva sphuTeyam .
ete taavadvayaM tu sthirataramanasaa vishvapiiDaapahatyai
nishsheShaatmaanamenaM gurupavanapuraadhiishamevaashrayaamaH .. 2
Although Common mortals are so easily accessible to all, due to their intrinsic lowly nature, people, pursue other worldly things with their body speech and mind go in pursuit of worldly pleasures. May we all realize our craziness and worship with complete faith for the total eradication of all our suffering and we have to believe who is the incarnation of the entire soul of all beings of the universe, Lord of Guruvaayur alone can alleviate all our sorrows.
Dasakam: 1 Shlokam: 3
The great sage Vyaasa has identified Lord in the form of Suddha Sathva:
सत्त्वं यत्तत् पराभ्यामपरिकलनतो निर्मलं तेन तावत्
भूतैर्भूतेन्द्रियैस्ते वपुरिति बहुश: श्रूयते व्यासवाक्यम्।
तत् स्वच्छ्त्वाद्यदाच्छादितपरसुखचिद्गर्भनिर्भासरूपं
तस्मिन् धन्या रमन्ते श्रुतिमतिमधुरे सुग्रहे विग्रहे ते ॥ ३ ॥
sattvaM yattat paraabhyaamaparikalanatO nirmalaM tena taavat
bhuutairbhuutendriyaiste vapuriti bahushaH shruuyate vyaasavaakyam .
tat svachChatvaadyadachChaadita parasukhachidgarbhanirbhaasaruupaM
tasmin dhanyaa ramante shrutimatimadhure sugrahe vigrahe te .. 3
The great sage Vyaasa has identified Lord in the form of Suddha Sathva . which compared to the other two Gunas (Rajas and Tamas) That Satva Guna is absolutely pure . From such pure Satva guna,Thy form was born. It is thus stated by sage Vyaasa, again and again, in many scriptures.Lord form because of such purity, Contemplation of this pure divine is supremely resplendent.I n that form is pleasurable to the mind and ears . In that form the fortunate ones can reveal.

Dasakam: 1 Shlokam: 4
Thy other part of All incarnation:
निष्कम्पे नित्यपूर्णे निरवधिपरमानन्दपीयूषरूपे
निर्लीनानेकमुक्तावलिसुभगतमे निर्मलब्रह्मसिन्धौ ।
कल्लोलोल्लासतुल्यं खलु विमलतरं सत्त्वमाहुस्तदात्मा
कस्मान्नो निष्कलस्त्वं सकल इति वचस्त्वत्कलास्वेव भूमन् ॥ ४ ॥
NiShkampe nityapuurNe niravadhiparamaanandapiiyuuSharuupe
nirliinaanekamuktaavalisubhagatame nirmalabrahmasindhau .
kallOlOllaasatulyaM khalu vimalataraM sattvamaahustadaatmaa
kasmaannOniShkalastvaM sakala iti vachastvatkalaasveva bhuuman..4
Oh Lord! You are ever full, changeless, unchanging form of Suddha Sathva and of the nature of giving supreme happiness to all true devotees unlimited. innumerable liberated souls are absorbed in Thy Brahmic bliss and embedded like pure pearls in the waves of this ocean. hence it is extremely resplendent. Thine as Lord Krishna can be called the only complete one. Hence why cannot Thou be called as Poorna-avataar (Nishkalaa)?

Dasakam: 1 Shlokam: 5
Thy glance alone can activate Maya
निर्व्यापारोऽपि निष्कारणमज भजसे यत्क्रियामीक्षणाख्यां
तेनैवोदेति लीना प्रकृतिरसतिकल्पाऽपि कल्पादिकाले।
तस्या: संशुद्धमंशं कमपि तमतिरोधायकं सत्त्वरूपं
स त्वं धृत्वा दधासि स्वमहिमविभवाकुण्ठ वैकुण्ठ रूपं॥५॥
NirvyaapaarO(a)pi niShkaaraNamaja bhajase yatkriyaamiikshaNaakhyaaM
tenaivOdeti liinaa prakR^itirasatikalpaa(a)pi kalpaadikaale .
tasyaaH samshuddhamamshaM kamapi tamatirOdhaayakaM satvaruupaM
sa tvaM dhR^itvaa dadhaasi svamahimavibhavaakuNTha vaikuNTha ruupam .. 5
Oh Birthless Guruvayoorappa! Even though you are not bound by any activities, are without any motive,Thou Even without any action or reason you activate Maya. Because of that only Maya manifests itself if nonexistent in the beginning of a new cycle of creation. Then, form an absolutely pure part which does not obstruct Thy glory of the Saatvic form. Thou O Lord of Vaikuntha! manifests itself as Maya or Prakruthi in full glory, with a Divine form.
Dasakam: 1 Shlokam: 6

People who meditate on Thy divine form which is more beautiful :
तत्ते प्रत्यग्रधाराधरललितकलायावलीकेलिकारं
लावण्यस्यैकसारं सुकृतिजनदृशां पूर्णपुण्यावतारम्।
लक्ष्मीनिश्शङ्कलीलानिलयनममृतस्यन्दसन्दोहमन्त:
सिञ्चत् सञ्चिन्तकानां वपुरनुकलये मारुतागारनाथ ॥६
Tatte pratyagradhaaraadhara lalita kalaayaavalii kelikaaraM
laavaNyasyaikasaaraM sukRaitijanadRaishaaM puurNa puNyaavataaram .
lakshmii nishshanka liilaa nilayanamamRsitasyanda sandOhamantaH
si~nchat sa~nchintakaanaaM vapuranukalaye maarutaagaaranaatha...6
Oh Guruvayurappa ! I Thy form excels in the beauty of the fresh rain bearing clouds, and of a beautiful bunch of blue kayam flowers. Thy form is an embodiment of beauty, in the eyes of the people who have done all their good deeds in complete incarnation. Thou are the abode where Goddess Lakshmi plays uninhibitedly becomes the source for pouring flow of nectarine Bliss which being the abode of beauty, is the ultimate haven of all true devotees; On that form of Thine I continuously meditate.

Dasakam: 1 Shlokam: 7
कष्टा ते सृष्टिचेष्टा बहुतरभवखेदावहा जीवभाजा-
मित्येवं पूर्वमालोचितमजित मया नैवमद्याभिजाने।
नोचेज्जीवा: कथं वा मधुरतरमिदं त्वद्वपुश्चिद्रसार्द्रं
नेत्रै: श्रोत्रैश्च पीत्वा परमरससुधाम्भोधिपूरे रमेरन्॥७॥
kaShTaa te sR^iShTicheShTaa bahutarabhavakhedaavahaa jiivabhaajaa-
mityevaM puurvamaalOchitamajita mayaa naivamadyaabhijaane .
nOchejjiivaaH kathaM vaa madhurataramidaM tvadvapushchidrasaardraM
netraiH shrOtraishcha piitvaa paramarasasudhaambhOdhipuure rameran .. 7
O invincible Lord, Earlier, in my ignorance, I had thought that Thy activity of creation was unkind, as it causes a lot of sufferings to the living beings. but now I realise how wrong I was. if there were no creation, how could human beings revel in the ocean of supreme bliss enjoy the beauty and sweetness of Thy form which is Exceedingly delightful to hear and thus revel in the ocean of Supreme-Bliss-Conciousness.

Dasakam: 1 Shlokam: 8
Lord Krishna Gives all Benefits
नम्राणां सन्निधत्ते सततमपि पुरस्तैरनभ्यर्थितान -
प्यर्थान् कामानजस्रं वितरति परमानन्दसान्द्रां गतिं च।
इत्थं निश्शेषलभ्यो निरवधिकफल: पारिजातो हरे त्वं
क्षुद्रं तं शक्रवाटीद्रुममभिलषति व्यर्थमर्थिव्रजोऽयम्॥८॥
namraaNaaM sannidhatte satatamapi purastairanabhyarthitaana-
pyarthaan kaamaanajasraM vitarati paramaanandasaandraaM gatiM cha .
itthaM nishsheShalabhyO niravadhikaphalaH paarijaatO hare tvaM
kshudraM taM shakravaaTiidrumamabhilaShati vyarthamarthivrajO(a)yam .. 8
Oh Guruvayurappa !yor are like parijatha tree [parijaata: a heavenly flower]. which is ready to shower on us all that we desire and granting freedom to wretched souls and giving moksha. But due to ignorance people pursue worldly belongings and sensual pleasuresand long for parijatha tree In Indhra’s Garden. when the Kalpaka Vriksha . [Kalpaka: a wish fulfilling tree]in the form of Lord Krishna is waiting to grant them salvation.
Dasakam: 1 Shlokam: 9
कारुण्यात्काममन्यं ददति खलु परे स्वात्मदस्त्वं विशेषा-
दैश्वर्यादीशतेऽन्ये जगति परजने स्वात्मनोऽपीश्वरस्त्वम्।
त्वय्युच्चैरारमन्ति प्रतिपदमधुरे चेतना: स्फीतभाग्या-
स्त्वं चात्माराम एवेत्यतुलगुणगणाधार शौरे नमस्ते॥९॥
kaaruNyaatkaamamanyaM dadati khalu pare svaatmadastvaM visheShaa-
daishvaryaadiishate(a)nye jagati parajane svaatmanO(a)piishvarastvam .
tvaiyyuchchairaaramanti pratipadamadhure chetanaaH sphiitabhaagyaa-
stvaM chaatmaaraama evetyatulaguNagaNaadhaara shaure namaste .. 9
O Lord Shri Krishna! While other gods out of compassion, fulfill the desires of their devotees. While other gods rule over the world with the powers invested in them, Thou are the very inner controller of all and rule over all beings and other gods as well as Thyself. Thou are ever satisfied in Thyself are the abode of incomparable attributes. Thou the ruler of Thyself .O Lord! Who does confer Bliss every moment to those enlightened souls who are very fortunate and Thou revel in Thyself alone.
Dasakam: 1 Shlokam: 10
Guruvaayurappan is the fittest One for the title of “Bhagavan.”
ऐश्वर्यं शङ्करादीश्वरविनियमनं विश्वतेजोहराणां
तेजस्संहारि वीर्यं विमलमपि यशो निस्पृहैश्चोपगीतम्।
अङ्गासङ्गा सदा श्रीरखिलविदसि न क्वापि ते सङ्गवार्ता
तद्वातागारवासिन् मुरहर भगवच्छब्दमुख्याश्रयोऽसि॥१०॥
AishvaryaM shankaraadiishvaraviniyamanaM vishvatejOharaaNaaM
tejassanhaari viiryaM vimalamapi yashO nispRaihaishchOpagiitam .
angaasangaa sadaa shriirakhilavidasi na kvaapi tee sangavaartaa
tadvaataagaaravaasin murahara bhagavachChabdamukhyaashrayO(a)si .. 10
O Lord Guruvaayurappa! By addressing the Lord as “Murahara " or “ the destroyer of Mura", Your supremacy is in controlling all other Gods beginning withSankara. all others who excel in valour in the whole Universe. Thy pure fame is sung by even the most desireless sages. Laxmi Devi always resides in Thy bosom. Thou are omniscient. Therefore, Lord of Guruvayoor! You are the fittest One for the title of “Bhagavan.”

Narayana Bhattatiri


The devotional epic, Narayaneeyam, was composed by Melpathur Narayana Bhattatiri,in the ninth decade of the 16th century A.D. Bhattathiri was born circa 1560 A.D. in a Namboothiri Brahmin family of Kerala, at a place close to the famous temple at Tirunavayi, on the banks of river Bharatpuzha. His father taught him the Mimamsa and the various Sastras. he is said to have mastered the ancient Hindu scriptures, Vedas, Vedangas, etc and studied Mimamsa, Vyakarana (grammar), Tarka (logic), and other subjects, all by the age of sixteen years.He married at the age of 18-20,the niece of Achuta Pisharadi, a celebrated grammarian.


Sri. Bhattathiri after marriage became very lazy and ignored even his Nithya Anushtana etc. It was really surprising to his wife’s uncle Sri. Pisharodi- who was a good Sanskrit -Vyakarana /Grammar teacher. Sri. Bhattathiri would be sleeping when Sri. Pisharodi’s classes were going on . One day Sri. Pisharodi out of compassion and sadness told Sri. Bhattathiri thus “ EVEN AFTER GETTING A GOOD MAASUSHA/BRAHMANA JANMA AND HAVING LEARNT VEDAS YOU ARE WAISTING YOUR TIME ONLY IN WORLDLY PLEASURES. WHY DON’T YOU REALISE THAT.” These words uttered by Sri. Pisharodi before his students had a telling effect on him. The great Achyuta Pisharadi scolded him in the presence of his students for his irreligious life .It touched his heart very much and as a result,he then and there accepted Achyuta Pisharadi as his Guru.He learnt from him Sanskrit Grammar.This was a turning point in Bhattatiri's life.His outlook in life changed completely and he became a serious student.

During this time Achyuta Pisharadi fell a victim to a severe attack of paralysis and suffered unbearable pain.Bhattatiri, the devoted disciple could not breathe suffering of his Guru.He, therefore, fervently prayed that the disease may be transferred to him and his Guru freed of suffering. Bhattatiri accepted the "Karmavipaka Dana"by which the sins of his Guru were transferred to him.It happened as he wantedand soon while Pisharadi recovered,the disease made Bhattatiri a cripple.A "Bhajanam" in the temple of Guruvayoorwas considered as a sure cure for paralysis and so Bhattatiri went to Guruvayoor for 100 days of "Bhajanam"along with his younger brother, Mathrudatta.Before he went the famous Malayalam writerTunchat Ezhuthachan advised him "to start with the fish".Bhattathiri understood the inner meaning of this advice.He wrote the famous hymn "Narayaneeyam"describing the Avatars of Vishnu starting with "fish",i.e. Matsya Avatar.
He chose to write poetry eulogizing the Glory of the Lord Narayana. His Sankalpam was to write in brief the entire Vyasa’s Sri mad Bhagavatham which contained 18000 slokas. As he was a scholar in Rig Veda he chose to write his poetry with different chandas/swara / meters and with each block containing 10 slokas in general.Though with enthusiasm he completed the first two dasakams, his crippling disease prevented him from continuing. It is reported that his young brother- Sri. Matru Dattan Namboodiri who was nursing him, helped him in writing/copying the slokas. From the third Dasakam onwards in each of the Dasakam Sri. Bhattathiri’s prayer to God to cure his disease can be seen. As per his sankalpam in first 36 dasakams he covered the first IXth chapters of the Srimad Bhagavatham. From 37 onwards up to 90 Dasakams he covered the Dasama Skandam ( Krishna Avatara Katha). From the 91 Dasakams he covered XIth Skandam of the epic which contain Uddava Tatwa Upadesa, Jnana/Bakthi/Karma Yogas/Vaishnava Mahatwam/ Brahmopasanam etc etc. In fact he has covered the entire XI th chapter so nicely, precisely in a condensed form without omitting any of the important explanations, this Chapter XI of Bhagavatham and the last 10 dasakams of the Narayaneeyam are worth reading and emulating in once life as far as possible.
Sri. Bhattathiri, completed condensed version of the Srimad Bhagavatham in 100 days in 1034 slokas. As soon as he completed this beautiful Sanskrit literary work with all the ingredients such as Sthoola/Sooshma meanings, Roopa, Bhava, different Chandas and Sabdha Silpams etc. and submitted to the Lord of Guruvayur -- During the hundred days of his Bhajanam at the temple of Guruvayoor he summarized the entire Bhagavata Purana in 1034 versesat the rate of one Dasaka consisting generally of ten verses everyday.Each Dasaka ended with a prayer to the Lord of Guruvayoor to cure him of his illness.Sri. Guruvayurappan- it is reported that Sri. Narayana Bhattathiri had a vision of the Lord. On the hundredth day he had a vision of the Lord in the form of Venugopala.The 100th canto composed on that day gives a graphic description of this form of the Lordf rom the head to the foot.Seeing the Lord before him he chanted the last 10 slokas glorifying His each and every part of body which is called KESADI PAADA VARNANA.
We understand that he got cured of his disease after completion of this Kavya. He named this as Naarayaneeyam as it was written by him and second as it is about the Lord Narayana. This Great Kavya of Naarayaneeyam was completed by him in 100 days at the age of 27, in the year 1587. That day was 27th day of Vruchikam month corresponding to ( Karthika Masa) . On that day he became completely cured of his disease.This immortal composition, Narayaneeyam,is so named for two reasons as mentioned by the poet himself in the 100th canto.It is about Lord Narayana and secondlybecause it was composed by Narayana Bhattatiri.These episodes are now being presented again by yet another Narayana!
 Sri. Bhattathiri’s end came in the year 1646 at the age of 86. while praying at Mukkola Bagavathi Temple.

The ‘Parayana' of Narayaneeyam is believed to possess the wonderful power of healing afflictions, both mental and physical, of the devotees. The personal experiences of the poet himself have proved this beyond doubt. The "Nithyaparayana” of Narayaneeyam will enable the devotees to attain " Ayurarogyasoukhyam”.

Lord Guruvayurappan



Guruvayur is a pilgrim center which has its own glory and greatness, mainly because of the divinity enshrined in the Sanctum - Sanctorum (central shrine) of the temple and the unique charm of the idol installed in it.. Guruvayur is called BHOO LOKA VAIKUNDHAM.Because idol of Lord which, He himself worshiped is installed.

EARLY HISTORY
According to the legends, the idol worshipped here is more than 5000 years old. But according to Prof. K V Krishna Iyer (eminent historian), the Brahmins had begun to come and settle at Kodungalloor during the period of Chandra Gupta Maurya ( 321-297 BC). Trikkunavay in the Guruvayur documents is the same as Thrikkanamathilakam or Mathilakam mentioned in the Dutch and British records. And this place was in between Guruvayur and Kodungalloor. Guruvayur was Trikkunavay's subordinate shrine since they were destroyed by the Dutch in 1755. That way Guruvayur must have come into existence before 52 AD. The story of Pandyan King building a shrine here may be a reference to the Azhavars , but they are all silent in their writing about Guruvayur.
Ref From - guruvayurdevaswom

Guruvayoor Sthala Puranam:
According to legends Lord Vishnu himself had worshipped the idol that we see now at Guruvayur, before donating it to Brahma. Prajapati Sutapa and his wife Prsni prayed to Brahma, and pleased at their devotion Brahma gave them this idol. Sutapa and his wife Prsni worshipped the idol with such devotion that Mahavishnu Himself appeared before them for granting a boon. In their over enthusiasm they asked thrice "We need a son equivalent to thou" . Mahavishnu told them that he himself would take birth as their son in three different janmas (births) and in all those three janmas they would get the vigraha given to them by Brahma.
In the first janma in the Satya Yuga, Mahavishnu was born as Prsnigarbha, as son of Sutapa and Prsni. Prsnigarbha instructed the world the importance of Brahmacharya to the world.
In the second janma, Sutapa and his wife Prsni were born as Kashyapa and Aditi and Mahavishnu was born as Vamana. In the Dwapara Yuga, Krishna was born to Vasudeva and Devaki.. This idol was given to them by Daumya for worship. From his father Vasudeva, Sri Krishna got it and it was installed and worshipped at Dwaraka. Sri Krishna established a big temple at Dwaraka and installed this idol there.Before the conclusion of His incarnation as Krishna,the Lord told his minister and devotee,Uddhava that this image would come floating in the seathat would engulf Dwaraka.
Uddhava was instructed to request Brihaspati,the Deva-Guru to install the image at a suitable place so that it would help the spiritual upliftand salvation to people suffering from thebad effects of the coming Kaliyuga .Accordingly, Guru collected this divine image and along with  Vayu, the Wind God went all around the world to select a suitable spot,and finally at the direction of Lord Siva,installed it at a place 25 Km to the northwest of Trichur in Kerala.

Guru and Vayu installed the image together.Hence the place came to be known as Guruvayoor. According to this story told in the Guruvayupura Mahatmyam ,this temple of Guruvayoor had thus its originate the beginning of Kali Yuga and is about 5,100 years old by now.
King Janamejaya, the grandson of the Pandavaswas afflicted by leprosy as a result of the curse of the serpents.It is said that he got his disease cured afterlong years of worship of the Lord of Guruvayoor as advised by Sage Atreya. Later a Pandya king built a good templefor the Lord of Guruvayoor as he escapeddeath by a snake's bite as foretold byastrologers during his pilgrimage to Guruvayoor. Historically, the temple dates only from the 17th century,by which time the temple came into great prominence.
The shrine, as it stands today, was constructed during the 16th and 17th century A.D.The elaborate rituals performed here are said to have been prescribed by Adi Sankaracharya , the philosopher saint of Kerala.

Adi Sankara.
One Ekadesi day, Sri Adi Shankara and Narada were travelling in space above the temple of Guruvayur. Narada told the Acharya that he was descending at Guruvayur. Acharya disdainfully told Narada that idol worship and chanting of the Lord's name repeatedly was for the ignorant and not for a Gyani like him and continued his journey in space. A moment later, he tripped and fell prostrate on the earth by the northern side of the temple, where the Lord's Sriveli had reached. The Acharya realised his error and begged the Lord for forgiveness. The Lord told him that temple worship, repetition of the Lord's name and listening to religious discourses were all ways of expressing devotion and were all dear to him. He then asked Sri Shankara to organise the daily worship in the temple, which he did. He decided to stay in the temple for few days and engage in the worship of the Supreme Lord and attentively instructed the priests of the temple in the correct rituals from the scriptures to be offered to the Lord, which is believed These rituals to be followed as it is even today. Every day, the temple opens at 3 a.m. and the Lord is awakened from his sleep with the melodious notes of nadaswaram. The Lord is adorned with flowers of the previous day. This is known as Nirmalya Darshanam. It is believed that celestial beings come and worship the Lord after the temple is closed.
The presiding deity in the Garbhagraha (central shrine) is Mahavishnu, worshipped according to the pooja routines laid down by Adi Sankaracharya and later written in to the Tantrasamuchaya by Chennas Narayanan Namboodiri (born in 1427). The Chennas Namboodiris are the hereditary Tantri of Guruvayur temple.
The temple of Guruvayoor came into limelight mainly due to five great saintly devotees.Their mystic experiences began to evoke the faith and devotion of many devotees.These five great names, who lived in the16 /17th centuries were Vilwamangalam Swami,Kurur Amma, Poonthanam Namboodiri,Manavikrama Raja, and Narayana Bhattathiri.Of all these, Narayana Bhattatiri,by his great poetical hymn, The NARAYANEEYAMand his remarkable recovery from a crippling paralysishas immortalized the temple of Guruvayoor.

Seeking His blessings...Ohm Namo Narayana!!

Narayaneeyam-Introduction



The Narayaneeyam, a great Sanskrit epic, is a brilliant condensation in 1036 shlokams (stanzas) of the great epic Bhaagavatham composed by Sage Vyaasa. The theme of Narayaneeyam is based on the stories in Bhagavatham; it is, almost, an epitome of the great Purana. But unlike Vyasa, who has introduced in the first 'Skandha' itself, the speaker (Sree Suka Brahmarshi) and the listener (Emperor Pareekshith), the poet himself is the speaker in Narayaneeyam, who sings before the Lord Guruvayurappan, in a sublime tune about His glories and prays to Him to bless him to be cured of his disease.
In literary merit, the Narayaneeyam holds pride of place in Sanskrit poetry, at par with the works of Kalidasa and other eminent poets. It is divided into 100 Dasakams, most of which comprise ten shlokams (verses) each - with a few of them running into 11, 12 or 13 verses; the maximum number being 15 verses in Dasakam 4, and a solitary Dasakam (Dasakam 65) comprising 9 verses. The final verse of every Dasakam concludes with an invocation to the Lord of Guruvayur to cure him of all his illnesses and protect him from all afflictions and sorrows. In all, the Narayaneeyam consists of 1034 verses. Some versions include two extra verses at the end of Dasakam 45, making a total of 1036 verses.
The Narayaneeyam in unique in the conversational mode employed by the poet, of addressing the Lord in the second person from start to finish. According to legend, after setting out certain important incidents, or making bold assumptions of the reason for them, Bhattathiri waited for confirmation of the accuracy by a gesture from the Lord, as an 'asariri' (disembodied voice) or nod of the head, before proceeding further. Two such incidents may be seen in Dasakam 35, Verse 3, and Dasakam 45, Verse 9.
As in the larger epic, the central theme of Narayaneeyam is Bhakti or devotion to the Supreme Power, personified by Bhagavan Shree Mahavishnu. At the same time, adhering to the schema of the Bhagavatham, Narayaneeyam expounds the essence of other systems of Indian philosophy, mainly, Jnyanayoga, Karmayoga and Sankhya, at the appropriate places while laying special emphasis on the over-riding supremacy of Bhaktiyoga, or the path of devotion, over all other means to attain Moksha (Nirvana, or Salvation), which means unification, integration and dissolution of the individual soul or jeeva in the Brahman, the Cosmic Unity, the One without a second.
The ‘Parayana' of Narayaneeyam is believed to possess the wonderful power of healing afflictions, both mental and physical, of the devotees. The personal experiences of the poet himself have proved this beyond doubt.Chanting of the hymn Naarayaneeyam regularly would surely give the devotee to attain ayu arogya souwkyam.
O Lord Guruvayoorappa! You are an ocean of kindness! Let those who read these episodes at this web site with devotion be freed from all diseases, mental and physical Problemsl! Let them have longevity, health,and everlasting happiness --"Ayurarogyasoukhyam"!
With Guruvayoorappan's blessing every alternative days I am writing one dasakam 0f narayannyam slogam from narayaneeyam book.