Speech of HH Sri Datta Vijayananda Teertha Swamiji on the occasion of the recitation of Subrahmanya Bhujanga stotram and Subhrahmanya shasti kavacha by 1000 persons – Nada Mantapam Mysore – March 3, 2013
Today is a very auspicious day. This month of Maagha is very dear to Lord Subrahmanya. Today is Maagha Shasti (the 6th day of the fortnight in the month of Magha). Today is Sunday. Lord Subrahmanya is very fond of Sunday. Added to it, today the Star Vishaka is ruling. It is also the time when the Maha Kumbha mela is taking place at the Triveni sangama (merger of the 3 sacred rivers of Ganga, Yamuna and Saraswati) at Allahabad. To get such a combination and such an auspicious time setting is very rare and precious.
I felt that it would be really good if Subrahmanya Bhujanga stotra is read by 1000 people during this auspicious time period. Towards this, Pujya Swamiji’s blessings were also received. All of you have assembled here today with feelings of great devotion and with a keen inclination to participate in this recitation. People of Mysore greatly love social and spiritual activities. Whenever such a program is organized, they gather in great numbers.
With the intent that the Lord should bestow good health upon us and also with the purpose of securing the grace of the Guru (Guru Krupa), we are going to recite the Subhramnaya Bhujanga Prayata stotram (hymn) now.
Among Swamiji’s bhajans, Valli vallabha Maampahi is a bhajan on Ganapati that is dear to all. It is a wonderful composition in which Subrahmanya tattva (essence) has been elucidated completely. Together with it, the Subrahmanya Shasti kavacha hymn will also be recited in Kannada. In Tamil Nadu, there are many who recite this Shasti Kavacha daily. There are devotees of that Lord who observe complete fast, remain awake (Jaagarana) and take up the recitation of this Kavacha 36 times at a stretch.
In Karnataka too there are many devotees of Lord Subrahmanya. The Subrahmanya Shasti Kavacha is in Tamil language. I had no intention of translating this Kavacha stotra into Kannada. It so happened that on one Shasti, I was proceeding to the Datta Venkateshwara temple, to offer special Arati to Lord Subrahmanya. There I came across a lady who was reciting this Shasti Kavaca in Tamil. I do not know the reason, perhaps it was an inner inspiration, but suddenly this lady came up to me and said, “Swamiji, please translate this Kavacha into Kannada”. Until then I had never given it a thought. From deep within, I had a feeling that it was a message from Lord Subrahmanya to me. I replied to her, “It may materialize amma. If this is the Lord’s will, then it will surely happen”. Saying so, I went to the temple and offered Arati to the Lord.
Just as I returned back from the temple, I received a call from Appaji who was overseas at that time. Appaji said, “This evening too special worship (vishesha archana) should be offered to Lord Subrahmanya”. Along with this, He personally informed me that Skanda shasti Parayana should also be undertaken that evening.
I knew that it was Guru’s wish (Guru sankalpa) and I had received Guru krupa (blessings), hence on that day itself I sat and composed this Kavacham in Kannada. I should say that Lord Subrahmanya got it done through me. You will be reciting this kavacham shortly.
Coming to the Bhujanga prayata stotra. Subrahmanya Swamy is known as – aadhi vyaadhi nivaaraka. Aadhi means the diseases that envelop the mind (manas) and the intellect (buddhi). There can be no medicine for diseases about which one cannot even speak to others. Some people have every comfort of life. There is nothing lacking. Yet they are troubled by some unknown deep mental depressions. Such depressions torture them. This is a mental disease.
Vyaadhi are the all the diseases that pertain to the physical body. For example, Charma vyadhi is the skin disease. Chakshu vyadhi is eye disease.
Lord Subrahmanya cures all the diseases that pertain to the mind as well as to the body. Hence He is aadhi vyaadhi nivaaraka. In addition, He relieves the person from the disease called Bhava roga. Bhava roga is the most severe of all the diseases. Even those who are free from physical and mental diseases will be suffering from this Bhava roga. Lord Subrahmanya relieves the person, who recites with faith this Bhujanga Prayaata Stotra, from Bhava roga.
This great Bhujanga Prayaata Stotra has been composed by Adi Shankaracharya when He visited the temple of Lord Subrahmanya in Tiruchendur. In this city, Lord Subrahmanya faces the seashore. That is why in the hymn, he states- Nama sindhave sindhu desaya thubhyam,
Meaning- Obeisance to the sea. Obeisance to the temple by the seashore (Tiruchendur temple).
In this great temple, Adi Shankaracharya spontaneously composed this powerful hymn. It is said that when He had gone for a casual visit to the temple, two snakes wrapped themselves around him. We often come across stone images of Lord Subrahmanya surrounded by 2 snakes that envelop Him in a zigzag manner. The snakes had wrapped themselves around Shankaracharya in a similar manner. The snakes were powerfully gazing at him. At that minute, Shankaracharya spontaneously recited this Bhujanga Prayata Stotram for the first time. Just as he completed this recitation, the snakes glided down from his body. One snake went away. The other snake went into the temple and disappeared totally from there. At that minute Shankara Bhagavadpaada declared that if those inflicted by sarpa dosha (infliction due to the curse of the serpents) recite this hymn with devotion and faith, they will be completely relieved of this dosha.
Everyone in this world is inflicted with sarpa dosha. Everyone who has constructed a house and who is residing within a house has sarpa dosha. Why is this so? This entire earth is not ours. It in fact belongs to the Serpent Gods (Sarpa Devata). We are using their land for our living. Intentionally or unintentionally innumerable snakes are troubled, disturbed or killed during the process of constructing a house. Even where the house has been constructed by our ancestors and not by us, the sin at times travels down to us. Should we take only a share in their property and not in their sins? Hence this sin is likely to attach to us even if our ancestor killed/troubled the snake inadvertently during the construction of the house.
If we seek to be relieved from this sarpa dosha in totality, then it is essential to undertake a parayana of this Bhujanga Stotra.
During this recitation today, we shall specially pray for world peace. Terrorists killing innocents has become a common sight today. Let us pray to the Lord that such persons should be adequately taught a lesson and that peace should be restored in the world. In addition, let us also mentally pray that our Appaji should be blessed with good health.
Lord Subrahmanya resides everywhere. He has said that wherever there is a mountain (parvata), it is My residence. Parvata (mountain) means our intellect (buddhi). He is seated on it. Subrahmanya bhujanga stotra will be recited thrice.
Bala swamiji’s speech after the recitation
Pujya Appaji will be going to Kumbh mela on the 5th March to pray for the well being of everyone and for world peace.
Today I recollect an incident/ experience that Manasa Datta had shared with me long ago. This incident took place when Manasa Datta was a little boy. There is a small Subrahmanya idol behind the Lakshmi Narasimha temple. This Lord has been named as Skanda Murti by Appaji.
It was on a Shasti. Appaji completed elaborate worship to this Lord and all of a sudden retired to his quarters. Everyone was perplexed. Swamiji had retired suddenly and no one was aware what the next program was to be. The devotees assembled there began to sing the bhajan ‘Alandu alandu vaa vaa’. In about 10 minutes time, Swamiji suddenly re-appeared. His body was completely smeared with Vibhuti and he was wearing only a loin cloth (koupina). He was holding a staff (danda) in His hand. He was saying, “I am Subrahmanya. I am Bala Muruga. How can Muruga be separate from me?”
Manasa Datta was a witness to this divine incident that took place in his childhood days. I was not even born then. Swamiji has experienced that complete oneness (Advaita) that is preached by all our Upanishads. In the physical presence of such a Guru, we have completed this parayana. We are all really blessed.
Compiled by: Parimala Eshwarla