OM Sumukhaya Namaha

Srimanth Dagdu Seth Halwai Ganapathi, Pune.

"Suvrata Sumukha Sookshma,Sukosha Sugatha Suhruth"

The 49th Stanza of the Vishnu Sahasra Nama Sthotram explains the qualities of Mahavishnu. It talks about the Vratham the God has kindly taken for Himself.We have many Vrathams such as the Ekadasi Vratha, Varalakshmy Vratha,etc. What is the Vratham for the God ? Sree Ram declares Himself.....

"Sakrid Eva Prapannaaya Tava Asmi Iti Cha Yachate, Abhayam Sarva Bhootebhyo Dadaami Etad Vratham Mama"

"He who seeks refuge in me just once,also telling me that "I am yours", I shall give him assurance of safety against all types of beings. This is my Vratham, "Solemn Pledge".
Those who surrender totally on to the feet of the Lord,need not be afraid of anything or any being on this world. He will be protected by the Almighty.
Next Nama in the Vishnu Sahasra Nama Sthotram is Sumukhaya Namaha. Sumukha is the one with a beautiful face. All Devatas in our religion are with beautiful faces. Rama and Krishna have the atmost charming faces. One look at the Archavatarams of Banke Bihari or Dwarakadeesh will attract anyone to visit them again and again. Visit Guruvayurappan, you will never come back from His Sreekovil. The forehead, eyes, nose,cheeks,mouth, every feature on His face is so attractive that you can not move your eyes away from it.And Sree Murugan is known as the "Azhagan",even though He has six heads, He is the most beautiful-faced Devata of all. His Aarupadai Veedu in Tamil Nadu is perhaps the most visited of temples and His devotees are the most faithful ones in whole of India.
When one gets his desires fulfilled,his face looks beautiful and one is in distress with the adversities his face reflects the strain. But Bhagawan is always with enchanting face even at the worst of adversities. Ram was fully decorated for the coronation next day,but Kaikeyi calls for Him to tell Him that Bharatha will be crowned the next day instead of Him and that He has to go to forest and live there for 14 years. And Valmiki writes in his Ramayanam that Rama was....
"Na cha asya mahatim lakshmim rajya nasho apakarshati,
Loka kantasya kantatwam shita rashmer iva kshapaa"-2/19/32
"Na vanam gantu kaamasya tyajatah cha vasundharaam,
Sarva loka atigasya iva lakshyate chitta vikriyaa"-2/19/33
Ram's face was smiling as there was no nervousness of mind in Him like in a spiritually disciplined soul who is beyond any worldly pain or pleasure,and there was no Kshaya for His Mahatatwam even as He was to leave for the forest, just as the night can not diminish the splendour of the Moon. And His face was...Sumukha. Hence such a Lord is Om Sumukhaya Namaha. Prasanna Vadanam Charu Padma Patrayatekshanam....A smiling face like the petal of the Lotus !!
It's not surprising that Lord Sree Krishna and Lord Ram are Sumukhas, their faces are Divinely enchanting.But look at Ganapathy an elephant headed God with long trunk and a broken tusk. We Hindus worship Him as Sumukhaya Namaha. Is not it wonderful? One will agree with, if one can have a look at the Sreemanth Dagdu Seth Halwai Ganapathi. What a beautiful face!! His fore head ! His Jewel bedecked trunk! His ears! His eyes! And above all His Jewel-Crown! Wah!! What an enchanting face. This is Sumukhaya Namaha.Eka Dantaya Namaha.Gaja Karnaya Namaha.
OM SUMUKHAYA NAMAHA.

Ramayanam

SREE RAM JAYA RAM, JAYA JAYA RAM

"Koojantham "Rama" "Rama" Ithi, Madhuram Madhuraksharam, Aarogya Kavitha Shakha,Vande Valmiki Kokilam"

When the "Sun" leaves the Northern Path and starts the descend on the Southern Path, it's Dakshinayanam and in this Karkitaka month (or Aadi Month-in Tamil) there is no good Muhurthams for doing any auspicious things. One has to spend this month doing Bhajans or other Bhagawathi Sevas, can there be anything more auspicious than these. This month is also called the Ramayana Month because it's good to spend your time in reading the Epic Ramayana as there is no other good things to be done in this month. And there is no need to see the Muhurtham for Rama Nama Sankeerthanam, as it's "Thatheva Lagnam, Sudinam Thatheva......" whenever Rama Nama is chanted, that is the good Muhurtham in itself. And Valimiki Ramayana is the Aadi Kavyam which is translated in many languages all over the world. Maharshi Valmiki narrates the story of Rama in 24,000 verses, spread over 537 Sargams in six Kandas. In the "Navaham" method the whole epic can be chanted in Nine days starting from 6 am to 1 pm, every day. Or in this Ramayana Month this can be read two hours a day and can be completed by the end of the month.
"Tapah Swadhyaya Niratam,Tapasvii Vaag Vidaam Varam,
Naradam Paripapraccha, Valmiki Muni Pungavam"
Valmiki Ramayan starts with, Valmiki asking a question to, constantly self-meditating and a sublime enunciator, Deva Rishi Narada, as he wants to know about a person-Sarva Guna Sampannam Purusham- in this world who has the 16 virtues,such as Principled, Potential, Conscientious, Redeemer, truth teller, self determined in his deeds,having good conduct,who is a benign, Adept, Ablest, unique with good looks, Courageous, Controls his ire, Brilliant, Non-Jealous and whom even the Gods fear when provoked. And Narada explains that only Rama has the said qualities and asks Valmiki to write the story of Rama, describing the story of Rama in a nut shell. Thus came, from Valmiki with the blessings from Brahmaji, the "Ramayana" , the Immortal Epic, for the human beings. If we go through the story of Rama, we might agree with Maharshi Narada that Rama is the only person with all the qualities mentioned above.
When Chakravarthy Dasaratha was cursed by the old parents of that young boy whom he killed accidentally, he was not at all sad. The old ones cursed him that he too will die by the pain of separation from his son, but Dasaratha had no sons and he was longing to have one, so this curse may become a boon to him as he thought the old couple's words may not go in vain and he is sure to get a son. And after the Putrakameshti Yagna, the King got four sons, all with the Gunas of Devatas. What is the Punyam accumulated by Dasaratha in his previous births to get Rama as his son !!!!
All the four sons grow up simultaneously, their Namakaranam done on the same day,their Upanayana Karmas done simultaneously and they learn the Shastras and other Kalas together. When Maharshi Viswamitra wanted to have Rama and Lakshmana with him, Dasaratha for once thought about the Curse. But on Guru Vasishta's words, he allows Rama and Lakshmana to go with Viswamitra and Rama helping the sage in destroying the Demons disturbing his Yagna and after the breaking of the Shiva Danush at the Kingdom of Janaka, all the four brothers get married simultaneously. Sita Kalyanam was witnessed by all the Devatas and even today we celebrate Sita Kalyanam at our homes.
Rama Avataram is not only for the Sadhu Samrakshan and Dushta Nigraham but also to show all the Human Beings how to keep up the Dharmams. Rama has established many Samanya Dharmas, but among them all, the top most, is how to keep up the Promises, safeguard the Satyam. And to keep up the words of His father, He goes to Forest with Sita Devi and Lakshmana. Kaikeyi asks for 14 year's of Vana Vasam for Rama, she could have asked for the Full Life time of Vana Vasa for Him, but she is very font of Rama and wanted to have the minimum of sufferings for Rama, as she knew what for Rama has taken the Avataram.
When Shurpanakha was disfigured and complained to Ravana, he sends Mareecha to lure Sita Devi and Mareecha takes the form of a Golden Deer and attracts Sita. Rama goes after the Deer and when Lakshmana also goes away, Ravana abducts Sita Devi. As long as Sita Devi, the Jeeva, was in the hands of Rama, the Paramatma, she was safe. When the Jeeva gets attracted towards the Maya (here Mareecha) the Paramatma goes away from the Jeeva to fulfill the wishes of the Jeeva, but the Jeeva gets into all the problems in life. So to remain always in the proximity of the Gods is the safest way for the human beings and to do so remain always in the Namasmaran of the Gods.
To get back Sita Devi, Rama makes friendship with Sugreeva with the help of Hanumanji and after making the Sethubandan, kills Ravana in the war. Rama with Seethaji, Lakshmanji and Hanumanji returns to Ayodhya, where Bharatha and the mothers were eagerly waiting for them. Then Rama is crowned as the King of Ayodhya and rules the Kingdom for 11,000 years. And no body has any problems in Rama Rajya, every citizen safeguards the Dharma and there is no Death in Ayodhya during Rama Rajya, there's only Swachantha Mrityu, means those who wants to go, they can. And when Sree Ram, after completing His Avatara Karmas, wanted to go back to Vaikuntam, He takes with Him all the beings in His Kingdom, including the Plants and Animals !!! Everyone gets the RamaLoka !!! Only Hanumanji wanted to be in this world, as he thought he may not get a chance to do Rama Nama Sankeerthanams in Vaikunta and hence remained on this earth where he can do the Bhajan all the times. And in this Kaliyuga we too have the good opportunity to do the Rama Bhajans especially during this Ramayana Month.

SREE RAM JAYA RAM, JAYA JAYA RAM.

DASA_DASOHAM

Brahmasree MURALIDHARA SHARMAJI

Gurur Brahma Gurur Vishnu,Gurur Devo Maheswaraha, Gurur Sakshat Param Brahma, Tasmai Sree Gurave Namaha.

Once a Vishnu Devotee was thinking in his mind that I am worshiping the Vishnu Bagawan with utmost devotion, yet I'm not having the peace of Mind. He started searching that "Peace of Mind" from the outside world ! He met his friends and asked about it and could not find the answer from them. Then one day, one friend directed him to a Guru. The Guru gave him a mantra. He told him to chant " SOHAM" all the time.The peace of mind eluded him, even after chanting the gurumantra for months. So with the advise of another friend,he went to another Guruji. This Guru asked him to add one "DA" to the earlier mantra, and he started chanting "DASOHAM". Chanting for many months he still thought that "Peace of Mind" is far away from him. So he went back to his first Guru and told him about the second Guruji and his mantra. Guru said now you don't have to go to him again, just add "DASA" to his mantra and not only chant the mantra "DASA_DASOHAM" do whatever you can to prove that you are a dasadasoham. Our Vishnu Devotee chanted this mantra and started serving the Guru with all possible ways and in no time his mind found the "peace " in itself.
We are going to the temples and worshiping the Lords and are getting whatever we wished for from Them , let this be on one side. We are doing the Yagnas and accumulating Punyas on this account which can lead us to the Heavens, this is also considered Madhyama only , we are doing the Tapasya and Lord appears before us, this also will be secondary only as we don't know what to ask from Him when He is in front of us,but there is a bhajan mandali passing our house chanting Namasankeerthanas and if we are able to take part in that Mandali Bhajans this is the Paramolabh which we should not miss. To serve the Vishnupriyas is the Param Bhakthi as Lord Krishna told Arjuna that He Promises that Arjuna's bhaktha will not perish....."Na me bhaktha pranashyathi". To become the Vishnu Bhaktha is difficult,you need to have Bhakthi, Premam, Shraddha and Samarpan Bhavam to wards Him at all the times which we loukikas can't do, but our Gurujis have attained the Sakshatkaram with all those virtues and to follow our Guruji and to serve him to the best of our ability, is the easiest thing for us. Vibhishana was a Vishnu Bhaktha even though he was in Lanka, he chanted Rama Namas all the times. He left Ravana and made "Sharanagathi" with Rama and attained the Lord. But there were four Rakshasas along with him they too joined the Lord Rama , they were not bhakthas and were not chanting the Rama Namas, yet they could join Rama because they were serving Vibhishana who was a Vishnupriya. Like those Rakshasas we too can just serve our Gurujis and attain the Sakshatkara along with them. That is "Dasa_Dasoham"
Arjuna treated Krishna as his friend. During the Geethopadesam, Lord Krishna wanted to tell him that He is the Lord and not just his friend. He wanted to show him the Lordship in Him, He wanted to show His Viraat Swaroopa to Arjuna. But Krishna thought he can't see the Viraat Swaroopa with his worldly eyes as they are made up of the Pancha Bhoothas and how can one see the Lord who is not sensible by the Panchabhoothas with his naked eyes. So He told him that Arjuna I am giving you the Divine eyes (Divya Chakshus) with which you can see my Viraat Swaroopam. So Krishna as a Guru, gave that divine eyes to His Shishya, Arjuna to enable him to see the Lord. So we too need such Divya Chakshus to see the Lord and only our Gurus can give us those Divine Vision. So while we serve our Gurus, we will attain the Sakshatkara, one day with Guru's Blessings......Dasa_Dasoham.
If "Moksham" is our Lakshyam, that also will be available to us if we do the charana_seva of our Guru. Performimg Pada Puja of Guruji is as divine as doing Pada Puja to Lord Guruvayurappa. The Elephant king Gajendra was a Vishnu Bhaktha and was doing the Puja of Vishnu all the times. He searched all the ponds for the Lotus to offer it to the Lord. Once when he was in search of lotus flower in a pond, one crocodile caught his leg. He was in pains for many years, his friends and relatives, tried to help him in vain. When he could not bear the pain any more, he called the Lords names. And Lord Vishnu came to the scene in His Garuda Vahana. And one would have thought that He will liberate the Elephant King first. But Lord Vishnu gave Moksham to the crocodile first and then only to the Gajendra. Knowingly or unknowingly, the crocodile had caught the Padam of His Bhaktha Gajendra and though the crocodile did not ask for the Lord's help, Lord Krishna thought that it's His duty to help the Servant of His Bhaktha first, before even the Bhaktha himself. This shows that if we need Moksham we just have to serve our Gurus and Lord Krishna will do the rest. Dasa_Dasoham.