Research On Deities

Lord Sharabeshwara

Picture Courtesy: Google Images

The Shaiva scriptures narrate that God Shiva assumed the form of Sharabha to pacify Narasimha- the fierce man-lion avatar of Vishnu worshiped by Vaishnava sect. This form is popularly known as Sharabeshwara (“Lord Sharabha”) or Sharabeshwaramurti.

Picture Courtesy: Tejas Kulkarni

The Veda mantras affirm that all our sins are wiped off by chanting the powerful mantra of Sri Sharabha. Sage Veda Vyasa in his Linga Purana (96th Chapter) categorically says that those who worship Sri Sharabeshwara, will get rid of all the afflictions caused by bad dreams, chronic ailments, poisonous bites, besides the great disasters caused by earthquake, floods, cyclone, thunder, lightning and such bad conglomerations.

Shloka

“Sarva Vigna Prasamanam, SarvaVyadiVinasanam

ArichakraPrasamanam, Sarva Dukka Vinasanam,

AtraanyothpadaBookambathaavagniPaamasuVrishtisu

ThathoduswapnaSamanam, SarvabhoothaNivaranam,

VishagrahaKshayakaramPuthrapowthraadhiVardhanam,

ThathrakshaDaaranamKuryaathJangamaangeyVaraananey”

(Linga Purana – 96)

Avatar of Lord Sharabeshwara:

According to the Purana, Hiranya Kasipu, the demon king, due to augmented audacity and ego, proclaimed himself as ‘God’ and entreated everybody to worship him. His pious and upright son Sri Prahlada refuted his father’s action, by saying that Only Lord Vishnu (Narayana) is the protector of the universe. Out of rage and being exasperated by his son’s continued disobedience, one day Hiranya hit one of the pillars in his palace with his mace, to find out whether Lord Narayana was hiding there, as believed by his son. To make his devotee’s words come true, Lord Narayana appeared from inside the broken pillar, in the form of Narasimha, a man with a Lion’s head, who killed the demon King in an encounter. Unfortunately His anger and fierceness did not subside, even after annihilation of the demon and the three worlds trembled in fear. All the Devas headed by Lord Brahma appealed to Lord Shiva to appease the anger of Lord Narasimha. The compassionate Lord Shiva sent His lieutenant Agora Veerabhadra to do the job, but it went in vain. The ‘rajoguna’ caused by tasting the blood of the demon did not let Lord Narasimha to calm down. Veerabhadra unable to subdue Sri Narasimha, prayed to Lord Shiva to intervene. There appeared the most terrible form of a combination of man, bird and animal. It was a queer combination of man with Sharabha (Bird) and Yaali (animal), known and worshiped by the name Sri Sharabeshwara, being the Thirtieth avatar of Lord Shiva among His Sixty four incarnations.

Age: 9 ½ years

GURUKULAM – The Shloka Learning Centre

August 2021

LORD GURUVAYURAPPAN

Picture Courtesy –  Google images

Guruvayurappan is the child form of Lord Krishna, and he is worshipped mainly in Kerala. He is the main deity of Guruvayur temple, which is situated in Kerala. The deity appears as the infant form of Lord Krishna. The temple is located in Guruvayur, Thrissur district, Kerala, and this temple is considered as a very sacred temple.

Since Deva Guru Brahaspati and Vayu Deva had installed the Krishna’s deity, the deity is called as Guruvayurappan.

The idol of Guruvayurappan was worshipped by Vasudeva and Devaki, the parents of Krishna, and later it was worshipped by Lord Krishna himself. The deity is in the standing posture with four arms, carrying the conch, the Chakra, the mace and the lotus.

Shloka on Lord Guruvayurappan

Gurupura mandhira, gokula sundara, gopa  purandhara, gopa thano,

Gunagana  sagara, sivangara  Kausthubha, sundara keli thano,

Ganapathi homaja dhooma suvasina gavya bhayorpana   dushta mathe,

Jaya jaya hey Guruvatha puradhipa Rogamasesham apa kuru  may.

Meaning

Victory, victory to you, Hey lord of Guruvayur, please completely cure my disease,

Hey pretty one of Gokula who is in city of Guru,

Hey gopa thief who is the son of Gopas,

Hey Lord with ocean of good qualities who has a sword and Kausthubha and who plays with his pretty body,

Hey Lord who has sweet smell of the homa done to Ganapathi  and Hey mischievous one who creates scare among cows.

Name: Vihan 

Age: 10yrs

September 2021

Lord Hayagriva

(Picture taken from Google)

Lord Hayagriva is worshipped as the god of knowledge and wisdom, with a human body and a horse’s head, brilliant white in colour, with white garments and seated on a white lotus. … In several other sources he is a white horse who pulls the sun into the sky every morning.

Lord Hayagriva is depicted seated, most often with his right hand either blessing the supplicant or in the vyākhyāmudrā pose of teaching. The right hand also usually holds a akṣa-mālā (rosary), indicating his identification with meditative knowledge. His left holds a book, indicating his role as a teacher. His face is always serene and peaceful, if not smiling.

Hayagriva is sometimes worshiped in a solitary pose of meditation, as in temple in Thiruvananthapuram. This form is known as Yoga-Hayagriva. However, he is most commonly worshipped along with his consort Lakshmi and is known as Lakshmi-Hayagriva. Hayagriva in this form is the presiding deity of Mysore’s Parakala Mutt.

(Picture from Google)

SHLOKA:

jñānānandamayaṃdevaṃnirmalasphaṭikākṛtiṃ
ādhāraṃsarvavidyānāṃhayagrīvaṃupāsmahe

Meaning:

We worship Lord Hayagriva who is the very embodiment of jnana(knowledge) and anandhaa(bliss)whose figure is spotless and lustrous like the crystal and who is the sole source and storehouse of all fields of knowledge.

Name: SaiSkandan Class:7 Age:12

Goddess Kamakshi

Goddess Kamakshi (‘The desirable one’) is defined as the Supreme Goddess of Beauty and Tranquility. She is an incarnation of Goddess Shakthi. As Lord Shiva’s Wife, she is known as Kamakshi in South India and Kamakhya in the East. She is a Goddess equal in stature to Lord Shiva.

(Picture Courtesy: Google Images)

Her symbols are always associated with the God of Love. She is depicted as a beautiful woman dressed in a red saree and is adorned with jewels. She has a radiant face and four arms. She carries a noose, goad and parrot on the top left and right hands, a lotus and a bow of sugarcane on the bottom left and right hands.

(Picture Courtesy: Google Images)

The main abode of Goddess Kamakshi is the Kamakshi Amman Temple or Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam at Kanchipuram. This temple is considered the most powerful Peeta of Devi. The inner sanctum is shaped in the form of a triangle where the Devi abides in the Sri Chakra.

Mythology
Kama (God of Love) was burnt to ashes by Lord Shiva’s third eye. He earned the wrath as he had interrupted Shiva’s yogic meditation. The chief Ganas of Lord Shiva shaped the ashes into the form of a man who begs Shiva for life. Thus emerges Bhanda, a demon as he was born from a dead deva; Kama. He began taking charge and chastised the gods. He took over Indra’s city and his army. All the gods took refuge under Shiva’s feet.

That’s when Indra performed a yajna dedicated to Devi from where arose the Sri Chakra and the beautiful Goddess Kamakshi. She stomped her feet in the city like an earthquake, made Bhanda stumble and killed him. The Gods erected a temple in Kanchi in her honor.

Shlokam

Kaasha-Aabhaam-Shuka_Bhaasuraam Pravilasat_Koshaatakii_Sannibhaam
Candra-Arka-Anala_Locanaam Surucira-Alangkaara_BhuussoUjjvalaam
Brahma_Shriipati_Vaasava-AadiMunibhih Samsevita-Angghri_Dvayaam
Kaamaakssiim Gaja_Raaja_Manda_Gamanaam Vande Mahesha_Priyaam

Meaning

(Salutations to Devi Kamakshi) Who has a Green Parrot which shines like the color of the Kasha Grass. She Herself shining brightly like the Moonlit Night, whose three eyes are the Sun, Moon and the Fire; adorned with radiant and blazing Ornaments, whose holy feet is served by Lord Brahma, Vishnu, Indra, all the Devasandgreat sages, whose movement is gentle like the King of Elephants; we extol Devi Kamakshi, the Beloved of Sri Mahesha.

Shripad Swaminathan Ramachandran

Age: 10 years

Kala Bhairava

Bhairava is a Shaivite deity worshipped by Hindus.

In Shaivism, he is a fierce manifestation of Shiva associated with annihilation. In the TRIKA system, Bhairva represents supreme reality, synonymous to Para Brahman.
Generally in Hinduism, Bhairava is also called Dandapani (he holds a rod or Danda to punish sinners, and a swaswa, whose vehicle is a dog.) Affiliation: Shiva

Mantra: ॐoṁ kālabhairavāya namaḥ
Weapon: Trishula, Khaṭvāṅga,[Sword], chaur fan and damru
Number: 33
Mount: Dog
Festivals: Bhairava Ashtami
Consort: Bhairavi

Kalabhairaveshwara Swamy Temple – Adichunchangiri. The temple is situated at a height of 3,300 feet.

Name: Hemaadri .G .V
STD: 4
AGE: 10
GURUKULAM