SrI:
Dear Sri Devotees
of SrI
Hayagreeva Para
Brahmam :
Today , adiyEn will start a series
of postings on a garland (MaalikA)
of stars ( Nakshatrams) for Sri
Lakshmi HayagrIvan by VaikunThavAsi
,
SrI Sevaa Swamy .There are 28
slOkams in this Nakshatra MaalikA.
Nakshatra means one that does not
decay. When they are equated to
flowers used in the creation of
a Garland for the Lord or PirAtti,
then they have to
be considered as
unfading , eternal
flowers .
Nakshatras are
lunar mansions .
There are 27 of
them and
some times a 28th
nakshatram
named "Abhijith"
,an intercalary
nakshatram between
SravaNam
and UttarAshAda is
mentioned .
Abhijit
is laghu or short in time
and is an
auspicious constellation .
The Nakshatra
Maalas normally
contain references
to 27 stars .
Nakshatrams are
described in
PurANams as wives
of Chandran
and daughters of
Daksha PrajApati.
Let us look now at
the names of
the 27 Nakshatrams
in Sanskrit and
Tamil and provide
their meanings
as well as the
names of these stars
in modern astronomy
:
1.
Asvinee/Asvati/Horse Women or
Asvinee DevathAs/Beta and
Yepsilon Arietis
2.
ApabharaNee/BharaNi/Bearer of
New Life/ Arietis
35,39,41
3. Kruttikaa/
Kaartikai/Star of Fire
or One who cuts/
Pleaides .
4. RohiNee/
RohiNee/Red one/
Aldebaran
5.
Mrugaseersham/Mrugasersham/
head of a deer /Part of
Orionis
6.
AardhrA/ThiruvAdhirai/Moist One/
Betelgeuse
7.
Punarvasu/Punarpoosam/Return of
the Light /Castor and
Pollux
8.
Pushyam/Poosam/Nourishing/
Parts of Caneri constellation
9.
AaSlEshaa/Aayilyam/ Embracer/
Hydrae
10. Makha/
Makam/The great One/
Regulus
11. Poorva
Phalguni/Pooram/Former
Reddish One/Leonis
12. Uttaraa
Phalguni/ Uttiram/The
Latter Reddish
One/Denebola
13.
Hasta:/Hastam/The Hand
The Thirunakshatram of
Lord
VaradarAjan
14.
ChitrA/Chittirai/Bright One
15.
Swaati/Swaati/The Sword of
Independence , The
nakshatram
associated with Lord
Narasimhan
16.
ViSAkhA/ViSAkam/Fork shaped.
Swamy NammAzhwAr's birth
star.
17.AnurAdhaa/Anusham/Disciple of
Divine Spark
18.
JyEshtA/Kettai/The Eldest.
Adhi VaNN SaThakOpa
Jeeyar's
Thiru
Nakshatram.
19.Moolam/Mooam/The Root
20.
PoorvAshADaa/PoorADam/
Early Victory or the
Undefeated.
VishvaksEnar's Thiru
Nakshatram
and that of Swamy
AlavantAr.
21.
UttarAshADaa/UttirAdam/
Latter
victory or Latter
Undefeated
22.
SravaNam/ThiruvONam/Hearing.
Lord Of Thirumalais' birth
star
as wella s Swamy Desikan.
23.
SravishThA/Avittam/ The richest
One
24.
Satabhishak/Satayam/Hundred
25. Poorva
prOshDapadhA/PoorattAti
/Former Happy Feet
26. Uttara
PrOshDapadhA/uttirattAti
/Latter Happy Feet. Birth star of
HH 45th pattam ,
Prakrutham
Srimath Azhagiya Singar( Dec
7,08)
27.
Revatee/Revati/The wealthy.
Lord RanganAtha's Birth
Star.
28. Abhijith
The orbit of the
Moon (Chandran)
around our Earth is
27.3 days .
The Moon takes ~1
day to pass thru
each
Nakshatram.
The list of 27
Nakshatrams are
cited in Vedic
texts ( Atarva Vedam
and Taittriya
SamhitA) .
Nakshatra Maalika
is a form of
poetry used to
praise one's ishta
dEvatA . Here ,
SevA Swamy Pays
tribute to Lord
Lakshmi HayagrIvan.
ArasANippAlai
Venkatadhvari Kavi
has blessed us with
a Nakshatra
Maala for Mahaa
Lakshmi in His
Lakshmi Sahasram
.
In each of the 27
slOkams of
Nakshatra Maalika ,
the name of
the Nakshatram will
be woven in .
Let us cite as
examples two slOkams
of Lakshmi
Nakshatra Maalika from
VenkatAdhvari
Kavi:
Sri RanganAyaki's
Thirunakshatram
is Uttaraa Phalguni
( Panguni Uttiram).
Therefore , She is
the atishtAna
Devathai for this
nakshatram. The Kavi
prays to
her for his auspicious speech
not to be directed
at the lowly (rich
and the powerful ,
Kshudhra PursuhAs):
Maa ramstAtichalE
khalE nrupakulE
Vaguttaraa Phalgunee
tyASAsEahamaharniSam tadhitaradh
yaachAmi nO
jAtuchit (slOkam 12)
In another slOkam
paying tribute to
SwAti Nakshatram ,
the poet prays:
Oh Compassionate
Mother ! the rain
that falls on the
mango, Jack Fruit
trees also falls on
poisonous trees .
Similartly , May
Your rain of Dayaa
fall on me ,the useless person as
well.
Mayi
sarvApakrutikshamEpi
klaaya Svaatheeva SeetAm DayAm
HarikAntE!
bhuvanOpakAra-
niratEshvanyEshu
dhanyEshviva
panasAmrAdhi-maheeruhEshu dhadhati
bhUreeNi vaareeNi
saa
VishavrukshEapi
muhu: pravarshati
na kim ViSvamBa !
KaadhamBinee (15)
adiyEn will take up
the First slOkam of
Sri Lakshmi
Hayavadhana Nakshatra
Malaikaa in the
next posting .
NamO SrI
HayagreevAya ,
Daasan ,
Oppiliappan Koil V.Sadagopan