Vedic Chanting by Monks of Belur Math

Rachane : Sri Vadiraja Swamigalu
Composed and Sung by : Venugopal K

Krishnashtakam (Complete Song)

Here's a gem from the great Balamurali Krishna, originally from Tatvalu, a Telugu album from the Seventies.
  
Song: Vasta Vattide
Album: Tatvalu
Singer: Balamurali Krishna

Lyrics:

vasta vattide pota vattide asha endukanta
chesina dharmamu chedani padardamu cherunu nee venta

chetilo amruthamu unnantasepe annadammulanta
aghadambai poye nadu evaru raru venta

pancha bootamula tolubommatho prapancha mayenata
anthamu varaku kichedashatho penchenu jagamantha

Vastha Vattide

Yemi Sethura Linga

Chanting of Adi Sankara's famous sanskrit stotram by Chinmaya Swaranjali UK

Nirvana Shatakam

Śrī Sūkta, also called Śrī Sūktam, is a Sanskrit devotional hymn (set of shlokas / Śloka-s) revering Śrī as Lakṣmī, the Hindu goddess of wealth, prosperity and fertility. Śrī Sūkta is recited, with a strict adherence to the Chandas, to invoke the goddess' blessings. The hymns are found in the Rig Vedic khilanis, which are appendices to the Ṛkveda that probably date to pre-Buddhist times.
The goddess Śrī appears in several earlier vedic hymns, and is the personification of auspicious and royal qualities. Śrī Sūkta is perhaps the first text in which the homology between Śrī and Lakṣmī is drawn, and the goddesses are further associated with the god of fire, Agni. Since the later epic period (ca 400 CE), Śrī-Lakṣmī is particularly associated with Viṣṇu as his wife or consort.
The Śrī Sūkta describes Śrī as glorious, ornamented, royal, lustrous as gold, and radiant as fire, moon and the sun. She is addressed as the bestower of fame, bounty and abundance in the form of gold, cattle, horses and food; and entreated to banish her sister alakṣmī (misfortune), who is associated with need, hunger, thirst and poverty. The hymn also associates Śrī with (agrarian) fertility and she is described as the mother of Kārdama (mud), moist, perceptible through odour, dwelling in cowdung and producing abundant harvest. 

The Śrī Sūktam assumes specific significance because of Śrī Mahālakṣmī's presence on Lord Śrī Venkaṭeśvara, at Tirumala, or Viṣṇu's chest, at the Heart. Lakṣmi is the embodiment of Love, from which devotion to God or Bhakti flows. It is through Love/Bhakti or Lakṣmī that the Ātmā or soul is able to reach God or Viṣṇu.

Śrī or Lakṣmī is also the personification of the spiritual energy within us and universe called kuṇḍalinī. Also, She embodies the Spiritual World or Vaikuṇtha; the abode of Lakṣmī-Nārāyaṇa or Viṣṇu, not to be confused with Heaven, as The Heavenly Planets are still part of the Material Universe. Vaikuṇtha-Dham is purely spiritual, eternal and self illuminating. She is also supposed to have the Divine qualities of God and the soul. Lakshmi is God's superior spiritual feminine energy or the Param Prākṛti, which purifies, empowers and uplifts the individual. Hence, She is called the Goddess of Fortune.

The Śrī Sūkta uses the motifs of lotus (padma or kamala) and elephant (gaja) – symbols that are consistently linked with the goddess Śrī-Lakṣmī in later references. The lotus is thought to be symbolic of purity, beauty, spiritual power, life, fertility, growth or, in Tantra, the entire created universe. It is a recurring motif in Hindu (as well as Buddhist and Jain) literature and a lotus growing from Viṣṇu's navel is said to mark the beginning of a new cosmic creation. The elephants are symbolic of royalty and, in Hindu mythology, are also related with cloud and rain; they thus reinforce Śrī-Lakṣmī's stature as the goddess of abundance and fertility.

Later Hindu iconography often represents Śrī-Lakṣmī in the form of Gaja-Lakṣmī, standing on a lotus, flanked by two elephants that are shown showering her with water with their trunks. 
The Śrī Sūkta is one of the Pañca-Sūktam (5 Suktams) recited during the 3-hour long Abhiṣeka of Venkateswara, at the famed ancient Hill Shrine of the Tirumala Venkateswara Temple in Andhra Pradesh, India. The Abhiṣekam to the main deity is performed every Friday. Śrī Sūkta is also recited during the daily Arjitha Vasanthotsavam seva.

Sri Suktam

Lalitha Sahasranam recited by Sri Guru Karunamaya. If you would like to learn more about how to discover the bliss of Divine Mother within yourself, please visit www.srimeru.org or write to us at srimeru999@gmail.com

Lalitha Sahasranam

Bilwashtakam Lyrics - Shiva Bilwa Ashtakam Stotra Meaning
 
Bilwa Ashtakam, also spelled Bilwashtakam, Vilvashtakam, or Bilvashtakam, is the asthakam (ashtak) addressed to Lord Shiva. Bilwa Ashtakam is a highly powerful Sanskrit Shiva stotra which are the eight hymns chanted while offering Bilwa (Vilva) leaves to Lord Shiva. The Bilwa (Aegle Marmelos) leaves are one of the main offering to Lord Shiv and by offering Bilva leaves (Koovalam in Malayalam) a devotee can easily please Lord Shiva.

Chanting Bilwa Ashtakam especially on Maha Shivaratri is considered auspicious. Here is Lyrics of Bilwashtakam with English meaning. Bilwa Ashtakam devotional video song is provided after the Bilwashtakam Lyrics. Vilvashtakam translated in to English by P. R. Ramachander

Bilwa Ashtakam Lyrics - Prayer to Lord Shiva while offering Bilwa Leaf 

Tridalam Trigunakaaram Trinethram Cha Triyayusham,
Trijanma Papa Samharam Eka Bilwam Shivarpanam 1

I offer one leaf of Bilwa to Lord Shiva,
Which has three leaves,
Which causes three qualities,
Which are like the three eyes of Shiva,
Which is like the triad of weapons,
And which destroys sins of three births.

Trishakhai Bilwapathraischa Hyachidrai Komalai Shubai,
Shiva Poojam Karishyami, Eka Bilwam Shivarpanam 2

I offer one leaf of Bilwa to Lord Shiva,
Which has three shoots,
Which do not have holes,
Which are good and pretty,
And worship Lord Shiva.

Aganda Bilwa Pathrena Poojithe Nandikeshware,
Shudhyanthi Sarva Papebhyo, Eka Bilwam Shivarpanam 3

I offer one leaf of Bilwa to Lord Shiva,
For if an uncut leaf is offered,
To his steed the god Nandi,
We get cleaned of all our sins.

Salagrama Shilamekaam Vipranam Jatha Cha Arpayeth,
Soma Yagna Maha Punyam, Eka Bilwam Shivarpanam 4

I offer one leaf of Bilwa to Lord Shiva,
For it is equal to, offering a saligrama to a Brahmin,
Or the great blessing got out of performing Soma Yaga,

Dandi Koti Sahasrani Vajapeya Sathani Cha,
Koti Kanya Maha Danam, Eka Bilwam Shivarpanam 5

I offer one leaf of Bilwa to Lord Shiva,
For it is equal to gifting thousand elephants,
Or the performing of hundred fire sacrifices,
Or giving away billions of girls.

Lakshmyasthanutha Uthpannam Mahadevasya Cha Priyam,
Bilwa Vruksham Prayachami, Eka Bilwam Shivarpanam 6

I offer one leaf of Bilwa to Lord Shiva,
For it is equal to giving a tree of Bilwa,
Which was born from the breast of Lakshmi,
And which is very dear to the Lord Shiva.

Darshanam Bilwa Vrukshasya, Sparsanam Papa Nasanam,
Aghora Papa Samharam, Eka Bilwam Shivarpanam 7

I offer one leaf of Bilwa to Lord Shiva,
As seeing and touching of a tree of Bilwa,
Washes away ones sins and also very great sins.

Kasi Kshethra Nivasam Cha Kala Bhairava Darshanam,
Prayaga Madhavam Drushtwa, Eka Bilwam Shivarpanam 8

I offer one leaf of Bilwa to Lord Shiva,
After living in the city of Kasi,
Seeing the Kala Bhairawa,
And also visiting the temple
Of Madhawa in Allahabad.

Moolatho Brahma Roopaya, Madhyatho Vishnu Roopine
Agratha Shiva Roopaya, Eka Bilwam Shivarpanam 9

I offer one leaf of Bilwa to Lord Shiva,
As Brahma resides at its bottom,
Lord Vishnu lives in its middle,
And Lord Shiva lives in its tip.

Bilwashtakam Idham Punyaam, Padeth Shiva Sannidhou,
Sarva Papa Nirmuktha Shiva Loka Maapnuyath 10

Reading this holy octet of Bilwa,
In the presence of Lord Shiva,
Would save one from all sins,
And in the end take him to the world of Shiva.




BILVASHTAKAM

03. Narayana Upanishad

04. Purusha Suktam

08. Vishnu-Brahma-Durga-Medha Suktam Prokshana Mantra

Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission, Belur Math, the twin organizations which form the core of a worldwide spiritual movement (known as Ramakrishna Movement or Vedanta Movement), aims at the harmony of religions, harmony of the East and the West, harmony of the ancient and the modern, spiritual fulfillment, all-round development of human faculties, social equality, and peace for all humanity, without any distinctions of creed, caste, race or nationality.

Vedic Chanting by Monks of Belur Math

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