Surrendering Process

A pure devotee is a soul who is forever surrendered to the Lord, just as a child is surrendered to his parents or an animal to its master. In the surrendering process, one should:

(1) accept things favorable for discharging devotional service
(2) reject things unfavorable
(3) believe firmly in the Lord's protection
(4) feel exclusively dependent on the mercy of the Lord
(5) have no interest separate from the interest of the Lord, and
(6) always feel oneself meek and humble.

The Lord demands that one surrender unto Him by following these six guidelines, but the unintelligent so-called scholars of the world misunderstand these demands and urge the general mass of people to reject them.

Teachings of Lord Caitanya, Preface

Narasimha Kavaca

1. Sri Narad uvaca,

indradi deva vrindesha
tateshvara jagat pate mahavisnor nrsimhasya
kavacam bruhi me prabho yasya prapathanad vidvan
trilokya vijayi bhavet
"Sri Narad Muni said: O master of Indra and the demigods, O master of the universe, O dear father, please tell me the kavaca of Lord Visnu-Nrsimha. By reciting that kavaca a wise man conquers the three worlds."

2. sri brahmovaca,

shrnu narada vakshyami
putra-shreshtha tapo-dhana kavacam narasimhasya
trailok-ya vijayabhidam
"Sri Brahma said: O Narada wealthy in austerity, O best of my sons, please listen and I will tell you the Nrsimha-kavaca called Trailokya-vijaya (the conquest of the three worlds)."

3. yasya prapathanad vagmi
trailokya-vi jayi bhavet srashtham jagatam vatsa
pathanad dharanad yatah
"By reciting this prayer, one becomes eloquent. One becomes a coqueror of the three worlds. My son, I became the creator of this universe because I recited this kavaca and wore it in an amulet."

4. laksmir jagat-trayam pati
samharta ca maheshvarah pathanad dhanarad deva
babhuvush ca dig ishvarah
"By reciting this prayer and wearing it in an amulet Goddess Laksmi became the protector of the three worlds, Lord Siva became the destroyer, and the demigods became the masters of the directions."

5. brahma-mantra-myam vakshye
bhutadi-vinivarakam yasya prasadad durvasas
trailokya-vi jayi munih pathanad dharanad yasya
shasta ca krodha-bhairavah
"Now I will speak this kavaca, which contains within it all the mantras of the Vedas. By the mercy of this kavaca Durvasa Muni conquered the three worlds. By reciting this prayer and wearing it in an amulet He became able to punish others, he became feared for his anger."

6. trailokya-vi jayasyasa
kavacasya prajapatih rishis chandash ca gayatri
nrsimho devata vibhuh
"The sage of this kavaca is Prajapati Brahma. The meter is Gayatri. The Deity is Lord Nrsimha, the all-powerful Personality of Godhead."

7+ 8 kshraum bijam me shirah patu
candra-varno maha-manuh ugram viram maha-visnum
jvalantam sarvato-mukham
nrsimham bhishanam bhadram
mrtyu-mrtyum namamy aham dva trimsad aksharo mantro
mantra rajah sura drumah
"Kshraum. May this great mantra, its syllables glittering like a string of moons, protect my head."

I bow down before all-powerful, frightening, auspicious, sublimely ferocious Lord Nrsimha, who is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Visnu, who burns like fire, whose faces are everywhere, and who is the death of death.

This 32 syllable prayer is the king of mantras, the sura-druma tree of mantras."

9. kantham patu dhruvam kshraum hrd
bhagavate cakshushi mama narasimhaya ca jvala maline
patu mastakam
"May the word "kshraum" protect my neck. May the word "bhagavate" (to the Supreme Personality of Godhead) protect my heart. May the word "narasimhaya" (to Lord Nrsimha) protect my eyes. May the word "jvala-maline" (who wears a garland of flames) protect my head."

10. dipta-damshtraya ca tatha-
agni netraya ca nasikam sarva-raksho-ghnaya sarva-
bhuta-vinashanaya ca
"May the words "dipta-damshtraya" (whose teeth glisten), "agni-netraya" (whose eyes are fierce), and "sarva-bhuta
-vinashanaya" (the killer of all ghosts) protect my nose."

11. sarva-jvara-vinasaya
daha daha pacha-dvayam raksha raksha sarva-mantra
svaha patu mukham mama
"May the words "sarva-jvara-vinasya" (the protector from all fevers), "daha daha" (burn! burn!) "paca paca" (brun! burn!) "raksa raksa" (protect! protect!) "svaha" and the entire mantra protect my face."

Note: The mantra here is:

kshraum bhagavate narasimhaya jvala-maline dipta-damshtraya
agni-netrya sarva-raksho-ghanaya sarva-bhuta-vinashanaya
sarva-jvara-vinashaya daha daha pacha pacha raksha raksha svaha

"I bow down before Lord Nrsimha, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Who wears a garland of flames, Whose teeth glisten, Whose eyes are fires, Who is the killer of all rakshasas and ghosts, and Who is the protector from all fevers. O Lord Nrsimha, please burn my enemies! Burn them! Burn them! Burn them! Protect me! Protect me! Svaha."


12. taradi ramacandraya
namah payad gudam mama klim payat pani-yugmam ca
taram namah padam tatah narayanaya parshvam ca
am hrim kraum kshraum ca hum phat
"Om Namo Ramacandraya (Obeisances to Lord Ramacandra). May Lord Ramacandra protect my private parts. May Lord Ramacandra protect my hands. Om Namo Narayana. (Obeisances to Lord Narayana). May Lord Narayana protect my feet. May Lord Narayana protect my sides. Am hrim kraum kstrum ca hum phat!"


13. varaksharah katim patu
om namah bhagavate padam vasudevaya ca prishtham
klim krsnaya uru-dvaram
"Om Namo Bhagavate (Obeisances to the Supreme Personality of Godhead). May Lord Bhagavan protect my feet. May Lord Bhagavan protect my waist and hips. Om Namo Vasudevaya (Obeisances to Lord Vasudeva). May Lord Vasudeva protect my back. Klim Krsnaya (Obeisances to Lord Krishna). May Lord Krishna protect my thighs."

14. klim krsnaya sada patu
januni ca manuttamah klim glaum klim shyamalangaya
namah payat pada-dvaram
"Klim Krsnaya (Obeisances to Lord Krishna). May Lord Krishna always protect my knees. This is the best of mantras. Klim Glaum Klim Symalangaya Namaha (Obeisances to dark-limbed Lord Krishna). May Lord Krishna protect my feet."

15. kshraum narasimhaya ksraum ca
sarvangam me sadavatu
"Kshraum Narasimhaya Kshraum. (Obeisances to Lord Nrsimha). May Lord Nrsimha always protect all the limbs and parts of my body."

16. iti te kathitam vatsa
sarva-mantraugha-vigraham tava snehan mayakhyatam
pravaktavyam na kasyacit
"My child, I have thus spoken to you the personification of all mantras. Out of affection I told to you, but it should not be repeated to anyone."


17. guru-pujam vidhayatha
grhniyat kavacam tatah sarva-punya-yuto bhutva
sarva-siddhi-yuto bhavet
"After worshiping his spiritual master, one should accept this kavaca. Then one attains all piety. Then one attains all perfection."

18. shatam ashtottaram caiva
purashcharya vidhih smritah havanadin dashamsena
krtva sadhaka-sattamah
"Performing purashcarya and yajnas one hundred and eight times is equal to one tenth the merit attained by chanting this kavaca."

19. tatas tu siddha-kavacah
punyatma madanopaman sparddham uddhuya bhavane
lakshmir vani vaset tatah
"One who properly chants this kavaca becomes saintly. Forgetting their natural rivalry, Laksmi and Sarasvati both reside in his home."

20. pushpanjaly-ashtakam dattva
mulenaiva pathet sakrit
api varsha sahasranam
pujayah phalam apnuyat
"Offering eight palmsful of flowers and only once chanting this mula-mantra, one attains the result of a thousand years of worship."

21. bhur je vilkhya gutikam
svarna-stham dharayed yadi kanthe va dakshine bahau
narasimho bhavet svayam
"If one write this mantra on birch and wears it in an amulet around one's neck or on one's right arm, then Lord Nrsimha will personally accompany Him."

22. yoshid vama-bhuje caiva
puruso dakshine kare vibhriyat kavacam punyam
sarva-siddhi-yuto bhavet
"A woman should wear this amulet on her left arm. A man should wear it on his right hand. Whoever wears this sacred amulet attains all perfection."

23. kaka vandhya ca ya nari
mrita-vatsa ca ya bhavet janma-vandhya nashta-putra
bahu-putravati bhavet
"By wearing this amulet a woman who is barren, who has only one child, whose children have died, or whose children are lost will become the mother of many good children."

24. kavacasya prasadena
jivan-mukto bhaven narah trilokyam kshobhayaty eva
trailokya-vijayi bhavet
"By the mercy of this kavaca one becomes liberated even while living in this world. One shakes the three worlds. One conquers the three worlds."

25. bhuta-preta-pishacash ca
rakshasa danavash ca ye tam drshtva prapalayante
deshad deshantaram dhruvam
"The moment they see Him, bhutas, pretas, pishacas, raksasas, and danavas flee far away. They run to another country."

26. yasmin gehe ca kavacam
grame va yadi tishthati tam desham tu parityajya
prayanti cati-durantah
"These evil spirits flee far away from any home or village where this kavaca is placed."

Thus ends the Sri Nrsimha kavaca, of the Trailokya vijay in the samhita of Brahma.

Melkote Yoga Narasimha Temple

This temple is near Mysore, Karnataka in a small village called Melkote. The small ancient temple is situated on a steep, rock hill.

It is said that after Lord Narasihma killed Hiranyakashipu, Prahalada Maharaj meditated on the Lord for many thousands of years in this temple. The Lord is in shanta Yogic posture and the deity is 'swayambu murti' (self-manifested).

There is a dark cave right below the deity and Prahalada Maharaj is said to have meditated in this cave. Devotees visiting the temple are allowed to enter the cave and come through the other opening which is found next to the deity room of the temple. The tiger skin on which Prahalada Maharaj meditated is also preserved.

If you go there during lunch time, you can get delicious sweet rice made with jagery and tamarind rice maha prasadam after noon offering for a little donation to the pujaris.

ISKCON devotees are highly respected and welcome there. Thanks to some good work done by Bangalore ISKCON Hill temple devotees who have helped in Melkote temple renovation.

The view of the plain land below is spectacular.

Inspiring!

Water Retention during pregnancy

Mostly after the 6th month of pregnancy the feet starts swelling up due to water retention. I am also facing this problem. There were a lot of advise and tips pouring in from all quarters. A few were effecting in reducing water retention. Thought I would share it with all.

• Drink a lot of water. The body tends to retain more water when it is dehydrated.
• Try a leg massage every night before going to bed. This one is very effective.
• Do not sit with legs dropping down for long. This bloats the feet immediately.
• Walking is very good to reduce swelling.
• Drinking barley water and zeera (cumin seed) water is also effective.
• Keeping yourself cool is a must during pregnancy. The feet swells when the temperature is very high and you sweat a lot. More urine needs to pass than sweating it out.
  
  
  I found these effective in my case. You can try it and see if it is good for you.