Issue 20

Saraba Shakti Karthigai Deepam Festival at Arunachala - November 2007 Click here for 2008 Karthigai Deepam Festival at Arunachala. A few weeks ago, we provided some general information on the great Karthigai Deepam festival at Arunachala that is set to occur from November 15 to 25 this year. The Sathguru, Guru Mangala Gandharva Venkataraman informs us that this 2007 Sarvajit Arunachala Karthigai Deepam festival is glorified by Siddhas as the Saraba Shakti Karthigai Deepam festival. The Sathguru shared this precious Siddha wisdom with us in the November 2007 issue of the Ashram monthly magazine that was published in October 2007. As readers of this site may know, Saraba and Sarabesa are both shortened forms of the holy name of Sri Sarabeswara Shiva, the Great Protector, Motivator and Well Wisher. This 2007 Sharaba Shakti Karthikai Deepam festival is an excellent time to pray for the grace of Arunachala's Sarabeswara shakti. Since Arunachala is at the root of all divine manifestations, there are so many representations of Saraba shakti in Arunachala. And the Lord has seen it fit to manifest His limitless grace as Saraba shakti during the Deepam festival this year. Needless to say, it only follows that the Sarabeswara Siddhas will be working overtime during this deepam festival blessing Arunachala devotees! During these 11 days, the 11 Ekadasa Rudra deities will perform Sarabeswara Jyoti worship at Arunachala. So Arunachala's Saraba shakti energy will pulsate with high intensity during these 11 days. Devotees should seize this opportunity to seek this Sarabeswara energy for their spiritual and material welfare. We have described the glory of Sarabeshwara worship in detail over the past many years in this website. In a world of decadence where adharma, falsehood, vices, violence, cruelty, lust, harassment of women, injustice, deception, bad habits, addictions, drugs, misuse of science, abuse of the environment and similar negative forces are on the rise, who else can offer protection but the Great Protector, Lord Sharabeswara? The wings of Lord Sarabeswara envelop the globe just like the wings of a mother bird shield her young ones from harm. People in the Kali Yuga would be wise to request the blessings of Sri Sarabeswara using the prayer mantras that we have provided in this site for years, especially during this year's Sharaba Shakti Deepam festival. What follows in this article are the precise Siddha worship procedures for the each of the 11 days of this year's Saraba Shakti Jyoti Deepam festival. As we have mentioned before in our "girivalam rules" article, if you can't be present in Arunachala, at least do manasika girivalam of Arunachala wherever you may be. If you are spiritually lucky enough to be in Arunachala, please do follow the girivalam rules mentioned in our "rules" article.

Nov 15 2007 - Day 1 - Varavarjitha Saraba Shakti Deepam Day The first day! On this day Sri Garudakodi Siddha participates in the Deepam festival. During giri valam on this day, chant the following mantra: Om Hara Hara Siva Siva Bhava Bhava Saraba Namasivaya Namah Om Om Hara Saraba Siva Sharaba Bhava Saraba Namasivaya Namah Om During girivalam on this day, men and boys should hold their palms together in the namskar prayer position and hoist their joined palms up above their heads for at least one mile from the Unnamulai Mandap while chanting this mantra. Women and girls should hold their joined palms at their heart, just like the customary worship position, and chant this mantra for at least one mile from the Unnamualai Mandap. On this day, give different kinds of jyoti lamps in charity along with oil, wicks and matchsticks. Chant Siva Puran, Saint Thirunavukkarasu's Thiru Anga Maalai, Manickavasagar's Thirukovai on this day. Chanting Rudram and Chamakam is especially good on this day. Those who can't make it to Arunachala on this day should make excellent sweet chakkarai pongal and mix in saffron, cashews and raisins. They should place this on clean banana leaves and offer it to Lord Sarabeswara. They should then offer some to cows with calves and then give the rest to the poor. Nov 16 2007 - Day 2 - Sura Poojitha Saraba Shakti Deepam Day The mantra for giri valam on this day is: Om Sivaartha Chinmaya Sivaaya Bhavaartha Paramashivaaya Saramoolendra Namasivaaya Namah Om During girivalam on this day, make sure your hands are not hanging at your sides. Try to keep them joined together in some way. You could keep them in the namaskar prayer position or you can hold palm to elbow like Swami Vivekananda or you can use objects infused with spiritual energy like archana plates, flower baskets or flower garlands to be offered in worship and so on in both hands. Do this throughout the entire girivalam stretch. Try to follow this method of keeping your hands together whenever you visit any temple or place of worship. On this day, take a lot of jyoti lamps to the Durga Temple and light them there. Also involve others in lighting these lamps. To the poor, give worship related things (like coconut, fruits, flowers, camphor, incense sticks and so on) so that they will be offer worship too. On this day, give white ven pongal in charity. Make sure that you mix in a good amount of cashews and raisins. Remember Sathguru Venkataraman's advice that the food you give in annadhanam should be better than what you normally eat. Those who can't make it to Arunachala on this day should light a minimum of 11 jyoti lamps in their home shrines or in their local temples. They should make ven pongal as mentioned above, place it on round mandhara leaves and offer it to Lord Sarabeswara. They should then offer some to goats or elephants or bulls or buffaloes. They should then offer the rest to the poor. Nov 17 2007 - Day 3 - Ganavaarana Bhava Poojitha Saraba Shakti Deepam Day The mantra for giri valam on this day is: Om Shakti Saraba Deepaaya Saraba Shakti Deepaaya Shiva Sharaba Sakthi Deepaaya Siva Sakthi Sarabha Deepaaya Namah Om Apply fragrances, scents and perfumes to leaves or paper or clean cloth or small containers and hold the same in both hands while chanting the above mantra during girivalam on this day. When you complete your girivalam, give these perfumes to any nearby temple so it can be used in worship there. On this day, chant Adi Shankara's Maneesha Panchakam and Saint Karaikal Ammaiyar's Koyil Mootha Thiru Padhigam. On this day, give new clothes, new footwear and dry sweets in charity. Those who can't make it to Arunachala on this day should light a minimum of 11 jyoti lamps in their home shrines or in their local temples. They should make dishes with milk, place them on jackfruit leaves and offer the same to Lord Sarabeswara. They should then offer some to children and then give the rest in charity. Nov 18 2007 - Day 4 - Varamaheswara Poojitha Saraba Shakti Deepam Day The mantra for this day is: Om Saraba Sadashiva Saraba Sadashiva Saraba Sadasiva Hara Hara Om Saraba Sadashiva Saraba Sadashiva Saraba Sadasiva Shiva Shiva Om Chant this mantra during girivalam on this day. In your hands hold yellow paper or cloth bags filled with sacred bilva leaves, tulsi, fragrant flowers, nava dhanya (nine grains) and similar things used in archana. If possible, carry your meditation mat made of dharba or sacred wood with you. Sit on the same at selected spots on the giri valam route, without obstructing traffic in any way, chant the Saraba Sarala Sadashiva mantra given above and perform dhyana meditation. Sing Sri Appaya Deekshithar's Markandeya Stotra and Sundara's Mootha Kovil Thiru Padhigam on this day. Give fresh vegetables, fruits, rice, wheat, grains and lentils in charity on this day. Those who can't make it to Arunachala on this day should light a minimum of 11 jyoti lamps in their home shrines or in their local temples. They should make the sundal delicacy, place it on palm leaves and offer the same to Lord Sarabeswara. They should then offer some to the elderly and then give the rest in charity. Nov 19 2007 - Day 5 - Parashiva Srimukha Saraba Shakti Deepam Day The mantra for this day is: Om Namashivaaya Saraba Shivaaya Vedashivaaya Sarabavedaaya Jyoti Sivaaya Jyoti Sharabaaya Namah Om Wear bead garlands made out of rudraksha, salagram, lotus beads, spatika beads around your neck and wrists during your girivalam on this day. Chant the above mantra as you walk around the Arunachala hill. You can also chant Saint Thirumoolar's Thirumandhiram verses today. On this day, give new clothes and sweets to children in charity. On the giri valam route, sit under bilva, mango, jackfruit, neem or similar moolika trees and chant the Namasivaya panchakshara mantra on your prayer beads. Maha Guru Agasthiar's Navamanimaala hymn is also a good choice for this day. Those who can't make it to Arunachala on this day should make dishes that are fried in oil such as vadas, place them on plates and offer the same to Lord Sarabeswara. They should then offer these in charity along with the plates. Nov 20 2007 - Day 6 - Rudra Parimala Shankara Saraba Shakti Deepam Day The mantra for this day is: Om Saraba Parameswara Saraba Mahadeva Saraba Sarvesvaraaya Namah Om Chant this mantra during girivalam on this day. You can also recite Saint Thirunavukkarasu's Kaalapaasa Thiruthogai on this day. The saint, in his love for humankind, sang these songs and requested Yama's messengers not to grab the lives of Shiva devotees. Because of his pure love, Lord Shiva blessed these songs with great power. These powerful songs can help one overcome the fear of death and also lighten one's mrityu dosha. On this day get at least 108 darshans of the Arunachala Hill while seated in one of padmasana (lotus pose), sukhasana (ordinary cross legged pose), siddhasana, virasana or gomukhasana. Those who can't make it to Arunachala on this day should make dishes out of flour and offer the same to Lord Sarabeswara. Give in charity grains, vegetables and oils that will cover a week's cooking needs. Nov 21 2007 - Day 7 - Varavara Parasura Parashiva Saraba Shakti Deepam Day The mantra for this day is: Om Thathpara Maheswaraaya Vidhmahe Sambashiva Sathguru Brahmeswaraaya Dheemahi Thanno Sarabeswara Prachodayaath Chant this mantra during girivalam on this day. You can also sing Manickavasagar's Kovil Thirupadhigam songs and Saint Gnanasambandhar's Neelakanta songs on this day. On this day, in selected spots of your choice on the girivalam route, stand in the Tadasana mountain pose with your feet firmly on the ground, raise your joined palms up above your head and worship Arunachala. In some other spots, stand on tip toes, raise your joined palms up above your head and worship Arunachala. Those who can't make it to Arunachala on this day should make dishes out of puffed rice/beaten rice (poha) and jaggery and and offer the same to Lord Sarabeswara and then in charity. Nov 22 2007 - Day 8 - Deva Mantra Yantra Tantra Chakra Saraba Shakti Deepam Day The mantra for this day is: Om Namasivaaya Sivaalaya Paraalaya Viswaalaya Gunaalaya Gunameswaraalaya Parameswaraalaya Sarabeswaraalaya Namah Om Chant this mantra during girivalam on this day. You can also sing Saint Karaikal Ammaiyar's Arpudha Thiru Andhadhi songs on this day. During you girivalam today, try to do Go Puja not just to cows but also to bulls and buffaloes. Drape a sari around at least one cow, go around it and worship it as Mother Kamadhenu. Give the sari in charity to the owner of the cow. Also try to do puja to sacred trees on this day. Go around them at least three times and worship them as divine storehouses of healing energy. The more you do this on your girivalam, the more sarva jeeva rakshaka shakti (the power to heal all kinds of creatures) you gain. Those who can't make it to Arunachala on this day should light a minimum of 11 jyoti lamps in their home shrines or in their local temples. They should make dishes that are square, rectangular or spherical in shape (like mysore pak, laddu) and offer the same to Lord Sarabeswara. They should then give it to the handicapped and then give the rest in charity. Nov 23 2007 - Day 9 - Sivabodha Hari Hara Vaarana Saraba Shakti Deepam Day The mantra for this day is: Nava Jyoti Thaandavaaya Nava Bodha Maarthaandaaya Navaanubhooti Nageswaraaya Namashivaaya Sarabeswaraaya Namah Om On this day, have a lot of yajnopavita poonool sacred threads in your hands during giri valam. Put these threads around deities on the way and on sacred trees. Chant the above mantra during girivalam on this day. You can also chant Sarabeswara Gayatri mantras on this day during your girivalam. Nedungala Padhigam and Thirumullaivayil Padhigam from the sacred Dhevaaram are also great choices for this day. Chant these mantras aloud so that the spiritual shakti of these mantras can reach those nearby and enter them as well. On this day, at least in short stretches, do tip toe pradakshinam, adi pradakshinam or namaskara pradakshinam. Those who can't make it to Arunachala on this day should light a minimum of 11 jyoti lamps in their home shrines or in their local temples. They should make payasam, panagam, tomato soup and split pea soup and offer the same to Lord Sarabeswara. They should then give it to the elderly first and then give the rest in charity. Nov 24 2007 - Day 10 - Prapancha Jyotirmaya Saraba Shakti Deepam Day This is the day of the most blessed event! The lighting of the most holy Karthigai Deepam at 6 pm IST (1230 hours GMT)! All the great Sarabeswara Shaktis will be present in the jyoti flame at the top of Arunachala Hill on this day. What a great opportunity for devotees to bask in the glow of these exalted Saraba shaktis! Truly a godsend! On this day, observe the Arunachala jyoti flame very carefully with every step you take. Of course, be very mindful of traffic on the route and take care of yourself while doing giri valam. Chant the following mantra during girivalam on this day: Om Sakala Dheiva Swaroopaaya Sakala Jyoti Swaroopaaya Sakala Maarga Swaroopaaya Sakala Bhoomya Swaroopaaya Sakala Pancha Bootha Moorthyaaya Sri Sarabeswaraaya Namah Om Sarva Jeeva Samrakshakaaya Sarva Deva Bhaavanaaya Sarva koota Rakshamaalyaaya Sarva Shakti Vimaleswaraaya Saraba Jyoti Sarveswaraaya Namah Om Saint Gnanasambandhar's Panchakshara songs are also great choices for this day's giri valam. Sathguru Venkataraman has often pointed out the sacredness of coconut water as water that has not been sullied by the sight of any being. Thus coconut and coconut water are very suited for storing the beeja akshara shakti (the power of the seed syllables in mantras) of Saraba, Sastha, Bhairava and Varahi mantras. Hence the dried coconut offering in homam fire ceremonies and the common use of coconuts in all worship procedures. On this Karthikai Deepam day, make a garland of 11 coconuts and carry it with you during your giri valam. When your girivalam is complete, offer this garland in worship to a Ganesh, Saraba, Bhairava, Veerabhadra, Aiyanar or Karuppana deity nearby. Lord Sarabeswara blesses His devotees with His beeja shakti when they sing His songs and chant His mantras. Tell others about this. This is gnaana dhaanam and vidya dhaanam for the 21-st century. The power of the Sarabeswara mantras of the Siddhas will charge the giri valam route and bestow Saraba shakti on many a devotee over the coming years. Thus it is important to chant these Siddha mantras during your girivalam on all 11 days of this year's deepam festival. Those who can't make it to Arunachala on this day should light a minimum of 11 jyoti lamps in their home shrines or in their local temples. They should also give a lot of jyoti lamps, oil and wicks in charity so that everyone in their neighborhood can celebrate the Lord's Karthikai Deepam festival in fond remembrance of the Arunachala avatar as an infinte column of light. They should make all kinds of delicacies and place them on 11 full banana leaves in the direction of Arunachala from wherever they are. For example, if you are in Chennai, Arunachala is southwest of you and if you are in Mumbai, Arunachala is southeast from you. They should offer this as neivedya to Lord Sarabeswara and then give it to octogenarians first before offering the rest in charity. Nov 25 2007 - Day 11 - Shankara Narayana Jyoti Guna Saraba Shakti Deepam Day The day after the Karthigai deepam day is known as the Vishnu Deepam day. Every lamp or candle that gets lit anywhere in the world on this day is a Vishnu deepam. Recall that the base of the Shiva Linga is Brahma, the middle is Vishnu and the top is Rudra. Thus Shiva Lingam worship is a complete worship of the Trinurti trinity. This shows that there is no room for feelings of differences in Shiva and Vishnu worship. Those who indulge in such feelings will have to take numerous births till they get rid of the same and realize the Oneness. Hence the Siddha advice to give up such feelings rightaway. On this day, chant the following mantra during your girivalam: Om Paraathparaaya Parameswaraya Parabrahma Jyoteeswaraaya Trimurti Svaroopaaya Hara Hari Sarva Deva Sri Sarabesvaraaya Namah Om Perform the girivalam with a lit lamp jyoti in your hand or with lit incense sticks. Offer dhoop also as you walk around the hill. Saint Manickavasagar's Thirupadaiezhuchi songs are also good choices for girivalam on this day. Doing girivalam with musicians singing Saint Gnanasambandhar's yaazhmuri songs is special on this day. On this day, offer in charity dishes like sesame rice, large perumal temple dosa, appam, sweek chakkarai pongal and panagam. On this day, men and boys should dhotis with large border colorings (known as Perumal dhoti) while women and girls should wear blue colored clothes during their girivalam. Clothes made out of pure cotton are preferred by the Siddhas since they are good storehouses of pancha bhoota shakti and can transmit the same to our bodies. Giving new clothes in charity at the completion of your girivalam is a good practice. You can also do vastra dhaan (giving clothes in charity) just after returning to your home town from Arunachala giri valam. Those who can't make it to Arunachala on this day should light a minimum of 11 jyoti lamps in their home shrines or in their local temples. They should make the above mentioned dishes, place them in earthen vessels and offer this as neivedya to Lord Sarabeswara and then give it in charity along with the vessels. The more you engage yourself in selfless service and spirituality, the more the blessings you get especially during girivalam. Keep this in mind and offer yourself to Arunachala's Sarabeswara Shakti. Here are links to some of our pages with more information on Arunachala and Girivalam: Introduction to Arunachala Introduction to Arunachala Girivalam Basic Girivalam Rules Arunachala Darshan Picture Gallery Selfless Service at Arunachala The Greatest of All Miracles! 2007 Arunachala Karthigai Deepam Festival Let us put into practice this Siddha advice and become worthy recepients of Arunachala's Sarabeshwara Shakti. This is the way to show our gratitude to Sathguru Venkataraman and the Agasthiar lineage of Siddha Sathgurus who revelead this Siddha wisdom to us.

Om Salutations to Sri Arunachala

Om Salutations to Maha Guru Sri Agasthiar

Om Salutations to the Agasthiar Lineage

Om Salutations to the Siddhas