Praise Shiva!

[Aupmanyav]

I think you have not made a mistake except where you said 'trayah', just traya would suffice. I too am not a Sanskrit pandit. Kartikeya has other beautiful names. Shanmugham, Arumugham (six heads, faces); Velān or Velayudhān (bearer of the spear); Skanda, Skandan or Kandan (spurting or spilling, reference to his father at the time of his birth); Kumāran or Kumāra; Guhān; Senthilnāthan; Swamināthan; Saravanan; etc

 

[Jainarayan]

I think you have not made a mistake except where you said 'trayah', just traya would suffice.

Darn on-line translators!

Many years ago, like 30 or so, I worked with a woman whose last name was Shanmugavel. It was only within the past few years it hit me what the name means. Typical me... a few decades late and a few rupees short.

 

[Vinayaka]

Darn on-line translators!

Many years ago, like 30 or so, I worked with a woman whose last name was Shanmugavel. It was only within the past few years it hit me what the name means. Typical me... a few decades late and a few rupees short.

That sounds Sri Lankan Tamil to me, but could be South Indian too. I've had Tamils not recognise my name for awhile. They assume a western name, and although my name is very Tamil, because of that assumption, and the color blindness, they don't see it. Then when they do they feel like idiots.

 

[Jainarayan]

That sounds Sri Lankan Tamil to me, but could be South Indian too.

You could be right, but it sticks in my mind that she was Indian. That may have been an assumption on my part.

 

[Aupmanyav]

'Valli' means a creeper which clings to trees, the supposed role for women in a patriarchal society. The most common address in Tamil for girls. Any unmarried girl whose name one does not know can be addressed as 'valli', married women should be addressed as 'amma' (Vinayaka, please correct where I am wrong. 'l' is pronounced with a Tamil twist as in Hindi ळ instead of the common ल. There is another ऴ which I (even while being an Indian) do not know).

Amrutha Valli (Nectar creeper), popular Tamil actress.

 

[Vinayaka]

Aup, it varies. There are some commonalities, like Amma. Depends a lot on circumstance. For example, I often call close female friends 'Acca' (big sister) just so they don't feel so old.

 

[Vinayaka]

You could be right, but it sticks in my mind that she was Indian. That may have been an assumption on my part.

I generally have to ask in a conversation. Our community has been getting a ton of Indian Tamils lately. Young families and young men. Immigration patterns shift. If I understood Tamil. it'd be easier, because of accent.

 

[Jainarayan]

I generally have to ask in a conversation. Our community has been getting a ton of Indian Tamils lately. Young families and young men. Immigration patterns shift. If I understood Tamil. it'd be easier, because of accent.

You may remember that one of my first times at temple, one of the young priests' toddler was there. The little tyke pointed to me and said "tatha!" (my spelling is probably so off it's orbiting Jupiter). The priest said that was Telugu (his mother language) for 'grandfather'. I was flattered in a sort of left-handed way.

The little boy was so adorable you could bite him. In the past two weeks or so that I've been back to temple I haven't seen this priest. My friend at work says they bounce back and forth from here to India at times. There is a crop of new young priests, as well as some from "back in the day", which makes me feel grounded.

Btw, I have to mention that the lady I worked with was one of the most beautiful women I have ever known, of any ethnicity. Her hair was long, thick and jet black, she had a very dark silky smooth complexion (my ignorance of Indian genetics made me immediately assume she was southern), black eyes, and a sweet manner. She could have been a doll carved from ebony. She was a dang fine employee too... they don't make 'em like that anymore (can you tell I was fond of her?). And I was the only one who could pronounce her name.

Despite the ravages of age some things you don't forget.

OK, back to the subject, which was... hmm... um...

 

[Vinayaka]

Btw, I have to mention that the lady I worked with was one of the most beautiful women I have ever known, of any ethnicity.

When my daughter and I were pilgrimaging in Tamil Nadu a few years back, there was a simple fisherman's wife on the shores of Thanushkodi on Rameswaram Island. Most beautiful woman I've ever seen. Probably owned one sari. My daughter raved about it all the way back to the hotel. I remember slipping the 5 year old daughter all my coins.

 

[Aupmanyav]

Amrutha Valli (Nectar creeper), popular Tamil actress.

South Indians, especially Tamils and Keralites do not like skinny actresses (other Indians also are not much different).

Barbie and her Tamil cousins.

 

[Vinayaka]

Siva is All and in all, both immanent and transcendent.

 

[Kapalika]

Does anyone know any mantras to Bhairava or Nataraja in particular?

 

[Vinayaka]

Does anyone know any mantras to Bhairava or Nataraja in particular?

Mantras or bhajans too?

 

[Jainarayan]

om kālakālāya vidhmahe
kālāthīthāya dhīmahi
tanno kāla bhairava prachodhayāth

Welcome to Sri Kalabairavar Temple

I wouldn't use any deity's beej mantra without initiation. Rather, just about any form of the name can be used for nāma japa. For example om kāla bhairavāya namah.

om namo natarājāya namaha

A Natarāja sloka rather than a mantra:

krupasamudhram sumukhan trinethram
jada dharmam parvathy vama bhagam
sada shivam rudram anatha roopam
chidambaresam hrudhi bhavayami

I salute with all my heart,
The Lord of Chidambara,
Who is the ocean of mercy?
Who is always pleasant?
Who has three eyes?
Who wears tuft of hair,
Who is always peaceful?
Who is full of anger?
And who is an endless shape.

I haven't found a Natarāja gayatri, but I suppose you could always compose your own as a prayer. Gayatri mantras follow a specific pattern:

om natarājāya vidmahe
mahādevāya dhīmahi
tanno śiva prachodhayāth

Loose translation would be "Let us meditate on the Lord of the Dance. May that Great God Shiva inspire and illumine our mind and understanding".

 

[Tabu]

Om Namah Shivaya!

Har Har mahadev!!!!

Jai Shiv Sambhu!

Praise be to the Great Lord and Auspicious one!

OM NAMAH SHIVAY - SUBTITLES - BK MURLI SONG

 

[Aupmanyav]

Jai, in both the Gayatris that you have mentioned, I feel (but I do not really know that much Sanskrit) the 'matras' are not correct. Of course, this can be easily put right. But you are on the right line.

om natarājāya vidmahe
mahādevāya dhīmahi
tanno Shivah prachodayāt or tanno anaghah prachodayāt or Tanno Rudrah prachodayāt
(anagha: without any fault)

 

[Jainarayan]

Jai, in both the Gayatris that you have mentioned, I feel (but I do not really know that much Sanskrit) the 'matras' are not correct. Of course, this can be easily put right. But you are on the right line.

om natarājāya vidmahe
mahādevāya dhīmahi
tanno Shivah prachodayat or tanno anaghah prachodayāt or Tanno Rudrah prachodayat
(anagha: without any fault)

My Sanskrit is rudimentary at best, so I agree that it could be as you wrote it. Believe it or not, I can't yet read devanagari. It would probably help.

 

[Aupmanyav]

You are doing quite well with Sanskrit. Are you enrolled in an internet course/distance education on Sanskrit. That might quicken the process. Yeah, people can create their own prayers. Learning script is not difficult. Try it.

The last la is a special sound (explosive/sphut, don't know the exact term, while the earlier la is 'talavya' (palate and tongue in definite touch), used very rarely. Gna/Jna is more like nya/nya. South Indian pronunciation will be something like nyana for Gnana. In North India it is clear Gya.
Prepared specially for you. If any one has suggestions, they are welcome to post them.

 

[Jainarayan]

Thanks for that chart, will be very handy when I print it out. No formal course (yet). The temple offers basic classes. I'm very tempted to sign up next time they're offered. But for now, I do follow some sites on the 'net. I do know that the alphabet is very logically laid out, and is not hard to learn once one gets started. I just have to start.

 

[Shantanu]

Om Namah Shivaya!

Har Har mahadev!!!!

Jai Shiv Sambhu!

Praise be to the Great Lord and Auspicious one!

I can say the same thing about Sri Krishna: are we talking about the same God that lives within us and can guide us in our lives?