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Editorial

Sri Rudram Part 2

Sri Rudram, a sacred hymn from the fourth kanda of the Taittiriya Samhita of the Krishna Yajurveda, is a powerful invocation to the supreme Lord Rudra. Chanting it purifies the mind, removes negative energies, and fosters spiritual growth. It possesses the power to cleanse past karma, heal illnesses, and bless one with longevity while invoking protection, prosperity, and universal harmony. Acknowledging the divinity in all creation, Sri Rudram connects the chanter with the divine and leads to Self-realization. That is why Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba greatly emphasizes everyone should learn this chant. 

The first part of this editorial (published in the February 2025 issue) covered how Swami emphasizes the importance of Rudram. It also delved into different aspects like what Rudram is, how its daily practice is an integral yoga, and when to chant it. When chanted with an understanding of the meaning of the Namakam and Chamakam, the benefits multiply. While space constraints make it difficult to go into the complete meaning of each anuvaka of the Namakam and Chamakam, here are some highlights. 

Meaning of the Namakam 

Namakam Anuvaka 1:

The first anuvaka of the Namakam is a prayer to the Lord to pacify His anger against transgressions of divine commandments and pray for His blessings to help us tread the right path. We pray for forgiveness of our trespasses and seek the Lord’s love and grace. Three mantras are offered as praise, prayer, and salutation to Rudra as the Sun god who is directly seen by all of us, including animals and trees. The spectacular display of the beauty and glory of the Sun from the time it emerges on the eastern horizon at dawn till it merges with the western horizon at dusk is always a wonderful sight that gives joy to all. 

Worshipping the Sun also has many physical and mental health benefits, such as providing Vitamin D and making one cheerful. For spiritual seekers, worship of the Sun god during sandhyavandana (daily duty of those initiated into the Gayatri mantra), helps take them toward God, sharpens their intellect, and illumines them. That is why, over thousands of years, people of all tribes and faiths worldwide have worshipped the Sun god. This includes native tribes and people in the continents of North America, South America, Africa, Oceania, and Europe. 

At the end of the first anuvaka, there is a beautiful and powerful mantra that begins, “Namaste Astu Bhagawan Vishveshwaraya…” Here, one offers salutations to Rudra as the Lord of the universe, who is self-effulgent, the three-eyed one, the consumer of the fire of the three periods of time, the conqueror of death, and the Lord of all bestowing health, auspiciousness, and liberation itself. 

Anuvakas 2 through 9 describe the various aspects of Rudra, including how Rudra is the supreme Lord with no leader above Him. Though some references are pertinent to conditions prevalent in Vedic times, the message is relevant for all ages and everyone as it is timeless.

Namakam Anuvaka 2: 

The second anuvaka describes Him as the Lord of all directions, the indweller of all beings, the one who liberates us from worldly ties, the one who strikes fear in wrong-doers, and the one who bestows blessings on the righteous. Rudra is also worshipped as the one who resides in trees with green leaves and the Lord and protector of forests. It shows the importance of revering nature as God, protecting it, and not polluting it. The present environmental initiatives by various governments and organizations, including the SSSIO, are spiritual at their core, thus worshipping Rudra. 

Namakam Anuvaka 3: 

The third anuvaka shows how Rudra is all-pervasive in all beings. He is present in those who protect the harvested land, as well as the thieves and cheaters. Rudra is present in those who are sitting, lying down, sleeping, awake, standing, and moving about quickly. He is also present in general and professional assemblies, and is the head of those assemblies. This indicates that we should be aware of Rudra in all our mundane activities, which Rudra Himself pervades. 

Namakam Anuvaka 4: 

The fourth anuvaka states that Rudra is present in people with dispassion, as well as those indulging in material pleasures. He is present in chariots and charioteers (a reference to modern automobiles and chauffeurs), carpenters, potters, blacksmiths, people who make weapons (such as weapon manufacturers), fishermen, bird hunters, dogs and their owners, hunters, etc. This indicates that Rudra is our protector in accidents that might occur due to manufacturing defects or usage of equipment when we think of Him.

Namakam Anuvaka 5: 

The fifth anuvaka describes how Rudra is responsible for creation and dissolution. It states that He has a white complexion with a blue neck caused by the halahala poison He swallowed to save the universe. He is in monks with tufted hair and those with clean-shaven heads; He is in both running waters and still waters. We salute Rudra, who is present in dwarfs and giants, as well as children and old people. He is present in all stages of life. 

Namakam Anuvaka 6: 

The sixth anuvaka further elaborates on Rudra’s all-pervasiveness, stating how He is there in the youngest ones, the oldest ones, the middlings, in heaven and hell, in Vedic prayers and Upanishads, in sound and resound, and in mighty armies. Rudra is also worshipped as being present in humans, forests, creepers, and all that grows in the forests. 

Namakam Anuvaka 7: 

The seventh anuvaka states how Rudra manifests in the ambassadors of peace, the ones who fight for the right cause, muddy waters, lakes, rivers, clouds, lightning, thunder, rain, summer winds, autumn breezes, tornadoes, hailstorms, and snow. It ends with salutations to Rudra, who dwells in all objects and places as their ultimate protector. 

Namakam Anuvaka 8: 

The eighth anuvaka is considered the most important one. When chanting it, people ring the bell to draw attention to the chant. It offers salutations to Rudra, who, with Goddess Uma by His side, removes all our sorrows. It also salutes Him as the Rudra who gives joy and is the loving protector of all beings. It extols Rudra as taking the form of the five elements, the Pranava, Om, trees, and the creator of worldly and spiritual treasures. The mantra ‘Om Namah Shivaya,’ extolled as the highest, is part of this anuvaka. The anuvaka also describes Him as the protector, the one who takes us across the ocean of samsara (worldly life), and the one present in foam, running waters, and sand dunes. 

Namakam Anuvaka 9: 

The ninth anuvaka states how Rudra manifests as narrow roads, wide highways, stone-ridden roads, huts, mansions, beds, cowsheds, caves, whirlpools, waterfalls, dust particles, dry leaves, green leaves, grasslands, grassless lands, and the very atoms. Apart from showing His all-pervasiveness, these also indicate the benefits of chanting this mantra, such as good sleep, freedom from dust allergies, etc., since Rudra pervades everything. 

Namakam Anuvaka 10:

The tenth anuvaka states that Rudra is the supreme physician, curing humans and animals of their physical and mental afflictions while bestowing the greatest prosperity and auspiciousness on our parents, grandparents, children, servants, and other loved ones. Here, Rudra is invoked as the omniscient and omnipotent Lord to show His peaceful and auspicious form. Prayers are made so that He may direct His weapons not on us but on our outer and inner enemies, thereby granting us peace, protection, and happiness. 

Namakam Anuvaka 11:

In the eleventh anuvaka, we pray for the grace and blessings of various rudras, the aspects of the omnipresent and omnipotent Rudra who exist in the earth, skies, netherworlds, and heavens. This is also a prayer for protection while walking on different roads, eating food, from diseases, from all directions, including above and below, and from negative people and emotions. We surrender to Lord Rudra in thought, word, and deed and pray that people and things we dislike and those that dislike us and cause us sorrow may be destroyed by Him for our peace and happiness.

The Namakam also contains the powerful Mrityunjaya mantra: 

In this mantra, the Lord is extolled, adored, and worshipped as the three-eyed one with a sweet and wonderful fragrance who gives us strength and energy while getting rid of all our bondage as easily as a mature cucumber drops off its creeper. The three eyes of Lord Shiva are the Sun on His right side, the Moon on His left side, and fire in the center. The fragrance is of love and beauty. It is also a prayer for spiritual strength, to take us from death to immortality, to remind us that though the body and mind may disappear, the eternal Atma is always present. 

In the end, the Lord is praised with a prayer to protect us from illness and negativity by the strength of our good deeds and worship. It also contains a beautiful mantra that portrays the glory of God that divinizes and blesses everything that comes in contact with it. It says, “This hand of mine is blessed that it came in contact with God. It can cure all ills – physical, mental, and spiritual.”

Meaning of the Chamakam

This contains prayers to the Lord to fulfill desires as per dharma. Lord Krishna says that four kinds of devotees seek Him - those who want release from suffering, those who desire wealth, those who are spiritual seekers, and the wise who love God for God’s sake. Chamakam allows one to seek everything directly from the Lord. 

Chamakam Anuvaka 1:

In the first anuvaka, the prayer is for food, energy, strength to do yajnas (which Swami defines as activities undertaken for the good of all beings), physical health, healthy organs, good memory, fluent speech, pure mind, and comfortable life in old age. 

Chamakam Anuvaka 2:

In the second anuvaka, the prayer is for leadership skills, cooperation of people, righteous anger, good judgment, right mind, discrimination, enjoyment of sports and games, and the ability to do righteous and noble deeds. 

Chamakam Anuvaka 3:

This is the most popular anuvaka of the Chamakam, chanted as an independent prayer. In the third anuvaka, the prayer is for worldly happiness, spiritual benefits, performing virtuous deeds during the day, enjoying good sleep at night, earning wealth by righteous means, and good thoughts. It also prays for intellectual honesty, fearlessness, protection from major diseases and minor illnesses, and medicines for good health. 

Chamakam Anuvaka 4:

In the fourth anuvaka, the prayer is for wholesome food–milk, honey, ghee (clarified butter), fruits, juices, pulses, cereals, grams, etc. We also pray that our speech be sweet and pleasant and that our ears hear pleasant words. 

Chamakam Anuvaka 5:

In the fifth anuvaka, the prayer is for cooperation from nature and yields from the land like iron, gold, lead, silver, wealth obtained by one’s efforts, good inheritance, etc. This important prayer to Rudra is also for knowledge, strength, willpower, and other resources for doing daily spiritual practices with purity and joy to attain the goal of life, namely, God-realization.

Chamakam Anuvaka 6:

In the sixth anuvaka, the prayer is for blessings from various demigods, who are manifestations of the supreme being with different names and forms like Indra, Sun, Moon, Rain God, Fire God, Goddess of learning, Divine Physicians, Earth, Sky, etc. 

Chamakam Anuvaka 7:

In the seventh anuvaka, the prayer is for blessings from various planets and galaxies to be cordial, supportive, and beneficial for all our worldly and other-worldly efforts. It also prays for knowledge, resources, and the will to perform spiritual rituals and practices. It is interesting to note that as the Chamakam seeks various material benefits from Rudra, it makes it a point to focus on spiritual practices and goals repeatedly. 

Chamakam Anuvaka 8:

In the eighth anuvaka, the prayer extolls God, who helps us perform the yajna as a selfless service to humanity. The prayer is for wood, clarified butter, people to perform the yajna, food offerings, venue for the yajna, specific mantras for the deities, and resources needed to make the yajna successful. Yajna, as per Swami, is a selfless action to serve all creation and God.

Chamakam Anuvaka 9:

In the ninth anuvaka, the prayer is for steadfastness in spiritual practices, discipline, devotion, performing various austerities, and the energy to do selfless activities. There is also a prayer to acquire knowledge of the Vedas, essential mantras, and blessings from the deities.

Chamakam Anuvaka 10:

In the tenth anuvaka, the prayer is for cattle, which was the primary source of wealth for people in ancient times. In modern times, this would refer to various devices, tools, appliances, and resources needed for one’s comfortable living, growth, and career. This is also a prayer for long life, strength, and blessings related to the body, mind, and sensory organs, including eyes and ears, mind, and speech, highlighting the holistic development of an individual.

Chamakam Anuvaka 11:

In the eleventh anuvaka, the prayer pertains to various odd numbers–1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15, 17, 19, 21, 23, 25, 27, 29, 31, and 33–indicative of divinity and the various even numbers–2, 4, 8, 12, 16, 20, 24, 28, 32, 36, 40, 44, 48–indicative of human existence. Vedic hymns contain many invocations and prayers with coded numbers. Such coded series of numbers give insights into creation and its functioning. The numbers also refer to various aspects of DNA, the biological code of the living world. The numbers have great relevance in philosophical doctrines, the discussion of which is beyond the scope of this editorial. Finally, one prays for energy to do more good deeds based on good thoughts and words. We can also add to this list all we desire. May those desires be for the well-being of all, including ourselves. 

Rudram is a Way to Constantly Experience Divinity

Sri Rudram, as evident from Swami’s teachings, is not just a chant but a pathway to experiencing the divine within and without. It is the bridge between the finite and the infinite, guiding humanity toward a life of love, peace, and Self-realization. It is not a bundle of sacred mantras alone, but the highest Vedic hymn, encompassing all aspects of human life and integrating all three Yogas of Karma, Bhakti, and Jnana. 

The mantras contained therein have meanings at three levels - literal (prati padartham), inner (bhavartha), and divine (paramartha). The third one represents the highest knowledge, which has to be revealed from within or by the grace of an Avatar, like our beloved Bhagawan. It is unique and inspiring for an Avatar to explain the meaning of Vedic aphorisms and scriptures–how blessed we all are! 

The story of the Nayanar saint, Rudra Pashupati Nayanar, is apt for highlighting the impact of Rudram. He is one of the 63 revered Nayanars, Shaivite (worshippers of Shiva) saints known for their unwavering devotion to Lord Shiva. His life is a profound example of steadfast faith and service to the divine. A devout worshipper of Lord Shiva, he would sneak out to the outskirts of the village daily. He would bathe in the chilling waters of a waterfall, chanting the Rudram all the while. Based on the meaning of the Namakam, He experienced Lord Shiva embracing him in the form of the waterfall and touching and blessing him in the form of the wind. He even saw Lord Shiva in the trees and birds. One day, there was torrential rain, and he had to wade through knee-deep water. He was lost in the throes of bliss, experiencing Lord Shiva holding his feet! On another occasion, when a thief took away his possessions, he was overjoyed and expressed gratitude to Rudra for removing the obstacles in his spiritual path (“...Taskaranam Pataye Namaha,” meaning that the Lord is the chief of thieves!). Thus, in his daily life, this great saint experienced Rudra by translating the inner meaning of the mantras into all his actions and experiences. 

Thus, the Rudram is a practical text to experience divinity in everything and everywhere, which Swami exhorts us to do. Let us chant the Rudram with love and purity, sanctifying our lives and attaining liberation.

Jai Sai Ram.