Sri Rudra Chamakam

Introduction: Sri Rudra Namakam and Chamakam go together and are an integral part of (Black) Yajur Veda. Sri Rudra Namakam, has the glory of containing the 300 names of Parameshwara (Rudra Thrishathi) and the scared Shiva Panchaksharam is in the middle of this Namakam, like a crest jewel. The rendering of Sri Rudram is very mellifluous to hear and so is Chamakam. One praises Lord in Namakam and then requests Lord Parameshwara to bless with all the worldly and eternal wealth as a part of the prayer in Chamakam.

On various occasions we request or plead mortals to give us things, money etc. Forgetting the 4th purushartha of moksham, we try to get too much involved in Artha and Kaama without the adherence of Dharma. To prevent such commercial attitudes our Vedic rishis have blessed us with this glorious Sri Rudra Chamakam, where they have enlisted a variety of things, which need to be blessed by Sri Parameshwara. Sengalipuram Anantharama Dikshitar has very beautifully written a commentary for this and let's enjoy the nectar of Chamakam from his words.

ॐ अग्ना॑विष्णो स॒जोष॑से॒माव॑र्धन्तु वां॒ गिरः॑ । द्यु॒म्नैर्-वाजे॑भिराग॑तम् 

Desc: The very fist verse begins with an invocation of Vishnu and Agni to bless one with their love. This is further extended to the prayer of seeking them (Agni and Vishnu) to bless us with all the worldly and eternal materials.


 वाज॑श्च मे प्रस॒वश्च॑ मे॒ प्रय॑तिश्च मे॒ प्रसि॑तिश्च मे 

Desc: This very first anuvaka, starts with the request of asking Parameshwara to bless us with:

• वाज॑ - food materials
• प्रस॒व - Eager in mind to share the food or offer food to the deserved
• प्रय॑ति - Purity
• प्रसि॑ति - Enthusiasm in cooking the food

Note: Food or food materials  is the basis for this life. Irrespective of whether one  is a beggar or a millionaire lives in this world, for the sake of eating food  when he's hungry. So an interest in cooking food, maintaining the purity of food as per the Dharma Shastras and sharing the food with others are noble qualities, which are being requested from Parameshwara. Of course all these will not be fruitful without the materials or dhravyam, which is also being requested. 

धी॒तिश्च॑ मे क्रतु॑श्च मे॒ स्वर॑श्च मे॒ श्लोक॑श्च मे॒ 

• धी॒ति - collecting food materials and preserving them (for future use)
•  क्रतु॑ - Yagnas, which grant those food materials in abundance
•  स्वर॑ - Swaras like Udatham, which are to be sung in the Yagnas
• श्लोक॑ - Verses of praise, which needs to be chanted in the Yagnas to please the Devas.

Note: Bhagavan says in Gita  that, he created the Yagnas and humans together. Yagnas, are the way by which we can get our worldly needs fulfilled(and that's why Agni was praised earlier). The eternal Agni or fire acts as as a divine messenger and carries the materials offered in the fire + the prayers of the humans to the world of celestial  And in return the celestial bless  us with rain, crops food etc.. Such is the glory of the Vedic religion.

श्रा॒वश्च॑ मे॒ श्रुति॑श्च मे॒ ज्योति॑श्च मे॒ सुव॑श्च मे

• श्रा॒व - Ability to preach to others 
• श्रुति॑ - Ability to hear from other's preaching
• ज्योति॑ - The (divine) light
• सुव॑ - (eternal) bliss

Note: After starting with food and Yagnas, now we are right to the point. Teaching and listening are the two important things, which are needed to realize that Brahman, which is the divine light or Jyothi, which brings us eternal bliss. All those inter-connected items have been grouped together in this verse.


प्रा॒णश्च॑ मे‌உपा॒नश्च॑ मे व्या॒नश्च॒ मे‌உसु॑वश्च मे

• प्रा॒ण - the vital air in the heart, which is the vital thing for life
• अपा॒न - the gastric air
• व्या॒न - the air, which is flowing in the entire body
• सु॑व - happiness

Note: Pancha pranas, are being requested here. Although we all have pranas, inbuilt the inner meaning here is to pray for the proper functioning of those pranas to Parameshwara.

चि॒त्तं च॑ म॒ आधी॑तं च मे॒ वाक्च॑ मे॒ मन॑श्च मे॒ 

• चि॒त्तं - knowledge or intelligence
• आधी॑तं - One that is beyond and cannot be realized by that knowledge
• वाक्च॑ - words
• मन॑ - mind

Note: Here  the fruits of Sathva Guna are being described. Sathva Guna gives rise to Chitha  Mana:, Ahamkaram or ego and buddhi or intelligence  RajoGuna is associated with the 5 Gnanendriyas  and 5 Karmendriyas  Thamo Guna, is associated with the 5 tanmatras or the actual objects like sound , smell, sensation, taste and vision and the five vital elements of this Universe - sky,water,fire,land and air. Thus they sum up to 24, which are collectively called as 24 tathvams.

चक्षु॑श्च मे॒ श्रोत्रं॑ च मे॒ दक्ष॑श्च मे॒ बलं॑ च म॒

• चक्षु॑  - eye sight
• श्रोत्रं॑ - hearing power
• दक्ष॑ -power for the Gnanendriayas such as eyes,ears, nose,tongue and skin
• बलं॑ - power for the Karmendriyas such as hands, legs, words, reproductive and excretory organs

Note: Karmendriyas are associated with karma or action and hence our legs- walking, hands-grasping, excretory and reproductive organs and words, which convey the thoughts of minds are collectively called as Karmendriyas  Gnanendriayas actually grasp the stuff from outside and communicate to that inner mind. Eyes for seeing, nose for smelling, ears for hearing, the body for sensation and the tongue for tasting are collectively called as Gnanendriayas  Medical science only knows 5 senses, but the spiritual science has logically classified them as inward and outward senses as seen here. This verse beautifully prays to Parameshwara to give power to all those 10 senses.

ओज॑श्च मे॒ सह॑श्च म॒ आयु॑श्च मे ज॒रा च॑ म

• ओज॑ - Ojas, is the fluid which connects consciousness,health, mind etc.., which si the outcome of digestion.
• सह॑ - Power to win one's enemies
• आयु॑ - Longevity of life
• ज॒रा - old age or life until one is 100 years (Shatamanam)

Desc: A complete Vedic life of 100 years, the lively fluid, which is the essence of digestion, power to win the internal enemies and control the indriyas are being mentioned or requested here.

आ॒त्मा च॑ मे त॒नूश्च॑ मे॒ शर्म॑ च मे॒ वर्म॑ च॒ मे‌

• आ॒त्मा - Vision of One's Self or the true Inner-self
• त॒नूश्च॑ - a beautiful and glamorous body
• शर्म॑  - happiness
• वर्म॑ - protective shield to one's body like armor etc..)

Desc: The ultimate wisdom, a bright body etc..a re being prayed from Lord in this verse.

अङ्गा॑नि च मे॒‌உस्थानि॑ च मे॒ परूग्ं॑षि च मे॒ शरी॑राणि च मे ॥ 1 ॥

• अङ्गा॑नि - all the body parts
• अस्थानि॑ - bones in those body parts
• परूग्ं॑षि  - the joints in the fingers, etc.
• शरी॑राणि - a complete body with all the functional organs

Desc: A complete body without any malformations is being prayed here for the involvement in Lord's worship.

Conclusion:The very first anuvaka beautifully lists all the items, both - internal and external, worldly and eternal and is a prayer to Parameshwara to bless one with all of those, so that one could involve in the worship of that Lord, who burnt Manmadha. The very thought of this gives us immense pleasure.