In MahaBharatha Vedavyasaru has showed the proper way to do mangalacharane. Another name for MahaBharatha is” JAYA”.

The first shloka of MahaBharatha is:

नारायणं नमस्कृत्य नरं चैव नरोत्तमम् ।

देवीं सरस्वतीं व्यासं ततो जयमुदीरयेत् ।।

 Jeeva  is bound by 15 fences. Jeeva himself is the 16th fence and in samsara. These fences are put forth by prakriti, who herself is outside 16 fences. The process of breaking all these fences and attaining God (Mukti) is through philosophy. This is JAYA. The direction on which the Jeeva heads ie to samsara or to mukthi depends on its Karma. To attain this JAYA we have to bow to Narayana and Nara (shesha), the most exalted being (Brahma,Vaayu), and also to the goddess Saraswati, must the word Jaya be uttered.

[ nārāyaṇam—the Personality of Godhead; namaḥ-kṛtya—after offering respectful obeisances; naram ca eva—and Nārāyaṇa Ṛṣi; nara-uttamam—the supermost human being; devīm—the goddess; sarasvatīm—the mistress of learning; vyāsam—Vyāsadeva; tataḥ—thereafter; jayam—all that is meant for conquering; udīrayet—be announced ]

That is 6 namaskaras. To gain knowledge Shesha Tatva is very important.

Pradhana purusharu –Brahma, vaayu, shesha, garuda, rudra. They provide the tools to jeeva  to do sadhane – they stay inside us and control activities.( Aitraye Upanishad  says “chatvara purushaha iti badhvaha”)

1. Sharira purusha – rudra  – dorns annamaya kosha (mud, water)and protects it. Rudra – one who gives sadness, one who frees body from diseases.  Shankara – one who gives happiness
2. Chandas purusha – shesha  – controls ability give words to feelings – inside annamaya kosha is pranamaya kosha ( fire, wind, akasha) – gives ability to think, speak, do manana. Without Pranamaya kosha one can gain wisdom.
3. Veda purusha – Garuda – Manomaya kosha( manasu, buddhi, ahankara) – en vedan veda – one can understand, appreciate and do manana of Vedas and words – gives arivu, grasping capacity.
4. Maha purusha / Samvatsara Purusha/ Kala purusha – Brahma,Vaayu – Controls vignanamaya kosha- chitta and jeeva abhimani – ability to think creatively, memory shell

Brahma is called Maha purusha since without jeeva Inside a body all other tools are of no use to do sadhane.

• shrI = radiant, affluent RamAdevi with the affectionate pride of possessing the confidence of the Lord
• ramaNi = wife of Lord nArAyaNa
• karakamala = lotus like soft hands
• pUjita = one who is worship able
• chAru = charming or delightful
• charaNa sarOja = worshiped by the lotus like soft hands of RamAdevi
• brahma = chaturamukha Brahma
• samIra = vAyu devaru
• vANi = saraswati devi (and bhArati devi too)
• phaNIMdra = seSha devaru, chief of snakes
• vIMdra = garuDa devaru, chief of birds
• bhav = Rudra devaru
• iMdra = iMdra devaru
• mukha = by the assemblage of all above devarus
• vinuta = sung in praise
• nIraja = Lotus flower bloomed in water
• bhavAnD = creation of this world – Lord Brahma
• udaya = for the creation of this world too
• sthiti = and to protect the same
• kAraNane = responsible for the creation and protection of this world
• kaivalya dAyaka = one who gives mukti-salvation or liberation
• nArasiMhane = oh Lord narasiMha
• namipe  = I bow to you
• karuNipudu = please bless me (in this context)
• emage = to us who have trusted your lotus feet
• maMgaLava = bliss or happiness

Lord Shri LaxmI Narasimha is the family deity of JagannAtha dasa.RamAdevi, the satvaguNAbhimAni devi is always in the service of the Lord with her lotus like soft hands. The Lord’s charming feet are reverentially adorned by Brahma, Saraswati, VAyu, BhArati, GaruDa,sheSha, iMdra; who’s the cause of world’s creation, stability, & destruction.

JagannAtha dAsa pays obeisance to Lord NarasiMha with a sAShTAMga namaskAra. We all know:-

urasA shirasA dRishhTyA manasA vachasa tathA | padbhyaM karAbhyaM jAnubhyAM praNAmo.ashhhTANga IritaH || (kRishhNAmRita-mahArNava)

With chest (heart), head, eyes (sight), mind, oral stotra recitation, and knees on the floor, hands folded, and with knowledge, I bow to you Lord NarasiMha. This is what JagannAtha dasa means. He appeals to the kind Lord to grant bliss to those who have trusted His Lotus Feet.

 shrIramaNikarakamala pUjita chArucharaNa sarOja – Only lakshmi has constant aviyoga (association) and swaroopa darshana of bhagavantha. Not even brahma Vaayu have this blessing. Lakshmi is nitya avyukta tattva. Lakshmi offers tulasi and flowers constantly to Narayana. Shri – Sham roope ramate iti shrihi Sham – Ananda, srihi – immersed in lord

In Bhagavatha there is a Katha, there are different stages of sadhane – janana, tapasu, yoga, padayoga, mahajnana.

JnaniGalu – People who can see Lord/ have shakshtkara of lord ie see bimba roopa of Narayana for 1 muhurta = 48 minutes continuously. DevetaGalu can do this. This is not a form that is visible during meditation. During meditation form that is visible is conceived by our manasu based on the idols that we would have concentrated on. Aporoksha JaniGalu also can’t see Lord for 48 minutes continuously.

MahaJnaniGalu – People who can have bimba roopa darshana for more than 48 minutes.

TapasviGalu – People who can see bimba roopa of Narayana for the time equilvalent to uttering 6 syllables. Shan maatra kala. Eg: saying ya ra la va ksha sha .

YogiGalu – People who can see bimba roopa of Narayana for the time equilvalent to uttering 1 syllable.

PadaYogiGalu – People who can see bimba roopa of Narayana for the time equilvalent to uttering ¼ fraction of 1 syllable.

While doing meditation we should think about the beautiful lotus like feet of the God, his toes beautiful pink nail, from which a radiance of light is being emitted, and that light is getting rid of all the darkness in my heart.

(Katha – vaykya prabandhe) (Isn’t equivalent to story in English, it means the thing that definitely has to be said, it is shastriya prameya).

Kamala – Kam alankorathi , Very beautiful, gives shobhe to water in which it is present.

Saroja – one that is present in water.

brahma samIra vANi phaNIMdra vIMdra bhavEMdra mukha vinuta – Brahma, sameera, sarsawathi, bharathi , Shesha , Garuda, bhava – rudra, indira can only remember constantly but not touch Narayana physically like Lakshmi.

nuta – bowing.

Namaskara – 2 types- Bowing down physically, doing stotra mentally.

Vinuta – bowing down with knowledge, devotion and detachments.

Brahma Vaayu do vinuta as – “nIrajabhavAMDOdaya sthiti kAraNane kaivalya dAyaka”

Born in lotus – Brahma, Neerajabhavnda – Brahmanda, uthagya – ud gamana – to go – paralaya.  

Narayana is the cause for 8 process/kriya – creation (avirbhava), sustenance( stithi), destruction, regulation, bondage, moksha, jnana-ajanana, avruti (edition) – for chetana and achetana prapancha.

Kaivalya – moksha, state of pure bliss and knowledge

Narasimha – one who kills ajnana (ignorance) in us – mokshaprada roopa Nara – ignorance, simha – kills

karuNipudhemage maMgaLava – Mangala – manga+La – Mangam Lathi iti mangalam manga = magi dhatu – one which climbs up – elevation La – the one which gives Magi gatho – The one who gives paramount knowledge

Meaning of Mangalacharne done by poojya Gurugalu:

jayati parAsharasUnuH satyavatIhRudayanaMdanO vyAsaH | yasyAsyakamalagalitaM vA~nmayamamRutaM jagatpibati ||

Victory to Vyasa, son of Parashara, delighter of the heart of Satyavati, from the flower-cup of whose lotus face the world drinks the nectar of words. Jyati also means supreme.

Parashara – There are 4 stages between how a word is spoken and heard by ears

1. Word originates from Nabhi (Navel) – Para – vibration caused  inside by wind due to formation of word (thinking about the word) but not heard by ears – subtle sound
2. Word reaches heart – Pashyanti – Vibration that can be heard by learned Men
3. Word touches throat – Madhyama – Macro form of the word
4. It is finally uttered as a word – Vykhari – word that can be heard by ear

Parashara – Word travels from navel to mouth along with wind in an upward direction like an arrow. Hence it is Parashara.

parAsharasUnuH – Narayana can be known even by the most subtlest sound, hence he is parAsharasUnuH. Also VedaVyasa is born through Parashara and satyavati (a leele for devotees).

Omkara – aa kara, uu kara, ma kara – Naada, bindu,Ghosh, shanta, atishanta Naada – tells about Narayana

When Naada is supreme – Atishanta – Narayana is known by this too

Omkara prathipadya 8 roopas – vishwa, Tijasa,Pragyna,turiya, atma, antaratma, paramatma,jnanatma – also symbolizes Narayana ashtakara mantra “Om namo Narayanaya”. The ayudhas for these 8 roopas are shankha, chakra, vara, abhaya.

Satyavati – Narayana who is satya sankalpa, satya karma, satya swaroopa. Satyavati is satya pratipadya vedic word.

hRudayanaMdana – Tatparya of vedic word satyavati which gives knowledge about Narayana.

yasyA+Asya+kamala+galitaM vAngmayam+amRutaM jagat+pibati – From whose mouth the 18 puranas, vedas, Brahmasutra , Upanishad originated and the world is enjoying its bliss.  Hence VedaVyasa roopa is Jnana roopa.