Chamakam (Rudram)
What is Chamakam?:-
Sri Rudram consists of two parts: Namakam & Chamakam. Each consist of eleven anuvakas or hymns. Each Anuvaka corresponds to a force of Rudra, as there are eleven Rudras.
The second part of the text (Chamakam), corresponding to TS 4.7, asks God for fulfillment of wishes. The repeated phrase, cha me literally means, "and to me [be this granted]", accompanied by a list of desirables which are primarily necessary appurtenances for Vedic sacrifices.
The original context of the Chamakam is the piling up of the fire-altar of the Vedic religion. The hymn invokes, apart from Agni and Vishnu at the beginning, a pantheon of Vedic deities that are successively linked with Indra to enable the yajamana or sacrificer/patron to successfully perform Vedic fire sacrifices or yagnyas, such as the Agnishthoma, Somayaga, and the Ashwamedha. The Chamakam can be interpreted both as a preparatory for a physical external sacrificial ritual, or the inner, possibly yogic sacrifice involving pranic control, since the yogic "vital airs" are explicitly mentioned as sacrificial adjuncts in anuvaka, or stanza 10.
Significance:-
- After praying and identifying Rudra with everything in the Namakam, the Chamakam is recited, in which the devotee identifies himself with Lord Shiva and asks him to give him everything!
- Chamakam assures granting of what all you ask in a full-throated manner unabashed. The creator makes no distinction between the things of the world and the other world. Both belong to him.
- Chamakam furnishes completely the ideal human happiness and defines in the highest degree, the desires.
Who can Recite Chamakam and how ? :-
** camakaṁ namakaṁ caiva pauruṣasūktaṁ tathaiva ca nityaṁ trayaṁ prayuñjāno brahmaloke mahīyate **
Meaning -- He whoever recites Namakam and Chamakam along with Purusa Sooktam on a daily basis, will be honoured in Brahmaloka.
- To begin with , it is recommended to start learning Chamakam from a Guru, since, it is supposedly the traditional way of learning any Vedic Hymns or Stotras.
- Chamakam, unlike other Slokas or Mantras, has great significance, when its notations are recited in the appropriate pitch. The notation for marking the syllables for chanting is generally known as the swara notation, signifying the pitch variation applicable to the vowel in the syllable.
The following are the most common notations used:
1) Unmarked letters are - udaata (no change in the pitch)
2) If you see a horizontal line below a letter, you have to drop the pitch – anudaata
3) If you see a vertical line above a letter, you have to raise the pitch – swarita .
4) If you see a double vertical line above a letter, you to raise and the pitch and stretch it – deergha swarita .
5) In specific instances the swara of the previous letter is carried till the next occurring anudata or till the end of that pada or mantra - Prachaya
Flexi Features of Rudram Chamakam App :-
1) The Sanskrit and English hymns (with notation), on every page is individually scrollable, that would match with the audio from the page, for reference and practising.
2) For moving between pages quickly, use the Trisul pointer and drag.