03-27-2009, 05:58 PM
There's popular temple dedicated to Sharadde devi in Paki-Occupied-Kashmir now in tatters and ruins; thanks to neglect and deliberate destruction.
Here's the Sharad Stotram dedicated to her - also known as "Kashmir - puravasini"
temple link and photos
Sorry don't have original link for this.
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Sharada Stotram
[In their every day prayers to Sarasvati, Hindus in South India respectfully
refer to Kashmir as the abode of the Goddess of Learning Recited by millions in
the country, the Sharda Stotram or the Hymn to Goddess Sharda begins with the
famous line. "Namaste Sharda Devi Kashmir Puravasini" reflecting the reverence
in which Kashmir is held even today for its contribution to learning and
literature. We are extremely thankful to Shri C. V. Gopinath, an eminent
scholar, for giving us beautiful verse to verse translation of the Stotram
together with its full text in both Devanagri and the Roman scripts, which we
are reproducing below. Shri Gopinath is also Deputy Director General, Telecom
Commission.]
<b>namaste sarade devi <span style='font-size:14pt;line-height:100%'>Kashmir - puravasini</b>
tvamaham prarthayer nityam vidyadanam ca dehi me (1)</span>
namah - salutation; te - to you; sarade- O Sarasvati: devi -O Devi Kasmira-
puravasini - one who resides in the city of Kasmira; tvam - you; aham - I;
prarthayer-pray to; nityam - always; vidya-danam-gift of knowledge; ca - and;
dehi- give; me - to me
O Goddess Sarasvati in the shrine of Sarada Pitha in Kashmira, I offer my
salutation to you. I pray always to you to give me the gift of knowledge.
yasraddha dhyarana medha vagdevi vidhivallabha
bhaktajihva grasadana samadigunadayini (2)
ya- which; sraddha- faith; dharana- the power of retention; medha - the power of
memory; vagdevi- goddess of speech; vidhi- vallabha-the consort of Lord Brahma;
bhakta-jihvagra-sadana- the one who dwells at the tip of the tongue of
devotees; samadi-guna-dayini- one who grants qualities like mastery over the
mind.
You are the faith, the power of retention [of what is learned] and the power of
memory. You are the goddess of speech. You are the consort of Lord Brahma. You
dwell at the tip of the tongue of devotees. You are the one who grants
qualities like mastery over the mind (to your devotees).
namami yaminim nathalekhalankrta kuntalam
bhavanim bhavasantapanirvapanasudhanadim (3)
namami-I salute; yaminim-the one who has mastery of everything; natha-
lekhalnkrta-kuntalam- one whose hair is done to the liking of Lord Brahma;
bhavanim-Parvati; bhava-santa- panirvapana-sudha-nadim-one who is the river
Ganga that extinguishes the fire of the afflictions of samsara.
I salute you, who has mastery of everything, whose hair is done to the liking of
Lord Brahma, who is Parvati and who is the jnana-ganga that extinguishes the
fire of the afflictions of samsara.
bhadrakalyani namo nityam sarasvatyani namo namah
vedavedangavedantavidyasthanebhya eva ca (4)
bhadrakalyai-to Goddess Durga; namah -salutation; nityam-always; sarasvatyani-
to Goddess Sarasvati; namo namah- repeated salutations veda-vedanga - vedanta-
vidyasthanebhyah- to the abode of knowledge such as Vedas, Vedangas and
Vedanta; eva ca-also
My salutation to Goddess Durga always My repeated salutations to goddess
Sarasvati who is the abode of knowledge such as Vedas, Vedangas and Upanisads.
brahmasvarupa parama jyotirupa sanatani
sarvaidyadhidevi ya tasyai vanyai namo namah (5)
brahmasvarupa - whose nature is Brahman; parama- who is supreme; jyotirupa -
whose form is the light of knowledge; sanatani- eternal; sarva-
vidya-adhidevi-the presiding deity of all knowledge; ya- who; tasyani- to her;
vanyai - to Sarasvati; namo namah repeated Salutations.
My repeated salutations to Sarasvati whose nature is Brahman, who is supreme,
whose form is the light of knowledge, who is the presiding deity of all
knowledge and who is eternal.
yaya vina jagtsravam sasvaj jivanmrtam bhavet
inanadhidevi ya tasyai sarasvatyainamo namah (6)
yaya-vina- without whom; jagat-savam - the entire world; sasval - for ever;
jivan - living; mrtanl - dead; bhavet - would become; jnanadhidevi - who is the
presiding deity of knowledge; ya - who; tasyai- to her; sarasvatyai- to
sarasvati, namo namah - my repeated salutations.
My repeated salutations to goddess Sarasvati, who is the presiding deity of
knowledge and without whom the entire world of living beings would become like
dead for ever.
yaya vina jagatsarvam mukamun - mattavat sada
ya devi vagdhisthatri tasyai vanyai namo namah (7)
yaya vina - without whom; jagat - sarvam - the entire world; mukam - dumb;
unmattavat- like mad; sada- always; ya - who; devi - goddess; vak-adhisthatri -
the presiding deity of speech; tasyai - to her; vanyai- to Sarasvati; namo
namah- My repeated salutations
My repeated salutations to Sarasvati who is the presiding deity of speech,
without whom the entire world would be like mute and mad for ever.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Here's the Sharad Stotram dedicated to her - also known as "Kashmir - puravasini"
temple link and photos
Sorry don't have original link for this.
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Sharada Stotram
[In their every day prayers to Sarasvati, Hindus in South India respectfully
refer to Kashmir as the abode of the Goddess of Learning Recited by millions in
the country, the Sharda Stotram or the Hymn to Goddess Sharda begins with the
famous line. "Namaste Sharda Devi Kashmir Puravasini" reflecting the reverence
in which Kashmir is held even today for its contribution to learning and
literature. We are extremely thankful to Shri C. V. Gopinath, an eminent
scholar, for giving us beautiful verse to verse translation of the Stotram
together with its full text in both Devanagri and the Roman scripts, which we
are reproducing below. Shri Gopinath is also Deputy Director General, Telecom
Commission.]
<b>namaste sarade devi <span style='font-size:14pt;line-height:100%'>Kashmir - puravasini</b>
tvamaham prarthayer nityam vidyadanam ca dehi me (1)</span>
namah - salutation; te - to you; sarade- O Sarasvati: devi -O Devi Kasmira-
puravasini - one who resides in the city of Kasmira; tvam - you; aham - I;
prarthayer-pray to; nityam - always; vidya-danam-gift of knowledge; ca - and;
dehi- give; me - to me
O Goddess Sarasvati in the shrine of Sarada Pitha in Kashmira, I offer my
salutation to you. I pray always to you to give me the gift of knowledge.
yasraddha dhyarana medha vagdevi vidhivallabha
bhaktajihva grasadana samadigunadayini (2)
ya- which; sraddha- faith; dharana- the power of retention; medha - the power of
memory; vagdevi- goddess of speech; vidhi- vallabha-the consort of Lord Brahma;
bhakta-jihvagra-sadana- the one who dwells at the tip of the tongue of
devotees; samadi-guna-dayini- one who grants qualities like mastery over the
mind.
You are the faith, the power of retention [of what is learned] and the power of
memory. You are the goddess of speech. You are the consort of Lord Brahma. You
dwell at the tip of the tongue of devotees. You are the one who grants
qualities like mastery over the mind (to your devotees).
namami yaminim nathalekhalankrta kuntalam
bhavanim bhavasantapanirvapanasudhanadim (3)
namami-I salute; yaminim-the one who has mastery of everything; natha-
lekhalnkrta-kuntalam- one whose hair is done to the liking of Lord Brahma;
bhavanim-Parvati; bhava-santa- panirvapana-sudha-nadim-one who is the river
Ganga that extinguishes the fire of the afflictions of samsara.
I salute you, who has mastery of everything, whose hair is done to the liking of
Lord Brahma, who is Parvati and who is the jnana-ganga that extinguishes the
fire of the afflictions of samsara.
bhadrakalyani namo nityam sarasvatyani namo namah
vedavedangavedantavidyasthanebhya eva ca (4)
bhadrakalyai-to Goddess Durga; namah -salutation; nityam-always; sarasvatyani-
to Goddess Sarasvati; namo namah- repeated salutations veda-vedanga - vedanta-
vidyasthanebhyah- to the abode of knowledge such as Vedas, Vedangas and
Vedanta; eva ca-also
My salutation to Goddess Durga always My repeated salutations to goddess
Sarasvati who is the abode of knowledge such as Vedas, Vedangas and Upanisads.
brahmasvarupa parama jyotirupa sanatani
sarvaidyadhidevi ya tasyai vanyai namo namah (5)
brahmasvarupa - whose nature is Brahman; parama- who is supreme; jyotirupa -
whose form is the light of knowledge; sanatani- eternal; sarva-
vidya-adhidevi-the presiding deity of all knowledge; ya- who; tasyani- to her;
vanyai - to Sarasvati; namo namah repeated Salutations.
My repeated salutations to Sarasvati whose nature is Brahman, who is supreme,
whose form is the light of knowledge, who is the presiding deity of all
knowledge and who is eternal.
yaya vina jagtsravam sasvaj jivanmrtam bhavet
inanadhidevi ya tasyai sarasvatyainamo namah (6)
yaya-vina- without whom; jagat-savam - the entire world; sasval - for ever;
jivan - living; mrtanl - dead; bhavet - would become; jnanadhidevi - who is the
presiding deity of knowledge; ya - who; tasyai- to her; sarasvatyai- to
sarasvati, namo namah - my repeated salutations.
My repeated salutations to goddess Sarasvati, who is the presiding deity of
knowledge and without whom the entire world of living beings would become like
dead for ever.
yaya vina jagatsarvam mukamun - mattavat sada
ya devi vagdhisthatri tasyai vanyai namo namah (7)
yaya vina - without whom; jagat - sarvam - the entire world; mukam - dumb;
unmattavat- like mad; sada- always; ya - who; devi - goddess; vak-adhisthatri -
the presiding deity of speech; tasyai - to her; vanyai- to Sarasvati; namo
namah- My repeated salutations
My repeated salutations to Sarasvati who is the presiding deity of speech,
without whom the entire world would be like mute and mad for ever.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->