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Does the sloka

neelaanjana samaabhaasam raviputram yama-agrajam
chaayaa maartaanda sambhootam

end with tvam namaami shainaishcharam or with tam shanim pranamaamyaham

I found the first version on web, the second version in a book, so I'm confused.

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  • The first one "Tam Namami Shanishcharam" (तं नमामि शनैश्चरम्) looks the correct. However meaning of both version looks similar. Which book are you referring? The difference may be the case of lection(पाठभेद), then chanting either of them would be fine.
    – Pandya
    Nov 7, 2017 at 13:28
  • The book is [url=amazon.com/Planet-Worship-Hindu-Way-Navagrahas-ebook/dp/… worship the Hindu way[/url]. The Cinncinati Temple givex the sloka as tvam namami. (cincinnatitemple.com/downloads/NavagrahaStotras.pdf).
    – Padmika
    Nov 7, 2017 at 21:35
  • *ShanaishCharam in above comment. And as for which version to chant, then on the whole internet it is 'तं नमामि शनैश्चरं। Tam namaami ShanaishCharam. Also, as per the flow of the Anushtup Chhanda in the Shlokas, it should be 'तं नमामि शनैश्चरम्।' 'Tam namaami ShanaishCharam'. So you must chant it this way only. And one more suggestion, chanting these shlokas with understanding the meaning of shloka will be more more more powerful than just murmuring the words. So when you read the shlokas to praise the NavaGrahas, do it with understanding the meaning. :)
    – user9392
    Nov 8, 2017 at 11:02
  • Sorry to comment again but this is important @Padmika. The book is very costly. Also in pdf you linked, not a single Shloka was completely correct, and every and each shlokas have so much pronounciation mistake., The pronunciation the Pdf has given has a lot of mistakes, a lot, and each shlokas, save not even a single one. Do not keep on buying the on-line books. They cost too much and are full of mistakes.
    – user9392
    Nov 8, 2017 at 11:16

1 Answer 1

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Before start answer, I want to clarify that I am not an with mantras or such rituals. I do not practice regularly such rituals nor with the mantras. So I cannot give an authoritative answer.

However, this stotra is in sanskrit and I am acquainted with that.

tam = To that  
namami = I bow down   
shanaishcaram = slow mover

So it translates to "I bow down to that slow mover(Lord Shani)." This makes sense grammatically because 'tam' has a accusative form. It means preposition 'to' is part of the form. Here, 'tam' becomes a predicate in the sentence. And 'namami' implies subject to be 'aham'(means 'I' in english), even though it is not explicitly mentioned.

tvam = you

So it will translate to "I bow down you slow mover(Lord Shani)." Here, 'tvam' has nominative form. 'Tvam' would become the subject and hence makes it grammatically incorrect since 'tvam' is second person and 'namami' is in first person. Hence grammatically, 'tvam' should be the word.

shanim = to (Lord) Shani
pranamyaham = pranami + aham (by sandhi rules)
pranami = I bow down
aham = I

it translates to 'I bow down to that Lord Shani'. Grammatically, this it is sound. here 'aham' is the subject in first person. 'Pranami' verb is also in first person. Hence they match. Similarly, 'tam' and 'shanim' also match as they are in accusative form.

The entire stotra is describing Lord Shani and has descriptive clauses. This may have been a poetic gesture. And hence it justifies demonstrative form, 'tam'.

Comment sections have suggestion 'tam namami shanaishcharam' which is grammatically correct. But, the question has only 2 options

tvam namami shanaishcharam

or

tam shanim pranamyaham

I would choose the second option based on Sanskrit grammar.

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