Ati Rudra Yajnam at Poconos , PA

[Guest guest]

Dear VedAbhimAnis :

 

I am delighted to read the posting of Sri Vidyasankar

on the plans for the above special Yajnam . The initative

to conduct an Yajnam of this magnitude with strict observance

of the rules for such YajnAs is a very welcome and rare event .

It is a great sight to see the conductance of Athirudra Yajnam

at Trisoor in the famous temple for Lord Siva there during

MahA Sivarathri night ..

 

Sri Rudram is the holiest of all prayers addressed to Lord Siva .

It is found in the middle of Yajur Veda and provides the home for

the sacred manthram for Lord Siva known as PanchAkshari .

 

Sri Rudram has been described as " YajushAm Saaram " by

Vedic Scholars. It has 169 manthrAs organized in 11 anuvAkams

or chapters. Sri Rudram is also known as RudrOpanishad and

Satha Rudreeyam . The latter name is associated with the fact

that the UpAsana Murthy of Sri Rudram is praised in all the 101

branches (SaakAs ) of Yajur VedAs as inferred fromthe comments of

Sri Bhatta BhAskarA , a celebrated commentator of Sri Rudram .

 

Besides Sri Bhatta BhAskarA , Sri SayanA , Sri Abhinava Sankara

and most recently , Brahma Sri Mutthu KrishNa SaastrigaL have

written commentaries on Sri Rudram . Sri SaastrigaL's commentary

is in Tamil and was written in 1956 as a Hitha BhAshiNi release .

Sri sayanA's commentary dates back to the era of Vijaya nagara empire.

The Abhinava Sankara's Bhashyam includes the listings of appropriate

Rishis , Chandas (metres) and DevathAs (Godheads ) for each of the 169

manthrAs of Sri Rudram .

 

Back in 1991 , I wrote an English commentary on Sri Rudram for the benefit

of American residents of Indian Origin , who worship Lord SivA at the many

temples and in their homes across the landscape of this continent.

This monograph is a summary of these three commentaries . I have given

this monograph as my contribution to Sri T.R.Ramachandran , the President

of the Sringeri VidhyA Bharathi Foundation headquartered in Piscataway , NJ.

I have requested him to feel free to reproduce and distribute the copies

of this monograph to raise some funds for SambhAvanAs for the Rthviks.

 

As a Vedic Text , Sri Rudram is a delight to listen to . The ganam

rendering of the PanchAkshari section is thrilling to listen to .

The long lasting benefits of recitation of Sri Rudram has been

elaborated in religious texts such as MahArNavam , Sootha SamhithA ,

Kurma and Linga PurANAs ,smrithis such as

Adhri , Yajnavalkya and sathapapatha , IthihAsam such as MahA Bharatham .

 

Sri Rudra PaarayaNam is recommended particularly for Pradhosham

days and MahA SivarAthri night . Daily PaarAyaNam is recommended for

those , who wish to get Brahma JnAnam by Sootha samhithai .

 

Individual manthrAs have particular significance . For Instance, the sixth

manthram is designated as a kavacham for Sri Rudram by BhodhAyana

Maharishi and the DhyAna Slokam corrsponding to this manthram

is an image of great beauty . The 17 manthrAs of the third anuvAkam

are treated as one unitary manthram and they share the same Rishi,

Devas and Chandas . The chandas is Bruhathi ; ther Rishi and DevathA

is Parameswaran Himself. The 8 slokams constituting the DhyAnam

for the third anuvAkam is a splendid treat to worshippers of Sri Rudran .

Here , He is visualized as Kiratha Bhairavan moving about the forest

in the garb of a handsome hunter accompanied by His consort Bhairavi .

The summary of this splendid word picture of Kiratha Bhairavan

for DhyAnam is as follows :

 

He is brimming with youthful strength and beauty and he looks like a forest God.

 

He looks in his beauty as young saplings of PunnAga and Mango trees with their

full blososms of flowers . He is wearing peacock feathers in His tresses.

He is also adorned by 25 nakshathrAs in His coiffure. His face is like

a full moon in its beauty and it is free of any blemish . He is wearing

a dress made of animal skin , which makes Him look like the just blossomed

lotus of the morning in its beauty. On the left and right side of His body ,

He is wearing the lovely yellow flowers known as Konrai . From His waist

down to His ankles , he is wearing a dress made of KathambhA flowers . His

beauty

is such that even His enemies are overcome by it. He reminds one of

the fully decorated woman possessing all the 32 SaamudhrikhA lakshaNams

of beauty because of His overpowering presence.

 

He has given His bow and arrow to His consort and with that

freed hand of His , He is resting it over Her shoulder in a posture

of embrace. With His other (right) hand , He is holding a bunch

of flowers close to His nose to enjoy its fragrance. While He moves around

the forest in the company of His consort , the gentle breeze caused by the

movement of the leaves on the trees cools Him. He is surrounded by

enchanting dogs and little children , as He moves around as a hunter

in the forest ( VeejyamAnO mandha mandham vanapallava saakhayA: I

samAvrutthO Baalakaisccha svabhiscchApi manOharai: II ). The dhayana

slokams conclude with an injunction to meditate on this form of the lustrous

teacher of the Universe ( ---DhyAthavoyO JagathAm Guru : I

Yevam RupO mahAtejA KirAthavapureevara: II ) .

 

There are many pasages and slautations in Sri Rudram , which are

moving to contemplate as Veda Manthrams .

 

Vedam is common to all of us . Independent of the multilayerd

intrepretations that has been given to the Veda Manthras from literary

to deeply esoterical , One can not take away the pleasure of listening to

the Vedic recitation handed down through the oral tradition from

time immemorial , whether we undrstand their meanings are not.

May that sacred Vedic sound resonate with us always and bring

auspiciousness all around !

 

NirmalAya prasAnthAya DakshiNAmoorthayE Nama:

 

Oppiliappan Kovil VaradAchAri Sadagopan