Visvam & Rg Vedam : Part 2

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Rg Vedam : Sixth Khaandam --6. 48.8

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This subchapter (6.48 ) has 22 manthrams

set in distinctly different Chandas (metres )

and different devathAs and Rishis .

 

The 8th manthram is set in the long sathobruhathi

chandas:

 

visvAsAm gruhapathir visam asi tvamgnE mAnusheeNAm

satham purbhir yavishta pahy amhasah sameddhAram satham

himA : sthotribhyO yE cha dadhathi I

 

Here the supreme Lord is invoked as Agni ,as is wont in

many of the Rg Vedic ManthrAs . The Visvamurthy is recognized

as the Lord of all households and the Lord of the entire human

race. The Rk prays : " May Thou, when kindled , protect me .

O forever-young fire -divine , you have limitless defenses

against iniquity . May Thou gant me hundred winters as well

as to those , who liberally give to the singers of Your glory " .

 

Satham HimA : means the hundred Winters or hundred years

of Life on this earth ( Veda PrAyam ) .

 

Seventh KhAndam : Rk --7.1.7

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MaithrA VaruNirvasishta , Agni and Trishtup

are the Rishi, DevathA and Chandas for this Rk

respectively .

 

Here a prayer is offered to the Lord Agni as the supreme

Lord . He is requested to burn down all the evils of the

one , who prays, with His strong flames . He is asked to

drive away all the debilitating diseases with His powerful

JwAlAs .

 

The Rk is as follows :

 

visvA AgnEapa daharAtheer yebhis tapObhir adhahO

jarootham I

pra nisvaram chAthayasvAmeevAm II

 

Jarootham means either aged, dry wood or old worn-out

things .

 

KhAndam 8: Rk 8.62.7

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visvE ta Indra veeryam dEvA anu krathum dadhu: I

bhuvO visvasya gopathi: purushtutha

bhadrA Indrasya raathaya : II

 

O Lord adored by all ! O resplendent Lord !

May Thou be the guardian of all the chethanAs

and the AchethanAs of your Universe ! Blessed are

the rewards that you grant us ! All nature's bounties

(Creations ) accept you as their supreme leader

endowed with unmatched strength and wisdom .

 

KhAndam 9 : Rk 76.4

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This Rk has Bhargava Kavi Rishi , PavamAna Soma

DevathA and Jagathee chandas . This is a beautiful prayer

to the Soverign of all the creatures that see the light of life

with His blessings . The Rk is as follows :

 

visvasya rAjA pavathE svadarsa ritasya

dheethim rishishALaveevasath I

ya: SuryasyAsirENa mrujyathE

pithA mateenAm asamashtakAvya : II

 

The prayer starts with an acknowledgement

of the divine bliss that flows from the soverign

of all the creatures that see the light . He is next

acknowledged as the supreme Lord of all

the righteous (seers and saints ) , who sing His praise

at the SomA sacrifices . This supreme Lord is visualized

as being embellished by the rays of the sun .

He is recognized as the content of all the hymns

of eulogy of the Veda manthrAs and He is understood as

one , whose wisdom is beyond our ken .

 

Tenth KhAndam : Rks 45.6, 81.3, 81.6 and 82.2

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These are four magnificient Rks pregnant with the

meanings about the Visvamoorthy . Hence I will cover them

in this concluding section related to the Lord saluted as

" Om VisvAya Nama: " by Sri VishNu Sahasra Naamam .

 

Rk 45.6 : BhAlandanO Vatsapri Rishi , Agni Devatha

and Trishtup chandas .

 

Rks 81.3 , 81.6 and 82.2 : BhovanO VisvakarmA Rishi ,

VisvakarmA DevathA and Trishtup chandas

 

Rk 45.6 : visvasya kethur bhuvanasya garbha aa

rOdhasee apruNAj jAyamAna: I

veeLum chid adhrim abhinathparAyan

janA yadh Agnim ayajantha pancha II

 

He is the Kethu: of the Visvam . The Foremost of the

world ! He is the Garbha: of the Bhuvanam . He is the seed

germ of the World and its beings He is the sign/stamp of all

created entitities . As He is manifested , He fills the heaven

and earth with His resplendent light . He cuts asunder even

the solid cloud , as He advances . All the five classes of men

salute Him . The five classes of men can be understood as the

four VarNAs and the NishAdas . In another intrpretation , the five

classes of men are assoicated with the performance of the Yajnam:

the four chief priests ( BrahmA , HotA , UdgAthA and Adhvaryu )

and the fifth , the YajamAnA .

 

Rks 81.3 and 81.6

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visvathaschakshurutha visvathOmukhO

visvathObAhurutha visvathaspAth I

sam bAhubhyAm dhamathi sam patatrair

dhyAvAbhumi janayandhaEva yekha : II ---- Rk 81.3

 

The forging of the World at the time of creation is

visualized here. The mighty Lord alone with eyes spanning

the universe , mouths all around , arms all around and feet

spreading over the entire universe creates heaven and earth

and forges them into order with His winged arms .

 

The activities of the Universal architect ( VisvakarmA ,

our Lord ) continues to be covered in the Rk 81.6 :

 

visvakarman havishA vAvrudhAna :

svayam yajasva prithiveem utha dhyAm I

muhyanthvanyE abhithO janAsa

ihAsmAkam maghavA surir asthu II

 

O Universal Architect ! May thou , exalted /pleased

by our offerings , engage in the performance of sacrifice

( Yajnam ) for the well being of this earth and heaven !

May our enemies all around be stupefied and May Thou

as our bounteous Lord be our guide on this earth ! May

Thou be our pala prErakan ( boon giver ) ! .

 

Rk 82.2 celebrating the Universal Architect

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visvakarmA vimanA adh vihAya dhAthA

vidhAthA paramOtha samdhruk I

teshAm ishtAni samishA madhanthi

yathrA saptharishin para ekam aahu : II

 

The Universal Architect ( Visvakarma ) /

creator cum designer is of unsurpassed

intellect . He is the all pervading sustainer , who

creates , superbly powered by His supreme

faculty of obsevation . In Him during the activities of

creation , all the sensual desires are fed with proper

nourishment . They ( His devotees ) call Him as

the supreme one beyond the seven seers

(i.e., the the five sense organs of sight , hearing ,

smell, taste and touch , and mind and intellect ) .

 

The mighty creator , the self-effulgent (svayam Jyothi )

Lord , the Omniscient and all pervasive VisvakarmA

saluted by the VedAs through the " Visva " sabdham

is the Visvathomukhan referred to by the first Sri VishNu

Sahasra Naamam .

 

I conclude this posting with a powerful statement form

the tenth Khandam of the ancient Rg Vedam ( X. 82.3) :

 

yO na: pithA janithA yO vidhAthA

dhAmAni veda bhuvanAni VISVAA I

yO devAnAm namadhA yekham yeva

tam samprasnam bhuvanA yanthyanyA II

 

This Rk recognizes the Lord saluted as " Om VisvAya

Nama: " as our Father ( PithA ) , our begetter (JanithA ),

our Creator , and the knower of all the beings (created )

and their abodes . He is the name -giver of the DevAs

( yO devAnAm nAmadhA ) and yet He , although known

by many names given by Him to the various divinities ,

He is the ONE ( aadhAra purushan ) and the only ONE

that stands out a sthe Ucchishta Brahmam . All other

beings (divinities ) approach Him with inquisitiveness.

 

Om Veda PurushAya nama:

 

Oppiliappan Kovil VaradAchAri Sadagopan