Dehaleesa Sthuthi --Part 2 : Vedic salutation to Trivikraman

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Dear BhakthAs of Vamana-Trivikrama NaarAyaNan :

 

Before we dwell deep into the Slokams of

DehaLeesa Sthuthi , it is appropriate to focus

on the ancient salutations to this particular

avathAram of our Lord in an exclusive fashon .

This avathAram is highly suggestive and symboloic

from the view point of Sri VaishNavA doctrines and

this Vedic sanction and support accounts for

the AzhwArs unique anubhavam of this

avathAram .

 

ANDAL saluted Him as " Ongi UlahaLantha Uttaman "

in her third Thiruppavai verse . GodhA piratti refers to the

all- pervasiveness of Sriman NaarAyaNA first here and

then the esoteric chant ( vaachaka manhtram ) ," Uttaman pEr "

next . Thirumangai on the other hand refers to

the Thirumanthiram first and then only .

the VyApthi ( VishNu tattvam ) of our Lord in

his ThirunedumthAndakam ( 4.5 ) .

Both of them are celebrating the SarvOtthamathvam

(uttaman ) of VishNu- NaarAyaNan here .

 

NammAzhwAr invited the world to see the enfolding

wonderment of the sacred feet of the Lord

shooting up and out to measure the earth and

the sky ( KaaNmingal ulaheer yenru kaNNmuhappE

nimirntha TaaLiNayan ) . Our Lord's paadham

and the Sri paadha theertham is the most sacred

for us as salvation .

 

Thirumangai stood before ThiruvEnkatamudayAn and

reflected on the adhbhutham of the Lord measuring the

entire world with His two steps ( Kondaai KuraLaai nilam

yeeradiyAlE , VindOyi sikartthiruvEnkatam meya--) .

 

At KaazhiccheerAma ViNNagaram , Thirumangai

was filled with wonder about the Lord's power to get

the sky and the earth under two of His steps and shattering

the ego of Maha Bali ( oru KuraLaairunilam moovadi maNN

vEndi , ulahanaitthum eeradiyAl odukki -- maavaliyai

sirayil vaittha TADaLan thALaNaiveer ) . The choice of the word

"aNaiveer " is so rich in rasam and reveals the compassion

of AzhwAr in his role as an AchAryA .

 

At ThiruarimEya ViNNagaram , Thirumangai is filled with

astonishment over the deed that the Lord accomplished

at the yaga SaalA of MahA Bali . He describes this kshEthram

as the site , where the Lord came in the form of a dwarf and

asked for three feet of earth as gift and then grew immensely

to measure the ocean-coverd earth , the sky and the space

in between effortlessly ( mihu siRu kuRaLaai moovadi

yenru iranthittu , anDamum ivvalikkadalum avanigaLellam

aLantha pirAn amaramu idam ) .

 

At ThiruveLLiangudi divya desam , Thirumangai salutes

this kshEthram as the one belonging to the kapata vAmanan ,

who with His three steps filled the eight directions

( TeLLIya KuraLaai moovadi kondu thikkura vaLarnthavan koil ) .

 

At ThiruvazhundUr , the peripatetic Thirumangai stops to

wonder at the miracle of the Lord transforming from the

appearance as a dwarf to that of TrivikramA to measure

the universes with His three steps and saluted Him as

his Lord ( talaivan ) this way :

 

vaanavar tam thuyar theera vandhu thOnRi

maaNuruvaai moovadi maavaliyai vEndi ,

taanamaravEzhulakumaLanthavenritth--

tani mudal chakkarappadai yen talaivan kaaNmin

 

He was probably reminded by the " KaaNminkalulaheer "

invitation of NammAzhwAr at ThiruviNNagaram , when

he concluded this verse with " kaaNmin " ..

 

The AchAryAs followed the way shown by the AzhwArs .

AaLavanthAr saluted Trivikrama in the 31st verse of

his SthOthra Rathnam and wondered as to when the

lotus feet of the Lord of Trivikraman with the signs of

the divine chakram ,conch , mace , flag , goad and

other lAnchanAs are going to decorate his head :

 

kathA puna: sanka rathAnga kalpaka

dvajAravinda Ankusa vajralaanchanam I

Trivikrama tvaccharaNAmbhuja dvayam

madheeya murdhAnamalankarishyathi ? II

 

Swami Desikan composed an entire sthuthi on

DehaLeesa-Trivikraman , which is the focus of these

postings .

 

Later , Sri NarAyaNa Bhattadhiri celebrated this

fast growing rUpam of Trivikraman and the Lord's

wonderful metamorphosis this way :

 

divyam rUpam tava cha tadhitham pasyathAm visvabhAjam

ucchairucchai avrudhat avdheekruthya visvAnDa bhAnDam

 

Sri Bhattadhiri experiences like Thirumangai and NammAzhwAr

the scene that unfolded before one and all ( kaaNmingaL ulaheer )

and describes it as VisvabhAjAm pasyathAm ( before all that

witnessed the scene ) , tava divyam tadh idham rUpam ( this

short dwarf form of Yours ) visvabhAndam avadheekruthya

ucchairucchai: avrudhaath ( grew higher and higher and

defined the boundaries of BrahmAndam ) .

 

Sriman K.C.VaradAchAri comments on the concept

of the Vamana-TrivikramA that overpowered the imagination of

the AzhwArs this way : " The VamanA became the TrivikramA .

KaTopanishad says that VamanA is the Godhead secret

in the heart of man , and VishNu as the Omni-pervading being

outside as the TrivikramA . The identity between the minutest

( aNOraNeeyAn ) and the vastest ( mahathOrmaheeyAn )

is the supreme identity that is shown to be the doctrine of

VisishtAdvaithic intrepretation of the vEda MahA Vakyams ,

" Aham BrahmAsmi " , or " So'ham asmi " or Tath tvamasi " .

This myth is very important for understanding the Real

existence of the Omnipervading deity . This myth is found

in the Veda itself . "

 

DayAnandha Saraswathi , the reputed commentator of VedAs

lends support to this view , when he intreprets the name "VishNu "

as " yO vEvEshti sa Jagadheesvara: " ( The Lord who is

all-pervading is VishNu ) .

 

Let us now look at the original rks of ancient Rg vedam , where

TrivikramAvathAram alone is saluted among all the avathArAs

of Sriman VishNu-NaarAyaNan . They are found in the first

and sixth cantos of Rg vedam ( 1.22.17-21 , 1.154.1 ,1.155.4 ,

and 6.49.13 ) . These manthrams are mystical and moving

and formed the basis of the adoration of Trivikraman by

the AzhwArs and AchAryAs .

 

Rg Rk 1.22.17 is the celebrated rk that we invoke in our

worship of the Lord :

 

idam VishnurvichakramE trEdhA ni dhadhE padham I

samULahamasya paamsurE II

 

(meaning ) : The omnipresent and the omnipotent Lord dominates

over ALL the three regions --earth , mid region and the sky --and

His one step is rooted in the deep dark mystery , beyond the ken

of mankind .

 

Rks 1.22.20& 21 are equally famous and are used by us in our

daily aaradhanams :

 

tadh VishNO's paramam padham sadhA pasyanthi sUraya: I

divIva chakshur atatam II

tadh viprAsO vipanyavO jaagruvAmsa: samindhathE I

VishNOr yath paramam padham II

 

( Meaning) : The emancipated ones ( wise and true seekers )

realize and experince the Lord through meditation within their

own selves . They rcognize (see ) Him vividly as the eye ranges

( recognizes ) the yonder sky .

 

Through transcendental meditation and dharmic (pious )

acts , the persevering (vigilant ) seeker of truth realizes

(experiences ) the all-pervading God within the innermost

cavity (of his heart ) , the supreme abode of the Lord .

 

Rk 1.154.2 :

 

pra tadhvishNu: sthavEna veeryEna mrughO

na bheema: kucharO girishtA : I

yasyOrushu thrishu vikramaNEshvadhikshiyanthi

bhuvanAni visvA II

 

The " Visva " sabdham and " the Thrishu VikramaNEshu " picture

are linked here. Sri MadhvAchArya once gave 100 intrepretations

to that first naamam of Sri VishNu sahasra Naamam . This

mathram is therefore very profund to understand the Trivikrama

avathAram of VishNu-NaarAyaNan . The meaning of this Rk

is as follows : " The omnipresent , all-pervading Lord has

been dominating the world by His prowess like a sturdy

wild mountain lion dominates the forests . Within His three

extended paces (strides ) , He encompasses (covers )

the entire creation (of His ) .

 

Rk 1.155.4& 5 salutes again the three consecutive steps

of the Lord so that the world may live in peace and states that

no one cmprehends the mystery of the third step .

 

I will conclude this posting on the mystery of the three steps

of the Trivikraman with the reference to the Rg Rk 6.49.13 .

 

yO rajAmsi vimamE pArthivAni tris chidh

vishNur manavE bhAdhithAya I

tasya tE sarmann upadadhyamAnE rAyA

madEma tanvA tanA cha II

 

(Meaning ) : O All-pervading Lord ! May we happy in a home

filled with riches , progeny and relatives bestowed on us by You .

You measure out all the universes in three strides and guard

mankind from the inauspiciousness of the dark forces .

 

Dayandha Saraswathi intreprets here the name of VishNu-

Trivikraman as the one , who measured the universes with

three steps to protect the people in peril and to ward off the

dangers from such a peril .

 

This is the Vedic mystery that inspired the AzhwArs and AchAryAs

to seek Trivikraman as their ever-supportive , never-failing saviour

(aapath bhAndhavan and AnAtha rakshakan who came to the rescue

when His devotees like Gajendran , Drowpathi and PrahlAdhA

cried out for Him in their hours of Ccrisis ) .

 

Sri Bhumi Devi Sametha Sri Oppiliappan ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam

Daasan / VaradAchAri Sadagopan