Jayathu Sri RanganAtha: Jayathu Sri Veda NaarAyaNa: Part 8

[Guest guest]

Dear Devotees of Veda Purushan Sri RanganAthan :

 

In my introductory postings , I had mentioned 18

units : four Kalasams , each one standing for

one of the Vedams , the Vimanam , Sri Ranganatha ,

Sri Ranganayaki and eleven AzhwArs who blessed us

with 245 paasurams . I had appealed to you to consider

support for Sri Ranganatha temple construction by units

of 18 bricks .

 

In the next four postings , I will cover the Lord

as Veda Saaram . I will start with the Vedam that the Lord

Himself extolled as the one very dear to Him : Saama Vedam .

 

SAAMA VEDA SVARUPI: LORD RANGANAATHAN

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I WILL SELECT ILLUSTRATIVE VERSES THAT COME CLOSE TO

AZHWAAR'S ANUBHAVAMS .

 

SAAMAN 1 : ECHO OF THIRUVIRUTTHAM PAASURAM

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In the first paasuram of Thiruviruttham , NammAzhwar

begs the Lord of Gods , Sriman NaarAyaNA to listen

to his appeal :

 

--imayOr talaivA ! mey ninRu kEttaruLAi ,

adiyEn seyyum viNNappamE "

 

In the AgnEya khAndam of Saama vedam ( Decad III.29)

a similar appeal is made to the Lord to hear well

the appeal that is made by the devotee:

 

tamm tvA gOpavanO girA janishtadagnE Angira: I

sa paavaka srudhee havam II

 

( Meaning ) : O Sriman NaarAyaNaa , who is inside

Agni and gives it its power to burn things !

I as a devotee of Yours am controlling my organs

( Brahmacharyam ) and speech and am eulogizing

You with reverence . O Splenderous Lord ( Svayam Jyothi) ,

O banisher of the sin of avidhyA , please hear Thou my

invocation ! ( In AgnEya KhAndham , the reference to

Agni stands for the power behind Agni , Sriman NaarAyaNA ).

 

SAAMAN 2:PROTECTION THROUGH VEDAADHYANAM

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paahi nO Agna yEkayA paahyatha dhvitheeyayaa I

paahi gheerbhistasrubhirUrjAm pathE paahi chathsrbhirvasO II

--AgnEya KhAndam IV.36

 

(Meaning) : O Lord ! Protect us by One Vedam ( Rg) ;

Protect us by the Second ( Yajur ) ; Protect us by

the three VedAs ( Rg, Yajur and Saama) .O VishNu !

O Lord who pervades all the chEthanams and achEthanmas !

O SarvantharyAmi ! O Power behind all powers ! Protect

us by four VedAs ( Rg, Yajur , Saama and Atharva ) .

 

All the four kalasams of the PraNavAkruthi VimAnam

are coming into our focus as we hear this Saamn .

 

SAAMAN 3 : TATTVA TRAYAM

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The three Tattvams --ChEthanam , AchEthanam and

Isvaran -- are hinted by the following AgnEya Saaman :

 

kAyamAnO vanA tvam yanmAthrurajagannapa: I

na tatthE pramrushE nivarthanam yadh dhUrE sannihAbhuva: II

 

( Meaning ) : O Lord , who plans in Your Yoga NidhrA

the creation of Your worlds for your enjoyment ( BhOga

mandalam ) ! As you control the minutest of the minute

part of the mother Matter , we fail to comprehend the

enormity and significance of Thy inscrutable leelA !

Thou createst the Universe , while being a supreme

Tattvam distinctly apart from the chethanams and

achEthanams and then You enter them .

 

SAAMAN 4: KING OF ALL & GUEST OF MEN

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mUrdhAnam dhivO arathim pruthivyA

VaisvAnaramrutha aa jAthamagnim I

kavigum samrAjamathithim janAnAmAsanna :

pAthram janayantha dEvA : II

 

( Meaning ) : The truly learned recognize and speak of

the Lord as the Head of Heaven , the emperor of the earth ,

the antharyAmi of all chEthanams and achEthanams ,

Omnipresent , Omniscient , the King of all ,

the compassionate guest of men and the top of it all ,

the One worthy of adulation .

 

SAAMN 5 :AYENDRA KHAANDAM SAAMAN : BHAGAVATHA GHOSHTI'S GLORY

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yathaa gourO apA krutham thrushyannEthyavEriNam I

aapithvE na: prapithvE thUyamA gahi kaNvEshu su sachA pibha II

 

(Meaning) :Just as desert deer ravishing from

thirst hurries towards the water of the pool in

the oasis , so should you , the soul acquiring

the friendship of us ( bhagavathAs ) , the devotees

of the Lord , wake up quickly from your debilitating

slumber and enjoy with us the divine grace .

 

The spirit of this Saaman is similar to PeriyAzhwAr's

pallAndu invoking BhagavathAs to come together to

celebrate the glories of Sriman NaarAyaNA :

 

yEdu nilathtiliduvathan munnam venthengaL kuzhAm puhunthu

koodu manamudayeerkal varam pozhi vanthollaikkUdiminO

 

SAAMAN 6; FIRST OF THE TEN MAHAANAAMNYAARCHIKA SAAMANS

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vidhA magavann vidhaa gaathumanusagum sishO disa: I

sikshA sacheenAm pathE I pUrveeNAm purUvasO II

 

( Meaning ) : O Lord ! Thou art all-knowing ! Bless us

with true wisdom and guide us on the right path towards You !

Teach us how to reach that supreme goal .O Omnipotent

Lord ! Teach us with pateince Your divine laws !

 

SAAMAN 7 : SESHA -SESHI RELATION ( UTTARAARCHIKA SAAMAN )

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pavamAnasya tEh vayampavithramabhundhatha: I

sakhitvamA vruNeemahE II

 

( Meaning ) Lord , the purest of the pure !

Thou fill the cavities of my heart with overpowering

love for You . We strive to win Thy friendship and love .

 

SAAMAN 8: TAMIZH MARAI SEYTHA MAARAN (NAMMAAZHWAAR)

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In this UttarArchika Saaman , " pavamAnA asrukshatha

sOmA:sukrAsa Indava: , abhi visvAni kAvyA " , the pure ,

noble and tranquil Yogis are described as visualizing

all the Veda manthrams .NammAzhwAr sitting under

the shade of the VimAnam of Aadhi nAthan of KuruhUr ,

visualized the Sanskritic Veda manthrams and transformed

them into the FOUR Vernacular prabhandhams ( Thiruviruttham ,

ThiruvAsiriyam, Periya ThiruvandhAthi and Thiruvaimozhi ) .

 

SAAMAN 9: THE LAST VERSE OF SAAMA VEDAM

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svasthi na IndhrO vriddhasravA : savsthi na pUshA VisvavEdA : I

savasthi nasthArkshyO ArishtanEmi: svasthi nOh BruhaspathirdadhAthu II

svasthi nOh Bruhaspathirdhadhathu II

 

( Meaning ) : " May the Master of vast knowledge , May Mighty

Lord give us prosperity .May the nourisher of all, the author of

all the Vedas give us prosperity . May He , the giver of

all comforts like the horse , elephant and cattle give us

prosperity. May God , the Lord of all elements of Nature ,

vouchsafe us prosperity. May God , the Lord of all

the elements of nature vouchsafe us prosperity .

 

Subhamasthu ! Veda PurushAya , Sri RanganAthAya NamO nama:

Oppiliappan Koil Varadachari sadagOpan