Second kalasam on PranavAkruthi- VimAnam : Yajur Vedam : part 9

[Guest guest]

Dear Sri RanganAtha BhakthAs :

 

With today's postings , I have come to the halfway

point of the 18 brick kaimkaryam ( Units of the $108

contribution to the Temple construction kaimkaryam for

Our Lord of Srirangam to take up His residence at Pomona ,

New York ) .

 

In today's posting , I will dwell upon the second of

the four Veda Kalasams decorating the PraNavAkruthi Vimanam

holding Para VaasudEvA on one side and providing the shade for

Sri RanganAtha having Yoga NidrA below .The second Veda kalasam

represents Yajur Vedam , both Sukla and Krishna Yajur Vedams .

 

For my 18 brick kaimkaryam , I will select 9 manthrams of

the Yajur Vedam just as I did yesterday by focusing on the

nine Saamans of Saama Vedam . It is not the easiest task to

pick just nine manthrams of any Veda SamhithA ,

but due to space &time pressures , I will stay with

this small number of nine .

 

SRI RANGANAATHA IS YAJUR VEDA SVARUPI

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1 . A PRAYER FOR PURIFICATION THROUGH VEDIC KNOWLEDGE

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yatthE pavithramarchishyagnE vithathamantharA I

Brahma tEna punAthu maa II ---Y.V : Chapter XIX.41

 

( meaning ) : O Lord ! Purify me( the sinner and

the impure one ) with Thy pure and sacred Vedic

knowledge diffused by Thy pure , resplendent lustre

( Svayam JyOthi ) .

 

I am reminded of the ThiruviNNagar Paasuram of

NammAzhwAr here :

 

Param sudar udambAi azhukku pathittha udambAi

karanthum thOnriyum ninrum kaitthavangaL seythum , viNNOr

sirangaLAl vaNangum ThiruviNNagar serntha pirAn

Varam koLL paadhangaL allaal illai yaavarkkum vannsaraNE

----Thiruvaimozhi :6.7

 

The Lord of ThiruviNNagar has an incomparable , supremely

effulgent , aprAkrutha , Suddha Sattva form . He is thus

paramjyOthi . He is also the indweller of the sinful and

impure body of chEthanams . He stays inside this impure body in

a concealed manner . Even though He is hidden from view ,

He makes Himself visible as the resident of the heart cavity

for those Yogis , who have His blessings of Vedic knowledge .

AzhwAr asserts that for anyone aspiring for salvation

( Moksham ) , there is no other path ( naanya : panthA ),

no other recourse except the surely-helping sacred feet

of the Lord of ThiruviNNagar ( Sri VaikuntanAthan ) ,

which are worshipped by the nithya sUris as well as by

the Devas with lowered heads .

 

2. THE TRUE (RUTHAM) AND THE MIGHTY (BRUHATH) LORD

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Hagumsa : suchishadhsurantharikshasaddhOthA

vedhisha dathithirdhurONasath I

nrushadhvarasadhruthasadh vyOmasadhajA gOjA

ruthajA adhrijA rutham bruhath II

---Y.V : 12.14

 

(Meaning ) : The Lord , Sriman NaarAyaNA is the destroyer

of evil deeds ; the embodiment of purity ; the supporter of

all that is virtuous ; firm and steadfast like an anchor rock

in holding the laws of sAsthram ; the promulgator of sathyam ;

omnipresent in every nook and corner of His creation as

the indweller ; eminently adorable to invoke spontaneous

eulogies form His bhakthAs ; indweller of the minds of

those whom He adores such as His devotees and the Yogis ;

He is forever tied with what is Truth and He is the creator

of the vital prANans , the animals ( two and four-footed )

,the creator of the VedAs , the harbinger of rain-laden clouds

and He is the embodiment of Truth and is mighty

in form and sweep .

 

This is a tremondous conception of the Lord of Srirangam

and His glories . He is the pUthAthmA ( the ever-pure Self);

hence , he destroys effortlessly all of our sins.He is

the ParamAthmA and mukthAnAm paramA gathi: ( supreme goal

of the realized souls ) .He is the Purushan ( the genrous giver)

and the SaakshI (witness ) of all of our deeds .He is

PradhAna PurushEsvaran ( the Lord of primordial matter

and the jeevans ). He is indeed sathyam , Jn~Anam and

Anantham and Bhramman . This Veda Manthram salutes

this wonderful , multi-facetted Lord .

 

3.A PROFOUND PRAYER TO THIS LORD OF MANY ATTRIBUTES

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thEjOsi thEjO mayi dEhi

veeryamasi veeryam mayi dEhi

Balamasi Balam mayi dhEhO-

jOasyOjO mayi dEhi

manyurasi manyum mayi dEhi

sahOsi sahO mayi dEhi

--Y.V. XIX.9

 

(Meaning ) : O Lord of Sri Rangam ! Thou art

lustre ! Please bless me with lustre .

Thou art manly valour ; please grant me

that valour . Thou art the embodiment of

strength ; please grant me strength to bear

the visicitudes of life on this earth .

Thou art the vitality ; please bless me

with vitality . Thou art righteous indignation

and anger ; please give me the vivekam to have

that righteous indignation . Thou art forbearance ;

please bless me with forbearnce to forgive those ,

who committ apachArams against your laws and Your

BhaagavathAs .

 

4. ASCENT TO THE HIGHEST JYOTHI : THE STEPS

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PruthivyA ahamudanthariksham

aaruhamantharikshaadh dhivamAruham I

dhivO nAkasya prushtAth

svajyOthiragAmaham II

--Y.V: XVII .67

 

( Meaning ) : Through the practise of YogA , from

physical force ( prANAyAmam et al prescribed

in AshtAnga Yogam) , I rise to the higher plateau

of mental force ; from mental force , I rise next

to the even higher plateau of spiritual force ;

from spiritual force , I rise higher to YOU ,

the bliss-giving jyOthi .

 

Alternatively , this manthram has been translated

to mean that a steadfast Yogi rises from earth to

space , from space to the Sun , from the Sun to

the height of happiness, Sri Vaikuntam .

 

5. THE LORD IS HIGHER THAN THIS EARTH AND HEAVEN

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parO dhivA para yEnA pruthivyA parO

dEvEbhiraurairyadhasthi I

kagumsvidh garbham prathamam dhadhra

aapO yathra dEvA :samapasyantha pUrvE II

---Y.V : XVII.29

 

(Meaning ) : God is higher (more profound and lofty)

than this earth and heaven . He is higher than

the learned living beings ( scholars of the VedAs ).

He is beyond the divisions of Time ( KaalAtheethan ) .

It is through His persuasion , the erring souls enter

numerous births and assume different bodies. It is HIM ,

the realized ones see with their spiritual eyes .

 

The Lord of Srirangam , who is " SamsAra -Moksha -

sthithi-Bhandha hEthu: ( BhagavAn is at once

the root cause for the bondage , release and

sustenance of this universe ) is a much higher

principle than the prakruthi and chEthanams .

This sakthimathAm srEshtan is not bound by time .

He has no past , present or future . Yogis

recognize this gathi sattaman ( the best instructor

of the path of dharmam ) and see Him with their

Jna~na dhrishtis .

 

6. A PRAYER TO THE ONE WHO IS CONNECTED TO REVATHI

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Sri RanganAthan is said to have appared during the

reign of the constellation of Revathi in response to

the tapas of Bhramma Devan . He is called therefore

Revathi Rangan just as Sri VenkatEsan is saluted as

SravaNa VenkatEsan . The following Yajur Veda Manthram

recognizes Him as the embodiment of Vedic Speech ( Revathi)

and begs Him to remain in the altar of Srirangam ,

the MahA Yaj~na kshEthram and not to move away .

The Yajur Veda manthram ( III.21 ) is as follows :

 

rEvathI ramadhvamasminyOnAvasmin

ghOshtEasminnlOkEasmin kshayE I

ihaiva stha mApagAtha II

 

( Meaning ) : Oh Vedic Speech ! May Thou remain

right here at this altar , in this Yaj~nA , at this

spot and in this house . Please remain here and

travel not far from here !

 

7. A PRAYER FOR THE BOON OF TRUE (VEDIC)KNOWLEDGE

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savyambhUrasi srEshtO rasmivarchOdhA asi

varchO mEh dEhi I

sUryasyAvruthamanvAvarthE II

 

( Meaning ) : Oh Lord ! Thou art self-manifested !

Most supreme and self-effulgent ! Thou art the

grantor of true knowledge .Bless me with that true

knowledge . I will follow Your command .

 

8.ANOTHER PRAYER TO SRI RANGANAATHAN

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agnEadhapdhAyOaseethama paahi maa dhidhyO paahi

praseethyai paahi dhurishtyai paahi dhrudhynyA

avisham na: pithum kruNu sushadhA yOnau svAhA

vAdagnyE samvEsapathayE svAhA sarasvathyai

yasObhaginyai svAhA .

 

( Meaning ) : Oh Akshara Bhrammam ( immortal One )!

Oh Omnipresent One ! please protect me from intense

pain (of SamsAram ) , protect me from the bondages

of sin and ignorance , protect me from falling into

the company of evil-minded people , protect me from

partaking food that is injurious to (physical and

spiritual) health . make Thou our annam free from

injurious ingredients ( poision ).Grant me the boon to

live in a comfortable house praying to Thee and

doing auspicious deeds prescribed by Your SaasthrAs .

This is Our prayer to You , the Lord and Master of

this universe . May we acquire pure knowledge through

the study of the VedAs and be blessed with sarva mangaLams .

 

9. OM IS MY NAME : THE LAST MANTHRAM OF YAJUR VEDAM

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HiraNmayEna pAthrENa sathyasyApihitham mukham I

yOsAvAdhithyE Purusha: sOasAvAham I

Omkam Bhramma II

 

( Meaning ) : O Earthlings ! By Me--the resplendent

protector-- is covered the face of eternal cause ,

the matter . The moving spirit yonder in the Sun ,

that spirit dwelling inside the Sun is Me ( Surya-

NaarAyaNan ) . I am vast in expanse like the atmosphere,

greatest of all in merit ,and nature am I . Om is My name !

 

To that praNava SvarUpi resting under PraNavAkruthi

VimAnam at Srirangam , we offer our salutations as

we reflect upon the selected manthrams of Yajur Vedam

this evening .

 

I will conclude this Ninth Posting on Sri RanganAthA

with Swami Desikan's prayer housed in the mUla manthrAdhikAram

section of Srimadh Rahasya Thraya Saaram :

 

Taaram pUrvam tadhanu hrudhayam taccha NaarAyaNAyEthi

aamnAyOktham padhamavayathAm sArddhamAchArya dhattham I

angIkurvan alasa-manasAm AathmarakshAbharam na:

Kshipram dEva: Kshipathu nikhilAn kinkaraisvarya vidhnAn II

 

( Word by word Meaning ) : pUrvam- at first , thAram -praNavam .

tadhanu-after that , Hrudhayam- Namas sabdham .

tath cha-after nama: sabdham , NaarAyaNAya ithi--

the word NaarAyaNAya .

 

aamnAyOktham Padham - the word which is declared by the VedAs

saartham AchAryadhattham - and given to us as upadEsam

by our AchAryAs with its meaning .

 

avayathAm alasa manasAm na ; aathma rakshAbharam

ankeekurvan Deva: -- For us who reflect on the

mUla manthram , for us , who are powerless and

akinchanaas , Our Lord has accepted the responsibility

and burden of protecting us .

 

sa Deva: nkhilAn kinkara Isvaryam vignAn

kshipram kshipathu -- May that Lord Of Ours ,

remove quickly all the obstacles that come in the way

of our acquistion of the kaimkarya Sampath ( the wealth

of servitude to our Lord ) .

 

Sri RanganAthA has the sthAna VisEsha AdhikAram of

Moola Manthram and to that Lord , who declared in

the last manthram of Yajur Vedam that " Om is His name" ,

we render our salutations and pray for His blessings

to complete the constrcution of His Home here .

 

Sri RanganAtha ParabrahmanE Nama:

Oppilaippan Koil VaradAchAri Sadagopan