Atharva Vedam & Sriranga Vimana Kalasams: Part 11.2

[Guest guest]

Dear VedAbhimAnis :

 

The 5933 Manthrams of Atharva Vedam are housed in

Twenty KhAndhams . We will pay our salutations to

EIGHTEEN OF THE MANTHRAMS from the different

KhAndhams in this and the subsequent posting .

 

1. THE WIFE'S VOW ( PATHIVRATHA DHARMAM )

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idham kanAmi bhEshajammaampasyamabhirhOrudham

parAyathO nivarthanamAyatha: prathinandhanam

--Atharva Vedam : VII.38.1

 

( Meaning ) : I , the wife , the Sumangali ,take

this scred vow that makes my wedded husband look

at me , that deters him from straying afar from me ,

that bids him to return to me after being away and

greet him with affection as he returns to my side .

 

2. LORD OF THREE SPOKES AND THREE SUPPORTS

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tasmin hiraNyayE thrayarE thriprathishTatE

tasmin yadh yakshamAthmanvath tadhvai BrahmavidhO vidhu: II

---A.V X.2.32

 

( Meaning ) : Men deeply conversant with the knowledge

about Bhramman know that our Lord , who dwells in

the multi-powered soul with three spokes and three supports.

 

One set of the traid of spokes has been described as

STHAANAM ( Capacity) , NAAMAM ( Token, Sign )

and JANMAM ( Existence ) . The three supports

have been intepreted as KARMA (Action ) ,

UPAASANAA (Contemplation ) and JN~ANAM (knowledge) .

 

The SthAna VisEshAdhikAram , the Naama SiddhAntham

and Janmam as BhagavathA have been covered in the different

sections of these postings . Bhagavadh GitA is an epitome

of Karma , JN~Ana and Bhakthi YogAs leading to Prapatthi

Yogam to acquire Moksham .

 

All of these concepts( Tattvams ) are covered

in this profound manthram .

 

3. ETERNAL BHRAMMAM AND ITS ACTIVITIES

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apAdhagrE samabhavath sO agrE svarAbharath

chathushpaadh bhUthvA bhOgya: sarvamAdhattha bhOjanam

-----A.V : X.8.21

 

( Meaning ) : Our Lord , the indivisible , existed before

creating this world . He realized perfect joy prior to

engaging in the act of creation of His world , just as a

soul that experiences after being blessed with Moksham

to perform nithya Kaimkaryam in Sri Vaikuntam .

Being four-footed , our ruler of the Universe absorbed

the whole universe that He created in Himself as food

at the time of MahA praLayam .

 

While resting in the state of Yoga NidrA at Srirangam ,

He thinks with Joy about Creation as a LeelA . He protects

His creation and at the end of the cycle , protects

the worlds by consuming them and releases them in the next

cycle ( Vatapathra Saayee ).

 

The reference to Him being four-footed covers

the concept of our Lord existing as " PrakAsavAN

(with Lustre ) , ananthavAn ( limitless/infinity) ,

JyOthishmAn ( Cosmic Intelligence ) and AayathanavAn

( Immensity ) .These are the four metaphoric feet of

our Lord as conceived by this manthram . He is as the

Upanishad visualizes Him : Yesha sEthurvitharaNa :

( He is the immense , intelligent , lustrous

Bhramma sEthu that safely gets us across the turbulent

seas of samsAram .

 

4. HOMAGE TO THAT IMMENSE LORD AT THE THREE SANDHIS

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nama: sAyam nama: pratharnamO raathryA namO divA

bhavaaya cha sarvaaya chObhAbhyAmakaram nama:

--- A.V : XI.2.16

 

( Meaning) : Salutations to the Lord at evening

and at dawn , homage at night , homage by the day

(noon ) .I have paid my humble obesiance to both

His mighty powers of creation and dissolution .

 

5-7 : HIS OMNIPOTENCE AND OMNIPRESENCE

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AgnirAseena utthithOasvinA

indra: prAngh thishtan dakshiNA thishtan Yama:

prathyangh thishtan dhAthOdangh thishTathsavithA

--- A.V: IX .7.19

 

(Meaning A.V.IX.7.19 ) : In the seated position , He is the sacred

Fire and in the standing posiiton , He is Day and Night .

 

( Comments on A.V. IX.7.19): At ShOlingar ,

He is Agni as the seated Yogapattai-

Narasimhan ; At ThiruviNNagar , He stands as

Day and Night at the banks of AhOrAthra PushkaraNi ) .

 

( Meaning : A.V.IX.7.20&21):Standing Eastwards ,

He is full of Glory ; standing southwards ,

He is full of Justice . Standing (facing )

westwards, He is the supporter , standing northwards ,

He is the Creator .

 

(Comments on A.V.IX.7.20&21):Sri RanganAthA faces

southwards ( Therkku Paarkkum RaajA ) .

As DharmO VigrahavAn , He is full of justice

and blesses VibheeshaNA after destroying RavaNA .

He established Dharmam and met out justice .

He faces southwards at ThiruvitthuvakkOdu as well

to hear the moving prapatthi of KulasEkahra

AzhwAr .

 

At Kaancheepuram , on Garuda Sevai day , He emerges

out of the Western gate and always looks westwards as our

supporter /rakshakan . Other Divya desams , where He

faces west besides Kancheepuram are : ThiruvAli ,

ThirukkaLvanUr , DwArakai , ThirutthEvanArthogai,

Thiru Nandhipura ViNNagaram , ThirunilAtthingaL thundam ,

Thirup ParamEsvara ViNNagaram , Thirup PaarthanpaLLi ,

ThiruvaNNvaNDUr , ThiruvAttAru and ThiruvehhA .

 

At ThiruvallikkENi and many other Divya Desams ,

He faces eastwards and is full of glory ( Indra:

praangh Thishtan ) .At ThiruvallikkENi ,

he is fullof glory as the paramAchAryA , who

gave us the charama slOkam .

 

At ThirukkOzhi ( UrayUr ) , He faces Northwards

as Azhagiya maNavALan , the Creator.

 

8. SAGUNA BHRAMMAM : SRI VISISHTAADHVAITHIC LORD

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UcchishtE naama rUpam chOcchishtE loka aahitha:

ucchissta IndrascchAgnisccha visvamantha: samAhitham

 

( Meaning ) : " GOD CONTAINETH NAME AND FORM , AND

THE WORLD . CLOUD AND SUN AND THE WHOLE UNIVERSE

ARE COMPRISED WITHIN HIM " . The Saareerika doctrine

as elaborated in Srimadh Bhaashyam is covered by

this profound manthram .

 

9. A PRAYER FOR THE VEDA PURUSHAN TO DWELL INSIDE US

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Rg Saama Yajurucchishta udhgeetha : prasthutham sthutham

himkAra ucchishtE svara: SaamnO mEdisccha tanmayi

---A.V: XI.7.5

 

( Meaning ) : The recitation of the Rg , Yajur and

Saama Manthrams as well as the chanting of the Saama

Saamans by UdhghAthA priest , the Saamans sung by

the PrastOtA ( a praiser ) priest at the beginning

of the Yaj~nam and the other Saama Saamans recited in

laudatory mode , the reverberarations ( hum ) , the tone

and the murmur of the Rks and Saamans , ALL REST IN HIM .

May He reside in me , the soul .

 

( To Be Continued )

Veda PurushAya Nama : Sri RanganAthAya Nama :

Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri Sadagopan