SamhithAs and AagamAs : Part 2

[Guest guest]

Dear BhakthAs : In the earlier posting , I included

a definition of the word , SamhithA and gave some

illustrative examples of SamhithAs .

 

Since SamhithAs ( Veda and Aagama types) have been used as

PramANAs to draw anumAnAs (inferences), it is appropriate

to define them first .

 

1 .PramANam : It is defined as an accurate conception or notion

or description as it is . It has also been derived as a means

to arrive at correct knowledge or a mode of proof .

 

The naiyAyikAs , the Vedanthins , the MimAsakAs

and the SaankhyAs recognize different kinds of

PramANams :

 

naiyAyikAs : Four kinds ( Prathyaksham , anumAnam ,

upamAnam and Sabdham )

 

VedAnthins and MimAmsakAs : Six Kinds ; two more added

to the above four ( anupalabdhi and arthApatthi )

 

SaankhyAs : 3 kinds ( Prathayksham , anumAnam and sabdham )

anumAnam here refers to inference without flaw .

 

2 .AagamA means a text without flaw or sacred scriptures

or the last of the pramANAs recognized by the naiyAkikAs

(viz), sabdhA /Aaptha Vaakhyams like VedAs .

PaancharAthra aagamam's sacredness as a result of

its affiliation with Sriman NaarAyaNA

is indicated by this quotation :

 

matham cha VaasudEvasya tasmAth aagamam uchyatE

 

AagamAs and VedAs have SamhithAs as content

or dividing chapters . PaancharAthra AagamA has

close to 100 samhithais . The most famous ones

are Paadma , Ahirbudhnya samhithAs .Sriman

N.Krishnamachari has posted sofar three outstanding

articles on PaancharAthra Aagamam ( Saasthram )

in the SaraNAgathi Journal that you may wish to

look up for details .

 

Excerpts from Samhithais pertinent to our discussion

******************************************************

 

The 25th adhikAram of Rahasya Traya Saaram

( PrabhAvayavasthAdhikAram ) contains number

of PramANams on who is a BrAhmaNan and who

is not . In one subsection , Swami

Desikan refers to all BhagavathAs as belonging

to the same "Jaathi" and quotes from Sasthraas,

IthihAsams , Divya prabhandhams and samhithAs .

 

Examples : 1 .Mahaa Bhaaratham

 

na sUdrA; Bhagavadh BhakthA: viprA BhagavathA: smruthA :

SARVA VARNESHU tE sudrA: yE hyAbhakthA JanaardanE

 

(Meaning) : Those SudrAs , who have Bhakthi towards

Bhagavaan are not SudrAs . They are Bhaagaavatha

BrAhmaNAs . In all jAthis ( VarNAs ) , those , who

have no bhakthi for JanaardanA are SudrAs .

 

Swami Desikan introduces the terminology of

Bhaagavatha -BrahmaNan and Bhaagavatha-Sudran

and Kevala BrahmaNan and kevala Sudran to distinguish

the two classes .

 

2. Divya prabhandhams & AzhwArs' anubhavams

 

2.1:Swami Quotes PeriyavAcchAn PiLLai's commentary

on the famous paasuram of Thirumangai's " Kulam Tarum " ,

paasuram which asserts that the blessed naamam of NaarAyaNA

will yield one Sri VaishNava Kulam , JN~Anam

and all kinds of wealth .

 

2.2: PeriyAzhwAr wishes to cast aside

the old kulam and join the Thondar kulam

thru wishing the Lord PallANdu ( pandaikkulatthai

Tavirnthu pallANdu--) . This paasuram has been termed as

Yekaanthi kula paasuram. Swami concludes that

the jaathi of birth will stay , while the acquired kulam

will not change .

 

2.3: A brahma-Vidh sUdrA like VithurA has been

recognized by BhagavAN KrishNA , when he partook

of annam at his house joyously against DuryOdhanA's

objection .VithurA has been decribed as Svayam-

Parisuddhan . He did not however volunteer rahasyArthams

to DhrudhirAshran and referred him to a qualified Brahmin for

instructions on Brahma Vidhyai and RahsyArthams .

 

2.4 :AzhwArs also did not incorporate praNavam in their

paasurams for the same reason , since such a

sacred manthram has to be received via a proper

AchAryA .This is in line with Bhagavan's

upadesam in the 18th chapter of Gita , where

Sri Parthasarathy points out : " better is one's

dharma (though ) imperfect than the dharma

of another well-performed .He who does the duty

ordained by his own nature incurs no evil

( kilmisham )" .In the earlier vesrse , He

revealed that one attains perfection by

worshipping Him with his own duty .

 

2.5: Thirumazhisai in his famous paasuram ,

 

" KulangaLAya yeeraraNdil onrilum piranthilEn ,--

ninn ilangu paadamanRi maRROr paRRilEN yem IsanE "

 

declares : Oh , Sriman NaarAyaNA ! I have no other refuge

except Your sacred feet , now that I have not been born

in any one of the four kulams ( BrahmaNa , Kshatthriya,

Vaisya and Sudra Kulams ) that are eligible to observe

their own dharmams .

 

2.6 :At another time , when the village Brahmins stopped

their Veda PaarAyaNam at the sight of Thirumazhisai AzhwAr

thinking that he was a non-Brahmin and as such should not

hear the Veda vAkhyams , they could not remember the place

where they had stopped . Thirumazhisai reminded them as to

where they left off by a symbol without reciting

the Veda Vaakhyam itself . He took in his hand

a grain of black rice and scratched it to split it in to

two parts ( KrushNAnAm vreehiNeem naka nirbhinnam --

Yajur Vedam 1.8.9) and the assembled BrahmANaas

were astounded and recognized the AzhwAr's greatness .

AzhwAr did not recite the VedA VakhYam , but guided

them to the correct spot .It was not his duty to

recite Vedam , but he was jn~Ana svarUpan and hence

he knew the Vedam without the need to recite it .

This fits in with the BhagavAn's aj~NA ( Gita 18.44) :

 

svE svE karmaNabhiratha: samsiddhim labathE nara :

(Meaning ): Devoted each to his own duty , man

attains the highest perfection .

 

2.7: Later in the same village,

the ArchA mUrthy of the temple turned his face

always to the direction of AzhwAr's travel .

The uniqueness of the AzhwAr's greatness was also

understood , when he showed to the protestors ,

who still contested him , by showing the form of

the Lord resting on his heart cavity . All of them

shut up and understood once and for all who is

a " BrahmaNA " and who is not .

 

2.8 :ThiruppANar is another of the Bhaagavatha BrahmaNaas

praised by VihagEndra Samhithai . Swami Desikan

quotes the following important verse as PramANam

from that samhithai :

 

NaarayaNaika Nishtasya yaa yaa vritthis tadharchanam

yO yO jalpasya sa Japa: tadh dhyAnam yannirakshaNam I

tath paadhAmbhavathulam theertham tadhucchishtam supAvanam

tadh ukthi maathram manthrArghyam tath sprushtam akhilam suchi II

 

( Meaning ) :For the one , who thinks always about

Sriman NaarAyaNa , his karmAs are Bhagavadh AarAdhanams .

Whatever he speaks is holy japam . Whatever he sees

is Bhagavadh dhyAnam .The waters that have association

with his feet are the most sacred .His speeches are

all sanctifying manthrams . The leftovers from his eating are

sanctifying to partake . His touch purifies all that

comes into his contact .

 

2.9 : NammAzhwAr was one of these most sacred ones ,

who followed their VarNAsrama Dharmam and acknowledged

in his Sixty fourth Thiruviruttam paasuram ( IrukkAr

MozhiyAr -) that he was limited . He says : Oh , My Lord !

The Brahmins will worship Your sacred feet by chanting

Veda Rks . I do not have the adhikAram to do that .

Hence , I will content myself with just the recitation

of your NaamAs " .

 

2.10 : Swami Desikan draws from all these pramANams

and sums it up this way :

 

vaishNavathvENa maanyathvam samAnam munisammatham

jAthyAdhi dhvamsatassAmyam mukthi kaalE bhavishyathi

 

(Meaning ) : The Rishis approve that being VaishNavAs

is worthy of salutations independent of the Jaathis .

At the time of Moksham , jaathis are destroyed and

all mukthAs become equal in jaathi .

 

Summary : Doing their assigned VarNAsrama duties

and performing ashtAkshara ( Vaidhika or Taantrika )

Japams , the various azhwArs irrespective of Jaathis

attained Moksham and have celebrated thru their

paasura Vaakhyams the glory of AshtAksharam this way :

 

Nin Thiruvettezutthum kaRRU -- Thirumangai( Having

learnt and recited Your AshtAksharam )

 

Yettezutthum vaaramAha OthuvArkal vallar vaanmALavE "

-Thirumazhisai( Those , who perform AshtAkshara manthra

Japam 8,000 times with pleasure would be capable of

ruling the Upper world )

 

Naadum nakaramum nakaRiya NamO NaarAyaNAya "--PeriyAzhwAr

(Oh , people , come hither and recite "Namo NaarAyaNAya "

so that the smart ones of the City and those who are not

that gifted from the rural parts can both understand )

 

nalvahaiyAl Namo NaarAyaNA " -- PeriyAzhwAr

( Repeating without any expected returns

the manthram , Namo NaarayaNA many times )

 

aaseenA vaa sayanA vaa tishtanthO yathra kuthra cha

Namo NaarAyaNAyEthi manthraika saraNA vayam

------Naaradheeya Kalpam (4.70 )

(Meaning ) : We are the ones , who have sought refuge

in the MahA manthram , "namo NaarAyaNAya " , whether

we are sitting, resting or standing anywhere .We have

approached it as our UpAyam for Moksham .

 

That is the glory of this MahA manthram adapted

for one and all as Vaidhika or Taantrika manthram

to yield moksha siddhi .

 

Namo NaarAyaNA

 

Daasan , Oppilaippan Koil VaradAchAri Sadagopan