BhadrAsanam: Some reflections /Part II

[Guest guest]

Dear BhakthAs:

 

We will look at additional Rks from

Rg Vedam referring to the subject of Bhadram and by

extrapolation to BhadrAsanam in this concluding posting .

 

A Prayer to the one seated on the consecrated throne

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Sage VasishtA performed PaadhukA PattabhishEkam .

The divine light that emanated from the consecrated

PaadhukAs is a benovolent one. It is a source of

spiritual sustensnace .It is enshrined in ThiruvAimozhi

of SatAri Soori, whose other name is NammAzhwAr. This Rk

( KhAndam 7.96.3) with double "Bhadrams " for emphasis is

relatable to BhadrAsanam housing the Lord's Paadhukais:

 

"BHADRAM id BHADRA krinavat Sarasvathy akavAri cetai

vAjinIvathI , griNanA Jamadagnivat stuvanA ca Vasishtavath."

RgVedam: VII.96.3

 

Meaning : May the steady and auspicious stream of

divine light bestow mangaLam on us. May the blemishless

and eternal stream , the provider of spiritual sustenance,

keep us in its focus. Oh divine Light( nandhA viLakkE!)

You have already been eulogized by great ones endowed

with divine vision. Now , please accept the eulogies of

a seeker of truth !

 

The clear reference to VasishtA , who was the AchAryA

of Raghu Kulam and conducted the PaadhukA PattAbhishEkam

is uncanny.

 

B.Another prayer to the One Seated on the BhadrAsanam

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This prayer is to destroy all of our confusions

by appeal to the divine one seated on the BhdrAsanam :

 

BHADRAM mana: kruNushva vritratUryE yenA samathsu sAsaha:

ava sthira thanuhi bhUri sardhathAm vanEma tE abhishtibi:

Rg Vedam : 8.19.20

 

(meaning): Oh destroyer of evils ( ViparItha Jn~Anam )!

Please bless us with that resolute mind to meet with

our struggles in this life by which we may overcome all

our foes that stand in the way of spiritual advancement.

May we be blessed to celebrate You through our

earnest prayers!

 

Our SatAri Soori's prayer in beautiful Tamil is an

echo of the thoughts contained in the above Rk of

Rg Vedam:

 

aavi thihaikka iyvar kumaikkum siRRinbam

paaviyEnaippala nee kaattippaduppAyO?

Thaavi vaiyamm koNDa tadam thaamaraikatkkE

koovikkoLLUm kaalam innam kuRuhAthO?

ThiruvAimozhi: 6.9.9

 

(meaning):The distracting five senses goad my mind to

vulgar pleasures that are evanescent.My mind succumbs to

these temptations , even when it knows about the dangers

presented by them . My soul stimbles into a whirlpool

of these sensory stimuli and does not know how to come

out of this calamity , even if it wishes to escape these

tortures. Oh My Dear One ! My Lord ! Would You subject me

to all these humiliations and sufferings by tempting me with

more evanescent pleasures ? I rememember the time , when

Your sacred foot during ThrivikramAvathaaram extended

all over this world . Alas ! I missed that blessed occasion !

I was not born then .Such a sinner I am ! Even now ,

You may call me to Your lotus feet! Won't You bless me

to make that time of union with Your feet very soon?

 

C.Grateful prayer to the One seated on the BhadrAsanam

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Another Rk ( Rg Vedam VIII.93.28) prays to the one

seated on the BhadrAsanam this way :

 

BHADRAM BHADRAM na aa bharEshamUrjam sathakrathO

yadhIndhra mriLayAsi na:

 

(Meaning): Oh performer of hundreds of noble deeds !

Bless us with what is most auspicious ! Bless us

with spiritual strength and nourishmnet ; for

O resplendent Lord ! You have been kind to us.

 

The echo of this Rk is heard in the ThiruvAimozhi

paasuram ( 4.9.4), where NammAzhwAr , the One seated

on the BhadrAsanam states that his heart is wavering

and fears about what is going to happen next. He praises

Lord Narasimhan and confides: " One knows that it is

essential to render Kaimkaryam to You and become Your nithya

daasan and enjoy paripUrNa BrahmAnubhavam .Alas ! My mind

gets puzzled as to what to do . Please help me understand

what is the right thing to do with Your own innate simplicity.

Please make my choice easy for me to get closer to You !

Bless me with what is the most auspicious ! You have

infinite dayA for people like me !

 

D.Another Prayer to the One seated on the BhadrAsanam:

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Towards the end of the Rg Vedam ( Tenth canto) , we

come across a KUraL VeNNpA type of aphoristic manthram:

 

BHADRAM nO api vaathya mana:( Rg Vedam :X.20.1)

 

This is a poignant and short prayer to

the Lord (the antharyAmi Brahman of Agni).

It appeals to the Lord: "Oh the inner being

of the Fire divine! May Thou inspire our mind

towards beneficial works".

 

This KuRaL type of verse reminds us of the KuaRL

type of verse found towards the end of ThiruvAimozhi,

where the AzhwAr, who is about to ascend Parama Padham

instructs us with great affection as an AchAryan :

 

KaNNan KazhaliNai --naNNum manamudayIr

yeNNUm ThirunAmam --thiNNam NaaraNamE

ThiruvAimozhi: 10.5.1

 

(Meaning): Oh Men wishing to attain as the goal of

Your lives , the sacred pair of feet of Lord KrishNan,

meditate on His most important name ,NaarAyaNan.

Please meditate on that name without fail .You

will be rewarded for sure !

 

The Vedam asks the Lord to bless our mind with

Bhadram (beneficial works) to reach Him . NammAzhwAr

spells out one of the beneficial works in the fifth

paasuram of this decad:

 

naaDIr naaDORum --vaadAmalar koNDu

paaDIr Avan naamam--veeDE peRalAmE

 

(Meaning): Oh Humans desiring Moksham ! Please

perform every day archanA for Him with love using

fresh blososms of flowers and recite His names

during that archanA . You will surely attain His

sacred feet and perform nithya kaimkaryam in

His parama Padham.

 

E.An Elaboration of the above prayer to the Lord

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The previous manthram was aphoristic:

 

"BHADRAM nO api vaathaya mana:"

 

The Rk X.25.1 elaborates on the brief prayer

and salutes the magnificient Lord :

 

BHADRAM nO api vaathaya manO daksham uta krathum

adhA tE sakhyE andhasO vi vO madhE raNan gavO na

yavasE vivakshasE --Rg X.25.1

 

(meaning ): O Lord , the embodiment of Bliss !

Please grant us the boon of pure mind , energy

and wisdom to think of You always. Let Men derive great

pleasure in Your unquestioned love ,in Your carouse

like the conteneted cattle in fresh pasture. Thou

are indeed verily great. Your DayA is incomparable .

 

One is reminded of the ThiruvAimozhi: 1.6.8

in this context:

 

kazhimin ThoNDeergal kazhitthu Thozhuminavanai thozhuthAl

vazhi ninRa valvinai mALvitthu ahivinRiyAkkam tharumE

 

(meaning): Oh Ye Men! who have intense desire to perform

Kaimkaryam to the Lord ! As a first step , banish all

the temptations arising from worldly pleasures. Stay

away from them .After that, devote Yourself totally

to His kaimkaryam. Pleased by Your kaimkaryam, the Lord

will banish all mOksha virOdhis that have been plaguing

You all your lives. He will bless You with MokshAnugraham

and bless You to perform blemishless , eternal Kaimkaryam

to Him at His Supreme abode.

 

adiyEn concludes these reflections on

the BhadrAsanam made auspicious by the residence

of the Sri RanganAtha Paadhukais ( NammAzhwAr)

with a prayer to Him :

 

Here is auspiciousness; There is auspicouness(Bhadram)

Everywhere is auspicousness ( sarvathO Bhadram ).

Everywhere our sadAchAryan is , there is uninterrupted

auspicousness (nithya , Niravaidhika Bhadram ).

 

NaarAyaNa , NaarAyaNa , NaarAyana ,

Daasan , Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri SadagOpan