AchArya anugraha BhAshanams(Tele-UpanyAsams)

[Guest guest]

Sri:

Namo NaarAyaNaaya

 

Dear BhakthAs:

 

In the past few months we have been blessed to be

in touch with number of our Sacred AchAryAs thru the tele-bridges.

Inspite of the enormous demands on their times , all of

our AchAryAs have devoted significant chunks of their

time to educate us , answer our questions and remove our doubts.

Their compassion for us is limitless. They enjoy the opportunity

to be with us and mitigate some what our sorrow in not being

near them and serve them. We are also grateful for other

deeply -informed Scholars of our sampradhAyam for their

informative upanyAsams . Thanks to all the sishyAs , who serve

as moderators for us to enjoy this flow of Tamizh and Sanskrit

Vedams and AchArya Sri Sookthis .

 

At the very end of Sama Vedam , we come across a revealing

passage:" DhanE sarvam prathishtitham".This echos the other Vedic

utterance :" DharmE sarvam Prathishtitham". The DhAnam is

vidhyA dhAnam in general and Brahma VidhyA dhAnam in particular.

Brahma VidhyA dhAnam dealing with AdhyAthma Saasthrams

is the greatest of the greatest of UpakArams of AchAryans ,

to us , who clear our many doubts and establish us (mumukshus)

frimly in our path and bless us with praapttthi.

 

The Veda paramparai unto our today's AchAryAs is celebrated

by Rg Veda manthram X.71.3:

 

Yaj~Ena vaacha: padhaveeyamAyan

thAmanvavindhan nrushishu pravishtAm

thAmAbhruthya vyadhadhu: puruthrA

thaamm saptha rEbhA abhi sam navanthE

 

(meaning): The First (primordial) Speech was blessed

by the Lord Himself , the One called as Yaj~nA ( VishNu/

PrajApathi/Creator) in the hearts (minds) of Rshis the Masters

chosen especially by Him. Having acquired the Veda Vaak ,

the Rshis dispersed it to many places . The seven singers

(notes , tones and metres ) meet togehter in consonance .

They make Her tones resound in a concertized mode. These

wise sages follow the path of knowing these secrets of

the First Speech by the spirit of sacrifice (Yaj~nam).

 

The rishis here are antha: dhrushtA:and the First Speech

and enlightenment are centered in them . This First speech

is revealed through the seven birds (chandhas/metres)

bearing the name of gayAthri, UshNik , Anushtup , Bruhath ,

Pankthi ,Thrishtup and Jagathi .They raise the Veda GhOsham

(First Speech) in concert.

>From that Yj~nA ( VishNu), Rks , Sammans were born;

from the same were born Chandas or the hymns of Atharva VedA;

the Yajuh had its origin from it( TasmAth Yaj~nAth Sarva

Hutha , Rucha: SaamAni jagnirE--Rig vedam : X.90.9).

 

Our AchAryAs have treasured the First Speech through

Rishi Paramparai by means of SvAdhyAam and taught

it through Pravachanam .All the Limbs of VedAs

(VedAngAs: SeekshA , VyAkaraNA et al) , UpaangAs

( Six Systems of Indian Philosophies) and UpavEdAs

( AAyur Vedam , Dhanur Vedam et al) explore

further the mystries of VedAs to expand on the knowledge

imparted by the Lord to the Chosen Rishis through

Vedic Revelation.

 

This morning , we had the good fortune to listen to

one Such Rishi , HH Sri RangapriyA Swamy of AshtAnga Yoga Mandir.

HH had a question and answer session on his previous upanyAsam

on VedAs . He addressed the questions from the participants.

This Q&A session on the eternally relevant VedAs was a wonderfully

illuminating session .Please participate in this and other upanyAsams

by our AchAryAs to the extent that your other commitments permit.

It is a great BhAgyam to have access to such authoritative and

yet compassionate source of AchAryAs like HH Sri RangapriyA

MahA Desikan .

 

Some of the Questions addressed to the AchAryan were:

 

1. Are VedAs three or Four in count? What is

the difference between the Three (ThrayI) and

Atharva vedam ?(Swamy explained that they are

Four and yet they are three in count from a special

perspective and dwelled on the unique role

of Atharva Vedam ).

 

2. Are animal sacrificed permitted by vedAs?

( Swamy explained the sacrifice is of the animals

inside like Kaama , KrOdham etal: manyu: Pasu:)

 

3. What is the significance of DevathAs like

Agni, IndhrA et al,to whom Vedic prayers are

addressed ?(the connotations ,denotations

and suggestions about the DevathAs like Agni

and the gradations among the dEvathAs

and their relation to the ParamAthmA were covered).

 

4. Is there a contradiction between the ultimate

fruits of Yogic path( kaivalyam ) and VedAnthic

path ( Moksham )?

 

5. Veda Vaak is described at three levels : ILAA,

BhArathi and Sarasvathi. What do they represent

and how do they come together? (Swamy linked

these three kinds of speeches to the three

Naadis ( idA , PingaLA and SushumnA) and

their sangamam in the samAdhi state by Yogis

to experience amruthathvam).

 

6. What are the tattvams behind the PanchAyudhams of

the Lord ?

 

7. Are women permitted to recite Veda manthrams

and engage in vedic Studies ? How has it evolved

over time? How did this access to VedAs over

YugAs evolve?( Swamy developed the theme of

SadhyO VadhUs and Braqhma Vaadhinis in this

context and accounted for the transformations

over ages ).

 

8. Why are some manthrams from the VedAs selected

over the others in our Manthra Pushpam section

of Bhagavath AaarAdhanam ?Why them and not others?

 

The answers presented by HH Sri Ranga priyA Swamy

were excellent and insightful. I could only refer to

an extremely abbreviated summary on the themes covered.

HH Swamy went into details with pramANams to answer

the questions .

 

On behalf of all particpants ,it is my pleasure to thank

the SVSS officials , who have made it possible for us

at this distance to receive such anugraha BhAshaNams.

 

AdiyEn would like to conclude this note with a prayer

to Vedam ( as Mother) :

 

SthuthA mayA VedamAthA prachOdhayanthAm

paavamAni dhvijAnAm I

aayu: prANam pasum keerthim dhraviNam

Brahma-varchasam I

Mahyam dhathvA vrajatha BrahmalOkam II

--Atharva vedam : XIX.70.1

 

Saluted by me is the boon-granting Veda MaathA.

-- May I attain therby the full life span (Veda

prAyam of one hundred years), the vitality ,

children , cattle , fame , property and

the shining splendor of (Vedic)Knowledge;

May Thou proceed to the world of Knowledge!

 

asmath AchAryA: anugruNanthu

Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri SatakOpan