Input for CD ROM On AzhwArs : Part XI.3: Swamy nammAzhwAr's THIRUVAASIRIYAM (Second prabhandham).

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Namo NaarAyaNAya

 

Dear BhakthAs: adiyEn will cover the high lights of

ThiruvAsiriyam in this posting.

 

ThiruvAsiriyam and Yajur vedam :Structure of Poetry

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It is generally considered that Swamy NammAzhwAr (SN)

has focussed on the themes covered by Yajur Vedam in

his ThiruvAsiriyam (TA). This prabhandham is set in

the style of Aasiriya Paa(AP) , which belongs to the general

division of VeNN Paa in Tamil poetry. AP has a gadhyam

like structure (Vachana Nadai/prosody ) and has no

" paadha Vyavasthai" or restrictions on metre and length.

Yajur vedam also is not set in metres like Rg Veda

manthrams and it has no restrictions on the length of

the manthrams as well .This relationship between

Yajur Vedam and the TA set in AP is at the architectonic

level.

 

TA and Yajur Vedam:Thematic Similarities

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At a more substantive level of content , both TA

and Yajur Vedam have one very important aspect in

common. Yajur Vedam is devoted to sacrifices (Yaagams)

and sacred rites associated with the performance of

such Yaagams. Yaagam is a Veda karmaa. This rite is

known in Aagamaas as CharyA or KriyA and they have

the Vedic sanctions as well.

 

There are a lot of prayers in a yaagam and it has

been accepted that every prayer has a rite incorporated

in it. Among all the sacred rites ,Bhagavath AarAdhanam

is the most important one .Between the EmperumAn worshipped

through His AarAdhanam and the one performing that

AarAdhanam , there is a relationship that is similar to

that described in ThiruvAsiriyam/Yajur Vedam.

 

Sri K.C.Varadachari's observation is quite valuable in this

context to understand the purpose of the Yaagam : " Sacrifice

considered from the mystic stand point is not anything

other than the proper self-offering for work ,

transformation ,indwelling and possession and finally

elevation to the Lord's Infinite Mansion(Parama Padham).

 

The Yajur Veda is devoted to the sacrifice ; the Sukla

Yajur Veda (VaajasnEya SamhithA) concludes with

the IsAvAsyOpanishad ,which declares that Karma

must be done as long as one lives and one should

desire to do this (Saathvik) karma of self-offering

to the Divine Being throughout life and that performance

of right karma does not entail any sin or limitation.

 

There are three kinds of karmas:

 

(1)Karma (action) (2) Akarma (nonaction ) and

(3)Vikarma , a transcendental variety of Karma ,

which the VaishNavAs describe as Kaimkaryam ( Bhagavath/

BhAgavatha/AchArya Kaimkaryam) to secure freedom from

the cycles of births and deaths".

 

ThiruvAsiriyam develops the above themes of Yajur

Vedam in its seven paasurams.TA points out that

the AarAdhya Devan for the rites prescribed by

the adhvaryu priests in the case of Yajur Vedam is Sriman

NaarAyaNan alone .ThiruvAsiriyam is hence considered

as the elaboration of the "NaarAyaNAya " portion of

the Moola Manthram (AshtAksharam).

 

The place of TA among SN's Four prabhandhams

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UtthamUr Swamy points out that the four Prabhandhams

of SN progress from Para Bhakthi (Thiruviruttham) to

Para JnAnam( TA) to Parama Bhakthi (Periya ThiruvandhAthi)

to Bhagavath prApthi (ThiruvAimozhi).In Thiruviruttham,

SN experienced Para Bhakthi state and conversed with

the Lord , who was visible to him through Jn~Ana KaNN

(Dhivya Chakshus)and pleaded for the severance of

the dEha sambhandham that interfered with the perfect

enjoyment of the Lord .

 

The Lord was concerend and He came up with a clever

way to satisfy SN , while making sure that the Prabhandhams

for the benefit of the samsAris would be completed by SN

as a part of his avathAra kaaryam .Our Lord blessed SN

to enjoy His svaroopam , Roopam , GuNam and dhivya

leelAs so that SN could enjoy them and be persuaded

to cast Moksham aside for a while and stay a little

longer in this earth(LeelA VibhUthi) to complete

the composition of the remaining three prabhandhams.

 

Thus arose ThiruvAsiriyam as a result of the direct

vision (Prathyaksha Darsanam ) of the Lord by SN

as KshIrAbdhi Naathan resting as a baby in the lap

of his Mother (AadhisEshan) at the milky ocean .

That vision led SN to celebrate the uniqueness of

Sriman NaarAyaNan as the uncontested Supreme Being ,

who alone can grant the Jeevans Moksham and rejected

all other gods created by Him and subservient to Him

in every way for worship to gain that MahA Siddhi.

 

In a subsequent and final posting , adiyEn will

summarize the meanings of the individual paasurams

of TA and connect them to the Yajur Vedic passages

saluting VishNu-Thrivikraman .

 

(To Be Continued)