Inputs for CD ROM: XI.6: Third Prabhandham of Swamy NammAzhwAr(SN), Periya ThiruvandhAthi(PTA) andto Atharva Vedam.

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Dear BhakthAs:

 

In PTA , Swamy was filled with Parama Bhakthi

that led to the theevra Upaasanaam (intense worship)

and uninterrupted meditation (DhyAnam)of the Dhivya

Mangala Vigraham of the Lord and His KalyANa GuNams .

Swamy NammAzhwAr went on to perform SaraNAgathi and

celebrated the Prapatthi maargam revealed by

GeethAchAryan using Arjuna as VyAjam. SN recognized

the Lord as the powerful medicine for curing the terrible

disease of SamsAram ( nangaL piNikkAm marunthu =Thou are

the potent medicine to cure completely our disease

named SamsAram: paasuram 62).

 

SN pointed out to his manas that eulogizing the sacred

feet of Lord KrishNaa is what it(manas) has to do for its

salvation (KaNNan thALL vAzhtthuvathE kaNDAi Vazhakku:

Paasuram 12). He told his manas further : " KaNNan

thALL vAzhtthuvathE kall" ( Oh manas!The most auspicious

kaimkaryam on this earth is to sing pallANDu to

the sacred feet of KaNNan: paasuram 67).

 

SN announced to us that the Lord , who is deeply attached

to him has entered inside his mind( MaalAr kudi puhunthAr

yenn manatthE: Paasuram 22).He identified with Him as his

Father and Mother and thanked Him for showing the wondorous

way of Bhagavath-GuNAnubhavam ( peRRa ThAi neeyE , piRappittha

Tanthai nee , yeRREyO NeeyammA kAttum neRi = Thou art my

compassionate Mother , Thou art my Father performing Upadesam.

Wonderful indded is the way You showed me to eulogize You:

Paasuram 5).SN also pointed out that He is also the Father

and the Mother of all Jeevans ( Thai Tanthai yevvuyirkkum thAnn:

Paasuram 23) and acknowldeged His Supermacy ( Tann alappu

onRilAthAn = He has no One equal to Him: paasuram 24).

 

SN asked for aparAdha KshAmaNam for insufficencies in

saluting Him adequately ( seeRal nee = Oh My Lord , Your

ThiruvuLLam should not get angry over any lapses in

Your worship on my part:paasuram 2). SN recognized

the Lord's DayA SvarUpam and pointed out that He is

impatiently waiting to see what else He can do for

His BhakthAs ( UnnadiyArkku yenna seyvAnanenRE irutthi

Nee: Paasuram 53).

 

SN appealed to his mind to do two things to receive

His grace : (1) Eulogize the Lord of broad shoulders

and offer fragrant garlands of verses (Sonn maalai):

"Vilankal pOl thonmAlaik Kesavanai NaaraNanai

Maadhavanai sonnmAlai yeppozhuthum soottu:Paasuram 65)

and (2)Salute and praise the sacred feet of KaNnan , who

banishes all our sins ( nammEl vinai kadivAn mey

KazhalE yEttha muyal) and assures us not to worry

any more about our lot ( aham thvA sarva PaapEbhyO

MokshayishyAmi maa Sucha:)in this samsAra maNDalam.

Thus ends the Maanasa SambhOdhanam of SN with

his manas.

 

SN's tributes in PTA to the Lord regarding His Omnipotence ,

Omnipresence ,Parama DayA GuNam ,Sarva Seshithvam

(Final reality = Ucchishta Brahmam),Omniscience ,

SarvAntharyAmithvam , Jagath Kaaranathvam can be

readily traced to different Atharva manthrams .

A selected few of those manthrams are assembled below

to illustrate the links of PTA to AtharvaNa Vedam.

 

A Brief Introduction to Atharva Vedam

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

Atharva Vedam consists of 5977 manthrams , which is largely

in the form of poetry with a small portion in prose. It is

the last among VedAs and as such has advanced philosophical

conceptions about God . It fits very well with the mood of

Parama Bhakthi of NammAzhwAr .It has been pointed out that

PTA cleanses the soul in the waters of divine infinity

and greatness , just as the Atharva Vedam introduces us

to several remedial manthrams to overcome the diseases of

the mind and body.Atharva Vedam's recognizes the Lord

as the Supreme Being and as the final reality (sarva Seshi/

Ucchishta Brahmam ). One of the manthrams salute the Lord

as " uchcishtE naama roopam chOcchishtE lOka aahitha:"

(Thou sustains the entire creation consisting of Name

and Form ).

 

Through the 601st Manthram , Atharva Vedam asks the question ,

"Kasmai dEvAya HavishA vidhEma?" It answers that question

in a most majestic manner : " Through whose power exists

the spacious Heaven , the mighty Earth and yonder ample

Firmament between them , through whose power is yon Sun

extends his grandeur , to That Supreme One , we offer

our oblations. We offer our devotional worship to Him,

the Illunminator and the Lord of lasting happiness .

We meditate on Him.

 

Manthram 566 salutes His boon-granting power and

Timelessness(anAdhi tatthvam):

 

SarvAn KaamAn pooraythyAbhavan prabhavan bhavan

aakUthi prOavidharthatha:sithi paannOpapadasyathi

 

(meaning): "God the fulfiller of resolves , worshipped

by the Soul , the same One in light and darkness ,Omnipresent ,

mighty and ever-existent , satisfies all hopes and wants

and never suffers decay.

 

Like SN's UpadEsam to his mind to sing the glories of

the Lord without let , another Atharva Veda Manthram

( 1291) says:

 

dhOshO gAya bruhadh gAya dhyumaddEhi

AtharvaNa sthuhi dEvam SavithAram

 

(meaning): " Oh Worshipper of the Lord! Sing His

glory day and night , sing loudly ,contemplate

upon the refulgent Lord .Praise the all-creating Lord!".

 

His sarvAntharyAmithvam is saluted brilliantly

in the 3695th manthram of Atharva vedam:

 

sO Agni: Sa u Soorya: sa u yEva MahAyama:

rasmibhirnabha aabrutham MahEndra yEthyAvrutha:

 

(Meaning): He is indeed Agni, the Omniscient; He is

SooryA , the urger; He is MahAyaman , the great

leader. This great Lord permeates all the Worlds

with His refulgence.

 

His Unmatched Valour and status of Him not having

any god equal or superior to him is saluted by

another Atharva Manthram( 3710):

 

Tamidham nigatham saha: sa yEsha yEka yEkavrudhEka yEva

Ya yEtham dEvamEkavrutham vEdha

 

(meaning): " This Supreme Lord possesses the conquering

might. He is the Sole , the Solitary One , the One alone."

 

Atharva Manthram 5035 tells us that this Powerful

Lord reveals Himself to the Yogis (like Swamy NammAzhwAr)

in deep contemplation and shines like the mid-day Sun

in their hearts .

 

Atharva Manthram 5185 reveals to us that He is

the Almighty God , who suppreses the darkness of

ignorance by His light of knowledge.

 

We will conclude this posting with two more Atharva

Manthrams , which are echos of Swamy NammazhwAr's

prayers to the Supreme Lord in his PTA Prabhandham:

 

(1) "Bhuri ta Indhra Veeryam--" ( Manthram 5048):

 

" For great is Thy prowess , Oh Mighty Lord !

We are Thine. Oh Lord of Riches , fulfil the desires

of this devotee of Thine. These vast heavens are mere

creations from Thy Energy. This Earth also bows to Thy

Splendour.

 

(2) " Ya yEka iddhavyascharshaNInAmeendhram--"(Manthram 5208):

 

" With these hymns , I worship that Mighty Lord ,

who alone is to be invoked by men , who is known to be

the showerer of all blessings ( VaradarAjan),

All-powerful, True (Sathya Sankalpan) , Lord of All

Existence , Victorious , Full of Wisdom (sathyam,

Jn~Anam , Anantham BrahmA) and with wonderful powers of

creation ( JagathAdhAran and Jagath Kaaranan).

 

These selected Manthrams of Atharva Vedham reveal

their Saamyam to the meanings of some of the Periya

ThriuvandhAthi paasurams of Swamy NammAzhwAr.

 

Thenn KuruhUr VaguLAbharaNan ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam

Daasan, Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri Satakopan