Rg Veda manthram: III.14.2

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SrI:

 

NamO Veda PurushAya !

 

Dear BhakthAs : adiyEn will start with series of postings

on Veda Manthrams related to prapatthi/SaraNAgathy/Bhara

Samarpanam and related topics from today.

 

This manthram has Agni as DevathA and the chandas is Thrishtubh:

The antharyAmi of Agni is addressed here.

 

ayAmi tE NAMA-UKTIM jushasva ritAvas thubhyam cEtatE sahasva:

vidvAn aa vakshi vidhushO ni shathsi madhya aa barhir UtayE yajathra

 

---Rg Vedam: III.14.2

 

(meaning): To Thou , O Magnificient and Adorable Lord ,

the protector and sustainer of Your eternal Sanaathana laws ,

adiyEn offers my deep, profound and respectful salutations to You .

May Thou, Mighty Lord wielding enormous power as the guardian

of sacred rites accept adiyEn's salutations ! As the Omniscient

One and Possessor of Supreme Jn~Anam , May Thou bring all men of

wisdom in to Your fold ! O Sacred Lord ! May Thou make Your

shrine in the heart lotuses of Your bhakthAs for their rakshanam.

 

The key words here is "ayAmi tE Nama-ukthim" . Deep feelings of

devotion and self-surrender are displayed through this "Nama:"

sabdham. In many pramANams,the "Nama: " sabdham is used in place of

SaraNAgathi.Therefore one can infer that "Nama: " sabdham

here is dealing with Prapatthi performed at the holy

feet of the Lord.

 

Nama: Sabdham is housed in the Moola manthram between PraNavam

and "NaarAyaNAya ". Our PoorvAchAryAs have provided deep insight

into the meanings of " nama:" sabdham . Swamy Desikan in His

magnum opus , Srimad Rahasya Thraya Saaram has dealt at length

about the profound meanings of the "nama: " sabdham (27th chapter).

ParAsara Bhattar has provided earlier the meanings of "Nama:

sabdham in the third slOkam of his SrI Sookthi , Ashta slOki.

 

A quick summary of Swamy Desikan's upadesam for us is provided below:

" Nama: " is to be understood as "na+mama" .Swamy Desikan quotes two

slOkmas from MahA BhAratham Saanthi parvam , which state

that the reason for the afflictions of SamsAram is associated with

the two lettered word "Mama".The reason behind the realization of

the eternal Brahman is understood by reflection on

the combination of words :" Na+Mama ".The crookedness associated

with Ahankaara MamakArams (egoism, possessiveness) will only grow

the ajn~Anam (nescience/ignorance) associated with SamsAram.

That in turn will obstruct the growth of true Jn~Anam about

the Jeevan's sEshathvam ( being the sole dependent of

the Lord or as the one who exists for the sole purpose of

the sEshin , the Lord)) and Paaratantryam (not having its

own independence).Nama: sabdham or Na Mama refers to

the Jeevan not having ownership about its svaroopam

or ownership about things associated with it;

further,it has no Lordship(supermacy-Swamythvam ) over

anything.It has no independence of its own (SvAtantryam).

 

The samhithais like Ahirbhudhnya Samhithai elaborates on

the meanings of "Nama: " sabdham along the categories of

SthUlam , Sookshmam and Param. The sthUla (gross)meaning is

based on VyAkaraNa Saasthram (grammar). According to the meaning

derived from sookshmaa (sthUlam) aspect , "Nama: "is interpreted

as the salutations to the Lord with great humility and

the performance of Prapatthi with its 5 angams.The above

(second/sookshma) category of meaning is based on niruktham .

According to this intrepretation , Jeevan is understood

as not the possesor of independence or ownership of itself

("thaanum tanudayanavum tanakku uriyanavalla"). It has

no independence of its own (Tanakku SvAtantriyam illai).

The meaning according to Param (rahasya artham at the highest

level) is based on Akshara NigaNDu is that the Supreme fruit

realized from the performance of the of SaadhyOpAyam (Prapatthi)

is the SiddhOpAyam of SrIman NaarAyaNan .

 

It is easier to explain the essence of the Nama: sabdham

in Tamil: " (1) Jeevan Tanakku tAnE sEshan allan

(2) OnRum Jeevanakku sEsham anRu (3)Jeevan onRukkum

sEshi allan (4) Jeevanakku svAthanthriyam illai.

Swamy Desikan states that the above axiomatic &

eternal truths are revealed by our PoorvAchAryAs

( Desika darisatha saarArTam).

 

Swamy Desikan sums the many meanings along these lines

with extensive citations from Ahirbudhnya Samhithai

in Srimad Rahasya Thraya Saaram and points out that

this powerful "Nama: " Sabdham housed in the Veda manhtrams

is the karaNa manthram for the performanc eof all

types of Prapatthi :

 

yEvam sikshitha-naanArTam NAMA: SABDHA-samanvithA:

sarvE karaNathAm yaanthi manthrA: SVAATHMASAMARPANE

 

NaarAyaNa, NaarAyaNa , NaarAyaNa

Daasan, Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri SadagOpan/SaThakOpan