YentharO MahAnubhAvulu!

[Guest guest]

The Greatness of Utthama AchAryans

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Let us celebrate on this occasion the importance

of such MahAnubhAvAs in our life along the lines

in which the ancient Vedams in general and Saama

vedam in particular point out to us.

 

Rig Rk celebrating AchAryan

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One of the Rg rk states that the AchAryAs use

the power of their Tapas and Jn~Anam to overcome

all the handicaps and serve as chakravarthis for

the human assembly :

 

utha svarAjO adhithirabhdhasya vrathasya mE

mahO rAjaana IsathE

--Rg Vedam: 8.12.4

 

(meaning ): Those noble persons of blemishless

character through their soul force and by

the strict observance of the Lord's inviolate laws

(SaasthrAs) become fit to rule over others

(lead others) by their supermacy.

 

They have severe nishtai and through their power of

intellect (mEdhA vilAsam) spread their benovolent

Jn~Anam all over the world like the rays of the Sun .

 

AchAryAs' UpAsana and Kaimkaryams to the Lord

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The power of Jn~Anam of these austere learned persons

is celebrated in the three VedAms by the following

Veda Manthram:

 

kaNvA iva bhrugava: iva SooryA: iva

visvam id dhItam aasata , Indhram sthOmEbhir

mahayanta aayava: priyamEdhAsO asvaran

 

( UtharArchika Saaman : 1363, Rg Vedam: VIII.3.16

and Atharva Vedam:10.2,59.2).

 

This veda manthram points out that the Bhrugus and

the descendants of the family of KaNva have attained

the Supreme Being as the Sun pervades the Universe by

his rays ( Bhrugava: Bhrugu kula jAthA:, KaNva Kula

jAthA: iva taTA Soorya: iva visvam id dhItam aasata).

 

This manthram also points out the tight realtionship between

these powerful AchAryAs and their SishyAs . It is not only

these learned wise sages keep themselves busy in singing

the praise of the Supreme being through Yaaga , yaj~na

AarAdhanams and sthuthis but also their pious sishyAs

keep themselves fully occupied with the eulogy of

the Lord and the performance of sacred rituals to please

their AchAryan and the Supreme being .The importance of

Bhagavd AaarAdhanam and BhAgavatha AarAdhanam is hinted here.

 

AchAryA's unbroken kaimkaryam to the Lord

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These MahAnubhAvaas pray for the welfare of mankind

and approach Him through reverentail thoughts, noble

deeds and blemishless homage:

 

upa thvAgnE dhivE-dhivE dOshAvastardh dhiyA vayam

namO bharantha emasi

--PoorvArchika Saaman:14 and Yajur Vedam:III.22)

 

JarAbhOdha tadh vividDhi visE-visE yaj~niyAya

SthOmagum rudrAya drusIkam

 

--PoorvArchika Saama : 15 , UttharArchika Saaman 1663

and Rg Vedam I.27.10

 

(Combined meaning of both the manthrams ): Oh Lord !

We approach You day and night with reverential homage

enriched by sublime thoughts about You and noble deeds

commanded by Your SaasthrAs.Oh Matchless Lord!(OppilA appanE!)

May Thou listen earnestly to our prayers and accept our

offerings! May Thou enter in to the spirit of our eulogies

for the purpose of the completion of our sacrifices (Yaj~nams) for the

benefit of all mankind !

 

Here the Lord's anupravEsam in to all of the sthuthis

and Yaj~nAs of the learned sages ( JarAbhOdha/ one with

mature experience and Tapas) is invoked for the good of

all people(visE-visE).

 

Our Lord's pervasive presence through AchAryAs

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There is a series of 32 UtharArchika Saamans

praising Soma rasam , which start with the word

"yEsha: " to salute the anantha KalyANa guNams of

the Lord . One of them is the following Saaman

(UttharArchikam 1281 and Rg Vedam IX.28.2):

 

yEsha pavithrE aksharAth sOmO dEvEbhya Sutha:

visvA dhAmAnyAvisan

 

(meaning): This Supreme Being manifests Himself

to the wise learned persons (AchAryAs)and is

realized in various beautiful forms .He pervades

all places .

 

Prayer to that Supreme Lord by our AchAryAs

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Saama Veda manthram (uttharArchika Saaman 1358

and Rg Veda Rk IX.97.38)describes the relationship

of our AchAryAs to the Supreme Lord as follows:

 

"sa punAn upa dhadhAna ObhE aprA rOdasI vee sha: aava

priyA chidh yasya priyAsAsa UthI sathO dhana kAriNE

na pra yagumsath"

 

(Meaning at one level): The learned person purifying

himself thru profound meditation of the Lord and is

empowered by his Jn~Ana VairAgya anushtAnam . That tapasvi

fills both the literate and illeterate with the glow of

learning and discloses various vidhyAs. The pure and

noble wishes of the learned persons are meant to protect

us against fears ( samsAra bheethi) and obstacles

( vignams in UpAya anushtAnam). May that Lord grant us

the excellent wealth of spiritual knowledge as (he does)

to the AchAryAs (learned persons/MahAthmAs)!

 

This Saaman refers to those paramaikAnthis , who do not

seek chillundi swAmis (" siRu dhaivam sErEn")and hold

firmly to the sacred feet of SrIman NaarAyanan .These

are MahAthmAs with theevra tapas and noble conduct

and serve as light houses on the shore , who are being

buffeted by the fierce waves of SamsAric ocean.They are

mArga darsees , who have superior aathma GuNams like

ahimsai, Sathyam , asthEyam , aparigruham , Soucham ,

Indhriya nigraham et al.

 

These Brahma Vidhs are saluted by Swamy NammAzhwAr

in his ThiruvAimozhi paasuram ( 8.3.10):

 

kalakamilla naltava munivar karai kaNDOr

tulakkimilaa vAnavar yellAm ThozhuvArkaL

malakkamyetha maakadal tannaik-kadainthAnai

ulakka nAmm puhazhkirpathu yenn seyvathu urayeerE

 

(Meaning ): AchAryAs with unmuddled knowledge/Jn~Anam

known for their authentic penance/tapas perform MangaLAsAsanam

to the Lord , who churned once the milky ocean with

great energy to produce amrutham . AchAryAs on a par

with the nithya sooris and muktha jeevans serve the Lord

on this earth with joy .Please tell me how to eulogize

that Lord to His full satisfaction and gain freedom

from all of my samsAric afflictions.

 

A concluding prayer for AchAryan's Veda prAyam

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Vedam refers to one hundred autumns as the life

span for humans :

 

sataminnu saradhO anthidEvA nascchakrA jarasam tanUnAm

putrAsO yathra pitarO bhavanthi maa nou madhyA rIrishathAyurganthO

--Rg Vedam I.89.9

 

(meaning): Hundred autumns are given to us by the Supreme

Being for life on His earth although the body is subject to

old age and decay. Those who are sons today will grow

to become fathers tomorrow and hence may we have no

afflictions or infirmities in the midst of our life span.

 

Our prayers are to the Dhivya dampathis to bless MahA VidvAn

ChakravarthyAchArya Swamy to enjoy arOga dhrudagaathra sarIram

and go on to celebrate his veda PrAyam after today's

SathAbhishEka Uthsavam while engaged in providing rakshai

for our ancient darsanam .

 

Bhadram karNEbhi: sruNuyAma dEvA bhadram pasyEmAkshibhir yajathrA:

sTirair angais tushtuvAmsas tanubhir vyasEmahi dEvahitam yadhAyu:

--Rig vEdam: I.89.8, Yajur Vedam 25.21, UttharArchika sAman: 1874

>O AchAryAs! May we pray for our ears to listen to what is

auspicious and good ! Oh AachAryAs and learned persons

worthy of sacred deeds ! Bless us to see with our eyes

all that is auspicous and subahakaram! Oh AchAryAs !

May we be blessed to engage in Your eulogy , enjoy

with firm limbs and healthy bodies a full term of

life (one hundred years) dedicated to serving You

(AchArya Kaimkaryam ) and Your Lord ( Bhagavath

Kaimkaryam)!

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