ThiruvahIndhrapuram RathnAngi Kaimkaryam:Part 46/SvabhAnu SvAgadham:Part II

[Guest guest]

SrI:

 

Dear BhakthAs around the world :

 

We will continue with more reflections on

the name assigned to this new Year , SvabhAnu.

 

Coming back to the definition of the name SvabhAnu

by SevA SwamigaL :

 

" SvabhAnubhi: SvabhAvathO VibhAthi tEjasAm Pathi "

 

This tEjasAm Pathi: svabhAvam ( Being the Lord of all

radiances and providing radiance to them all) makes

Iswaran to shine without the help from any other power.

In PoorvAchArya SrI Sookthis, this Svayam PrakAsathvam

is described as :

 

" JnAntharatthAl apEkshayaRa thAnE prasikkai "

 

This means that it shines with His own power

without an iota of dependence from any others

(Jn~Ananatharam) .

 

It(the Svayam PrakAsathvam) is a dharmam shared between

Isvaran , JeevAthmA and Dharma bhUtha Jn~Anam.

There are however significant differences between these

three tathvams having in common Svayam PrakAsam .

Every thing is however under the power of Isvaran

( Isvara AadhInam) . He is the commander and controller of

ALL. The Svayam PrakAsam of the Lord is subtler

and unlimited than the Svayam PrakAsam of the other

two (JeevAthmA and Dharma BhUtha Jn~Anam ) . Hence we will

focus on Isvaran as the Supreme Tatthvam, when it comes to

Svayam PrakAsthavam , Svayam JyOthithvam and SvabhAnuthvam.

 

"Svayam prakAsa: Yasya Tath Svyam PrakAsan " is

the accepted definition (Bhauvreehi SamAsam). This

means that It shines without the help of any other

factors.

 

This SvabhAnu in the middle of the orb of the Sun

(Adityan) and His empowering of the three VedAs to

shine is saluted by the 103rd MahA NaarAyaNopanishad

manthram:

 

" This is verily the Aditya , who illumines this orb.

There are the Riks of the Rg Vedam and that is

the mandala of the riks. Then again, the flame that is

blazing in this orb of the Sun , there are Saamans and

that is the orb of the Saamans and that is the world of

Saamans. And again there is the Purusha in the flames

in the orb of the Sun. They are the Yajus , and that is

the orb of the Yajus , and that is the world of the Yajus.

It is verily the truth of the three VedAs that is shining

out like this . He who is in the orb of the Sun is verily

the golden hued Purusha(ThrayyEva VidhyA tapathi

yEshOantharaAdhithyE hiraNmaya: Purusha:)".

(Dr.NSA Swamy's translation).

 

Earlier , the UpAsana of Brahman residing in

the DaharAkAsam ( heart cave ) was taught by

this and other Upanishads. The UpAsana of Brahman

as residing in the orb of the Sun as SvabhAnu or

Svayam-PrakAsan is taught through the above

manthram.

 

Dr.NSA Swamy quotes a slOkam from SrI VishNu PurANam

in this context :

 

Sarva sakthi: ParA VishNO: Rg-yaju: Saama SamjithA

saishA thrayee tapathyamhO jagadhasccha hinasthi yaa

 

(meaning): "The Supreme power of VishNu is significant

by the names of Rg, Yajus and Saamam; this triad burns

all sins and that resides resplendent in the Sun".

 

In the next manthram of the MahA NaarAyaNOpanishad ,

the connection is made between the Aditya and

Samavthsara and the PurushA , the Lord of the three

Vedas and SvabhAnu is the overlord of all chEthanams

and achEthanams :

 

" AdithyO vai tEja: ---Svayambhu PrajApathi:

Samvathsara ithi , SamvathsarOasAvAdhithyO

ya Purusha yEva---ya yEvam Vedaithupanishad"

--MaHA NaarAyaNOPanishad: 104th manthram passages

 

(meaning): " Aditya is verily lustre , power , strength,

fame , eyes, ears, intellect , mind , anger , mantra ,

death , truth , friend, air , ether , vital air ,

the protector of the worlds , who , which , what ,

that truth , food , life span , immortality ,

the individual self , the world , the celebrated self ,

the self-born , the Lord of all people and SAMVATHSARA ".

 

This Upanishad manthram teaches the student that

Samvatsara ( the year) is verily Aditya. This PurushA

inside the orbit of the Sun as Thrayeemayee (Three VedAs)

is the Supreme master of all living entities and

the worlds they reside in . It is pointed out that

a saadhakan , who meditates upon this "SvabhAnu Purushan"

attains equality with Brahman (Brahma Saayujyam)and

attains His very world of Parama Padham and enjoys

all BhOgams with the Lord (SamAna GuNathvam and BhOgathvam)

except Jagath Srushti and Jagath RakshaNam , which are

the exclusive domains of the Samvathsara Roopa Brahman .

 

The definition given by Dr.NSA Swamy for Samvathsara

is very pertinent here :

 

" Samyak vasanthi Sarava bhUthAni asmin ithi Samvathsara:"

 

( All entities and qualities such as JyOthi and others

that were described in this manthra live very well inside

this Samvathsara Svaroopa Purushan , the Sarvaj~nan ,

Sarva Sakthan and Sarva Phalapradhan ).

 

Let us conclude this posting with reflection on few

mathrams from SvEtasvatara Upanishad:

 

vEdAhamEtham Purusham mahAntham

AADITHYAVARNAM tamasa: parasthAth

TamEva vidhithvAathimruthyumEthi

nAnya: panTA vidhyathEayanAya

--Manthram 3.8

 

(Meaning): " I know this Purusha , who is great ,

who is of the brilliance of the Sun and who is beyond

matter. Knowing Him alone does one go beyond death.

For attaining THAT , there is no other path".

 

TamEva bhAnthamanubhAthi sarvam

Tasya BhAsA sarvamidham vibhAthi

 

(Meaning): " All these shine after Him

the even shining. All these shine out

on account of His effulgence".

 

That SvabhAnu is saluted by another manthram of

SvethasvathAra Upanishad:

 

" He is the all-creator and he has gained everything.

He is indweller in the JeevAthman. He is the Omniscient ,

the Ordainer of time , the repository of all auspicious

qualities ,the promulgator of all kinds of knowledge,

Master of matter and jivAthma , the One who is perfect

with the six qualities such as Jn~Anam and others

and the One , who is the cause of release from

samsAra , sustenance of samsAra and bondage in SamsAra".

 

May this supremely radiant SvabhAnu Samvathsara Purushan

bless us to know Him :

 

TameesvarANAm Paramam MahEsvaram

Tamm dEvathAnAm Paramam cha dhaivatham

Pathim PatheenAm Paramam parasthAth

vidhAma dEvam bhuvanEsameedyam

--SvEthasvathara Upanishad: 6.7

 

(Meaning): May we know that effulgent Lord ,

who is the Master of this world , who is adorable

and who is the Supreme ruler of all rulers , who is

the Supreme God of all gods , who is the Supreme Master

of all Masters and who is beyond every other entity".

 

We will conclude this series on SvabhAnu samvathsaram

with salutations from Rg Veda Mantrams in the next posting.

 

Subhamasthu , Sarva MangaLAni santhu

 

SrImad Azhagiya Singar ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam,

Daasan , Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri SadagOpan