Thirumanjana Kattiyam of Sri RanganathA : SlOkams 21.1( Part I)

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SrI:

 

Dear Sri Ranganatha BhakthAs :

 

On one occasion , Swamy ParAsara Bhattar was at the temple ,

when Revathy constellation was in ascendance . Revathy is the Janma

nakshathram of Lord RanganAtha .Thirumanjanam had been concluded .

As Bhattar enjoyed the YeeravAdai sevai ( Sevai in wet clothes ) ,

Bhattar was reminded then of the Lord as RaamavathAran , as

an YajamAnan , who had just concluded ther MahA Yaj~nam of RaavaNa

SamhAram and has taken the customary ceremonial avabrutha SnAnam

at the end of that Yaj~nam . Bhattar composed this 21 st slOkam of

Thirumanjana Kattiyam to celebrate the Revathi Samudhbhavan

during His birth Nakshathram (Janma Nakshathram) , Revathy :

 

SarvasmAth-Para ! sAmparAya-savanE Sakthis-tavEcchAthmikA

Pathnee pAthragaNasccha hEthipathaya: prApthArthvijO-bhAva:

PoulasthyA: paSavO DaSAnanamuhA : rakshaaphalam Jn~AninAm

SrIman ! majjanakaitavAth avabhruthasnAtEva RangEswara !

 

Let us take up Swamy Bhattar's commentary on this verse for

the next posting . Let us reflect in this posting on the Vedic

Significance of the name , Revathy and its significance as

the Lord's nakashathram from the four Vedams and selected

BrahmaNams :

 

A. Yajur Vedam (1)

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Revathir na: sadhamAdh IndrE santhu tuvivijA :

kshamantO yAbhir madhEma --- --- Rg Vedam : I.30.13

 

(Meaning): " May You share our spiritual joy , Oh Resplendent God !

May we have abundant nourishment , and may our intellect be bright

and sharp , so that full of devotion and wealth (Revathy) , may we live

in perfect bliss in union with You ".

 

Revathy means wealth , Splendid and Resplendent . The highest of the

resplendent JyOthi is " SarvasmAth Paran " , SrIman NaarAyaNan resting

on His bed of Aadhi Seshan at Srirangam as at the Milky Ocean .

 

2. Sri RanganAthan as Vaag Devathai , Lord HayagrIvan/ Atharva Vedam:

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Satapatha BrAhmaNam of Sukla Yajur Vedam salutes Revathy this way :

" Vaagvai REvathO ". Vaag DEvathai is none other than Lord HayagrIvan .

This fits with the Atharva Veda manthram passage( Book IX.VII.3, 2495th

Manthram) : " Revathee GreevA:" . The specific form of Hayagreevan

with the neck and face of a Divine Horse and human trunk is implied here .

This whole set of 26 Atharva Manthrams of Book IX.VII is a beautiful

description of the angams of the Cosmic Purushan .

 

3. Yajur Vedam as a source for conceptualization of the Lord as Vaag

Devathai

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Yajur Vedam salutes REvathy as the Vedic speech and requests the Lord of

that Vedic speech ( Lord Hayagreevan) " to remain at the altar of the

Yaj~nam and at this spot and in this house , where the Yaj~nam is being

conducted . Oh Vedic Speech ! Go not far from hence ! ".

 

The Yajur Veda Manthram linked to the above thoughts is :

 

REvathee ! ramadhvamasmimanyOnAvasmin ghOshDEasmillOkEasmin kshayE ,

ihaaiva stha mApagAtha -- -- -- Yajur Vedam : III . 21

 

4. Yajur Vedam's additional Salutations to Revathy (1)

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Elsewhere Yajur Vedam refers to the REvathy verses of the Saama Vedam with

its 33 fold praise song ( RaivathE Saamanee thriNavathrayasthriaOgumsou

sthOmou - - -) . The thirty three fold praise is concievable to have arisen

from the 33 crores of dEvAs standing in front of the Milky Ocean ( Cauvery

River, VirajA river of BhUlOka Vaikuntam) and singing the praise of Sri

RanganAtha NarayaNan .

 

5.Yajur Vedam's additional salutations to Revathy (2)

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At the XXIII chapter of Yajur Vedam ( Mantram 35) , the praise of the Lord

(RanganAtha ) through the singing of the verses in Raivathi Saaman is

referred to :

 

MahAnAmnyO RevathO visvA aasA: prabhUvari

MaidheervidhyuthO vaacha: sUchibhi: Samyanthu ThvA

 

(Meaning) : May the MahAnAmni and Revathy Vedic verses , all spread far

to Supreme Regions , to the lightning in the Clouds as the voices uttered

by the subjects and satisfy the King ."

 

The spreading of the song of praise for the Lord in MahAnAmni and Revathy

Saamans by the cosmic ghOshti of devotees (Subjects of the Lord) from

earth to heaven visible all around as the flashing lightning in the Clouds

preceded by thunder is visualized here. May this far spreading Vedic

vesrses of salutation be recited by the subjects of the Lord to please Him

is the prayer housed in this manthram .

 

( To Be continued )

 

Swamy ParAsara Bhattar ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam ,

Daasan , Oppiliappan KOil VaradAchAri Sadagopan

 

Srimate Sri Laksminrisimha Divya Paduka Sevaka

Srivan Satakopa Sri Narayana Yatindra Mahadesikaya Nama: