[RamanujaMission] [Vaideekam] '''++++

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Dear Members:

 

There was a question from a Member of a sister group on

the words , VidhmahE , Dheemahi and PrachOdhayAth.

 

The first level of response from me is included below .

 

In this mail , I will share with you some additional facts .

 

Excerpts from the earlier Mail

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The recommended manthram for PrapannAs and ParamaikAnthis is

the celebrated VishNu Gaayathri :

 

NaarAyaNAya VidhmahE VaasudEvAya dheemahi ,

tannO VishNu: PrachOdhayAth .

 

(Meaning ): We meditate ( VidhmahE) upon NaarAyaNa .

For that ( success in that ) , we devote ourselves ( dheemahi)

to VaasudEva . May that Lord VishNu invigorate us ( prachOdhayAth) .

 

The names of the Vaikunta NaathAn thru his three VyApaka

manthrams are integrated here . NaarAyaNa Manthram

or AshtAkshari is the PoorNa VyApaka Manthram ( Moola

ManthrAdhikAram of Srimath Rahasya Thraya Saaram ).

The other two are asampoorNam .

 

VidhmahE means then we meditate ( UpAsanai) .

 

Dheemahi means , we devote ourselves .

 

PrachOdayAth means Let that Rudra , the MahA Tapasvi, stimulate

or invigorate us.

 

In the MahA Gayathri Manthram , there are only two steps in the UpAsanai :

BhargO Devasya Dheemahi---na: prachOdhayAth .

V.Sadagopan

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Today's Input:

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" Vidh " means to know, to comprehend, to learn , to ascertain , to discover ,

to feel , to experience . The word Vidha: means a learned man. VidhmahE has

therefore additional meanings beyond " Meditate " . "VidhmahE " in

these Gayathri Manthrams has these many complex meanings beyond

"meditate". Meditation itself is a form of Learning about the Vaibhavam of

the Lord , feeling and experiencing that glory .

 

The non-Vedic / every day meaning of "dhee " is "ruin or decay ".

In the Vedic

context

the meaning is " to soar, to fly and to shine ". Through devotion , one soars

and flies

into a new world of experience .

 

PrachOdhayAth means to stimulate, impel ,to encourage ,to urge .

 

Thus these three words used in the Gayathris have very powerful meanings .

 

V.Sadagopan