Manthra Raja Part III

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--- continues from Part II ---

 

II.8 Meaning of bhadram

 

yasmAth bhadro bUtva sarvadA bhadram dadAti

rocano rocamAna: Sobana: SobamAna: kalyANa:|

bhadram karNebhi SruNuyAma devA bhadram paSyemAkshabhiryajatrA:|

sthirangaistushTuvAmsastanUbhir-vyasema devahitam yadAyu:|

tasmaducyate bhadramiti||

 

Since He is all bhadram ( all good things and all mangalam )

and since he provides for all the good things and since he shines

and makes everything shine and since He is Sobana and the cause of

Sobanam in everything and since He is also all auspiciousness

in the the sense of kalyAna guna swaruPi, it is said that He is

bhadram.

DevAs! we should hear (that) bhadram with our ears. Oh the

worshipped!

we should see that badram with our eyes. With bodies having

healthy angams let us keep worshipping you and live life-long

worshipping you.

 

This verse says that how to achieve dharma in our lifes -

by hearing, speaking and worshipping the bhadram. This also

amplifies the meaning of the Rig and Atharva veda sAnti manthras

by associating the concept of bhadram with Sri Nrusimha nArAyana

himself.

 

It should also be noted that we perform rakshA bandanam

at the end of sandyAvandanam by saying

 

visawAni deva savitar duritAni parA suva| yat badram tanma Asuvaha|

 

Of Savitru (sUrya) devA! Please bless us by removing our sins.

Whatever is bhadram or lofty shall reach us( from all directions )

and bless us.

 

We do not know what this badram is well ahead of its time.

So we pray in time that we should attain (only) good things

(bhadram) in our lives. The most superior bhadram is Him, and

He makes other bhadrams possible.

 

The power of this Lord is such that He removes the mruthyu

and apamrutyu of his baktAs as soon as they sincerely think

and worship Him. Thus He is mrutyu of mrutyu for His bhaktAs.

This concept is indicated by the next word in the mantra rAjA.

 

II.9 Meaning of mrutyum-mrutyum

 

yasmAt svamahimnA svabhktAnAm smruta eva mrutyu-mapamrutyum

ca mArayati|

ya AtmadA paladA yasya viSwa upAsate praviSAm yasya devA:|

yasya ccAyA(a)mrutam yo mrutyummrutyu: kasmai devAya

havishA vidhema|

tasmAducyate mrutyumrutyumiti||

 

Just by His svamahima he eliminates the mrutyu (death) and

apamrutyu (untimely death) of his baktAs just as soon

as they think about him, it is said that He is mrutyummrutyum.

He provides Atma gyana. He provides all the benefits of all gyana

and actions. All devas surrender unto Him and worship Him.

Let us satisfy Him whose shadow itself is amrutam and who is

the mrutyu of mrutyu through the haviS of our yagAs.

 

The result of His worship is the liberation and the moksha

that His bhaktAs direly want. This concept is portrayed by

the term mrutyum-mrutyum. Once He endows the Atma gyana in us,

we can identify our Atma with Him and eternally yearn to unite

with Him and be guaranteed of its prospect, thereby removing

rebirth and putting an end to rebirth which will only

guarantee another visit by the mrtyu.

 

The fact that not only the baktAs but also the mumukshus and

the devAs worship Him is indicated by the next and the final

term of the mantra rAjA.

 

II.10 Meaning of namAmi

 

yasmAdyam sarve devA namanti mumukshavo brahmavAdinaSca|

pra nuNam brahmaNaspatir mantram vadatyuktam|

yasminnindovaruNo mitro aryamA devA okAmsi cakrire|

tasmaducyate namAmiti||

 

All devas, mumukshus, and brahmavAdis worship Him suitably

using various mantras according to their style. Hence

it is said that He is namAmi. Indra, varunA, mithra,

and aryamA dwell in Him only.

 

It can be considered that this explanation unites

the polythiestic approach of the early vedAs into the

Sri Nrusimha nArAyanA worship by saying that the famous

gods of the early vedAs reside in Him.

 

III. After Thoughts

 

The adayAyA concludes by reciting a familiar verse

from the Taitriya upanishat.

 

ahamasmi pratamajA rutA 3 sya|

pUrvam devebhyo amrutasya nA 3 pAyi|

yo mA dadAti sa idevA mA 3 vA:|

ahamannamanna madanta mA 3 dmi|

aham viSwam bhuvanasya bavA 3 m|

suvarna jyoti: |

ya yevam veda ityupanishat||

 

It looks like the rishi felt that without food he would not be

around to praise the Lord. Thus he chose to end the adyAyA

by singing about the anna vidya.

 

 

Finally a few words about the mantra rAja pada stothram from the

Ahirbudniya samhita. This samhitA seems to extol

nruSimha upansana in the Agamas where Sri Siva worships

Sri Nrusimha as one possessing a superset of ugra swabhAva

and consisting in fact all that can be found in the visible

and invisible amsams of the Lord. The mantra rAja pada stothram

alludes to meaning of words the mantra rAjA in its own unique

way. However most of its interpretations are in line with the

descriptions in the upanishat and paraphrased in this article.

The website http://www.prapatti.com contains the audio

and text materials on the mantra rAjA pada stothram for our

convenience.

 

devo na: SubhamAtanotu| yat bhadram tanma Asuva:||

 

 

dAsan,

 

U.Ve. R.T.V. Varadarajan