The Saama Veda Upaakarmaa : DEva --Rishi-- Pithru TarpaNams : PART I

[Guest guest]

SrI:

 

Dear Vaidhikaas & AnushtAthaas :

 

Yesterday , the Saama Vedins completed their

Upaakarmaa .One of the highlights of their

Upaakarmaa is the most comprehensive

Deva Rishi Pithru TarpaNam for AdhyAyOthsarjana

Karmaa . It will take almost three hours to observe

Saama Upaakarmaa , where bulk of the time is

spent on performing the many TarpaNams .

 

Saama Veda TARPAnAMS

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There are 264 Deva Rishi TarpaNams and 12 Pithru

TarpaNam for those who do not have living parents .

 

We discharge our debts to Devaas by performing

Yaj~nams . They recieve Havis in these Yaagams

and are satisfied with us .

 

For the Rishis , we absolve ourselves of our debts

by adhyayanam of Vedams .That VEda adhyayanam

pleases them and they bless us as MantradhrashtAs .

 

We discharge our debts to Pithrus with male progeny

to please them through tarpaNams and Sraardhams .

 

Saama Veda Upaakarmaa is comprehensive to cover

TarpaNams for all the three categories (Deva, Rishi

and Pithrus) of supernal beings to whom we owe

the three kinds of debts .

 

Saama Vedam Highlights & The First TarpaNam to Agni

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Before we describe the details on the Unique TarpaNams

in Saama Upaakarmaa , let us briefly summarize some

basic facts about Saama Vedam :

 

1. It is considered as " the earliest divine Music of ecstasy " .

 

2. Saama Veda has 1875 Saamans ( verses put into musical

chants . These Saamans are divided into PurvArchika ,

UttarArchika , MahaanAmni-Archika and AraNya .

 

3. Agni , Indra , VishNu and other DevAs are invoked

in Saama Vedam . The Deva TarpaNams are to these

DEvaas and the very First TarpaNam is to Agni .

 

The First of the 1875 Saamans Saaman is an invitation

(invocation) for Agni to come and be seated :

 

Agna Aa yAhi veethayE gruNAnO havyadhAtayE

ni hOtaa satsi Barhishi -- Saaman 1 , Rg Vedam VI.16.10

 

(meaning): Having been eulogized by us , Come Oh adorable

Supreme Being to confer Your blessings on this dedicated

worshipper with prosperity . Oh Generous One ! May Thou

be seated in our innermost chamber of the heart ( specially

decorated chair) ! Be our hOta ( the preist of our invocation)

and be seated in this elegantly decorated chair that has been

specially created for You .

 

Similar to the Saama Vedam starting with salutations to Agni

( the Deva PurOhitha) , the First Rg Veda mantram also starts

with the eulogy to Agni :

 

AgnimeeDE purOhitham Yajn~yasya dEvamruthvijam

hOthAram rathnadhAthamam

 

(Meaning) We salute the most adorable Lord (Agni) ,

the supreme priest of cosmic activities , the divine

Lord , " who works through the eternal laws , and who

feeds and sustains all that is divine and luminous".

 

The salutations and the prayers for protection to Agni Devan

are many in Saama Vedam :

 

" mithramiva priyam sthushE " -- Passage from the 5th Saaman

(Meaning): Agni is dear to me as a close friend and

hence I adore Him .

 

The passage in the 47th Saaman salutes Agni as

" Gaathuvitthama: " ( Knower of all of Our Paths ,

Sarvaj~nan) .

 

The 61st Saaman seeks Agni's protection from every

amangaLam and adresses Him as our Lord of the House

(Gruha Pathi) ,our invoker (hOthru) and protector(pOthru):

 

ThavamagnE Gruhapathistavagum hOthAnO adhvarE

Thvam pOthaa visvavaara prachEthaa yakshi yAsi

cha vaaryam---61st Saaman

 

(meaning) : " Oh Fire -divine , You are the head of

the Family (Gruhapathi) , You are the invoker of

our benovolent actions( hOthaa) ; Oh Lord of all

boons !You are the preserver and all knowing .

May You convey the oblations to other bounties

and also enjoy Yourself ".

 

The above are examples of Saamans from

the AagnEya ( Belonging to Agni) KaanDa of

PurvArchika Saamans .

 

Such a reverence to Agni as a Deva is displayed as

the First of the 81 Deva TarpaNams among the 264

TarpaNams is for AGNI devan in the adhyAya

uthsarjana Karmaa (Saama Upaakarmaa) :

 

" Agni: thrupyathu "

 

TarpaNam for Indra (7th of the 264 TarpaNams)

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We will continue with the tarpaNam for Indra ,

another celebrated deva in Saama Vedam .

It is the 7th in order of TarpaNams after

the TarpaNams for (2) Brahma ( the Creator

ordained by Bhagavaan) ,(3) Soma: ( Chandran

and Soma Rasam) , (4) Siva: , (5)PrajApathi: ,

and (6) Savithaa .

 

The 7th TarpaNam following that of Savithaa

is for Indhran among the Devaas:

 

" Indhra: thrupyathu" .

 

The Saamans 115 to 585 are dedicated to Indra

as the Supreme Reality and this section is known

therfore as " Aindra Parvaa". The antharyAmi Brahman

inside Indra , the Satha Krathu ( the performer of hundred

Yaj~nAs ) is addressed here.

 

( To Be continued)

 

NamO Veda Purushaaya ,

Daasan , Oppiliappan Koil V.Sadagopan