FW: [detroit_gita] Arya Vapu - Vamana

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Forwarded for information.Moderator vlaxmananTo: sonyskipdonna; mahadevan; jmahadevan; jvanah66; chirams; lakshmiparuchuri; lsateesh55; smurthy48187; vijaygari; ramanbilSubject: FW: [detroit_gita] Arya Vapu - VamanaFri, 20 Nov 2009 14:18:19 +0000detroit_gita ; detroit-rudhram (AT) googl (DOT) com; tmi-world (AT) googl (DOT) comFrom: vlaxmananDate: Fri, 20 Nov 2009 14:07:35 +0000[detroit_gita] Arya Vapu - Vamana Dear All:ll ॠनमो नारायणाय ll ॠनमो नारायणाय ll ॠनमो नारायणाय ll सà¥à¤µà¤¾à¤—तं ते नमसà¥à¤¤à¥à¤­à¥à¤¯à¤‚ बà¥à¤°à¤¹à¥à¤®à¤¨à¥ किं करवाम ते lबà¥à¤°à¤¹à¥à¤®à¤°à¥à¤·à¥€à¤£à¤¾à¤®à¥ तपः साकà¥à¤·à¤¾à¤¤à¥ मनà¥à¤¯à¥‡ तà¥à¤µà¤¾SSरà¥à¤¯ वपà¥à¤°à¥à¤§à¤°à¤®à¥ ll ஸà¯à®µà®¾à®•à®¤à®®à¯ தே நமஸà¯à®¤à¯à®ªà¯à®¯à®®à¯ பà¯à®°à®¹à¯à®®à®©à¯ கிம௠கரவாம தேபà¯à®°à®¹à¯à®®à®°à¯à®·à¯€à®£à®¾à®®à¯ தபஹ௠ஸாகà¯à®·à®¾à®¤à¯ மனà¯à®¯à¯‡ தà¯à®µà®¾à®°à¯à®¯ வபà¯à®°à¯ தரம௠With these words, Maharaja Bali welcomed Bhagavan when He took the form of Vamana - a young Brahmin lad, or a Batu - and entered the Yagashaala where Maharaja Bali was performing the Ashwamedha Yagnya following the advice of the sages who were descended from Bhrugu (Srimad Bhagavatam, Canto 8, Chapter 18, verse 20). At the beginning of every prayer, or any auspicious activity, we always recite the sloka, Shuklaambaradharam Vishnum...... Shukla means white ambara means a cloth, or dress, dhara means to bear to hold. So, Shuklaambharadharam is an adjective describe Vishnu - He is dressed in a beautiful white dress. We won't get into the deeper meaning and significance of Vishnum - the All Pervading - at this point. Instead, let's see what Maharaja Bali says when he describes Vamana as He enters the Yagashaala. He starts with Swagatam te - Welcome to you. He adds Namas tubhyam, I bow to you. He call Him Brahman - the very embodiment of the Ultimate Truth that is what Brahman means. Maharaja Bali is not talking about Brahmin boy as we understand it. He is talking about Brahman - it appeared as if the Ultimate Truth had incarnated in the form of Vamana. Maharaja Bali asks, "Brahman, what can I do (kim karavaama) for you (te)? I consider you (manye) the very fruit of all the penances (tapas shaakshaat) of the Brahmarishis." It is important to note here that Maharaja Bali is not talking about ordinary rishis. He is talking about Brahmarishis. The sage Vashishta, the guru of Dasharatha, the father of Lord Rama, was a Brahmarishi. Vishwamitra, who came to Dasharatha's court to fetch Rama to protect his yagnya (which was being disturbed by the Rakshasaas) performed a lot of penances and wanted to become like Vashishta. He acquired a lot of powers due to his penances. Everyone called him a Brahmarishi. But Vashishta never addressed Vishwamitra as a Brahmarishi and this was a great source of disappointment for Vishwamitra. Anyway, I am digressing. Maharaja Bali is addressing Vamana here as the embodiment of the fruits of all the great penances performed by such multitudes of Brahmarishi. The plural of Brahmarishi is used and hence a multitude of Brahmarishis is implied by the choice of words. Now comes the interesting part of the salutation by Maharaja Bali. In the last part of the sloka, Bali is addressing Vamana as Arya Vahuhu Dharam. tu + arya = tvaarya using rules of Sandhi, or conjoining of words. Likewise, vapuhu + dharam = vapurdharam. Recall Shuklaambara Dharam. We know what it means. Now, we have Aryavapuhu Dharam.The term Arya is used in the Puranas (as we see here), in the Ramayana and the Mahabharata, and in ancient Sanskrit literature to describe exalted personalities. Sita addressed Rama as Arya. A wife always addressed her husband in this fashion. The term describes a certain personality - like Rama, like Arjuna (Krishna address Arjuna as Arya in the Gita) and so on. Now, Maharaja Bali addresses Vamana as Arya. What is Arya Vapu? Vapu means body. So, Arya Vapu means one whose body is resplendent with nobility or one with an exalted look and demeanor. One simply has to look and one understands immediately that the person in front of us is of noble birth - an exalted personality. Maharaja Bali is moved beyond imagination at the sight of Vamana. He knows by merely glancing at Him that some great personality has entered his humble yaagashala. This Great Personality has the body of an Arya. Unfortunately, after the advent of the Europeans to India, the term "Arya", more popularly Aryan came to be associated with a race of people. Far from it. Having a light colored skin seems to have been the only requirement for this description. Aryavapur dharam, used by Maharaja Bali to describe Vamana leaves us with no doubt and tells us exactly what this term means. It is used to address exalted personalities - like Bhagavan Himself. If wives address their husbands as Arya, it only shows that they are as exalted as Maharaja Bali was and feel as devoted as he felt when he saw Vamana entering the Yaagashaala. Maharaja Bali continues his stotram and finally says, "O Vatu, ask me whatever it is, whatever it is, that you wish. Tell me, tell me, what you want. I think you wish to secure something from me (Viprasuta, tvaam arthinam anutarkaye). Is it cows, is it gold, is it mansions, is it grains, is it a beautiful bride, is it a whole number of villages, is it horses, is it elephants, is it chariots, tell me, tell me, ask me, O Viprasuta, the son of a great Vipra." Thus ends the 18th chapter of the 8th canto of the Srimad Bhagavatam. The story continues through chapter 23 of the 8th canto. Very sincerely V. Laxmanan