BhadrAsanam: Some reflections: part I

[Guest guest]

Dear Sri RanganAtha PaadhukA SevakAs :

 

In some of the slOkams dealing with PaadhukA PattahishEkam ,

Swamy Desikan refers to the throne of the Soorya Vamsam as

" BhadrAsanam " in Sri PaadhukA Sahasram( AbhshEka paddhathi 7.5;

Elsewhere , he refers to this ancient and sacred throne as

RaajyAsanam ,RathnAsanam ,Rathna Peetam ,SaakEtha SimhAsanam

and by other names . Sri Murali Rangaswamy had asked earlier

about the significance of the reference to

the throne of Soorya vammsam as " BhadrAsanam " .

 

As we know , Swamy Desikan is never casual about

the choice of any word in his Sri Sookthis. He chose

the name of " BhadrAsanam " for the sacred throne

with the thought about power of the Vedic word " Bhadram "

in his mind.

 

We shall refer to the Vedic Usage of the word Bhadram

in Rg vedam , the ancient of all the four Vedams .

These anubhavams are adiyEn's alone and there

is no discussion on the choice of the word Bhadram

in PoorvAchAryA's commentaries . Hence , please

accept adiyEn's intrepretation in this light.

 

(1)Auspicousness personified

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The first time , the word Bhadram occurs in

Rg Vedam is in the first KhAnDam (1.89.8):

 

bhadram karNebhi: sruNuyAma dEvA

Bhadram pasyEmAkshabhir yajathrA:

sthriar angais tushtuvAnsas tanUbhir

vy asEma dEvahitham yadhAyu:

 

(Meaning): Oh Learned Scholars ! May we with

our ears listen to what is auspicious ! O People

worthy of sacred deeds , May we , engaged in Your

eulogies , enjoy with firm limbs and healthy bodies ,

a full term (veda prAyam) of life devoted to

the service of ParamAthmA !

 

This auspicious prayer might have been in the mind

of Swamy Desikan , when he thought about the glorious

throne of the ancestors of Sri Raamachandran and

the Paadhukais seated on it .This prayer has recently

been added by Srimath Azhagiya Singar in

the Sri Matam anusandhAnams.

 

(2)Soorya Vamsam and Bhadram connotation

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Elsewhere in PaadhukA Sahasram , Swamy Desikan

is going to comment on the Ugram aspects of

Paadhukais after their coronation bath , which was

instrumental in destroying the enemies of

the World ( Sri RPS: 7.9). The Paadhukais

seated on the auspicious throne (BhadrAsanam)

had acquired the ugra Kalai for the protection

of the world ( prathApam ugram prathipadhyamAnA:)

after the sacred abhishEkam .

 

The powerful and yet auspicious radiance of

Agni shining upon the proximity of the Sooryan

by day and its conspicous lustre by night

is saluted by the Rk: 4.11.1 starting with

" Bhadram tE AgnE " :

 

bhadram tE AgnE sahasinn anIkam upaaka

aa rochatE SOORYASYA I

rusad drise dadrisE naktayaa chidh arUkshitam

drisa aa rUpE annam II

 

With its ugra and yet auspicious Kalais ,

protected(parithrANAya) the world by destroying

the ill wishers and malevolent ones (DhushkruthAm)

while taking care of the BhagavathAs (SaadhUnAm).

 

(3)Power of AzhwArs and the Bhadram aspect

*******************************************

In the Rk 5.30.12, reference is made to

four thousand hymns ( NaalAyira Dhivya

Prabhandham of AzhwArs ?)and it s auspicous

(Bhadram nature):

 

bhadram idam rusamA agnE akran gavAm

chatvAri dhadhata: sahasrA I

******** ********

riNamcayasya prayathA maghAni

praty agrabhishma nruthamasya nruNAm II

 

(Meaning): O Sages worthy of salutations

giving me wisdom by Four Thousand hymns ,

(You) have done well (ably instructed us).

We accept this ample wealth of wisdom ,

which , the liberator from debts (ruNam),

the leader of leaders ( Deva devan ,

DevAthirAjan ) , freely offers .

 

The word Rusamaa , the brilliant sages

(AzhwArs )are the Ones , who turn out (destroy)

the SamsAris afflictions by tormenting them

and chasing them away from us ( yE rusAn

himsakAn minvathIthi Rusamaa).

 

The MahOpakAram done by the Paadhukais ,

which is none other than NammazhwAr ,

who chased His Sata Vaayu with hoomkAram

and our dark clouds of Aj~Nanam and

ViparItha Jn~Aanm is referred to here,

when this Prapanna jana santhAna kootasthar

and other AzhwArs are saluted as " Bhadram idham " .

 

There are other Rg Vedic verses saluting

" Bhadram " aspect , which we will take up

in the next posting .

 

Veda POurushAya nama:

Oppilaippan Koil VaradAchAri Sadagopan