Sri HayagrIva Sthothram : Part-- XXX: SlOkam 22

[Guest guest]

SrimathE RaamAnujAya Nama:

 

Dear BhakthAs:

 

In the previous slOkam , Swamy Desikan focussed on

the PrabhOdha Raajeeva Paadams ( Sacred lotus feet

of the Lord ) and the gem-studded anklets there ,

which remove through their radiance , the darkness of

nescience through meditation on them.

 

In this slOkam , Swamy Desikan refers to the very

same gem-set anklets generating a variety of SunAdhams,

which are Veda-garbha mayam :

 

tvath kinkarAlankaraNOchithAnAm

tvayaiva kalpAnthara paalithAnAm

manju praNAdham MaNi noopuram tE

manjUshikAm Veda-girAm prathIma:

 

(Meaning ): Oh Lord HayagrIvA ! It is common custom

for the citizens of the world to protect their precious

jewelery in safe boxes. The Veda Vaaks ( Veda manthrams)

are the SirObhUshaNams ( precious Jewelery worn on the head )

for Your bhakthAs. You protect them (Veda Vaaks )and

keep them eternal by instructing Brahma dEvan during

every kalpam . Your anklet aabharaNam ( Thiruvadi Sathankai)

houses matchless precious gems. They raise sweet and

sacred naadham , when You move about .Those naadhams

are delectable to Your BhakthA's ears. Those Naadhams

instruct them on the deeper meanings of vedic passages.

Therefore, adiyEn equates Your Thiruvadi sathankai to

a safe box that protects the precious veda Vaaks inside it.

 

Here , the Veda Vaaks are connected to the gems on the anklets

that generate sweet and sacred Naadhams. The anklets themselves

are compared to the safe box that houses the Veda Vaaks .

The anklets (sathankai/salankai ) are made up of small

individual golden balls with a gem that is free to rotate

inside . At the end of each ball is also one or more gems .

These individual golden balls are linked together to form

the golden silampu (sathankai)with gems inside and outside .

Dancers use these sathankais (noopurams ) to keep TaaLam

during their narthanam . Our Lord ,the cosmic dancer and

the YajamAnan of the veda Vaaks generates light and sound

as He goes about His sanchAram . Depending on the varieties

of nadais (steps or sanchAra kramams ) distinct and delectable

Veda Naadham (dhvani) is heard by the BhakthAs meditating on

the sacred Thiruvadi of the Lord.They attain Sumathi (divine

knowledge) by loosing themselves in the naadhams geenrated by

these Veda Vaaks emanating from the anklet aabharanam of

Lord HayagrIvA , who is the protector of the veda Vaaks

( gou:) through the ages .

 

The following Rg Vedic passage gives expression to this

thought :

 

asyadhEshA SUMATHI: paprathAnAbhavath poorvyA bhUmnA GOU:

--Rg Vedam : X.31.6

 

(meaning): May this most gracious and eternal life-giving

divine speech (Veda Vaak.Gou:) impart extensive knowledge

to us .

 

The importance of the divine Speech emanting as naadhams

from the Lord's sacred feet is saluted in another Rg Veda

manthram ( Rk: X.71.1):

 

" BruhaspthE prathamam vaachO agram yath

prairatha naamadhEyam dadhAna:I

yadEshAm SrEshtam yadh aripram aaseeth

prENA tadEshAm nihitham guhAvi: II "

 

(meaning): " Oh Lord of the vast Universe ! verily ,

that is the best part of the Divine Speech , which for

the first time has given names to the objects and

which has been uttered for the very first time.

The Veda Vaaks are revealed through those earliest

stages to those , who are best among men , devoid of

all sins. THE DIVINE SPEECH IS REVEALED IN THEIR

HEARTS WITH YOUR AFFECTION " .

 

This a magnificent verse set in Trishtup metre ,

whose subject is JnAnandha Maya Devan, Lord HayagrIvan

and His anugraham to Brahma Devan (and later to qulaified

sages) to impart the knowledge associated with divine speech

or Veda Vaak , which leads on to the creation of Naama-roopa

prapancham . This verse has been recognized as the one

singing out the glory of the Supreme Being , who imparts

divine knowledge (parama purushArtha , Para brahma Jn~Anam ).

The naming of the objects took place after the acquisition

of this divine Vaak , which itself has been given the names of

Gau, Gauri, VaaNi , BhArathi , Sarasvathi, Sabdha , Rk ,

Mahi , dhEnu et al ( NighanDu I.11 ). Each object got thus

many names during this primordial period. This period of

assigning names to objects with the anugraham of Lord

HayagrIvan has been recognized as the most thrilling

epoch of human culture.

 

Niruktham points out that the one , who is blessed with

divine speech (Veda Vaak ) bears the mark of BhadrA LakshmI .

Divine speech keeps concealed in it that wealth (BhadrA LakshmI ).

The words that Swamy Desikan chose in this verse to house these

thoughts are: " manjUshikAm veda-girAm pathIma:) " . Swamy states

that the Lord's auspicious salankais are the safe box in which

the Veda Vaaks ( BhadrA LakshmI) are housed.

 

Yajur Vedam ( Chapter: XXVI.2), " yaTEmAm VaachAm

KalyANIm -- " also attests to the message of

" yEshAm vaachi BhadhrA nihithA LakshmI: BhadhrA KalyANI "

(Divine speech keeps concealed in it the auspicious wealth) .

 

The great NigamAntha MahA Desikan houses all these deep thoughts

in his 22nd slOkam of Sri HayagrIva SthOthram as revealed

to him by the Lord seated in front of him .

 

Srimath Azhagiya Singar ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam ,

Daasan , Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri SatakOpan