Swamy NammAzhwAr Thirunakshathram & Kanchi Varadar's Garuda Sevai

[Guest guest]

Dear BhakthAs:

 

Today is VaikAsi VisAkam . It is our Prapanna jana

SanthAna Kootar's Thirunakshathram .It so happens that

Athtigiri AruLALa PerumAL's Garuda Sevai is taking place

on this day.

 

In the very first Paasuram Of ThiruvAimozhi ,

Swamy NammAzhwAr's eyes turn towards Hasthigiri

at Kaanchipuram to offer his salutatations

to DevarAja PerumAL ( AmararkaL Adhpathi):

 

UyarvaRa Uyarnalam udayavan yavanavan

mayaRvaRa mathinalam aruLinan yavanavan

ayarvaRum AMARARKAL ADHIPATHI YAVANAVAN

thuyaraRu sudaradi thozhuthezhan mananE

 

Here , Swamy NammAzhwAr appealed to his mind

and asked it to worship the Lord of Nithyasooris,

Lord DevarAjan known as VaradarAjan. Why so asked

the mind ? Swamy nammAzhwAr counseled his mind

that the worship of Lord Varadan's resplendent

Thiruvadi will banish all samsAric sufferings

and elevate one because Lord Varadan is the one and

only Supreme Lord with unexcelled auspicious qualities .

He is the One , who blesses us with the " Jn~Ana -Bhakthi

faculty , which effaces the weakness of the intellect

(that doubts, confuses,argues and fails to see what ought

to be seen) " .

 

Swamy NammAzhwAr's Bhagavath anubhavam of the Lord

as Sarva Seshi and as Sarva Loka SaraNyan with SubhAsraya

ThirumEni is abundantly present in all His Sri Sookthis

in general and in ThiruvAimozhi in particular.His UpadEsam

to us on Lord as SiddhOpAyam and Prapathti as SaadhyOpAyam

are the essence of SaarIraka Saasthram or VisishtAdhvaitha

VedAntham. AchArya RaamAnujA , His predecessors and successors

derived immense inspiration from Swamy NammAzhwAr's

Sri Sookthis to help us gain Seshathva Jn~Anam

and Sri ViashNava Svaroopa Jn~Anam and thus qualify

for Moksha Siddhi thru Prapatthi at a SadAchAryan's

sacred feet .

 

The series of eight articles by adiyEn on Swamy NammAzhwAr's

Sri Sookthis are archived in Bhakthi and Malolan archives

(From 2/26/01 to 3/28/01). They explore the relationships

between Tamizh MaRai of Swamy NammAzhwAr and the Four Sanskrit

VedAs (apourushEya Sruthis).

 

Inview of the detailed coverage of the highlights of

Swamy NammAzhwAr's Sri Sookthis in the above article,

adiyEn will cite selected Saama Vedic Manthrams , whose

echos are heard in the four Prabhandhams of SathakOpa Muni.

 

Here are a few Saama Veda manthrams and their meanings:

 

(1) tamm thvA gOpavanO girA janishtadhagnE Angira:

sa Paavaka srudhee havam

 

(meaning): " O Lord,ever and everywhere approachable ,

and purifier, kindly listen to our earnest prayers---

 

Saama Vedam: PurvArchika Saaman:29 & Rg Rk: VII.74.11

 

(2) Kavim agnim upa stuhi satyadharmANam adhvarE

dEvam ameevacAtanam

 

(meaning): " may we worship , the all-wise ,

the all-knowing and the Supreme sustainer of eternal laws .

He is the One , who destroys evils , apparent or concealed,

through His Supreme Goodness. "

 

Saama Vedam : PurvArchika Saaman: 32 & Rg Rk: I.12.7

 

(3)yajishtam thvA vavrumahE devam dEvathrA hOtAram

amartyam, asya Yaj~nasya sukratum

 

(Meaning): " We adore You, as You are the most adorable ,

the invoker of nature's bounties , the immortal and

wise accomplisher of this cosmic creation " .

 

PoorvArchika Saaman: 112 & Rg Rk: VIII.19.3

 

(4)pra samrAjam charNInAm indram stOthA navyam gheerbhi:

naram nrushAham mamhishtam

 

(Meaning): " May you praise with your hymns the Lord of

resplendence , who is the SOLE SOVERIGN of mankind ,

adorable , the leader, the subduer of evil persons

and the most liberal giver " (VaradarAjan).

 

(5) About Parathvam of PeraruLALan:

 

MahAm indrah purasccha nO mahithvamasthu vajriNE

dhyaur na prathinA sava:

 

(Meaning): " Great is (this) God , greater than

the greatest,--beyond our measure. He is boundless,

much beyond the celestial space and is the source

of all greatness " .

 

PoorvArchika Saaman: 166 and Rg Rk I.8.5

 

(6) Aa thU na Indhra vrtrahann asmAkam ardham

Aa gahi, mahaanmahI bhir Uthibhi:

 

(Meaning): " Oh Mighty resplendent Lord !

dispeller of darkness ! May You come to help

us with Your mighty protections!

 

Saaman 181 & Rg Rk: IV.32.1

 

(7) suneeTO ghA sa martyO yamm maruthO yam aryamA

Mitras pAntyadruhah

 

(meaning): " Fortunate in life is that mortal

whom the faultless Supreme Lord , who is also

the Lord of vital principles , Lord of Justice

and the Lord of Light , gives His protection " .

 

SAman 206 & Rg Rk: VII.46.4

 

(8) abhi thyam mEsham purUhutamrgmiyamindram

gheerbhirmadhataa vasvO arNvam I

yasya dhyAvO na vicharanthibhujE mamhishthamabhi

vipramarchatha

 

(Meaning): " Glorify that mighty , adorable ,resplendent

God , who is an ocean of wisdom and is adored by all,

whose virtuous and benevolent deeds spread like

the rays of the Sun for the benefit of mankind.

May we invoke Him to attain priceless treasures of

true wisdom " .

 

Saaman 376 & Rg Rk: I.51.1

 

There are many more Saama Veda Saamans that

are echos of Swamy NammAzhwAr's ThiruvAimozhi.

For brevity , adiyEn will stop here and invite

your attention to the great Sri Sookthis of

Swamy Desikan known as Taathparya RathnAvaLi

and DramidOpanishad Saaram , where he maps

the anantha kalyANa guNams of Sriman NaarAyaNan

with the individual decads and paasurams of

ThiruvAimozhi.

 

Swamy NammAzhwAr ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam ,

Daasan , Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri SathakOpan

[Guest guest]

Sri:

 

SrimatE Gopaladesika MahadesikAya Namaha,

 

Dear Sriman Sadagopan Swamin,

 

Thanks a lot for your superb summary of the passages from the Sama

Vedam and pointing to the echoes of these mantrams in the Pasurams of

Swami NammAzhwar. A most poignant expression of these Sama

Vedic mantrams is contained in the formal SharaNagati of Swami

NammAzhwar at the Lotus Feet of the Lord of Seven Hills through the

famous " Ahala illEn pasuram " .

 

Namo Narayana,

 

SriMuralidhara Dasan