Sri Vilakkoli Perumal, Thoopul/ThirutthaNkA dhivya Desam: Nithya AarAdhana kaimkaryam for VilakkoLi PerumAL and Swamy Desikan : Part III (Vedic references to JyOthi).

[Guest guest]

Dear BhakthAs:

 

We will now start on the Vedic references to JyOthi .

These Veda manthrams celebrate the JyOthis or Dheepa PrakAsan

aspects of the Supreme Being , who resides in archA form at

ThirutthaNkA and other dhivya Desams to bless us. The five

manthrams start with the word " JyOthi " and refer thereby to

the unmatched , self-effulgent luminosity , from which other

radiant bodies derive their radiance. From that VirAt JyOthir-maya

Purushan , the Sun and the fire arose( Purusha Sooktham):

 

ChakshO: SooryO ajAyatha

MukhAth IndhrascchAgnisccha

 

( Out of the eye of that VirAt Purushan , the Sun arose;

From His mouth arose Indhran and Agni).

 

Purusha Sooktham goes on to say:

 

vEdhamEtham Purusham MahAntham

Aadhithya Varnam Tamasasthu pArE

SarvANi RoopANi vichithya dheera:

nAmAni-kruthvA abhivadhan yadh aasthE

 

( I have realized that Supreme JyOthirmaya Purushan,

resplendent like the Sun , ever-shining, beyond all

darkness , who having created all forms and names ,

in His wisdom , exists as though functioning through

them all). This is the statement of the Manthra dhrashtA.

 

The creation of the Sooryan by the VirAt Purushan is

referred to by Soorya namaskAra prasnam (24th anuvAkam ):

 

" yEvAhyEthi , tatha Aadhitya udhathishtath , Saa prAchi dhigh,

aTAruNa: ,kEthur-dakshiNatha upAdadhAth , yEvAhyagna ithi ,

tathO vaa Agnirudhahtishtath ,saa dakshiNA dhigh ,...

 

( The VirAt Purushan arose out of PraLaya waters

and in His cupped hands had arghya jalam that He

relased with the command : Oh Sooryan ! Arise.

The directions that Sooryan arose from became

the eastern direction.That ParamAthmA revered

as Aaruna Kethu released another argyam calling for

Agni to arise. Agni arose out of that direction ,

which became the Southern direction ---).

 

He is the Supreme Being ( PrajApathi )

and that He is the One behind all created

things like Agni, Air, Sun , Moon , shining

stars and immortality principle . He is food ,

water and Lord of all His creations . So thunders

the MahA NaarAyaNOpanishad manthram:

 

tadhEvAgnis-tadhvAyus-tath Sooryas-tadhu chandramA:

tadhEva sukramamurutham Tadh Brahma tadhApa: Sa PrajApathi:

 

The Manthram (12.13) of MahA NaarAyaNOpanishad salutes

the greatness and unquieness of this JyOthirmaya Purushan

this way : " Other than Whom , there is nothing higher,

nothing minuter , nothing greater , by That PurushA --

all this is filled.

 

The Veda Manthrams reveal further , who this JyOthirmaya

Parama Purushan is and what His attributes are:

 

NaarAyaNa: Param Brahma Tatthvam NaarAyaNa: Para:

NaarAyaNa parO JYOYTHIRAATHMAA Naaraayana: Para:

 

(NaarAyaNa is the Supreme Reality designated as Brahman;

NaarAyana is the highest (self) . NaarAyaNan is

THE SUPREME LIGHT (Dheepa PrakAsan) described in

the Upanishads. NaarAyaNa is the infinite self).

 

With this introduction , adiyEn will focus on

the first of the Five Rg veda Manthrams celebrating

the JyOthi aspect of the Parama Purushan presiding over

ThirutthaNkA :

 

First Rg Veda Manthram on JyOthirmaya Purushan:

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JyothishmathIm adhithim dhArayathkshithim

svarvatImA sachEthE dhivEdhivE jAgruvAmsA dhivEdhivE

JyOthishmath kshathram aasatE AadhithyA dhAnunaspathI

--Rg vedam : I.136.3

 

The Celestial , Eternal Lord in the Form of Sun ,

the JyOthirmayan is worshipped. He is recognized as

the animator of people on the path of Rutham (DhArmic path).

He is recognized as the inspirer of those , who travel

on the path of Rutham and Satyam. He is requested to

appear day after day to be worshipped by those ,

who wake up early in the morning ( awakened ones).

 

Upanishads identify the Purushan at the center of the Sun

as Soorya NaarAyaNan , the Supreme radiant Lord. The Four

VedAs have their abode there as well accordign to Upanishads.

 

The Second and Third Rg Veda Manthrams on JyOthirmaya Purushan

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The next two Rg veda Manthrams salute the JyOthirmaya

Purushan and recognize Him as the discriminating intellect

that separtes the JyOthi from darkness (Tamas ).This Rk

( III. 39.7) prays for total separation from all evils

by being blessed to be far away from such evils. Deep

Bhakthi-poorvaka PraNAmam is offered here by the worshipper

to the JyOthirmaya Para Brahmam :

 

jyOthir VruNeetha TamasO

vijAn aarE syAma dhurithAdh abhIkE

imA gira: sOmapA: sOmavriddha

jushasvEndhra purutamasya kArO:

 

 

The Rk Veda Manthram ( III.39.8)continues with the prayer

to be blessed to be far from all evils. It pleads with

the JyOthirmaya Purushan for the divine light to be spread

throughout the realms of both body and mind to become worthy

of performing venerable kaimakryams. The worshipper offers

aahUthi(samarpaNams) and prays for the bestowal of increasing

(spiritual ) affluence:

 

JyOthir yaj~nAya rOdhasI anu

shyad aarEsyAma dhurithasya bhUrE:

BhUri cidh dhi tujathO marthyasya

supArAsO vasavO barhaNAvath

 

The Fourth Rg Veda manthram on JyOthirmaya Purushan (VIII.58.3)

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JYOTHISHMANTHAM Kethumantham thri-chakram

sukham raTam sushadham bhUrivAram

chithrAmaghA yasya yOgE dhijaj~ne tamm

vaam huvE athi riktham pibhadhyE

 

(Meaning): I invoke that One , who is JyOthirmayam

and radiant ; I invoke that One , who is the rich storehouse

of enlightenment , who is the master of a magnificent chariot

with three wheels , that travels gently . I invoke that

radiant One , whose power showers on us brilliant treasures.

I invoke that JyOthirmayan to come hither and partake

the Soma rasam offering .

 

The Fifth Rk on JyOthirmaya Purushan( IX.86.10)/Saamans 1031-1033)

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JYOTHIR Yajn~asya pavathE madhu

priyam pithA dEvAnAm janithA vibhUvasu:

dhadhAthi rathnam svadhayOr apeechyam

madhinthamO mathsara indhriyO rasa:

 

(meaning) : It is the effulgence of the cosmic

sacrifice. It is the distilled essence of sweet

and insatiable nectar of juices (aarAvamudhu).

It is the source of all that is bountiful in nature.

It is the srushti karthA for all creations.

It is the eternal spring of all the wealth of the world.

This most exhilirating , stimulating and life-sustaining

elixir of Supreme radiance is the base for all hidden

treasures in this LeelA vibhUthi and Nithya VibhUthi.

 

UttarArchika Saaman 1031 and the next two Saamans

follow the thought of this Rig Veda Manthram.

 

adiyEn will start the individual verses of Swamy

Desikan's SaraNAgathi Dheepikai in the next posting.

 

Swamy Desikan ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam ,

Oppiliappan Koil Varadachari SatakOpan

 

P.S : Progress report on the Kaimkaryam:

Six BhakthAs have come forward sofar to contribute

69,000 Rupees . We are thus at the 23 percent level of

reaching the target figure of 300,000 rupees since

the announcement of this kaimkaryam on November 30, 2001.

 

adiyEn requests additional devotees to come forward

to support the nithya aarAdhanam at ViLakkOli

PerumAL Sannidhi and Swamy Deikan's Sannidhi

at ThUppul , the avathAra Stalam of Swamy Desikan.

It was at ViLakkoLi PerumAL Sannidhi that anna prAsanam

samskAram took place for Swamy Desikan.