ThiruvahIndhrapuram RathnAngi Kaimkaryam:Part 48/Rg Vedic SvabhAnu SvAgadham:Part III

[Guest guest]

SrI:

 

Dear BhakthAs around the world :

 

Let us continue today with more reflections on the name

assigned to this New Year , SvabhAnu from Rg veda

mantrams. Although every canto of Rg Vedam like the other

three Vedams are full of eulogies for this self-radiant

Lord, we will focus on Canto VI of Rg Vedam to illustrate

the depth and variety of these salutaions in this posting.

 

Definitions of SvabhAnu Tatthvam

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Coming back to the definitions of the name SvabhAnu

by SevA SwamigaL , let us focus on the two definitions:

 

" SvabhAnubhi: SvabhAvathO VibhAthi tEjasAm Pathi "

--Desika Bhaktha rathnam , SEvA SwamigaL

 

" JnAntharatthAl apEkshayaRa thAnE prasikkai "

--SWamy Desikan

 

This means that this lustre shines with its own power

without an iota of dependence from any others

(Jn~Ananatharam) .It is the SvabhAvam ( intrinsic

attribute of this Param JyOthi to be " SvabhAnu " or

SubhAnu for that same reason .

 

Rg veda manthrams (Canto VI) saluting VaisvAnaran as SvabhAnu

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Besides , Upanishads , there are many Veda manthrams that

salute the Lord as Cosmic Fire principle with its intrinsic

jyOthi that does not depend on anything else for its

undiminishing radiance. Let us study a few of these manthrams

and follow Niruktha passages to understand the importance of

the name , VaisvAnaran for this SvabhAnu.

 

JaathavEdan , VaisvAnaran and Agni: Definitions

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In vedam , VaisvAnaran , JaathavEda: and Agni are used

interchangably to refer to the Lord , who is the empowerer of

Fire .

 

The Vedic commentator Saayana defines JaathavEda: as

the One , who knows all that is born and as their creator

( JaathAnaam vedithurvaisvAnarAgnE:).He is the one who knows

(Veda: ) of all that is born (JaathAni) according to Nirukta.

He pervades every created being as antharyAmi Brahman

( jAthE jAthE vidhya vidhyatha vaa).This JaathavEdan

has also been described as having the chEthanams and

achEthanams as His VibhUthi or Isvaryam ( JaathavitthO vaa ,

Jaatha dhana:). He can not be the simple Agni BhagavAn

taking oblations to the DevAs as per these definitions.

He is then the Param JyOthI , Svayam JyOthi , SvabhAnu-SubhAnu

and not the terrestrial Agni.

 

" JaathAnAm Vedhithru-VaisvAnarAgnE: " commentary found

in Saayana BhAshyam thus connects JaathavEda to VaisvAnaran

and Agni.

 

VaisvAnaran

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Let us now move on to the name of VaisvAnaran

in the context of the SvabhAnu seated at the center of

the Solar orbit with a radiance that does not depend

on anything else for its unique lustre. It is the Celestial

fire , which enters all beings and controls them

( VisvAn narAn nayathi ) and which is also VisvAN + ara:,

the Lord who pervades all beings created by Him. He is

thus the Sarva Visva PrakAsakan ( One who is the illuminator

of the worlds). One Rg Veda manthram hints that this

self-radiant cosmic Lord is not the Sun (Adithyan) through

this manthram: VaisvAnarO yathathE SooryENa ( this VaisvAnaran

stretches with the Sun). Since Sun can not stretch with

his own self , Some thing else stretches the Sun and

that empowering entity is VaisvAnaran, the Lord through

His self-effulgent rays reaches to every corner of His

Universe and illumines them and purifies them.He overcomes

intense darkness (profound ajn~Anam) with high light . This is

the Dhruvam JyOthi ( steady light /NandhA ViLakku that

Thirumangai saluted in his Paasurams) at the center of

the Sun as well as the light of Jn~Anam that emanates from

within , from the antharyAmi Brahman seated at the center

of our heart lotus:

 

dhruvam JyOthirnihitham dhrusyE kam manO javishtam patayatsvantha:

visvE dEvA: samanasa: sakEthA yEkam krathumabhi vi yanti saadhu

---Rg Vedam : 6.9.5

 

(meaning ) His steady and eternal JyOthi is swifter in its

passage than even the thoughts of the mind.That JyOthi(SvabhAnu)

is positioned among the world of ChEthanams as antharyAmi

Brahman and points the path to true happiness and freedom

from suffering . All the cosmic powers are under its control

(adhInam) and they (Cosmic powers)move unobstructed to

that single purpose.

 

Other Rg vedm Canto VI Manthrams relating to SvabhAnu Tatthvam

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The next set of manthrams are set in the form of a prayer

and a statement of a Saadhakan filled with awe over this

SvabhAnu Purushan: " My eyes are tuned to behold Him;

my ears are turned to hear Him ; my mind hastens

towards Him ... all the cosmic forces , alarmed , adore

Him... May You (SvabhAnu) prserve us with Your protection.

You are the Light Immortal among Mortals.. You dispel darkness

with Your lustre... May we win You for our strength , Oh lustre

Divine , hundredfold and thousandfold ways THROUGH YOUR GRACE " .

 

Rg Veda Manthram VI.4.3 salutes this SubhAnu/SvabhAnu Prushan

as " being clothed with His radiant lustre and that He is

exempt from decay and is a Purifier.He is saluted as

the destroyer of unsatiated desires " . Saayana comments

that He pervades all the Universe with light and illuminates

it ( inOthi BhAsA sarvam vyApnOthi sOyam ).

 

Rg Veda Manthram VI.4.5 decribes Him as the One , " who

whets His gloom-dispersing radiance and accepts reverential

homage and identifies Him as the Lord of vitality , who

banishes the dark forces " .

 

Rg Veda Manthram VI.4.6 salutes this SvabhAnu for filling

the inner realms of the mind " with enlightenment and

refulgent radiance " .

 

The next manthram salutes this Supreme Svayam-Jyothi as:

" Your divine resplendence is manifest in lightning

and Your strength is in the swift wind " .

 

Rg Veda manthram VI.41.2 prays to this SvabhAnu Purushan

this way for help: " Oh resplendent Lord! Let Your

adamantine (vajra like) justice be hurled against our

evil tendencies , for the recovery of our shrouded

conscience " .

 

He is adored as the akanda Kaala svarUpi including

Samvathsaram in Rg Veda Manthram VI.38.4 : " You are

the resplendent Lord , whom our aarAdhanams and offerings

exalt.... You are the One exalted by the course of days

and nights,months and years " . He is visualized as

Samvathsara SvarUpi in the context of akaNda kaalam. "

 

We will conclude this posting on SvabhAnu Samvathsaram

with two more manhtrams from Canto VI of Rg Vedam.

 

Humility of the Saadhakan

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nahi nu tE mahimna: samasya na maghavan maghaattvasya vidhma

na raadhasO-raadhasO noothnasyEndra nakir dadrisa indhriyam tE

--Rg Vedam: VI.27.3

 

(meaning ): " Oh Bounteous and vastly capable Lord!

We know not the gigantic extent of of Your vast magnitude !

We also do not know the limit of Your abundance (of grace

and wealth). No one has yet comprehended the limits of

Your power, which bursts with fresh forms every moment " .

 

The adoring Saadhakan gives up any pretensions of

trying to know the magnitude , abundance and power

as well as the place of residence of the Lord and

surrenders to this Sarva Raksha SvayambhAnu this way:

 

yadhindhra dhivi pAryE yadh ridhag

yadh vaa svE sadanE yatra vaasi

athO nO Yaj~nam avasE niyutvaAn

sajOshA: paahi girvANO marudhbhi:

--Rg vedam: VI.40.5

 

(meaning): Oh Resplendent Lord! Oh SvabhAnu!

Oh param JyOthis! whether Your abode is in the far

distant heaven or in any other place or wheresoever

You may reside , from there , May You propitiated by

our eulogies , harness Your energy and vital principles

be well pleased to protect our Yaj~nam ( Prapatthi

Yaj~nam) for our deliverance (from the cycles of

births and deaths).

 

Such is the redeeming messages housed in one of

the Cantos of Rg Vedam regarding the Samvathsaram ,

SvabhAnu that is just two days old !

 

SvabhAnu Svaroopa Veda PurushAya Nama:

 

Subhamasthu, Sarva MangaLAni Santhu

SrImad Azhagiya Singar ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam

Daasan , Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri Sadagopan