TaaraNa Samvathsaram: Part I ( Happy New Year to you all ! )

[Guest guest]

April 13 , 2004 : Forthcoming Varusha PiRappu & SravaNa Subha Dinam

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The name of this new Year is " TaaraNa " , which in free translation

means " letting some one cross over ". It also means " Causing /

enabling one to cross helping over a difficulty , liberating , saving ".

It is a word rich and resonant with deep meanings .It also means

a float or a raft to carry one across difficulties presented by

a turbulent river or the ocean of SamsAra.

 

Let us reflect on the Supreme act of "TaaraNam " and the One who facilitates

that TaaraNam and stands as the cause behind it ( TaaraNa KaaraNan) .

We will study the deep meanings of the word "TaaraNa " in ubhaya

vEdAnthams . First , we will recall what the Upanishads (Veda Siras )

have to say about the multi-faceted meanings of "TaaraNa " nAmam.

 

Who is that TaaraNa Moorthy symbolized by the nAmam for this new year ?

He was saluted during the last two years as ChithrabhAnu and SubhAnu

in the list of sixty years . We have dwelled on the significance of

the names of ChithrabhAnu and SubhAnu under Vedic parlance

around this time in previous years .

 

That Veda-prathivEdhyan is being introduced to us

this year as "TaaraNa(n) " .Let us reflect on what the word

"TaaraNa " signifies in our VedAntha ( Upanishadic)

SampradhAyam.

 

TaaraNa Moorthy according to KatOpanishad

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The Upanishad manthram (3.11) salutes this Supreme Self

as being loftier than both the unmanifest ( Prakruthi )

and the Jeevan . There is nothing is more important

than the Supreme Self and this Purusha is both the ultimate

means ( upAyam) and it is the final goal(Gathi) :" PurushAnna param

kimchith Saa KashtA Saa parA gathi " .This Supreme Reality

(Parama Purusha ) is the sEthu ( embankment/means ) and the joyous

shore as well on the otherside of the fierce ocean of SamsAra

( parA gathi/ultimate goal) .

 

TaaraNa KaaraNan according to ChAndhOgya Upanishad

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ChAndOgya Upanishad manthrams ( 8.4.1 & 8.4.2) state that this sEthu

(embankment , bridge ) which helps the upAsakan to cross the ocean of

SamsAra (Sa sEthu: ) . This upnishad describes the Parama Purushan

serving as the enduring embankment and as the One beyond dualities

(day and night , sukham and dukkham et al in the tradition of

Swamy NammAzhwAr's Paasurams on Lord Oppiliappan ) .

The impact on the upAsakan on reaching this sEthu is described

further : One who was blind earlier gains sight ; one who was wounded

with the arrows of SamsAra gets healed from those painful wounds;

one who was ill before overcomes that illness.Hence for one , who has

crossed the SamsAra and "reached this Brahman designated as

sEthu , even the night becomes the day" says the Upanishad manthram .

 

BrahadaraNyaka Upanishad and TaaraNa KaaraNan

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BrahadaraNyakOpnishad instructs that this TaaraNa KaaraNan

is the ParamAthman , who can not be known through anything

other than His grace.The Upanishad salutes this Supreme Self

as the Lord of all beings and the ruler of all ( SarvEshAm

bhUthAnAm adhipathi: , SarvEshAm bhUthAnAm RaajA ).

The Upanishad reminds us that under the mighty rule of

this immutable Brahman (akshara Brahman) , heaven and

earth are held in place and that seconds , minutes , hours ,

days , nights , fortnights , months , seasons , the cycle of

sixty years are all maintained in their allocated places .

It is only through the grace of this mighty ruler that

the jeevan crosses the dangerous ocean of samsAram

and reaches the other shore that is safe . That this mighty ruler

is the upAyam and gathi is asserted here.

 

TaaraNa KaaraNan and MahA NaarAyaNa Upanishad

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It is this celebrated Upanishad that identifies the TaaraNa KaaraNan as

SrIman NaarAyaNan and salutes Him as MahA NaarAyaNan .

At the very beginning , the BrahmOpAsakan says:

 

VedAhamEtham Purusham MahAntham

Adhithya varNam tamasa: parasthAth

TamEvam VidhvAn amrutha iha bhavathy

nAnya: panTA : vidhyathEayanAya ---12th Manthram

 

(meaning) : I know this Purushan , SrIman NaarAyaNan .

He is radiant like the Sun and is the magnificent One.He is

outside and beyond the prakruthi( primordial matter) . Any one

who knows this ParamAthmA and His svaroopam , lakshaNam

will become immortal in this piRavi ( birth) itself.No other sure path

for liberation exists.

 

The Upanishad goes on to say that BhUmi Devi and MahA Lakshmi

are His divine consorts ( Hreesccha tE Lakshmeesccha patnyou ).

He is viewed as the resident in our heart lotuses and as being subtler than

the subtlest and greater than the greatest . When the BrahmOpAsakan

without any bonds of karma visualizes that antharyAmi Brahman

as the Lord seated inside his heart lotus , then he is freed from grief

as a result of the gracious act of TaaraNam performed by the great Lord:

 

aNOraNeeyAn mahathO maheeyAn

AathmA guhAyAm nihithOsya janthO:

Tamakrathum pasyathi veetha-sOkO dhAthu:

prasAdhAn mahimAnam Isam ---66th Manthram

 

This great Lord's ( TaaraNa Brahman's ) name is now revealed

and celebrated :

 

NaarAyaNa Param Brahma Tatthvam NaarAyaNa: Para :

NaarAyaNa parO JyOthirAthmA NaarAyaNa: Para: ( 93rd Manthram)

 

NaarAyaNa is indeed that Supreme Brahman . NaarAyaNa is

the Supreme Reality and nothing else. NaarAyaNa is

the supremely effulgent JyOthi ( Param JyOthi/Svayam JyOthi/

Param Sudar) . NaarAyaNa is the Supreme Self.

 

The TaaraNa KaaraNa Brahman is worshipped with VishNu Gaayathri

and SaraNAgathy is performed at His sacred feet to serve as UpAyam

and UpEyam ( means and phalan ) to cross over the terrible ocean of

SamsAram :

 

NaarAyaNAya VidhmahE VaasudEvAya dheemahi

TannO VishNu: PrachOdhayAth ---28th Manthram

 

We meditate upon the glories of NaarAyaNa .For accomplishing that effort ,

we dedicate ourselves to VaasudEvA .May that Lord VishNu-NaarAyaNan

invigorate our minds !

 

NyAsa VidhyA (SaraNAgathy ) for Moksham is taught at the end of this Upanishad

(150th Manthram) in a grand manner . Dr.NSA Swamyhas translated this

manthrm this way :

 

" For that sacrifice of the form of NyAsa or Self-Surrender of one ,

who is devoted to NyAsa VidhyA , the Self itself ( jeevan) that is to be

surrendered is the YajamAna or the institutor ( performer) of that yaj~nam .

His faith is his wife---His chest is his altar---His heart is the sacrificial post--- His desire

is the ghee; His anger is the animal to be sacrificed. His contemplative knowledge is

his fire---His speech is the hothr priest .His vital air is the Udhgatr priest ; His eyes or

sight is the adhvaryu priest ; His mind is the Brahman priest ; His ears are the agnidhr

priest ; the span of his life is the dakshiNa ; what he eats and drinks is his sOma

paana----the three divisions of the day morning , midday and evening relating to him

are the three savanas---That is AgnihOthra and Satra( yaagam) that is to be practised

as long as one lives.

 

NaarAyaNa aTarvasirOpanishad saluting this TaaraNa KaaraNan

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NaarAyaNa aTarvasirOpanishad instructs us on the need for

knowing this Lord with bhakthi and surrendering ourselves

unconditionally to Him to cross over the SamsAric ocean

and to reach the other shore of supreme peace and tranquility .

 

The mAgnificent passage (2nd Manthram ) of NaarAyaNa aTarvasirOpanishad

recognizes Lord SrIman NaarAyana as ETERNAL and as the inner self of

all chEtanams and achEtanams. It has a thundering statement , which

has been translated by Dr.NSA Swamy in the following way :

 

" All this is , and that was and that will be in the future is

verily NaarAyaNa alone. NaarAyaNa is the one , non-second deity ,

who has no defect , no taint , no change , nor any limitations , but is

ever pure and auspicious.There is no second entity whosoever . Every

thing that exists has NaarAyaNan alone as their innerself and there is

no entity , which has not Him as his innerself .He who realizes thus

becomes similar to VishNu. The Yajurveda Shiras ordains like this " .

 

The same upanishad states what the Rg Veda Shiras states:

" From NaarAyaNa are born Brahma , Rudra , Indhra , PrajApathis ,

the twelve AadithyAs . All these entities are born out of Him and

they function because of NaarAyaNa. They reach layam (merge) in

NaarAyaNa ( NaarAyaNAdh-yEva samupadhyanthE . NaarAyaNAth

PravartanthE . NaarAyaNE praleeyanthE ) .

 

The Upanishad continues and asserts that the mediator of the MahA

Manthram of SrIman NaarAyaNA ( AshtAksharam) attains SrI Vaikuntam ,

His Supreme abode ( YamukthvA muchyathE yOgi janma samsAra

bhandhanAth . Vaikunta Bhuvana lOkam gamishyathi) . The Yogi meditating on

AshtAksharam gets released from all the bonds of SamsAram and ascends to

SrI Vaikuntam . NaaRAyaNan , is the cause of every thing that exists ,

functions and attains layam .There is nothing in this entire universe ,

which is the root cause of this Supreme Being ( SarvabhUthasTamEkam

NaarAyaNam. KaaraNa purushamakAraNam Param Brahma ).

 

SrIman NaarAyaNan being the sole KaaraNam of the Universe and its beings

and functioning as the TaaraNa KaaraNan is emphasized in this Upanishad .

 

SvEtasvataraOpanishad and the Lord as the TaaraNa KaaraNan

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Manthram 1.11 instructs us that the knowing of the vaibhavam of

the Lord results in the desruction of all bonds to SamsAra .These

bonds that get broken are of the form of both PuNya and Paapa.

That leads to the freedom from the cycles of repated births and

deaths in the karma bhUmi ( Jn~AthvA Devam sarva-paasApahAni:

ksheeNai: klEsair-janma-mruthyu prahANi: ).The Upanishad instructs

us to gain knowledge about this Parama Purushan ( Tath BrahmOpanishath-

Param) as the ruler of all chEthanams and achEtanams . The Upanishad

informs us that those , who gain such a knowledge about the mysteries of

the Lord as the Creator , ruler and controller become immortal ( yEtath

vidhu: amruthAstE bhavanthi).

 

That this Purushan is the Moksha DhAyakan ( grantor of Moksha Sukham)

is revealed by the following manthram (3.12):

 

MahAn Prabhurvai Purusha: Sathvasyaisha pravarthaka:

SunirmalAmimAm SaanthimeesAnO JyOthikhyaya:

 

(Meaning): This Supreme PurushA ( SrIman NaarAyaNa) is

the magnificent One granting the boon of Moksha Sukham .

This Supreme Purushan is the advancer of Satthva guNam .

This immutable and matchless jyOthi is the ruler/ordainer of

this pure and eternal peace shining in the form of Moksha Sukham

( Saanthim athyanthamEthi ) .

 

All the bonds of SamsAram are broken , when attains knowledge about

this auspicious Supreme Being , who resides hidden in all beings ( Jn~AthvA

Sivam sarvabhUthEshu gooDam ) in a most subtle form ( visvasyaikam

parivEshtithAram jn~AthvA Devam muchyathE Sarva-pAsai: ) .

 

Manthram 6.9 instructs us that there is no one , who is superior (Master)

to Him in all of the universes . He has no "inferential mark " ( lingam ) .

He is the root cause for every thing ( Sarva vyApAra KaaraNan

including TaaraNam ) . He is the emperor of the sense organs

and He is self-manifested and He has no one over Him.

 

He is the BhagavAn with six attributes such as Jn~Anam et al

and is the One , who causes freedom (release) from SamsAra ,

bondage in SamsAra and sustenance of SamsAra( PradhAna

KshEthrj~na pathir-guNEsa: SamsAra mOkshasTithi bhandha hEthu: ).

 

Towards the very end of SvetasvatarOpnishad , the Jeevan that has

developed a clear knowledge of BhagavAn of such matchless attributes

and power performs SaraNAgathy to Him for Moksha PrApthi ( 6.18) :

 

yO BrahmANam vidhadhAthi poorvam

yO vai vEddhAmsccha prahiNOthi Tasmai

Tamm ha dEvamAthma-buddhi prakAsam

mumukshurvai SaraNamaham prapadhyE

 

As a seeker of Moksham , I surrender unto that resplendent

BhagavAn , who has created Brahma dEvan first during

the efforts at creation and who blesses that Brahma dEvan

with the knowledge of VedAs as well and on account of

whom the bhddhi ( intellect ) of mine shines out.

 

This Lord , who is the grantor of Moksham is the bridge to

the eternal liberation ( amruthasya param sEthum) from SamsAram .

I perform Prapatthi to Him and seek His refuge.

 

Summary about TaaraNa samvathsaram & the origin of this Naama

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For every janthu , liberation from the horrors of SamsAric afflictions

is the most coveted goal. That goal can be realized by practising

SaraNAgathy yOgam and seeking the Lord as one's Rakshakan .

Then the Lord responds with alacrity and help the janthus cross

over the ocean of SamsAram ( TaaraNam ) and lands them in

the other side of SamsAram , which is His eternal Supreme abode .

He is both means and phalan (UpAyam and UpEyam ). He is

the TaaraNa KaaraNan .

 

We will cover the salutations to the TaaraNa KaaraNan by

our AzhwArs and AchAryAs in the next posting .

 

With Prayers for all soubhAgyams to you in the coming New Year !

SrI NaarAyaNa YathIndhra MahA DEsikAya Nama:

Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri SadagOpan