VyAhruthi:

[Guest guest]

Sri

 

Dear BhakthAs :

 

Few days ago , some one asked me a question

about VyAhruthis .I went on the trip to India and forgot

to answer that query .

 

Here is my input on that important question on VyAhruthis ,

which has links to the sacred Manthram , the three

Vedams and PraNavam ultimately .

 

VyAhruthi: means utterance and in this case the utterance of

a mystic word or words . Specifically , VYAhurthis are invoked

during SandhyA Vandhanam . They are three in number

( BhU: , Bhuva: and Suva: ). Some account for 7 VyAhruthis .

The number three fits nicely .

 

PoorvAchAryAs have explained that the Manthra dhrashtAs or the Rishis

churned the 21 Rg Veda SaakhAs and obtained their essence in

the form of 8 aksharams .These 8 letters are recognized

as the essence of the Rg Veda SaakhAs . Similar intensive efforts

by the Rishis conversant with the Yajur and Saama Vedams

led to the realization of 8 aksharams as the essence of Yajur

Vedam and another set of 8 aksharams for the Saama Vedam .

 

Since Atharva Vedam is implicit in the other three Vedams ,

the Maharishis seemed to have stopped with the three Vedams

alone. One can speculate whether the ChathurpAdha Gaayathri

has the fourth paadham as the condensation of Atharva Vedam .

 

In total , there arose to prominence 24 aksharams with 8 each

for the three VedAs . In these 24 aksharams , the essence of

all the Vedams are contained / housed.

 

These 24 Aksharams together constitute the "ThripadhA

Gaayathri or AshtAkshara Gaayathri " . Each of the 3 Paadhams

of the most sacred Gaayathri Manthram is linked to one

particular Vedam according to Manu . This manthram that

protects those , who recite it with the correct Svaram

protects the reciter ( Gaayantham ThrAyathee ithi Gaayathree).

In view of Gaayathri manthram being the essence of the three

VedAs , it is saluted as " ChandasAm MaathA ".

 

Vaikunta Vaasi MukkUr Sri Lakshmi NrusimhAcchAr Swamy

goes on to explain that additional condensation of the 8 aksharams

of each of the three VedAs ( the three Paadhams of Gaayathree

Manthram) gave rise to thre esabdhams : BhU: , Bhuva: and Suva: .

Together , the above three sabdhams joined to form the VyAhruthi

manthram : " BhUr-Bhuva: Suva: ".

 

Further churning of the three VyAhruthi manthrams led to

additional compression /condensation : Out of BhU: came

the letter " A" . VyAhruthi Bhuva: gave rise to "U " and VyAhruthi

Suva: led to "M" . When these three letters ( A, U, M) were United ,

one was blessed with PraNavam or EkAksharam .This could not

be condensed any furhter .

 

MukkUr Swamy sums up the interrelationships this way :

" All the VedAs are contained inside the Gaayathri manthram ;

Gaayathri is housed inside the VyAhruthis ; The VyAhruthis are

contained inside PraNavam , which has all the Veda manthrams

inside it . PraNavam is saluted as " Veda Siras or Veda ChoodAmaNi ".

 

The detailed esoteric meanings of PraNavam is covered by

Swamy Desikan in the Moola ManthrAdhikAram of Srimath

Rahasya Thraya Saaram .

 

Additional comments on VyAhruthis

******************************************

Rg Veda Manthram (X.33.5) gives a clue to these three VyAhruthis:

 

Yasya maa harithO raTE THISRO vahanthi saadhuyaa

sthavai sahasradakshiNE

 

(Meaning) : " I praise Him at the ceremony , where three vital

energies , yoked in the chariot of body , carry us nicely forward

to the place of work or worship , in which He presents to us

with thousands of rewards ".

 

The three vital energies can be viewed as the three VyAhruthees

condensing to form the most important PraNavam .

 

NamO Veda PurushAya ,

Daasan , Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri Sadagopan