UpAkarmaa & VedArambham ( PraTama Prasnam ) today for Yajur Vedhis ! Some Reflections .

[Guest guest]

SrI:

Dear VedAbhimAnis :

 

After KaaNDa Rishi TarpaNam , UpAkaram Homam

is done today .This is the angi for UpAkaramam ; the KaaNDa

Rishi TarpaNam , Yajn~Opaveetha DhAraNam are angams

for UpAkarmA as pointed out by Sridharan Swamy of

the Sri Matam MadhurAnthakam Schools .

 

After UpAkarma Homam , the final and important step

is VedArambham , where UpadEsam on the First Prachnam of

one's Veda Saakhai . If one is unable to have access to

the PraTama saakhai , then Purusha Sooktham is recited by some .

Others recite the first manthram of each of the Four Vedams .

 

Rg Vedam hymn 1.1 : ( Same as Saama Vedam : PurvArchika

Saaman 605 )

 

agnimeeLE purOhitham yaj~nasya dEvamrithvijam

hOthAram rathnadhAtamam

 

(Meaning) : " We worship the adorable God , the high priest

of cosmic activities , the divine , the One who works through

His eternal laws , and who feeds and sustains all that is divine

and luminous ".

 

Let us study each of the 8 words housed in this First Mantram of

the Pratama Prachnam since it has has profound spiritual resonances :

 

1 . Agni: Agni is the Supreme Lord , who is invoked first and is

recognized as such in all Vedams ( Yajur Vedam : XXXII.I ).

He is the Vrathapathy , the Lord of Observances such as

UpAkarmaa and Yaj~nams.

 

1+2: AgnimeeLE (Agnim yeeLE) : We worship that Supreme Lord.

 

3. PurOhitham : Pura: ( in front of ) ; hitham : (Means to achieve

the Supreme Goal). The Supreme Lord is PurOhithA since

He has been sustaining this Universe through His SaasthrAs

and cosmic laws for our rakshaNam .

 

4.Yaj~nasya: Yaj~na has many meanings : Worship with Yajur

manthrams; an act of supplication to DEvAs , whose

antharyAmi Brahman is the Supreme Lord . Yaj~na also

refers to LOka Srushti ( Cosmic Creation of the Lord as

saluted in Purusha Sooktham ).

 

5.DEvam : One who gives freely , continously and with love .

Yaj~na is synonymous with VishNu . " Yaj~nasya dEvam "

refers to the Supreme Lord , the showerer of all benovolences

to those , who obey His saasthrAs .

 

6. rithvijam : in the ritualistic parlance , Rthvik is HothAr , who presents

the oblations to Agni . The esoteric meaning is : One who works

through His Eternal Laws for cosmic kshEmam .

 

7. HOthAram :This refers to one who accepts and nourishes .

It is also a synonym for Agni JaathavEdhas , a destroyer of

all inauspiciousness.

 

8. rathnadhAtamam: Among the dhAthAs (givers) , He is " TAMAM "

(Supreme) ; he is the best grantor of auspicious boons and

the Parama Hitha PurushArTam of Moksham . He is recognized as

the Master Creator of the various gems ( the planets , the Stars ,

precious gems/rathnams).

 

Saama Vedam :

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

PoorvArchikam : First Saaman

 

agna Aa yaahi veethayE gruNAnO havyadhAthayE

ni hOthA sathsi barhishi ( This is also the Rk of VI.16.10)

 

(Meaning): Here the liberal giver , the Lord is invoked

to bless the dedicated devotee with all auspiciousness

(Prosperity ). The Saaman says: " Oh most generous Giver !

Having been eulogized by us , come before us , Oh adorable

Lord ! bless the dedicated worshipper with prosperity !

May Thou be seated in the innermost chamber of our heart ! ".

 

The first ten Saamans including the First Saaman recognize

the Lord as the inspirer of auspicious deeds , the Supreme benefactor ,

messenger of all virtues ( dhUtham hOthAram) , destroyer of

all adversaries , bringer of riches as if laden on a divine chariot ,

dispeller of malignity , reciever of the divine love of His devotees ,

resident of the loftiest dwelling place , the head and the support of

the Universe ( moordhnO visvasya vaaghatha: ), the destroyer of

all kinds of ignorance .

 

Yajur Vedam :

 

yeeshE thvOrjE Thvaa vaayava sTa dEvO va: SavithA prArpayathu

srEshtatamAya karmaNa aapyAyadhva magnyA IndhrAya bhAgam

prajAvatheeranameevA adhyakshmaa maa vasthEna yeesatha

maagasagumsO dhruvA asmin gOpathou syAtha vahniryajamAnasya

pasUnpaahi ---Chapter I :Manthram 1

 

Translation by Sri Devichand : " Oh Lord ! We resort to Thee for the supply of

food stuffs and vigour . May (Thou) the Creator , the fountain of happiness

and knowledge , imspire us for the performance of noble deeds with our organs

(limbs and faculty). May the cows , which should never be killed , be healthy

and strong . For the attainment of prosperity and wealth , may the cows be full

of calves , free from consumption and other diseases . may a thief and a sinner

be never be born amongst us ! May the Lord of land and cattle be in a constant

and full possession of these . May Ye protect the cattle , wealth and progeny

of the virtous soul !

 

AthavaNa Vedam :

 

yE thrishapthaa: paryanthy viSvaa roopANi Bhibratha:

VaachaspathirBalA tEshAm tanvO adhya dhadhAtu mE

 

(Meaning according to Sri Devichand): " May God ever assign to me the strength

and power of those twenty one objects, which sustaining the animate and

inanimate creation , are wandering round "

 

adiyEn's Comments :

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

 

(1) Vachaspathy refers to the Lord of Speech , who is none other than

the revealer of the four VedAs ( Lord HayagrIvan) in hte 4 yugAs to HIs son ,

Brahma , when he looses them . He is the VeLLai Parimukhan celebrated in

His Sahasra Naamam this way :

 

ChandramaNDala madhyasya SvEthAmbhOruhavishDara:

jyOthsnAyamAnaangaruchir-nidhUthaantharBahistamaa:

 

He removes both the inner and outter darkness with His cool ,

comforting tEjas .

 

bhadraSrIvathsahArADya: pancharAthra-pravarthaka:

 

His revelation of the Paancha rAthra aagamam in five nights

for His aarAdhanam is saluted here .

 

nirAnkusa krupApUrO nithyakalyANakAraka:

moordhanyanADya: svAn dhAsAn Brahmarandhraadhudhanjayan

 

His unbridled compassion to bless the SaraNAgathAs with eternal auspiciousness

through the release of their jeevans through Moordhanya NaaDi and Brahma

randhram for its upward ascent to Sri Vaikuntam via archirAdhi maargam

by the Lord of Speech ( Veda Purushan Vaachaspathy) is saluted here .

 

asahAhasOanapAyaSrI: sasahAya: Sriyaiva sann

Sriman NaarAyaNO VaasudEvOvyAdh VishNurutthama:

 

He is forever with Sri Devi and assisted by Her ; He is SrinivAsan,

Sriman NaarAyaNan , VaasudEvan and the Utthama VishNu . All

the VyApaka Manthrams ( AshtAkshari , DhwAdasAkshari and

ShaDakshari are saluted here as the manthrams of VishNu Hayagreevan ,

the Vaachaspathy , Sakala VidhyA Moorthy HayagrIvan ) .

 

(2) Hymn I of Atharva Vedam has four Manthrams . Each of them

recognize and salute the Aadhi Vedha Purushan , who keeps up

the Veda Paramparai , when there is danger to it . In these prayers

of the First hymn , the prayer is for " mayyEvAsthu mayi Srutham "

( Let my Vedic knowledge remain under my control) . Additional

prayers in the first four Manthrams of Atharva Vedam are :

" Oh Lord of speech ! Instruct me with Thy divine knowledge ! ( I.2) .

Oh Lord of Speech ! Spread all around my knowledge and action

( Jn~Anam and anushtAnam) like the two bow-ends strained with

the cord ! ( Manthram I.3) . The moving prayer in the fourth manthram is:

" samm sruthEna gamEmahi maa SruthEna vi raadhishi " ( May we

adhere to the sacred lore of the VedAs ! Never may I be deprived of it ).

 

(3) thri-shapthaa: This refers to Twenty one ( Three times seven Tattvams).

The 21 have been intrepreted in number of ways . One interpretation

recognizes them as an assembly of Pancha BhUthAs ( PruTvee , Vaayu ,

AakAsam , Agni/Fire and aapa:/Water ) , Pancha prANAs ( PrANa , ApAna , VyAna ,

UdhAna and SamAna ) , five Jn~Ana indhriyAs , Five KarmEndhriyAs

and antha: karaNam ( the seat of antharyAmi , the seat of mind , thought and

conscience ). In reality , the word Thrishaptha: (21) refers to the limitless

forces of nature . The prayer here is to be blesed with the strength and power

of those" twnety one " tatthvams . They sustain the charAcharam ( animate and

inanimate of the universe ) through which the Lord makes His presence and

engages them in His LeelAs ".

 

May we be blessed to perform UpAkarmA on this Sravishtaa nakshathra yukthAyAm

PourNamAsai subha tithi by performing KaamOkArsheeth Manthra Japam ,

Veda KaaNDa Rishi tarpaNam and the UpAkarma Homam to get ready for

the GayAthri MahA Manthra Japam tomorrow as MithyAtheetha Praayascchittha

japam.

 

NamO Veda PurushAya ,

Daasan , Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri Sadagopan

 

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