Saama Veda PuNyAhavachana Japa Mantrams 500 , 350 & 91 : Part III

[Guest guest]

SrI:

 

Dear Saama Veda Saakins :

 

After the coverage of the Kumbha Prathishtai Mantrams ,

let us now study the PuNyAhavachana Japa Mantrams .

 

1) Saama Veda Mantram 500 ( Rg Veda Rk :IX 58.1):

 

taratsa mandhee dhAvathy dhArA sutasyAnthasa:

taratsa mandhee dhAvathy

 

(Meaning): " He ( the divine sap of Spirituality ),

exhilirating and rescuing (from Sins) , runs swiftly

(to receptacles): the effused sap of nourishment flows

in streams. Swiftly runs the rescuing elixir , the giver

of delights ".

 

One can interpret this verse as a metaphor for

the rejuvenating Dayaa of the Lord flowing swiftly

towards the Jeevan , freeing the jeevan from its

sins and immersing the jeevan in the stream of its

bliss . " dhaavathy " means : it runs to the jeevans .

It does not flow sluggishly . It is a swift torrent and

washes away all the sins of the Jeevans .

 

(Comments) : This is about Soma rasam (Soma-PavamAna) ,

the vitalizing , conceptual juice of the Soma plant ,

the beverage of the Gods , offered to them during

the Soma Yaagams .

 

The Soma PavamAna book of Rg Vedam is totally

devoted to effusion , filtration and purification of

the conceptual Soma (herbal) creeper . BhagavAn

says in GitA that He is the Soma among the medicinal

herbs ( Oushadhis) . It is considered to be present in

all medicinal herbs to different degrees as an ingredient.

All the medicinal herbs growing on this earth are

the gifts of Soma ( "ThvamimA Oshadhee:" 604th Saaman).

This same Saaman continues to praise the Soma Creeper

as the dispeller of darkness with its light/radiance

( Thvam jyOthishaa vi tamaa vavarTa ).

 

The Soma ( the elixir of the divine) is requested to flow

( pavasva) in the sweetest and most exhilirating stream

( madhishDayaa): " svAdhishDayaa madhishDayaa pavasva

Soma dhArayaa" .

 

Soma's another name is Jn~Ana and Aananda ( light and Joy) .

The Soma offered by the devotee is a small measure of

the cosmic Soma and the prayer is for that to flow (dhArayaa)

swiftly (AaSava) and copiously .The place of its origin is

considered as mid-space (antariksha) and brought from

there to earth with Vedic prayers (girvaNa:) in Trishtubh

metre (SomE arkaa sthrishtuba: sam navanthE). It is considered

the elixir of life force .It is saluted as KIng Soman( Soman

rAjAnam) .

 

2) Saaman 350 ( Rg Vedam:VIII.95.7) :

 

yEthOnvindram sthavAma Suddham SuddhEna sAmnA

Suddhair-ukthair-vAvrudhvAgumsagum Suddhair-

AaseervAnmamattu

 

(Meaning) : " Come now and let us glorify the pure Lord resplendent

with fresh Saaman hymns . Let the correctly recited hymns mixed

with devotional love gladden Him and magnify His glory ".

 

This is a magnificient Saaman offered to Omnipotent and

Omniscient Lord with awe and reverence . The awe results

from the awareness of His majesty and vaibhavam . The reverence

arises from the recollection of the Sesha-Seshi BhAvam

( Master and servant relationship) based on svaroopa Jn~Anam

of the Jeevan .

 

Our Lord is sthOthra Priyan and therefore this Saaman singer

is inviting the assembly to eulogize the Lord with Suddha Saamans

( sthuvAma SuddhEna sAmnA) . The ukthi ( recitation) is invoked

to be blemishless ( Suddhair ukthair ) . It is also instructed that

the ukthi to be not only correct in a formal way but it is also

advised that it be blended with bhakthi ( devotional love ) and

flow like a steady stream to please the Lord as it glorifies His

limitless grandeur (Vaibhavam) .

 

3) Saaman 91 (Rg Rk: X.141.3, Yajus IX.26 , Atarvam: III.20.4) :

 

Somam rAjAnam varuNam agnim anavArabhAmahE

Aadhithyam VishNum Sooryam BrahmANam cha Bruhaspathim

 

(Meaning ): " We invoke and evoke the blissful bounties and

venerable soverignities , the fire of spirituality , the Sun ,

the infinity , the all pervading energies , the effulgent bounty ,

the supreme divinity and Universal Lordship."

 

(Comments) : This Saaman reminds adiyEn of the travel by

a Muktha Jeevan by archirAdhi Maargam at the end of the life

on earth due to prapatthi anushtAnam . The clue for this intrepretation

comes from the next Saaman ( 92nd ) , which says : " Hence these

nature's bounties gone up high and mounted to topmost heights of

heaven-- they become conquerers on the path by which our divine

intellectuals , adept in spiritual practises , travel to the lofty sky ".

 

The venerable soverignities are the AadhivAhikars of the Para Brahmam

( Agni , Sun , VaruNa et al) . They have their sharply demarcated

boundaries as they lead the muktha Jeevan to the limit of their

kingdoms and hand it over to the next devathaa. The Lofty sky

referred to in Saaman 92 is the ParamAkAsam (SrI Vaikuntam).

 

4) Saaman 274 ( Rg Rk: VIII.61.13, Ataravam XIX.15.1) :

 

yatindra bhayAmahE tathO nO abhayam krudhi

maghavanchagdhi tava tanna UtayE vi dhvishO vi mrudhO jahi

 

(Meaning) : " Oh Resplendent Lord ! May Thou give us security

(freedom from fear ) from whom we are afraid of . Oh bounteous

Lord ! be firm to give us Your protections ; drive away our enemies

who try to harm us "

 

(Comments) : This prayer (abheethi sthavam) reminds us of

the JitantE sthOtra slOkam ( 1.8) :

 

aham bheethOasmi dEvEsa samsArEasmin bhayAvahE

paahi maam PundareekAksha na jaanE SaraNam param

 

This slOkam is in the form of a prayer from the Bhaddha

Jeevan ( Jeevan bound to SamsAric sufferings) to the Lord of

the DevAs( DevanAthan , ImayOr Talaivan ) for protection .

The Jeevan states that it is afraid of the horrors of transmigratory

existence ( ceaseless cycles of births and deaths) and begs for

protection ( release from those never ending cycles of transmigration) .

 

In this Saaman , the singer reminds the Lord of His Achyutha

tatthvam , which does not permit Him to abandon those , who

had sought His refuge . Next the singer reminds the Lord about

one of His avathAra rahasyam : dhushta nigraham and asks

the Lord to protect him from the enemies , who wish to harm him .

The prayer is " Be firm to give us Your protections ; drive away

our enemies , who try to harm us ". Oh Achyutha ! please do not

vacilate but rush to our rescue like you did when the king of elephants

was tormented by the crocodile .

 

We will cover the final three samans(321, 565 and 169) in

the final posting .

 

NamO Veda PurushAya ,

Oppiliappan KOil V.Sadagopan