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BhadrAsanam: Some reflections: part I

From the Bhakti List Archives

Sadagopan • April 16, 2000 


Dear Sri RanganAtha PaadhukA SevakAs :

In some of the slOkams dealing with PaadhukA PattahishEkam ,
Swamy Desikan refers to the throne of the Soorya Vamsam as
"BhadrAsanam " in Sri PaadhukA Sahasram( AbhshEka paddhathi 7.5;
Elsewhere , he refers to this ancient and sacred throne as 
RaajyAsanam ,RathnAsanam ,Rathna Peetam ,SaakEtha SimhAsanam
and by other names . Sri Murali Rangaswamy had asked earlier
about the significance of the reference to
the throne of Soorya vammsam as "BhadrAsanam ".

As we know , Swamy Desikan is never casual about
the choice of any word in his Sri Sookthis. He chose
the name of " BhadrAsanam " for the sacred throne 
with the thought about power of the Vedic word "Bhadram"
in his mind.

We shall refer to the Vedic Usage of the word Bhadram
in Rg vedam , the ancient of all the four Vedams .
These anubhavams are adiyEn's alone and there
is no discussion on the choice of the word Bhadram 
in PoorvAchAryA's commentaries . Hence , please 
accept adiyEn's intrepretation in this light.

(1)Auspicousness personified
*****************************

The first time , the word Bhadram occurs in 
Rg Vedam is in the first KhAnDam (1.89.8):

bhadram karNebhi: sruNuyAma dEvA 
Bhadram pasyEmAkshabhir yajathrA: 
sthriar angais tushtuvAnsas tanUbhir
vy asEma dEvahitham yadhAyu:

(Meaning): Oh Learned Scholars ! May we with
our ears listen to what is auspicious ! O People
worthy of sacred deeds , May we , engaged in Your 
eulogies , enjoy with firm limbs and healthy bodies ,
a full term (veda prAyam) of life devoted to 
the service of ParamAthmA !

This auspicious prayer might have been in the mind
of Swamy Desikan , when he thought about the glorious
throne of the ancestors of Sri Raamachandran and
the Paadhukais seated on it .This prayer has recently 
been added by Srimath Azhagiya Singar in
the Sri Matam anusandhAnams.

(2)Soorya Vamsam and Bhadram connotation
*****************************************
Elsewhere in PaadhukA Sahasram , Swamy Desikan
is going to comment on the Ugram aspects of
Paadhukais after their coronation bath , which was 
instrumental in destroying the enemies of
the World ( Sri RPS: 7.9). The Paadhukais 
seated on the auspicious throne (BhadrAsanam)
had acquired the ugra Kalai for the protection
of the world ( prathApam ugram prathipadhyamAnA:)
after the sacred abhishEkam .

The powerful and yet auspicious radiance of
Agni shining upon the proximity of the Sooryan
by day and its conspicous lustre by night
is saluted by the Rk: 4.11.1 starting with
"Bhadram tE AgnE":

bhadram tE AgnE sahasinn anIkam upaaka 
aa rochatE SOORYASYA I 
rusad drise dadrisE naktayaa chidh arUkshitam 
drisa aa rUpE annam II

With its ugra and yet auspicious Kalais ,
protected(parithrANAya) the world by destroying 
the ill wishers and malevolent ones (DhushkruthAm) 
while taking care of the BhagavathAs (SaadhUnAm).

(3)Power of AzhwArs and the Bhadram aspect 
*******************************************
In the Rk 5.30.12, reference is made to
four thousand hymns ( NaalAyira Dhivya
Prabhandham of AzhwArs ?)and it s auspicous
(Bhadram nature):

bhadram idam rusamA agnE akran gavAm 
chatvAri dhadhata: sahasrA I
********           ********
riNamcayasya prayathA maghAni 
praty agrabhishma nruthamasya nruNAm II

(Meaning): O Sages worthy of salutations
giving me wisdom by Four Thousand hymns , 
(You) have done well (ably instructed us).
We accept this ample wealth of wisdom ,
which , the liberator from debts (ruNam),
the leader of leaders ( Deva devan ,
DevAthirAjan ) , freely offers . 

The word Rusamaa , the brilliant sages 
(AzhwArs )are the Ones , who turn out (destroy)
the SamsAris afflictions by tormenting them
and chasing them away from us ( yE rusAn 
himsakAn minvathIthi Rusamaa).

The MahOpakAram done by the Paadhukais ,
which is none other than NammazhwAr ,
who chased His Sata Vaayu with hoomkAram
and our dark clouds of Aj~Nanam and
ViparItha Jn~Aanm is referred to here,
when this Prapanna jana santhAna kootasthar
and other AzhwArs are saluted as "Bhadram idham ".

There are other Rg Vedic verses saluting 
"Bhadram " aspect , which we will take up
in the next posting .

Veda POurushAya nama:
Oppilaippan Koil VaradAchAri Sadagopan    
 




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