Atharva Vedam: The Fourth Kalasam at Sriranga VimAnam : Part 11.1

From the Bhakti List Archives

• April 24, 1998


Dear VedAbhimAnis :

The fourth kalasam on the praNavAkruthi
vimAnam represents the Atharva Vedam .

Our Lord is also the ATHARVA VEDA SVARUPI .  Let us
reflect on selected Atharva Veda  Manthrams
from the assembly of the total of 5933 Manthrams 
FOR OUR 18 BRICK KAIMKARYAM FOR THE LORD'S TEMPLE
AT POMONA , NY . Hope most of you by now have the sevai
of the adhiadhbutha ArchA mUrthys of the Pomona 
Temple at the special web site created by 
Sri Parthasarathy Dileepan  ( http://www.geocities.com/
~ahobilam/ranga.html) .There is  a wealth of information
at thsi Web site including the images of ArchA Murthies ,
the opportunities for Your particpation in this Kaimkaryam .
Please let Your friends and relatives know about this
wonderful home page for Sri RanganathA POmona Temple 
and encourge them to join in this MahA Kaimkaryam .

THE SACREDNESS OF ATHARVA VEDAM 
********************************
 
Atharva  Vedam is the last of the four VedAs and it 
was fashionable to consider it as less important 
than the other three .Fortunately , this view has
diminished in importance with time . 

This Vedam is closely tied with sages AtharvaNA and AngirA . 
The literal translation of the name of the above two sages 
( Rishis ) have been given as :

Atharvan= holy magic bringing happiness
Angiras = hostile or black magic 

The manthrams however contain more " theosophic 
matter" than any other samhithA and it is unfortunate
that the Atharva Vedam was not considered as an equal
to the other three by the Vedic priests for a long time. 
The Gopatha BrAhmaNam and the Mundaka Upanishad are 
associated with Atharva Vedam and house some of 
the profound thoughts linked to Atharva Vedam . 

UCCHISHTA BRAHMAM AS THE COSMIC CREATOR
****************************************

The concept of Ucchishta Bhrammam ( Final Reality ,
Sarva Seshi , Akshara Bhramam , the Undecaying Self )
is housed in this Vedam . In adition to housing 
Purusha sUktham like the other three VedAs ,
Atharva Vedam salutes with great reverence the Cosmic 
form of the Creator in a glorious hymn known as " Skhamba
sUktham "( AV X.7.1-44 ) .The heights of imagination ,
the sacredness of the conceptions are matchless .

Our Lord Sriman NaarAyaNA is visualized in this Vedam 
as the Master Weaver , who weaves the entire Universe with 
His divine thread (tanthu ) of Unified Law 
(rOhithO dhyAvA pruthvee jajAna tathra tanthum 
ParamEshtee tathAna ) .

Sriman NaarAyaNA , our Lord is conceived as 
the divine support ( Skhambha) that sustains 
the Universe --the terrestrial ,the interspace 
and the celestial regions --in the most perfect manner . 
Great concepts of Mathematics are invoked 
to describe the way in which our Lord balances 
the entire creation and holds the six dimensions of space
in a marvellous equalibrium ( skhambhO dhAdhAra pravisa:
shaDurvee skhambha idham bhuvanamA vivEsa ) . His leela
of Creation at the auspicious stage ( Sri Rangam )
has  been compared to the weaving of a Cosmic Cloth 
" with divine woofs and warps , shuttles and pegs , 
the art of two divine maidens (day and night )
working incessantly in the parameters of Space and Time .
What a lofty vision ! What a grand concept that wins over 
the unified Theory of Realtivity ! 

We will now choose 18 Atharva Veda manthrams in support of 
the 18 Brick Kaimkaryam for the constrcution of the House
for the Lord at Pomona , NY . Please join with joy in 
this kaimkaryam and give as  much as you can .

Your wealth in every sense - Worldly wealth , 
spiritual wealth --can only grow with the Blessings 
of the Divya Dampathis of Srirangam .

SCOPE OF THE REST OF THE COVERAGE OF THIS KAIMKARYAM
******************************************************

It was not going to be easy to pick just 9 select manthrams
from THE aTHARVA  Vedam and hence I have made my task 
a little easier by expanding the coverage to 18 manthrams . 
I will cover the EIGHTEEN  in a companion post today . 

The plans for the rest of the 18 brick Temple Construction
Kaimkaryam are as follows :

11.1&2 : Atharva Vedam , the Fourth Kalasam 
12. SarvOpanishad SvarUpan : Sri RanganAthan , the Veda Siras 
13. Sriranga Pancha Rathna Krithis of Saint ThyagarAjA 
14-18 : The 245 Sriranga Paasurams of 11 AzhwArs 

After completion of this kaimkaryam over the next few
days with the blessings of the Divya Dampathis of
Srirangam , AdiyEn will observe a period of " Radio silence "
and  enjoy the beautiful postings on Thiruvaimozhi , 
Swami Desikan's sthOthrams and other postings of 
Fellow BhakthAs of this sathsangham .

May Sri RanganAyaki SamEtha Sri RanganAthan give us 
the power and wisdom to find ways to complete this 
extraordinary Kaimkaryam for Them (viz ., ) the construction
of their new Home here , right amidst us . 

NamO NaarAyaNA .

Oppilaippan Koil VaradAchAri SadagOpan