Search:
Bhakti List Archives

Atharva Vedam & Sriranga Vimana Kalasams: Part 11.2

From the Bhakti List Archives

Sadagopan • April 24, 1998 


Dear VedAbhimAnis :

The 5933 Manthrams of Atharva Vedam are housed in 
Twenty KhAndhams . We will pay our salutations to
EIGHTEEN OF THE MANTHRAMS from the different
KhAndhams in this and the subsequent posting .

1. THE WIFE'S VOW ( PATHIVRATHA DHARMAM )
*****************************************

idham kanAmi bhEshajammaampasyamabhirhOrudham 
parAyathO nivarthanamAyatha: prathinandhanam
                   --Atharva Vedam : VII.38.1

( Meaning ) : I , the wife , the Sumangali ,take
this scred vow  that makes my wedded husband look 
at me , that deters him from straying afar from me , 
that bids him to return to me after being away  and 
greet him with affection as he returns to my side . 

2. LORD OF THREE SPOKES AND THREE SUPPORTS
*******************************************

tasmin hiraNyayE thrayarE thriprathishTatE
tasmin yadh yakshamAthmanvath tadhvai BrahmavidhO vidhu: II
                                              ---A.V X.2.32

( Meaning ) : Men deeply conversant with the knowledge
about Bhramman know that our Lord , who dwells in 
the multi-powered soul with three spokes and three supports.

One set of the traid of spokes has been described as 
STHAANAM ( Capacity) , NAAMAM ( Token, Sign ) 
and JANMAM ( Existence ) . The three supports 
have been intepreted as KARMA (Action ) , 
UPAASANAA (Contemplation ) and JN~ANAM (knowledge) .

The SthAna VisEshAdhikAram , the Naama SiddhAntham 
and Janmam as BhagavathA have been covered in the different
sections of these postings . Bhagavadh GitA is an epitome 
of Karma , JN~Ana and Bhakthi YogAs leading to Prapatthi
Yogam to acquire Moksham . 

All of these concepts( Tattvams ) are covered 
in this profound manthram .

3. ETERNAL BHRAMMAM AND ITS ACTIVITIES 
***************************************

apAdhagrE samabhavath sO agrE svarAbharath 
chathushpaadh bhUthvA bhOgya: sarvamAdhattha bhOjanam 
                                    -----A.V : X.8.21 

( Meaning ) : Our Lord , the indivisible , existed before 
creating this world . He realized perfect joy prior to
engaging in the act of creation of His world  , just as a
soul that experiences after being blessed with Moksham
to perform nithya Kaimkaryam in Sri Vaikuntam . 
Being four-footed , our ruler of the Universe absorbed
the whole universe that He created in Himself as food
at the time of MahA praLayam .

While resting in the state of Yoga NidrA at Srirangam ,
He thinks with Joy about Creation as a LeelA . He protects
His creation and at the end of the cycle , protects 
the worlds by consuming them and releases them in the next
cycle ( Vatapathra Saayee ). 

The reference to Him being four-footed covers 
the concept of our Lord existing as " PrakAsavAN
(with Lustre ) , ananthavAn ( limitless/infinity) ,
JyOthishmAn ( Cosmic Intelligence ) and AayathanavAn
( Immensity ) .These are the four metaphoric feet of
our Lord as conceived by this manthram . He is as the
Upanishad visualizes Him : Yesha sEthurvitharaNa :
( He is the immense , intelligent , lustrous 
Bhramma sEthu that safely gets us across the turbulent 
seas of samsAram .

4. HOMAGE TO THAT IMMENSE LORD AT THE THREE SANDHIS
****************************************************

nama: sAyam nama: pratharnamO raathryA namO divA 
bhavaaya cha sarvaaya chObhAbhyAmakaram nama:
                            --- A.V : XI.2.16

( Meaning) : Salutations to the Lord at evening 
and at dawn , homage at night , homage by the day 
(noon ) .I have paid my humble obesiance to both
His mighty powers of creation and dissolution .

5-7 : HIS OMNIPOTENCE AND OMNIPRESENCE
***************************************

AgnirAseena utthithOasvinA 
indra: prAngh thishtan dakshiNA thishtan Yama:
prathyangh thishtan dhAthOdangh thishTathsavithA 
                               --- A.V: IX .7.19

(Meaning A.V.IX.7.19 ) : In the seated position , He is the sacred
Fire and in the standing posiiton , He is Day and Night .

( Comments on A.V. IX.7.19): At ShOlingar , 
He is Agni as the seated Yogapattai-
Narasimhan ; At ThiruviNNagar , He stands as
Day and Night at the banks of AhOrAthra PushkaraNi ) .

( Meaning : A.V.IX.7.20&21):Standing Eastwards , 
He is full of Glory ; standing southwards , 
He is full of Justice . Standing (facing ) 
westwards, He is the supporter , standing northwards , 
He is the Creator .

(Comments on A.V.IX.7.20&21):Sri RanganAthA faces 
southwards ( Therkku Paarkkum RaajA ) . 
As DharmO VigrahavAn , He is full of justice
and blesses VibheeshaNA after destroying RavaNA .
He established Dharmam and met out justice .
He faces southwards at ThiruvitthuvakkOdu as well
to hear the moving prapatthi of KulasEkahra 
AzhwAr .

At Kaancheepuram , on Garuda Sevai day , He emerges
out of the Western gate and always looks westwards as our
supporter /rakshakan . Other Divya desams , where He 
faces west besides Kancheepuram are : ThiruvAli ,
ThirukkaLvanUr , DwArakai , ThirutthEvanArthogai,
Thiru Nandhipura ViNNagaram , ThirunilAtthingaL thundam ,
Thirup ParamEsvara ViNNagaram , Thirup PaarthanpaLLi ,
ThiruvaNNvaNDUr , ThiruvAttAru and ThiruvehhA . 

At ThiruvallikkENi and many other Divya Desams ,
He faces eastwards and is full of glory ( Indra:
praangh Thishtan ) .At ThiruvallikkENi ,
he is fullof glory as the paramAchAryA , who 
gave us the charama slOkam .

At ThirukkOzhi ( UrayUr ) , He faces Northwards 
as Azhagiya maNavALan , the Creator.

8. SAGUNA BHRAMMAM : SRI VISISHTAADHVAITHIC LORD
*************************************************

UcchishtE naama rUpam chOcchishtE loka aahitha:
ucchissta IndrascchAgnisccha visvamantha: samAhitham 

( Meaning ) : " GOD CONTAINETH NAME AND FORM , AND 
THE WORLD . CLOUD AND SUN AND THE WHOLE UNIVERSE
ARE COMPRISED WITHIN HIM " . The Saareerika doctrine
as elaborated in Srimadh Bhaashyam is covered by
this profound manthram .

9. A PRAYER FOR THE VEDA PURUSHAN TO DWELL INSIDE US
*****************************************************

Rg Saama Yajurucchishta udhgeetha : prasthutham sthutham
himkAra ucchishtE svara: SaamnO mEdisccha tanmayi 
                                   ---A.V: XI.7.5 

( Meaning ) : The recitation of the Rg , Yajur and 
Saama Manthrams as well as the chanting of the Saama 
Saamans by UdhghAthA priest , the Saamans sung by 
the PrastOtA ( a praiser ) priest at the beginning
of the Yaj~nam and the other Saama Saamans recited in 
laudatory mode , the reverberarations ( hum ) , the tone 
and the murmur of the Rks and Saamans , ALL REST IN HIM .
May He reside in me , the soul .

( To Be Continued ) 
Veda PurushAya Nama : Sri RanganAthAya Nama :
Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri Sadagopan