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Rg Veda manthram: III.14.2

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Sadagopan • May 12, 2002 


SrI:

NamO Veda PurushAya !

Dear BhakthAs : adiyEn will start with series of postings
on Veda Manthrams related to prapatthi/SaraNAgathy/Bhara 
Samarpanam  and related topics from today.

This manthram has Agni as DevathA and the chandas is Thrishtubh:
The antharyAmi of Agni is addressed here.

ayAmi tE NAMA-UKTIM jushasva ritAvas thubhyam cEtatE sahasva:
vidvAn aa vakshi vidhushO ni shathsi madhya aa barhir UtayE yajathra 

---Rg Vedam: III.14.2

(meaning): To Thou , O Magnificient and Adorable Lord ,
the protector and sustainer of Your eternal Sanaathana laws ,
adiyEn offers my deep, profound and respectful salutations to You . 
May Thou, Mighty Lord wielding enormous power as the guardian
of sacred rites accept adiyEn's salutations ! As the Omniscient 
One and Possessor of Supreme Jn~Anam , May Thou bring all men of
wisdom in to Your fold ! O Sacred Lord ! May Thou make Your 
shrine in the heart lotuses of Your bhakthAs for their rakshanam.

The key words here is "ayAmi tE Nama-ukthim" . Deep feelings of 
devotion and self-surrender are displayed through this "Nama:"
sabdham. In many pramANams,the "Nama: " sabdham is used in place of
SaraNAgathi.Therefore one can infer that "Nama: " sabdham 
here is dealing with Prapatthi performed at the holy 
feet of the Lord. 

Nama: Sabdham is housed in the Moola manthram between PraNavam
and "NaarAyaNAya ". Our PoorvAchAryAs have provided deep insight
into the meanings of " nama:" sabdham . Swamy Desikan in His
magnum opus , Srimad Rahasya Thraya Saaram has dealt at length
about the profound meanings of the "nama: " sabdham (27th chapter).
ParAsara Bhattar has provided earlier the meanings of "Nama:
sabdham in the third slOkam of his SrI Sookthi , Ashta slOki. 

A quick summary of Swamy Desikan's upadesam for us is provided below:
" Nama: " is to be understood as "na+mama" .Swamy Desikan quotes two
slOkmas from MahA BhAratham Saanthi parvam , which state 
that the reason for the afflictions of SamsAram is associated with 
the two lettered word "Mama".The reason behind the realization of 
the eternal Brahman is understood by reflection on 
the combination of words :" Na+Mama ".The crookedness associated 
with Ahankaara MamakArams (egoism, possessiveness) will only grow 
the ajn~Anam (nescience/ignorance) associated with SamsAram.
That in turn will obstruct the growth of true Jn~Anam about 
the Jeevan's sEshathvam ( being the sole dependent of 
the Lord or as the one who exists for the sole purpose of 
the sEshin , the Lord)) and Paaratantryam (not having its 
own independence).Nama: sabdham or Na Mama refers to 
the Jeevan not having ownership about its svaroopam 
or ownership about things associated with it;
further,it has no Lordship(supermacy-Swamythvam ) over 
anything.It has no independence of its own (SvAtantryam). 

The samhithais like Ahirbhudhnya Samhithai elaborates on 
the meanings of "Nama: " sabdham along the categories of 
SthUlam , Sookshmam and Param. The sthUla (gross)meaning is 
based on VyAkaraNa Saasthram (grammar). According to the meaning 
derived from sookshmaa (sthUlam) aspect , "Nama: "is interpreted
as the salutations to the Lord with great humility and
the performance of Prapatthi with its 5 angams.The above 
(second/sookshma) category of meaning is based on niruktham . 
According to this intrepretation , Jeevan is understood 
as not the possesor of independence or ownership of itself 
("thaanum tanudayanavum tanakku uriyanavalla"). It has 
no independence of its own (Tanakku SvAtantriyam illai). 
The meaning according to Param (rahasya artham at the highest 
level) is based on Akshara NigaNDu is that the Supreme fruit 
realized from the performance of the of SaadhyOpAyam (Prapatthi) 
is the SiddhOpAyam of SrIman NaarAyaNan .

It is easier to explain the essence of the Nama: sabdham
in Tamil: " (1) Jeevan Tanakku tAnE sEshan allan 
(2) OnRum Jeevanakku sEsham anRu (3)Jeevan onRukkum 
sEshi allan (4) Jeevanakku svAthanthriyam illai.
Swamy Desikan states that the above axiomatic & 
eternal truths are revealed by our PoorvAchAryAs 
( Desika darisatha saarArTam). 

Swamy Desikan sums the many meanings along these lines
with extensive citations from Ahirbudhnya Samhithai
in Srimad Rahasya Thraya Saaram  and points out that  
this powerful "Nama: " Sabdham housed in the Veda manhtrams 
is the karaNa manthram for the performanc eof all 
types of Prapatthi :

yEvam sikshitha-naanArTam NAMA: SABDHA-samanvithA:
sarvE karaNathAm yaanthi manthrA: SVAATHMASAMARPANE 

NaarAyaNa, NaarAyaNa , NaarAyaNa
Daasan, Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri SadagOpan/SaThakOpan   






   



 



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