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Sri HayagrIva Sthothram : Part-->XXX: SlOkam 22

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Sadagopan • October 2, 2000 


SrimathE RaamAnujAya Nama:

Dear BhakthAs:

In the previous slOkam , Swamy Desikan focussed on
the PrabhOdha Raajeeva Paadams ( Sacred lotus feet 
of the Lord ) and the gem-studded anklets there , 
which remove through their radiance , the darkness of 
nescience through meditation on them. 

In this slOkam , Swamy Desikan refers to the very 
same gem-set anklets generating a variety of SunAdhams,
which are Veda-garbha mayam :

tvath kinkarAlankaraNOchithAnAm 
  tvayaiva kalpAnthara paalithAnAm
manju praNAdham MaNi noopuram tE
  manjUshikAm Veda-girAm prathIma:

(Meaning ): Oh Lord HayagrIvA ! It is common custom 
for the citizens of the world to protect their precious
jewelery in safe boxes. The Veda Vaaks ( Veda manthrams)
are the SirObhUshaNams ( precious Jewelery worn on the head )
for Your bhakthAs. You protect them (Veda Vaaks )and 
keep them eternal by instructing Brahma dEvan during 
every kalpam . Your anklet aabharaNam ( Thiruvadi Sathankai) 
houses matchless precious gems. They raise sweet and 
sacred naadham , when You move about .Those naadhams 
are delectable to Your BhakthA's ears. Those Naadhams 
instruct them on the deeper meanings of vedic passages.
Therefore, adiyEn equates Your Thiruvadi sathankai to 
a safe box that protects the precious veda Vaaks inside it. 

Here , the Veda Vaaks are connected to the gems on the anklets
that generate sweet and sacred Naadhams. The anklets themselves
are compared to the safe box that houses the Veda Vaaks .
The anklets (sathankai/salankai ) are made up of small 
individual golden balls with a gem that is free to rotate 
inside . At the end of each ball is also one or more gems .
These individual golden balls are linked together to form 
the golden silampu (sathankai)with gems inside and outside .
Dancers use these sathankais (noopurams ) to keep TaaLam 
during their narthanam . Our Lord ,the cosmic dancer and
the YajamAnan of the veda Vaaks generates light and sound 
as He goes about His sanchAram . Depending on the varieties
of nadais (steps or sanchAra kramams ) distinct and delectable
Veda Naadham (dhvani) is heard by the BhakthAs meditating on
the sacred Thiruvadi of the Lord.They attain Sumathi (divine
knowledge) by loosing themselves in the naadhams geenrated by 
these Veda Vaaks emanating from the anklet aabharanam  of 
Lord HayagrIvA , who is the protector of the veda Vaaks 
( gou:) through the ages .

The following Rg Vedic passage gives expression to this 
thought :

asyadhEshA SUMATHI: paprathAnAbhavath poorvyA bhUmnA GOU:
--Rg Vedam : X.31.6

(meaning): May this most gracious and eternal life-giving
divine speech (Veda Vaak.Gou:) impart extensive knowledge
to us .

The importance of the divine Speech emanting as naadhams
from the Lord's sacred feet is saluted in another Rg Veda
manthram ( Rk: X.71.1):

"BruhaspthE prathamam vaachO agram yath 
 prairatha  naamadhEyam dadhAna:I 
 yadEshAm SrEshtam yadh aripram  aaseeth 
 prENA tadEshAm nihitham guhAvi: II "

(meaning): " Oh Lord of the vast Universe ! verily , 
that is the best part of the Divine Speech , which for 
the first time has given names to the objects and 
which has been uttered for the very first time.
The Veda Vaaks are revealed through those earliest 
stages to those , who are best among men , devoid of
all sins. THE DIVINE SPEECH IS REVEALED IN THEIR 
HEARTS WITH YOUR AFFECTION ".  

This a magnificent verse set in Trishtup metre , 
whose subject is JnAnandha Maya Devan, Lord HayagrIvan 
and His anugraham to Brahma Devan (and later to qulaified 
sages) to impart the knowledge associated with divine speech 
or Veda Vaak , which leads on to the creation of Naama-roopa 
prapancham . This verse has been recognized as the one 
singing out the glory of the Supreme Being , who imparts 
divine knowledge (parama purushArtha , Para brahma Jn~Anam ).
The naming of the objects took place after the acquisition
of this divine Vaak , which itself has been given the names of
Gau, Gauri, VaaNi , BhArathi , Sarasvathi, Sabdha , Rk , 
Mahi , dhEnu et al ( NighanDu I.11 ). Each object got thus 
many names during this primordial period. This period of
assigning names to objects with the anugraham of Lord 
HayagrIvan has been recognized as the most thrilling 
epoch of human culture.

Niruktham points out that the one , who is blessed with
divine speech (Veda Vaak ) bears the mark of BhadrA LakshmI .
Divine speech keeps concealed in it that wealth (BhadrA LakshmI ).
The words that Swamy Desikan chose in this verse to house these
thoughts are: " manjUshikAm veda-girAm pathIma:)" . Swamy states
that the Lord's auspicious salankais are the safe box in which
the Veda Vaaks ( BhadrA LakshmI) are housed.

Yajur Vedam ( Chapter: XXVI.2), " yaTEmAm VaachAm
KalyANIm --" also attests to the message of
" yEshAm vaachi BhadhrA nihithA LakshmI: BhadhrA KalyANI "
(Divine speech keeps concealed in it the auspicious wealth) .

The great NigamAntha MahA Desikan houses all these deep thoughts
in his 22nd slOkam of Sri HayagrIva SthOthram as revealed
to him by the Lord seated in front of him .

Srimath Azhagiya Singar ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam ,
Daasan , Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri SatakOpan



        



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