Search:
Bhakti List Archives

Sri Vilakkoli Perumal, Thoopul/ThirutthaNkA dhivya Desam: Nithya AarAdhana kaimkaryam for VilakkoLi PerumAL and Swamy Desikan : Part III (Vedic references to JyOthi).

From the Bhakti List Archives

Sadagopan • December 5, 2001 


Dear BhakthAs:

We will now start on the Vedic references to JyOthi .
These Veda manthrams celebrate the JyOthis or Dheepa PrakAsan
aspects of the Supreme Being , who resides in archA form at 
ThirutthaNkA and other dhivya Desams to bless us. The five 
manthrams start with the word "JyOthi" and refer thereby to
the unmatched , self-effulgent luminosity , from which other
radiant bodies derive their radiance. From that VirAt JyOthir-maya
Purushan , the Sun and the fire arose( Purusha Sooktham):

ChakshO: SooryO ajAyatha 
MukhAth IndhrascchAgnisccha 

( Out of the eye of that VirAt Purushan , the Sun arose;
>From His mouth arose Indhran and Agni). 

Purusha Sooktham goes on to say:

vEdhamEtham Purusham MahAntham
Aadhithya Varnam Tamasasthu pArE
SarvANi RoopANi vichithya dheera:
nAmAni-kruthvA abhivadhan yadh aasthE

( I have realized that Supreme JyOthirmaya Purushan,
resplendent like the Sun , ever-shining, beyond all
darkness , who having created all forms and names ,
in His wisdom , exists as though functioning through 
them all). This is the statement of the Manthra dhrashtA. 

The creation of the Sooryan by the VirAt Purushan is
referred to by Soorya namaskAra prasnam (24th anuvAkam ):

"yEvAhyEthi , tatha Aadhitya udhathishtath , Saa prAchi dhigh,
aTAruNa: ,kEthur-dakshiNatha upAdadhAth , yEvAhyagna ithi ,
tathO vaa Agnirudhahtishtath ,saa dakshiNA dhigh ,... 

( The VirAt Purushan arose out of PraLaya waters
and in His cupped hands had arghya jalam that He  
relased with the command : Oh Sooryan ! Arise. 
The directions that Sooryan arose from became 
the eastern direction.That ParamAthmA revered
as Aaruna Kethu released another argyam calling for
Agni to arise. Agni arose out of that direction , 
which became the Southern direction ---).

He is the Supreme Being ( PrajApathi )
and that He is the One behind all created
things like Agni, Air, Sun , Moon , shining 
stars and immortality principle . He is food , 
water and Lord of all His creations . So thunders 
the MahA NaarAyaNOpanishad manthram:

tadhEvAgnis-tadhvAyus-tath Sooryas-tadhu chandramA:
tadhEva sukramamurutham Tadh Brahma tadhApa: Sa PrajApathi:

The Manthram (12.13) of MahA NaarAyaNOpanishad salutes
the greatness and unquieness of this JyOthirmaya Purushan
this way : "Other than Whom , there is nothing higher, 
nothing minuter , nothing greater , by That PurushA --
all this is filled. 

The Veda Manthrams reveal further , who this JyOthirmaya
Parama Purushan is and what His attributes are:

NaarAyaNa: Param Brahma Tatthvam NaarAyaNa: Para:
NaarAyaNa parO JYOYTHIRAATHMAA  Naaraayana: Para:

(NaarAyaNa is the Supreme Reality designated as Brahman;
NaarAyana is the highest (self) . NaarAyaNan is 
THE SUPREME LIGHT (Dheepa PrakAsan) described in 
the Upanishads. NaarAyaNa  is the infinite self).

With this introduction , adiyEn will focus on 
the first of the Five Rg veda Manthrams celebrating
the JyOthi aspect of the Parama Purushan presiding over 
ThirutthaNkA :

First Rg Veda Manthram on JyOthirmaya Purushan:
***********************************************
JyothishmathIm adhithim dhArayathkshithim 
svarvatImA sachEthE dhivEdhivE jAgruvAmsA dhivEdhivE
JyOthishmath kshathram aasatE AadhithyA dhAnunaspathI
--Rg vedam : I.136.3

The Celestial , Eternal Lord in the Form of Sun ,
the JyOthirmayan is worshipped. He is recognized as
the animator of people on the path of Rutham (DhArmic path).
He is recognized as the inspirer of those , who travel
on the path of Rutham and Satyam. He is requested to 
appear day after day to be worshipped by those , 
who wake up early in the morning ( awakened ones).

Upanishads identify the Purushan at the center of the Sun 
as Soorya NaarAyaNan , the Supreme radiant Lord. The Four
VedAs have their abode there as well accordign to Upanishads.  

The Second and Third Rg Veda Manthrams on JyOthirmaya Purushan
***************************************************************

The next two Rg veda Manthrams salute the JyOthirmaya 
Purushan and recognize Him as the discriminating intellect 
that separtes the JyOthi from darkness (Tamas ).This Rk
( III. 39.7) prays for total separation from all evils
by being blessed to be far away from such evils. Deep 
Bhakthi-poorvaka PraNAmam is offered here by the worshipper
to the JyOthirmaya Para Brahmam :

jyOthir VruNeetha TamasO 
vijAn aarE syAma dhurithAdh abhIkE
imA gira: sOmapA: sOmavriddha 
jushasvEndhra purutamasya kArO:


The Rk Veda Manthram ( III.39.8)continues with the prayer
to be blessed to be far from all evils. It pleads with 
the JyOthirmaya Purushan for the divine light to be spread 
throughout the realms of both body and mind to become worthy
of performing venerable kaimakryams. The worshipper offers 
aahUthi(samarpaNams) and prays for the bestowal of increasing
(spiritual ) affluence:

JyOthir yaj~nAya rOdhasI anu 
shyad aarEsyAma dhurithasya bhUrE:
BhUri cidh dhi tujathO marthyasya 
supArAsO vasavO barhaNAvath

The Fourth Rg Veda manthram on JyOthirmaya Purushan (VIII.58.3)
****************************************************************

JYOTHISHMANTHAM Kethumantham thri-chakram 
sukham raTam sushadham bhUrivAram
chithrAmaghA yasya yOgE dhijaj~ne tamm
vaam huvE athi riktham pibhadhyE 

(Meaning): I invoke that One , who is JyOthirmayam
and radiant ; I invoke that One , who is the rich storehouse 
of enlightenment , who is the master of a magnificent chariot
with three wheels , that travels gently . I invoke that 
radiant One , whose power showers on us brilliant treasures.
I invoke that JyOthirmayan to come hither and partake 
the Soma rasam offering .

The Fifth Rk on JyOthirmaya Purushan( IX.86.10)/Saamans 1031-1033)
******************************************************************
JYOTHIR Yajn~asya pavathE madhu 
priyam pithA dEvAnAm janithA vibhUvasu:
dhadhAthi rathnam svadhayOr apeechyam 
madhinthamO mathsara indhriyO rasa:

(meaning) : It is the effulgence of the cosmic
sacrifice. It is the distilled essence of sweet
and insatiable nectar of juices (aarAvamudhu).
It is the source of all that is bountiful in nature.
It is the srushti karthA for all creations. 
It is the eternal spring of all the wealth of the world.
This most exhilirating , stimulating and life-sustaining
elixir of Supreme radiance is the base for all hidden 
treasures in this LeelA vibhUthi and Nithya VibhUthi.

UttarArchika Saaman 1031 and the next two Saamans
follow the thought of this Rig Veda Manthram.

adiyEn will start the individual verses of Swamy
Desikan's SaraNAgathi Dheepikai in the next posting.

Swamy Desikan ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam ,
Oppiliappan Koil Varadachari SatakOpan

P.S : Progress report on the Kaimkaryam:
Six BhakthAs have come forward sofar to contribute 
69,000 Rupees . We are thus at the 23 percent level of
reaching the target figure of 300,000 rupees since 
the announcement of this kaimkaryam on November 30, 2001. 

adiyEn requests additional devotees to come forward 
to support the nithya aarAdhanam at ViLakkOli
PerumAL Sannidhi and Swamy Deikan's Sannidhi 
at ThUppul , the avathAra Stalam of Swamy Desikan.
It was at ViLakkoLi PerumAL Sannidhi that anna prAsanam
samskAram took place for Swamy Desikan.

         

 

                                                                            
                                                  

 






--------------------------------------------------------------
           - SrImate rAmAnujAya namaH -
To Post a message, send it to:   bhakti-list@yahoogroups.com
Archives: http://ramanuja.org/sv/bhakti/archives/
 

Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/