Swamy NammAzhwAr Thirunakshathram & Kanchi Varadar's Garuda Sevai

From the Bhakti List Archives

• June 4, 2001


Dear BhakthAs:
 
Today is VaikAsi VisAkam . It is our Prapanna jana 
SanthAna Kootar's Thirunakshathram .It so happens that 
Athtigiri AruLALa PerumAL's Garuda Sevai is taking place
on this day. 

In the very first Paasuram Of ThiruvAimozhi , 
Swamy NammAzhwAr's eyes turn towards Hasthigiri
at Kaanchipuram to offer his salutatations
to DevarAja PerumAL ( AmararkaL Adhpathi):

UyarvaRa Uyarnalam udayavan yavanavan
mayaRvaRa mathinalam aruLinan yavanavan
ayarvaRum AMARARKAL ADHIPATHI YAVANAVAN 
thuyaraRu sudaradi thozhuthezhan mananE

Here , Swamy NammAzhwAr appealed to his mind
and asked it to worship the Lord of Nithyasooris,
Lord DevarAjan known as VaradarAjan. Why so asked
the mind ? Swamy nammAzhwAr counseled his mind 
that the worship of Lord Varadan's resplendent 
Thiruvadi will banish all samsAric sufferings 
and elevate one because Lord Varadan is the one and 
only Supreme Lord with unexcelled auspicious qualities . 
He is the One , who blesses us with the "Jn~Ana -Bhakthi 
faculty , which effaces the weakness of the intellect 
(that doubts, confuses,argues and fails to see what ought 
to be seen)".

Swamy NammAzhwAr's  Bhagavath anubhavam of the Lord 
as Sarva Seshi and as Sarva Loka SaraNyan with SubhAsraya 
ThirumEni is abundantly present in all His Sri Sookthis
in general and in ThiruvAimozhi in particular.His UpadEsam
to us on Lord as SiddhOpAyam and Prapathti as SaadhyOpAyam 
are the essence of SaarIraka Saasthram or VisishtAdhvaitha
VedAntham. AchArya RaamAnujA , His predecessors and successors
derived immense inspiration from Swamy NammAzhwAr's 
Sri Sookthis to help us gain Seshathva Jn~Anam 
and Sri ViashNava Svaroopa Jn~Anam and thus qualify
for Moksha Siddhi thru Prapatthi at a SadAchAryan's
sacred feet .

The series of eight articles by adiyEn on Swamy NammAzhwAr's 
Sri Sookthis are archived in Bhakthi and Malolan archives 
(From 2/26/01 to 3/28/01). They explore the relationships  
between Tamizh MaRai of Swamy NammAzhwAr and the Four Sanskrit
 VedAs (apourushEya Sruthis). 

Inview of the detailed coverage of the highlights of 
Swamy NammAzhwAr's Sri Sookthis in the above article, 
adiyEn will cite selected Saama Vedic Manthrams , whose
echos are heard in the four Prabhandhams of SathakOpa Muni.

Here are a few Saama Veda manthrams and their meanings:

(1) tamm thvA gOpavanO girA janishtadhagnE Angira:
    sa Paavaka srudhee havam

(meaning):" O Lord,ever and everywhere approachable , 
and purifier, kindly listen to our earnest prayers---

Saama Vedam: PurvArchika Saaman:29 & Rg Rk: VII.74.11

(2) Kavim agnim upa stuhi satyadharmANam adhvarE
    dEvam ameevacAtanam

(meaning): " may we worship , the all-wise , 
the all-knowing and the Supreme sustainer of eternal laws .
He is the One , who destroys evils , apparent or concealed,
through His Supreme Goodness."

Saama Vedam : PurvArchika Saaman: 32& Rg Rk: I.12.7

(3)yajishtam thvA vavrumahE devam dEvathrA hOtAram 
amartyam, asya Yaj~nasya sukratum 

(Meaning): " We adore You, as You are the most adorable ,
the invoker of nature's bounties , the immortal and
wise accomplisher of this cosmic creation".

PoorvArchika Saaman: 112 & Rg Rk: VIII.19.3

(4)pra samrAjam charNInAm indram stOthA navyam gheerbhi:
   naram nrushAham mamhishtam

(Meaning): " May you praise with your hymns the Lord of
resplendence , who is the SOLE SOVERIGN of mankind ,
adorable , the leader, the subduer of evil persons 
and the most liberal giver"(VaradarAjan).

(5) About Parathvam of PeraruLALan:

MahAm indrah purasccha nO mahithvamasthu vajriNE
dhyaur na prathinA sava:

(Meaning): " Great is (this) God , greater than 
the greatest,--beyond our measure. He is boundless,
much beyond the celestial space  and is the source 
of all greatness".

PoorvArchika Saaman: 166 and Rg Rk I.8.5

(6) Aa thU na Indhra vrtrahann asmAkam ardham 
Aa gahi, mahaanmahI bhir Uthibhi:

(Meaning): " Oh Mighty resplendent Lord ! 
dispeller of darkness ! May You come to help
us with Your mighty protections!

Saaman 181 & Rg Rk: IV.32.1

(7) suneeTO ghA sa martyO yamm maruthO yam aryamA
Mitras pAntyadruhah

(meaning): " Fortunate in life is that mortal 
whom the faultless Supreme Lord , who is also
the Lord of vital principles , Lord of Justice 
and the Lord of Light , gives His protection ".

SAman 206 & Rg Rk: VII.46.4

(8) abhi thyam mEsham purUhutamrgmiyamindram 
    gheerbhirmadhataa vasvO arNvam I
    yasya dhyAvO na vicharanthibhujE mamhishthamabhi 
    vipramarchatha 

(Meaning): "Glorify that mighty , adorable ,resplendent
God , who is an ocean of wisdom and is adored by all, 
whose virtuous and benevolent deeds spread like
the rays of the Sun for the benefit of mankind. 
May we invoke Him to attain priceless treasures of
true wisdom".

Saaman 376 & Rg Rk: I.51.1

There are many more Saama Veda Saamans that
are echos of Swamy NammAzhwAr's ThiruvAimozhi.
For brevity , adiyEn will stop here and invite 
your attention to the great Sri Sookthis of
Swamy Desikan known as Taathparya RathnAvaLi 
and DramidOpanishad Saaram , where he maps 
the anantha kalyANa guNams of Sriman NaarAyaNan
with the individual decads and paasurams of
ThiruvAimozhi. 

Swamy NammAzhwAr ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam ,
Daasan , Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri SathakOpan 
    


 

 


     

    


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