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BhadrAsanam: Some reflections /Part II

From the Bhakti List Archives

Sadagopan • April 16, 2000 


Dear BhakthAs:

We will look at additional Rks from
Rg Vedam referring to the subject of Bhadram and by
extrapolation to BhadrAsanam in this concluding posting .

A Prayer to the one seated on the consecrated throne
******************************************************
Sage VasishtA performed PaadhukA PattabhishEkam .
The divine light that emanated from the consecrated
PaadhukAs is a benovolent one. It is a source of
spiritual sustensnace .It is enshrined in ThiruvAimozhi
of SatAri Soori, whose other name is NammAzhwAr. This Rk
( KhAndam 7.96.3) with double "Bhadrams " for emphasis is 
relatable to BhadrAsanam housing the Lord's Paadhukais:

"BHADRAM id BHADRA krinavat Sarasvathy akavAri cetai
 vAjinIvathI , griNanA Jamadagnivat stuvanA ca Vasishtavath."
 RgVedam: VII.96.3

Meaning : May  the steady and auspicious stream of
divine light bestow mangaLam on us. May the blemishless
and eternal stream , the provider of spiritual sustenance,
keep us in its focus. Oh divine Light( nandhA viLakkE!)
You have already been eulogized by great ones endowed 
with divine vision. Now , please accept the eulogies of
a seeker of truth !

The clear reference to VasishtA , who was the AchAryA
of Raghu Kulam and conducted the PaadhukA PattAbhishEkam
is uncanny.

B.Another prayer to the One Seated on the BhadrAsanam
*******************************************************

This prayer is to destroy all of our confusions 
by appeal to the divine one seated on the BhdrAsanam :

BHADRAM mana: kruNushva vritratUryE yenA samathsu sAsaha:
ava sthira thanuhi bhUri sardhathAm vanEma tE abhishtibi:
Rg Vedam : 8.19.20

(meaning): Oh destroyer of evils ( ViparItha Jn~Anam )!
Please bless us with that resolute mind to meet with
our struggles in this life by which we may overcome all
our foes that stand in the way of spiritual advancement.
May we be blessed to celebrate You through our 
earnest prayers!

Our SatAri Soori's prayer in beautiful Tamil is an
echo of the thoughts contained in the above Rk of 
Rg Vedam:

aavi thihaikka iyvar kumaikkum siRRinbam 
paaviyEnaippala nee kaattippaduppAyO?
Thaavi vaiyamm koNDa tadam thaamaraikatkkE
koovikkoLLUm kaalam innam kuRuhAthO?
ThiruvAimozhi: 6.9.9

(meaning):The distracting five senses goad my mind to
vulgar pleasures that are evanescent.My mind succumbs to 
these temptations , even when it knows about the dangers 
presented by them . My soul stimbles into a whirlpool
of these sensory stimuli and does not know how to come
out of this calamity , even if it wishes to escape these
tortures. Oh My Dear One ! My Lord ! Would You subject me
to all these humiliations and sufferings by tempting me with
more evanescent pleasures ? I rememember the time , when 
Your sacred foot during ThrivikramAvathaaram extended 
all over this world . Alas ! I missed that blessed occasion !
I was not born then .Such a sinner I am ! Even now , 
You may  call me to Your lotus feet! Won't You bless me 
to make that time of union with Your feet very soon? 

C.Grateful prayer to the One seated on the BhadrAsanam
*******************************************************

Another Rk ( Rg Vedam VIII.93.28) prays to the one
seated on the BhadrAsanam this way :

BHADRAM BHADRAM na aa bharEshamUrjam sathakrathO
yadhIndhra mriLayAsi na:

(Meaning): Oh performer of hundreds of noble deeds !
Bless us with what is most auspicious ! Bless us 
with spiritual strength and nourishmnet ; for
O resplendent Lord ! You have been kind to us.

The echo of this Rk is heard in the ThiruvAimozhi
paasuram ( 4.9.4), where NammAzhwAr , the One seated 
on the BhadrAsanam states that his heart is wavering 
and fears about what is going to happen next. He praises 
Lord Narasimhan and confides: " One knows that it is
essential to render Kaimkaryam to You and become Your nithya
daasan and enjoy paripUrNa BrahmAnubhavam .Alas ! My mind
gets puzzled as to what to do . Please help me understand
what is the right thing to do with Your own innate simplicity.
Please make my choice easy for me to get closer to You !
Bless me with what is the most auspicious ! You have 
infinite dayA for people like me !

D.Another Prayer to the One seated on the BhadrAsanam:
*****************************************************

Towards the end of the Rg Vedam ( Tenth canto) , we
come across a KUraL VeNNpA type of aphoristic manthram:

BHADRAM nO api vaathya mana:( Rg Vedam :X.20.1)

This is a poignant and short prayer to
the Lord (the antharyAmi Brahman of Agni).
It appeals to the Lord: "Oh the inner being
of the Fire divine! May Thou inspire our mind
towards beneficial works".

This KuRaL type of verse reminds us of the KuaRL 
type of verse found towards the end of ThiruvAimozhi,
where the AzhwAr, who is about to ascend  Parama Padham
instructs us with great affection as an AchAryan :

KaNNan KazhaliNai --naNNum manamudayIr
yeNNUm ThirunAmam --thiNNam NaaraNamE
ThiruvAimozhi: 10.5.1

(Meaning): Oh Men wishing to attain as the goal of 
Your lives , the sacred pair of feet of Lord KrishNan,
meditate on His most important name ,NaarAyaNan.
Please meditate on that name without fail .You 
will be rewarded for sure !

The Vedam asks the Lord to bless our mind with
Bhadram (beneficial works) to reach Him . NammAzhwAr
spells out one of the beneficial works in the fifth
paasuram of this decad:

naaDIr naaDORum --vaadAmalar koNDu
paaDIr Avan naamam--veeDE peRalAmE

(Meaning): Oh Humans desiring Moksham ! Please
perform every day archanA for Him with love using
fresh blososms of flowers and recite His names 
during that archanA . You will surely attain His
sacred feet and perform nithya kaimkaryam in 
His parama Padham.

E.An Elaboration of the above prayer to the Lord
**************************************************

The previous manthram was aphoristic:

"BHADRAM nO api vaathaya mana:"

The Rk X.25.1 elaborates on the brief prayer
and salutes the magnificient Lord :

BHADRAM nO api vaathaya manO daksham uta krathum
adhA tE sakhyE andhasO vi vO madhE raNan gavO na 
yavasE vivakshasE --Rg X.25.1

(meaning ): O Lord , the embodiment of Bliss !
Please grant us the boon of pure mind , energy
and wisdom to think of You always. Let Men derive great 
pleasure in Your unquestioned love ,in Your carouse
like the conteneted cattle in fresh pasture. Thou
are indeed verily great. Your DayA is incomparable .

One is reminded of the ThiruvAimozhi: 1.6.8
in this context:

kazhimin ThoNDeergal kazhitthu Thozhuminavanai thozhuthAl
vazhi ninRa valvinai mALvitthu ahivinRiyAkkam tharumE

(meaning): Oh Ye Men! who have intense desire to perform
Kaimkaryam to the Lord ! As a first step , banish all
the temptations arising from worldly pleasures. Stay
away from them .After that, devote Yourself totally
to His kaimkaryam. Pleased by Your kaimkaryam, the Lord
will banish all mOksha virOdhis that have been plaguing
You all your lives. He will bless You with MokshAnugraham
and bless You to perform blemishless , eternal Kaimkaryam
to Him at His Supreme abode.

adiyEn concludes these reflections on
the BhadrAsanam made auspicious by the residence
of the Sri RanganAtha Paadhukais ( NammAzhwAr) 
with a prayer to Him :

Here is auspiciousness; There is auspicouness(Bhadram)
Everywhere is auspicousness ( sarvathO Bhadram ).
Everywhere our sadAchAryan is , there is uninterrupted
auspicousness (nithya , Niravaidhika Bhadram ).

NaarAyaNa , NaarAyaNa , NaarAyana ,
Daasan , Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri SadagOpan 


 


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