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ThiruvahIndhrapuram RathnAngi Kaimkaryam:Part 46/SvabhAnu SvAgadham:Part II

From the Bhakti List Archives

Sadagopan • April 15, 2003 


SrI:

Dear BhakthAs around the world :

We will continue with more reflections on
the name assigned to this new Year , SvabhAnu.

Coming back to the definition of the name SvabhAnu 
by SevA SwamigaL :

" SvabhAnubhi: SvabhAvathO VibhAthi tEjasAm Pathi "

This tEjasAm Pathi: svabhAvam ( Being the Lord of all
radiances and providing  radiance to them all) makes 
Iswaran to shine without the help from any other power. 
In PoorvAchArya SrI Sookthis, this Svayam PrakAsathvam 
is described as :

" JnAntharatthAl apEkshayaRa thAnE prasikkai " 

This means that it shines with His own power
without an iota of dependence from any others
(Jn~Ananatharam) .

It(the Svayam PrakAsathvam) is a dharmam shared between 
Isvaran , JeevAthmA and Dharma bhUtha Jn~Anam.
There are however significant differences between these 
three tathvams having in common Svayam PrakAsam . 
Every thing is however under the power of Isvaran 
( Isvara AadhInam) . He is the commander and controller of 
ALL. The Svayam PrakAsam of the Lord is subtler 
and unlimited than the Svayam PrakAsam of the other 
two (JeevAthmA and Dharma BhUtha Jn~Anam ) . Hence we will 
focus on Isvaran as the Supreme Tatthvam, when it comes to 
Svayam PrakAsthavam , Svayam JyOthithvam and SvabhAnuthvam. 

"Svayam prakAsa: Yasya Tath Svyam PrakAsan " is 
the accepted definition (Bhauvreehi SamAsam). This
means that It shines without the help of any other
factors.  

This SvabhAnu in the middle of the orb of the Sun 
(Adityan) and His empowering of the three VedAs  to
shine is saluted by the 103rd MahA NaarAyaNopanishad 
manthram: 

" This is verily the Aditya , who illumines this orb.
There are the Riks of the Rg Vedam and that is 
the mandala of the riks. Then again, the flame that is 
blazing in this orb of the Sun , there are Saamans and
that is the orb of the Saamans and that is the world of
Saamans. And  again  there is the Purusha in the flames 
in the orb of the Sun. They are the Yajus , and that is 
the orb of the Yajus , and that is the world of the Yajus.
It is verily the truth of the three VedAs that is shining
out like this . He who is in the orb of the Sun is verily 
the golden hued Purusha(ThrayyEva VidhyA tapathi 
yEshOantharaAdhithyE  hiraNmaya: Purusha:)".
(Dr.NSA Swamy's translation).

Earlier , the UpAsana of Brahman residing in
the DaharAkAsam ( heart cave ) was taught by 
this and other Upanishads. The UpAsana of Brahman 
as residing in the orb of the Sun as SvabhAnu or
Svayam-PrakAsan is taught through the above 
manthram.

Dr.NSA Swamy quotes a slOkam from SrI VishNu PurANam
in this context :

Sarva sakthi: ParA VishNO: Rg-yaju: Saama SamjithA
saishA thrayee tapathyamhO jagadhasccha hinasthi yaa

(meaning): "The Supreme power of VishNu is significant
by the names of Rg, Yajus and Saamam; this triad burns 
all sins and that resides resplendent in the Sun".

In the next manthram of the MahA NaarAyaNOpanishad ,
the connection is made between the Aditya and 
Samavthsara and the PurushA , the Lord of the three
Vedas and SvabhAnu is the overlord of all chEthanams
and achEthanams :

" AdithyO vai tEja: ---Svayambhu PrajApathi: 
Samvathsara ithi  , SamvathsarOasAvAdhithyO 
ya Purusha yEva---ya yEvam Vedaithupanishad"
--MaHA NaarAyaNOPanishad: 104th manthram passages

(meaning): " Aditya is verily lustre , power , strength,
fame , eyes, ears, intellect , mind , anger , mantra ,
death , truth , friend, air , ether , vital air , 
the protector of the worlds , who , which , what , 
that truth , food , life span , immortality , 
the individual self , the world , the celebrated self ,
the self-born , the Lord of all people and SAMVATHSARA ".

This Upanishad manthram teaches the student that
Samvatsara ( the year) is verily Aditya. This PurushA 
inside the orbit of the Sun as Thrayeemayee (Three VedAs)
is the Supreme master of all living  entities and 
the worlds they reside in . It is pointed out that 
a saadhakan , who meditates upon this "SvabhAnu Purushan"
attains equality with Brahman (Brahma Saayujyam)and
attains His very world of Parama Padham and enjoys
all BhOgams with the Lord (SamAna GuNathvam and BhOgathvam)
except Jagath Srushti and Jagath RakshaNam , which are
the exclusive domains of the Samvathsara Roopa Brahman .

The definition given by Dr.NSA Swamy for Samvathsara
is very pertinent  here :

" Samyak vasanthi Sarava bhUthAni asmin ithi Samvathsara:"

( All entities and qualities such as JyOthi and others
that were described in this manthra live very well inside
this Samvathsara Svaroopa Purushan , the Sarvaj~nan ,
Sarva Sakthan and Sarva Phalapradhan ). 

Let us conclude this posting with reflection on few
mathrams from SvEtasvatara Upanishad:

vEdAhamEtham Purusham mahAntham 
AADITHYAVARNAM tamasa: parasthAth
TamEva vidhithvAathimruthyumEthi
nAnya: panTA vidhyathEayanAya 
--Manthram 3.8

(Meaning): " I know this Purusha , who is great ,
who is of the brilliance of the Sun and who is beyond 
matter. Knowing Him alone does one go beyond death.
For attaining THAT , there is no other path".

TamEva bhAnthamanubhAthi sarvam
Tasya BhAsA sarvamidham vibhAthi

(Meaning): " All these shine after Him 
the even shining. All these shine out
on account of His effulgence".

That SvabhAnu is saluted by another manthram of
SvethasvathAra Upanishad:

" He is the all-creator and he has gained everything.
He is indweller in the JeevAthman. He is the Omniscient , 
the Ordainer of time , the repository of all auspicious
qualities ,the promulgator of all kinds of knowledge,
Master of matter and jivAthma , the One who is perfect
with the six qualities such as Jn~Anam and others 
and the One , who is the cause of release from 
samsAra , sustenance of samsAra and bondage in SamsAra". 

May this supremely radiant SvabhAnu Samvathsara Purushan
bless us to know Him :

TameesvarANAm Paramam MahEsvaram 
Tamm dEvathAnAm Paramam cha dhaivatham
Pathim PatheenAm Paramam parasthAth
vidhAma dEvam bhuvanEsameedyam
--SvEthasvathara Upanishad: 6.7

(Meaning): May  we know that effulgent Lord , 
who is the Master of this world , who is adorable 
and who is the Supreme ruler of all rulers , who is
the Supreme God of all gods , who is the Supreme Master
of all Masters and who is beyond every other entity". 

We will conclude this series on SvabhAnu samvathsaram
with salutations from Rg Veda Mantrams in the next posting.

Subhamasthu , Sarva MangaLAni santhu

SrImad  Azhagiya Singar ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam,
Daasan , Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri SadagOpan  




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