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[Oppiliappan] ThiruvahIndhrapuram RathnAngi Kaimkaryam:Part 48/Rg Vedic SvabhAnu SvAgadham:Part III

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Sadagopan • April 16, 2003 


SrI:

Dear BhakthAs around the world :

Let us continue today with more reflections on the name 
assigned to this New Year , SvabhAnu from Rg veda 
mantrams. Although every canto of Rg Vedam like the other
three Vedams are full of eulogies for this self-radiant
Lord, we will focus on Canto VI of Rg Vedam to illustrate
the depth and variety of these salutaions in this posting.  

Definitions of SvabhAnu Tatthvam
*********************************
Coming back to the definitions of the name SvabhAnu 
by SevA SwamigaL , let us focus on the two definitions:

" SvabhAnubhi: SvabhAvathO VibhAthi tEjasAm Pathi "
--Desika  Bhaktha rathnam , SEvA SwamigaL

" JnAntharatthAl apEkshayaRa thAnE prasikkai " 
--SWamy  Desikan 

This means that this lustre shines with its own power
without an iota of dependence from any others
(Jn~Ananatharam) .It is the SvabhAvam ( intrinsic
attribute of this Param JyOthi to be "SvabhAnu" or
SubhAnu for that same reason . 

Rg veda manthrams (Canto VI) saluting VaisvAnaran as SvabhAnu
**************************************************************
Besides , Upanishads , there are many  Veda manthrams that 
salute the Lord as Cosmic Fire principle with its intrinsic
jyOthi that does not  depend on anything  else for its
undiminishing  radiance. Let us study a few of these manthrams
and follow Niruktha passages to understand the importance of
the name , VaisvAnaran for this SvabhAnu.

JaathavEdan , VaisvAnaran and  Agni: Definitions
*************************************************
In vedam , VaisvAnaran , JaathavEda: and Agni are used
interchangably to refer to the Lord , who is the empowerer of 
Fire . 

The Vedic commentator Saayana defines JaathavEda: as
the One , who knows all that is born and as their creator 
( JaathAnaam vedithurvaisvAnarAgnE:).He is the one who knows 
(Veda: ) of all that is born (JaathAni) according to Nirukta.
He pervades every created being as antharyAmi Brahman 
( jAthE jAthE vidhya vidhyatha vaa).This JaathavEdan 
has  also been described as having the chEthanams and 
achEthanams as His VibhUthi or Isvaryam ( JaathavitthO vaa ,
Jaatha dhana:). He can not be the simple Agni BhagavAn
taking oblations to the DevAs as per these definitions.
He is then the Param JyOthI , Svayam JyOthi , SvabhAnu-SubhAnu
and not the terrestrial Agni. 

" JaathAnAm  Vedhithru-VaisvAnarAgnE: " commentary found
in Saayana BhAshyam thus connects JaathavEda to VaisvAnaran 
and Agni. 

VaisvAnaran
************
Let us now move on to the name of VaisvAnaran 
in the context of the SvabhAnu seated at the center of 
the Solar orbit with a radiance that does not depend 
on anything else for its unique lustre. It is the Celestial
fire , which enters all beings and controls them 
( VisvAn narAn nayathi ) and which is also VisvAN + ara:,
the Lord who pervades all beings created by Him. He is
thus the Sarva Visva PrakAsakan ( One who is the illuminator 
of the  worlds). One Rg Veda  manthram hints that this
self-radiant cosmic Lord is not the Sun (Adithyan) through
this manthram: VaisvAnarO yathathE SooryENa ( this VaisvAnaran
stretches with the Sun). Since Sun can not stretch with 
his own self , Some thing else stretches the Sun and 
that  empowering entity is VaisvAnaran, the Lord through 
His self-effulgent rays reaches to every corner of His
Universe and illumines them and purifies them.He overcomes
intense darkness (profound ajn~Anam) with high light . This is
the Dhruvam JyOthi ( steady light /NandhA ViLakku that
Thirumangai saluted in his Paasurams) at the center of 
the Sun as well as the light of Jn~Anam that emanates from 
within , from the antharyAmi Brahman seated at the center 
of our heart lotus:

dhruvam JyOthirnihitham dhrusyE kam manO javishtam patayatsvantha:
visvE dEvA: samanasa: sakEthA yEkam krathumabhi vi yanti saadhu
---Rg Vedam : 6.9.5

(meaning ) His steady and eternal JyOthi is swifter in its
passage than even the thoughts of the mind.That JyOthi(SvabhAnu) 
is positioned among the world of  ChEthanams as antharyAmi
Brahman and points the path to true happiness and freedom 
from suffering . All the cosmic powers are under its control
(adhInam) and they (Cosmic powers)move unobstructed to 
that single purpose. 

Other Rg vedm Canto VI Manthrams relating to SvabhAnu Tatthvam
***************************************************************
The next set of manthrams are set in the form of a prayer 
and a statement of a Saadhakan filled with awe over this 
SvabhAnu Purushan: " My eyes are tuned to behold Him;
my  ears are turned to hear Him ; my mind hastens
towards Him ... all the cosmic forces , alarmed , adore 
Him... May You (SvabhAnu) prserve us with Your protection.  
You are the Light Immortal among Mortals.. You dispel darkness 
with Your lustre... May we win You for our strength , Oh lustre
Divine , hundredfold and thousandfold ways THROUGH YOUR GRACE ".

Rg Veda Manthram VI.4.3 salutes this SubhAnu/SvabhAnu Prushan
as " being clothed with His radiant lustre and that He is 
exempt from decay and is a Purifier.He is saluted as 
the destroyer of unsatiated desires ". Saayana comments
that He pervades all the Universe with light and illuminates
it ( inOthi BhAsA sarvam vyApnOthi sOyam ). 

Rg Veda Manthram VI.4.5 decribes Him as the One , " who 
whets His gloom-dispersing radiance and accepts reverential
homage and identifies Him as the Lord of vitality , who
banishes the dark forces". 

Rg Veda Manthram VI.4.6 salutes this SvabhAnu for filling 
the inner realms of the mind " with enlightenment and 
refulgent radiance". 

The next manthram salutes this Supreme Svayam-Jyothi as:
" Your divine resplendence is manifest in lightning 
and Your strength is in the swift wind". 

Rg Veda manthram VI.41.2 prays to this SvabhAnu Purushan
this way for help: " Oh resplendent Lord! Let Your 
adamantine (vajra like) justice be hurled against our
evil tendencies , for the recovery of our shrouded 
conscience".

He is adored as the akanda Kaala svarUpi including
Samvathsaram in Rg Veda Manthram VI.38.4 : " You are
the resplendent Lord , whom our aarAdhanams and offerings 
exalt.... You are the One exalted by the course of days 
and nights,months and years". He is visualized as 
Samvathsara SvarUpi in the context of akaNda kaalam." 

We will conclude this posting on SvabhAnu Samvathsaram 
with two more manhtrams from Canto VI of Rg Vedam.

Humility of the Saadhakan
**************************
nahi nu tE mahimna: samasya na maghavan maghaattvasya vidhma
na raadhasO-raadhasO noothnasyEndra nakir dadrisa indhriyam tE
--Rg Vedam: VI.27.3

(meaning ): " Oh Bounteous and vastly capable Lord!
We know not the gigantic extent of of Your vast magnitude !
We also do not know the limit of Your abundance (of grace
and wealth). No one has yet comprehended the limits of
Your power, which bursts with fresh forms every moment".

The adoring Saadhakan gives up any pretensions of
trying to know the magnitude , abundance and power
as well as the place of residence of the Lord and
surrenders to this Sarva Raksha SvayambhAnu this way:

yadhindhra dhivi pAryE yadh ridhag 
yadh vaa svE sadanE yatra vaasi
athO nO Yaj~nam avasE niyutvaAn 
sajOshA: paahi girvANO marudhbhi:
--Rg  vedam: VI.40.5

(meaning): Oh Resplendent Lord! Oh SvabhAnu!
Oh param JyOthis! whether Your abode is in the far 
distant heaven or in any other place or wheresoever 
You may reside , from there , May  You propitiated by
our eulogies , harness Your energy and vital principles
be well pleased to protect our Yaj~nam ( Prapatthi 
Yaj~nam) for our deliverance (from the cycles of
births and  deaths).

Such is the redeeming messages housed in one of 
the Cantos of Rg Vedam regarding the Samvathsaram ,
SvabhAnu that is just two days old !

SvabhAnu Svaroopa Veda PurushAya Nama:

Subhamasthu, Sarva MangaLAni Santhu
SrImad Azhagiya Singar ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam
Daasan , Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri Sadagopan




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