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Jayathu Sri RanganAtha: Jayathu Sri Veda NaarAyaNa: Part 8

From the Bhakti List Archives

Sadagopan • April 21, 1998 


Dear Devotees of Veda Purushan Sri RanganAthan :

In my introductory postings , I had mentioned 18 
units : four Kalasams , each one standing for 
one of the Vedams , the Vimanam , Sri Ranganatha ,
Sri Ranganayaki and eleven AzhwArs who blessed us 
with 245 paasurams . I had appealed to you to consider
support for Sri Ranganatha temple construction by units 
of 18 bricks . 

In the next four postings , I will cover the Lord
as Veda Saaram . I will start with the Vedam that the Lord
Himself extolled as the one very dear to Him : Saama Vedam .

SAAMA VEDA SVARUPI: LORD RANGANAATHAN
**************************************

I WILL SELECT ILLUSTRATIVE VERSES THAT COME CLOSE TO
AZHWAAR'S ANUBHAVAMS . 

SAAMAN 1 : ECHO OF THIRUVIRUTTHAM PAASURAM
********************************************

In the first paasuram of Thiruviruttham , NammAzhwar 
begs the Lord of Gods , Sriman NaarAyaNA to listen 
to his appeal : 

--imayOr talaivA ! mey ninRu kEttaruLAi ,
adiyEn seyyum viNNappamE "

In the AgnEya khAndam of Saama vedam ( Decad III.29)
a similar appeal is made to the Lord to hear well 
the appeal that is made by the devotee:

tamm tvA gOpavanO girA janishtadagnE Angira: I
sa paavaka srudhee havam II

( Meaning ) : O Sriman NaarAyaNaa , who is inside 
Agni and gives it its power to burn things ! 
I as a devotee of Yours am controlling my organs
( Brahmacharyam ) and speech and am eulogizing
You with reverence . O Splenderous Lord ( Svayam Jyothi) ,
O banisher of the sin of avidhyA , please hear Thou my
invocation ! ( In AgnEya KhAndham , the reference to
Agni stands for the power behind Agni , Sriman NaarAyaNA ).

SAAMAN 2:PROTECTION THROUGH VEDAADHYANAM
*****************************************

paahi nO Agna yEkayA paahyatha dhvitheeyayaa I
paahi gheerbhistasrubhirUrjAm pathE paahi chathsrbhirvasO II
              --AgnEya KhAndam IV.36

(Meaning) : O Lord ! Protect us by One Vedam ( Rg) ;
Protect us by the Second ( Yajur ) ; Protect us by
the three VedAs ( Rg, Yajur and Saama) .O VishNu !
O Lord who pervades all the chEthanams and achEthanmas !
O SarvantharyAmi ! O Power behind all powers ! Protect
us by four VedAs ( Rg, Yajur , Saama and Atharva ) .

All the four kalasams of the PraNavAkruthi VimAnam 
are coming into our focus as we hear this Saamn .

SAAMAN 3 : TATTVA TRAYAM 
*************************

The three Tattvams --ChEthanam , AchEthanam and 
Isvaran -- are hinted by the following AgnEya Saaman :

kAyamAnO vanA tvam yanmAthrurajagannapa: I
na tatthE pramrushE nivarthanam yadh dhUrE sannihAbhuva: II

( Meaning ) : O Lord , who plans in Your Yoga NidhrA 
the creation of Your worlds for your enjoyment ( BhOga
mandalam ) ! As you control the minutest of the minute
part of the mother Matter , we fail to comprehend the
enormity and significance of Thy inscrutable leelA ! 
Thou createst the Universe , while being a supreme 
Tattvam distinctly apart from the chethanams and 
achEthanams and then You enter them .

SAAMAN 4: KING OF ALL & GUEST OF MEN
*************************************

mUrdhAnam dhivO arathim pruthivyA 
VaisvAnaramrutha aa jAthamagnim I
kavigum samrAjamathithim janAnAmAsanna :
pAthram janayantha dEvA : II

( Meaning ) : The truly learned recognize and speak of 
the Lord as the Head of Heaven , the emperor of the earth ,
the antharyAmi of all chEthanams and achEthanams , 
Omnipresent , Omniscient , the King of all ,
the compassionate guest of men and the top of it all ,
the One worthy of adulation .

SAAMN 5 :AYENDRA KHAANDAM SAAMAN : BHAGAVATHA GHOSHTI'S GLORY
**************************************************************

yathaa gourO apA krutham thrushyannEthyavEriNam I
aapithvE na: prapithvE thUyamA gahi kaNvEshu su sachA pibha II

(Meaning) :Just as desert deer ravishing from 
thirst hurries towards the water of the pool in 
the oasis , so should you , the soul acquiring 
the friendship of us ( bhagavathAs ) , the devotees
of the Lord , wake up quickly from your debilitating 
slumber and enjoy with us the divine grace .

The spirit of this Saaman is similar to PeriyAzhwAr's
pallAndu invoking BhagavathAs to come together to 
celebrate the glories of Sriman NaarAyaNA :

yEdu nilathtiliduvathan munnam venthengaL kuzhAm puhunthu
koodu manamudayeerkal varam pozhi vanthollaikkUdiminO

SAAMAN 6; FIRST OF THE TEN MAHAANAAMNYAARCHIKA SAAMANS
*******************************************************

vidhA magavann vidhaa gaathumanusagum sishO disa: I
sikshA sacheenAm pathE I pUrveeNAm purUvasO II

( Meaning ) : O Lord ! Thou art all-knowing ! Bless us
with true wisdom and guide us on the right path towards You !
Teach us how to reach that supreme goal .O Omnipotent
Lord ! Teach us with pateince Your divine laws !  

SAAMAN 7 : SESHA -SESHI RELATION ( UTTARAARCHIKA SAAMAN )
*********************************************************

pavamAnasya tEh vayampavithramabhundhatha: I
sakhitvamA vruNeemahE II

( Meaning ) :O Lord , the purest of the pure ! 
Thou fill the cavities of my heart with overpowering
love for You . We strive to win Thy friendship and love .

SAAMAN 8: TAMIZH MARAI SEYTHA MAARAN (NAMMAAZHWAAR)
****************************************************

In this UttarArchika Saaman , " pavamAnA asrukshatha 
sOmA:sukrAsa Indava: , abhi visvAni kAvyA " , the pure ,
noble and tranquil Yogis are described as visualizing 
all the Veda manthrams .NammAzhwAr sitting under 
the shade of the VimAnam of Aadhi nAthan of KuruhUr ,
visualized the Sanskritic Veda manthrams and transformed 
them into the FOUR Vernacular prabhandhams ( Thiruviruttham ,
ThiruvAsiriyam, Periya ThiruvandhAthi and Thiruvaimozhi ) .

SAAMAN 9: THE LAST VERSE OF SAAMA VEDAM 
****************************************

svasthi na IndhrO vriddhasravA : savsthi na pUshA VisvavEdA : I
savasthi nasthArkshyO ArishtanEmi: svasthi nOh BruhaspathirdadhAthu II
svasthi nOh Bruhaspathirdhadhathu II

( Meaning ) : " May the Master of vast knowledge , May Mighty 
Lord give us prosperity .May the nourisher of all, the author of 
all the Vedas give us prosperity . May He , the giver of 
all comforts like the horse , elephant and cattle give us
prosperity. May God , the Lord of all elements of Nature , 
vouchsafe us prosperity. May God , the Lord of all 
the elements of nature vouchsafe us prosperity .

Subhamasthu ! Veda PurushAya , Sri RanganAthAya NamO nama:
Oppiliappan Koil Varadachari sadagOpan