Input for CD ROM On AzhwArs : Part XI.3: Swamy nammAzhwAr's THIRUVAASIRIYAM (Second prabhandham).
From the Bhakti List Archives
• March 3, 2001
Namo NaarAyaNAya Dear BhakthAs: adiyEn will cover the high lights of ThiruvAsiriyam in this posting. ThiruvAsiriyam and Yajur vedam :Structure of Poetry ******************************* ******************** It is generally considered that Swamy NammAzhwAr (SN) has focussed on the themes covered by Yajur Vedam in his ThiruvAsiriyam (TA). This prabhandham is set in the style of Aasiriya Paa(AP) , which belongs to the general division of VeNN Paa in Tamil poetry. AP has a gadhyam like structure (Vachana Nadai/prosody ) and has no " paadha Vyavasthai" or restrictions on metre and length. Yajur vedam also is not set in metres like Rg Veda manthrams and it has no restrictions on the length of the manthrams as well .This relationship between Yajur Vedam and the TA set in AP is at the architectonic level. TA and Yajur Vedam:Thematic Similarities ***************************************** At a more substantive level of content , both TA and Yajur Vedam have one very important aspect in common. Yajur Vedam is devoted to sacrifices (Yaagams) and sacred rites associated with the performance of such Yaagams. Yaagam is a Veda karmaa. This rite is known in Aagamaas as CharyA or KriyA and they have the Vedic sanctions as well. There are a lot of prayers in a yaagam and it has been accepted that every prayer has a rite incorporated in it. Among all the sacred rites ,Bhagavath AarAdhanam is the most important one .Between the EmperumAn worshipped through His AarAdhanam and the one performing that AarAdhanam , there is a relationship that is similar to that described in ThiruvAsiriyam/Yajur Vedam. Sri K.C.Varadachari's observation is quite valuable in this context to understand the purpose of the Yaagam : " Sacrifice considered from the mystic stand point is not anything other than the proper self-offering for work , transformation ,indwelling and possession and finally elevation to the Lord's Infinite Mansion(Parama Padham). The Yajur Veda is devoted to the sacrifice ; the Sukla Yajur Veda (VaajasnEya SamhithA) concludes with the IsAvAsyOpanishad ,which declares that Karma must be done as long as one lives and one should desire to do this (Saathvik) karma of self-offering to the Divine Being throughout life and that performance of right karma does not entail any sin or limitation. There are three kinds of karmas: (1)Karma (action) (2) Akarma (nonaction ) and (3)Vikarma , a transcendental variety of Karma , which the VaishNavAs describe as Kaimkaryam ( Bhagavath/ BhAgavatha/AchArya Kaimkaryam) to secure freedom from the cycles of births and deaths". ThiruvAsiriyam develops the above themes of Yajur Vedam in its seven paasurams.TA points out that the AarAdhya Devan for the rites prescribed by the adhvaryu priests in the case of Yajur Vedam is Sriman NaarAyaNan alone .ThiruvAsiriyam is hence considered as the elaboration of the "NaarAyaNAya " portion of the Moola Manthram (AshtAksharam). The place of TA among SN's Four prabhandhams ********************************************* UtthamUr Swamy points out that the four Prabhandhams of SN progress from Para Bhakthi (Thiruviruttham) to Para JnAnam( TA) to Parama Bhakthi (Periya ThiruvandhAthi) to Bhagavath prApthi (ThiruvAimozhi).In Thiruviruttham, SN experienced Para Bhakthi state and conversed with the Lord , who was visible to him through Jn~Ana KaNN (Dhivya Chakshus)and pleaded for the severance of the dEha sambhandham that interfered with the perfect enjoyment of the Lord . The Lord was concerend and He came up with a clever way to satisfy SN , while making sure that the Prabhandhams for the benefit of the samsAris would be completed by SN as a part of his avathAra kaaryam .Our Lord blessed SN to enjoy His svaroopam , Roopam , GuNam and dhivya leelAs so that SN could enjoy them and be persuaded to cast Moksham aside for a while and stay a little longer in this earth(LeelA VibhUthi) to complete the composition of the remaining three prabhandhams. Thus arose ThiruvAsiriyam as a result of the direct vision (Prathyaksha Darsanam ) of the Lord by SN as KshIrAbdhi Naathan resting as a baby in the lap of his Mother (AadhisEshan) at the milky ocean . That vision led SN to celebrate the uniqueness of Sriman NaarAyaNan as the uncontested Supreme Being , who alone can grant the Jeevans Moksham and rejected all other gods created by Him and subservient to Him in every way for worship to gain that MahA Siddhi. In a subsequent and final posting , adiyEn will summarize the meanings of the individual paasurams of TA and connect them to the Yajur Vedic passages saluting VishNu-Thrivikraman . (To Be Continued) -------------------------------------------------------------- - SrImate rAmAnujAya namaH - To Post a message, send it to: bhakti-list@yahoogroups.com Archives: http://ramanuja.org/sv/bhakti/archives/ Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
- Next message: sadagopan iyengar: "(unknown)"
- Previous message: T.N.Santhanam: "Re: Maha Bharatham"
- Messages sorted by: [ date ] [ thread ] [ subject ] [ author ] [ attachment ]