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Inputs for CD ROM: XI.6: Third Prabhandham of Swamy NammAzhwAr(SN), Periya ThiruvandhAthi(PTA) and links to Atharva Vedam.

From the Bhakti List Archives

Sadagopan • March 5, 2001 


Dear BhakthAs: 

In PTA , Swamy was filled with Parama Bhakthi 
that led to the theevra Upaasanaam (intense worship)
and uninterrupted meditation (DhyAnam)of the Dhivya 
Mangala Vigraham of the Lord and His KalyANa GuNams .
Swamy NammAzhwAr went on to perform SaraNAgathi and 
celebrated the Prapatthi maargam revealed by 
GeethAchAryan using Arjuna as VyAjam. SN recognized 
the Lord as the powerful medicine for curing the terrible 
disease of SamsAram ( nangaL piNikkAm marunthu =Thou are 
the potent medicine to cure completely our disease 
named SamsAram: paasuram 62).

SN pointed out to his manas that eulogizing the sacred
feet of Lord KrishNaa is what it(manas) has to do for its
salvation (KaNNan thALL vAzhtthuvathE kaNDAi Vazhakku:
Paasuram 12). He told his manas further : " KaNNan
thALL vAzhtthuvathE kall" ( Oh manas!The most auspicious 
kaimkaryam on this earth is to sing pallANDu to 
the sacred feet of KaNNan: paasuram 67).  

SN announced to us that the Lord , who is deeply attached 
to him has entered inside his mind( MaalAr kudi puhunthAr
yenn manatthE: Paasuram 22).He identified with Him as his
Father and Mother and thanked Him for showing the wondorous
way of Bhagavath-GuNAnubhavam ( peRRa ThAi neeyE , piRappittha
Tanthai nee , yeRREyO NeeyammA kAttum neRi = Thou art my 
compassionate Mother , Thou art my Father performing Upadesam.
Wonderful indded is the way You showed me to eulogize You:
Paasuram 5).SN also pointed out that He is also the Father
and the Mother of all Jeevans ( Thai Tanthai yevvuyirkkum thAnn:
Paasuram 23) and acknowldeged His Supermacy ( Tann alappu
onRilAthAn = He has no One equal to Him: paasuram 24).

SN asked for aparAdha KshAmaNam for insufficencies in
saluting Him adequately ( seeRal nee = Oh My Lord , Your
ThiruvuLLam should not get angry over any lapses in
Your worship on my part:paasuram 2). SN recognized  
the Lord's DayA SvarUpam and pointed out that He is 
impatiently waiting to see what else He can do for 
His BhakthAs ( UnnadiyArkku yenna seyvAnanenRE irutthi 
Nee: Paasuram 53).

SN appealed to his mind to do two things to receive 
His grace : (1) Eulogize the Lord of  broad shoulders 
and offer fragrant garlands of verses (Sonn maalai): 
"Vilankal pOl thonmAlaik Kesavanai NaaraNanai 
Maadhavanai sonnmAlai yeppozhuthum soottu:Paasuram 65)
and (2)Salute and praise the sacred feet of KaNnan , who
banishes all our sins ( nammEl vinai kadivAn mey
KazhalE yEttha muyal) and assures us not to worry 
any more about our lot ( aham thvA sarva PaapEbhyO
MokshayishyAmi maa Sucha:)in this samsAra maNDalam.
Thus ends the Maanasa SambhOdhanam of SN with 
his manas.

SN's tributes in PTA to the Lord regarding His Omnipotence , 
Omnipresence ,Parama DayA GuNam ,Sarva Seshithvam 
(Final reality = Ucchishta Brahmam),Omniscience ,
SarvAntharyAmithvam , Jagath Kaaranathvam can be
readily traced to different Atharva manthrams .
A selected few of those manthrams are assembled below
to illustrate the links of PTA to AtharvaNa Vedam.

A Brief Introduction to Atharva Vedam 
**************************************
Atharva Vedam consists of 5977 manthrams , which is largely 
in the form of poetry with a small portion in prose. It is 
the last among VedAs and as such has advanced philosophical
conceptions about God . It fits very well with the mood of 
Parama Bhakthi of NammAzhwAr .It has been pointed out that
PTA cleanses the soul in the waters of divine infinity
and greatness , just as the Atharva Vedam introduces us 
to several remedial manthrams to overcome the diseases of
the mind and body.Atharva Vedam's recognizes the Lord 
as the Supreme Being and as the final reality (sarva Seshi/
Ucchishta Brahmam ). One of the manthrams salute the Lord
as " uchcishtE naama roopam chOcchishtE lOka aahitha:"
(Thou sustains the entire creation consisting of Name 
and Form ). 

Through the 601st Manthram , Atharva Vedam asks the question ,
"Kasmai dEvAya HavishA vidhEma?" It answers that question
in a most majestic manner : " Through whose power exists
the spacious Heaven , the mighty Earth and yonder ample 
Firmament between them , through whose power is yon Sun
extends his grandeur , to That Supreme One , we offer 
our oblations. We offer our devotional worship to Him,
the Illunminator and the Lord of lasting happiness . 
We meditate on Him.

Manthram 566  salutes His boon-granting power and
Timelessness(anAdhi tatthvam):

SarvAn KaamAn pooraythyAbhavan prabhavan bhavan
aakUthi prOavidharthatha:sithi paannOpapadasyathi

(meaning): "God the fulfiller of resolves , worshipped
by the Soul , the same One in light and darkness ,Omnipresent ,
mighty and ever-existent , satisfies all hopes and wants
and never suffers decay.

Like SN's UpadEsam to his mind to sing the glories of
the Lord without let , another Atharva Veda Manthram 
( 1291) says:

dhOshO gAya bruhadh gAya dhyumaddEhi
AtharvaNa sthuhi dEvam SavithAram 

(meaning): " Oh Worshipper of the Lord! Sing His
glory day and night , sing loudly ,contemplate
upon the refulgent Lord .Praise the all-creating Lord!".

His sarvAntharyAmithvam is saluted brilliantly 
in the 3695th manthram of Atharva vedam:

sO Agni: Sa u Soorya: sa u yEva MahAyama:
rasmibhirnabha aabrutham MahEndra yEthyAvrutha:

(Meaning): He is indeed Agni, the Omniscient; He is 
SooryA , the urger;  He is MahAyaman , the great 
leader. This great Lord permeates all the Worlds 
with His refulgence.

His Unmatched Valour and status of Him not having
any god equal or superior to him is saluted by
another Atharva Manthram( 3710):

Tamidham nigatham saha: sa yEsha yEka yEkavrudhEka yEva
Ya yEtham dEvamEkavrutham vEdha

(meaning): " This Supreme Lord possesses the conquering
might. He is the Sole , the Solitary One , the One alone."

Atharva Manthram 5035 tells us that this Powerful
Lord reveals Himself to the Yogis (like Swamy NammAzhwAr)
in deep contemplation and shines like the mid-day Sun
in their hearts .

Atharva Manthram 5185 reveals to us that He is 
the Almighty God , who suppreses the darkness of 
ignorance by His light of knowledge.

We will conclude this posting with two more Atharva
Manthrams , which are echos of Swamy NammazhwAr's 
prayers to the Supreme Lord in his PTA Prabhandham:

(1) "Bhuri ta Indhra Veeryam--" ( Manthram 5048):

" For great is Thy prowess , Oh Mighty Lord !
We are Thine. Oh Lord of Riches , fulfil the desires
of this devotee of Thine. These vast heavens are mere
creations from Thy Energy. This Earth also bows to Thy
Splendour.

(2) " Ya yEka iddhavyascharshaNInAmeendhram--"(Manthram 5208):

" With these hymns , I worship that Mighty Lord ,
who alone is to be invoked by men , who is known to be 
the showerer of all blessings ( VaradarAjan),
All-powerful, True (Sathya Sankalpan) , Lord of All 
Existence , Victorious , Full of Wisdom (sathyam, 
Jn~Anam , Anantham BrahmA) and with wonderful powers of 
creation ( JagathAdhAran and Jagath Kaaranan).

These selected Manthrams of Atharva Vedham reveal
their Saamyam to the meanings of some of the Periya 
ThriuvandhAthi paasurams of Swamy NammAzhwAr.

Thenn KuruhUr VaguLAbharaNan ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam
Daasan, Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri Satakopan  
  
 
 

  

  


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