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Re: /mahA/nArAyaNa upa/nishat: /mEdhA sUktam

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Visu9 • October 12, 2002 


Om /namO/nArAyaNAya| 
/ShrI Ranga Ramanuja Mahadeshika Acharyaya namaH||
 
/namaskArams to all members on this 7th day of /nava/rAtri. On this auspicious day, I would like to share with you a text from the /mahA/nArAyaNa upa/nishat on Goddess /sarasvatI.

I am grateful to Shri Sadagopan, who kindly sent me a copy of the book by Vedanta Vidwan Shri N.S. Anatha Rangacharya SwamikaL. The book contains translation and notes of the /upa/nishat according to the great /ShrI vaishNavA Guru Shri Ranga Ramanuja Mahadeshika Acharya. On this day, I pay my obeisance and /namaskArams to the great Guru and also to the translator, Shri Anantha Rangacharya.

The importance of the /upa/nishat itself lies in its conception of the universe. It is not an exaggeration to say that the unified theme of the /upa/nishat is: How to run a Constitutional Government of the Universe! As the Wielder of Supreme Executive Powers, /Shriman nArAyaN is the Head of this Constituitional Govt. The prototype of this Constitutional Government of the Universe is presented without much ado. 
 
The preface to the book by Vedanta Vidwan Shri N.S. Ananta Rangacharya contains the following statement of /bhagavAn Shri rAmAnujA: 
/sarvAsu Shrutishu kevala/para/brahma/sva/rUpa/viSEsha/ prati/pAdanAy/aiva pravruttO nArAyaNa/anuvAkaH: Of all the /ShrutIs enquiring to establish the essence of the Supreme Being, this Section on /nArAyaNa [referring to /nArAyaNa sUktam in this /upa/nishat], alone by itself beats them all effectively! 

Generallly this /upa/nishat is a guide as to how to petition this Constitutional Government, who is in charge of which Department, etc. It is truly a marvelous prototype unbeatable in its conception of government. 

The /upa/nishat contains an elaborate scheme of distribution of powers. On this auspicious day, I wish to share with members a stanza from the Department of Intelligence and Speech Education! 
 
As one would expect the Head of this Department is a Lady. She is called /mEdhA dEvi. She is a person of Good Will (/sumanA) towards all. She is reassuring (/bhadrA) and conveys the sense that one can approach her and that she will assure everyone who petitions her of intelligence and good speech. She is to be addressed as the Voice of Heavens and the Earth (Universe) (/AgAd/vis/vAcI). One is petitioning her, because until then one has been talking rubbish and vile words (/dur/uktam). Now the petitioner has acquired humility, and seeks the Grace of /mEdhA dEvI.

The petitioner after addressing the Goddess in the proper manner and after confessing to his/her wrongful conditions, seeks as follows:
 
Whereas we were speaking vile words without meaning, we pray that this day, after being spoken to by you: "May we be Blessed so that we will be speaking words of energy and force pregnant with meaning  -- words like those of /bruhas/patI himself."
 
The text is as follows:

/mEdhA dEvI jushamANA na

/AgAd/vis/vAcI bhadrA sumansyamAnA |

/tvayA jushtA jushamAnA dur/uktAn

/bruhad/vadEma vidadhE suvIrAH ||

I have used above freely the translation of VEdanta Vidwan Shri Ananta Rangacharya SwamikaL. The translation has notes on some keywords like /sumanA. 

SwamikaL has added a note of Sri Namjeer from his commentary on the /Shri/sUkta, saying that this series of prayers asking for intelligence is related to Goddess /ShrI lazmI (/ShrI/sUktam). 
 
I can't help wondering if the connection to /ShrI sUktam does not lie in the style of the petition. May I request membeers to tell me who Sri Namjeer is, and how to acquire his works? 
 
One keyword for the common style is the use of the word /jushamAnA (were speaking) and its participle /jushTA (spoken to). Compare, for example, stanza 3 from /ShrI sUktam:  

 . . . /Shriyam dEvim upa/hvaye ShrIH mA dEvI jushatAm|| 
 
May Goddess /ShrI speak to me (!), who is sitting by this sacrificial fire in a mood of supplication and participating in the invocation to /ShrI dEvI! 
 
Then the prayer in /shrI sUIktam as well as in /mEdhA sUktam go on to petition for other gifts! 
 
The style is an unusual form of address in both prayers. We rarely say, "Please speak to us!", when we petition or pray. 
 
Let us compare with modern court language: We say, "The petitioner prays that the Court enter an order granting such and such ...". While here, what is unusual is as follows: The Petitioner prays that the Goddess speak to us granting such and such ..." An on-the-spot-then-and-there resolution of the matter! In matters of court, it takes a couple of days for the Order signed by a judge to be entered and then mailed to us. I used court as an example, but it is true of any government office. 

On second thoughts one sees why: The petitioner is apparently in front of a /hOmam --- a sacrificial fire. Each Goddess has been invoked and is to appear in person arising from the fire. That is an awesome scene! It is "now or never". The prayer prepares the petitioner who otherwise may be foolish and let slip the unique opportunity! 

Great /AcAryAs have a mastery of drawing our attention to key words, style and others, and communication tools. Words are the key to communication. The /medhA sUktam petitions for /suvIrAH bruhat -- forceful words. I thought that the use of the word /bruhat was very unique for the petition. One asks for /bruhat and cannot use any other word as only that word has significant meaning conjuring up the awesome image of Lord /bruhas/pati. 

/sarva dharmam/api tvamEva bhava naH svI/kurvak/asmAt krupAm||
/nalan/tarum collai nAn kaNtu/koNtEn; /nArAyaNa ennum nAmam. 
 
Visu 

 
 
 



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