Search:
Bhakti List Archives

New Year Greetings : What does the New Year Chithra BhAnu signify ?

From the Bhakti List Archives

Sadagopan • April 14, 2002 


SrI:

NamO NaarAyaNAya 

Dear BhakthAs around the world :

First of all , Please accept my hearty greetings for 
a Happy , Healthy and Bhagavath-BhAgavatha kaimkaryam
filled New Year ! There are so many Vedic references 
to the name "Chithra BhAnu" , the just born year .Let
us celebrate those deeper meanings behind the name ,
"Chithra BhAnu" in this essay.

Literal Meaning of Chithra BhAnu
********************************* 

Literally, CHITHRA means clear, bright , varigated ,
agreeable entity that strikes the eye. For instance,
CHITHRA kootam is the lovely foot hills of mountains,
where Lord Ramachandran spent joyous days in company
of SitA pirAtti. CHITHRA Ukthi is the most agreeable 
and eloquent discourse that is given by our AchAryAs.
CHITHRA Paddhathi of Sri RanganAtha PadhukA sahasram 
by CHITHRA Kavi NigAmAntha Desikan is full of Sabdha
and Artha CHITHRAMs about Lord RanganAthan's Svaroopa,
Roopa , GuNa , Vibhava aascharyams (mysteries). 

CHITHRA MEANS MULTI-HUED RADIANCE ; It is a RangOli
(Kolam with many colors).It is a wonderous entity .

Literally " BHAANU " means either SUN or an object of 
Beauty or a ray of light . BHAANUmathi means a beautiful
lady like Vedic Ushas salutd in Ushas Sooktham , 
one of the most beautiful salutation to the Vedic Dawn. 

Vedic Meanings of CHITHRA BHAANU
*********************************
Across Rg Vedic Samhithais , One comes across 
references to " CHITHRAM , CHITHRA , CHITHRAA,
CHITHRAI: , CHITHRO  " :

1. Chithram tadhvO MaruthO yaama---Rg Vedam: 2.34.10

2. CHITHRAM DEVAANAAM UDHAGAADHANIKAM --Rg Vedam: 1.115.1

This is part of the Yajur MaadhyAnika UpasthAna manthram
starting with " (PraNavam ) aasathyEna rajasA varthamAnO
nivEsayan -- CHITHRAM DEVAANAAM UDHAGAADANEEKAM CHAKSHUR-
MITHRASYA VARUNASAAGNE:, AAPRAADHYAAVAA PRUTHIVEE 
ANTHARIKSHAM SOORYA AATHMAA JAGATHASTASTHUSHASCCHA ,
TACCHAKSHUR-DEVAHITHAM PURASTHACCHUKRUMUCCHARATH "

The meaning of the full text of the Maadhyhnika UpasthAna
Manthram is beautiful. For sake of brevity , we will confine
the coverage to the text in capital dealing with CHITHRAM 
at this time and deal with the full maning later.

(Meaning): " Yonder has arisen with wonderful divine 
effulgence , the eye of our light , life and energy.
He has filled the celestial regions , the earth and 
the interspace with his glory . This Sun ( Soorya
MaNdala Madhyastha NaarAyaNan ) is the soul of all 
that moves/chEtanam  or is immovable/achEthanam ".

3. CHITHRAM ha yadhvAm bhOjanam--Rg Vedam :7.68.5 

4. CHITHRA icchisOstaruNasya--Rg Vedam: 10.115.1

5. CHITHRA IidhrAjA raakakA--Rg Vedam: 8.21.18

6. CHITHRASTHE BHAANU KRATHUPAA--Rg Vedam: 10.100.12
   (This is anothe rimportant Rg Veda manthram
    dealing with CHITHRA BHAANU, which we will
    take up another time). 

7. CHITHRAA VAA YESHU DHEEDHITHI--Rg vedam: 5.18.4

8. CHITHRAINJIBHIR-VAPUSHE-- Rg Vedam : 1.64.4

9. CHITHRO VOASTHU YAAMASCCHITHRA--Rg Vedam: 1.172.1

It will be wonderful to reflect now on the deep Vedic
meanings of "Chithra Bhaanu " encoded in the above
Veda Manthrams.  

We will satisfy ourselves with the meaning of the full text of
MaadhyAhnika UpasthAna manthram by the authors of the Yajur
Veda SandhyAvandhanam text released by Sri VisidshtAdvaitha 
Research Center of Madras, The ThillaisthAnam Kaimakrya Sabhaa
and the Sri PoorvAchArya Kainkarya Sabhaa of Banagalore
(From " aasathuEna rajasa ----Manasaa punAthu ", which 
includes the Soorya avalOkana manthram (PasyEma saradha-satham
to JyOkycha Soorya-dhrusE ).THIS MANTHRAM IS A CLEAR
SALUTATION TO THE CHITHRA BHAANU , THE SOORYA NAARAAYANAN ,
THE CREATOR AND THE PROTECTOR OF THIS UNIVERSE :

" I propitiate SavithA ( Creator of the Universe), who moves
watchfully around the world in His golden chariot with a view 
to grant Moksham to mortals in accordance with their karmAs.
I realize that Supreme Lord in my heart and take refuge 
in that Lord beaming forth in all splendour in the heaven 
beyond the periphery of the material worlds; the Lord extending
His benevolent protection to other devaas and ordaining their 
specific functions;the Lord from whom the Sun derives light;
the Lord, who is the propagator of the VedAs;the Lord whom 
the great souls sustain in their hearts through meditation 
and see the entire universe ; the Lord form whom the army for
protection of dEvAs came into being.The Lord for whom VaruNA
and Agni are like the two eyes.He is the inner soul living
inside all things and beings of the universe.He is pervading
the upper worlds,the earth and intervening space.That Lord ,
is the eyes of Jn~Anis and is the benefactor of dEvAs ,
He is free from all blemishes (anagan)and  is moving in
front of us in His incarnate form (seeing the Sun , 
the following mantrams are recited next ):

SooryAvalOkana Manthrams: Prayer to CHITHRA BHAANU
**************************************************
May we behold Him for Hundred years !

May we live a hundred years (to sing His glory)!

May we enjoy(His bliss) for hundred years !

May we lead a worthwhile life in His service
and the service of His devotees for hundred years!

May we enlighten ourselves by listening to His glory
for hundred years!

May our tongues sing His glory for hundred years !

May we always remain invincible (without being 
defeated by unholy persons)!

May we comprehend the Lord in our minds' eye 
for many years ! (viewing of the Sun ends here).

Concluding prayer
******************
The Lord who took His incarnations from the Milky 
Ocean and who still continues to reside in the middle 
of that ocean; the Lord with lotus eyes; May that all-
knowing Lord sanctify me shower His grace on me".

SUCH IS THE CHITHRA BHAANU , OUR LORD FOR WHOM THIS
YEAR'S NAME IS ASSOCIATED.

CHITHRA BHAANU AND LORD HAYAGRIVAN
***********************************
Swamy Desikan is revered as NigamAntha Desikan
or VedAnthAchAryan. In His sacred HayagrIva SthOthram
composed in front of Lord HayagrIvan at the OushadhAdri
Hills of ThiruvahIndhrapuram , the multi-hued rays 
emanating from the gems adorning the nUparam (sathankai)
caught the eye of Swamy Desikan and revealed the meaning of 
those CHITHRA-BHAANU .He captured that revelation in
the 21st slOkam of SrI HayagrIva SthOthram:

" parsiphuran nUpura CHITHRA-BHAANU-
    prakAsa nirdhUtha tamOnushangAm
  padha dhvayeem parichinmahEantha:
    prabhOdha rajeeva vibhAtha sandhyAm

(Meaning): We (HayagrIva UpasakAs) incessantly
meditate on Thy pair of sacred feet adorning 
Your nUpuram (Sathankai) inlaid with the most 
radiant gems. The lustre arising from these
gems equals the effulgence of the multi-rayed 
Sun (Chithra-BHaanu) and serves as the morning 
sandhyA (dawn/Ushas) that drives away the darkness of
nescience. We pray for the banishmnet of the last
trace of our ajn~Anam through the scintillating 
lustre arising from Your sacred feet . Just as 
the morning Sun has the power to make the lotus 
blossom , we pray for the awakening and growth 
of our Bhakthi to You. We stay focused on
the DhyAnam of Your sacred feet.

The twin benefits arising from the incessant dhyAnam 
of the sacred feet of Lord HayagrIvan and His
manthra japam are:

(1) Removal of the dark clouds of ajn~Anam 
    ( nirdhUtha tama: anushangam).

(2) the blossoming and growth of dhivya Jn~Anam
    (prabhOdha raajeeva vikasitham ) . The Jn~Anam
    transforms from sankuchitham (shrunken state )
    to vikasitham (fully blossomed state). 

The tatthvam invoked here by Swamy Desikan has the deeper
mystical meanings of Veda manthrams, when applied to
mental  and spiritual realms. The Vedic dawn is associated
with the uplifting rays of "THE CHITHRA BHAANU ,
AADHITHYA MANDALA MADHYASTHA SRI LAKSHMI HAYAGRIVAN"
worshipped by our dear ANDAL at the crack of the dawn
with the Her ThiruppAvai paasuram , "SiRRam SiRukaalE
vanthunnai sEvitthu). Her prayer to the CHITHRA BHAANU ,
Her Lord on our behalf (unakkE naamAtccheyvOm , maRRai
namm kaamangaL maRRElO ) is very appropriate for 
the banishment of Ajn~Anam and the growth of spiritual
knowledge leading to Moksham .

THAT APPEARS TO THE VEDIC SIGNIFICANCE OF CHITHRA BHAANU
SAMVATHSARAM AS WE EXPERIENCE THE FIRST DAWN .

SUBHAMASTHU ; SARVA MANGALAANI SANTHU.

Srimath Azhagiya Singar ThiruvadigaLE saraNam,
Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri Sadagopan 
 
  

  


" 
     



--------------------------------------------------------------
           - SrImate rAmAnujAya namaH -
To Post a message, send it to:   bhakti-list@yahoogroups.com
Group Home: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/bhakti-list
Archives: http://ramanuja.org/sv/bhakti/archives/
 

Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/