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Visvam & Rg Vedam : Part 2

From the Bhakti List Archives

V. Sadagopan • June 21, 1997 


Rg Vedam : Sixth Khaandam --6. 48.8
******************************************
This subchapter (6.48 ) has  22 manthrams 
set in distinctly different Chandas (metres ) 
and different devathAs and Rishis .
 
The 8th manthram is set in the long  sathobruhathi 
chandas:

visvAsAm gruhapathir visam asi tvamgnE mAnusheeNAm 
satham purbhir yavishta pahy amhasah sameddhAram satham
himA : sthotribhyO yE cha dadhathi I

Here the supreme Lord is invoked as Agni ,as is wont in
many of the Rg Vedic ManthrAs . The Visvamurthy is recognized
as the Lord of all households and the Lord of the entire human 
race. The Rk prays : " May Thou, when kindled , protect me .
O forever-young fire -divine , you have limitless defenses 
against iniquity . May Thou gant me hundred winters as well
as to those , who liberally give to the singers of Your glory " . 

Satham HimA : means the hundred Winters or hundred years
of Life on this earth ( Veda PrAyam ) .  

Seventh KhAndam : Rk --7.1.7
**********************************

MaithrA VaruNirvasishta  , Agni and Trishtup
are the Rishi, DevathA and Chandas for this Rk 
respectively .

Here a prayer is offered to the Lord  Agni  as the supreme
Lord . He is requested to burn down all the evils of the 
one , who prays,  with His strong flames . He is asked to 
drive away all the debilitating diseases with His powerful
JwAlAs .

The Rk is as follows :

visvA AgnEapa daharAtheer yebhis tapObhir adhahO
jarootham I 
pra nisvaram chAthayasvAmeevAm II 

Jarootham means either aged, dry wood or old worn-out
things . 

KhAndam 8: Rk 8.62.7
*************************
visvE ta Indra veeryam dEvA anu krathum dadhu: I
bhuvO visvasya gopathi: purushtutha 
bhadrA Indrasya raathaya : II

O Lord adored by all ! O resplendent Lord ! 
May Thou be the guardian of all the chethanAs 
and the AchethanAs of your Universe ! Blessed are 
the rewards that you grant us ! All nature's bounties 
(Creations ) accept you as their supreme leader 
endowed with unmatched strength and wisdom .

KhAndam 9 : Rk 76.4
************************
This Rk has Bhargava Kavi Rishi , PavamAna Soma 
DevathA and Jagathee chandas . This is  a beautiful prayer 
to the Soverign of all the creatures that see the light of life 
with His blessings .  The Rk is as follows :

visvasya rAjA pavathE svadarsa  ritasya 
dheethim rishishALaveevasath I
ya: SuryasyAsirENa mrujyathE 
pithA mateenAm asamashtakAvya : II

The prayer starts with an acknowledgement
of the divine bliss that flows from the soverign 
of all the creatures that see the light . He is next 
acknowledged as the supreme Lord of all 
the righteous (seers and saints ) , who sing His praise 
at the SomA sacrifices . This supreme Lord is visualized 
as being embellished   by the rays of the sun .
He is recognized as the content of all the hymns 
of eulogy of the Veda manthrAs and He is understood as
one , whose wisdom is beyond our ken . 

Tenth KhAndam : Rks 45.6, 81.3, 81.6 and 82.2
****************************************************

These are four magnificient Rks pregnant with the 
meanings about  the Visvamoorthy . Hence I will cover them
in this  concluding section related to the Lord saluted as 
" Om VisvAya Nama: " by Sri VishNu Sahasra Naamam .

Rk 45.6 : BhAlandanO Vatsapri Rishi , Agni Devatha 
and Trishtup chandas .

Rks 81.3 , 81.6 and 82.2  : BhovanO VisvakarmA Rishi , 
VisvakarmA DevathA and Trishtup chandas 

Rk 45.6 : visvasya kethur bhuvanasya garbha aa 
                 rOdhasee apruNAj jAyamAna: I
                 veeLum chid adhrim abhinathparAyan 
                 janA yadh Agnim ayajantha pancha II 

He is the Kethu: of the Visvam . The Foremost of the 
world ! He is the Garbha: of the Bhuvanam . He is the seed
germ of the World and its beings  He is the sign/stamp  of all
created entitities . As He is manifested , He fills the heaven
and earth with His resplendent light . He cuts asunder even 
the solid cloud , as He advances . All the five classes of men
salute Him . The five classes of men can be understood as the 
four VarNAs and the NishAdas . In another intrpretation , the five 
classes of men are assoicated with the performance of the Yajnam:
the four chief priests ( BrahmA , HotA , UdgAthA and Adhvaryu )
and the fifth , the YajamAnA . 

Rks  81.3 and 81.6
*********************

visvathaschakshurutha visvathOmukhO 
visvathObAhurutha visvathaspAth I
sam bAhubhyAm dhamathi sam patatrair 
dhyAvAbhumi janayandhaEva yekha : II ---- Rk 81.3 

The forging of the World at the time of creation is 
visualized here. The mighty  Lord alone  with eyes spanning 
the universe , mouths all around , arms all around and feet 
spreading over the entire universe creates heaven and earth 
and forges them into order with His winged arms . 

The activities of the Universal architect ( VisvakarmA , 
our Lord ) continues to be covered in the Rk 81.6 :

visvakarman havishA  vAvrudhAna : 
svayam yajasva prithiveem utha dhyAm I
muhyanthvanyE abhithO janAsa 
ihAsmAkam maghavA surir asthu II 

O Universal Architect ! May thou , exalted /pleased
by our offerings , engage in the performance of sacrifice 
( Yajnam ) for the well being of this earth and heaven !
May our enemies all around be stupefied and May Thou
as our bounteous Lord be our guide on this earth ! May
Thou be our pala prErakan ( boon giver ) ! . 

Rk 82.2 celebrating the Universal Architect 
***********************************************

visvakarmA vimanA adh vihAya dhAthA 
vidhAthA paramOtha samdhruk I 
teshAm ishtAni samishA madhanthi 
yathrA saptharishin para ekam aahu : II

The Universal Architect (  Visvakarma ) /
creator cum designer  is of unsurpassed 
intellect . He is the all pervading sustainer , who 
creates , superbly powered by His supreme
faculty of obsevation . In Him during the activities of 
creation , all the sensual desires are fed with proper 
nourishment . They ( His devotees )  call Him as 
the supreme one beyond the seven seers 
(i.e., the the five sense organs of sight , hearing ,
smell, taste and touch , and mind and intellect ) . 

The mighty creator , the self-effulgent (svayam Jyothi )
Lord , the Omniscient and all pervasive VisvakarmA
saluted by the VedAs  through the " Visva " sabdham
is the Visvathomukhan referred to by the first Sri VishNu
Sahasra Naamam . 

I conclude this posting with a powerful statement form 
the tenth Khandam of the ancient Rg Vedam ( X. 82.3) :

yO na: pithA janithA yO vidhAthA 
dhAmAni veda bhuvanAni VISVAA I
yO devAnAm namadhA yekham yeva
tam samprasnam bhuvanA yanthyanyA II

This Rk recognizes the Lord saluted as " Om VisvAya 
Nama: " as our Father ( PithA ) , our begetter (JanithA ),
our Creator , and the knower of all the beings (created )
and their abodes . He is the name -giver of the DevAs 
( yO devAnAm nAmadhA ) and yet He , although known 
by many names given by Him to  the various divinities , 
He is the ONE ( aadhAra purushan ) and the only ONE 
that stands out a sthe Ucchishta Brahmam . All other 
beings (divinities ) approach Him with inquisitiveness. 

Om Veda PurushAya nama: 

Oppiliappan Kovil VaradAchAri Sadagopan