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Fifteenth SlOkam of SrI DevanAyaka PanchAsath
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VedhEshu nirjarapathE nikhilEshu adhItham
VyAsAdhibhir-bahumatham Tava sooktham agryam
angAnyamUni Bhavatha: subhagAni adhIthE
visvam VibhO janithavanti Virinja-poorvam
Expanded Meaning:
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Oh Lord pervasively present in all of Your cerations
befitting Your name as Vibhu (VibhO)! Oh Lord of
the DevAs ( NirjarapathE)! Your Purusha Sooktham
(Tava Sooktham) is recited in all the VedAs ( Tava
Sooktham nikhilEshu VEdhEshu adhitham ). It is revered
by great sages like VyAsA as the most sacred one
among the Veda manthrams.( Tava Sooktham agryam;
VyAsAdhibhi: Bhaumatham).
Why is this Purusha Sooktham found in all the four
VedAs and stands in the front row of Your Veda Manthrams?
It is because it instructs us about those beautiful
limbs of Yours (Bhavatha: subagAni amUni angAni) being
associated with the birth of this universe starting
from Brahma Devan . Grand indeed is the Vaibhavam of
Your most beautiful limbs associated with the birth of
the Universe and its beings as described in Purusha Soktham.
Vedic references to the Lord's creation of the Prapancham
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Brahma Soothram (I.1.2) states that the Omniscient ,
Omnipotent and most merciful Brahman is the origin of
the Universe and is responsible for its sustenance and
dissolution in all its myriad and abundant forms ( JanmAdhyasya
yatha:).This soothram is backed up by many Upanishadic reveleations
such as those found in TaitthirIyam , ChAndhOgyam , MahA NaarAyaNam
BrahadhAraNyakam and AitrEyam in the direct and in expanded forms.
The creative power of the Brahman (DevAthma sakthi) is
saluted by SvEthasvatAra Upanishad.Lord is recognized as
the source of the Universe (BhUtha yOni) by Mundaka Upanishad.
This PurushA propounded in Upanishads is celebrated as
the creator of the Universe (PrajApathi, HiraNyagarbha)
with the names and forms (Naama roopa Prapancham ).
The HiraNyagarbha Sooktham of Rg Vedam with the famous
refrain ( kasmai DevAya havishA vidhEma) recognizes
the Lord as "BhUthasya Jaatha: pathirEka aaseeth "
(Creator and the Lord of all created beings).
The dialog between Aniruddha NaarAyaNan and Brahma Devan
regarding the command of the Lord to perform Srushti
Yaj~nam is covered in the Purusha Sooktha samhithai
section of Saakalya BrAhmaNam . Instructions are given
by the Lord to BrahmA for such a Yaj~nam for creation
of the Universe and its beings from the VirAd Purushan.
Purusha Sooktham and Creation
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Swamy desikan says in this slOkam that Purusha
Sooktham is housed in all the VedAs and is revered
( VedhEshu akhilEshu Tava Sooktham adhitham).
The choice of the word "Tava Sooktham " for Purusha
Sooktham seems to be relating to the Lord's Vaibhavam
as PurushOtthaman , whose tatthvam is elaborated here.
BrahmA , the Aadhi Jeevan performed a Maanasa Yaj~nam
(Purusha Yaj~nam) through the VirAD sarIram given by
the Lord Himself for creating this Universe at the command
of the Lord .Brahma Devan used DevAs ( his indhriyams )
as the priests (rthviks), Vasantha ruthu as the ghee
for that Yaj~nam, GhrIshma Ruthu ( Summer season)
as the sacred twigs (samith) , Sarath Ruthu as
the Havis , Parama Purushan as Agni and himself (Brahma
Devan) as PoorNAhUthi. The birth of the CharAcharams
arose --as present in previous kalpAs-- from this Maanasa
Yaj~nam. Chandran arose from the mind , Sooryan from
the eyes , Indhran and Agni from the mouth, Vaayu from
PrANan, Anthariksham from the navel , Deva LOkam from
the Siras, BrahmanAs from the face , Kings from the arms ,
VaisyAs from the thighs , the directions from the ears et al.
The ManthradhrashtA , the Veda Rishi declares with profound
reverence:
Tath-Purushasya VisvamAjAnamagrE
vEdhAmEtham Purusham MahAntham
Aadhithya varNam tamasa: parasthAth
TamEvam vidhvAnamrutha iha bhavathi
Naanya: PanTA vidhyathE ayanAya
(meaning): The visva Rooam of this VirAD Purushan
became manifested at the beginning of creation.
I know this glorious form of the Lord with the radiance of
the Sun and which is on the opposite shore of the darkness
of nescience(Tamas). One who knows this Purushan in this way
reaches immortality and there is no other path for Moksham.
Presence of Purusha Sooktham in all VedAs
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Purusha Sooktham is found in the oldest of Vedams
(Rg Vedam) in the tenth ManDalam with 16 manthrams (X.90).
With some variations , it is found in Sukla Yajur
Vedam (VaajasanEya Samhithai: 31.1.16), KrishNa Yajur
Veda Samhithai(TaittirIya AaraNyakam: 3.12.13),
Saama Vedam (4.3) and Atharvana Vedam ( 19.6.3).
This Purusha Sooktham found in all the Veda Samhithais
is considered as the Saaram of all Sruthis:
Idham Purusha Sooktham hi Sarva VedhEshu PaDyathE
aTa: Sruthibhya: SarvEbhyO phalavath samudhIritham
--MahA BhAratham: Moksha Dharmam section
" VyAsAdhibhir Bahumatham Tava Sooktham agryam"
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Swamy Desikan states that the Purusha Sooktham
dealing with the PurushOtthama Tatthvam of the Lord
is revered on top of all the Veda Sookthams by
Sages from VyAsa onwards. Sounaka Rishi, Aapasthambhar
(Soothra karthA), BhOdhaayanar (Vrutthi kArar)and
other sages established the ways to perform Purusha Sooktha
Japam , Homa Vidhi, AarAdhana kramam (PoojA VidhAnam),
ManthrArTa NirUpanam of Purusha Sooktham for our benefit .
"Bhavatha: angAnyamUni Virinja Poorvam visvam janithavanthi"
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In the second half of the 15th slOkam of SrI DevanAyaka
PanchAsath, Swamy Desikan salutes the creation of the Universe
starting from BrahmA from the limbs of this VirAD Purushan
through a maanasa Yaj~nam .
"TasmAth VirADajAyatha , VirAjO adhi Poorusha:
Sa JaathO athyarichyatha, PascchAdh BhUmimaTO pura:"
Regarding this above manthrA passage , Saayana comments
on the origin of the VirAD Purushan from the ParamAthmA
this way : " TasmAth Aadhi PurushAth VirAd ajAyatha BrahmANDa
dEha uthpanna:, ---yOyam Sarva vedAntha vEdhya: ParamAthmA
Sa yEva svakeeyayaa maayayaa dEham brAmANDam srushtvA
Tathra jeeva roopENa pravisya VirAD BrahmANDObhimAni
DevathAthmA jeevObhavath".
SrI RangarAmAnuja Muni, the Upanishad BhAshyakArar describes
this VirAd Purushan as the One shining in different ways
in the Tatthvams like Mahath and links VirAd to Prakruthi:
"MahathAdhi roopENa raajatha ithi virAd, VirAdithi
PrakruthiruchyathE"
Purusha Sooktham continues with the performance of
the Yaj~nam with VirAd Purushan :
"Yath PurushENa HavishA , DEvA Yaj~namatanvatha
VasaanthO asyAseedhAjyam , greeshma idhma: saraddhavi:"
Emphasis on Purusha Sooktham by Swamy Desikan
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This Sooktham linked to Srushti Yaagam is vital
because it instructs us on the path to MOksham.
Hence Swamy Desikan makes special mention of
it in his DevanAyaka panchAsath SlOkam .
Let us conclude this posting with the salutation
to ParamAthmA , SrI Deva Naayakan:
(praNavam) namO vedavEdhyAya prasannAya MahAthmanE
prabhOdhAnandharoopAya VishNavE ParamAthmanE
The 16th slOkam of SrI DevanAyaka PanchAsath is
the first of the thirty slOkams saluting the specific
beauty of each limb of the Lord and Aabharanams
found there. The salutations start from the Head of
the Lord and concludes with the toe nails of the great
One presiding over the dhivya desam of ThiruvahIdhrapuram.
The 16th slOkam deals with the radiant Crown found
on the Lord's head (Siras) to announce Him as
the Lord of the Universe (Sarveswaran).