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April 13 , 2004 : Forthcoming Varusha PiRappu & SravaNa Subha Dinam  
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The name of this new Year is " TaaraNa " , which in free translation
means " letting some one cross over ". It also means " Causing / 
enabling one to cross helping over a difficulty , liberating , saving ".
It is a word rich and resonant with deep meanings .It also means 
a float or a raft to carry one across difficulties presented by 
a turbulent river or the ocean of SamsAra. 

Let us reflect on the Supreme act of "TaaraNam " and the One who facilitates
that TaaraNam and stands as the cause behind it ( TaaraNa KaaraNan) .
We will study the deep meanings of the word "TaaraNa " in ubhaya 
vEdAnthams . First , we will recall what the Upanishads (Veda Siras )
have to say about the multi-faceted meanings of "TaaraNa " nAmam. 

Who is that TaaraNa Moorthy symbolized by the nAmam for this new year ? 
He was saluted during the last two years as ChithrabhAnu and SubhAnu 
in  the list of sixty years . We have dwelled on the significance of 
the names of ChithrabhAnu and SubhAnu under Vedic parlance
around this time in previous years .

That Veda-prathivEdhyan is being  introduced to us 
this year as "TaaraNa(n) " .Let us reflect on what the word 
"TaaraNa " signifies in our VedAntha ( Upanishadic)
SampradhAyam. 

TaaraNa Moorthy according to KatOpanishad
*****************************************************
The Upanishad manthram (3.11) salutes this Supreme Self 
as being loftier than both the unmanifest ( Prakruthi ) 
and the Jeevan . There is nothing is more important 
than the Supreme Self and this Purusha is both the ultimate
means ( upAyam) and it  is the final goal(Gathi) :" PurushAnna param 
kimchith Saa KashtA Saa parA gathi " .This Supreme Reality
(Parama Purusha ) is the sEthu ( embankment/means ) and the joyous 
shore as well on the otherside of the fierce ocean of SamsAra 
( parA gathi/ultimate goal) .

TaaraNa KaaraNan according to ChAndhOgya Upanishad 
********************************************************************
ChAndOgya Upanishad manthrams ( 8.4.1 & 8.4.2) state that this sEthu 
(embankment , bridge ) which helps the upAsakan to cross the ocean of
SamsAra (Sa sEthu: ) . This upnishad describes the Parama Purushan 
serving as  the enduring embankment and as the One beyond dualities
(day and night , sukham and dukkham et al in the tradition of 
Swamy  NammAzhwAr's Paasurams on Lord Oppiliappan ) . 
The impact on the upAsakan on reaching this sEthu is described 
further : One who was blind earlier gains sight ; one who was wounded 
with the arrows of SamsAra gets healed from those painful wounds;
one who was ill before overcomes that illness.Hence for one , who has 
crossed the SamsAra and "reached this Brahman designated as 
sEthu , even the night becomes the day" says the Upanishad manthram .

BrahadaraNyaka Upanishad and TaaraNa KaaraNan
****************************************************************
BrahadaraNyakOpnishad instructs that this TaaraNa KaaraNan
is the ParamAthman , who can not be known through anything 
other than His grace.The Upanishad salutes this Supreme Self 
as the Lord of all beings and the ruler of all ( SarvEshAm
bhUthAnAm adhipathi: , SarvEshAm bhUthAnAm RaajA ). 
The Upanishad reminds us that under the mighty rule of 
this immutable  Brahman (akshara Brahman) , heaven and
earth are held in place and that seconds , minutes , hours , 
days , nights , fortnights , months , seasons , the cycle of 
sixty years  are all maintained in their allocated places .
It is only through the grace of this mighty ruler that 
the jeevan crosses the dangerous ocean of samsAram 
and reaches the other shore that is safe . That this mighty ruler 
is the upAyam and gathi is asserted here.  

TaaraNa KaaraNan and MahA NaarAyaNa Upanishad
***************************************************************
It is this celebrated Upanishad that identifies the TaaraNa KaaraNan as
SrIman NaarAyaNan and salutes Him as MahA NaarAyaNan .
At the very beginning , the BrahmOpAsakan says:

VedAhamEtham Purusham MahAntham
Adhithya varNam tamasa: parasthAth
TamEvam VidhvAn amrutha iha bhavathy 
nAnya: panTA : vidhyathEayanAya ---12th Manthram

(meaning) : I know this Purushan , SrIman NaarAyaNan . 
He is radiant like the Sun and is the magnificent One.He is
outside and beyond the prakruthi( primordial matter) . Any one
who knows this ParamAthmA and His svaroopam , lakshaNam 
will become immortal in this piRavi ( birth) itself.No other sure path
for liberation exists.

The Upanishad goes on to say that BhUmi Devi and MahA Lakshmi 
are His divine consorts ( Hreesccha tE Lakshmeesccha patnyou ).
He is viewed as the resident in our heart lotuses and as being subtler than 
the subtlest and greater than the greatest . When the BrahmOpAsakan 
without any bonds of karma  visualizes that antharyAmi Brahman 
as the Lord seated inside his heart  lotus , then he is freed from grief 
as a result of the gracious act of TaaraNam performed by the great Lord:

aNOraNeeyAn mahathO maheeyAn
AathmA guhAyAm nihithOsya janthO:
Tamakrathum pasyathi veetha-sOkO dhAthu:
prasAdhAn mahimAnam Isam ---66th Manthram

This great Lord's ( TaaraNa Brahman's ) name is now revealed 
and celebrated :

NaarAyaNa Param Brahma Tatthvam NaarAyaNa: Para :
NaarAyaNa parO JyOthirAthmA NaarAyaNa: Para: ( 93rd Manthram) 

NaarAyaNa is indeed that Supreme Brahman . NaarAyaNa is
the Supreme Reality and nothing  else. NaarAyaNa is
the supremely effulgent JyOthi ( Param JyOthi/Svayam JyOthi/ 
Param Sudar) . NaarAyaNa is the Supreme Self.

The TaaraNa KaaraNa Brahman is worshipped with VishNu Gaayathri
and SaraNAgathy is performed at His sacred feet to serve as UpAyam
and UpEyam ( means and phalan ) to cross over the terrible ocean of
SamsAram :

NaarAyaNAya VidhmahE VaasudEvAya dheemahi
TannO VishNu: PrachOdhayAth ---28th Manthram 

We meditate upon the glories of NaarAyaNa .For accomplishing  that effort , 
we dedicate ourselves to VaasudEvA .May that Lord VishNu-NaarAyaNan
invigorate our minds !

NyAsa VidhyA (SaraNAgathy ) for Moksham is taught at the end of this Upanishad 
(150th Manthram) in a grand manner . Dr.NSA Swamyhas translated this
manthrm this way :

  " For that sacrifice of the form of NyAsa or Self-Surrender of one , 
who is devoted to NyAsa VidhyA , the Self itself ( jeevan) that is to be 
surrendered is the YajamAna or the institutor ( performer) of that yaj~nam . 
His faith is his wife---His chest is his altar---His heart is the sacrificial 
post--- His desire
is the ghee; His anger is the animal to be sacrificed. His contemplative 
knowledge is 
his fire---His speech is the hothr priest .His vital air is the Udhgatr priest 
; His eyes or
sight is the adhvaryu priest ; His mind is the Brahman priest ; His ears are 
the agnidhr
priest ; the span of his life is the dakshiNa ; what he eats and drinks is his 
sOma 
paana----the three divisions of the day morning , midday and evening relating 
to him 
are the three savanas---That is AgnihOthra and Satra( yaagam) that is to be 
practised 
as long as one lives.

NaarAyaNa aTarvasirOpanishad saluting this TaaraNa KaaraNan
**************************************************************************
NaarAyaNa aTarvasirOpanishad instructs us on the need for 
knowing this Lord with bhakthi and surrendering ourselves 
unconditionally to Him to cross over the SamsAric ocean 
and to reach the other shore of supreme peace and tranquility .

The mAgnificent passage (2nd Manthram ) of NaarAyaNa aTarvasirOpanishad 
recognizes Lord SrIman NaarAyana as ETERNAL  and as the inner self of 
all chEtanams and achEtanams. It has a thundering statement , which 
has been translated by Dr.NSA Swamy in the following way : 

" All this is , and that was and that will be in the future is 
verily NaarAyaNa alone. NaarAyaNa is the one , non-second deity , 
who has no defect , no taint , no change , nor any limitations , but is
ever pure and auspicious.There is no second entity whosoever . Every 
thing that exists has NaarAyaNan alone as their innerself  and there is
no entity , which has not Him as his innerself .He who realizes thus 
becomes similar to VishNu. The Yajurveda Shiras ordains like this " .

The same upanishad states what the Rg Veda Shiras states:
" From NaarAyaNa are born Brahma , Rudra , Indhra , PrajApathis ,
the twelve AadithyAs . All these entities are born out of Him and 
they function because of NaarAyaNa. They reach layam (merge) in
NaarAyaNa ( NaarAyaNAdh-yEva samupadhyanthE . NaarAyaNAth
PravartanthE . NaarAyaNE praleeyanthE ) .

The Upanishad continues  and asserts that the mediator of the MahA 
Manthram of SrIman NaarAyaNA ( AshtAksharam) attains SrI Vaikuntam , 
His Supreme abode ( YamukthvA muchyathE yOgi janma samsAra 
bhandhanAth . Vaikunta Bhuvana lOkam gamishyathi) . The Yogi meditating on 
AshtAksharam gets released from all the bonds of SamsAram and ascends to 
SrI Vaikuntam . NaaRAyaNan , is the cause of every thing that exists , 
functions and attains layam .There is nothing in this entire universe , 
which is the root cause of this Supreme Being ( SarvabhUthasTamEkam 
NaarAyaNam. KaaraNa purushamakAraNam Param Brahma ).  

SrIman NaarAyaNan being the sole KaaraNam of the Universe and its beings 
and functioning as the TaaraNa KaaraNan is emphasized in this Upanishad .

SvEtasvataraOpanishad  and the Lord as the TaaraNa KaaraNan 
***************************************************************************
Manthram 1.11 instructs us that the knowing of the vaibhavam of
the Lord results in the desruction of all bonds to SamsAra .These 
bonds that get broken are of the form of both PuNya and Paapa. 
That leads to the freedom from the cycles of repated births and
deaths in the karma bhUmi ( Jn~AthvA Devam sarva-paasApahAni:
ksheeNai: klEsair-janma-mruthyu prahANi: ).The Upanishad instructs
us to gain knowledge about this Parama Purushan ( Tath BrahmOpanishath-
Param) as the ruler of all chEthanams and achEtanams . The Upanishad
informs us that those , who gain such a knowledge about the mysteries of
the Lord as the Creator , ruler and controller become immortal ( yEtath 
vidhu: amruthAstE bhavanthi).

That this Purushan is the Moksha DhAyakan ( grantor of Moksha Sukham)
is revealed by the following manthram (3.12):

MahAn Prabhurvai Purusha: Sathvasyaisha pravarthaka:
SunirmalAmimAm SaanthimeesAnO JyOthikhyaya:

(Meaning): This Supreme PurushA ( SrIman NaarAyaNa) is 
the magnificent One granting the boon of Moksha Sukham .
This Supreme Purushan is the advancer of Satthva guNam .
This immutable and matchless jyOthi is the ruler/ordainer of 
this pure and eternal peace shining in the form of Moksha Sukham
( Saanthim athyanthamEthi ) . 

All the bonds of SamsAram are broken , when attains knowledge about 
this auspicious Supreme Being , who resides hidden in all beings ( Jn~AthvA 
Sivam sarvabhUthEshu gooDam ) in a most  subtle form ( visvasyaikam 
parivEshtithAram  jn~AthvA Devam muchyathE Sarva-pAsai: ) .

Manthram 6.9 instructs us that there is no one , who is superior (Master)
to Him in all of the universes  . He has no "inferential mark " ( lingam ) .
He is the root cause for every thing ( Sarva vyApAra KaaraNan 
including TaaraNam ) . He is the emperor of the sense organs 
and He is self-manifested and He has no one over Him.

He is the BhagavAn with six attributes such as Jn~Anam et al
and is the One , who causes freedom (release) from SamsAra , 
bondage in SamsAra and sustenance of SamsAra( PradhAna
KshEthrj~na pathir-guNEsa: SamsAra mOkshasTithi bhandha hEthu: ).

Towards the very end of SvetasvatarOpnishad , the Jeevan that has
developed a clear knowledge of BhagavAn of such matchless attributes 
and power performs SaraNAgathy to Him for Moksha PrApthi ( 6.18) :

yO BrahmANam vidhadhAthi poorvam 
yO vai vEddhAmsccha prahiNOthi Tasmai
Tamm ha dEvamAthma-buddhi prakAsam 
mumukshurvai SaraNamaham prapadhyE 

As a seeker of Moksham , I surrender unto that resplendent 
BhagavAn , who has created Brahma dEvan first during 
the efforts at creation and who blesses that Brahma dEvan
with the knowledge of VedAs as well and on account of
whom the bhddhi ( intellect ) of mine shines out.

This Lord , who is the grantor of Moksham is the bridge to 
the eternal liberation ( amruthasya param sEthum) from SamsAram . 
I perform Prapatthi to Him and seek His refuge.

Summary about TaaraNa samvathsaram & the origin of this Naama 
*******************************************************************************
For every janthu , liberation from the horrors of SamsAric afflictions 
is the most coveted goal. That goal can be realized by practising 
SaraNAgathy yOgam and seeking the Lord as one's Rakshakan .
Then the Lord responds with alacrity and help the janthus cross 
over the ocean of SamsAram ( TaaraNam ) and lands them in 
the other side of SamsAram , which is His eternal Supreme abode .
He is both means and phalan (UpAyam and UpEyam ). He is 
the TaaraNa KaaraNan .

We will cover the salutations to the TaaraNa KaaraNan by
our AzhwArs and AchAryAs in the next posting .

With Prayers for all soubhAgyams to you in the coming New Year !
SrI NaarAyaNa YathIndhra MahA DEsikAya Nama:
Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri SadagOpan  


        



  
   







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