SrI:
Dear VedAbhimAnis
:
After KaaNDa Rishi
TarpaNam , UpAkaram Homam
is done today .This is
the angi for UpAkaramam ; the KaaNDa
Rishi TarpaNam ,
Yajn~Opaveetha DhAraNam are angams
for UpAkarmA as pointed
out by Sridharan Swamy of
the Sri Matam
MadhurAnthakam Schools .
After UpAkarma Homam ,
the final and important step
is VedArambham , where
UpadEsam on the First Prachnam of
one's Veda Saakhai . If
one is unable to have access to
the PraTama saakhai ,
then Purusha Sooktham is recited by some .
Others recite the first
manthram of each of the Four Vedams .
Rg Vedam hymn 1.1 : (
Same as Saama Vedam : PurvArchika
Saaman 605 )
agnimeeLE purOhitham
yaj~nasya dEvamrithvijam
hOthAram rathnadhAtamam
(Meaning)
: " We worship the adorable God , the high priest
of cosmic
activities , the divine , the One who works through
His eternal laws , and who feeds and sustains all that
is divine
and
luminous ".
Let us study each of the 8
words housed in this First Mantram of
the Pratama Prachnam since it
has has profound spiritual resonances :
1 . Agni:
Agni is the Supreme Lord , who is invoked first and is
recognized as such in all Vedams ( Yajur Vedam : XXXII.I
).
He is the Vrathapathy , the Lord of
Observances such as
UpAkarmaa and
Yaj~nams.
1+2: AgnimeeLE (Agnim yeeLE) : We worship
that Supreme Lord.
3. PurOhitham : Pura: ( in front of ) ;
hitham : (Means to achieve
the Supreme Goal). The Supreme Lord is
PurOhithA since
He has been sustaining this Universe
through His SaasthrAs
and cosmic laws for our rakshaNam
.
4.Yaj~nasya: Yaj~na has many meanings :
Worship with Yajur
manthrams; an act of supplication to DEvAs
, whose
antharyAmi Brahman is the Supreme Lord .
Yaj~na also
refers to LOka Srushti ( Cosmic Creation of
the Lord as
saluted in Purusha Sooktham
).
5.DEvam : One who gives freely ,
continously and with love .
Yaj~na is synonymous with VishNu . "
Yaj~nasya dEvam "
refers to the Supreme Lord , the showerer
of all benovolences
to those , who obey His saasthrAs
.
6. rithvijam : in the ritualistic parlance
, Rthvik is HothAr , who presents
the oblations to Agni . The esoteric
meaning is : One who works
through His Eternal Laws for cosmic kshEmam
.
7. HOthAram :This refers to one who accepts
and nourishes .
It is also a synonym for Agni JaathavEdhas
, a destroyer of
all inauspiciousness.
8. rathnadhAtamam: Among the dhAthAs
(givers) , He is " TAMAM "
(Supreme) ; he is the best grantor of
auspicious boons and
the Parama Hitha PurushArTam of Moksham .
He is recognized as
the Master Creator
of the various gems ( the
planets , the Stars ,
precious
gems/rathnams).
Saama Vedam
:
********************
PoorvArchikam : First
Saaman
agna Aa yaahi veethayE
gruNAnO havyadhAthayE
ni hOthA sathsi barhishi (
This is also the Rk of VI.16.10)
(Meaning): Here the liberal giver , the
Lord is invoked
to bless the dedicated devotee with all
auspiciousness
(Prosperity ). The Saaman says: "
Oh most generous Giver !
Having been eulogized by us , come before
us , Oh adorable
Lord ! bless the dedicated worshipper with
prosperity !
May Thou be seated in the innermost chamber
of our heart ! ".
The first ten Saamans including the
First Saaman recognize
the Lord as the inspirer of auspicious
deeds , the Supreme benefactor ,
messenger of all virtues ( dhUtham
hOthAram) , destroyer of
all adversaries , bringer of riches as
if laden on a divine chariot ,
dispeller of malignity , reciever of the
divine love of His devotees ,
resident of the loftiest dwelling place ,
the head and the support of
the Universe ( moordhnO visvasya vaaghatha:
), the destroyer of
all kinds of ignorance
.
Yajur Vedam
:
yeeshE thvOrjE Thvaa vaayava
sTa dEvO va: SavithA prArpayathu
srEshtatamAya karmaNa
aapyAyadhva magnyA IndhrAya bhAgam
prajAvatheeranameevA
adhyakshmaa maa vasthEna yeesatha
maagasagumsO dhruvA asmin
gOpathou syAtha vahniryajamAnasya
pasUnpaahi ---Chapter I
:Manthram 1
Translation by Sri Devichand : " Oh Lord !
We resort to Thee for the supply of
food stuffs and vigour . May (Thou) the
Creator , the fountain of happiness
and knowledge , imspire us for
the performance of noble deeds with our organs
(limbs and faculty). May the cows , which
should never be killed , be healthy
and strong . For the attainment of
prosperity and wealth , may the cows be full
of calves , free from consumption and other
diseases . may a thief and a sinner
be never be born amongst us ! May the Lord
of land and cattle be in a constant
and full possession of these . May Ye
protect the cattle , wealth and progeny
of the virtous soul !
AthavaNa Vedam
:
yE thrishapthaa: paryanthy
viSvaa roopANi Bhibratha:
VaachaspathirBalA tEshAm
tanvO adhya dhadhAtu mE
(Meaning according to Sri
Devichand): " May God ever assign to me the strength
and power of those twenty one
objects, which sustaining the animate and
inanimate creation , are
wandering round "
adiyEn's Comments :
***************************
(1)
Vachaspathy refers to the Lord of Speech , who is
none other than
the revealer of the four
VedAs ( Lord HayagrIvan) in hte 4 yugAs to HIs son ,
Brahma , when he looses them
. He is the VeLLai Parimukhan celebrated in
His
Sahasra Naamam
this way :
ChandramaNDala madhyasya
SvEthAmbhOruhavishDara:
jyOthsnAyamAnaangaruchir-nidhUthaantharBahistamaa:
He removes both the inner and
outter darkness with His cool ,
comforting tEjas
.
bhadraSrIvathsahArADya:
pancharAthra-pravarthaka:
His revelation of the Paancha
rAthra aagamam in five nights
for His aarAdhanam is saluted
here .
nirAnkusa krupApUrO
nithyakalyANakAraka:
moordhanyanADya: svAn dhAsAn
Brahmarandhraadhudhanjayan
His unbridled compassion to
bless the SaraNAgathAs with eternal auspiciousness
through the release of their
jeevans through Moordhanya NaaDi and Brahma
randhram for its upward
ascent to Sri Vaikuntam via archirAdhi maargam
by the Lord of Speech ( Veda
Purushan Vaachaspathy) is saluted here .
asahAhasOanapAyaSrI:
sasahAya: Sriyaiva sann
Sriman NaarAyaNO
VaasudEvOvyAdh VishNurutthama:
He is forever with Sri Devi and assisted by Her ; He is SrinivAsan,
Sriman NaarAyaNan , VaasudEvan and the Utthama VishNu . All
the VyApaka Manthrams ( AshtAkshari , DhwAdasAkshari and
ShaDakshari are saluted here as the manthrams of VishNu Hayagreevan ,
the Vaachaspathy , Sakala VidhyA Moorthy HayagrIvan ) .
(2) Hymn I of Atharva Vedam
has four Manthrams . Each of them
recognize and salute the
Aadhi Vedha Purushan , who keeps up
the Veda Paramparai , when
there is danger to it . In these prayers
of the First hymn , the
prayer is for " mayyEvAsthu mayi Srutham "
( Let my Vedic knowledge
remain under my control) . Additional
prayers in the first four
Manthrams of Atharva Vedam are :
" Oh Lord of speech !
Instruct me with Thy divine knowledge ! ( I.2) .
Oh Lord of Speech !
Spread all around my knowledge and action
( Jn~Anam and anushtAnam)
like the two bow-ends strained with
the cord ! ( Manthram I.3) .
The moving prayer in the fourth manthram is:
" samm
sruthEna gamEmahi maa SruthEna vi raadhishi " ( May
we
adhere to the sacred lore of
the VedAs ! Never may I be deprived of it ).
(3) thri-shapthaa: This refers to Twenty
one ( Three times seven Tattvams).
The 21 have been intrepreted in
number of ways . One interpretation
recognizes them as an assembly of Pancha
BhUthAs ( PruTvee , Vaayu ,
AakAsam , Agni/Fire and aapa:/Water )
, Pancha prANAs ( PrANa , ApAna , VyAna ,
UdhAna and SamAna ) , five Jn~Ana indhriyAs
, Five KarmEndhriyAs
and antha: karaNam ( the seat of antharyAmi
, the seat of mind , thought and
conscience ). In reality , the word
Thrishaptha: (21) refers to the limitless
forces of nature . The prayer here is to be
blesed with the strength and power
of those" twnety one "
tatthvams . They sustain the charAcharam ( animate
and
inanimate of the universe ) through which the Lord makes His presence and
engages them in His LeelAs ".
May we be blessed to
perform UpAkarmA on this Sravishtaa nakshathra
yukthAyAm
PourNamAsai subha
tithi by performing KaamOkArsheeth Manthra Japam ,
Veda KaaNDa Rishi
tarpaNam and the UpAkarma Homam to get ready for
the GayAthri MahA Manthra
Japam tomorrow as MithyAtheetha Praayascchittha
japam.
NamO Veda PurushAya
,
Daasan , Oppiliappan Koil
VaradAchAri Sadagopan
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