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April 13 , 2004 : Forthcoming Varusha
PiRappu & SravaNa Subha Dinam
*************************************************************************************
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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