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Dhivya PrabhandamSwamy NammAzhwAr?s ThiruvAsiriyam & Yajur Vedam
 

There are four Dhivya prabhandhams blessed to us by Swamy 

NammAzhwAr : (1) Thiruviruttham , (2) Thiruvaasiriyam , 

(3) Periya ThiruvandhAthi and (4) ThiruvAimozhi.

 

PoorvAchAryaas have compared the above four Veda SamhithAs to

Rig , Yajur , Atharva and Saama Vedam respectively .

 

adiyEn will focus on ThiruvAsiriyam ( Yajur Veda Saamyam) and 

Periya ThiruvandhAthi (Atharava Veda Saamyam) in this essay . 

Taniyan for Thiruvaasiriyam  set in Aasriyappaa meter .There are seven 
paasurams in this Prabhandham.

The Taniyan for Thiruvaasiriyam has been composed by AruLALa PerumAL 
EmperumAnAr .

The composer of the Taniyan says : Swamy NammAzhwAr incarnated in Kali Yugam 
for showering auspiciousness on the people of the world thru the blessings of 
ThiruvAsiriyam as the elaboration of (Yajur ) Veda mantrams. The author reminds 
us to say Jaya Vijayee bhava to this AchAryan with the name of ParAnkusan 
adorning the shining VaguLaa flower grland on His chest.He wants us to eulogize 
Swamy NammAzhwAr , the author with a blemish-free mind for His upakAram .

Here are the meanings of the 7 Paasurams of ThiruvAsiriyam according to 
Dr.K.C.Varadachari.

Paasuram 1 : Vision of the Sesha Saayee at the Milky Ocean:

Like the lustrous emerald-green mountain adorned with  huge red-clouds, crimson 
Sun and  cool Moon  and wearing many stars with coral-red reefs asleep on the 
palm of Samudhra Raajan , Thou art wrapt in yellow robe, adorned with crown and 
necklace,and bright jewels , bright-lipped and red-eyed, with an entrancing 
body resting on the couch-like serpent, poisonous and brooding. In the midst of 
the Ocean enjoyest Thou the yogic sleep, so that SivA, BrahmA, IndrA and other 
hosts of Gods may worship Thee and seek Your protection ! Oh Thou 
lotus-navelled  One! Oh Supreme Godhead! Oh Thou who hast feet that measured 
the three worlds! Salutations to You !

Paasuram 2: SnEha-Poorva anudhyAna Bhakthi from that vision:

Through its intense desire to wear on its head the signs of the Lord's 
sovereignty, the Soul struggles to attain the sacred feet of the Lord 
(VishNu-Thrivikrama) resounding with ankle bells. That Lord is the world 
creator-devourer. Abandoning puerile ends, the Soul melts and loses itself in 
devotion and offers love to Him and delights in enjoying the transcendent 
nectar-flood. Let it. If the lordship, established place and imperishable 
strength are obtained over the three worlds , while  missing Moksham , will a 
seeker  aim at that? Certainly not .

Paasuram 3 :  Importance of BhAgavatha Kaimkaryam:

Because of whose will the three worlds tread the good path , He is saluted as 
their Sole refuge;  among the three gods , He is Chief, whose chest is 
luminous, who in the cool ocean full of high waves that roar like thunder-bolts 
at which the mountains quake, bound a serpent king (Vaasuki) round the huge 
(MandrA) mountain and churned for nectar, to That One Supreme God's  devotees, 
we shall become servants, hereafter, creation after creation. His unmatchable 
prowess in Churning for nectar is referred to here .

Paasuram 4: Desire for the AarAdhanam of the Lord's Holy Feet:

Will it not come to pass that creation after creation unceasingly undisturbed, 
we shall seek refuge at the feet of the Primeval Divine Wonderful Being, Who 
once upon a time, when all the world's were hot and all the worlds and all 
beings ceased to be, was unattainable by countless souls; Then unaided, the 
Sole Seed, out of His navel, He brought forth the supremely powerful Brahma, 
Sivan and other Gods and willed the existence of the three worlds ! Samashti 
Srushti is referred to here .

Paasuram 5: The Power of ThrivikramA's holy feet

Making Thy one lotus-foot face downwards covering the Earth entire, Oh Thou 
Primordial Cause! With the other brilliant lotus-foot hast Thou covered the 
entire sky, so that the Brahman's world felt wonder and joy and the gods, the 
path shown by the VedAs tread! With eyes like the lotus-garden in bloom, with 
lips like (bhimbA) fruit, wearing a crown, lustrous like the dawn or an 
infinite-rayed thousand Sun, Thou art with a thousand shoulders like the 
KalpakA forest (that grandest all)! To Thee canst not the worlds be devoted 
slaves? Oh Lord! 

Paasuram 6: Obstacles to the attainment of the Lord's Holy Feet:

Alas! Man?s nature is this: to adore the wooden doll, whilst his mother, who 
brought him forth is unattended stands before him unattened! Whilst the Supreme 
God -- who brought forth the world, raised it, created it out of Himself, 
measured it, muses on it and saves it-- exists, to worship some other god(s), 
what one has seen reveals one's stupidity that causes pain to the knower (of 
truth): their services to the lesser gods causes pain and causes them to engage 
in other prohibited actions. The fruits granted by these undesirable pursuits 
are nothing but joys mixed with grief. They become the causes of complete 
submergence, unceasing, in the beginning less vast deluding samsArA, through 
manifold deluding things of senses. 

Paasuram 7: Parama PurushArtham is the Worship of sriman Naarayanan:

He upholds Rudra, who wears the Moon on his matted locks, Brahmaa the 
four-faced, IndrA, the chief of of the dEvAs! Having the color of green leaf, 
He upholds all the worlds including the earth with all its creatures and all 
the elements, water, fire, air and light-pervaded ether, the brilliant Sun and 
Moon with their splendid rays. All are kept without falling asunder through His 
power within Himself, so that they are not seen (in PraLayaa). It is He, who is 
resting on the banyan leaf (in the ocean at cosmic withdrawal). Him, our Lord, 
the Great MaayAvi alone, and no other God shall we adore. 

In the final paasuram of ThiruvAsiriyam, Swamy NammAzhwAr answers the question 
raised by a veda Manthram: "Kasmai DevAya HavishOvidEma?" (To which God should 
we offer oblation/aahUthi?).Swamy Nammalwar answers that question unambigously 
and with certainity that we should offer our worship to that Sarvan, Sakala 
GuNa ParipUrNan celebrated by the VedAs and Saathvika PurANAs as the One in 
whom all things attain rest and seek refuge (Saravm SamApnOsi tatOsi Sarvah). 

Celebration of ThiruvikramAvathAram in ThiruvAsiriya Prabhandham

Swamy Nammalwar has been awed by the vision of Thrivikraman, who grew from a 
Vaamana roopam to the directions-striding Thrivikraman. The SookshmArthams of 
this avathAram enchanted Swamy Nammalwar and he celebrated that avathAram at a 
few places in ThiruvAsiriyam.

 In the first Paasuram, where Swamy Nammalwar enjoys the Lord resting at the 
Milky Ocean, the memory of Thrivikraman propels him to address the Lord as:" 
Tanip Peru Naayaka, Moovulahu aLantha sEvadiyOyE" (Oh matchless SarvEsvara with 
broad feet to measure the three worlds). 

In the second paasuram of ThiruvAsiriyam, Swamy Nammalwar celebrates that 
heroic valor ( MaayA peru ViRal)and enjoys Him as "anbhilinn thERal amudha 
VeLLam "(the delectable BhOgyam of tne nectarine flood for those , who approach 
Him with SnEham/freindship and preethi/love). 

In the fifth paasuram, Swamy Nammalwar salutes magnificently the happenings 
during ThrivikramAvathAram on the Earth and Brahma lOkam and beyond.

 In the sixth paasuram, Swamy Nammalwar refers again to the measurement of the 
Earth and Sky with two steps and salutes Sriman NaarAyaNan as " Mudhal Peru 
KadavuL" (Primordial Great Lord). 

Celebration Of ThrivikramAvathAram in Yajur Vedam

Many indeed are the Yajur Veda Mathrams that salute ThrivikramAvathAram for its 
esoteric references to eastablish Him as Adhi dhaivam and as SarvEsvaran's 
avathAram. Yajur manthram(Book II.25) celebrates Sriman NaarAyaNA's pervasion 
(VyApthi) of the sky , air and earth , nay throughout His Universe as 
Thrivikraman ( Dhivi VishNur vyagumstha?antharikshE VishNur 
vyakthragumstha--pruthivyAm VishNur vyakthragumstha GaayathrENa ChandasA --). 

Yajur Vadam: Book V.15 and 18: " Idham VishNur vichakramE trEdhA nidhadhE 
padham and --VishNOr nukam veeryANi pra vOcham---vichakramANas-thrEdhOrugAyO 
VishNavE thvA". Here the pervasion of the earth, air and sky in gross and 
subtle form as Thrivikraman and His valor in doing so is saluted as reasons for 
offering AarAdhanam to Him and Him alone. 

Yajur Vedam X.19 refers to His Visvaroopam as "dhyAvA pruthvee VisvarUpE".Yajur 
Vedam Book XXXIV.43 salutes the protective and blessing power of the most 
merciful Lord through His three steps to establish His laws : " ThrINi padhA vi 
chakramE VishNurgOpthA adhAbhya:, athO dharmANi dhArayan". 

The Saanthi paatam (Yajur Vedam: XXXVI.9) invokes the valor of Thrivikraman at 
the end of the manthram: 

Sam nO mithra: Sam VaruNa: Sam nO BhavathvaryamA sam na IndhrO Bruhaspathi: Sam 
nO VISHNURURUKRAMA: 

In one Yajur Veda Mantharam of Book XXXIII, the revelation is made: " I(Jeevan) 
also am in these three steps of VishNu-Thrivikraman , where with this universe 
is permeated. 

Sri K.C.VaradachAri Comments further: " The AlwAr wonders at the greatest 
exploit of VishNu, which makes Him ALL-PERVADING SOVERIGN OF ALL THINGS, SOULS 
AND GODS; all the powers of other gods are subordinated to this Ruler ship 
principle of Vishnu-Thrivikraman. 

ThiruvAsiriyam of Swamy NammAzhwAr salutes this powerful truism of 
SarvEsvarathvam of Sriman NaarAyaNan and performs upadEsam for us not to go 
astray from that fundamental doctrine. 

ThiruvAsiriyam and Yajur vedam :Structure of Poetry

It is generally considered that Swamy NammAzhwAr (Swamy Nammalwar) has focused 
on the themes covered by Yajur Vedam in his ThiruvAsiriyam (ThiruvAsiriyam). 
This prabhandham is set in the style of Aasiriya Paa(AP) , which belongs to the 
general division of VeNN Paa in Tamil poetry. AP has a gadhyam like structure 
(Vachana Nadai/prosody) and has no " paadha Vyavasthai" or restrictions on 
metre and length. Yajur vedam also is not set in metres like Rg Veda manthrams 
and it has no restrictions on the length of the manthrams as well. This 
relationship between Yajur Vedam and the ThiruvAsiriyam set in AP is at the 
architectonic level. 

ThiruvAsiriyam and Yajur Vedam:Thematic Similarities

At a more substantive level of content , both ThiruvAsiriyam and Yajur Vedam 
have one very important aspect in common. Yajur Vedam is devoted to sacrifices 
(Yaagams) and sacred rites associated with the performance of such Yaagams. 
Yaagam is a Veda karmaa. This rite is known in Aagamaas as CharyA or KriyA and 
they have the Vedic sanctions as well. 

There are a lot of prayers in a yaagam and it has been accepted that every 
prayer has a rite incorporated in it. Among all the sacred rites, Bhagavath 
AarAdhanam is the most important one. Between the EmperumAn worshipped through 
His AarAdhanam and the one performing that AarAdhanam, there is a relationship 
that is similar to that described in ThiruvAsiriyam/Yajur Vedam. 

Sri K.C.Varadachari's observation is quite valuable in this context to 
understand the purpose of the Yaagam: " Sacrifice considered from the mystic 
stand point is not anything other than the proper self-offering for work, 
transformation, indwelling and possession and finally elevation to the Lord's 
Infinite Mansion (Parama Padham). 

The Yajur Veda is devoted to the sacrifice; the Sukla Yajur Veda (VaajasnEya 
SamhithA) concludes with the IsAvAsyOpanishad, which declares that Karma must 
be done as long as one lives and one should desire to do this (Saathvik) karma 
of self-offering to the Divine Being throughout life and that performance of 
right karma does not entail any sin or limitation. 

There are three kinds of karmas: 

(1)  Karma (action) 

(2)  Akarma (nonaction) and

     (3) Vikarma, a transcendental variety of Karma, which the VaishNavAs 
describe as Kaimkaryam (Bhagavath/ BhAgavatha/AchArya Kaimkaryam) to secure 
freedom from the cycles of births and deaths". 

ThiruvAsiriyam develops the above themes of Yajur Vedam in its seven 
paasurams.ThiruvAsiriyam points out that the AarAdhya Devan for the rites 
prescribed by the adhvaryu priests in the case of Yajur Vedam is Sriman 
NaarAyaNan alone .ThiruvAsiriyam is hence considered as the elaboration of the 
"NaarAyaNAya " portion of the Moola Manthram (AshtAksharam). 

The place of ThiruvAsiriyam among Swamy Nammalwar's Four prabhandhams

UtthamUr Swamy points out that the four Prabhandhams of Swamy Nammalwar 
progress from Para Bhakthi (Thiruviruttham) to Para JnAnam (ThiruvAsiriyam) to 
Parama Bhakthi (Periya ThiruvandhAthi) to Bhagavath prApthi (ThiruvAimozhi). In 
Thiruviruttham, Swamy Nammalwar experienced Para Bhakthi state and conversed 
with  the Lord , who was visible to him through Jn~Ana KaNN (Dhivya 
Chakshus)and pleaded for the severance of the dEha sambhandham that interfered 
with the perfect enjoyment of the Lord. 

The Lord was concerned and He came up with a clever way to satisfy Swamy 
Nammalwar, while making sure that the Prabhandhams for the benefit of the 
samsAris would be completed by Swamy Nammalwar as a part of his avathAra 
kaaryam. Our Lord blessed Swamy Nammalwar to enjoy His svaroopam, Roopam, GuNam 
and dhivya leelAs so that Swamy Nammalwar could enjoy them and be persuaded to 
cast Moksham aside for a while and stay a little longer in this earth (LeelA 
VibhUthi) to complete the composition of the remaining three prabhandhams. 

Thus arose ThiruvAsiriyam as a result of the direct vision (Prathyaksha 
Darsanam) of the Lord by Swamy Nammalwar as KshIrAbdhi Naathan resting as a 
baby in the lap of his Mother (AadhisEshan) at the milky ocean. That vision led 
Swamy Nammalwar to celebrate the uniqueness of Sriman NaarAyaNan as the 
uncontested Supreme Being, who alone can grant the Jeevans Moksham and rejected 
all other gods created by Him and subservient to Him in every way for worship 
to gain that MahA Siddhi. 

Srimath Azhagiya Singar ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam ,

Daasan , Opiliappan Koil V.Sadagopan 

 


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]






 
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