Mangalya Sthavam : Part III ( SlOkams 4-6)

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Oppiliappan List Archive Mar 2002SrI:

 

Dear BhakthAs:

 

In the slOkam 4 , sage Pulasthyar addresses

Sage DhAlabhyar as the srEshtar among Brahmins

(Dhvija-varya:)and asks latter to listen attentively

to what he (Pulasthyar) is going to say:

 

Srunushva chAnyath gadhathO mamAkhilam

vadhAmi yath Dhivajavarya Mangalam

SarvArTasiddhim pradhadhAthi yath

sadhA nihanthyasEshANi cha PaatakAni

 

(meaning): Oh the exalted one among BrahmaNAs !

I will describe the sthuthi that will be auspicious

to You and will grant you all that you desire.

It will destroy all inauspiciousness for those ,

who recite it. Please listen to this discourse

by me fully.

 

Comments: Sage Pulasthyar points out that Maangalya

Sthavam has the power to do two things: (1) It yields

SarvArTa-Siddhi /pradhadhAthi SarvArTa-siddhim

(2) PaathakAni cha asEshANi nihanthi , it destroys

all sins down to their roots. Whatever is desired by you

that is auspicious,the recitation of this sthavam

makes it possible for you to attain it; further ,

it destroys utterly all the bad karmAs down to their roots.

Paathakams (greatest of sins) are BrahmahathyAdhi

Pancha Paathakams.Those paathakams are all destroyed .

The recitation of the Maangalya sthavam also yields

the fruits of " SarvArTa Siddhi " or the relaization of

all Isvaryam .

 

The significance of the Name " SarvArTa siddhi "

************************************************

The choice of Swamy Desikan to name his commentary on

Tatthva Muktha KalApa as " SarvArTa Siddhi " is intriguing

in this context.

 

adiyEn wonders whether Swamy Desikan recieved his inspiration

from this slOkam , where this boon of " SarvArTa Siddhi "

is specially mentioned. SarvArTa siddhi of Swamy Desikan

is a terse SrI Sookthi . it is a a wonderful summary of

the uniqueness of Bhakthi and SaraNAgathi maargams

based on the VisishtAdvaidhic fundamentals dealing with

the special relationship between Isvaran and Jeevan.

 

Swamy Desikan implied that full comprehension of

his SrI Sookthi , SarvArTa Siddhi will help to

understand the central doctrines of VedAnthA as

established by AchArya RaamAnujA in his SrI BhAshyam :

" Brahman has attributes and is identical with Sriman

NaarAyaNa , world and souls are real , the relation

between Brahman on one hand and the world of animate

and inanimate objects on the other is that between

soul and body . Brahman is the only One having the world

as its(His) attribute , thus giving the name of VisishtAdhvaitham

to this school and Bhakthi and Prapatthi are the means of

getting liberation from bondage " . Among all the Isvaryams

(ArTA ), the Parama PurushArTam is Moksham and hence it

is the SarvArTa Siddhi.

 

In the 48th slOkam of Saptharathna MaalikA , the SrI sookthi

of SarvArTa siddhi is defined as being essential for

one's protection/SvarakshA (MangaLam )and the Satha-dhUshaNi

SrI Sookthi is identified with PrathyarTi Bhangam

(Para matha Bhangam or destruction of vEda Baahya

mathams and kudrushti mathams):

 

SarvArTasidhdi: SathadhUshaNi cha

dhvE khEDa-sAsthrE kaTakAgragANAm

aadhyEna tathra kriyathE SvarakshA

PratyarTIbhanga:kriyathE parENa

 

That SarvArTa sidhdi is what Sage Pulasthyar

seems to be referring to in his upadEsam.

 

SlOkam 5:

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prathishtitham yathra jagaccharAcharam

jagath-thrayE yO jagathasccha hEthu:

jagaccha paathyathi cha ya: Sa sarvadhA

mamAsthu Maangalya-vivrudhdayE Hari:

 

(meaning): May that Hari NaarAyaNan , who is

the KaaraNam for the creation of the Universe

with its chEthanams and achEthanams , who bears it

to be without instability , who protects it and who

consumes it during mahA praLayam as if it were

His food by getting the entire charAcharams to

stay inside His stomach , May that Hari , who

destroys all the sins cause all of my mangaLams

to grow further and further!

 

Sage Pulasthya defines Brahman here along the lines

of the Brahma Soothram 1.1.2: JanmAthyasya Yatha:

" (Brahman is that Omniscient , Omnipotent ,

all-merciful Being ) from whom proceed the origin etc.

(i-e), origin , sustenance and dissolution) of this

varied and wondefully fashioned world " .

 

Pulasthyar states along the line of Upanishadic

proclamations that Hari is the One in which

Jagath has Prathishtai (Prathishititham

JagaccharAcharam Yathra); He is the hEthu

(cause) for the three worlds ( Jagath thrayE

yO Jagathasccha hEthu:).May That same One ,

who sustains the three worlds and protects

them ( Jagasccha paathyathi Ya: Sa: Hari:)

grow further and further my Mangalams!

 

SlOkam 6

*********

vyOmAmBhu Vaayvagani MahI Svaroopai:

visthAravAn yO-aNutarO-aNUbhAvaath

asTUla Sookshma : sathatham ParEsvarO

mamaasthu mAngalya vivruddhayE Hari:

 

(Meaning): May that Hari , who has expanded

Himself through pancha BhUthams like AakAsam

(vyOmapurisan/ThiruviNNagarappan ) , Vaayu ,

Ambhu(water), Agni and BhUmi (PruTvI )enhance

my MangaLams . He is smaller than the smallest

(aNOr-aNIyAn) and larger than the largest (MahathOr

MahIyAn) and yet is different from both in His attributes .

May that Hari at all times bless me with ever

growing MangaLams !

 

Here Sage Pulasthyar continues with the vision of

the creation of the Universe as saluted in the

ATarva Vedam's PaarshNi Sooktham ( X.2.25):

 

BrahmaNA bhUmor-vihithA Brahma dhyaou uttharA hithA

BrahmEdmUrdhvam tiryak chAnthariksham vyachO hitham

 

(meaning): By God (Brahman/Hari) was this earth

disposed.By Him , it is configured above (vyOma).

By Him is this air (Vaayu) lifted on high and

stretched across mid space.The creation by Hari with

five parameters across space and time is visualized

here . AzhwArs in their Tamil MaRais salute this

expansion of the Lord to create this universe

(CharAcharam).

 

The HiraNya Garbha Sookthams of Rg Vedam (X.121),

the Sthambha Soktham of Atharva Vedam (X.7.1-44)

marvel at this cosmic creation and the divine laws

that sustain it.Our Lord is the JyEshta Brahman

(Supreme Lord ) and SarvAdhAran (Support of All)

as saluted by the Vedic hymns.

 

Lord's great art of creation can only be glimpsed

by the Vedic hymns and one example of such attempt

to visualize and describe that marvellous and vast

creation is housed in Rg Vedam X.121.5:

 

" By Him , the heavens are strong and the earth

is steadfast ; by Him , the light's realm and

sky vault are supported ; by Him , the region in

the midair are measured. To that Lord alone , May

we offer our adorations " .

 

The expansion of Brahman thru the pancha bhUthams

(AakAsam , Ambhu, Agni, Vaayu and Pruthvee ) is

visualized by Sage Pulasthyar and His difference

from ChEthanam and achEthanam are hinted here in

the classical Vedic way.

 

SrImath Azhagiya Singar Thiruvadi,

Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri SadagOpan