Vedam Parama Pramaanam
( Mukkur Sri Lakshminarasimhachariar )

-Part 5-
(Concluding part)

Now look at the next attribute: ‘ Avicchinna Parambaraagathathvam ‘ (The unbroken lineage of transmission). Spoken by one, grasped by the next, and passed down continuously without a single break. That is it. Retaining the Swaram flawlessly without any error. In ancient times, it was called ‘ Shruti ‘. Because it was heard, it is Shruti. Initially, the Veda was only heard. By repeatedly listening, listening, and listening, it was deeply etched within. It had to be grasped purely by listening. Hence the name Shruti.

And it must be repeated exactly as it was heard. What happens if the swaram is changed? ‘Mithyaa theethaha’. Meaning: ‘ Svarathoparaadhaath yathendra shathruhu svarathoparaadhaath sa vaakvajraha yajamaanam hinasthi ‘. If someone chants the Veda with Apaswaram (incorrect intonation), it will yield disastrously opposite results. Just as chanting it perfectly with Saswaram yields immense auspicious results, chanting it with Apaswaram produces catastrophic effects. That improperly uttered sound transforms into a Vajrayudham (thunderbolt weapon) and strikes the chanter! The Shastras say we cannot even predict what it will do to those who listen to it! It will split the listeners apart. Thus, chanting with Apaswaram tortures both the chanter and the listener. One should neither listen to Apaswaram nor chant in Apaswaram.

Why is this so? Does intonation really carry so much meaning? Yes! Even in our everyday worldly language, intonation completely changes the meaning. If you drag a word, drop its pitch, or stress it, the meaning flips entirely.

Imagine a man is sitting at home. Someone opens the gate and walks in. The host looks at him and thinks, “Why is he coming now? He won’t leave until evening. He’ll just sit here.” The host has no desire for him to come. But the guest has already entered. What can he do? He says, ” Vaango ” (Come in). But what does it actually mean in that tone? It means ” Poongo ” (Go away)! The word says ‘Come’, but his tone clearly reveals his displeasure. “Why did he have to come?” is evident in the tone itself.

Now, another person comes, someone the host really loves. “Vaango, vaango, vaango, vaango!” he exclaims. He repeatedly fires off the word ‘Vaango’. Hearing that enthusiastic “Vaango, vaango”, the guest walks in even faster! Does his tone not clearly show his delight at the arrival?

Even in our daily speech, if we slightly stress, modify, elongate, or drop the pitch of a word, the meaning changes completely. The entire Veda exists purely within its Swaram! Only if a specific Swaram is chanted will those Devatas be satisfied.

Take the mantra: ‘ Agnaye Svaahaa… Savithre Svaahaa… Pooshne Svaahaa… Svaahaa…’ This specific intonation is called Deergha Svaritham. The Shastras dictate that Homas must be performed exactly in this Swaram. Only if this Swaram is uttered will the Devatas descend and accept the Havis (offering). If someone, rushing because it’s getting late, just flatly mutters, ” Agnaye svaahaa savithre svaahaa pooshne svaahaa.. .”, not a single Devata will come! Why? Because we didn’t call them the way they are supposed to be called. They won’t respond to this tone. It’s exactly like the reluctant “Vaango” story! Therefore, that specific Swaram for ‘Svaahaa’ must be pronounced. Only then will they come and accept it.

Imagine a man performing a Homam from morning till evening, or all through the night. If he just keeps throwing offerings saying flatly, “Svaahaa, Svaahaa, Svaahaa,” will the Devata come? Will it accept it? Therefore, ‘Vidhi heenasya yagnyasya sadyaha kartaa vinashyathi’. If a Yajna is performed without following the proper rules (Vidhi heena), instead of attaining the desired fruit, won’t disastrously opposite results befall the performer? See how difficult performing a Yajna truly is! They must be called exactly with that specific Swaram.

Now, suppose we need rain. We say the rains are deficient. We need heavy rains. Everywhere we look, water bodies must overflow. We need to communicate this to Indra. If we tell him through the proper mantra, he will pour it down! There is a specific mantra to bring rain. There is another mantra to stop the rain! In ancient times, Maharishis commanded the rains entirely through mantras. If rain is not needed, there is a mantra: ‘ Samudram gaccha svaahaa ‘. If this is chanted, the rain won’t fall on land; it will fall in the ocean. If we want it here, there is a mantra for that. If one performs the Varuna Japam with that mantra, abundant rain will fall exactly in that place. Therefore, ‘ Aapa pranayathi ‘. If that mantra is chanted, the rains will begin. Thus, in ancient times, the great Maharishis ruled the elements using these supreme mantras, bringing and stopping rain at will.

If we want the water bodies to overflow, we must communicate it to Indra. Look at how the Veda communicates this through sound!
‘Aavatha vathaa vatha vathath… dhyumath dhyumath vathaa vatha vathath dhyumath.. .’
What is this? Suppose heavy rains have poured everywhere, and the fields, rivers, and ponds are overflowing with water. If a man walks through the village to inspect the rain, what does he hear? “Here a frog goes vatha vatha, there a frog goes vatha tha vatha tha… vatha vatha vatha tha vatha tha…” It sounds exactly like the croaking of frogs! Therefore, if we chant this sound exactly mimicking the croaking of frogs, all water bodies will overflow! Real frogs will indeed croak like that. The sound is meant to bring about such an abundance of water in the world that frogs will croak like that everywhere.

Someone once went to Vidyaranya and asked, “How would Rudra’s Tandava (cosmic dance) look?”

Vidyaranya asked, “Have you studied the Namakam and the entire Veda? I am a Salakshana Ghanapaathi.” He continued, “Chant the eighth Anuvakam of the Namakam, and you can witness Rudra’s Tandavam right there!”

Immediately, the person started chanting right in front of Vidyaranya.
‘ Namas somaaya somaaya… rudraaya rudraaya.. .’

It describes the placement of Rudra’s divine feet as He dances His Tandavam, stepping here and there!
‘Thaamraaja cha cha thaamraaja… thaamraaja thaamraaja…’

Does the sound not perfectly resemble the rhythmic beat of Talam (cymbals)? And then, Nandisvara stands opposite Him playing the Mridangam! He doesn’t play a physical instrument; he simply chants the mantra! The mantra itself becomes the Mridangam!

‘Thamru ruk thamru ruk… thaamraaja cha cha thaamraaja. ..’

This is His dance. ‘Thamru ruk thamru ruk…’ He literally reproduces the dhwani (resonance) of the Mridangam purely through the Vedic syllables! He dances to the sound of the Veda! Thus, the entire Rudra Tandavam can be witnessed within the Namakam. Everything is revealed to us through the Veda dhwani.

Is there anything in this world that is not in the Veda?
‘ Anu maryo maryo… arvan arvan maryo.. .’
This was specifically highlighted during a grand Sadas (assembly of scholars) in Vijayawada when the Sringeri Periyava was present. That day, the Ghanapaathis began this particular Panchaathi (Vedic section). It started with ‘Pathayantham pathangam’. When they chanted ‘Arvan arvan’, the Swami (Periyava) smiled and said, “Punaha ucchathaam!” (Chant it again!).

The scholars were thrilled that the Acharya Himself had asked them to repeat it, and they chanted it even more beautifully. Then the Swami said, “There is nothing that is not in the Veda. Only today I realized that even the ‘Thavil’ (a traditional percussion instrument) is in the Veda!”
Everyone said, “Thavila?!”

“Yes,” the Swami explained. “The Vidwan playing the Thavil strikes it with a stick in one hand, and taps it with the fingers of his other hand. Sometimes he takes the stick, moves it to the other side, and strikes it there. Listen to this: ‘Arvan arvan… nanvan varvan… arvan arvan nanvan…’ The sound of the ‘Arvan’ perfectly mimics the beat of the Thavil!”
Therefore, in its tones… not just the Mridangam, even the sound of the Thavil is present..!!

If we keep analyzing like this, is there anything that is not in the Veda? We can express everything through this divine word. Since everything is contained within the Veda, if it were a Purusha Kruthyam—if it were the product of a human brain—consider what would happen. Suppose someone asks Adiyen, “Please write a book, it will be very helpful to everyone.” If Adiyen starts writing a book, Adiyen will naturally emphasize whatever subjects Adiyen has studied the most! There will be room for personal bias (bhramai) and deception (vanjanai). There will be hesitations. A certain group of people will like it, and another group might dislike it. All these flaws inevitably occur in any text authored by a human.

But the Veda is universal. It doesn’t belong to just one person. Does it contain something that one person likes and another dislikes? Everyone should sit and deeply contemplate whether such a universal text could possibly have been created by a human brain. Never! It is never a creation bound by a single brain or human effort. It was not even authored by Bhagavan. Because it has been taught and passed down through an unbroken lineage (Oran vazhi), it possesses an incredibly strict system where the swaram must be chanted without the slightest alteration or deviation..!

Now, if we take the Bhagavata Purana, we can chant its slokas however we want. One person might recite it formally as a lesson: ‘Janmaadhyasya yathaha… ‘ Another person, skilled in Carnatic music, might do an Aalapanai and sing the same sloka beautifully in a raga. A third person might just read it plainly. A fourth might chant it rhythmically. It can be recited in any way. There is no dosha (flaw/sin) in that. But can the Veda be chanted however one pleases..?

Adiyen once went to a place in Vijayawada. In a house there, about 60 women were sitting together, rhythmically clapping their hands and singing: ‘ Thriyambakam yajaamahe… sugandhim pushti vardhanam… urvaarukamiva bandhanaath… mruthyor muksheeya maamruthaath…’ They took Adiyen there for an Upanyasam.

The moment Adiyen heard this, Adiyen trembled in fear!

Before anything else, Adiyen asked them, “You are singing this like a song, who taught you this?”
“No one,” they said. “We saw it in a book and memorized it. It is the Mrityunjaya Mantra. We set a raga to it ourselves. See how beautifully it fits the Talam (rhythm)! ‘Mruthyor muksheeya maamruthaath…'” And all 60 of them started clapping and singing it again!

“What a disaster!” Adiyen said. “You must never chant it like this! There is a strict Kramam (system) for this. ‘Thriyambakam yajaamahe…’ has specific Swarams. If you alter it, it will yield catastrophic results! Therefore, you must never change the Swaram. Furthermore, being Sthrees (women), you are traditionally restricted from chanting this specific mantra anyway. Instead of this, there are countless beautiful Shiva Stotras available. You should chant those!” Adiyen had to firmly instruct them that day.

What does this mean? It means we cannot just turn it into a song or chant it however we feel like it. It must be chanted exactly as it is prescribed. Modifying it will result in Vipareeta palangal (disastrous opposite results).

Has this ever happened? Look at ancient history. There was a sage named Tvashta. Tvashta performed a Putrakameshti Yajna. Through it, he wanted a son. He desired a son who would march to the city of Amaravati, defeat Indra, throw down his crown, sit on Indra’s throne, and take over the position of Indra! Holding this extremely specific, ambitious desire (Kamya) in his heart, he decided to conduct the Yajna.

He spoke to his Acharya, his Purohit. The Purohit said, “Since you want to perform this Yajna with such a specific, intense personal desire, you—the Kartha (performer)—must chant the mantras yourself. If I, the Purohit, chant the mantras on your behalf, it will not yield the intended fruit.” (This shows that this rule has existed since ancient times: it is always better if the Kartha chants the mantras himself. If only the Purohit chants, the benefit is incomplete. The Kartha must chant along. For certain critical mantras, the Kartha must be the one to utter them).

“Therefore,” the Purohit continued, “if I am to begin the Yajna, you must first learn the necessary mantras from me. Only after you know how to chant them perfectly will I begin the Yajna.”

Tvashta replied, “Swami, who has the time to do Vedadhyayanam now? You just tell me how to say it during the ritual, and I will repeat it exactly as you say. Please just start the Yajna!”

If someone without prior practice is suddenly told to chant a complex mantra right in front of the Homa Kundam, can they possibly do it correctly? Will it come naturally just like that?

Due to Tvashta’s immense pressure, the Purohit started the Yajna. Having no other choice, the ritual proceeded. “I will chant the rest of the mantras,” the Purohit said, “but this is the core mantra. You must chant this one.” He handed Tvashta the Sruk and Sruvam (wooden ladles used for oblations). The Purodasa (offering) was prepared. ‘Aajyenabhi abhikaaryaa’. The Abhikaram (purification with ghee) was done. Now, as they stood ready to offer the oblation into the fire, the Purohit looked at him and said, “Now, you chant it!” He instructed Tvashta to chant: ‘Indra shathrur vardhasva svaahaa… ‘ and perform the oblation.
Because Tvashta had never studied or practiced the Veda, what did he do? He dragged the word out and chanted, ‘Indra shathro…’! The Purohit had instructed the Swaram: ‘Indra shathrur vardhasva svaahaa…’. But Tvashta chanted ‘Indra shathro…’!

What was the consequence? The general meaning of the phrase is ‘May the enemy of Indra be born’. But the specific Swaram the Purohit taught meant: “May a son be born here who is an enemy of Indra, but who will be defeated by Indra.”
However, the Swaram that Tvashta mistakenly chanted meant: “May a son be born who will defeat Indra!”
What happened because he changed the Swaram? The son born to defeat Indra was ultimately defeated by Indra! ‘Indro vritramahan…’ From that Homa Kundam, the terrifying Asura named Vritrasura emerged! Why was he born? To strike down and defeat Indra. But what actually happened? He was struck down and killed by Indra!

The reason? ‘ Yathendra shatruhu svarathoparaadhaath ‘. An Aparadham (error) in the Swaram! Because the intonation was altered, a completely opposite and disastrous result occurred, and the entire purpose of the Yajna was ruined. An entirely different fruit was attained. Therefore, there is a strict system in the Veda that its swarams must be chanted exactly as prescribed.

That is the third attribute: ‘Avicchinna Parambaraagathathvam ‘.

The fourth attribute of the Veda is ‘ Ananthathvam ‘ (Infinity). Anantham means without end.

Look at what they call a Salakshana Ghanapaathi. If someone has completely finished studying the Veda, they also recite the Lakshanam of the Veda. They chant the Ghanam and then state the Lakshanam.
For example, if the word is ‘Namaha’, the Lakshanam is stated as: ‘ Nakaara akaara makaara akaara visarjaneeyaha dhvimaathrika viraamaaha namaha the. Thairo vyanjana svaritham’!

The mantra begins as ‘Namasthe the namo namasthe rudraa namahaa’. When taking just the word ‘Namaha’, how many syllables are in it? ‘Nakaara akaara makaara akaara visarjaneeyaha dhvimaathrika viraamaaha’. Na, Aa, Ma, then an Aa, and a Visargam. It must be pronounced with a two-matra pause.

Take the sound ‘ Krishnaaha ‘. Its Lakshanam is: ‘Kakaara rukaara shakaara abhinidhaana dakaara nakaara akaara visarjaneeyaha dhvimaathrika viraamaha krishnah. ‘ In the word ‘Krishnah’, the hidden ‘Da’ sound at the bottom must also be pronounced! ‘Kakaram’, ‘Rukaram’, ‘Shakaram’, and beneath it a ‘Dakaram’. Then ‘Nakaram’, ‘Akaram’, and the Visargam. This describes the complete phonetic state of the sound ‘Krishnah’.

Taking every single word apart, analyzing it minutely, and stating all its constituent syllables is called Lakshanam. Even if a person has mastered all of this completely, it still does not mean he has learned the entire Veda! Absolutely no one can ever learn the Veda in its entirety. Therefore, the Veda is Anantham (Infinite).

Look at the Kataka Prashnam in the Veda. The Veda itself declares this! The Veda proudly beats its own chest. There is a special greatness to those born in the Bharadwaja Gotra. Why? Because no one else struggled for the sake of the Veda as much as Maharishi Bharadwaja did. He struggled immensely.

The presiding deity who appeared directly to Bharadwaja Maharishi is the Lakshmi Narasimha residing inside the cave at the Mattapalli Kshetram! He appeared directly to Bharadwaja Maharishi there, on the banks of the river Krishna. He saw Him directly and worshipped Him.
That is why, ‘Krishnaveni tharangallo saama vedamu… aa paramaathma…’ The Paramatma brought forth this Telugu poem from Adiyen’s mouth:
” Chettullo chemallo rigvedamu… Kondallo konallo yajurvedamu… Krishnaveni tharangallo saama vedamu… dhvanincheti atharvanamu vanamanthayu patha patha podhaamu mattapalliki.”

“Everyone, come to the Mattapalli Kshetram! Worship the Lakshmi Narasimha there!” What is the specialty of that Kshetram? When the hills, the plants, the vines, and the trees rustle in the wind, the Rig Veda resonates from them: ‘ Thae asmin asmin the the asmin dhvividhe ‘. The wind strikes the mountain, it strikes the cave, and from it, the Yajur Veda echoes: ‘ Thath dhrudam dhrudam thath thath dhrudam ‘. The waves of the river Krishna crash against the shore and recede. In that sound of the waves, the Rathantara Sama resonates: ‘ Haa… yaa… hi… daa… haa… ‘ And throughout the entire forest, the Atharvana Veda echoes: ‘Y aahaa maneeshino manasaa ‘.

These four Vedas echo there, revealing the Lakshmi Narasimha seated inside that cave! This is the profound truth witnessed by the great Jnani Bharadwaja in that Kshetram..!!

When he performed Tapas there, he realized that all these Vedas were constantly worshipping that Narasimha; he could physically hear the Veda dhwani! Even today, if we sit there in absolute solitude and experience it, we can actually hear the Rig, Yajur, Sama, and Atharvana Vedas falling on our ears. Therefore, one must go to that place, think of the majestic Emperuman, and sit without any wavering of the mind. Once you go to that Kshetram and sit by the river Krishna, the mind that usually races everywhere will simply stop. You will feel like staying there forever. It is such an extraordinary environment; a truth known to everyone who has visited and worshipped there..!

When Bharadwaja Maharishi was in that sacred Kshetram in ancient times, he had his Upanayanam at the age of seven and went to the Gurukulam. He started his Vedadhyayanam. He kept studying. He turned 12, then 20, 30, 40, 80, 90… he turned 96 years old! Yet, the Veda showed no signs of ending. He became terrified that he might die before completing the Veda.

Why? Because the Veda he studied declared: ‘ Amrutham vai hiranyam amruthagum suvargo lokaha amrutha yeva suvarge loke prathithishtathi shathamaanam bhavathi shathaayush purusha shathendriyaha’ . This Vedic sound fixes the human lifespan at exactly 120 years! That is why, as soon as one turns 60, a specific ritual is performed in the world. They perform the Sashtiapthapoorthi! It is a Kamya ritual. Why? The human lifespan is 120. You have crossed 60. Whatever is gone is gone, but at least from now on, you must be careful! This marriage at 60 is performed to signify this transition. This is according to the Shastric calculation.

Look at what the Azhwar says!

Vedanool piraayam nooru, manidhartham puguvarelum, Paadhiyum urangi pogum, nindradhil padhinaiyaandu, Pedhai baalakanadhagum, pini pasi mooppu thunbam, Aadhalal piravi venden Arangamaa nagarulaane .”

Thondaradippodi Azhwar looks at Ranganatha and explains why he doesn’t want another birth. Even if a person lives a full 120 years (often rounded to 100 in poetry), “Paadhiyum urangi pogum” (Half of it is lost in sleep). We sleep at night, don’t we? So even if he lives 120 years, 60 years are lost purely in sleep. The time he actually lives is only 60 years. The Azhwar speaks strictly according to the Shastras. If we include afternoon naps, we would have to rewrite the Pasuram! “Three-quarters of it is lost in sleep!” The Azhwar spoke Shastrically because the Shastras forbid sleeping during the day; one should only sleep at night. If we add afternoon sleep, our actual living time is drastically reduced!
Of the remaining waking years, a huge portion is lost as an infant (‘Pedhai’), a child (‘Baalakan’), and then plagued by disease (‘Pini’), hunger (‘Pasi’), and the miseries of old age (‘Mooppu thunbam’). Do I really need such a birth? For what? “Aadhalal piravi venden Arangamaa nagarulaane” (Therefore, I do not want birth, Oh Lord of the great city of Srirangam!). He clearly lays out the exact reality of human life to explain his plea.

Even if one lives the full 120 years, Bharadwaja was already 96! He hadn’t finished the Veda. “What do I do now?” he thought. He stopped his Vedadhyayanam and began performing intense Tapas directed at Indra.

Indra appeared before him. ‘Kim apekshase Bharadwaja maharishe?’ “What do you desire, Maharishi?” he asked.
‘Aayurdaayamekam prasaadhyathaam’ – “I would be very happy if I was granted another 100 years!” he replied.

‘Thathaasthu’ (So be it), said Indra. He received his second lifespan of 100 years. He was overjoyed. Look at his incredible enthusiasm for studying the Veda! He resumed his studies with immense vigor.

In this second lifespan, he again reached 96 years. Still, he couldn’t finish it! Again, he performed Tapas to Indra. Indra appeared. ‘ Punaha kim apekshase ‘ – “What do you want again?”

‘ Punaha aayurdaayamekam ‘ – “I need another 100 years!” he said. ‘Thathaasthu’, Indra granted it. He got his third 100 years. He kept studying until he was 96 again.

Indra observed this. “He might start Tapas for a fourth time. Before he does, let me just go to him myself!” ‘Indra upavrajyo vaacha Bharadwaja ‘. He didn’t even let him start the Tapas; Indra came on his own. Bharadwaja was sitting there. Indra called out: ‘ Bharadwaajaaa ‘!
Like how we call out “Kesavaaa…”, “Madhavaaa…”, “Ramaaa…” – this is the SamboDhana (vocative case/calling out). “Bharadwaajaaa”. Look at how the Veda beautifully demonstrates this with its swaram!

Indra came and called him: “Oh Bharadwaja Maharishi! If I give you a fourth lifespan of 100 years now, what will you do with it?” ‘Yatthe chathurtham aayur dhathyaam kimanena kuryaa ithi’. “What do you intend to do with this fourth lifespan?” he asked.

Bharadwaja replied, “Hey Indra, what a strange question! I have no other worldly tasks. Remaining in my Brahmacharya vrata, I have no other work except to continue my Vedadhyayanam!”

Indra looked at him. “He still doesn’t understand what the Veda truly is. Let me show him the Veda,” Indra decided.
Using the Vyahriti mantras ‘Bhoohu Bhuvaha Suvaha’, Indra instantly created three massive mountains right there! Pointing to them, he said, ‘Vedaa vaa yethay yethay’ – “Look at these three mountains; these are the Vedas!”

Bharadwaja Maharishi was thrilled! Why? Because he had lived through three lifespans, and there were exactly three mountains shown. He assumed he had already mastered all of it! “Hey Indra, have I grasped all of this completely?” he asked eagerly.

“Swami, this is the true magnitude of the Veda. Shall I show you how much you have actually learned?” Indra asked.
“Show me,” said Bharadwaja.
‘ Theshagam haikaikasman mushtinaadathe sahovacha bharadwajethya manthrya vedaa vaa yethe ananthaavai vedaaha’.

Indra walked up to the mountains, scooped exactly one handful of dirt from each mountain, dropped those three handfuls in front of Bharadwaja, and said:
“What you have studied over the past 300 years is exactly this much! How many hundreds of lifespans will you need to cross these mountains..? Think about it a little..!!”

Bharadwaja trembled in shock. “What do you want me to do now?” he asked.

Indra replied, “Enough of this Vedadhyayanam! Focus on meditating upon Bhagavan and look for the path to attain Moksha. Absolutely no one can ever study the Veda in its entirety. Ananthaa vai vedaaha. The Vedas are Infinite! The Veda itself has declared this here..!!”

There is a common proverb in the world: ‘ Katrathu kaimannalavu kallathathu ulagalavu’ (What is learned is but a handful of sand; what is unlearned is the size of the world). Where did this come from? From the Veda itself!
‘ Theshagam haikaikasman mushtinaadathe ‘ – One handful of dirt! ‘ Ye ye vaidhikaaha the the laukikaaha’ . Whatever exists in the Vaidika (Vedic tradition), the exact same thing exists in the Laukika (worldly tradition). The very origin of the saying “a handful of sand” is from Indra scooping up dirt and throwing it in front of Bharadwaja!

Thus, it is impossible for anyone to completely finish studying the Veda. Because these four supremely unshakeable attributes—‘Nithyathvam’ (Eternality), ‘Apaurusheyathvam’ (Non-human origin), ‘Avicchinna Parambaraagathathvam’ (Unbroken lineage of transmission), and ‘Ananthathvam’ (Infinity)—exist so firmly in the Veda, attributes that no other text possesses,

Hence it is declared: ‘Aadau Vedaaha Pramaanam’. That is why the Veda is upheld as the Supreme Authority (Parama Pramaanam)..!!