[Advaita-l] Re: no subject (pavamAna)

[Anand Hudli]

m_pandit at hotmail.com wrote:

>I learnt a recitation method for the pavamana(Rg Veda),years ago from a 
>vedacharya in Pune a few years ago .

>1.The Krishna Yajur and shukla Yajur methods of chanting Shri rudram give 
>more "Soumya "results as opposed to the Rg method.

There seems to be a misconception that needs to be removed. Whatever effects 
a mantra or a set of mantras from the Veda are said to have, will be felt 
only if certain rules in recitation, recollection (or mental recitation), 
and understanding are followed. Else, one may experience "wrong" or 
undesirable effects. One should not attribute defects or lack of efficacy to 
mantras of any Veda. Rather, one should look for some shortcoming in the way 
the mantras have been applied by the person who uses them.


Now, the pavamAna is held in high regard by all (traditional) commentaries 
and writings on the R^ig Veda. One important text, the R^ig VidhAna of 
shaunaka, explains the high significance of the PavamAna hymns, calling them 
"pavitrANAM pavitraM":

svAdiShThayeti gAyatrIH pAvamAnIrjapeddvijaH |
pavitrANAM pavitraM tu pAvamAnIrR^icho bhavet.h|

A dvija should recite the PavamAna sUkta verses with the GayatrI meter, that 
begin with (the verse) "svAdiShThayA". He should recite these PavamAna 
(praising pavamAna soma) verses that are the holy of the holies.

Shaunaka also remarks that knowing the pavamAna hymns correctly makes one 
attain Brahmaloka - "yathAtathyena jnAtva BrahmalokaM samashnute".

When I participated in the pavamAna recital at my home with priests from the 
Sringeri Matha, their advice was to recite it every day for the full 
benefits! (FYI, it takes about 90 minutes to recite the pavamAna.)

Next, we find Rudra mantras in all the four Vedas. The R^ig Veda has the 
pancha rudra sUktas, the Yajur Veda has the fairly long RudrAdhyAya, the 
sAma veda has the sAmarudra-saMhitA beginning with the sAman "Avo rAjAnaM", 
and the atharva Veda has many rudra mantras, including an exclusive rudra 
hymn starting with "bhavAsharvau". Incidentally, the three R^iks on which 
the sAma-rudra-saMhitA is mostly based are all found in the R^ig Veda. I 
have a rare copy of the text of sAma-rudra-saMhitA with the commentary of 
tyAgarAja makhin, who belongs to the lineage of Appaya dIkShita.

Rudra is pleased with worship according to any Veda, though it is 
preferrable to use the Veda of one's shAkhA. The usual practice has been to 
use the Yajur Vedic mantras in temples and in public functions, while 
private worship will typically involve mantras of the one's own shAkhA, 
augmented by the Yajur Vedic mantras.

Anand

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