---

Prayer of the Day

Prayer from Rig Veda

ऋषि    :    बार्हस्पत्यॊ भरद्वाज
दॆवता    :    वैश्वानरॊऽग्निः
छन्दस्    :    त्रिष्टुप्

ॐ

मू॒र्धानं॑ दि॒वॊ अ॑र॒तिं पृ॑थि॒व्या वै॑श्वान॒रमृत आजा॒तम॒ग्निम् ।
क॒विं स॒म्राज॒मति॑थिं॒ जना॑नामा॒सन्नः पात्रं॑ जनयन्त दॆ॒वाः ॥ ६.७.१ ॥ 

ॐ

Mantra as Romanized text

 
RuShi    :    bArhaspatyO bharadvAja
dEvatA    :    vaishvAnarOgniH
Chandas    :    triShTup

Om

mUrdhAnaM divO aratiM pRuthivyA vaishvAnaramRuta AjAtamagnim |
kaviM samrAjamatithiM janAnAmAsannaH pAtraM janayanta dEvAH || 6.7.1 ||

(mUrdhAnaM divO aratiM pRuthivyA vaishvAnaram Ruta AjAtam agnim |
kaviM samrAjam atithiM janAnAm Asan naH pAtraM janayanta dEvAH ||  )

Om

Meaning of the Prayer Mantra:

 The Master, Whose head is the space beyond, Who is in the earth
and all the lives; Who appears in the worship; The form of Fire;
The Omni-scient; The Great Ruler; One to be worshipped everyday;
One in the words of people; He makes the divines and us fit vessels!

 Notes: 

1. mUrdhA - head; diva - sky; aratiM - the master; vaishvanara - universal;
Ruta - worship; kavi - omniscient; samrAja - Great Ruler; atithi - beyond date;
Asan - mouth; janayanta - producing.

2. This hymn also appears in the Samaveda - as rudra sukta. 
This corresponds to 3 Samaganas in rudra sukta.

3.  mUrdhAnaM divO aratiM pRuthivyA vaishvAnaram 
The Supreme stands holding the end of the space and
also in this earth and in all living beings!
That Supreme is the Brahman, the omnipresent - Lord Shiva.

c.f.  பாதாளம் ஏழினும் கீழ் சொற்கழிவு பாதமலர்
         போதார் புணை முடியும் எல்லாப் பொருள் முடிவே - மாணிக்கவாசகர்

4.  Ruta AjAtam
One Who appears  from worship!
God, Who stands as the Brahman, cannot be understood by the intellect.
However, when one worships, That Supreme immediately reveals Itself
in a way cognizable for the devotee. Hence, Lord Shiva is called
SadyojAta - One Who immediately reveals Himself!

c.f. In Thiruvandapaguthi, Manikkavasagar depicts how God
remains unexplorable for the various efforts like exploring through vedas,
agamas, austerity etc. But, reveals simply to the devotees who seek
the Lord to worship.

5.  atithiM 
One, Who is not worshipped only on specific days - i.e. ever to be worshipped!
While auspicious date and time can be looked for worldly activities,
worship of God is beyond any such exclusions. God should be worshipped everyday
without exception. 

c.f. இட்டனும்மடி ஏத்துவார் இகழ்ந்திட்ட நாள் மறந்திட்ட நாள்
    கெட்ட நாள் இவை என்றலாற் கருதேன் .....
    நட்டவா உனை நான் மறக்கினும் சொல்லும் நா நமச்சிவாயவே - சுந்தரர்

6.  naH pAtraM janayanta dEvAH 
God makes us and the divines fit vessels for His Grace!
The cause for the whole creation is to make all the souls - 
be it the divines or any of us - fit vessels to receive the Bliss
that is eternally provided by the God. As we move forward in the 
austere path and yielding ourselves to be fit, God takes us to the
higher states - like that of the divines and ultimately to the Eternal Bliss!

c.f. தமராயினார் அண்டம் ஆள - சம்பந்தர்
  அவனது பெற்றி கண்டும் அவன் நீர்மை கண்டும் அகநேர்வர் தேவரவரே - அப்பர்