Vishnu Sahasranamam
(Meanings:
based upon the commentary of Shankaracharya)
Meanings:
Courtesy:
http://www.mypurohith.com
Sanskrit
script
courtesy: Shri. N. Krishnamachari: http://home.attbi.com/~chinnamma/
Vishnu
Sahasranama means the “Thousand Names of Vishnu.” This
narrative is based upon the commentary of Shankaracharya. Acharya sankara
reached the feet of his Guru, Sri Govindapaachaarya, and on the bank of
Narmada, the Nambootiri-boy from kaaladi got initiated into the secrets of the
Mahaavaakyas. At the end of his short but intense study, sankara, the inspired
missionary, wanting to fulfill his glorious work, craved from the blessings of
his teacher. Govindapa Acharya tested sankara by ordering him to write an
exhaustive commentary (Bhaashya) upon the Vishnu Sahasranaama. He accomplished
his great task and the very first work of the Upanishadic commentator, sankara,
the greatst Hindu missionary of the 7 th century, thus came to see
the light of the day.
Govindaacharya,
satisfied with the proficiency of the student blessed him and set him on the
road of service and action. Earning the grace of the teacher and the blessings
of the Lord Vishnu, Sri sankara inaugurated an incomparable revival movement of
the decadent culture of the 7th century Hinduism. We shall here
follow closely Sankara’s commentary and also draw our material from the Puranic
literature that has an endless store of appeal to the hearts of all devotees.
The Vishnu
Sahasranaama was composed by Sri Veda Vyaasa, the author of the
Puraanas, and we meet this great chant in his classical work, the Mahaabaarata,
Prince Yudhisthira, the eldest of the pandavas, at the end of the war
approached Bheeshma Pitaamaha, when the mighty grandsire of the Kuru family was
lying on the bed of arrows, unconquered and in conquerable, awaiting the scared
hour of his departure to the feet of the lord. Yudhishthira, the righteous,
asked six questions, Bheeshma, the constant devotee of Krishna, the gigantic
Man of Action, calmly answered them all. This is how we find the “Thousand
Names of Lord Vishnu” introduced in the immortal classic of the Hindus, the
Mahaabaarata.
For
the eradication of all obstructions, I meditate ("dhyayeth")
on Vishnu, who is wearing ("dharam") a white
("shukla") cloth ("ambara"),
who is of the color ("varnam") of the moon
("sashi"), who has four ("chatur")
arms ("bhujam"), and who has a placid expression
("prasanna") on His face ("vadanam").
Shree Vaisham păyana uvacha:
Shruthvă
dharmăna séshéna păvananicha sarvashaha
Yudhishtara
shanthanavam punarévăbya bashatha
Vaisampayana,
the narrator to Dhritrastra says: Yudhishthira, as a righteous man ("dharamana")
of spiritual inclination, with the mortal integrity ("paavanaani")
of a careful mortal, asks ("bhaashatha") Bhishma
("shaantanavam") quite an interesting set of
questions which are typical queries which the heart of seekers will always ask.
Yudhishtira uvacha
Kimékam
daivatham loke kim vápyekam parăyanam
Sthuvantha kam kamarchanda
prapnuyur mănavă shubam
Who
("kim") is the greatest ("ekam")
Lord ("daivatam") in the world ("loke")?
Who
is the one ("ekam") refuge ("paraayanam")
for all?
By
glorifying ("sthuvantah") whom ("kam")
can man ("manavah") reach the Auspiciousness
("shubam") (peace and prosperity)?
By
worshipping ("archantah") whom can a man reach auspiciousness
(peace and prosperity)?
Ko dharma sarva dharmănam
bhavatha paramo mathaha
Kim japan muchyathé janthur
janma samsăra bandhanăth
What
("ko") is, in thy opinion, the Greatest Dharma?
By
("kim") doing japa of what can “creatures” (jantu)
go beyond ("mutchyate") the bonds ("bandhanaath")
of samsara?
Shree Bheeshmă Uvacha
Jagath
prabhum deva devam antham purushothamam
Sthuvan
năma sahasréna purusha saththo thithaha
The supreme ("uttamam")
Purusha, who is ever up and working for the welfare of all, the Lord ("prabhum")
of the world ("jagat") the endless ("anantam")
– Sri Maha Vishnu.
Thameva chăr chayanth nithyam bhakthya purusha mavyayam
Dhayăyan
sthuvan namasyamsha yajamănas thamevacha 10
By meditating upon ("sthuvan
naama"), by ("cha") worshipping
("archayan") and by prostrating at the same
Purusha, man can reach true Auspiciousness.
Anădhinidhanam vishnum sarva lokamahesvaram
Lokădhyaksham
sthuvan nithyam sarva dhukkă thigo bhavéth
The greatest Dharma is the
one Vishnu, who has neither a beginning (Aadi) nor an end
(Nidhanam), the supreme Lord ("maheshwaram")
of the world. All creatures can go beyond the bonds of samsar, “and he goes
beyond all sorrows” who daily ("nityam") chants
("stuvan") the sahasranaamas and within
glorifies “the knower of the world” (Lokaadhyaksha).
Brahmanyam sarva dharmangyam lokănăm keerthivardhanam
Lokanătham
mahath bhootham sarva bhootha bhavothbhavam
Esha mé sarvadharmănăm dharmodhi kathamo mathaha
Yath
bhakthyă pundari kăksham sthavai rar-chén nara ssatha
Paramam yo mahath teja paramam yo mahath thapaha
Paramam
yo mahath brahma paramam ya parăyanam
He who is the great ("mahat")
effulgence ("tejah"); He who is the Great
controller ("tapah"); He who is the Supreme
All-Pervading Truth; ("brahma") he who is the
Highest (Param) Goal (Ayanam)-the
Lord Vishnu.
Pavithrăm pavithram yo mangalănăncha mangalam
Daivatham
dévathănăncha bhoothănăm yovyaya pithă 15
He who is ("yo")
the very sanctity ("pavitram") that sanctifies
all sacred things ("pavitraanaam"); he who is
most auspicious ("mangalam"); he who is the god
("devataa") of gods ("daivatam");
he who is the eternal ("avyayah") father ("pitaa")
of all creatures ("bhootaanaam") is the one god
– VISHNU.
Yatha sarvăni bhoothăni bhavanthyădhi yugăgamé
Yasmimscha
pralayam yănthi punaréva yugakshayé
Thasya loka pradhănasya jagan-nădhasya bhoopathé
Vishnor
nama sahasrm mé srunu păpa bhayăpaham
Yăni nămăni gounăni vikyăthăni mahăthmanaha
Rushibhi
parigeerthăni thăni vakshăyămi bhoothayé
Rushirnămnăm sahasrasya védhavyăso mahămunihi
Chchando-nushtup
thadha dhévo bhaghavăn dhévagee-suthaha
Amruthăm soothbhavo bheejam shakthir dhévaki nandhanaha
Thrisămă
hrudhayam thasya shănthyarthé viniyujyathe 20
Vishnum jishnum mahăvishnum prabhavishum mahéswaram
Anaika
roopa dhaithyăntham namămi purushoth-thamam
----------------------------------------------------------Meanings
of the Dialogue------------------------------------------------
Yudhistirau Uvaachaa:
(Question 1.) Kim ekam
daivatam loke?
Who
("kim") is the greatest ("ekam")
Lord ("daivatam") in the world ("loke")?
(Answer 1.)
Pavitraanaam pavitram yo
Mangalaanaam cha mangalam
Daivatam devataanam cha
He
who is ("yo") the very sanctity ("pavitram")
that sanctifies all sacred things ("pavitraanaam");
he who is most auspicious ("mangalam"); he who
is the god ("devataa") of gods ("daivatam");
he who is the eternal ("avyayah") father ("pitaa")
of all creatures ("bhootaanaam") is the one god
– VISHNU.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(Question
2. ) Kim vaapyekam paraayanam?
Who is the one ("ekam") refuge
("paraayanam") for all?
(Answer 2.)
Paramam yo mahat-tejah
Paramam yo mahat-tapah
Paramam yo mahat-brahma Paramam yah paraayanam.
He
who is the great ("mahat") effulgence ("tejah");
He who is the Great controller ("tapah"); He who
is the Supreme All-Pervading Truth; ("brahma")
he who is the Highest (Param) Goal (Ayanam)-the
Lord Vishnu.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(Question
3.) Stuvantam kam praapnuyuh (
By
glorifying ("sthuvantah") whom ("kam")
can man ("manavah") reach the Auspiciousness
("shubam") (peace and prosperity)?
Answer
3.
Jagat-prabhum deva-devam
Stuvan naama-sahasrena
The
supreme ("uttamam") Purusha, who is ever up and
dong for the welfare of all, the Lord ("prabhum")
of the world ("jagat") the endless ("anantam")
– Sri Maha Vishnu.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Question 4. (Kam archantah)
praapnuyuh Maanavaah subham?
By worshipping ("archantah") whom
can a man reach auspiciousness
(peace and prosperity)?
Answer 4. Tameva
cha archayan nityam
Stuvan naama-sahasrena
By
meditating upon ("sthuvan naama"), by ("cha")
worshipping ("archayan") and by prostrating at
the same Purusha, man can reach true Auspiciousness.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Question 5. Ko
dharmah sarva-dharmaanaam
What ("ko")
is, in thy opinion, the Greatest Dharma?
Question 6. Kim
japan muchyate jantuh
By
("kim") doing japa of what can “creatures” (jantu)
go beyond ("mutchyate") the bonds ("bandhanaath")
of samsara?
Answers 5&6.
Anaadi-nidhanam vishnum
Lokaadhyaksham stuvan nityam
Both
questions are answered here: - the greatest Dharma is the one Vishnu, who has
neither a beginning (Aadi) nor an end (Nidhanam),
the supreme Lord ("maheshwaram") of the world.
All creatures can go beyond the bonds of samsar, “and he goes beyond all
sorrows” who daily ("nityam") chants ("stuvan")
the sahasranaamas and within glorifies “the knower of the world” (Lokaadhyaksha).
The
supreme is described as that from which the whole world of names and forms had
risen in the beginning of the creation, that in which the world continues to
exit, that into which alone the world can merge back during the ‘Dissolution’
(Pralaya); this supreme is VISHNU.
After thus answering all questions, “His thousand
Name”, said Bheeshma, “I shall now advise you. Please listen to them with all
attention”. This is how the Sacred Hymn, called as “The thousand names of Lord
Vishnu”, is introduced in the Mahaabhaarata.
------------------------------------------------------END:
Meanings of the Dialogue------------------------------------------------
Extra
Comments: The Supreme cannot be defined and since He is the very substratum of
all qualities, He cannot be denominated by any name, or indicated by any term,
or defined in any language, or ever expressed, even vaguely, in any literary
form. He is beyond both the “Known” and the “Unknown”. He is the very
illumining Principle of Consciousness that illuminates all experiences.
And yet He has many manifestations and, therefore,
He can have infinite names in terms of His manifestations. Definitions should
directly describe the thing defined, and here we have a thousand indirect
definitions with which the Real, the Infinite is being indicated in terms of
the unreal and the finite. These “Thousand names of the Lord” have been
coined and given out by the Rishis. They were collected and strung together
into a joyous Hymn to Vishnu, a garland of devotion and reverence, by the
poet-seer Vyaasa.
Since each of them is thus an indicative
definition of the unknown in terms of the known, each term here is believed to
rocket-us up into the realms of the divine experience, only when we have lifted
our minds towards it through contemplation. Thus
the Vishnu Sahasranaama is employed not only by the devotees, in the sweet
attitude of ‘sporting with the Lord’, but these are also employed by the
contemplative students of philosophy, as gliders to roam in the realms of
inspired Higher Consciousness.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
More commentary: In the Kali-Santarana Upanishad, which is one of the minor Upanishads,
we find the great devotee Naarada approaching Brahmaaji to enquire what is the
way out for man to evolve in these hard days of extrovertedness, which is quite
natural and unavoidable in the Iron-age (Kaliyuga).”Repetition of the names of
Naaraayana is sufficient enough”, was the reply given.
It is to be carefully noted here that in the
sixth question the enquiry was how can ‘creatures’ realise the Highest. Jantu
means ‘that which is born’ (Janana-dharman). So all living creatures are fit
for this easy path. ‘Creatures’ could even include the animal kingdom as it is
described in the Puraanas in their own poetic language. In the Trikutaachala
lake, the elephant that was caught by the crocodile is described as having been
saved by the Lord (Gajendra Moksha). The story of Jadabharata is yet another
example.
Sankara in his commentary describes here Japa
as comprehensive of all the three types. (A) That which can be heard by others;
(B) That which is heard by ourselves; (C) That which is mental.
Vishnu Sahasranaama can be employed in
performing Japa of all these three kinds.
In the following “Thousand Names”, we meet
with, though rarely, some repetitions. Exactly 90 names have been repeated in
this Great Hymn; and of them, 74 are repeated twice, 14 are repeated thrice,
and again 2 of them are found to have been repeated four times. Sometimes, the
terms are repeated as such Vishnu- Vishnu, Siva-Siva etc. and sometimes
different words with the same meaning are also employed (Sreepati- Maadhava;
Pushkaraaksha- Kamalaaksha). These need not be considered as a defect, since
this Hymn is a chant of His Glory .In a chant of glory (stuti) repetitions are
acceptable-it is but a style of the emotional heart to repeat its declarations
of love.
There are exactly 1,031 single “Names” of the
Lord in the 1000-Name-Chant (Sahasranaama). The extra 31 Names are to be
considered each as an adjective qualifying (Viseshana) the immediately
following noun. When one makes Archanaa to the Lord the correct dative case is
to be used. There are 20 double-names in the first 500 Names and 11
double-names in the second half of the chant. There is one indeclinable
(Avyaya) word used, and it (896th) should be used in the dative for Archanaa as
Sanaat Namah; so too the 929th Name in the chant, being a plural noun, should
be used in Archanaa as Sadbhyo Namah.
It will also be found, as we study the
significances of these Divine names, that Vyaasa has employed sometimes
masculine gender, on other occasions feminine gender and some other times even
neuter gender. Wherever it is masculine. , it
denotes Vishnu, the Lord of Lakshmi. and when it is feminine it is indicative
of His Might. Glory or power (devataa) that is manifest everywhere, and when
the term is in neuter gender, it means Pure Brahman, the infinite Reality.
This Archanaa is generally performed by devotees
daily; if this is not convenient they perform this worship at least on their
own birth-days, on eclipse days and on the day on which the Sun moves from one
zodiac to another (the Samkraanti-day). This performance has been prescribed by
the Sastra for warding off troubles arising from the position of planets, anger
of the rulers, incurable diseases and ruthless enemies. The highest effect is
for purifying the mind and thus gaining more and more inner-poise for the
Saadhaka in meditation.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
INSTALLATION OF THE
LORD
All ritualisms start in Hinduism with a
beautiful function-the installation of the Lord in the devotee’s own physical
form. This is technically called as Anga-Nyaasa and Kara-Nyaasa. The
“Installation in the Limbs”, and the “Installation in the Palm”. This is a
method by which the seeker with wilful thoughts and deliberate physical signs
sanctifies himself to be a Divine Temple and installs various sacred deities in
himself.
This helps the student to realise that though
he is worshipping the Lord as a Goal (or an Ideal) other than himself (bheda
or anya), in fact, he is to seek his identity with no traces of
differentiation (Abheda or Ananya), between himself and
the Lord. The final realization is a perfect identity indicated in the
Mahaavaakya. “I am Brahman”. (Aham Brahmaasmi).
Neither in the Northern texts nor in the
original Mahaabhaarata do we find this ‘subjective installation ceremony’ (Anga-Nyaasa)
prescribed. However, pundits of ritualism in the South employ the Anga-Nyaasa;
and it being such a beautiful act, so very helpful to the seekers, we give here
below the most popular one practised widely in the South.
This “Installation Ceremony” declares to the
devotees that the enchanting form of Vishnu is to be ultimately realised as One
Infinite Reality without names or forms-in which the recognition of even the
distinction of the meditator-meditated- meditation is to cease. Beside this deep significance, even though it be only for the time
being, the student is also given a sense of purity and sanctity in himself.
Just as a devotee feels highly inspired in the divine atmosphere of a sacred
temple, so too, after the Anga-Nyaasa, however shattered we might have been,
before we entered the Pooja-room, we can artificially work ourselves up into a
divine mood of peace and purity.
The body itself is rendered as the temple of
the Lord, wherein the various limbs become the altars upon which, with a heart
of love and faith, the devotee invokes and installs various deities. In this
process, in order to bring the full blast of the sacred suggestions to him, the
repetition of each of these mantras is emphasised by a corresponding physical
sign. The idea is only, as we have already explained, to establish the
correct mood for devoted contemplation.
A.
asya Vishnu-sahasranaama-stotrasya veda-vyaasa Rishih
For this sacred chant, the “Thousand Names of
Lord Vishnu”, Sri Veda Vyaasa is the divine Rishi.
Great mantras of deep spiritual significance
and sublime Vedic dignity are not mere poetic compositions by mortal fallible
intellects. When a. mastermind through meditation transcends the lower levels
of his personality and soars into the higher mental altitudes, through his
contemplation, there he ‘receives’ certain ‘revelations’ that are faithfully
repeated by them to the world. Such ‘heard’ statements (Srutam)
alone have the power to stand against the onslaught of the intellect, the
ravages of time, the forces of criticism etc.
Such statements when contemplated upon by
lesser seekers, they too, in the spiritual cadence of these mantras, get
unconsciously uplifted into realms unknown, and there they come to live a world
of experiences unfrequented by the ordinary multitudes. The ‘author of the
mantra’ is thus termed in our Vedas as the ‘Seer’ (Mantra- Drashtaa).
Such Rishis themselves admit that they did not manufacture, compose or create
the mantra, but they had a revelation or vision (Darsanam)
of the mantra.
The Mantra- Drashtaa, the Rishi, is the guru of
the seeker, who is seeking his path with the help of that particular mantra. The
Rishi of a mantra is installed at the roof of the head and the
seeker, in his seat of Vishnu-Sahasranaama-chanting,
Symbolism: ...
chants this mantra in his mind, and, with his right-hand thumb,
middle-finger and ring-finger touches the top of his head.
B. Anushtup Chandah
The metre ("chandah")
in which the revealed mantra comes to the teacher is also mentioned because it
orders the discipline that should be followed while chanting the mantra. Anushtup
is the name of the particular metre in which this thousand-name- chant on
Vishnu is sung. The chant is to come out through the mouth, and therefore, the ‘altar
of the metre’ can be only the mouth.
Symbolism: The
fingers that were touching the roof of the head now come down to touch
the lips, when the mantra ‘B’ is repeated in the mind by the
seeker.
C. Sri Vishvaroopo Mahaavishnur-Devataa
Lord Vishnu of the form of the entire universe
of variegated names and forms (Vishva-roopah) is the deity
of the mantra. Vishnu is the theme of the chant. The Lord of Vaikuntha is the
altar at which the devotee is preparing to offer himself in humble dedication
and utter surrender.
Symbolism: Since
Lord Vishnu is, to the devotee, the Lord of his heart, the very centre of his
personality, while chanting mentally the mantra 'C' the student, installs the
Lord in his heart, bringing the fingers from the lips down to touch
his bosom.
D.
Devakee-nandanah srashteti Saktih
Every deity is a manifestation of the mighty
Omnipotency of the Supreme. The creator and sustainer (Srashtaa)
of Dharma, the son of Devaki (Devakeenandana), is the manifested
power ("shaktih") of the Almighty.
Symbolism: This
creative power of righteous-ness and peace is installed at the navel (naabhi)
point, and, therefore, the fingers come down from the heart
region to the navel.
E. Sankha-bhrit
nandakee chakree iti
Keelakam
The mighty Creative Power invoked and
established on the navel region cannot be as such conceived by the mind.
Therefore, to ‘nail’ it down (Keelakam) and establish it
in our comprehension, this mantra conceives ("udbavah") the
Power as the Lord, who bears the Conch ("shanka"),
the Sword, named Nandaka, and the Discus ("chakra").
This is only to show how the total cosmic Power, expressed in terms of our
present understanding as creation, sustenance, and destruction, is but a
manifestation of the Lord. The conch (Sankha) represents the ‘call’
of the Reality, the Lord’s own declarations stated in the scriptures. Nandaka,
the sword that punishes to bring joy (Nandana) into the community and
the destruction, without which evolution is impossible, is represented
by the concept of the Discus (Chakra).
Here it is also to be noted that the blowing
or the conch represents speech; wielding the sword
represents action and the discus that takes off from Him
at His will, represents his thoughts. Thus
this great Power installed at the navel expresses itself in the world through
speech, action and thought.
Symbolism: To
conceive fully this form is to hold firmly the Lord’s own feet, and, therefore,
when this mantra is mentally chanted, the fingers move away from the navel, and
with both hands the seeker touches his own feet.
Here it is to be carefully noted how:
the Guru is kept at the roof of the
head,
the Veda (metre) in the mouth,
the
Lord in the heart,
the
Power in the navel and, thereby, the seeker
himself becomes so sacred that he prostrates unto himself by holding his own
feet.
F.
Saarnga-dhanvaa-gadaa-dhara iti Astram
Whenever there is a large wealth in a box it
becomes a treasure and it is locked and safely protected; when this divine
installation has taken place, and therefore, the body has become the Temple of
the Almighty, and therefore, it has become a scared treasure house to be
protected. But the seeker himself has no power to protect, and so, he invokes
the very weapon (Astra) of Vishnu, the protector of the world, to
stand by for the defence of the sanctified bosom. Saarga
is the name of the Bow (Dhanus) of Vishnu and the Mace (Gadaa)
is another of his weapons. These two form the artillery of defence; which are
manned by the Lord himself.
Symbolism: At
this moment when this mantra is mentally chanted, it is significant that the
student lifts the palm away from the feet, and with the stretched out index and
middle fingers of the right palm snaps them on the open left palm.
G.
Rathaangapaanir-akshobhya
iti Netram
Lord Vishnu as Lord Krishna played the part of the charioteer
and gained the name “Rein-handed” (Ratha-anga-paani). A
charioteer has to guide every step of every horse in order that the chariot be
safe, and the travel be pleasant. Of the sense organs, the eyes ("netram")
are the most powerful and once they are well guided, all others also follow
their heels. When Lord Vishnu, the charioteer, Himself is installed in
the eyes ("netram"), the individual is safe ("rakshobya")
in his spiritual pilgrimage.
Symbolism: Therefore, invoking
the Divine Driver, with reins in his hand (Rathaangapaani), He is installed in
the pair of eyes, and at the moment of mentally chanting this, both the eyes
are touched by the tip of the fingers.
H.
Trisaamaa saamagah saameti Kavacham
He (Tri-Saamaa) who is glorified by all the three
("tri") types, of Saama songs (Deva-Vrata-Prokta),
He who is the very theme that is glorified by the Saama songs (Saamagah),
He whose glory itself is the manifested Sama Veda (Saama), He is none other
than the Supreme This great Lord is installed a, an armour ("kavacham")
to wear for self-protection.
Symbolism: While chanting this in the mind the seeker first touches with the tip
of his finger, of each arm, the same shoulders, and afterwards crosses the arm,
in front of him making fingers of each palm touch the other shoulder-as if he
is actually wrapping himself and wearing the divine armour.
I.
Anandam brahmeti Yonih
The Supreme ("para") Brahman, the
Infinite Bliss ("anandam") is ("eti")
the very womb (Yonih) from which the universe has emerged
out. The procreated world of endless variety has only one Eternal Father, and
this source is immaculate Bliss. When this is chanted the seeker installs
the Bliss Infinite at the very place of procreation in himself. It
is a spot in this great divine temple of the body, wherein is the one source,
from which the world has emerged out, manifesting itself as the power of
procreation (Taittireeya).
J. Visvaroopa
iti Dhyaanam
The entire band of experience gained through the instruments of the
body, mind and intellect in terms of perceptions, emotions and thoughts
together is indicated by the term Visva. He, who has
manifested to be the total world of experiences (Visva), must therefore be
Visvaroopah. The cosmic form of the Lord (Visvaroopa)
is the total universe. Thus to meditate (Dhyaanam) upon
Him as the whole universe, is a method of installing Him in our
intellect.
Symbolism: At this moment the
student locks his fingers and sits in meditation.
K.
Ritam sundarasnah kaala iti Dikbandhah
Truth (Ritam), the lord,
and his weapon, the discus, called Sudarsana, and his
annihilating power, Time (Kaala)-these three are the
mighty forces that guard this scared temple of life in the
seeker at the outer frontier of his world of influence (Dik-Bandhah).
To be truthful and ever to seek the great Reality (Ritam), to discriminate and see
the play of the Lord in all situations (Su-Darsanam), and to control the very
instrument of the time (Kaala), which is intellect in the seeker,
is to guard the frontiers of one’s spiritual world, against the hoards of
inimical forces.
Symbolism: At
this moment the student snaps his middle finger with the help of his thumb and
runs his palm around his head.
L.
Sree-mahaa-vishnu-preetyarthe jape Viniyogah
Having thus installed through sankalpa
the Lord in himself and having come under the protecting wings of the mighty
lord, here is the declaration how he is going to employ himself in
it. He is going to engage himself (Viniyoga) in japa (jape)
of the “Thousand Names of Lord” ("sahasra-naama").
Now the question is: with what motive should be undertake this chanting? The
answer is in the very statement that it is only for the grace
(Preetyarthe) of Sree Maha Vishnu.
Symbolism:
After chanting this declaration in the mind, the saadhaka, takes a spoon of
water (Teertham) in his right palm and pours it on the floor in front of him.
A true seeker is not desire-ridden for material
satisfaction, and, therefore, he can have only one intention-the grace of lord,
which will manifest in him as contemplative power.
These twelve ‘slogans’ are
chanted for invoking and installing these refreshing and spiritually benign
ideas on the limbs of the devotee himself. At this juncture this makes him
inspired sufficiently for higher meditation upon the truth as indicated and
directed by the thousand terms in Sahasranaama.
This beautiful subjective ritual is known as
‘Installation on the limbs’ (Anga-nyaasa). Not only that the
student temporarily discovers a new surge of inspiration, but even beginners
feel highly relieved, at least temporarily, from the load
of his senses of ‘sins’. When this is properly performed with a right attitude
and devotion, the student gains identification (saaroopya)
with the Lord of his heart, at the outer levels of his personality.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
THE
MEDITATION STANZA
saantaakaaram
bhujaga-sayanam
padmanaabham
suresam
“We meditate ("vande")
upon the master ("naatham") of the universe
("sarva-lokaika"), lord Vishnu, who is ever
peaceful ("shaanta-aakaaram"), who
lies on the great serpent-bed ("bhujaga-shayanam"),
from whose navel ("nabhi") springs the lotus
("padma") of the creative power, who is the
controller ("eesham") of the gods ("sura").
visvaadhaaram
gagana-sadrisam
megha-varnam
subha-angam
... whose form ("aakaaram")
is the entire universe ("vishwa"), and who is
the foundation ("aadhaaram") for the universe.
who is all pervading ("sadrusham") as the
sky("gagana"), of the hue ("varnam")
of the cloud ("megha"), of fascinating beauty
("shuba-angam"),
Laksmikantam Kamalanayanam
Yogibhir-dhyaana-gamyam
... the lord ("kaantam")
of Laksmi, the lotus ("kamala") eyed ("nayanam"),
he who dwells in the hearts ("bhir") of the
yogis and who can be approached ("gamyam") and
perceived through meditation ("dhyaana"),
vande vishnum
bhava-bhaya-haram
sarva-lokaika-naatham.
We pray to ("vande")
to Lord Vishnu, he who is the destroyer ("haram")
of the fear ("bhaya") of samsara ("bhava") and the Lord
of all ("sarva") the worlds ("loka").
This is the meditation upon the form of the
lord, visualising Him thus in His, all-Comprehensive nature, and meditating
upon Him, the seeker starts the vishnu-sahasranaama chanting.
(Approximate meanings:
Whose body is of the dark
("shyamam") like the clouds ("megha").
He lives ("vaasam")
in the pure ocean of milk ("peeta-kousheya").
He has Lakshmi
("sri") in his chest ("vatsangam"). )
["shanka" = conch,
"chakram" = discus; "kireeta" = crown; "kundalam"
= ear-rings,
"peeta" = yellow, "vastram"
= clothes; "saraseeruha-ekshanam" = lotus-like eyes;
"sahaara" = wide; "vakshasthala"
= chest; "kaustubha" = gem stone;
"namaami" = i pray;
"sirasaa" = bow down with my head; "chatur-bhujam" = to the
four-handed one;
"chandra-aananam" = moon-faced;
"baahum" = hands ]
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Stanza
1
Om
visvam vishnur- vashatkaaro
bhoota-krit
bhoota-bhith
bhaavo
(1) Visvam - He
whose manifestation is the whole universe of forms: the Viraat-Purusha.
The cause is always present in the effects and as such That Form from which the
whole universe has emerged out can only be its own manifestation. The
whole cosmos of gross forms is His own expression, and therefore,
He is called as Viraatpurusha. ‘Sa eva Sarva- Bhootaatmaa Visvaroopo
Yato-Avyayah’. The Sanskrit term Visvam comes from the root Vis, to
enter: Thus it means He who has created and entered into
the entire universe, as the All-Pervading Reality. It can also mean, That into
which the entire universe has entered to remain therein
established. In the Upanishads also we have assertions of similar ideas. It is
only when intellectually, we view the Lord that we come to recognise Him as the
‘cause’ for the universe. When viewed through
contemplation, since the effect is nothing other than the cause, there can be
no world other than Him. In fact, there is nothing other than the Supreme. In
the Mandukya Upanishad we read ‘Omkaara Evedam Sarvam’. In Geeta ‘OM ltyekaaksharam
Brahma’.
(2) Vishnuh -The
term Vishnu is dissolved as Veveshti Vyaapnoti iti Vishnuh-That which
pervades everywhere is Vishnu. That which has the nature of
pervasiveness is Vishnu. He is the one who pervades all and nothing ever
pervades Him. ‘Eesaavaasyam Idam Sarvam’-All this is
indwelt, pervaded by the Lord. This very same idea is described in the typical
style of the Puranas, in the incarnation of the Lord as Vaamana, the short-boy
(Vamana), who, with His three feet, measured the entire universe. Because of
this act, the Lord got the name Vishnu, says Mahaabhaarata. Vishnu Purana (3-1)
says: The root Vis means ‘to enter’. The entire world of things and beings is
pervaded by Him and the Upanishad emphatically insists in its mantra ‘whatever
that is there is the world of change’. Hence it means that He is not
limited by space (Desa), time (Kaala) or substance (Vastu).
(3) Vashatkaarah - ln
the ritualistic portion of the Vedas we find many mantras ending with
‘vashat’ and they are used in pouring devoted and dedicated
oblations. Thus the term Vashatkaara means: He who is
invoked, and for propitiating whom, the oblations are poured in
Vedic ritualism, using mantras ending with vashat.
Also Vashatkaara can mean yajna in its
association and thus the term in its suggestion can signify ‘He who is
of the form of the Yajna’. In the Upanishads also we find this
meaning endorsed when the Upanishad mantra says: “Yajno vai Vishnuh” -
Yajna itself is Vishnu.
(4) Bhoota-bhavya-bhavat-prabhuh - He who is the Lord (Prabhu)
of the Past (Bhooita), the Future (Bhavya)
and the Present (Bhavat). Time is the concept of the
intellect; it expresses itself in the interval between experiences.
Experiences are registered as thoughts and thoughts are ever changing. This very
change is known and experienced by us. The knower of the change must be
something other than the change. Thus, He who is the Illuminator of all
changes, meaning the Consciousness (Aatman) is the Lord Vishnu. He is the One
who is not conditioned by time.
(5) Bhoota-krit -The
Creator (Krit) of all creatures (Bhoota).
This word can be dissolved in two ways:
(a) One who creates the creatures (Bhootaani
Karoti iti Bhoota- Krit) or
(b) One who annihilates
all creatures (Bhootaani Krindati iti Bhoota-krit).
In both these cases, Brahman, the Supreme is
the One Reality that seems to function as the Creator, Sustainer or
Destroyer, when He functions through different gunas in the Total-Mind.
Functioning through a preponderance in Rajoguna, He
becomes the ‘Creator’; through Sattvaguna the ‘Sustainer’,
and through Tamoguna, He Himself expresses as the
‘Destroyer’.
Extra comments: Subjectively, the Atman
functioning through my own mind and intellect is I, the individuality. My
personality entirely depends upon the quality and texture of my own thoughts. I
myself become according to the moods of my mind the creator, sustainer and
annihilator of my world of experiences. He who manifests and functions, in
these three aspects, is the Supreme Vishnu.
(6)
Bhoota-bhrit -One who nurtures ("brith")
and nourishes all beings (living creatures: "bhoota")
in all their attitudes is this Great Reality and, therefore, He is called as
the Bhoota Bhrit. In Geeta there is an elaborate description of this idea in
the l5th Chapter where the Lord points out how, He, as the light in the sun,
fertility in the earth, growth in the plants, nourishment in food, heat in
fire, -becomes Himself the ‘eater’, and, therefore, how He Himself presides
over all the functions of the body and mind, and apparently nurtures and
nourishes the creatures, who are in fact nothing other than Himself.
(7) Bhaavah -One
who ‘becomes’ (Bhavati iti Bhaavah) Himself into
the movable and the Immovable beings and things in the
world. He is the Pure Existence in all the sentient organisms and the
insentient objects in the universe. Hence He is indicated by the term Bhaavah.
(8) Bhootaatmaa -He
is the Aatman (soul) of all the beings ("bhoota"):
The very ‘Be’ in the living beings. Just as the same universal space manifests
in all rooms as the room-space, so the Infinite Life manifesting through any
given vehicle is called the Aatman of the vehicle. It is well known that
space everywhere is one and the same; so too, the One Reality sports as though
different Aatmans. This One Universal Soul is called in Vedanta the
Supreme Brahman (Para-Brahman) .In Bhaagavata, the Lord is addressed as
“You are the One Self in all living creatures ever illumining all their
experiences.’’ In Kathopanishad: “The One enchanting Truth that revels in every
form manifesting in plurality”.
(9) Bhoota-bhaavanah -One who creates and multiplies the creatures;
meaning the One, who is the cause for the birth and who is responsible
for the growth of all living creatures.
Stanza
2
pootaatmaa
paramaatmaa
cha
avyayah
purushah saakshee
10) Poota-atmaa -One
with an extremely Pure (Pootam) Essence; One who is not
affected the least by the impurities of Maayaa. The Self is beyond all
vaasanaas and, therefore, He cannot be affected by anyone of the
manifestations of Maayaa such as thoughts of the intellect, emotions of the
mind or the perceptions of the body. Immaculate is ever the Self, and so He is
termed as the Pure Self (Poota-Aatmaa).
(11) Parama-atmaa -The
Supreme, meaning that which transcends all limitations and imperfections
of matter: in short, the Transcendental Reality. The Spirit is other
than matter, and that in its presence, the vestures of matter, borrowing their
dynamism from Him, play their parts rhythmically at all times. This has
been the assertion found chorusly repeated in all the Upanishads and in the
entire Vedantic literature. Sankara in Aatma Bodha points out that the Self
is other than the three bodies and that He functions in the microcosm as a
king in the nation. It was also said therein that matter borrows its energy
from the Spirit and continues its activity “as the world from the Sun”.
Kathopanishad and the Geeta guide us from the
outer levels of our personality, stage by stage, into the inner-most sanctum,
and there, the teachers declare, is He the Infinite, transcending all, reigning
in His own glory. “In short, that which remains other than the cause and
effect-Maayaa and matter-is He, the Parama Aatman. In Vishnu Purana this
Supreme is glorified as Maha Vishnu (Paramaatmaa)”-Vishnu Purana 6.4.10...
(12) Muktaanaam paramaa gatih -He who is the final Goal ("parama gathi"),
that is reached by all the liberated souls ("mukta").
The limitations and bondages lived through by man are in fact the destiny of
the matter vestures. Through delusion of non-understanding, we identify with
them and come to suffer the consequent sense of imperfections. To liberate
ourselves from the thraldom of matter is to realize the Self. Hence the Truth
is defined as the Supreme Goal of the emancipated.
This ‘Goal’ to be attained is called as ‘Gati’
in Sanskrit, “The Supreme Goal” (Paramaa Gatih) would
necessarily be then that Goal, having reached which, there is no
return:
“There where having gone, men never return,
That sacred place is My seat”-Geeta Ch. 15. St. 6. In Geeta. (Ch. 8. St. 6)
even
more explicitly the same idea has been asserted by Sri Krishna when He says:
“O Son of Kunti, having reached Me, there
shall be no more any re-birth”.
Again, He defines the final Goal as “That
having reached no return again” – Geeta Ch. 15, st.4.
(13) Avyaah –“Vyaya”
means destruction; destruction cannot be without change;
therefore, that which is “without destruction” (Avyayah) is the changeless.
The Indestructible, and therefore, changeless, can never have any
modifications (Parinaama). For, modification is but the
death of a previous condition and the birth of a new condition. The Eternal
and the Immutable (Avyayah) is the Supreme Sat-chit- aananda, and
every other thing and being come under the hammer or change. The medium in
which all these changes are sustained is Brahman, the Immutable. The
Upanishads glorify Him as “Ajaro Amaro Avyayah”-without old age, death or
change.
(14) Purushah -One
who dwells in the Fort-city (Puri sete iti Purushah).
Herein metaphorically the Rishis conceive our body as a fortress with
nine gate-ways-“Nava Dvaarc Pure Dehee”-(Geeta Ch. 5, St. 13) -and
declare the One who rules within it, like a king, is the Self.
This term can also be dissolved in two more
different ways giving more and more suggestions to the nature of the Self.
Thus, Purusha can mean “That which was before all creatures” -Puraa
Aaseet iti Purushah or it can be
“One who completes and fulfils the Existence
everywhere”, meaning, without whom Existence is impossible (Poorayati iti
Purushah).
This Aatman remains in the bodies of living
creatures as their individuality (Jeeva) and in all the activities, physical,
mental and intellectual, Aatman is not in fact involved but He is therein
only an observer of all that is happening. This will become clear in the
following discussion.
(15) Saakshee -Witness.
In every day life he is a witness who without any mental reservation or
personal interest observes and watches what is happening in a given field
of experience. “Saakshaad Drashtari Saakshee syaad-Amarakosa. “The ‘Knower’
in every bosom is the same Supreme Self”, says Lord Krishna (Geeta Ch. 13,
St. 3). Though thus Consciousness illumines everything, It is only a Witness,
as It knows no change. Just as the sun illumines every thing in the
world and yet the Sun is not affected by the condition of the things it is
illumining, so too Vishnu, the Supreme, illumines all, without Itself
undergoing any change.
According to Paanini Sutras the word Saakshee
is derived from “Sa +akshi”, meaning “direct perceiver”.
(16) Kshetrajnah -One
who knows the body and all the experiences from within the body, is
the Knower-of-the- field, Kshetrajnah. As Brahmapurana would put
it: Bodies are ‘fields’ and the Atman illumines them all without an
effort, and therefore, is called Knower-of-the-field, Kshetrajnah”.
(17) Aksharah -lndestructible:
things which are finite are necessarily conditioned by time and space; the
Infinite is unconditioned, and so It is Aksharah. Since It is
Indestructible, It cannot come under the methods of universal destruction
arising from nature or through the wilful actions of man. “It cannot be
cleaved by instruments of destruction, nor can fire burn It, nor water drench
It, nor air dry It”-(Geeta Ch. 2, St. 23). It is also indicated that the
Supreme Brahman is the Akshara-“Aksharam Brahma Paramam” -(Geeta Ch. 8,
St. 3).
Please note that in the stanza there is the extra
word ‘only’ (Eva) used, indicating that Kshetrajnah is the
Aksharah; there is no difference between them both: the
“Knower-of-the-field” and the “field”.
Stanza
3
yogoh
yoga-vidaam netaa
naarasimha-
vapuh
(18) Yogah -The
one who is to be known or realized through yoga. By
withdrawing the sense organs from their objects of preoccupation, when the mind
of the seeker becomes quietened, he is lifted to a higher
plane-of-consciousness, wherein he attains “yoga”, meaning wherein
he realizes the Reality. At such moments of equanimity and mental quiet “yoga”
is gained: Samatvam yoga uchyate- (Geeta Ch. 2, St. 48).
Since He is experienced through Yoga He is
known as Yogah.
(19) Yoga-vidaam netaa –One who guides ("neta")
all the activities of all men ‘who knows yoga’ (Yogaviti) .To
all men of realization, He who is the Ideal, is the Supreme Lord. Just as our
activities are today ordered by our selfishness and individuality, the
Ideal that commands and orders all activities in the bosom of a Man of
Realization is his God-Consciousness. This realm of experience is
Mahaa Vishnu. In the Geeta also we find the same idea expressed, in the
language of emotion, when the Lord says: “Those who contemplate upon Me with
total dedication, their daily welfare and spiritual progress I shall bear”.
(20) Pradhaana-purusha-eesvarah -Lord of both Pradhaana and Parusha.
The term Pradhaana means ‘maayaa’-the
total cause for the entire universe of forms.
The term Purusha indicates the
individuality in each one of us-the Jeeva.
Lord Eesvara means the Master (Eeshte iti Eesvarah).
The Lord of Maayaa and Jeeva means the one
who makes both these possible to exist and function. The One Infinite
Reality which Itself manifests as Maayaa, Jeeva and Eesvara is the Essence in
Vishnu.
(21) Naarasimha-vapuh -One whose form ("vapuh") is half human
("nara") and half lion ("simha").This
is the famous fourth incarnation of Lord Vishnu which He took in order to
destroy the atheistic tyrant Hiranyakasipu and bless his devotee, Prahlaada.
(22) Sreemaan -One
who is always with ("maan") Sree. Mother Sree is
Mother Lakshmi. In the Puranic terminology Lakshmi stands for all powers,
all faculties. The total manifested power potential in the Omnipotent
is Lakshmi. These powers are ever in Him and therefore, He is the Sreemaan.
(23) Keshavah -He who
has beautiful and graceful (Va) locks of hair (Kesa) is familiar as in Lord
Krishna’s form. Or, it can also mean, one who destroyed
("vah") the demon Kesin who was sent to destroy the
child-Krishna by his uncle Kamsa This interpretation is endorsed by the Vishnu
Purana, 5.16.23.
(24) Purushottamah -The
constitution of the individuality, Jeeva, when analysed, we find that it
is made up of both the perishable-matter and the Imperishable-Spirit.
The Spirit expressing through matter is the individuality, Jeeva. Reflected moon is
the moon of the heavens dancing on the surface of water. Just as the moon is
something different from its reflections and the water surfaces, so too the
Self is, in its transcendental nature, something different from both matter,
the perishable, and Spirit, the Imperishable, ever playing in matter. This
Transcendental Truth is indicated by the term the Supreme Purusha
(Purusha-uttama).
Stanza
4
sarvas-sharvas-sivah
sthaanur
sambhavo
bhaavano bhartaa
(25) Sarvah -He
who is the all. He being the One cause from which have sprung forth
all things and beings. He himself is the all. In Mahabharata Udyoga Parva
(70-12) we read: “As He is the origin and end of all, whether existent or
otherwise, and as He, at all times, cognises all, He is called “Sarva”. All waves rise from the same
ocean and, therefore, the ocean is the very essence in all waves.
(26) Sharvah - The Auspicious One: meaning,
the One who gives auspiciousness to those who hear of Him,
to those who have a vision of Him, and to those who meditate
upon Him.
(27) Sivah -The One who is Eternally Pure. In Him can never
be any contamination of the imperfection of Rajas and Tamas. ‘Non-apprehension
of Reality’ is Tamas and ‘misapprehensions of Reality’ constitute the Rajas.
In the Reality Itself there can be neither of them ‘He is Brahman; He is
Siva’, so the Upanishad declares of the Absolute Oneness, which is Vishnu.
(28) Sthaanuh: -Generally this term Sthaanuh is used for
the permanent pillars that mark the frontiers of a country. They
are permanent, immovable, fixed. The Truth, that remains thus firm
and motionless, without movement, permanently established in Its own Realm
of Purity, is called by the term Sthaanuh-the Pillar. “Eternal,
All-Pervading, the Pillar, Motionless (is) this Ancient One,” so says Geeta
Ch. 2, 24.
(29) Bhootaadih - The very cause ("aadi") for
the five great elements: Space, Air, Fire, Water and Earth.
(30) Avyayah Nidhih -The Imperishable treasure.
The term Nidhi means ‘that in which precious things are stored
away or preserved secretly’: (Nidheeyate Asmin iti Nidhih). Therefore, He
who is the substratum-container-for the entire universe is the Nidhi.
During the dissolution (sleep) the One into Whom all things go to lie merged
therein temporarily, till the next projection or creation (waking), as this
Immutable Treasure Chest-the Vishnu. Here ‘unchangeable’ (Avyaya)
is qualifying ‘Nidhi’.
(31) Sambhavah -One who takes up by his own free will
various incarnations for the glory of the world is Sambhavah. In
fact, He alone is the source of all that is created. In Harivamsa we read the
assertion: “I am the Narayana, the Source from which all creatures and things
spring forth”. To uphold Dharma I
shall manifest again and again, declares the Lord in His Geeta:
(32) Bhaavanah -To do Bhaavana is to give: One who gives
everything to His devotees is Bhaavanah. The Lord is One who gives
both joy and sorrow to each one according to his deserts. In the case of
humanity it is He again who destroys the evil and blesses the good.
(33) Bhartaa -The One who ‘Governs’ the entire living
world. Governing includes protecting the world from all harms
and serving it positively with progress and joy. One who does these to all
creatures at all times is Vishnu-the great Bhartaa.
(34) Prabhavah - The One who is the very womb
of all the Five Great Elements. It is That from which even the very
concepts of time and space have sprung from.
(35) Prabhuh -The Almighty Lord. He who is the All-Powerful. He
who has the supreme freedom to do (Kartum), not
to do (Akartum), or to do quite differently
from what He had already done (Anyathaa Kartum) is
considered as the Prabhuh.
(36) Eesvarah -One who has the ability to do anything
without the help of other beings or things is called Eesvara.
Stanza
5
svayambhooh
sambhur aadityah pushkaraaksho mahaasvanah
anaadi-nidhano dhaataa vidhaataa dhaaturuttamah.
(37) Svayambhooh -The
one who manifests Himself
from Himself is considered as self-made.
Everything born or produced must have a cause. The Supreme is the cause from
which all effects arise, and Itself has no cause. This un- caused
Cause-of-all, this Ultimate Cause, with reference to which every thing else
is considered as ‘effects’ is in itself the Absolute Cause. This idea is
indicated by the term Self-made (Svayambhooh).
(38) Shambhuh -He who
brings Auspiciousness- both inner goodness and outer prosperity to
His devotees. Sambhuh is one of the famous names of Lord Siva. By using this
term in invoking Vishnu, by its suggestion, it declares that Vishnu and Siva
are not two Divine Entities, but they are both manifestations of the One
Essential Reality.
(39) Aadityah-The Truth
(Purusha) that glows with a golden splendour in the solar system is
called Aadityah. There are twelve Aadityas and of them One is called
Vishnu.
Krishna Himself declares, ‘I am Vishnu among
the Aadityas’ -Aadityaanaam Aham Vishnuh- (Geeta Ch. 10, St. 21).
The word Aaditya can mean ‘Son of Aditi’-signifying
the one who was born as the son of Aditi in His Vaamana incarnation.
The term Aadityah can also mean in Sanskrit ‘One who is like the sun’.
The Sun is the one who illumines all, and every living creature draws its
nurture and nourishment directly or indirectly always from the sun alone.
In the same way Brahman is the one Sun in the universe of living creatures
illumining all experiences of all creatures.
(40) Pushkaraakshah -One who has eyes ("akshah") like
the lotus ("pushkara"). Joy and Peace in the bosom of
an individual are expressed in the world outside at no other point so vividly
as in the eyes. The One, whose inner peace and joy, beaming out
through His eyes, bring into the devoted hearts all the aesthetic beauty and
romantic thrills of seeing a lotus dancing in the breeze, In short, the term
indicates the Lord who with His beautiful looks, magically lifts all the
sorrows in the devotee’s heart and fills it with Peace, Joy and Perfection.
(41) Mahaasvanah- One who possesses thundering
("mahaa") voice of compulsion: "Svana" means ‘sound’.
One whose ‘call’ is thundered in all hearts, familiarly known as the ‘compelling
whisper’ of the Higher.
Or, Svanam can also mean ‘breath’; and so, the term
can mean, ‘He whose great breath is the very Vedas’. “Thus, O Maitreyee,
this has been breathed forth from this great Being what we have as Rigveda.
Yajurveda” -Brihadaaranyaka Upanishad (4.4.10). In the Spiritual literature of
India we often read Vedas described as His breath; He breathed out the Vedas (Nih-svasitam).
(42) Anaadi-nidhanah –One who has neither ("an") birth
(Aadi) nor death (Nidhanum). Thus One who is changeless is
Anaadi-Nidhanam; for, any change should include the death of an old condition
and the birth of newer condition. To the Immortal and the Immutable, change
is impossible.
(43) Dhaataa- One who is the Substratum for the world of names
and forms. And who supports all fields of experiences in all. He who is the
screen for the cinema of empirical experiences’ (Visvam).
(44) Vidhaataa -The One who is the Dispenser of all
‘fruits-of-actions’. In the Karma-kaanda portion of the Vedas,
Eesvara is described as the Dispenser of fruit (Karma- phala-daataa Eesvarah).
He is the Lord who is behind this universe of scientific truths and rhythm. He
is the One who has not only ordered the laws of the nature, but he is the one
afraid of whom, the phenomena dare not disobey his laws anywhere at any time.
The light of the sun, the heart is the fire, the sweetness in the sugar, the
pains in the sin and the joy s in goodness, are all their ‘nature’ and none
dare ever disobey these laws. The one who is thus the unquestionable
law behind the entire universe of laws is Vidhaata.
(45) Dhaatur-uttamah –the fundamentals ("dhaatu") that
form the reinforcement on any existent thing are called Dhaatu. In
science of life, as explored by the Rishis, all corporal forms have risen form
and exist as composed of some definite ‘elemental factor’ called the
Dhaatus. Of the end less varieties of Dhaatus available in
existence, the subtlest Dhaatu, without which no existence, is ever
possible, is the chit Dhaatu, and this is the Dhaatu-ruttamah.
Though
very rarely, we do find some commentators splitting this word into two as
Dhaatu and uttama. But in the majority of the cases we find it taken to form
one term and explained as ‘the subtlest of the Dhaatus’.
Stanza 6
aprameyo hrisheekesah
padmanaabho-a- maraprabhuh
visvakarmaa manustvashtaa sthavishthah sthaviro dhruvah.
(46) Aprameyah –
He, who cannot be defined and explained in terms of any logical term of
reference with other things should necessarily be inexpressible. A thing
that can be directly perceived (Pratyaksha) can be
desired, certain other things, which we may not directly perceive, but can be infer
(anumaama) them from data available. And there are yet
things which can be brought home to the listener by describing them in terms
of similar other objects (Upamaa). Since the infinite has
no ‘Properties’. It cannot be perceived, nor can It be “understood through
inference.” Nor even explained in terms of similar or dissimilar things.” Hence
the supreme Reality, Vishnu, is called as Aprameyah. We can experience him
only by ending all sense of separativeness and becoming one with Him.
(47)
Hrisheekesah
–In the Puranic literature the meaning of the term is ‘close-cropped’
or ‘One who has coiled up his locks of hair’ (Hrissheeka+Eesa).
The
term ‘Hrisheeka’ is an absolute one now, and it means the “sense
organs”. The Aatman, the self as Consciousness is the one who
gives light to all sense organs and, therefore, it is the lord of all sense
organs. This lord is Vishnu.
The obsolete
word Hrisheeka also means the ‘rays’ or that which gives the joy’. Thus the
term Hrisheekas can mean “the Lord of the rays”: the sun and moon. This
way interpreted, commentators point out that the term Hrisheekesah means He who
has Himself becomes the Sun and the Moon.
In
His manifestation as the Sun and the Moon, the Lord Himself whips the world
to wakeful activities and sends the world to sleep and rest. Thus
Hrisheekesa in its deeper significance, is, to all contemplative hearts, the
Lord, who becomes Himself the world, exhausts Himself in His activities, and
ultimately packs His toys and goes to rest at the time of dissolution.
(48)
Padmanaabhah
– One from whose navel ("nabhi") springs the Lotus
("padma"), which is the seat of the four-faced Creator, Brahmaaji.
Lotus
in Hinduism represents Truth or any of Its manifested powers.
The creative faculties in man flow from the navel area (center:
naabhi), and manifests as the ‘four-faced’ inner equipment (Antahkarana)
constituted of the mind, intellect, Chit and ego.
In
the Yoga-sastras, we find a lot of details regarding this concept. According to
them every “idea” springs from Him (Paraa), and then at
the navel area, each of them comes to be ‘perceived’ (Pasyantee).
Thereafter
they play in the bosom as thoughts (Madhayamaa), and at last
they are expressed (Vaikharee) in the outer fields-of –activity.
In
this discussion-upon the evolutionary stages through which every “idea”
becomes an “action” – we gather a clearer insight into the meaning
of the symbolism of “the Creator seated on the lotus”, which
springs forth from the navel of the Lord, the Supreme Vishnu.
(49) Amaraprabhuh -The
Lord ("prabhu") of the Immortals ("a-mara"),
the Devas. The Denizens of the Heavens, including all the office bearers
therein (Dikpaalakas etc.) along with Indra, are called ‘Devas’, and
they enjoy in their heavenly state a relative immortality.
The devas live and continue functioning till
the great dissolution-the Sleep of the Creator. Compared with the short span of
the existence of man on this globe, the aeons through which the Devas live can
be considered as end- less or immortal.
One who serves them with His might, giving
protection and security to all creatures, is called, therefore, Amaraprabhuh.
(50) Visvakarmaa -The
very creator-of the world-of-objects, of all equipments-of-experiences,
and of all experiences in all bosom-is called the Visva-Karmaa.
Herein the Infinite Lord is but a Witness of all that is happening and though
the experienced world is sustained in Him, He is not involved in the
imperfections or mortality, that are happening all around at all times in
the Visvam. “They are in Me, I am not in them”-Geeta.
(51) Manuh -The
term means One who has the ability to reflect upon the Higher
(Mananaseelah Manuh). Manu also means mantra and so, as
applied to the Lord, it can mean as the One who has manifested Himself
in the form of the Vedic mantras.
(52) Tvashtaa -One
who makes gross things of huge dimensions into minutest particles.
At the time of the world’s dissolution, the entire gross-world folds back
into its subtler elements until at last pure objectless space alone comes to
remain.
(53) Sthavishthah -lt is the superlative
degree of gross (sthoola) and thus ‘the Supremely gross’ is the subtlest
Reality. The contradiction that it contains is itself its
vigour and beauty. The Infinite as the subtlest is All-Pervading in Its own
nature. It is this Maha- Vishnu who has Himself become the entire universe
of gross things and beings. Just as all waves are the ocean, the total world of
gross things is itself the form of Vishnu.
In His cosmic form, Narayana had manifested to
Arjuna in he Geeta. There the words of Arjuna’s chant will clearly bring home
to us that the entire gross world is ever His own Divine form.
(54) Sthaviro Dhruvah -The Ancient (Sthavirah) and the Motionless
or firm (Dhruvah). He is called the ‘Ancient’ because the very
first ‘unit of time’ itself had risen from Him. He was the progenitor of
the very concept of Time in us. Therefore, ‘Time’ cannot condition Him.
Thus He becomes the most Ancient. He is the ‘Firm Truth’; nothing that
happens in the phenomenal world can affect Him at any time.
Stanza
7
agraahyah
saasvatah krishno lohitaakshah pratardanah
prabhootah trikakub-dhaama pavitram mangalam param.
(55) Agraahyah -That which cannot ("a")
be perceived ("graahyah") through the play of the sense organs;
in short, that which is not an ‘object’ of perception, but which is the very
‘subject’-who is the Perceiver in all that is perceived.
The ‘subject’ can never become the ‘object’,
and hence Truth is something that the sense organs cannot apprehend, as
they do any other sense-objects. He is the one ‘subject’ ever-perceiving all
objects, through all sense-organs of all living creatures, everywhere, at all
times.
The Lord is the ‘subject’, not only in
the sense organs, but He is the “feeler” in the mind and the “thinker” in the
intellect.
And thus the sense organs cannot perceive
It, nor the mind feel It, nor the intellect apprehend It; says the
Upanishad, “That from which words retire unapproached along with the mind” is
the Supreme. Hence He is Agraahya-Imperceptible and Incomprehensible.
Kenopanishad is very clear and emphatic: “That
which the eyes cannot perceive, but because of which eyes are perceiving,
understand That to be Brahman (Maha Vishnu) and not that which you here
worship.”
(56) Saasvatah
-That which remains at all times the same is the Permanent,
That which is permanent, should remain Changeless in all the three periods of
time. In short, He is unconditioned by time. The Supreme Consciousness Itself
is the very Illumminator of Time, and the Illuminator can never be
affected by what It illumines. This changeless reality is Vishnu.
(57) Krishnah -The
word Krishna means in Sanskrit ‘the dark’. The Truth
that is intellectually appreciated, but spiritually not apprehended, is
considered as ‘veiled behind some darkness’.
The root Krish means Existence
(Sattaa) and na means Bliss (Aananda). So says
Vyasa in Mahabharata, Udyoga Parva 70, 5. Therefore Krishna (Krish+na)
means Existence- Bliss (Sattaa-Aananda). Thus, the very name
divine, ‘Krishna’, represents the Supreme Paramaatman.
Or, because of His dark-blue complexion He
is called as Krishna. Mahabharata Santi Parva 343 says, “As My colour is
dark-blue, I am called Krishna, O Arjuna.”
In Mahabharata, we find Krishna explaining
Himself to Arjuna ‘when the earth becomes shelled in by its hard crux I
shall turn myself into an iron plough-share and shall plough the earth.
Apart from the above meaning Krishna
also means the Enchanter of all His devotees (Aakarshana). Truth
is One which irresistibly attracts everybody towards Itself.
Commentators have interpreted this significance in a more attractive context.
They conclude that Krishna means One who sweeps away the sins in the
heart of those who meditate upon Him.
Truth has got a magnetism to attract to
Itself all the ego and ego-centric passions of the individual. In this
sense viewed, we need not consider Krishna as a deity of the farmyard in the
agricultural estates. The Lord ploughs the hard stupidities in us and prepares
the heart-field, weeding out all the poisonous growths of sin, and
cultivates therein-pure Bliss which is of the nature of Reality.
(58) Lohitaakshah -Red-eyed.
Very often we find descriptions in the Puranas, where the Lord is explained as
having eyes like the red-lotus (Hibiscus). Generally the ruddy eyes
represent anger and the incarnations are taken for the
purpose of destroying the evil and so His anger is towards the
evil-minded materialists who live ignoring the higher values of life.
(59) Pra-tarda-nah -
The root Tarda means “destruction” and with the prefix
Pro the root (Pra-tarda) means “supreme destruction”. One who does
this total destruction (Pratardanah) is the Lord in the form of Rudra at
the time of the great dissolution (Pralaya).
(60) Prabhootah -The
term means ‘born full’ or ‘ever-full’. He is ever-full and
perfect in His Essential Nature, as the Transcendental Reality, or even
when He manifests in the form of His various incarnations. Especially in His
chief and glorious incarnation as Lord Krishna, He proved Himself to be ever
full with His Omnipotency and Omnisciency.
(61) Tri-kakub-dhaama -One who is the very foundation or support (Dhaama) of the
three ("tri") quarters (Kakubh). We find this is
generally commented upon and described as “all quarters, in the three realms
above, below and middle.” Viewing this from the platform of Vedanta, He
must be considered by us as the three Planes-of -Consciousness-the waking (Jaagrat),
the dream (Svapna) and the deep-sleep (Sushupti) conditions.
The fourth Plane-of-Consciousness (Tureeya) is the
Substratum for all the other three planes.
(62) Pavitram –One who
gives purity to the heart. To the seekers who are meditating upon
Him, He gives inner purity, and hence He is known as Pavitram.
Or, the term Pavi means; the weapon
vajra (thunderbolt). One who saves ("tram")
his devotees from the thunderbolt of lndra is Pavitram. This can also be
interpreted as the "giridhara" episode where the lord saves his
devotees from Indra's wrath.
The thunderbolt is described as an instrument
made out of the bone of sage Dadheechi. Indra is the Lord of the
lndriyas. In Vedanta Indra signifies the mind.
Mind’s cross purposes, confusions, intellectual compromises and the
consequent self- cancellation of our mental powers (Sankalpa-Vikalpa) can be
the great thunderbolt of the mind with which Indra (mind) can destroy in no
time all the acquired tapas of the saadhaka. Deep devotion, ardent
meditation and firm faith in the Lord Vishnu save the saadhaka from all such
mental storms and, therefore, the Lord acquires the significant name
Pavitram
(63) Param Mangalam -Mangalam is that which not only removes the dark pains of
evil, but brings the bright joys of merit. Param Mangalam is Supreme
Mangalam, and It can be none other than He, by whose mere remembrance all
inauspiciousness gets lifted up and all Auspiciousness comes to flood our
hearts The Upanishad declares. “May That Brahman-who removes all
inauspiciousness in man and gives man all auspiciousness, by a mere
remembrance of Him -give us all auspiciousness.
Stanza 8
eesaanah
praanadah praano jyeshthah sreshthah prajaapatih
hiranya-garbho bhoo-garbho maodharo madhu-soodanah.
(64) Eesaanah –“The
Controller of all the five Great Elements”. When this term is used,
Eesvara becomes the Administrator of His own Law in the phenomenal world of
plurality. The executive function of His Infinite Will, when manifested through
Him, the Lord. Eesvara, is said to function as Eesaanah. Or, the term can also
mean One who is the Supreme Eesvara-the Paramesvara.
(65) Praanadah -One
who gives (Dadaati) the Praanas to
all. The term Praanas used in philosophy indicated “all manifestations of Life
in a living body”. The Source of Life from which all dynamic activities
in the living organisms of the world flow out, meaning, That from which all
activities emerge out is Praanadah.
Taittireeya Upanishad (2- 7) exclaims: “Who
could then live. who could breath” if He be not every- where.”
(66) Praanah
-That which sustains is Praana and that which has got
Praana functioning in it is called a Praanee. Since the Lord is
termed as this very same Praana, it means by its suggestion that He is One
who ever lives. The Immortal and the Eternal is
Praanah.
The term can also mean that which gives
Life-impulse even to the air; the capacity to sustain life in the
atmosphere flows from Him alone.
In the Kenopanishad we read the Supreme
‘Defined’ as the “Praana of Praanas” (Praanasya Praanah).
(67) Jyeshthah
-Older than all. The Infinite is That which was even before the very concept of
space (Aakaasa) came into existence. The term is the superlative degree of the
Aged. In short, the import of this term is the same as the more familiar term
used in our sastras, the Ancient (Sanaatanah).
(68) Sreshthah -The
most Glorious One: Here again it is the superlative degree of glorious, Sreyah.
(69) Prajaapatih -The
Lord (Pati) of all living creatures (Prajaah) .The term Prajas means
‘Children’. Therefore Prajaapati means the Great Father, to whom all beings in
the living kingdom are His own children, In this sense, the term connotes One,
who, as the Creator, creates all creatures.
(70) Hiranyagarbhah -One
who dwells in the womb (garbha) of the world (Hiranya). The Upanishad declares:
“All these are in-dwelt by the Lord.” The “Golden Universe” is an idiom in
Sanskrit where ‘gold’ means “objects of fulfilment and joy”. One who dwells in
them all is Hiranyagarbhah. The term can also mean as He who, having become
first the Creator, has come to he considered as the womb of all objects.
(71) Bhoogarbhah -One
who is the very womb of the world (Bhooh) The One from whom the world has
emerged out. In the Cosmic Form of the Lord, this world occupies an
insignificant though sacred portion, just as the foetus in the womb, constantly
and lovingly nurtured and nourished by the very Essence in the mother. Or,
Bhooh = the earth: the divine consort of Hari: Garbha = Protector.
(72) Maadhavah -The
Lord of Maayaa, Spouse of Mahaalakshmee. Or, the term can signify the One who
is ultimately experienced through a diligent practice of “Madhu technique”: the
very famous Madhu Vidyaa of the Chandogya Upanishad. The term Maadhavah can
also mean One who is the Silent (Mauni); who is ever the Non-interfering
Observer, the Silent Witness of the physical, mental and intellectual
activities in the realm of change. To put it in one word, He is the One whom
the seeker experiences when he has stilled his mind which has been purified by
Yoga practices.
(73) Madhusoodanah -One who destroyed the great demon Madhu.
The story of Vishnu destroying these two demons, Madhu and Kaitabha, is a story
of secret suggestions in Mahabharata. Madhu also means in Veda (Madhu=honey) as
the fruits of actions (Karma-phala). Actions leave impressions and these sensuous
Vaasanaas are destroyed by meditations on the Reality and so the Supreme
gathers to Itself the name Madhusoodanah: “the Destroyer of Vaasanaas.”
Stanza 9
eesvaro
vikramee dhanvee medhaavee vikramah kramah
anuttamo duraadharshah kritajnah kritir-aatmavaan.
(74) Eesvarah -One
who is Omnipotent, and so has all powers in Him to the full. The manifested
powers of Life express themselves in every intelligent man as the power of
action in the body (Kriyaa Sakti), the power of desire in the mind (Icchaa
Sakti) and the power of knowledge in the intellect (Jnaana Sakti). All these
three powers are manifestations of Him, and since He is the One everywhere, He
is the total mighty power-the Great Vishnu.
(75) Vikramee -One
full of prowess (Vikrama), courage, daring. Or, it can be One who has “Special
foot steps”. This term commemorates how the Lord, as Vamana, measured with His
tiny three steps all the three worlds.
(76) Dhanvee
-Lord Vishnu’s Divine Bow is called ‘Saarnga’ and it is described as the
mightiest among the weapons. One who is having this Mighty Bow at all times is
Dhanvee. It can also remind us of His incarnation as Sree Ramachandraji, when,
in order to protect the world from the mighty Raakshasas of Lanka, He had to
dedicate a substantial part of His life almost constantly wielding his bow:
hence Sri Rama came to be known as Dhanushpaani; in His attitude of protection
He is known as Kodandaraama. Thus, the term Dhanvee, the Wielder of the bow, is
quite appropriate for Vishnu. “I am Sri Rama among the Wielders of the bow”
–Geeta Ch.l0, St. 31.
(77) Medhaavee
-Supremely intelligent; One who is capable of understanding everything. One who
has the capacity to comprehend intellectually all that is happening around is
called Medhaavee. Since Consciousness is the One Light in all living creatures,
which illumines all intellects, and since Vishnu is this Infinite
Consciousness, He is the One Knower, knowing all things, at all times, at once.
Hence Sarasvati, the Goddess of Learning and Knowledge is described as the very
tongue of Vishnu.
(78) Vikramah -While
describing the term Vikramee (75) we had already explained the meaning contents
of Vikrama, and thus Vikrama is an appellation that had come to Vishnu as a
result of His Supernatural Act of measuring the universe with three
steps.
Also, Vi means the “king-of-birds”, the
white-necked eagle; Krama means steps and, therefore, ‘movement or travel’. In
this sense Vikrama can mean: “One who rides on the white- eagle (mind) is
Vishnu”-who is described as having Garuda for His vehicle (Vaahanam).
(79) Kramah -He
who is All-Pervading is Kramah. Because of His All-Pervasiveness, the Infinite
is called as Vishnu. That which goes beyond the frontiers of the known is the
Supreme, and, therefore, in the description of Him, who has manifested as the
Cosmos, we have in Purushasookta an indication that He not only pervades all
that is known but “extends even beyond by ten digits” (Atyatishthat
Dasaangulam).
(80) Anuttamah -One
who is ‘incomparably Great’ in glory-Anuttamah. In the Sanskrit construction of
the word, it means something more than what we have said; it means: ‘He is one,
beyond whom there exists none who is greater than He (unexcelled). The
Upanishad itself describes Him: In Geeta (XI-43) we read: “For Thy equal exists
not, whence another superior to Thee?” In Sri Narayana Upanishad (12) we again
read, “There is nothing above or below, equal to Him”.
(81) Duraadharshah -One
who cannot be attacked, stormed or beleaguered successfully. In short, He is
All-Powerful. In the Puranas, we find Daityas and Asuras and others, mighty and
powerful ones, become themselves helpless victims of His Power and come under
His sway. To one who has realized the Infinite, the lower nature of the mind
(Daityas) and the enchantments of the senses (Raakshasas) , are all helpless to
overwhelm Him. “Rasopyasya Param Drishtvaa Nivartate” -Geeta Ch. 2, St. 59.
(82) Kritajnah -He who knows all that is done by all: the One Knower
who knows all physical activities, all emotional feelings, and all intellectual
thoughts and motives. He illumines them all, in all, at all times. Hence He is
called Kritajna. Vishnu is the One who knows clearly the exact depth of
sincerity, the true ardency of devotion, the real amount of purity in the bosom
of all his devotees, and, accordingly, brings joy and bliss to their hearts.
(83) Kritih -The
One, who is the very dynamism behind all activities. He is the Inevitability
behind the result of actions. He is called Kritih because it is He who visits
to bless the good and to punish the evil; in short; He is the One who rewards
all our actions.
(84) Aatmavaan -One who is the Self in all beings. In the
Chandogya Upanishad (7.24.1) when the disciple asks, “Where does the Lord, the
Infinite, stand established?” the Sruti answers, “In Its own glory established
ever is the Self”-(Sve Mahimni Pratishthitah).
Stanza 10
suresah
saranam sarma visva-retaah prajaa-bhavah
ahah samvatsaro vyaalah pratyayah sarvadarsanah.
(85) Suresah -The
denizens of the Heavens are called in the Puranas as Suras. Eesa means the
Lord; Suresa, therefore, indicates the God of gods, the Lord of the Suras. The
gods are called as Suras because they are capable of blessing their devotees
with a fulfilment of their desires. Therefore, Suresah means One who is the
best among those who fulfil all the demands of their devotees (Suras). In
short, He is the One who gives the Supreme State of Beatitude and the
consequent total liberation from all desires of the ego.
(86) Saranam -The
Refuge for all who are suffering from the thraldom of imperfection in life.
According to the Sanskrit Lexicon (Amarakosa), the term Saranam means
‘Protector’ and also ‘home’. Since the Lord is the Ultimate Goal, Saranam, He
is also the “Destination”, the ‘Harbour’. The One Who realizes Him comes to
live in Him.
He is the home to which the prodigal son
(jeeva) ultimately returns. Not only for the men of Realization is He the Home,
but for all creatures, movables and immovables, He is the Home, to which they
all disappear to rest and to revive during Pralaya (Sleep).
(87) Sarma -One
who is Himself the Infinite Bliss. Transcending the mind lie the shores of
Bliss, beyond the waters of agitations. The Infinite is described in our
Upanishads as the “Sacchidaananda”, ever of the same nature-“Saantam Sivam
Sundaram”.
(88) Visvaretaah -Retas
means ‘seed’; the term connotes that He is the seed from which the tree of life
has sprung forth. He who is the very cause for the entire play of experience in
the world of pluralistic objects (Sarva- Prapancha-Kaaranabhootah) is called
Visvaretaah.
(89) Prajaabhavah -He
from whom all living creatures (Prajaa) spring forth (Bhava) is known as
Prajaabhavah.
(90) Ahah -Ahan
has got two meanings: the 24-hour-day or the 12-hour day-time. He is of the
nature of ‘day-time’ means “He is the One, ever effulgent and bright”; as
bright as the daylight that illumines all objects around. In case we accept the
other meaning, “the 24-hour-day”, then, a day being a unit of time, the term
Ahan can also mean, “One who is of the nature of Time itself”. Also He is one
who does not (a) ever destroy (han) the devotees who have surrendered
themselves to Him.
(91) Samvatsarah -One
who is of the nature of year-meaning One who is the Lord of Time; He, from whom
the very ‘concept of Time’ rises.
(92) Vyaalah -One
who is unapproachable. Vyaala also means ‘Serpent’; to those who have no
devotion or understanding, God or Truth is as horrible and terrible as a
‘serpent’. Moreover, it is so difficult to grasp in our understanding that It is
like a serpent: ever eluding, always slippery.
(93) Pratyayah -One whose
very nature is Knowledge. That the Supreme is Knowledge Absolute is very well
known. It is in the light of Consciousness that all ‘know- ledges’ are
possible. ‘Knowledge of a thing’ is the Awareness of its
nature. Awareness is Knowledge. Since the Supreme is the One Awareness
everywhere, all ‘Knowledges’ spring from the Self. Hence, He is called “the
Pure Knowledge”. “Consciousness is Brahman” is one of the Mahaavaakyas.
(94) Sarvadarsanah -This
term, “All-seeing” is very appropriate in as much as the Supreme Consciousness
has been defined and indicated in the Kenopanishad as, “That which the eyes
cannot see, but because of which the eyes see”. It is the Seer in the eyes, the
Hearer in the ears, the Speaker, the Feeler and the Thinker”. And since this
Principle of Consciousness is One everywhere, as expressed through the
equipments, It is indeed the One Seer in all ‘seeing’, by everyone, everywhere.
The Upanishad says: and the Geeta
indicates Him as “One who has eyes and heads everywhere”.
Stanza
11
ajah
sarvesvarah siddhah siddhih sarvaadir achyutah
vrishaakapir ameyaatmaa sarva-yoga- vinissritah.
(95) Ajah -Unborn.
Birth implies a modification; birth cannot be without the death of its previous
condition. Since the Eternal and the Infinite, is ever Changeless there can be
in It neither birth nor death. That which is born must necessarily die: -(Geeta
Ch. 2, St. 27) and so, that which is unborn should be deathless (Amritah).
Rig Veda (1-81-5): “He was neither born nor is
He going to be born.”
(96) Sarvesvarah -God of all gods or the Supreme Controller of all. In
a sense it means the Almighty, the All-powerful. “He is the Lord of all,” says
Brihad Upanishad (6-4-2).
(97) Siddhah -One who has
achieved all that has to be achieved, as He Himself is the Final Goal for all.
Or the term can also mean “the most famous”.
(98) Siddhih -He
who is available for recognition (Siddha) everywhere at all points in His
nature as Pure Consciousness. Again, Siddhi also means the ‘fruit of action’,
and in the context here this would-mean, “He who gives the Infinite fruit of
Kaivalya, Moksha.” All other karmas can acquire for us only relative joys of
the heavens, but in realizing the Self the seeker gains an ‘Infinite State from
which there is no return’, so describes Geeta.
(99) Sarvaadih -One who is the very beginning (Aadi) of all; one who
was in existence earlier than everything else. Even before effects arise, the
Cause. The Infinite which was before creation and from which the created beings
had emerged out, as an effect, is naturally the Primary Cause (Moola-Kaarana).
(100) Achyutah -Chyutah= Fallen; Achy utah: One who has never fallen:
the Ever-Pure Reality which is never fallen into the misconceptions of Samsar:
the Pure Knowledge in which ignorance has never come to pollute Its purity.
Lord Himself says in Bhagavata, “I have never ever before fallen from my Real
Nature; therefore, I am Achyutah”.
(101) Vrishaakapih -There is a lot of controversy among pundits upon the
exact meaning of this term. But all controversies become meaningless when we
read Bhagavan’s own words, “Since Kapi has a meaning the ‘boar’, and since
vrisha has the meaning of ‘Dharma’ the great Kasyapa Prajapati says I am Vrishaakapih”.
In Sanskrit the term Kapi has a meaning: ‘that
which saves one from drowning’. Lord in the form of the Great Boar, (Varaaha)
in that incarnation, had lifted the world from the waters at the end of the
deluge; the term vrisha means ‘Dharma’. One who thus lifts the world drowned in
Adharma to the sunny fields of Dharma is vrishaakapih
(102) Ameyaatmaa -One
who has His manifestations (Aatmaa) in Infinite varieties, almost unaccountable
(Ameya), The Viraat Purusha of the Form of All-Lord of the Cosmic Form is
suggested here. As all forms have risen from Him, exist in Him, and dissolve
into Him alone, all forms are His own different forms.
(103) Sarva-yoga-vinissritah -Yoga is from Yuj ‘to join’; ‘to attach’, One who is totally free
(vinissritah) from all contacts or attachments. Attachment to a thing is
possible only when the object-of-attachment is other than the subject, In the
One Infinite Reality there cannot be any attachment with anything, mainly
because there is nothing here that is not the Infinite Itself. The Infinite is
a Mass of Love; there is no attachment in It; for, attachment is Love with
possessiveness and desire for gratification, “This Purusha is, indeed,
unattached”, roars Brihad Upanishad (6-3-15), Lastly, the term, Sarva- Yoga- Vinissritah
can also mean that He is beyond the reach of the various systems of Yogas
taught in the Sastras. These systems are to quieten the mind, to end the
misapprehensions-of- Truth, to annihilate the Maayaa, What is there left over
in the seeker’s bosom is the Self-the Great Vishnu,
Stanza
12
vasur-vasumanaah
satyah samaatmaa sammitah samah
amoghah pundareekaaksho vrishakarmaa vrishaakritih.
(104) Vasuh -The
One who is the very support of all elements, and the One who Himself is the
very Essence of the elements, This is something like the dream made up of our
own mind; and the very same dream-world plays itself out, all the time
sustained in the very same mind. Similarly, the Self indwells all and all dwell
in the Self. In the Geeta we are told by the Lord, “I am among the Vasus the
Paavakah”-(Geeta. Ch. 10, St. 23). Therefore, the Self exists like air-allowing
everything to remain in it and sustaining everything by it.
(105) Vasumanaah -One
who has a mind which is Supremely Pure; meaning a mind that has none of the
sins of passions and pains; none of the storms of desires and jealousies; none
of the quakes of likes and dislikes.
(106) Satyah -He is
the Real. The term Satyam used in philosophy has a special connotation. That
which remains the same in all the three periods of time is called Satyam. That
which seemingly exists, but which never was nor shall ever be, is considered as
a false delusion, A-satya. He who remains the same, before the creation, during
the existence and even after the dissolution, is the Infinite Truth, Satyah.
The Taittireeya Upanishad thunders that the Eternal Truth is “Truth, Knowledge,
Bliss”: “Satyam, Jnaanam, Anantam Brahma” - Taittireeya Upanishad: 2-1.
We may here mention a couple of other meanings
that are generally given to this term “The best among good people is Satyam.
Again, the word Satyam is made up of three sounds -Sat-ti-yam -and, herein,
according to the Upanishad itself, “Sat means praana, ti means food, Yam means
sun;” therefore, Sat yam is the Law which orders the food to sustain the praana
when both are blessed by the sources of all gross energies in the cosmos, the
Sun.
(107) Samaatmaa -He
wbo is equally in all. In Kathopanishad we read the declaration of Lord Death
to Nachiketas how the same Truth has come to express itself differently from
form to form. To visualize the Paramesvara who revels equally ill all, among
the perishables and imperishables, is the Vision Divine. Kauseshika Upanishad
(3-9) says, “One should understand that the Self is the same-in-all”. In the
Geeta also is the declaration “I am the Seer in all the fields-of-experiences
everywhere” -Geeta Ch. 13, St. 3).
(108) Sammitah -The
term Sammatam means ‘acceptable’. The One. Truth, which has been proved and
accepted by the Rishis In the Upanishads through subtle logic and philosophical
reasoning, is called Sammatah. This is the most direct and very appealing
meaning. But there are some who would interpret this portion of the Thousand
Names of Lord Vishnu by combining Samaatmaa (107) and Sammitah (108) to form
together a single ‘Name’, wherein the compound word would read
Samaatma-asammitah. Here the term Asammitah then would come to mean “One who is
incomparable, Inimitable (Atulya) who has none to equal Him”.
(109) Samah -Equal;
the same. Truth remains the same. One Infinite Reality plays the game of
plurality. As has been said in the Kathopanishad, “The One Principle of Fire
having entered this world burns itself out differently according to the
equipments upon which it is manifested”, so the One Truth manifests as the many
Jeevas. Hence He is called the Samah. Also it can mean as One who is ever
united, with (Sa) Lakshmi (Maa).
(110) Amoghah -Moghah
means “useless fellow” (Nishphalah), “a disappointing power”. Amogha is the
opposite of it: “Ever Useful”, “Ever the Fulfiller” of all the wishes and
demands of His devotees. Chandogya Upanishad (8-1-5) declares: “Truthful is His
wish, and Truth is His resolve”.
(111) Pundareekaakshah -One who can be contacted and fully experienced in the Heart Space
(Pundareekam). In the Narayana Upanishad (10) we find the same term employed:
“In the core of the body, in the Heart Space, dwells the Supreme.” In the
‘Heart’, the meditator can experience the Reality more readily and very
clearly, and so the All- Pervading Reality is described as “dwelling in the
Heart-cave”.
(112) Vrishakarmaa -Vrisha
means Dharma. One whose every activity is righteous and who acts only to
establish righteousness. “For the sake of establishing Dharma, I am born in
every age”, says Lord -(Geeta Ch. 4, St. 8).
(113) Vrishaakritih -One who is of the form (Aakriti) of Dharma (Vrisha). It is not only
that His actions are righteous but He is Himself Righteousness. It can also
mean as One who takes different forms during His Divine Incarnations-all for
maintaining the Rule of Dharma in the world.
Stanza
13
Rudro
bahu-siraa babhrur visvayonis-suchi-sravaah-
amritah saasvatah-sthaanur- varaaroho mahaatapaah.
(114) Rudrah -One who makes all people weep, At the time of death
or during the total dissolution, the One who makes all weep is Rudrah. From a
devotee’s standpoint the same term is interpreted as the One who liquidated all
sorrows is Rudrah. Bhagavan declares Himself to be “Among the Rudras, I am
Sankara –(Geeta Ch. 10, St. 23). According to the Vedic terminology there are
11 Rudras; this eleventh “Rudra” is called as Sankara: Sam-karoti-iti =
Sankarah - “One who blesses all with Auspiciousness (Sam).”
(115) Bahusiraah -One who has many heads. The Purushasooktam of the Rig
Veda describes the Cosmic Form of the Lord with a narration, “The Purusha of
thousand heads, thousand eyes and thousand feet…….” In Geeta a similar description of the Universal Form of the Lord
is found in Chapter XI. Again in the Geeta Chapter XIII when the Lord was
describing the Infinite Goal to be known (Jneyam), He describes It as
“Everywhere legs, everywhere hands, every- where eyes, everywhere His face”.
Thus, He whose personal manifestations constitute the universe is known
as “One who has many heads.”
(116) Babhruh -One who rules over the worlds. “Like a King”
-Atmabodham gives this analogy .He in whose presence all the instruments of
perception, feeling and knowing continue their coordinated activity is the
Self, the Atman, who is Great Lord Vishnu.
(117) Visvayonih -One who is the Total Cause from which alone the
entire world of experiences (visvam) has emerged
out. The womb (yoni) from which thoughts and actions had risen is called
Visvayonih.
(118) Suchisravaah -One who has beautiful and
efficient ears (Sravas): “Everywhere are His ears”-(Geeta Ch. 13, St. 13)
meaning thereby He is the Hearer in all ears. The term Sravas not only means
ears, but it also means “names” -so Suchisravas can mean ‘One who has Divine
and Sacred names’. Thus, the devotee can invoke Him with thousands of His names
when He can readily listen in and rightly understand the exact purity and the
real depth of devotion in the devotee. Also the term can be used to indicate
the One whose “names” are worthy of being heard by seekers.
(119) Amritah -One
who is Immortal and Immutable. Mritam = dead. The Infinite is Ajarah, Amarah
and Avyayah. It can also mean as One who is of the nature of Nectar (Amritam)
-a sure cure for those who are suffering from malady of ignorance. Amritah also
means Moksha; and thus it is indicated, He is the ever-liberated-the Pure State
of Being.
(120) Saasvata-sthaanuh -One who is both permanent (Saasvatah) and irremovable (Sthaanuh). He
is the One who remains Changeless, because Immortal; who remains the same in
all periods of time, because permanent (Saasvatah); and who remains changeless
in His nature or Consciousness (Sthaanuh). This is a single term
(Saasvata-sthaanuh) and, therefore, we must add the meanings together-
Permanent and Changeless; Permanently Changeless Factor in lire is Vishnu.
(121) Vararohah - He
who is the most Glorious (Vara) Destination (Aaroha). The Seat of the Self is
the most Glorious because the imperfections of the world-of-matter (Prakriti)
are not there in the Spirit (Purusha). Liberation from the thraldom of matter
is the arrival of the Infinitude of the Self. “He never returns”, thunders the
Chandogya Upanishad (8-15-1) three times in one and the same breath, assuring
us that one who has reached the Seat of Vishnu, beyond the frontiers of the
intellect, there is for him no more any return ever into the ego-centric life
of tensions of sorrows.
(122) Mahaatapaah -One
of great Tapas. The term tapas in Sanskrit has three meanings: ‘Knowledge’
(Jnaana), ‘Prosperity’ (Aisvarya) and also ‘Might’ (Prataapa). It is in the
presence of Consciousness that we come to know all our experiences. ‘Conscious
of’ a thing or an idea is the ‘Knowledge of’ the thing or the idea. That about
which I am not conscious of, I have really no knowledge of it. All knowledges,
of all bosoms, in all living creatures, everywhere, at all times, cannot be
without the play of Consciousness upon the respective objects of knowledge, and
hence this Consciousness is indicated in the Upanishads as Pure Knowledge, in
the light of which alone all knowledges are possible. All achievements and
prosperity (Aisvarya), all might and power of the living creatures can express
themselves through them only when they are alive. This great truth is Maha
Vishnu. “Whose Tapas is of the nature of Knowledge” (Mundaka- Upanishad.
1-1-9).
Stanza
14
sarvagah
sarvavid-bhaanuh- vishvak-sena janaardanah
veda vedavid-avyango vedaanga vedavit kavih.
(123) Sarvagah –“He
who has gone everywhere”, meaning “One who pervades everything”. The cause pervades
its effect: gold in all ornaments; ocean in all waves; cotton in all cloth. The
Infinite Consciousness Itself expresses as both world-of-matter (Kshetra) and
the Knower-of-the-field (Kshetrajna). Vishnu, the Infinite is beyond these two
(Uttamah Purushah) in whom there is no expression of matter and, there- fore,
no ‘Knower’-hood. He is the All-Pervading Self, Maha Vishnu.
(124) Sarvavid-bhaanuh -One who is All- Knowing (Sarvavit) and Effulgent (Bhaanuh) .The Light
of Consciousness is the “Light that illumines all lights” and it is again
Consciousness that “illumines even darkness” -Geeta Ch.13, St.17. In the
Mundaka Upanishad (4.10) also we read:
“By its Light alone it illumines all other experiences.” Sarvavit-Bhaanuh
is one term: meaning that all Knowing Effulgent Consciousness.
(125) Vishvaksenah -He,
while facing whom, even the mighty army of the gods retreat and scatter away,
is called as Vishvaksenah. He is the Almighty and All-Powerful, and no army can
stand against Him.
(126) Janaardanah -The
term Ardayati is a verb meaning both ‘giving sorrow’ or ‘giving joy’. Thus, One
who gives sorrow and disaster to the vicious, and who blesses with joy and
peace to the good people is called Janaardanah.
(127) Vedah –The
term Veda comes from the root vid: ‘to know’. Since Veda gives knowledge, the
Lord is termed as Vedah, in the sense, that He is the One who gives the
Knowledge of the Reality, because He is the very Reality. In Mahabharata, Vyasa
says: “Krishna alone is All-vedas, All-sciences, All-techniques and
All-dedicated Actions”. In the Bhagavad Geeta (Ch. 10, St.2) Lord says: “Out of
mere compassion for them, I, abiding in their Self, destroy the darkness born
of ignorance, by the luminous lamp of wisdom”.
(128) Vedavit –‘One
who knows the veda’. The Lord alone is the One Experience without which the
Vedas cannot be fully realized. The surest and the most exhaustive commentary
of the Vedas is to be found only in a stilled mind, which is in communion with
Vishnu, the Supreme Reality. Geeta (Ch. 15, St. 15) says, “I am the author of
the Vedanta, as well as the Knower of the Vedas.”
(129) Avyangah -He
who has no imperfections (Vyanga) anywhere in him- The All-Perfect. The term
Vyanga also means person, and so A vyanga means One who cannot be known by
anyone in any ‘personal-form’. Geeta plainly says “This great Reality is
Imperceptible, Unthinkable, without any modifications”. -Geeta. Ch. 2, St. 25
(130) Vedaangah –One
whose very limbs are the vedas. In Kenopanishad in the closing stanzas, the
teacher insists that all knowledges are Its limbs.
(131) Vedavit –‘One
who contemplates upon the Veda is Vedavit’: (Vedam Vichaarayati=Vedavit). Mere
word meaning cannot give us the true concept of the subtle theme discussed in
the Vedas. Continuous reflection upon their declarations alone can reach us to
the peaks of their imports. In the Geeta, Bhagavan Himself declares that He is
not only the very Revealer of Vedas but He is at once the Knower of the Veda
-Geeta Ch. 15, St. 15.
It is absolutely necessary that the student of
the Vedas should try to understand the meaning of their declaration. To repeat
the mantras parrot-like is not of any consequence: ‘He who has studied the
Vedas but has not understood the meaning, but carries a load, as the
‘road-rest’ on the roadside.’ Thus He who constantly reflects upon the Veda,
and naturally lives up to it, is the Great Lord.
(132) Kavih -The
term Kavi in the Vedas means the ‘Seer’. One who experiences something more
than the ordinary is called a Kavi. In the Isavasyopanishad (8) we read: -“The
Seer, the Intelligent....” In the
Brihadaranyaka Upanishad (5-7-23) we read: “There is no Seer except Him.”
In the Glory of the Lord, He confesses, in the Geeta, “among the Poets,
I am Usanas, Sukra-Aachaarya”.
Stanza 15
lokaadhyakshah
suraadhyaksho dharmaadhyakshah krita-akritah
chaturaatmaa chaturvyoohas-chatur-damshtras-chatur-bhujah.
(133) Lokaadhyakshah –One who presides over all fields of experiences -all lokas. President
is one who is responsible for the conduct of the assembly; he guides the
discussion in a disciplined manner, and ultimately at the end of it all, he
dissolves the meeting. All through the discussions he never interferes with the
freedom of speech and action of the members, if they act within the agenda of
the day. Similarly, the Lord presides over all the fields of activities, never interfering with the freedom of the individuals to act. “The Supreme
Purusha in this body is also called the spectator, the permitter, the
supporter, the enjoyer, the great Lord, and the Supreme Self.” From the Puranic
standpoint the Lord in His Vaamana manifestation was installed as the king of
the three worlds and, therefore, this name, say the Pauraanikas.
(134) Suraadhyakshah -The President of the Heavens to whom the Devas run for protection when
they are threatened by their constant enemies -the Daityas and the Asuras. When
in the Heaven of our bosom, the thought-angels are threatened by the negative
tendencies and criminal purposes, He to whom the good in us surrender totally
for sure protection and safety is Vishnu, the President within the bosom.
(135) Dharmaadhyakshah -Presiding over the activities of the living organisms, Consciousness
revels, illumining both the good and the evil therein. The One Sacred factor
that constantly thus illumines all the nature and functions (Dharma) of the
body, mind and intellect is the Dharmaa- dhyakshah, Lord Vishnu.
(136) Kritaakritah -Kritam
= that which is done = that which is manifested or created Akritam, therefore,
is that which has not manifested or become. The former (Kritam) indicates all
the “effects” manifested out of the Creator’s activities, and the latter
(Akritam) is the “cause” from which no manifestation has yet emerged -it is
still unmanifest. The Self, the Atman, is the ‘Post’ -in the ghost-in-the-post
example -upon which the cause and the effect, the unmanifest and the manifest,
like the “ghost” apparently come to play (Kritam = Vyaktam, A-Kritam =
A-Vyaktam).
(137) Chaturaatmaa -The
Self is described as four-fold when we consider the Atman as the Glory
(Vibhooti) of the Self. Thus, the Essential factors, with which alone the
endless play of creation, sustenance and destruction can continue, are the
glories of the Self (Aatma-Vibhooti). In Vishnu Purana, four distinct
vibhooties of the Lord -when He functions as the creator, sustainer and
destroyer -are found enumerated. From the standpoint of a Vedantic student,
since in the Non-dual Reality there cannot be anything other than It- self, all
the plays of the gross, the subtle and causal bodies, in the microcosm and in
the macrocosm, are the glories (vibhooties) of the One Self. In the Absolute,
in the Eternal, all these are transcended; these- the water, dreamer,
deep-sleeper, the Tureeya -are all Its Glories. The Possessor of these Glories
is the One that transcends even “Tureeya”; He is called as the Tureeyaateetah.
(138) Chaturvyoohah -One who manifests into the four
mighty powers (Vyooha). The Truth, that plays thus Himself in these four levels
having apparently created the world of experiences, is Vishnu, the
All-Pervading. According to the Vaishnava literature, for the purpose of
creation, Maha Vishnu Himself became four mighty powers (Vyooha) and they were
called Vaasudeva, Samkarshana, Pradyumna and Aniruddha. One who has Himself
these four mighty powers, necessary for the conduct of plurality, is the Great
Self, Maha Vishnu.
(139) Chatur-Damshtrah -The canine teeth fully developed in the upper and the lower rows, as
in the case of carnivorous animals, are called in Sanskrit as Damshtraa. This
is reminiscent of the Powerful Damshtraa of the Lord when He took the form of
Nara-Simha to protect Prahlaada.
Also in the Puranas we find that the Great
white Elephant of Indra, “ Airaavata,” has four tusks -He whose glory is the
four-tusked Airaavata is Maha- Vishnu. To the student of the Upanishad, it is
indeed very clear that these four ‘tusks’ or ‘teeth’ are nothing other than the
four paadas which Mandukya thunders -”Chatushpaada”. The manifestation of the
Might and Glory of the Supreme are the play of the waking, dream and deep-sleep
conditions. With reference to these three, transcending them all, is the fourth
plane-of-consciousness the Springboard for all these three. He, whose Glory are
all these four grinding, crushing, fearful experiences of duality, is the One
Non-dual Self, the Great Maha Vishnu.
(140) Chaturbhujah –“One who has four hands”. It is famous that Maha Vishnu has four hands
and they carry the Conch, the Discus, the Mace, and the Lotus. According to the
Puranas, these four are used by the Lord in maintaining Dharma among mankind.
The ‘Conch’ calls man to the righteous path that directly leads to Peace and
Perfection, the Divine Vishnupada. Very many of us in the enchantment of the
immediate sense-joys refuse to listen to the small inner voice of conscience,
the sound of the Paanchajanya-conch, and so He wields the ‘Mace’ and we come to
suffer small calamities and tragic jerks in our smooth existence -communal,
social or national. If still the individual is not listening to the call of the
‘Conch’, the wheel-of-time, Chakra annihilates the entire. The call and the
punishment are all only to take man towards his Ultimate Goal, represented by
the “Lotus” in His hand.
Subjectively Vishnu is the Self within, who
manifests as the four-armed ‘subtle-body’ to serve as the Eesa of the gross
physical structure, in all its actions and protect it with existence. The
“Subtle-body” as the inner-equipment (Antah-Karana) functions as four mighty
powers -mind, intellect, chit and ego. Chit is the ‘Lotus’, intellect is the
‘Conch’, ego is the ‘Mace’, and mind is the ‘Discus’. All these four are
wielded by the One Infinite Blue-bodied Narayana, clothed in His ‘yellow garb’,
manifesting to maintain and sustain the world of good and evil. Since the Self
functions thus in a four-fold pattern, Vishnu has the appellation, “the
four-armed Lord.”
Stanza 16
bhraajishnur-bhojanam
bhoktaa sahishnur- jagadaadijah
anagho vijayo jetaa visvayonih punarvasuh.
(141) Bhraajishnuh -Self-Effulgent
Consciousness illumines everything; and it is not borrowing Its Light from any
other source. “It is the Light of lights that illumines even darkness”-(Geeta
Ch. 13, St.18). And the Upanishad is equally vehement and declares: “There the
sun has no light nor the stars nor these lightnings; how little then can this
fire! By its Light alone all these are illumined.
(142) Bhojanam -The
immediate meaning of the term is food, viz. eatables. In philosophy it has a
wider implication and the term “food” cannotes the entire field-of-objects
experienced or enjoyed by the sense-organs. The world-of-objects projected by
the sense-organs, the inner psychological play and this world-of-matter
constituting the field-of-plurality, all together is comprehended by the term
Maayaa. Thus cathodox commentators reduce this term ‘Bhojanam’ to the contents
and functions of Maayaa. Taittireeya Upanishad (2-7) says: “He is indeed the
Essence (Rasa)”.
(143) Bhoktaa -The
“Experiencer” Not only the world-of-objects is essentially nothing but the
Spirit, Lord Vishnu, but even the very instruments-of -experiences and their
ultimate joys and sorrows, are all illumined for us by the Lord- of-Lakshmi.
The Pure Self, expressing through the gross, the subtle and the causal bodies,
becomes the waker, dreamer and deep-sleeper, experiencing all happenings, good
and bad, as the individuality in that living person. Consciousness, Purusha,
identifying with and functioning through matter (Prakriti), comes to experience
the endless modifications that are born out of Prakriti. The Self in Its
Infinite nature is actionless and yet in Maayaa seems to function and becomes
the Enjoyer or Sufferer of the actions of matter.
(144) Sahishnuh -One
who is capable of patiently suffering, in his perfect detachment, all that is
happening around, is a sahishnuh. Whatever happens to the reflections of the
Sun, the Sun in the cosmos is unaffected by them, and with reference to his
reflections we can call him a Sahishnuh, the Sun is a mere “witness” of his own
endless reflections.
The term has also got two more meanings in
Sanskrit as ‘Forgiver’ or ‘Conqueror’. Vishnu is one who forgives us readily
all our trespasses, and conquers for us all the inimical forces in our inner
personality.
(145) Jagadaadijah -One
who had born (Jah) in the very beginning (aadi) of the world (jagat) is called
Jagadaadijah. At the time of dissolution (Pralaya) when the entire gross and
subtle bodies go to lie absorbed in the Total Causal-body, the world, in
Pralaya, lies merged in Eesvara. Before the gross world-of-plurality emerges
out there should be a condition of subtle manifestation of it in the form of
thoughts. Thoughts constitute the mind-intellect; when the Infinite functions
through this Total Mind-intellect, It is called as Hiranyagarba the womb of all
objects, it is from the Hiranya garba-state, the manifestation of the gross
world emerges out, when the lord comes to play as a Virat Aatmaa. Maha Vishnu
is the one who was born before the world of gross bodies, therefore it is indicated
here that he is the “Womb-of all- objects” in the world, the Hiranyagarba-the
very creator.
(146) Anaghah
-Agham means sin (Paapa), impurities (mala); and therefore, Anaghah means One
who has no imperfections and who is not affected by the good and bad Vaasanaas
left over in the personality as a result of the wilful actions. He is the
Uncontaminated (Aliptah) .The Light of Consciousness is the Illuminator of the
mind, and so the peace of virtue or the agitations of the sin cannot affect the
Illuminator -the Illuminator being always different from the illuminated.
Chandogya Upanishad (8-1-5) says: “He is free from Sin”.
(147) Vijayah –“The
Victorious”. One who realizes the Self can thereafter stand apart from the
thraldom of matter, Victorious over the tyrannies of the flesh, feelings or
facts. Thus, the Seat of Self is the Seat of Victory over matter. The Peace and
harmony of the Self can never be assailed by the noisy hordes of the world of
plurality. Vijaya is the name also of Arjuna and the Lord Himself says, “Among
the Pandavas, I am Arjuna” - Geeta Ch. 10, St. 37.
(148) Jetaa –“Ever
Successful”. In all undertakings He alone wins; One who never knows any defeat
or failure. Upanishad says: “Truth alone wins, never falsehood”.
(149) Visvayonih -It can
be interpreted in two ways as (a) He who is the Cause of the universe or (b) He
who has the world as His Cause. The former is clear to those who have so far
followed the commentary, and to them the latter may be a very confusing
statement. From the standpoint of the Puranas, it is logical. The Self has
manifested as the various Incarnations from time to time because of the
condition of the world, and therefore, Visvam is the cause for His
manifestations.
(150) Punarvasuh -One
who comes to live again and again in various equipments of living organisms is
Punarvasuh:
Stanza 17
upendro
vaamanah praamsur-amoghah suchir-oorjitah
ateendrah samgrahah sargo dhritaatmaa niyamo yamah.
(151) Upendrah -The
younger brother of Indra. In His Incarnation as Vaamana, He was born to Aditi,
who was the mother of Indra, and hence, the Lord is known as the “Younger
brother of Indra”. In Sanskrit the prefix upa denotes ‘Above’ in the sense of
‘superior to’; therefore, Upendra may also mean “One who is superior to Indra”,
the king of gods. Such an explanation we find in the Harivamsa (76-47).
Indra, the king of the sense-organs, is the
mind and the Consciousness, which is the Self, is the One factor that dynamises
the mind. Since life is that which controls even the mind, certainly It is
superior to the mind and this Self is the Maha Vishnu.
(152) Vaamanah -Of
the ten great incarnations, the fifth one is Vaamana; and the very name
indicates ‘One who has a small body’. It was in the form of a child (vatuh =A
child student in a gurukula) that Vaamana approached the divinely righteous
Emperor Mahaabali to beg of him a little land, of the length of his tiny three
steps-and the Lord measured in His three steps all the three worlds and thus
conquered Mahaabali. He checked (Vamayati) the rising pride of possession in
Bali, hence He, in that incarnation as a Vatu, is called Vaamana.
The term Vaamana also means ‘worshipful’: “Him,
the Dwarf, sitting in the middle of the heart, all gods adore”, so we read in
the Kathopanishad (5-3). However, here the emphasis should be upon the meaning
“short statured” because of the contrast it makes with the following name.
(153) Praamsuh -One
whose body is vast is called Praamsuh. Vaamana, when He got the promise from
the righteous King, and when He started measuring, the Lord took His Cosmic
Form, and with each step measured the earth, the interspace, and the heaven. In
Harivamsa (262-263) there is a beautiful description of the little Vaamana
growing into His Total Form. The rate of His expansion is described with
reference to two fixed factors the Sun and the Moon. When He took the form, the
Sun and the Moon were His eyes; as He measured the earth, they came to His
bosom; as He was measuring the space, the Sun was at His navel and as He lifted
His feet to measure the Heaven, the Sun and the Moon were just below His knees.
(154) Amoghah -One
whose activities are ever a fulfilment of some great purpose. Even
insignificant actions, which, ordinarily, people would think are empty and
purposeless, are never really so, when they spring from Him. Even when He
punishes, it is only for inaugurating a greater evolutionary blessing.
(155) Suchih -One
who is spotlessly ‘clean’, and therefore, Ever-Pure. Impurities in a substance
are things other than itself; when dust is on the cloth, the cloth is impure,
unclean. Since the Self, the Aatman, is the Non- Dual Reality, having nothing
other than Itself in It, Ever-pure alone must It always be. And Suchih is One
who gives this purity to those who contemplate upon Him constantly.
(156) Oorjitah -One
who has infinite strength and vitality. Wherever, in the organism, we meet with
any strength and vitality they are all the strength and vitality of the Self.
The Infinite Vishnu is the One All-Pervading Self, and therefore, He is the
very springhead for all strength.
(157) Ateendrah -One who is beyond Indra in knowledge, glory
and strength. Since Indra represents the ‘mind-intellect’ equipment, Aatman,
the Self is denoted here as that which transcends the mind.
(158) Samgrahah -One
who holds the entire world of beings-and-things together in an indissoluble
embrace unto Himself. Just as the hub of a wheel holds the rim unto itself by
its endless spokes, so too the Aatman, the Self within, lends Its vitality to
every cell in the body and to every thought in the inner-equipments.
In none can anything happen which is not a
glory borrowed from Him. And, the Self, being the same everywhere, in all
existence, in both the movables and immovables, gross and subtle -in the
manifest as well as in the unmanifest - He certainly is the One who holds the
world of phenomena unto Himself in a vast embrace of Love and Oneness.
(159) Sargah -One
who has created out of Him- self the whole world. It therefore must also
connote One, who has the whole created world as His own form, since the
creation is His own manifestation as the Subtle and the Gross.
(160) Dhritaatmaa -One
who supports Himself by Himself. In the previous epithet Samgrahah, He was
shown as the Cohesion of Love in the world of matter and energy, and in Sargah,
He, as the One material and efficient cause of creation, was shown as also the
very supporter of the manifested world. But who supports Him? He is Dhritaatmaa
- He is established in Himself.
(161) Niyamah -The
Appointing Authority: It is He, who orders all the mighty forces of nature and
prescribes for each the Laws of their conduct, the ways of their behaviour and
the methods of their functions. The Sun, Moon, Air, Waters, Dik-Paalakas, Death
etc. are all appointed and ordered by the Lord.
(162) Yamah -One
who is the mighty Power that administers all the forces of Nature under His
Law. Everything in nature strictly obeys ever all His Laws.
Stanza 18
vedyo
vaidyah sadaa-yogee
veerahaa
maadhavo madhuh
ati-indriyo mahaamaayo mahotsaaho mahaabalah.
(163) Vedyah -That
which is to be known; in the language of the Geeta, it is Jneyam. That final
knowledge, knowing which every-thing becomes known. “Kasmin nu bhagavo vijnaate
sarvamidam vijnaatam bhavati iti”-(Mundaka. 1-3).
All sciences are investigations into Truth
After observing the nature and behaviour of things and beings when the
investigator moves ahead seeking the ONE Harmonious Chord of Reality that holds
all phenomena in its inescapable love-web, the scientist of Truth-comes to
reject first the gross, and soon thereafter the subtle realms, and ultimately
even the causal factors, and thus-comes to apprehend this harmony, which he is
seeking as the very subjective core of his own Self. This final Goal to be
realized, “having known which everything else becomes known,” the One
Consummate Knowledge to be gained (Vedyah), is the Self, the Great Vishnu.
(164) Vaidyah -The
One Supreme Doctor who alone can minister to the world suffering from ego and
egocentric misconceptions. One who is a master of all knowledge (Vidyaa) is
also termed as Vaidvah
(165) Sadaa Yogee -To
the confused and the deluded to detach themselves from the false
vestures-of-matter and to seek their identity with the ETERNAL Self is called
Yoga. All attempts in attaining an at-one-ment with the Self is called Yoga.
The Goal, the Self, therefore, in the language of the seeker must be
Sadaayoga-ever-in yoga.
(166) Veerahaa –“He
who destroys the mighty heroes”. The powerful men of strength and valour when
they grow in their audacity to become tyrants, the Lord manifests to destroy
such Raakshasas and thus protects the Dharma and the Good.
(167) Maadhavah -Earlier
this term was used (72) where we interpreted the term as the “Lord of Lakshmi.”
Maa means not only “Lakshmi,” but she is also “Vidyaa” (Knowledge). The Lord
(Dhava) of all Knowledge (Maa) is Maadhava.
He who helps introspection and meditation in
the seeker is Maadhava. “To become conscious of the existence of a thing” is
called the knowledge of the thing, The Aatman, the Self is Existence (Sat) and
Consciousness (Sphurana) and, therefore, Lord Vishnu, the Self is the source of
all knowledge and as such the Master of all Vidyaas: (Maa-dhava), Harivamsa
says” “O Hari, You are the Lord (Dhava) of Knowledge (Maa), and hence You are
called as Maadhava, the Master of Maa.”
(168) Madhuh -The
term Madhuh familiarly stands for “honey”. It is also a term to indicate
“nectar.” One who generates Nectarine Bliss in the hearts of His devotees is
called Madhuh. The springtime in India is called as Madhumaasa since spring is
the season of flowers; full of honey for the bees, and joy for man. The month
called Madhu (March- April) is the Chaitra month which is considered specially
auspicious for prayers, and meditation. One who is of the nature of the
Maadhava-maasa, the month of Maadhava (April-May) can also be the suggestion in
this term. Vaisaakha (April-May) is considered as the most auspicious time of
the year for the worship of Vishnu by all Vaishnavites.
(169) Ateendriyah -One
who is beyond the sense-organs not only in the sense, that the sense-organs
cannot perceive Him as their ‘object’ but also in the sense that He is other
than the sense-organs and their functions. Lending to them, all their very
vitality, is His mere presence! He is the very ‘subject’ in the perceiver, and,
therefore, the instruments of perceptions, emotions, and thoughts cannot
experience Him: this Source of All-life is Maha Vishnu. Kathopanishad (3-15)
says: “He is soundless, untouched, formless, immutable, so without taste,
eternal, smell-less.
(170) Mahaamaayah -One
who is the Supreme Master of all Maayaa. He is the very Substratum upon which
all the plurality spring up and play their infinite enchantments, constantly
basking in the Light of the Supreme Consciousness. Aatman, the Self, is
untouched by the play of Maayaa, and yet the Maayaa-play is sustained only by
the exuberant warmth of His Divine presence. The Sun is the Master of all
clouds, inasmuch as, in its presence, borrowing its heat, water by its own
nature gets evaporated, and the water, vapour again, because of its own nature
of a lesser density than the atmospheric air, rises to the higher altitudes and
gathers there as clouds. It is, again, the nature of the atmosphere that at
higher altitudes it is cooler and the water-vapour so cooled becomes water
again, and due to the higher density of water it descends as rain. In this
example the Sun can be called as the “Creator” of all clouds and the “Cause for
the rams,” and consequently the sun is also the “ Master of the Seasons.” And
yet, the Sun is uncontaminated by all these phenomena that are happening in its
presence.
In the same fashion the Infinite Reality,
Vishnu, is indicated here as the Great Magician, who has the magic of Maayaa at
His command. Krishna Himself confesses in the Geeta: “Very difficult indeed it
is to cross over My Maayaa” -(Geeta Ch. 7 St. 14).
(171) Mahotsaahah -The
Great Enthusiast; the Ever-Dynamic Accomplisher. The Powers of creation, of
sustenance and of annihilation-in their totality is the world of birth and
death that we live in. This wonderful world cannot be sustained without the
endless enthusiasm of this Mighty Power. Looking at the ocean, through the
waves, we come to recognise the ocean as the “Sleepless Agitator”; similarly,
looking at Vishnu, “through the ephimeral kaleidoscopic changes in the patterns
of life available to us in our experience today, we call Him as the “Dynamic
accomplisher” (Mahotsaahah). The term employed here, the Enthusiastic
Accomplisher, is indeed one of the most appropriate names for Maha Vishnu.
(172) Mahaabalah -One
who has Supreme Strength. He, being Omnipotent, is the Source of all Strength
that we see in each individual organism in life. His Vitality reflected in each
of us, is our individual strength; naturally He is the Infinitely Strong,
Mahaabalah.
Stanza 19
mahaabuddhir-mahaa-
veeryo mahaa-saktir mahaa-dyutih
anirdesya-vapuh sreemaan ameyaatmaa mahaadri-dhrik.
(173)
Mahaabuddhih-In
the previous term, we were told He is Omnipotent. Here He is indicated as
Omniscient. The Supreme, functioning through the intellect, is the
intelligence. The quality and quantity of the intelligence will depend upon the
condition of the “intellect’ through which the Infinite comes to play. The
intelligence in a mathematician, poet or an artist, scientist or politician-all
are the different play-patterns of energies invoked from the one Supreme
Intelligence, and therefore, Mahavishnu, the Self, is called here as
Mahaabuddhih, the Reservoir of all Intelligence.
(174) Mahaaveeryah -One
who is the Supreme Essence. “Veerya” is the Essence behind all the creative
urges. Since the Divine is the very source, from which alone the dynamism for
creation can manifest, the Supreme Divinity is termed here as the Mahaaveerya.
(175) Mahaasaktih -All-Powerful.
Power here means efficiency. He-whose manifestations are the power-of-action,
the power-of-desire and the power-of-knowledge saktees-must necessarily be the
most powerful, in as much as a play of these three powers is the total play of
the world.
(176) Mahaadyutih -Of
Splendorous Light. Dyuti means ‘Glow’, Sobhaa. The Pure Consciousness is the
illuminator of all, including all other material sources of light in the
world-Sun, Moon, stars, fire etc.-but this is not all; He is also the One, who
is Himself Self-Effulgent. This is Mahavishnu-the Supreme Self. In the
Mundakopanishad (4-9) Lord is described as the “Light of lights”.
Brihadaaranya- kopanishad (6-3-9) declares: “He is Self-effulgent”.
(177) Anirdesyavapuh -One whose form is indefinable, indescribable, inexplicable
(Anirdesyam). Ordinary things can be defined, described or explained because
they come within our experience. Our objective experiences can be
satisfactorily expressed in words. Vishnu is that Truth which is the Subjective
Essence in all of us; He is that ‘Knowledge’, in the light of which, all other
knowledges are rendered possible. As such no “sources of knowledge” (Pramaanas
such as Direct perception, Inference etc.) can be employed successfully in
exploring the realm of the Self. Subjective experiences of ‘Be’, the Maha
Vishnu, is possible; but It can never become an ‘idea’ to express, nor can It
become an ‘emotion’ to feel, nor can It ever become an ‘object’ to be described.
(178) Sreemaan -Sree
means Glory (Aisvarya). Vishnu is permanently wedded to Mother Glory; He, who
is constantly courted by all glories, is Sreemaan, Lord Vishnu.
(179) Ameyaatmaa -He
whose Essence (Aatmaa) is inestimable and immeasurable (Ameya). As Aatman
(Kshetrajna) He, the One, expresses Himself everywhere in every equipment
(Kshetra), as the ‘knower’ in each ‘field’. Since these equipments are infinite
in number, as the individuality (jeeva) in each one of the created beings, His
own Glory expresses in endless manifestations.
(180) Mahaadridhrik -One who supports the great Mountain. In the Puranas, we find two
instances, wherein the Lord has been described as the uplifter of or as having
lifted and supported the mountains. While churning the milky ocean with the
Mandara mountain we are told that the “churning-stick” sunk into the bottom and
the Lord had to manifest in the form of the Great Tortoise (Koorma) and support
it, while the Gods and Demons continued the churning, until they gathered the nectar
(Amritam).
Again, the Supreme, as Lord Krishna, in order
to protect the cows had to lift the Govardhana Mountain. Because of these two
stories in the Puranas, Lord, the Protector of the mind in Saadhanaa, is called
as Mahaadridhrik.
Vishnu is the Divine, that supports the
mind-intellect of the Saadhaka while he is churning, through study (sravana)
and reflection (manana), his own Milk-like pure heart-of devotion in order to
gain the experience of Immortality (Amritam).
Stanza
20
maheshvaaso
maheebhartaa sreenivaasah sataam gatih
aniruddhah suraanando govindo govindaam-patih.
(181) Maheshvaasah -One
who wears or wields the Great Bow called Saarnga.
(182) Maheebhartaa -The husband of Mother Earth. The Sanskrit term for husband is Bhartaa
and the term denotes ‘Supporter’. In the Puranic language we have the
description of how the Lord, as the Great Boar uplifted the earth from the
“waters of Deluge.” Viewed from the platform of philosophy, just as gold is the
supporter of all things made of gold, the Infinite Consciousness is the Essence
from which everything has risen. Hence He is the Lord, the Supporter, the
Husband (Bhartaa) of Mother Earth and everything that exists in her.
(183) Sreenivaasah -The
permanent abode of Sree. Mother Sree connotes “all Glory and power, faculties
and strength, to be good and to perform creative acts of righteousness”. She is
found to remain never permanently in any bosom. Even saints and sages, in
recorded history, have come to compromise the perfections in them. The only place,
where imperfections never enter to molest the serene essence, is the seat of
Eternal Perfection, which is the bosom of Narayana. Hence Maha Vishnu is
indicated as Sreenivaasa –“the Permanent Abode of Lakshmi”.
(184) Sataam Gatih -For
the truly virtuous and for all spiritual seekers (Sat-People) He who is the
final Goal. In the language of the Geeta He is the “Paraa gatih”. The term gati
is used to denote not only the goal, but the very movement, as well as the
direction and the way. Narayana is the very Direction, Path, Progress and the
Goal for his devotees.
(185) Aniruddhah -One
who cannot be obstructed or resisted by anyone. Irresistibly, the will of the
Lord functions in the world of created things-and-beings. Just as in the world
of matter, the laws of nature are irresistible, the Rhythm and Harmony of Truth
ever march in their Eternal Logic of objectless Love and immaculate perfection.
Time and tide wait for none. When the sun rises, the living creatures absorb
energy and nothing can obstruct this process. In the presence of the Self, the
worlds of matter must get thrilled into their own independent activities, and
in all these welter of efforts and exertions, achievements and failures, joys
and sorrows, the Self is not involved by the Irresistible Enchantment of His
presence, the Gopis seek their own fulfilment in their own dances. In the
Puranas, we find Bhagavan Vishnu taking up in His various Incarnations
different manifested forms and in all of them He was victorious; ever
irresistible (Aniruddhah) is His Might.
(186) Suraanandah -The
One who doles out happiness (Aananda) even for the Denizens-of-the Heavens
(Suras). In the Upanishad we have the declaration, that the Infinite
Perfection, the Lord is of the very nature of Absolute Bliss. In the
Aanandavallee of Taittireeya Upanishad we find the arithmetics of Bliss. The
Rishi concludes that all joys of the world and heavens-mental and
supramental-are all but flickerings of the Infinite Bliss, which is the Lord
Mahavishnu.
(187) Govindah -The
word Go in Sanskrit has four meanings: ‘Earth’, ‘Cows’, ‘Speech’ and ‘Vedas’.
As the earth is the supporter of everything that is existing, He, who is the
supporter of everything within the individual, is called Govinda; He, who is
the Protector of the Cow’s and played the part of Gopaala in Gokula, is the
very controller of the animal instincts and passions in the bosom of man; “One,
without whom, no speech can ever emerge out of any throat-He being the very
Life in all Creatures” says Kenopanishad; and the Highest Speech is the
declaration of Truth in the Vedas. The Lord Himself is the very Theme and the
Author of the Vedas. This great Self is Mahavishnu.
(188) Govidaam Patih -One, who is the Lord of all ‘seers’ and “Men of Wisdom”. We have
already indicated that Go means Vedas. Govit- Vedavit-those, who have realized
the Theme indicated in the Vedic declaration as the Essential Reality in their
Own subjective bosom. They are called the Seers or Sages. To such Men-of-Wisdom
the Self-alone is the Lord and the Master.
Stanza
21
mareechir-damano
hamsah suparno bhujagottamah
hiranyanaabhah sutapaah padmanaabhah prajaapatih.
(189) Mareechih -The
term Mareechih means ‘Effulgence’. Consciousness illumines objects and
therefore in terms of worldly knowledge the Upanishads declare that the Supreme
is the Light-Infinite. In the Geeta we read Bhagavan, Vaasudeva declaring: “I
am the Light in all effulgents” -(Geeta Ch. 10, St. 36).
(190) Damanah -One
who restrains and controls every Raakshasic impulse within the bosom. In the
forms of the ten incarnations, He had controlled the irresistible tyrannies of
the vicious against the good. In the form of pain and agitation, sorrow and
death, it is He, who is the Controller, Damanah, of all negative tendencies in
everyone’s Heart.
(191) Hamsah -One
of the great declarations of the Vedas is: “I am Brahman” (Aham Brahmaasmi).
Here the term I, the first person singular used, denotes the supreme. Self
functioning through the conditionings.” This individual concept is called jeeva.
Thus I, the Jeeva (Aham), once detached from the conditionings, IS essentially
nothing other than He, the Lord (Sah). This experience that Aham is Sah is the
very God-consciousness and therefore, Vishnu, the Supreme State of Realization
is declared as Hamsah.
(192) Suparnah -Parna
means wings; Suparna means that which has beautiful wings-bird. “A pair of
white- winged birds extremely friendly sit on one and the same tree; one cats
the fruits, the other eats not and gazes on”.
Thus traditionally in the Upanishads, the
Suparnas suggest the Jeevaatmaa and the Paramaatmaa sitting on the same tree
(body): one (Jeeva) eats the fruits (of actions) and the other (the Self)
merely gazes on (Saakshee). Vishnu is this All-experiencing Principle of
consciousness.
(193) Bhujagottamah -The sacred serpent named in the puranas as Ananta. “ Among the serpents
I am Ananta,” says Krishna: -(Geeta Ch. 10, St. 29).
(194) Hiranyanaabhah -He, who supports at His navel, the creator, Hiranyagarba. The meaning
for this term as given by some is “the One who has the navel region beautiful
in its golden hue” must fail, in the context of the thoughts in the stanza, to
appeal to all seekers.
(195) Sutapaah -One
who has glorious Tapas. Consistent creative thinking is called tapas. For this,
mental concentration is unavoidable. Mind cannot have consistent concentration
unless it can have a perfect control over the sense-organs. Even when the mind
is withdrawn from the sense-organs, it must have a consistent intellectual
ideal to concentrate upon. In the Upanishad, we read: “He thought and through
thought, He created all this”.
(196) Padmanaabhah -One
who supports at His navel the very seat of all creative-power. We have
described this term earlier (48). According to Sankara, here the term may mean
one who has a navel region which in its rounded beauty, is as charming as the
lotus flower .
(197) Prajaapatih -The
Lord of the creatures. Since all creatures have emerged from Him, the living
creatures are His children (Prajaa) and He is their Pati. The term Pati has a
direct meaning: ‘father’. Thus Vishnu, as the only source from which all
creatures have emerged out, is called as Prajaapatih.
Stanza 22
amrityus-sarva-drik
simhah san-dhaataa sandhimaan sthirah
ajo durmarshanah saastaa visrutaatmaa suraarihaa.
(198) Amrityuh –One
who knows no decay Birth, growth, decay, disease and death, are the five great
modifications through which every finite objects must necessarily pass.
Everything born must perish. The one who has no birth has no death. The waves
die but not the ocean. That which is Changeless in the changing whirls of
matter is the Infinite Vishnu. In the Bhagavad Geeta, the Lord is emphatic: “He
who sees the Changeless amidst the changing names and forms, He alone sees the
meaning and purpose of life.”
(199) Sarvadrik -The
seer and knower of everything. The Consciousness that illumines all motives and
intentions -and the manifested activities that spring from them -in each
individual, at all times, is necessarily the Witness of all, the Seer of
everything, Maha Vishnu.
(200) Simhah -One
who destroys. The Law be- hind all destruction and change in the Maayaa is the
Mighty Lord. On transcending the Vehicles of the body, mind and intellect, at a
time when all experiences of perceptions, emotions and thoughts are annihilated
from us, the Experience left over is the Supreme. And in the Non-dual Supreme,
there cannot be any object other than itself. Therefore, that “State” is called
as the Total Destroyer. The State of Waking is the “destroyer” of the
dream-world; the State of Sleep is the “destroyer” of the waking and the dream;
the State of God Consciousness is the total “ Annihilator” of all the known
three planes of Consciousness. He is Simhah -a word that has been formed by the
mutual transposition of the letters in Himsaa.
Even taking its obvious superficial meaning
Vishnu is a Lion in our bosom, in as much as, He is the king of the forest of
Samsaar: at the roar of Narayana all the animal-passions flee from the jungles
of the mind. In the Geeta while describing His own Glory, the Lord says, “Among
the animals, I am the King of animals, Lion.” -Geeta Ch. 10, St. 30.
(201) Sandhaataa - The
Co-relator, the Regulator, the One who co-relates the actions and their fruits.
In fact, the fruit of an action is nothing other than the action itself; the
action itself presents as its fruit in a different period of time, maturing
under its own Law. This Great Law is the Lord, whom the devotee accepts as “The
Giver of all fruits of action”.
202) Sandhimaan - The
structural engineering of individuality is the mightiest of phenomenon
available in nature. The Supreme is the Law and the Law-giver; and the Light of
Consciousness functioning in the mind and intellect Itself is the individuality
(Jeeva), that comes to suffer the good and bad results of the actions. Thus not
only that it is He, who is the Giver of the results but It is He, again, Who is
the enjoyer or the sufferer of the results. Hence He is called as the One who
is apparently conditioned by the actions that emanate from Him, Sandhimaan,
enjoyer (conditioned). In fact, He is the One presiding over and illumining all
actions; the very Law of reaction Itself; the ensuing experience in all actions
of all people, at all times. From the standpoint of our existence, with
reference to our individual existence, the Divinity in us, for all appearances,
seems to be conditioned; this Sandhimaan, the Jeeva in His own Pristine Purity
is Maha Vishnu.
(203) Sthirah -Firm, consistent. One who is ever consistent
in His nature and One who remains changeless, at all times.
(204) Ajah -Unborn. Ajah is also a term denoting the
Creator, Brahmaaji; He who, in the form of Hiranyagarbha, apparently creates
the delusory world of plurality is Vishnu.
(205) Durmarshanah -One
who cannot be attacked and vanquished. In the long run, everyone in his own
maturity will have to come and accept and walk the path of Vishnu -He is the
final Goal. In the lesser levels of evolution, the animal-man may deny himself
the peace and joy of living the spiritual values, and deluded by the senses and
enchanted by the flesh, he may live a life of sense-joys and temporary
fulfilments. But soon enough irresistibly he will be seeking the “feet” of
Vishnu for real happiness and true achievement. His also is the final victory
and one can stand apart from Him in a victory over him.
(206) Saastaa -One who rules over the universe, Not only
that He is the Administrator of the laws of the Phenomenon but also He is the
Saastaa. He is the One who, through Sastra, with firm hand, instructs and
guides us through the righteous path, drives us along steadily to progress in
cultural beauty and finally reaches us at the Great Goal of all evolutions: the
Seat of Vishnu.
(207) Visrutaatmaa -The famous term Aatmaa, famous in all the
Vedas, is Vishnu. This term clearly shows that all the thousand terms, used
herein, though can be considered for the Saguna worship of Vishnu, represent
nothing other than the Pure Self, which is the famous theme of the Hindu
Scriptures. Through hundreds of suggestive definitions, this Great Self has
been successfully pointed out through declarations of Its Transcendental Nature
and through statements of negation indicating what He is not.
(208) Suraarihaa -Sura=“God
of the Heaven”, Ari=“enemies”, Ha=“destroyer”. The Supreme is the Destroyer of
the enemies of the gods. The sensuous claims of the flesh, the mild assertions
of the ego, the nocturnal devils of i desires and passions, are the common
enemies of the higher mind aspiring to evolve. When invoked with true devotion,
He who drives away and destroys the inimical negative tendencies, and helps the
devotee to master himself, is Suraarihaa, Sri Narayana.
Stanza
23
gurur-gurutamo
dhaama satyas-satya-paraakramah
nimisho-a-nimishah sragvee vaachaspatir-udaara-dheeh.
(209) Guruh -The
teacher, who initiates seekers into the secrets of the sacred scriptures is
called the Guru. Since the Lord, the infinite alone, is the very author and
knower of the Vedas, He is the Teacher in all spiritual study. Aatman being the
Light, that illumines the knowledge in the teacher, his very capacity to speak
and the very ability in the student to hear, understand and apprehend this
great Truth, He alone is the Teacher wherever there is any transference of knowledge.
(210) Gurutamah -The
Greatest Teacher; One who had inspired with knowledge and initiated the very
Creator Brahmaaji into the knowledge of the four Vedas. The creative mind of
the very first Spiritual Master must have received this experience of the
Transcendental, initiated by none other than the Supreme Itself. Later on, the
Man of Realization might come to help other seekers, and to that extent the
following generations of disciples, can, no doubt, psychologically believe that
the teacher guided them to Truth. But, in fact for all times to come, the final
experience of the theme of the Vedas is arrived at only through the final
revelation, which has nothing to do with the teacher or the text. Svetaasvatara
Upanishad (6-18) says, “He who first Created the Creator (Brahmaa) and imparted
him the Vedas.”
The Guru and the scripture, devotion to God,
meditation, moral conduct and the religious discipline are all necessary, in as
much as, they prepare the bosom of the seeker for the dawn of realization. But
the final unveiling is done by the Infinite alone, and hence, Vishnu, the Self,
is the best among the Gurus. Heaviness is called by the same term (Gurutvam),
and in this sense the Lord is Indicated here as “that which is heavier than the
heaviest.
(211) Dhaama -The
Goal; the Sacred destination of a pilgrimage. The Supreme is the Param-dhaama,
the ‘Supreme Destination’, having reached which, there is nothing more to reach
beyond. This Absolute State of Perfection is called the “Peak” (Dhaama). The
Sanskrit term Dhaama also means “Effulgence” (Tejas); the Pure Consciousness as
the illuminator of all experiences is considered and glorified as the Light of
all Lights etc.
(212) Satyah -One
who is Himself the Truth. The difference from the general connotation, we have
for the term “That which remains without a change in the past, present and
future” is called Sat yam. “Truth, Knowledge, Infinite is Brahman”, thunder the
scriptures. Brihad Upanishad (4-1-20) says, “The Praanas are the truth, and He
is the Truth of them.”
(213) Satyaparaakramah -Dynamic Truth. Passive truthfulness is the harbour of the fools, the
dark den of the cowards; although it is any day better than suicidal un- truth
and criminal dishonesty. The Lord, the Infinite is not only Himself the Truth
but He is Dynamic in insisting that “Truth shall prevail, not untruth”. Not
only gravity is a law of nature, itself ever truthful, but it insists that none
shall escape its influence or disobey sway. So too, the Infinite Law of Harmony
and Love is an Inevitable Truth persisting with insistence in life. The Lord is
therefore indicated by the term “ Satyaparaakramah”.
(214) Nimishah -The
condition of “the eyelids closed” is called Nimishah; the unwinking is called
Animishah. When the eyes are open, the mind is extrovert; the condition of
mental introvertedness is expressed in an unconscious closing of the eyes. When
a man is deeply thinking, remembering, contemplating, we find him naturally
closing his eyes.
In a state of intense contemplation, when the
intellect is turned away from the objects-of-experiences, the bosom experiences the One
Divine “Subject” both within and without. The Lord is described here as “with
eyes closed”, only to indicate that He is ever rooted in Himself; from Him
viewed, there exists nothing other than Himself to constitute the world-
of-objects.
(215) Animishah -One
who remains unwinking. Whenever we wink both the eyelids close together and
what we are seeing is at least technically veiled from the seer in the eye. The
Supreme is indicated here by the term “unwinking”, in the sense that, the
consciousness is Ever-Knowing. In Sankara’s words, in Chandogya Bhaashya,
“there is no cession of knowing in the knower”.
(216) Sragvee -A
garland is called Srak and, therefore, the term means One who is constantly
wearing a garland of undecaying flowers. The famous garland of Vishnu is called
Vaijayantee.
(217) Vaachaspatir-Udaaradheeh -Vaachaspati is a term given to One who is eloquent in cham” pioning the
Supreme law of life; and Dheeh means the power of intelligence; and Udaaradheeh
one who has a “Large- hearted intelligence”, One who is not puritanical in his
view points. God is not only the Declarer of the Law but He has a large-hearted
tolerance to appreciate the weakness of the devotee’s heart, suffering under
the delusion of Maayaa, and hence, has a great sympathy for the weakness in us
This is expressed in God’s Infinite kindness towards sinners in general.
The laws of spiritual living can be disobeyed
for a long time without any tyrannical onslaught, unlike the law of physical
nature, which is blind and uncompromising. Fire knows no mercy. But Narayana,
the Great Vishnu, is kind and considerate the while He expresses the Truth of
Life eloquently at all times around us. In His Large-heartedness, He has enough
paternal kindness to overlook our trespasses.
Stanza
24
agraneer-graamaneeh
sreemaan nyaayo netaa sameeranah
sahasra-moordhaa visvaatmaa sahasraakshas-sahasrapaat.
(218) Agraneeh -One
wh0 guides us to the end -the peak. Also the One, wh0 leads (Agra) the entire
pilgrim- age-the Guide. He moves ahead and following His footsteps, keeping Him
in our gaze, faithfully following Him, we shall reach the Goal and thus He is
called as the leader, Vishnu.
(219) Graamaneeh -One who controls, guides and leads the “Collection”,
the “flock” (Graama). In Sanskrit Graama means “a collection of many number of
things”.
(220) Sreemaan -Sree
means Light, Effulgence or glory. Consciousness has all these three, and
therefore, Sreemaan means the Self, the Lord.
(221) Nyaayah -The
word in its direct meaning is “Justice”. In the spiritual world, it connotes
logical arguments (Tarka) and lines of contemplation (Yukti), which help us in
arriving at the absolute experience indicated in the Sruti, are together called
Nyaaya.
(222) Netaa -the
leader-one who protects, nurtures, nourishes and guides all living creatures in
the world. One who is being the Superintendent of the machinery of life
-(“Jagat-Yantra Nirvaahakah”)-Sankara.
(223) Sameeranah -One
who efficiently administers all movements of all living creatures. In the
physical body, all physiological activities are controlled by the five
‘Praanaas’ and thus in the form of ‘Praanaas’ He who governs all movements of
all living creatures in the universe is Maha Vishnu.
(224) Sahasria-Moordhaa -One who has endless number of heads. All living creatures are His
manifestations and He Himself is the One who has become the many. Therefore all
heads are His, just as in a factory the proprietor considers all the employees
as his own ‘hands’. Here the term Sahasra means innumerable.
(225) Visvaatmaa -The
very Soul of the universe; the very inner Essence in all living creatures.
(226) Sahasraakshah -In describing the macro- cosmic form of the Lord we have an endorsement
of this declaration in the Bhagavad Geeta.
227. Sahasrapaat -In
the Purushasookta of the Rig-Veda, the same terms are used in describing the
Infinite Form of the Mighty Truth:
(“The Purusha is thousand-headed, thousand-eyed, and thousand-footed.”)
The “many heads” (224), “many eyes” (226),
“many legs”
(227), together indicate that, through all
these equipments of thinking (head), of action (leg) and of perception (eyes),
the Thinker, the Doer and the Seer, the One Infinite Consciousness expresses
everywhere, in all forms, at all times, and He is Lord Vishnu.
Stanza
25
aavartano
nivrittaatmaa samvritah sam-pramardanah
ahassamvartako vahnir anilo dharaneedharah.
(228) Aavartanah -One
who is the Unseen Dynamism behind the ever-whirling wheel-of time upon which
play the endless drama of birth and death. The repetition (Aavartanam) of these
changes is the experience of Samsaar, and the One mighty Lord, in whose
presence alone the factors of matter start their thrilled dance of decay, is
indicated here (Aavartanah) as “the Great Power behind the continuity of change
in the world of phenomena”. In the Geeta, Bhagavan says, “O Arjuna, the Lord
dwells in the heart of all, and spins, through His Maayaa, all layers of
personal ties as though the universe is a complicated machinery.”
(229) Nivrittaatmaa -The pure Self, which has retreated totally (Nivritta) from all Its
identifications with matter. In short, Maha Vishnu is the Pure Self, ever
Immaculate and totally Free from all the sorrows of the constant modifications
taking place apparently in the Prakriti.
(230) Samvritah -One
who is completely veiled from the recognition of the
“Perceiving-feeling-thinking entity”, the ego (Jeeva) .The Self is veiled away
from direct experience of all Jeevas. This intellectual state of
non-apprehension (Aavarana) creates the agitation (Vikshepa) which is the cause
for the misapprehensions of Truth as the sad and sorrowful world of
imperfections. Thus veiled, lies the Truth today to the seeker, and that
Glorious spiritual Centre is Vishnu.
(231) Sampramardanah -One who persecutes relentlessly
men, who are sensuous, evil-minded, and so, fully extrovert in their
personality (Raakshasas). In the form of disease, decay, disaster or death That
which manifests to annihilate the pride, vanity and conceits of all
“animal-men”, as they live drowned in their flesh cravings, low emotions and
materialistic values, is the Ultimate Reality-the Supreme Lord Vishnu.
(232) Ahassamvartakah -One who thrills the day (Ahas)
and makes it function vigorously (pravartakah). The one who dynamises the day
and lends the enchantment of joy to all living creatures is the Sun. The Mighty
Truth, who, in the form of the Sun, gives life to all and lends this energy to
them to act, is Vishnu. In the Geeta, Lord Krishna says, “Please understand
that I am the Light of the Sun that illumines all earth; and the light and heat
in the moon and fire are all mine only.”
(233) Vahnih -Fire.
One, who is worshipped at the altar as the God of gods, was Fire in the Vedic
period. Invoking the various deities, oblations were poured into the Fire in
Vedic ritualism and Lord Fire is entrusted with the duty of conveying the
oblations to the appropriate deities Invoked by the devotee.
In short, Vishnu is the Omniscient Lord, who
conveys appropriate Karma-phala to the Kartaa (doer) and thus fulfils all
actions of everybody, at all times.
234. Anilah
–This term has four distinct meanings. All of them are appropriate here. (a)
Air (Vaayu); living creatures; (b) “Beginning-less” (Aadi-rahitah); that Truth,
from which the concept of time itself has born, must have been there even
before time, manifested, and therefore, in terms of our intellectual concept of
time, we can only say that He is “Beginningless”; (c) ‘Eater’ of food (Attaa);
all experiences that satisfy the inner man is called the “food”, and since all
experiences are lived only when illumined by the consciousness, the Supreme, in
terms of our experience is called the “Eater” and (d) “The Homeless” since He
is All-pervading He is the shelter of all and He is not sheltered by anything.
235. Dharaneedharah -One
who supports (Dharah) the earth (Dharanee). The field of our experiences is the
earth, and for all our earthly experiences, Consciousness is at once the very
substratum and the very Illuminator. In the Light of Consciousness alone, the
web of happenings around is held together to provide us with our experiences.
Stanza 26
suprasaadah
prasannaatmaa visva-dhrik- visvablluk- vibhuh
satkartaa satkritah saadhur jahnur-naaraayano narah.
236. Suprasaadah -One
who is full of the Supreme Grace and who, so little, so easily, becomes so
entirely satisfied. Even to those who can remember Him, even if it be in a
spirit of constant and faithful antagonism, His Grace is readily available. In
Bhaagavata we read Pootanaa, who tried to poison Him, Kamsa, who planned to
murder Him, or Sisupaala, who falsely accused Him-all of them were ultimately
rewarded by the Lord. In the Geeta, He confesses, “with a little am I satisfied,
if it is given with sincerity, and with faithful consistency”.
237. Prasannaatmaa
-Ever-Pure and All- Blissful Self. The Supreme is ever-pure because, It is
untouched by the sorrows lived by matter, when matter is ruled over by its
gunas. In Geeta we read that the cause for all the sorrows of the individuality
(Jeeva) is the attachment with matter and its various imperfect conditions
(Gunas). Since He is untouched by them He is Ever-Pure; and since no
identification of matter is in Him, He is all-Bliss.
238. Visvadhrik -As
a Mighty Source of all existence in every thing and every being, He is the
Supporter (Dhrik) of the total world of all perceptions, all emotions and all
thoughts (Visva).
Herein the Supporter and the supported being
essentially one, no calamity comes to the Lord by the increase in population.
Ocean, the supporter of the waves, can never feel bothered by the stormy
surface and the consequent increase in the number of waves.
239. Visvabhuk -The
One who enjoys or swallows (Bhuk) all experiences (Visva). The Supreme
Consciousness apparently conditioned by the mind and intellect is the
experiencer of the joys and sorrows.
The term also means, “the One who absorbs unto
Himself all names and forms” at the time of the dissolution (Pralaya) .In the
plane of God-consciousness all other experiences, gathered in fields of waking,
dream and deep- sleep, are transcended and, therefore, the State of Perfection
can be figuratively indicated as “Visvabhuk” the One who swallows all other
experiences of plurality”.
240. Vibhuh -One
who manifests Himself in an endless variety of forms. Though essentially the
Infinite is One, Non-Dual and All-Pervading, the Reality, when viewed through
the equipments of mind-and-intellect (Maayaa) seems to have apparently become
the pluralistic world. Mundakopanishad (1-6) says, “He is Eternal and
Multiform.” Based upon this idea we have in the Puranas, the description of the
Lord's incarnations and His play in the world of the many.
241. Satkartaa -One
who revels and adores those who are good and wise. His palace is ever lit up
with His hospitality and He Himself presides over the loving reception of the
righteous.
242. Satkritah -One who is adored by all good people, not
only is He adored and worshipped by great men of wisdom and devotion-as the
Sanatkumaaras, Naarada and others-but He is invoked and worshipped consciously
by all living creatures. The Upanishad describes every experience of all living
creatures as a Yajna in which the stimuli received are the ‘Oblations’ poured
at which the inner Consciousness flares up into brilliancy.
243. Saadhuh
-One, who functions strictly according to the righteous code of living is a
Saadhuh Atman, the Self, is the Mighty Presence, which apparently lends
intelligence and capacity to inert matter. The Supreme Saadhu is Vishnu
Himself.
244. Jahnuh
-leader of men; the One who leads all creatures along the path of an inexorable
law-the law of action and reaction, the rhythm of Karma. Irresistibly, the good
is led, by his own subjective disharmony, dashes to reach a hell made by
himself for himself.
245. Naaraayanah
-This simple sacred word has an endless number of direct and indirect meanings,
imports and suggestions, and Vyasa seems to have explored almost all its
possibilities.
1. The Shelter (Ayanam) for man (Nara) is
Naaraayana.
2. The term Nara implies the ego-centric
individuality and a large collection of them is called Naara and the One who is
the sole refuge for the entire living creatures is called Naaraayanah.
3. Nara also means Eesvara and the elements
(Tattvas) born out of Him are called Naara; and One who is the controller, the
regulator, the very source of all Existence. in these very Tattvas is called
Naaraayanah.
4. Naaraah also mean “waters”. According to the
picture painted in the Puranas of the Deluge, wherein the names, and forms
devolve themselves into their elemental waters, the Lord is objectively
described as lying alone upon the waters, the Eternal baby, floating upon a
banyan leaf. “Holding in His Lotus-hand His own Lotus-feet, and sucking His own
toe with His Lotus-lips, the Lotus child resting playfully upon a banyan leaf,
floating up on the waters of the Deluge-I meditate.”
It is in this sense, we find Manu interpreting
the word “Naaraayana”. In the great devotional classic, Bhaagavatam, we find
very many suggestions digged out of this sacred name; such as the ‘Self of all
bodies’, “the Dynamic Force behind matter”, “the Witness of all good and bad”.
All these indicate that Sri Narayana is nothing other than the Glory (Ayanam)
of the Self.
246. Narah -The Guide: One-who guides all creatures
strictly according to their actions is none other than the Ancient (Sanaatana)
Self.
Stanza
27
asankhyeyo-aprameyaatmaa
visishtah sishta-krit-suchih
siddhaarthah siddhasankalpah siddhidah siddhisaadhanah.
247. Asankhyeyah
-Sankhyaa means number; Asankhya=numberless. Asankhyeyah is one who has
numberless names and forms. The infinite variety of things and beings that
constitute the manifested Universe are all His Own Form, and hence He is indeed
numberless, whom He expresses Himself as the Universe. In the 11th Chapter of
Geeta, we see through Arjuna’s eyes the Cosmic Form of the Lord. Of boundless
forms on every side with numberless arms, stomachs, mouths and eyes-neither end
nor middle, nor beginning do I see, O Lord of the Universe.
248. Aprameya-Atmaa -Prameya=Pramaana Vishaya-anything that can be known through any of the
“Sources-of-knowledge”-direct or indirect. Atman, the Self, cannot be
apprehended by the intellect through any of the known “Sources-of-Knowledge”
(Pramaana) and so He is called as Aprameya. One who has this nature is the
Self, Aprameya-Atmaa, Sri Narayana.
249. Visishtah -The
One who transcends every- thing, in His Glory is the Supreme (Visishtah). Something
that is other than the three bodies, something other than the five kosas,
something definitely different from the finite world of perishable things is
the Infinite Self-which cannot be defined in terms of either the waking or the
dream or the sleep conditions. The Self is something other than all these:
This
Supreme-most Troth is Maha Vishnu.
250. Sishtakrit -One
who governs; One who is the Law Maker and the Law that governs the universe.
The goal of His administration is the protection of the good (Sishtah). Maha
Vishnu is the Governor of all, and the Protector of the good.
251. Suchih -One
who is Pure. The immaculate Reality which is never contaminated by the Maayaa
and its by- products is Maha Vishnu. When dirt (Mala) exists upon anything, it
becomes unclean. In the Absolute Oneness there can be nothing other than itself
and therefore the Fourth-plane-of- Consciousness (Tureeyam) is indicated in our
Scriptures as the Transcendental Ever-Pure Self, Sri Hari.
252. Siddhaarthah -One who has gained all that has to be
gained and achieved all that has to be achieved. That which has to be achieved
in life during an individual’s existence have all been classified under four
heads and they are called as the four “aims of life” (Purushaartha). Theyare
Righteousness in conduct, (Dharma), Wealth and Possession (Artha), desires and
ambitions (Kaama), liberation from imperfections (Moksha). One who has gained
all these “four” have nothing more to gain as there cannot be any sense of
imperfection in Him. One who has gained (Siddhah) all that has to be gained
(Arthah) is Siddhaartha, Lord Vishnu.
253. Siddhasankalpah -Sankalpa means “intellectual willing and wishing”. One who gains all
that He wishes for, or One who immediately gains what He wills is called Siddha-sankalpah.
Ordinarily we fail to gain what we demand because of the disintegration within
ourselves. The Lord, the Perfect, is One who instantaneously gains all that He
wishes; hence the Upanishads define Him as the Satya Sankalpavaan. This great Paramesvara
of the Upanishads is the Maha Vishnu, the theme of the “Thousand Chants’
(Sahasranaama).
254. Siddhiddah -One
who is the Giver of the appropriate reward for all actions, for those who are
doing spiritual practices. Lord Narayana is the great Universal Power that
brings about the reward for all actions.
255. Siddhi-Saadhanah -One who is the very secret force which enables the seeker to
diligently continue all efforts of his seeking. Siddhi ordinarily means
“fulfilment”, here it means all efforts at a given fulfilment. It is also
interpreted by some as the One Mighty Reality, to worship at whose altar is the
very means (Saadhana) for all achievements (Siddhi), and this is Sri Narayana.
Stanza
28
vrishaahee
vrishabho vishnur-vrishaparvaa vrishodarah
vardhano vardhamaanascha viviktah sruti-saagarah.
256. Vrishaahee -The
term Vrishah is very familiar with the ritualistic portion of the Vedas and it
connotes objectively the sacred “Left over” after the Yajna functions.
Subjectively, Vrisha means the residual ‘results’ gathered in the personality
after each devoted and dedicated act of offering, during all Self-less services
(Yajnas). Therefore, Vrishaahee means “One who is a controller of all actions
and the dispenser of all results”, in all individual, conscious, intelligent
creatures.
257. Vrishabhah -The
term Vrisha though not very familiar now is used in the Vedic literature to
indicate Dharma-“the essential nature of a thing without which the thing cannot
remain as the thing” is its Dharma. One who showers all Dharmas is called
Vrishabhah. In short, one who showers glowing health, burning devotion and
thrilling silence on all sincere seekers and faithful devotees is Vrishabhah;
and He is Sri Narayana.
258. Vishnuh
-All-Pervading: Long-Strident. We had already explained this term earlier (2).
In Mahabharata we also read the Lord Himself explaining to Arjuna, “Because I
stand striding across the Universe (Kramanaat), O Partha, I am known as
Vishnu.” -(Mahabharata 12-350-43).
In the Upanishad also we read, “Vishnu has
spread Himself and conquered all these three worlds.
259. Vrishaparvaa -We
had already explained that Vrisha means Dharma. The term Parvam means “Ladder”,
“a flight of steps” that takes us to the Higher floors (Hence Parvata means
mountain). Thus, here, the term is explained as a flight of steps on the ladder
of life to take one to the Ultimate Reality, the Eternal (Sanaatana) Dharma: “1
am the way”. Vishnu is the One to worship at whose altar will facilitate the
devotee’s steady evolution towards the experience of the Higher consciousness.
260. Vrishodarah
-Vrisha, that which rains; Udara = belly. The idea here is the seat of
all-creative thinking is resting on a psychic, centre, roughly indicated by the
navel, and hence we find the description that the total Creator of the universe
is sustained and held aloft at the navel of Maha Vishnu. During Pralaya (sleep)
the “creative power” merges back to its source, and thereafter, upon waking,
the creation again starts; the creative power” manifests itself and continues
its creative activities, from the same point of Its merger, (Udara). This
culminating point of all creation, during the time of the dissolution-which is
also the same from wherein, during creation, the manifestations of names and
forms spring forth (shower down = Vrisha)- is Vishnu, the Supreme, and hence,
He is called as Vrishodarah, “the Showering Belly.”
261. Vardhanah -One
who is the nurturer and nourisher everywhere, at all levels of life, both
material and spiritual. In short, from the standpoint of the student, who is
studying with devotion these “Thousand names of the Lord”, the term indicates
that Vishnu is the Mighty Power that supplies all spiritual growth, provides
all well-being and ultimately blesses all His devotees with the final
Realization.
262 Vardhamaanah -One who can grow Himself into any
dimensions; ever-growing. Since the names and forms of the universe are ever
dynamic and has the unseen movement of progressive evolution everywhere, the
Lord is indicated here as this very “dimensional movement of progress”
(Vardhana). (The Pauraanikas attribute that this name came to Him because He in
His Vaamana incarnation grew
Himself to measure under His three steps the
whole universe.
263. Viviktah
-Alone=solitary. Every standing apart from everything. With reference to the
dream and the dreamer, the waker is, we knew, indeed, separate. Similarly the
world of names and forms and its joys and sorrows, passions and lusts, smiles
and tears, though they all play in the Self, the Supreme is not affected by
them.
The horrid “ghost” cannot affect the innocent
“post”. One who thus remains alone and apart, in His Own Majesty and
perfection, even when the world-of-Maayaa is heaving about is Viviktah. In the
daily happenings of Samsar, in its births and deaths, He remains ever
changeless and ever unaffected. This freedom is indicated in the Geeta and the
Lord explains: “They are in me; I am not in them
264. Srutisaagarah -The
ocean for all the rivers of all scriptural thoughts. All scriptures,
irrespective of the age, language, tradition and beliefs, ultimately indicate a
Theme which is ever the same. All scriptures are rivulets of thoughts, flowing
through different terrains of national character and historical climates, gushing
to reach forward the ocean of Perfection, which lies beyond the dark sorrows of
mortality. That which is the goal of all Scriptures is the Immortal Bliss of
God-consciousness, the Maha Vishnu.
Stanza
29
subhujo
durdharo vaagmee mahendro vasudo vasuh
naika-roopo brihad-roopah sipivishtah prakaasanah.
265. Subhujah -He
who has graceful arms. This need not be taken as a description of the physical
beauty of the anatomical structure of the arms but since those arms are ever
working in the service of His devotees on sheltering them (Abhaya) and in
blessing them (Varada) they are full of grace and hence graceful.
266. Durdharah -One who cannot be comprehended even by Great
Yogis, who spend long periods of time in meditation. Transcending the mind and
intellect is the “experience” of the Supreme and, therefore, the mind and
intellect can never comprehend It.
267. Vaagmee -One
who is eloquent of His Glory. The full sense or the term should embrace not
only the eloquence in speech, but all physical capabilities in the world, all
the Glories or the cosmos, all the beauties or the heart, the total might of
the intellect-all are eloquent of His Glory. Through the scriptures of the
world, it is again He, who speaks to us of our ultimate Harbour beyond the
stormy seas; of Maayaa, in the simple words of brilliant suggestions declared
by the Saints, Sages, Rishis, Prophets and other Divine Men.
268. Mahendrah -One
who is Lord of even Indra, the Lord or gods. In philosophy the “Mind” is called
lndra (lndriyaanaam Raajaa) and One who is the Lord of even the “mind” is the
Self.
269. Vasudah -Vasu
means wealth and, therefore Vasudah means One who enriches all, both in their
outer prosperity and in their inner well-being. Once surrendered unto Him man
learns to live ever in dynamic success, with all the glories of the loving
heart, self-controlled mind, and contemplative intellect.
270. Vasuh –The
term Vasu has got three meanings: Wealth (Dhana), Veil (Aacchaadana) and Sun
(Aaditya); thus He is the One who manifests Himself in the form of the external
wealth, for He, as the very sun, nurtures and nourishes the world. He is the
One, who veils Himself from the comprehension and understanding of the
unprepared men of evil temperaments and who possess no true devotion.
The term Vasu also can mean “One who lives in”
(Vasati iti) all things and beings of the universe; or it can also mean as “One
who allows all things and beings to exist in Himself” (Vaasayati iti). In Geeta
and in the Upanishads we find the Infinite described as the very Indweller
everywhere in His Eesvara status, and as the very substratum for the universe
in the Pure Transcendental nature.
271. Naikaroopah -One
who is of Infinite forms in his manifestations; the single waker’s mind becomes
itself variegated to serve as the endless items of the dream-world. The One
Supreme “Cause” of the whole Universe is Vishnu; and all “effects” are but
different expressions of their “cause”. In a very familiar chant, traditionally
repeated by all devotees, this Idea has been brought out beautifully.
Looking at Him through our distorting
instruments of body-mind-intellect, we see the plurality, and only on
transcending this equipment can we “experience” the Oneness of the Absolute
Reality.
272. Brihadroopah
-Vast of Infinite dimensions; pervading all. One whose very form (roopa) is the
totality of the universe and therefore as vast as the universe, nay, in the
description of the Supreme Person in the Rig Veda (Purusha- sookta) we read the
Rishis declaring that Vishnu is not only of the total size and dimension of the
Universe but He stands beyond it all by ten digits. – “Atyatishthat
Dasaangulam”.
273. Sipivishtah -Sipi
is the name given to the “Sacrificial cow”. The term denotes the One who
sanctified all dedicated offerings poured into all fields of selfless
sacrifices (Yajna). The root Si has
also the meaning of waters; Sipi-‘that which drinks water’ –“The rays of the
Sun”. Thus Sipivishtah would indicate
the Supreme, who is the Presiding deity in the Sun, giving it both its energy
of heat and light. In Geeta, the Lord confesses: “Understand that the light and
energy that expresses themselves through the sun and moon is the Light and
Glory essentially belonging to Me”.
274. Prakaasanah –The
One who illuminates; expressing Itself as the All-pervading Consciousness in
every equipment. He is the knower, knowing everything in each bosom (Sarvavit)
and knowing all things that are happening in the universe at one and the same
time in His omnisciency (Sarvajnah). He is the Illuminator of all experiences.
Just as the One sun illumines everything in the world the Reality illumines
both the fields of experiences and the knower-of- the-field.
Stanza
30
ojas-tejo-dyutidharah
prakaasa-aatmaa prataapanah
riddhah spashtaaksharo mantras-chandraamsur-bhaaskara- dyutih.
275. Ojas-tejo-dyutidharah -One who is the possessor
(Dharah) of Perfect physical virility (Ojas), all brilliancy (Tejas) and every
beauty (dyuti). These three terms indicate perfection at three different levels
of personality known to us at present. Ojas is glowing health (physical) due to
perfect balance in the constituents (Tattvas) of the healthy body. This
virility in us when conserved, disciplined and trained can, through meditation,
be converted into intellectual “brilliancy” and perfect personality
“integration”.
The shine of an individual, who has thus
sublimated Ojas, is termed in our Sastras as tejas. A Yogi, through intelligent
living and through a devoted life of continued meditation, has thus gathered to
himself ojas and Tejas sufficiently, he, in time, grows to become an
experienced Saint of Divine Realization, a Buddha. The enchanting atmosphere of
irresistible peace and compassion, love and perfection, knowledge and strength,
such a man throws around him, is called the aura of Divinity (Dyuti). In the
lOth Chapter of the Geeta, the Geetacharya autobiographically confesses, “I am
the Might in all strength; I am the Brilliancy in all that is brilliant.”
Some commentators are found to take these three
terms as separate names of the Lord. However, Sankara interprets it as one
single term.
276. Prakaasaatmaa -The Effulgent Self. The One who is the Self
in all hearts, who can be experienced as the Consciousness, which is the source
of all illumination to shine upon all experiences in the three
planes-of-consciousness, in all living creatures, at all times. This Universal
and Absolute Self is Maha Vishnu.
277. Prataapanah -The One who manifests Himself as the
Essential Thermal Energy, that lends Life Potential to the very atmosphere
around each living creature. In the words of the Geetacharya, we find a
confirmation to thus declaration when the Lord declares to Arjuna that He
Himself is the Reality that manifests as the heat and light in the Sun and the
Moon, and it is He again who warms up the crust of the earth and impregnates it
with its fertility. (Geeta XV-12 & 13).
278.
Riddhah -One who is ever full of all prosperity. As the
very Lord of Lakshmi, Vishnu should be one who has all glories (Aisvarya). When
the entire universe of wealth, strength and beauty is itself a manifestation
from Him, He Himself must be the Absolute Glory.
279. Spashta-aksharah -Spashtam=clear. One who is clearly indicated by the Supreme Sound
(Akshara), the famous Sound-Symbol of the Eternal Lord Om. In Geeta we read:
“One who chants my name Om and leaves his body at the time of death thus
remembering Me, he shall go to the Supreme State” In Sanskrit, Kshara means the
“Perishable” and Akshara means the “imperishable.” The world of plurality, the
“perishable” is no doubt nothing other than the All-Perfect, the Immutable
Truth, but due to the imperfections of the instruments-of-perception-body, mind
and intellect-the perceiving ego can experience only this world constituted of
a plurality-sense objects, emotions and thoughts- The ego peeping through the
vehicles can never experience the One co-ordinating Reality, the Divine. When
the mind is hushed and the ego thus sublimated, the Immutable Akshara-factor is
experienced, wherein we gain the clearest (Spashta) understanding of the
Absolute. Since it is thus clear (Spashta) only in Its Immutable nature
(Akshara=Kootastha), Vishnu, the Supreme Self, is indicated here as
Spashtaaksharah).
280. Mantrah -One
who is of the nature of the Mantras of the Vedas. The declarations of the Vedas
the mantras are the vehicles that will take us straight into an experience of
the Transcendental. The vehicles are often called by the nan1e of their
destination. Mantra means that which can save us on being properly meditated
upon. Only through the mantras of the Upanishads we ever come to experience the
Supreme Nature of the Lord, and so He is named as Mantrah.
281. Chandraamsuh -Rays of the moon. That the moonlight has got
an effect upon the herbs was known to India in the Vedic period. “As the rays
of the moon (Soma) I fill the vegetable kingdom with nutrition”, confesses
Bhagavan Vaasudeva. Thus the Lord is One who nurtures and nourishes all living
creatures instilling into each its particular vitality. Though this is the deep
philosophical significance, superficially the beauty, calm and peace that the
moon suggests to our mind is but a reflection of the Infinite Peace of Vishnu.
282. Bhaaskaradyutih -The Effulgence of the Sun. Sun
is the centre of the solar system, an eternal exchequer of energy, ever
distributing Life and Strength to all living upon the earth; life would have
been impossible but for the Sun. At the same time, the Sun stays where he is
and he never interferes with life; from afar he blesses life. The Lord who thus
from afar blesses by His mere presence is the true Sun of Life, the Atman, the
Self- Sree Maha Vishnu.
Stanza 31
amritaamsoodbhavo bhaanuh sasabinduh suresvarah
aushadham jagatas-setuh satya-dharma-paraakramah.
283. Amritaamsoodbhavah -The moon who has consoling rays
that gives the essential food value (Rasa) to the plants and fruits is called
in Sanskrit as Amritaamsuh. In the Puranas it is described that the moon was
first born from the milky-ocean during its churning. Since Vishnu is described
as ever reposing upon His Ananta-bed in Ksheerasaagara, the Lord is Himself
termed here as the Begetter of the Moon. Subjectively Moon (Mati) is the
Presiding Deity of the intellect, and the discriminating intellect itself arose
when our bosom started churning the heart by the two forces, the positive -the
good (Deva) -and the negative -Vicious (Asuras). If the Sun is the Presiding
Deity of energy, moon represents the world of matter, and the very source from
which the world-of-matter, Kshetra, has risen is Amritaam- soodbhavah.
284. Bhaanuh -Self-Effulgent;
One who expresses Himself for the blessing of the world in the form of the Sun
and presides over the entire solar system.
285. Sasabinduh -The
patch in the moon looks like the silhouette of a rabbit for the naked eye; that
which has a “beauty-spot” (Bindu) in the shape of a rabbit (Sasa) is called
Sasabindu -the moon. Since the Lord is the Nourisher of all and He is Himself
the entire world of matter, He Himself is the Moon “that nourishes with essence
all plant kingdom”.
286. Suresvarah -Sura
means Deva and so the term indicates “the God of all gods”. The word Sura also
can be dissolved to mean Giver (Ra) of Plenty (Su); Sura therefore stands for a
person of extreme charity .The Lord, Eesvara, who prompts and fulfils the
loving kindness of all charitable men is Suresvarah, Lord Vishnu.
287. Aushadham -Medicine.
Narayana is the Divine Medicine for the immediate cure for all the burning
sorrows of Samsar. Even to consider it more directly as the specific cure for
all bodily ailments is not necessarily wrong, for ailments of the body are
caused by mental disintegration, and when the inner man has surrendered in
devotion to Him, Lord Narayana indeed becomes a specific cure for even all the
physical diseases of His devotees.
288. Jagatassetuh -A reclamation bund thrown across waters
connecting distant islands to the main land is called Setu. Sri Ramachandraji
built one and reached Lanka. The term Jagatassetuh, therefore, implies that the
Lord is Himself the Bridge over which one can safely cross over the realm of
egocentric imperfections and reach the joyous realms of the Infinite
Perfection.
289. Satyadharmaparaakramah -One who champions heroically for Truth (Satya) and Righteousness
(Dharma). It can also imply as One who has Truthfulness (Sat yam),
Righteousness (Dharma) and Heroism (Paraakramah) .In short, Lord is One, who
fights constantly against the false and the unrighteous to establish Truth and
Purity.
Stanza
32
bhoota-bhavya-bhavan-naathah
pavanah paavano-analah
kaamahaa kaamakrit-kaantah kaamah kaamapradah prabhuh.
290. Bhoota-Bhavya-Bhavan-Naathah - The Lord of the three periods of time: the past, the present and the
future. Lord of Time is the One, in whose presence alone, time concept is
possible. “Time” is the interval between “thoughts” and the Awareness that
illumines the rise and fall of thoughts is the very Lord of Time. Objectively
He is the Lord of all those, that exist in the three periods of time; or He to
whom all creatures conditioned by time, pray for comforts, solace and
protection.
291. Pavanah -One who purifies everything. Or One who
manifests as the life-giving atmosphere around the world and sustains the
existence everywhere.
292. Paavanah -In
the earlier term “Pavanah” the Lord is indicated as the One who has, in the
form of the atmospheric air, filled the universe. He is the One who sustains
life in all living creatures as the life-giving atmospheric air. Here, the
present term “Paavanah” means the One who gives this life-sustaining power to
the atmospheric air. It is very well-known that the moving air (Breeze)
purifies more than any other known thing in the world. This purifying power is
acquired by the atmosphere by His Grace. In short, He is the secret glory that
lends the atmosphere, the very life-sustaining property for the air, and He is
the dynamism that moves the air.
293. Analah -The term itself means Fire. So He who is in
the form of fire, and sustains life. A certain amount of minimum thermal heat
is necessary for life to continue, be it in the human body or be it in the
Earth itself. This warmth of life in the world around and in the organism
itself, without which life cannot continue. that mighty warmth of life is none
other than the Lord, and hence, He is called Analah. Also the term ‘Ana’ has
the meaning of Praana, and ‘La’ means to receive. Therefore, the term can also
imply “One who is the very Self, the very Vital Factor, in the Praana”.
294. Kaamahaa -One
who destroys all desires. Desires spring forth from the Vaasanaas. We can
experience the Self only on transcending the vaasanaas. Just as the sun is the
destroyer of night, similarly, the Pure consciousness, the Atman and the
Vaasanaas cannot remain at the one and the same time. The Vaasanaas end when
the Atman is experienced. From the devotees’ stand-point, He is the One who
fulfils all his desires. Or He who is the father of Kaama, Pradyumna, which
again is one of the names of Vishnu.
Desire is the source from which endless series
of other sources of sorrows flow into the human life. When a desire arises in
the mind, only two things are possible. Either we fulfil the desire or we do
not. In case we get our desires fulfilled, it is natural for the human mind to
crave for more and thus he becomes restless due to greed. If, on the other
hand, the desire is not fulfilled, anger rises and when anger increases, it
brings about delusion of the mind and makes the victim see things in others, in
himself and the situation he is in, which are not in fact there around him. In
such a deluded one, Wisdom slips away and, naturally, therefore, his
discriminative power cannot function, since he cannot judge the present
situation with reference to any standard ideal that he had in the past. When
the rational discriminative power fades away that man falls completely off the
dignity of mall and becomes worse than a brute. Geeta charters thus, a steady
psychological fall in a spiritual being, and this entire chain of
self-destruction springs forth from desire. A devotee, or a meditator, when he
approaches this Great Reality, existing in the subjective Core of his own
personality, he transcends all the realms of his desires and passions and,
therefore, this Great Inner Self is indicated here as the “Destroyer of all Desires”.
He is the One who fulfils all desires in His devotees, and thus bring about a
calm fullness of joy within.
295. Kaama-krit -One
who fulfils all desires. The implications have been indicated in the analysis
of the previous term. It can also mean as the Very Creator of the Lord of
Love-Kaama Deva. Even though desires spring forth from the realm of the Causal
Body, constituted of the Vaasanaas without the thrilling touch of the Self,
even Vaasanaas cannot express all by themselves. In that sense of the term, the
very agitations of desire, erupt from His Grace. Hence, He is called the
Kaama-krit.
296. Kaantah -One
who is of enchanting form. Infinite Beauty is the very nature of the Self, and
the Upanishads define the Self as Saantam-Sivam-Sundaram.
The aestheticism in man craves for harmony and
where we experience the greatest of harmony, there we detect the presence of
beauty. In front of beauty, the entire personality of an intelligent man
becomes calm and peaceful, hushed in silence, transported to ecstasy. These are
moments when the meditator has transcended his Sheaths and is in union with the
Pure Self. Naturally therefore, the Pure personality of an intelligent man
becomes calm and peaceful. Self is indicated here as Kaantah-Divine Auspicious form
of Absolute Beauty.
297. Kaamah -One who is the beloved. Not only He is the
beloved of the devotees, but every activity of all living creatures is an
attempt at courting and winning bliss and happiness. The Blissful Self is the
goal of all creatures in life. Even insignifical1t unicellular organisms revolt
against pain, and they too seek happiness. Man is no exception. The Infinite
Bliss which is experienced only on transcending the body, mind and intellect,
is that which is constantly demanded by every organism that breathes in this
universe. In the ignorance of this All Satisfying Goal, the world suffers. That
Lord is the beloved of all devotees, and in fact, He is also the beloved of
even those who deny Him and run after the sense- objects. The theist seeks Him
through devotion or meditation. The atheist too seeks Him only in and through
all his diligent pursuits of the sense-stimuli.
298. Kaamapradah –One
who supplies the desired objects; One who fulfils all desires To the devotee,
the Lord, is the giver of all desired objects, and to a man of meditation, the
Lord is that state-of-mind where all desires are fulfilled- in the sense that
no more can any desire linger in his heart after the Experience-Divine
299. Prabhuh -He
is the Lord, the Master, the Owner, the proprietor. One who has all powers to
do, not to do and to do otherwise is called the Great Lord.
Stanza
33
yugaadi-krit
yugaavarto naikamaayo mahaasanah
adrisyo vyaktaroopascha sahasrajit anantajit.
300. Yugaadi-krit -One
who is the creator of the divisions of aeons, described in our Puranas, as
Yugas. These Yugas are four in number. Kritam, Tretaa, Dvaapara and Kali. In
short, He is the Lord of Time. By the term Aadi, it must be understood to
indicate all other divisions of Time as Centuries, Years, Months, Weeks, Days,
Hours, Minutes and Seconds. He is not only the Lord of the Yugas, but He is the
Light of Consciousness that illumines the duration of each experience and the
very interval between every pair of subjective experiences.
301. Yugaavartah -In the previous term the Lord is indicated
as the Creator of the Yugas, and here we are told that He is also the Power
behind the wheel of time that goes on changing and repeating itself, i.e. not
only He is the Lord of Time, but He is the Mighty Administrator of the
performances of Time, the very Law behind the constant flow of the flood of
time.
302. Naikamaayah -One
whose delusory forms are endless and variegated. According to Puranas, for the
sake of sustaining the world and maintaining its order and rhythm, the Lord had
taken different forms, each of His manifestations well-suited for the times of
His arrival. Thus, we have ten in- carnations. Also, in that mighty
manifestations of the Lord, as Krishna and Raffia, we find descriptions of how
one and the same entity generated different attitudes and emotions in different
types of people. In short, one who has realised the Self, can thereafter freely
play through all his existing Vaasanaas and none of them can ever entangle him,
because he has grown to be the master of his own Vaasanaas. Maayaa, otherwise
called as Avidyaa, is constituted of the Vaasanaas in us, forming our Causal
Body. One who has transcended this is the One who has realised the Infinite.
Lord is therefore, one who is without Maayaa in Him. An individual entity, like
us, is one who is under the tyrannies of Maayaa. The Lord is one who can wield
Maayaa for His purpose without Himself becoming involved in it.
303. Mahaasanah -This
word can be dissolved as He who eats up everything. One who swallows up all
perceptions, emotions and thoughts, created by the Vaasanaas, at the various
levels of personality, due to our own individual Vaasanaas. At the time of
Samaadhi when the limited ego is ended and the Supreme is experienced all the
expressions of Vaasanaas are, as it were, swallowed by that Infinite
Experience, and therefore, this Great Vishnu is called as the “Consumer of
Everything.”
304. Adrisyah -Through
the sense-organs, the mind and intellect at this moment, we are aware of the
outer objects and our subjective emotions and thoughts. The ultimate Reality is
neither the objects perceived by us, nor the instruments of our perception. He
is the Subjective Core, the Eternal Essence, wherein, the perceived and the
instruments of perceptions are all totally absent. This Subjective Reality must
necessarily be, by Its very nature, not an object-of- perception, and hence, It
is called as the Imperceptible meaning, He is the very Perceiver in all
perceptions.
305. Vyakta-roopah -He
who has a form- clearly perceptible to the meditator in his meditation. The
contradiction is so smotheringly apparent because of the very placing of the
term. It is only just-now, in the above term, that we are told that the Lord is
imperceptible (Adrisyah) and the very following term declares that He is
perceptible. Here it means that though He is not perceptible with the physical
instruments of perceptions, yet on transcending the equipments, the Yogi
intimately comes to experience the entire Divine Glory of the Self. Though,
ordinarily it is not easy to see Him, in the devotee's heart, the Lord comes to
play vividly and drives the devotee mad in his ecstasy.
306. Sahasra-jit -One
who vanquishes thou- sands. In all the Puranas everywhere, it is found that the
Incarnations manifest to destroy the diabolically fallen (Raakshas) who
approach the good in endless hoards to annihilate them. One who conquers over
these diabolical forces is the Lord Vishnu.
Subjectively the hosts of passions and lusts,
greeds and jealousies which invade the inner bosom, and loot away the seeker’s
tranquillity and peace, are all ultimately vanquished by this Higher
Consciousness and therefore, the Self is indicated as the one who is ever
victorious over all the hoards of our lower impulses.
307. Ananta-jit -Ever-victorious.
The victory of the Lord is endless; in every Incarnation, He alone wins in the
end. The victory over negative forces becomes complete when once the Higher
Consciousness is experienced, and hence, the Self is indicated here as
Ananta-jit.
Stanza
34
ishto
visishtah sishteshtah sikhandee nahusho vrishah
krodhahaa krodhakrit kartaa visvabaahur maheedharah.
308. lshtah -This
term can be interpreted in two ways. One who is invoked through the different
types of Vedic rituals (Yajnas), is Ishtah. Or, it can also mean, One who is
loved by all. The Lord being the very centre of all love in everyone. The
Brihadaranyakopanishad very clearly indicates this idea in almost unvarnished
words: “The man loves his wife not because of the wife, but because of himself.
...etc.”
All love spring from our personal love for the
Infinite which is the Self in us.
309. Visishtah -One
who is the noblest and the most sacred. Vishnu, the Lord, dwells in the heart
of every- one. He is the sole essence presiding over every physical, mental and
intellectual activities in every living creature and, therefore, He is
indicated by this term.
310. Sishta-ishtah -To
all spiritually minded good people and therefore sincere seekers, the Lord is
the greatest beloved in-as-much as, He represents the Goal and the Destination
of all devoted seekers. In short, He is the Supreme Beloved for all spiritually
inclined divine hearts.
He can also mean that the Lord is one who
Himself is sincere and ardent lover and courtier of all devotees, sincerely and
diligently seeking Him. There are commentators who indicate that the term can
also mean: One who is being constantly invoked and help in adoration by all
true devotees with their physical, mental and intellectual activities.
311. Sikhandee -One
who wears ‘Sikhanda’ meaning “the peacock feather”, Lord Krishna is described
in Bhagavat as having adorned with the ‘eye’ of the peacock feather, especially
in his early child and boy-hood.
312. Nahushah -The
term “Nahanmn” means bondage, therefore, the term stands for “One who is
familiar with bondages,” ln Vedanta, the word ‘Isvarah’ is the Supreme
Consciousness conditioned by the total- Causal-Body (Maayaa); at the same time,
Isvara is One who has the Maayaa under His control, It can also be understood
as “One who bind, all creatures of the world with the cord of Maayaa.” Those
who are students of the Puranas interpret this word as One whose glory was
expressed in the spectacular magnificence in Nahushah, who gained the Office of
Indra.
313. Vrishah -There
is a famous statement in the Hindu tradition from which we can gather that the
Lord is of the nature of Dharma. Dharma means the essential Law of Being, that
because of which an individual is an individual, without which the individual
cannot exist, is the Dharma of the individual. In this sense, the essential
Dharma of one is the Self. Thus, Vrishah is but another name to suggest that
the Lord Vishnu is none other than the Self in us. It can also mean “One who
showers the fulfilment of all desires in all devotees.” Desires arise when the
existing Vaasanaas get impatient and explode into manifestation. As the desire
arises, the mind plans out and the body acts towards its fulfilment. All these
activities are possible only when the vehicles are thrilled by the Self in us.
Thus, ultimately, one who fulfils all desires is the Lord of our heart, the
Atman.
314. Krodhahaa -One
who destroys anger in all sincere seekers. We have already found earlier that
anger manifests when fulfilment of a deep desire is obstructed. On realising
the Lord, all desires end and, therefore, there cannot be any anger on any
occasion. Also, anger can come only when we recognise the world of plurality
around us. For one who is experiencing the Self, there is nothing but the One
Self everywhere and, therefore, there is no occasion to entertain this emotion
of anger.
315. Krodha-krit-kartaa –One who generates in a sincere and serious seeker anger against the
lower tendencies when they manifest-”Krodha-krit”. Also He is the very creative
impulse ‘Kartaa’ behind the lower tendencies; because all things come out from
Him alone. Some commentators consider this term as two different words, but the
majority consider them as an integrated one.
316. Visvabaahuh -One
who has number of hands; whose hands are everywhere doing all activities in the
universe. The life in the bosom as long as it exists, so long alone the hands
and the legs function. The hands can lift and do its job only when it is in
contact with life. Life expressing through the hand is its function. All hands
that are doing variegater activities all over the world are all His hands
in-as- much as, where He is not, that lifeless hand can perform no more any
activity. Since He is thus the dynamic One Principle that functions through all
hands at work, He is called a Visvabaahuh.
317. Maheedharah -One
who is the Substratum and support for the Earth. The Lord is the very material
cause for the universe and as such, He supports the world-just as cotton supports
the cloth, mud supports the pot, gold supports the ornament. Since the term
Mahee also means “the adorations sent up by the devotees,” it can also mean
‘One who receives all the worship of devoted hearts.’
Stanza
35
achyutuh
prathitah praanah praanado vaasavaanujah
apaam nidhiradhishthaanam apramattah pratishthitah
318. Achyutah -One
who has not got any modifications (Chyutam) such as birth, growth, decay,
disease, death etc. The Eternal and Immutable cannot have any change and the
Self being the Eternal, it cannot have any of the changes that are natural to
all mortal and finite things, Upanishads themselves thunder this
Truth-“Eternal, Auspicious and Changeless”.
319. Prathitah -One who exists pervading all; spreading
Himself everywhere. It can also mean “One whose glory, as described in the
Upanishads, has spread round the world everywhere.”
320. Praanah -All
manifested expressions of life are called as the Praana. He is the Praana in
all-living creatures; meaning, it is His manifestations that we recognise as
the endless activities in all living creatures in this dynamic world. Also it
can mean that “He is the One who in the form of vital-air, sustains life in all
creatures.”
321 Praanadah –One
who gives strength (Praana) to everywhere The root ‘da’ has a meaning of
destruction and, therefore, the term comprehends also the power of destruction
everywhere According to the Puranas, therefore, He is the One who gives the
strength and glory for Devas, and again, He is the One who supplies special
strength to them to win over the brutal forces of the diabolically wicked, the
Asuras Subjectively, it is the Self that supplies the mental strength for
cultivating the higher values of life, and it is the same Source Divine that
floods the seekers heart with the courage to annihilate the lower impulses that
come to destroy his peace and tranquillity within
322. Vaasavaanujah -the
brother of the Indra. This name has been acquired by lord Vishnu because
of his incarnation as the Adorable
Dwarf-(Vaamana). At that time, the Lord had to take birth in the womb of Aditi
and manifest as the younger brother of Indra. In the subjective science of
Vedanta, the king of the gods (Indra) is the Lord of the sense organs and so he
is the Mind. The spiritual urge that dawns in us as a younger brother of the
Mind, ultimately comes to measure away and win over the three worlds of waking,
dream and deep-sleep, and thus comes to conquer over the entire kingdom of
Indra in more sense than one.
323. Apaam-nidhih -Treasure of waters, meaning the ocean. The
very glory and might of the oceans are all but a reflection of Sri Narayana’s
own glory divine. In the Geeta, Bhagavan Himself says, “among the collections
of waters, I am the Ocean.”
324. Adhishthaanam - the
substratum for the entire universe. The delusory misconceptions can be
projected only upon something that is real and this permanent ‘post’ is called
the ‘substratum’ for the desulory ‘Gost’-Vision.
325. Apramattah -One
who has no Pramaada, meaning, ‘One who never commits a mistake in judgement.”
The Lord is the Law behind all happenings in the universe. The results of the
actions are always strictly according to the quality of the actions. In
administering this Law of Karma, One who never makes any mistake is Apramattah.
We are full of Pramaada -we make the mistake of misunderstanding ourselves to
be the matter equipment around us and due to this Pramaada, we project in
ourselves the false concept of an Ego The Supreme is ever the Pure
Consciousness and, therefore, He is without such wrong self-judgement.
326. Pratishthitah -Everything
in the world depends upon something else to serve as its cause. Since all
things that we perceive and experience in the world are all effects, they have
their own causes, and the effects must necessarily depend upon the cause for
their very existence. The Supreme Lord is the One uncaused Cause with reference
to whom everything is only an effect. Since He is thus the ultimate Cause, He
is not depending upon anything other than Himself. This self-established
Reality is indicated by the term Pratishthitah.
Stanza
36
skandah
skanda-dharo dhuryo varado vaaryuvaahanah
vasudevo brihat bhaanur aadidevah purandarah.
327. Skandah -This
is one of the names of the youngest son of Lord Siva, Subrahmanya, who is
described in the Purana as Commanander-in-Chief of the righteous army.
Therefore, Skanda means “the Lord, whose glory is expressed, through
Subrahmanya”, In order to realise the Self, it is a prerequisite condition that
the different personality layers in the seeker should be completely integrated.
328. Skanda-dharah –“One
who upholds the withering righteousness.” Or, “One who fathered Lord
Subrahmanya”, meaning One who is in the form of Paramesvara.
329. Dhuryah -One
who carries the Lord. The Lord is the One who carries the responsibilities of
creation, sustenance and annihilation of the entire world of plurality. One who
carries out these functions systematically without any hitch round millenniums
is Sree Narayana and He is therefore Dhuryah.
330. Varadah -One
who blesses all true devotees and fulfils their request for boons. It can also
mean “One who gives the best (Varam) in life to those who seek Him with perfect
detachment and sharpened discrimination.
331. Vaayuvaahanah –“The
One who controls, regulates and moves the great winds”. In the Sanskrit
literature, the movement of air in the atmosphere has been classified under
seven types and they are called the ‘Sapta Marutah’.
In short, the inconceivable might and power of
the winds and their life-sustaining abilities are all lent out to the air by
His own munificence and, therefore, He is called as Vaayuvaahanah.
332. Vaasudevah –“One
who is at once both Vaasu and Deva. Vaasu means “One who dwells in the physical
equipments of all living creatures as its indweller (Jeeva); Deva means “One
who revels or One who illumines”. Thus, Vaasudevah means “One who lives in the
physical equipment as though conditioned by them, and yet, who is the Vital
Consciousness in the light of which every experience is illumined. The Lord is
the One who dwells in all things of the universe and He is at once the
Supporter of the entire world.
Also, directly, it can be taken to mean, One
who is born as the Son of Sri Vasudeva in the Jail of Kamsa, the Blue-Boy of
Brindaavana. He is called Vaasu as He veils Himself with His own Maayaa; Deva
means “He who sports, wishes to conquer, conducts, shines, creates and moves”.
In the Udyoga Parva of Mahabharata, we read, “Like the Sun with his rays I am
covering (Deva) in all beings and hence, I am called Vaasudeva”.
Vishnupurana says, ‘‘as He resides everywhere
in and through all things, He is termed Vaasudevah. “ All beings remain in the
Supreme, and He in all being and hence, the Omnipresent is called the
Vaasudeva.
333. Brihat-bhaanuh -Possessed of endless rays, meaning “One who illumines the world with
the rays of the Sun and the Moon.”
Mahabharata says, “He whose great rays are in
the Sun, Moon and others and He who illumines the universe through them is
called the Possessor of great rays.
334. Aadidevah –“One
who is the Primary source for everything,” meaning the Lord. He is the First
Cause, and hence the first Deity.
335. Purandarah –“The
destroyer of the cities.” City is the well-equipped field for gathering endless
experiences. The three cities through which we generally move about gathering
our experiences in this world are the waking, dream and deep-sleep, On
transcending the Gross, Subtle and Causal Bodies, one experiences the Self, and
at such a moment these three cities are burned down or pillaged or blasted, The
same ideal is explained in the Shiva-purana also; accordingly, we can say that
He is One who as Mahesvara, performed the destruction of the three cities.
Stanza
37
asokastaaranastaarah
soorah saurih-janesvarah
anukoolah sataavarttah padmee padmanibhekshanah.
336. Asokah –“One
who has no sorrows.” Sorrow is a condition experienced when the mind is
agitated and extremely disturbed. The agitations of the mind come from desires,
greed, etc. Therefore, the term Asokah indicates, “One who has none of these
negative tendencies that create in their turn more and more mental
disturbances”. This is a true appalation, because, the Lord, as the Self,
transcends the realm of the thought-disturbances constituted by the mind-intellect-
equipment.
337. Taaranah –“One
who enables others to cross.” The ego suffering the constant agitations of the
equipments is saved by the Self. The ego (jeeva), when it discovers its
identity with the Self, automatically moves away from the sorrows of the
vehicles. In short, as Vishnubhaagavata says, “who is there other than You that
can save us from the wheel of birth and death.”
338. Taarah –“One
who saves is called Taarah, One who saves from the fear of re-birth and also
One who is a constant protector of the devotees and, therefore, the devotees
themselves call Him as the Saviour (Taarah).
These three terms indicate how Vishnu is the
Absolute Protector of His devotees. He saves us from the afflictions (Asoka) of
the body and so Subjective-sorrows (Adhyaatma). He enables us to cross the
ocean of Samsaara (Taaranah) and, therefore, He saves us from all Cosmic pains
(Adhibhootah). He saves us from the elements (Taarah), and so, He is the
Saviour from all sorrows of birth and death; this indicates all trans-Cosmic
tragedies (Aadhidaivika), meaning that Narayana can save us from all sorrows
contributed by the hand God.
339. Soorah –“The
Valiant”. All sources of strength and courage spring from the Life in us and,
therefore, the Lord of the universe is called here as the Valiant-capable of
crushing all unrighteous forces, however well-trenched they may be in the
world.
340. Saurih –Soorasena
was the father of Vasudeva, and we have already found that Vasudeva’s son is
Vaasudeva. Therefore, the Lord had taken His incarnation in the family of Soora
and so He is termed as ‘Saurih’.
341. Janesvarah -The
Lord of the people (jana). Those who are born are called Jana. Therefore the
term indicates that He is the Lord of all creatures born the universe.
342. Anukoolah –“A
hearty well-wisher, or friend of everyone”. Since the Lord is the Essential
Life in everyone, He is the friend and ally of every individual in as much as,
nobody spends his life except in concurrence with his own subjective intentions
and purposes. Thus, the Lord is a friend fulfilling the intentions of a
murderer, and He is again the friend of another helping Him to serve the
mankind, if that be his intention. Thus, He is a friend and a devoted ally to
everyone since He is the mighty power behind all Vaasanaas expressing through
all creatures.
343. Sataavarttah -Sata
means “hundred”, and here it is used as “innumerable”. Thus the term’
Sataavarttah’ means “One who takes infinite varieties of forms”. All forms in
the universe are but His own, inasmuch as, His manifestation is the universe.
Again, He takes innumerable incarnations in order to maintain the taw of the
cosmos and also the law of evolution. It can also mean “One who, as Praana,
moves in the innumerable Naadees in the body”.
344. Padmee –“One
who has the lotus in his hand”. The lotus is the national flower in Bharat as
it symbolises in our culture, the Goal of our Spiritual life. It is to offer
this “Knowledge”, that the Lord blows His conch, and if people are not
listening to this silent call of the Higher from within, He uses His gadaa
(mace) to give merciful knocks in life. Still, if an individual or a generation
is not listening to His kindly warnings, He has the Discus (Chakra) in His
hand. He annihilates totally the existing forms and re-creates.
345. Padma-nibhekshanah –“One whose eyes are as beautiful as the Lotus.” In short, ‘lotus-eyed.’
Stanza
38
padmanaabho-arvindaakshah
padmagarbhah sareerabhrit
maharddhi-riddhah uriddhaatmaa mahaakshah gantdadhvajah.
346. Padmanaabhah
–“One who has the lotus in his navel”. This is not to be taken literally. Navel
(Naabhi) is the psychic centre where all un-manifest thoughts first spring
forth into our recognition (Pasyantee). The seedless state of all thoughts is
called in the Yoga Sastra, as Paraa. It therefore means “one in whose bosom
lies, in potential, all the possibilities of the universe of expression.” It
can also mean “One who manifests Himself in the lotus of the heart of his
devotee. Some translate as “He who is seated in the pericarp of the lotus.”
347. Aravindaakshah –“One who has eyes as beautiful as the lotus”. The lotus opens at
sun-rise and closes in the night. The Lord opens His beauty and grace in
the presence of the devotees and the
flood of His grace, as it were, drys up in the presence of the dark sensuality
of the ignorant.
348. Padmagarbhah –“One
who is being meditated upon in the centre of the lotus-of-the-heart.”
349. Sareerabhrit –“One
who sustains nourishes all bodies”. Or, it can mean “One who is form of food
and praana, becomes the very cause for the sustenance of the body”. It is a
fact very well known that even though a body can continue existing without
visibly decaying for 50 years, once Life has ebbed away, the deadbody cannot
maintain its form and it does not exist even for 48 hours intact. He who while
presiding over the body nourishes and maintains it, and in whose absence the
body decays and nourishes, He is the One who is the Sustainer of the body
(Dehahhrit).
350. Maharddhih –“One
who has great riddhi, meaning, prosperity and power”. These two-prosperity and
power-together is called glory (Aisvarya). Thus the term means, “One who has by
His very nature glory ever with Him.”
351. Riddhah -“One who has expanded Himself to be the
universe.” In short, “One who has manifested Himself as the entire world of
plurality, constituted of the finite things of the Cosmos.”
352. Vriddhaatmaa –“The
ancient Self.” In the Self there is no concept of Time, It being beyond the
intellect. But here, by the term Vriddhaatmaa, it only means that He was the
Self before all creation. It is only after the creation of Time that we are
capable of saying and indicating Him as the Self of the various living
creatures. He is the first Self, meaning, He is the Self whose manifestations
are the world of plurality.
353. Mahaakshah –“The
Great-eyed”, meaning, the eyes that can see not only the world-of-objects, but
also X-ray through them and see all that are happening deep within the bosom of
all creatures. He is the “Great Eye” seeing all, at all times, as He is the
Consciousness that illumines everything at all times, in all bosoms.
354. Garuda-dhvajah –“One who has the (Garuda) as his insignia on his flag. The eagle is
consider as the vehicle of the Lord; most probably Because this bird ever soars
high and from above sees even the minutest speck of dirt in the world. The
eagle after spying the carrion, swoops down and takes it away, thus purifying
the atmosphere. Similarly, the Lord never allows any negative thought to come into
the heart of His devotees, and hence, the eagle is considered as His vehicle.
Stanza
39
atulah
sarabhah bheemah samayajno havirharih
sarvalakshanalakshanyah lakshmeevaan samitinjayah.
355. Atulah –“Incomparable.”
For him whose name is the glory of the universe, there is no licence.” Again,
Bhagavat Geeta says, “For Thy equal exists not, where is another superior to
Thee in the three worlds ?” In short, there is nothing like Him, since He does
not fall under the categories of the things perceived by the body or the
emotions felt by the mind or the thoughts entertained by the intellect: nothing
that we know of can be comparable with Him.
356. Sarabhah –“One
who dwells and shines forth through the bodies.” Bodies are called Sara because
they are perishable. The life that presides over the perishable body, whose
glory is the individuality, is the Self, the Lord. It can also mean, “Lord, who
is of the nature of Paramesvara,” for, Lord Siva had once taken the incarnation
of Sarabha, a creature with eight legs, capable of killing even the lions.
357. Bheemah –“The
All-inspiring, the Terrible,” meaning, One who is a mighty and terrible
phenomena to those who are cruel and sensuous in the world. To the bad, the
Lord is always a frightful power of vengeance, to follow them relentlessly as
their doom.
Some commentators, due to the position of this
word in the stanza, read it as a-bheemah, meaning thereby, “He who is the
shelter” to those who are good.
358. Samayajnah –“Knower
of all six systems of philosophy,” or it can mean “One who knows the exact time
(samaya) for creation, preservation and destruction.” Or, it can also mean “One
whose worship (Yajna) is nothing more than keeping an equal vision of the mind
by the devotee” The great devotee Prahalada says, “to be equal in all
conditions, is the worship of Achyuta.”
359. Havir-harih –“The
receiver of all oblation.” He is the Lord of all Yajnas and as such, He is the
One to whom the devotee offers his oblations, and He is the One who receives
them in all dedicated activities. Bhagavat Geeta says, “I am indeed the enjoyer
and also the Lord of all sacrifices.” The Lord is called Havis as He is
worshipped through oblation.
Some commentators recognise in this term two
different names of the Lord: ‘Havih’ and ‘Harih’. In this case, the former
term, ‘Havih’ means “He who is invoked by everyone who performs the Yajnas.”
The term Harih means “One who loots away all Vaasanaas (Paapa),” and
consequently, “One who wipes away all expressions of Vaasanaas.”
360. Sarva-lakshana-lakshanyah –“Known through all methods of proofs,” meaning “He is the One Self that
is ultimately proved by all scientific investigations and philosophical
enquiries.” Whether it be through dualistic (dvaita) or through non-dualistic
(advaita) philosophy, the Ultimate Truth experienced by the realised seeker, is
this Great Vishnu.
361. Lakshmeevan –“The
consort of Lakshmi.” He is the Spirit (Purusha) that thrills the entire world-
of-matter (Prakriti). Matter thrilled with the spirit is the dynamic world that
we see around. Thus, the manifested Lord is ever wedded to Lakshmi. Lakshmi
also means Effulgent, and therefore, the Lord who is Ever-effulgent, meaning
the Pure Consciousness, that illumines everything, is indeed Lakshmeevan.
362. Samitinjayah –“Ever-Victorious.”
In the Puranas, we find the Lord ultimately wins in His battle with the
unrighteous forces. He is the destroyer of all pains in the individuality of
the devotees. Samiti as a word, has got the meaning-“Battle”.
Stanza 40
viksharo rohito maargo hetur daamodarah sahah
maheedharo mahaabhaago vegavaan-amitaasanah.
363. Viksharah -Ksharah
means “decaying,” “that which is perishing”, and so Viksharah means
“Imperishable”. Those who are meditating upon the Lord in His un-manifested
State of Glory, this term is very often used. All material things are
conditioned by time and all objects are, therefore, perishable. The Lord, the
Self, is the Subject and is, therefore, ever Unchanging and always
Imperishable.
364. Rohitah -The
term ‘Rohita’ means fish, and this name has come to indicate Lord Vishnu
because of His first incarnation as the Fish. When the entire world was
submerged in the waters of the deluge, the only living creatures that were
available at that time could only be fishes. Lord could incarnate at that time
only in the form of the Fish. Therefore, here the term means “One who had
manifested to serve the living creatures as the Fish among the fishes.”
365. Maargah –“The
Path.” In order to realise the Highest which is the Nameless and Formless,
human mind will have to first hold on to a divine form, and that is Lord
Vishnu. He is the Way and the Goal. In short, “He is the One whom seekers of
the Highest meditate upon in order to reach the Supreme.”
366. Hetuh –“The
Cause”. One who is the cause for the whole universe. He is at once the
material-cause (Upaadaana Kaarana), the instrumental-cause (Nimitta Kaarana)
and He who alone is also the efficient-cause in the creation of this universe.
Hence, He is called The Cause.
367. Daamodarah –This
term has come to indicate the Lord because, He is One who is known through a
mind which is purified (Udara) by means of self-control (dama) and such other
qualities. According to Mahabharata, “We call Him as Daamodara as He is known
by means of Dama.”
Brahmapurana re-capitulates the incident in the
early childhood of the Lord when He was tied with a cord (daama) round His
waste (udara). This term can also mean “One in whose bosom rests the whole
universe.”
368. Sahah –“All
enduring”. The Lord is One who has patience at everything, and is One who
readily forgives all the defaults of His sincere devotees.
369. Maheedharah –“The
Supporter or the Bearer of the Earth”. Since He is the very essence in the
universe as its material-cause, He is the One who supports all forms in the
universe. The Lord supports the world, just as gold ‘supports’ the ornaments,
the cotton ‘supports’ the cloth, the ocean ‘supports’ the waves.
370. Mahaa-bhaagah -He
who has extreme beauty in all His limbs, or He who is ever fortunate, or fie
who gets the greatest share (Bhaaga) in every Yajna.
371. Vegavaan –“He
who is swift”; One who is the fastest in reaching the devotee the moment his
loving heart remembers Him. By import it means that He is All- pervading,
therefore, He is the fastest, inasmuch as “nothing can ever overtake Him.”
In the Isavasyopanishad He is indicated as
swifter than the mind- (Manasojaveeyah).
372. Amitaasanah –“Of
endless appetite.” This should not be taken literally, but it only means that
the entire world of plurality projected by the mind, merges back when the mind
is transcended at the time of the experience of the Self. Just as we can say
that the waker swallows the dreamer, the Higher Consciousness, with an infinite
appetite, as it were, swallows the Infinite Cosmos; hence figuratively, He is
considered as ‘the Great Consumer’ of the whole world of plurality during
involution (Pralaya).
Stanza
41
udbhavah
kshubhano devah sreegarbhah paramesvarah
karanam kaaranam kartaa vikartaa gahano guhah.
373 Udbhavah –“The
Originator” The Lord is the material-cause from which the entire universe
arises and, therefore, He is the origin for the Cosmos, or it can mean to
indicate, “One who is again and again born as the endless jivas under the urge
of their individual vaasanaas”.
374 Kshobhanah –“The
Agitator” If the Self were not in the equipments, the equipments will not get
agitated -will not pursue their functions The Atman, the Pure Consciousness is
that which thrills and agitates both the matter (Prakriti) and energy
(Purusha), and causes the manifestation of the living entities (jives), who,
with their actions, constitute the dynamic aspect of the world. If the Self is
not there, there can be no movement or expression of life; everything would
have remained completely inert and insentient. He is the Lord who thrills the
world and makes it so beautifully palpitating with life. Hence, He is called as
the Agitator (Kshobhanah).
375 Devah –“One
who revels is Deva. This term ‘Deevyati’ in Sanskrit also means ‘to conquer’,
‘to shine’ and ‘to praise’ Therefore, Lord Vishnu is rightly called as Derah
because He sports through His play-the great
Creation-Sustenance-Destruction-play, He functions in all Beings as He shines
as the Universal Consciousness; and He is praised by all the devotees
Svetasratara Upanishad indicates “there is only one Deva”.
376 Sree-garbhah -“Containing
all glories within; One in whom are all glories (Aisvarya)” The glory of the
Lord is the universe and this universe resides in Him, and therefore, all
powers and glories that are manifested in the universe are also ever in Him.
377. Paramesvarah -The
Supreme (Parama) Lord (Isvara). The fanatics generally interpret the word to
mean as “the only Lord”, in the sense that all other concepts of God are wrong.
The large-hearted, tolerant Rishis of old, could have never meant such a
meaning. It could only mean “that He is the Supreme Consciousness whose
expressions are all the deities”. The term Isvara indicates both might and
glory. Therefore, Paramesvara means “One who is Omnipotent and All-glorious.”
378. Karanam
–“The Instrument.” That which is most useful in fulfilling any piece of work is
called the tool or the instrument. For the creation of the world He is the
instrumental-cause (Nimitta Kaarana).
379. Kaaranam –“The
Cause.” By the earlier term it was indicated that He is the instrumental-cause
(Nimi- tta Kaarana) for the whole universe. Here now, by this term, it is
indicated that He is the very material-cause (Upaadaana Kaarana) of the
universe. Since the term directly means only “the cause”, it can mean not only
the material cause, but also it can suggest the instrumental-cause. In the
former case it would mean “He from whom the whole universe arises”, and in the
latter sense, the term is interpreted by some commentators as “He who causes
the universe to emerge out”.
380. Kartaa –“The
Doer”. He is the One in whose presence alone all activities are possible, and
hence by a transferred epithet, though the doings all belong to the equipments,
the Self is called as the “Doer”. One who can freely perform all the functions
of creation, sustenance and destruction, is the “Doer”.
381. Vi-kartaa –“One
who creates the infinite varieties that constitute the universe.” It can also
mean, “One who has created out of Himself, the endless self-manifestations of
incarnations.”
382. Gahanah –“The
Un-knowable”. One who cannot be comprehended by any of the known instruments of
knowledge; One who is not an object of perception, but is the very subject and
the perceiver in all sense-organs.
383. Guhah –“One
who dwells in the cave of the heart” meaning “One who is the very core of every
living creature.” He is concealed within the equipments and hence, He is
described in our Scriptures as “One who dwells in the cave of the heart”. The
Smriti describes Him as “This Lord, the Great Purusha, the Witness who dwells
in the cave most secretively.” Mundakopanishad describes the Self as ‘Nihitam
Guhaayaam’. Again, the Lord Himself says, “I am not readily perceivable by all
as I am veiled by my own Maayaa “.
Stanza 42.
vyavasaayo vyavasthaanah samsthaanah sthaanado-dhruvah
pararddhih paramaspashtah-tushtah pushtah subhekshanah.
384. Vyavasaayah -“Resolute.” Being of the nature of Pure
Wisdom, there is no vacillation in Him; all irresolution is at the level of the
doubting mind and the unprepared intellect. The term ‘Vyavasaayah’ also means
“Yoga.” In this sense, the term is used in the Geeta, “The intellect of one who
is practising Yoga is single-pointed without vacillation.” Again, in the same
chapter criticising those who are running after enjoyment and power, Krishna
says, “those who are revelling in sensuality and consequently disturbing the
poise of their intellect, cannot have a steady mind and consistent pursuit of
Yoga.”
To work persistently until the Goal is reached
is resolution. “To steadily apply ourselves in continuously withdrawing
ourselves from our identifications with the not-Self, until we come to
apprehend and experience the Self”, is Yoga. Hence, commentators interpret
‘Vyavasaaya’ as “Yoga.”
385. Vyavasthaanah
–“The Basis or the Substratum.” The one who is the very Substratum for the
entire pluralistic world; the One who orders the laws of the cosmos and
administers those laws.
386. Samsthaanah –“The
Ultimate Authority, State or Goal.” He who absorbs unto Himself all the
multiplicities of names and forms during the time of deluge. The One Source
into which all perceptions, emotions and thoughts retire and merge at the time
of deep-sleep. In short, it means “the One who integrates the plurality and
absorbs it all unto Himself when the projections are ended at that time of
transcendence.
387. Sthaanadah –“One
who confers the right abode.” Each living organism, “according to his actions
and thoughts” gathers to himself vaasanaas and according to the vaasanaas, each
individual takes his birth. Thus, the One who gives (dada) the appropriate
abode (sthaana) to each individual (jeeva) is called Sthaanadah. In short, the
Lord is the distributor of the fruits-of-actions.
388. Dhruvah –“The
stable; the Firm.” That which remains “the Changeless in the midst of changes”,
“that which is Imperishable in the midst of all perishing”. The body, the mind
and the intellect and the worlds interpreted by them are all variables and changeable.
The Consciousness, which illumines all of them and makes us aware of them is,
indeed, the “Changeless.”
389. Pararddhih –“One
who has Supreme Manifestations (Riddhi)”. The glory (vibhooti) of the Lord is
expressed in His manifestations and there manifestations are indeed divine as
the Geeta thunders, “the glories of the Self are indeed divine”.
390. Parama-spashtah –“The extremely vivid.” He who is extremely clear to those who have
conquered the agitations and all disturbing thought-currents of the mind
through a successful pursuit of the practice of meditation. He being the very
Self, nothing in fact is so ‘clear’, meaning, so self-evident, as the Pure
Consciousness is in us. No experience in the outer world or in our subjective
bosom would have been possible had it not been for the Light of the Self. Even
the sense of individuality in us is but an image of this Awareness, which is
the very Self in every living creature. It being thus the Absolute Subjective
essence. It is described as “the most Vivid.”
391. Tushtah –“The
ever-Contented,” meaning “the One who is happy at the minimum offering of a
devotee.” “I accept even if you offer some leaf or flower, or fruit or spoon of
water, happily, if it is offered in love,” confesses Lord Krishna in the Geeta.
The Self being beyond body, mind and intellect,
it cannot have any of the sense of imperfections or incompleteness and as such,
the All-full Self must be at all times, complete in Himself. Naturally
therefore He is All-Blissful. Consequently, His Nature must ever be Supreme
contentment.
392. Pushtah –“One
who is ever-full.” The Supreme Consciousness being All-pervading, He is
Infinitely Full- nothing can we take out of It, nor can we add to It. It is
Ever- full and, therefore, even when the manifestations emerge out from It, It
is not less for it.
393. Subh-ekshanah –“All
auspicious gaze.” One whose very gaze brings streams of auspiciousness to the
devotee. The Self-being beyond vaasanaas, one who realises the Self, goes
beyond all sins. A devotee walking the very path and moving towards the
spiritual contents, purifies himself from all sins, since he will be living a
life not identifying with his body, mind and intellect.
Stanza 43
raamo
viraamo virajo maargo neyo nayo-anayah
veerah saktimataam-sreshthah dharmo dharmaviduttamah.
394. Raamah –“That
which revels in every form or that in which all Yogins in their meditation
revel. In Padmapurana, it is clearly defined, “in Him, who is Eternal Bliss,
Pure Consciousness, and Endless, the Yogins revel.” Therefore, by the term ‘Raamah’, the Supreme Self is indicated.
The term can also mean “One who has a compelling charm about Himself. He who is
the most Handsome.”
395. Vi-raamah –“He
in whom the creatures rest; The Abode of perfect rest”, having reached which,
there is no return into the realms of experiences. That state is called
Viraamah. Some commentators recognise in this term a meaning as, “He (Isvara)
in whom the world of plurality merges during the deluge.”
396. Virajah –“Passionless.”
“One who is not associated with the agitations (Rajas) of the mind.” The mind
gets agitated when it identifies with the sense-objects of the world outside.
The Atman, the Self, in its Pure Nature, has no such identifications, and,
therefore, He is recognised as ‘passionless.’
397. Maargah –“The
path.” There is no other way to know Him. For complete liberation, there is no
way other than realising the Self, Sree Narayana.
398. Neyah –“The
Guide”, the “Conductor.” He who guides and ultimately takes the seeker to the
Reality is Lord Narayana, the Saguna Brahman. Through surrender to Narayana,
the devotee develops the integration within and when fully integrated, he
becomes the meditator and through meditation, the Highest is achieved.
Therefore, Vishnu is indicated here as the “Conductor.”
The term can also mean “One who is fit to be
conducted to the Highest.” The individual-ego .is that which tries to realise
its own real nature, the self. The very individuality (Jiva) who is fit to be
led towards the gateway to the Higher Consciousness is the One that has removed
its false attachments and is held in animated joy, in meditation. In essence,
such a jiva is nothing other than the Supreme, and, therefore, the Supreme is
thus called as the Jiva.
399. Nayah –“One
who leads.” When such a true devotee slowly and steadily gains his detachments
from the outer world he moves himself more and more into the Higher and Subtler
states of Consciousness. The one who leads such a seeker is again the grace of
the same Self-Atmabala.
400. A-nayah -If
the ego is led by the Lord (as Naya) to the Highest, then when once the Supreme
State is reached, It has none to lead or guide It. The Lord guides all, but
there is none to guide Him. This is because He is All- pervading and,
therefore, He needs no guide to lead Him to Himself, as He is everywhere at all
times.
401. Veerah –“The
Valiant.” One who, by His prowess; creates the fear in the minds of the
Rakshasas.
402. Saktimataam-sreshthah –“The best among those who have power.” All powers that are available,
have been classified under three types: the power-of -Knowledge (Jnaana-Sakti),
the power-of-Desire (Icchaa-Sakti) and the power-of-Action (Kriyaa-Sakti). All
these powers are expression of the Self in the intellect, in the sub-conscious
mind and in the physical body, respectively. Naturally the Self is the best
among all other kinds of powers inasmuch as, all powers are expressions of this
Great Self.
403. Dharmah -This
term is used in Hinduism in thousands of different shades that, to the early
student, the meaning of this term is lost in confusion. Dharma of a thing is
that because of which the thing is, without which the thing is not.” This term,
Dharma, has, therefore, been translated as “the Law of Being” -the Dharma of
the Sun is light; the Dharma of the Fire is heat, the Dharma of Sugar is
sweetness. What then is the Dharma of the individual? The essential Dharma of
the individual can only be the self, because, without which is the individual
cannot exist, and the individual’s expressions, physical mental and
intellectual, are all expressions of the self through the equipment in Him.
Thus “Dharma” means the only self in all individuals.
This is essential Dharma in anything is that
which supports the things and, therefore, the self which is essence everywhere,
is considered as the very one which supports everything.
404. Dharma-vid-uttamah –“One who is the highest among men of realisation.” All those who know
the Reality are knower among all knowers of the self.
Stanza 44
vasikunthah purushah praanah praanadah pranavah
prithuh
hiranyagarbhah satrughno vyaapto vaayuradhokshajah.
405. Vaikunthah –“One
who prevents men from going astray into wrong paths (Vikunthah).” In
Mahabharatha it is mentioned, “I united the Earth with Water, Space with Air
with Fire, hence, the name ‘Vaikunthah’ has come to Me.
406. Purushah –“One
who dwells in all bodies (Puris).” In Brihadaranyaka Upanishad (3-4-1) it is
said, “because He as the first (Poorva) of all of them consumed (Aushad) by
fire all sins, therefore, He is called Purushah.” In short, He is the One Self
which thrills all living creatures everywhere at all times.
407. Paanah –“One
who is the form of ‘Praana’ exits in the body, propels all sense organs to act
in their appointed fields, it is the Lord Vishnu that activates the body as the
5 praanas, is found in the Vishnupurana. As Praana, He causes movements.
408. Praanadah –this
can mean “One who gives ‘Praana’ or as one who takes away ‘Praana’, because,
the root ‘da’ has both the meanings, ‘to give’ and to break.’ Therefore, Vishnu
is the supreme who gives Praana to all creatures in the beginning of the
creation, and He alone is again the one who destroys all the Praanaas
(movements) at the time of the dissolution.
409. Pranavah –“That
which is praised or adorned by even the gods.” There is a declaration of
Sanatkumara, “because it is being worshipped and adorned by the gods, the self
is called as Pranavah. This great reality is indicated in Vedas by the symbol
Om and, therefore ‘Omkaara’ is called as Pranava. Thus the supreme self, ‘Omkaara’ is Vishnu.
410. Prithuh –“The
expanded.” He whose expanse is expressed as the world of infinite forms. In
short, “He who All-pervasive.” Looking at the world, through Puranas, it
suggests, “the one who is born as the king Prithuh, the son of the king vena
–for bringing prosperity to the country, is Lord Narayana.”
411. Hiranyagarbhah –it is the term used in the Vedanta for the “creator”. He is the
expression of the creative urge of the lord Narayana. “The Golden-egg” means
here that from which all the objective world had emerged out, indicating the
creator.” The term thereby suggest that
the entire creative power of the creator is but the expression of the Self, Narayana.
412. Satru-ghnah –“the
destroyer off he enemies.” The lord is the one who annihilates all the enemies
of the gods, meaning, He is the one who destroys all the negative tendencies in
all serious seekers totally devoted to Him.
413. Vyaaptah –“The
Pervader.” The effects can never remain without the Cause; the Cause is
concurrent and inherent in it, effects. And thus, the world that has risen from
the Infinite, should be pervaded by the Infinite. He who thus pervades
everything is Narayana.
414. Vaayuh –“One
who in the form of the atmospheric air, sustains all life everywhere.” He is
not the air, but He is the life-giving rower in the air.
415. Adhokshajah -Mahabharata
says, “at no time My vitality flows downwards, and hence, I am called,
Adhokshajah'. The term can also mean, “One who is not available for the powers
of the sense organs to perceive.” Or, it can also mean, “He who remains under
both the atmosphere and the earth as the Supporter of the entire universe.”
Stanza 45
rituh
sudarsanah kaalah parameshthee parigrahah
ugrah samvatsaro daksho visraamo visva-dakshinah.
416. Rituh –“Seasons”-Here
it means. the Lord of Time, who governs the seasons.
417. Sudarsanah -“One who is easy to be perceived if the
seeker has sufficient devotion,” or “He whose meeting is auspicious inasmuch as
it removes the seeker's worldly worries.”
418. Kaalah –“One
who measures the merits and defects in each individual, and who doles out the
appropriate results.” Bhagavat Geeta says, “I am the Time of counting.” Kaalah
is also the name of Lord Death, and in this sense, it can mean “the Lord, who
is Death or Annihilation- personified to all His enemies.”
419 Parameshthee –“One
who is centred in His own infinite glory.” Or, it can also mean “One who is
readily available for experience in the Supreme cave of the heart.”
420 Parigrahah –“The
Receiver” He who receives from His devotees even insignificant things as a leaf
or a flower, with all satisfaction” Some commentators stretch the suggestion of
the word and find a meaning in this term as “One who has been accepted as the
Sole Refuge by all devotees.”
421. Ugrah –“The
Terrible.” The One who gives fear to those who are diabolically evil”, or, as
the Upanishad declares, “For fear of Him the fire burns; for fear of Him shines
the sun; For fear of Him Indra, Vaayu and Death proceed with their respective
functions,”-therefore He is the Terrible
422. Samvatsarah –“The
Year,” which is the abode of all living creatures. Time is spread in which
creatures exist and gather their experiences.
423 Dakshah –“The
Smart” One who undertakes the creation, sustenance and destruction of the Whole
Cosmos with ease and efficiency, diligence and promptitude,
424. Visraamah –“The
resting place;” “the Quiet.” That State wherein people who suffer in Samsar,
can discover a perfect rest and quietude is the consciousness Supreme, Sree
Narayana.
425. Visva-dakshinah –“The most skilful and efficient.” All efficiency and skill that we find
in the universe among the dynamic living creatures are all His expressions
alone, and, therefore, He is the source of all skill and efficiency. Again, He
is the One who is the very Creator and Preserver of the whole universe and He
must be the most efficient Manager and Administrator among the living
creatures.
Stanza
46
vistaarah
sthaavarah sthaanuh pramaanam beejamavyayam
artho anartho mahaakoso mahaabhogo mahaadhanah.
426. Vistaarah -The
extension. The Lord is named thus because in the time of Pralaya, in Him the
entire universe of names and forms comes to reside with ample accommodation for
all of them. The term Vistaarah can also mean “manifestation;” since the Lord
manifests in Himself all the universe.
427. Sthaavarah-sthaanuh –“The firm and the motionless.” The Firm (achanchala) indicates that He
has no movements, because He is All-pervading. Sthaanuh (motionless) means that
He is fixed like “the pillars that denote the frontiers of a country”
(Sthaanuh) .The terms here used are as one- word because the Lord is both these
at one and the same time. He is not only All-pervading, and, therefore, no movements
in Him (Sthaavarah), but he is also without any locomotion (Sthaanuh). Both
these terms indicate the All-pervasiveness of Lord Vishnu.
428. Pramaanam -The
proof. He is the underlying principle of all intellectual arguments and for all
scientific methodology, since He is the very Consciousness behind all
discussions. Lord Narayana is the very authority behind all Dharmas and hence
He becomes the essential Reality behind all (pramaana).
429. Beejamavyayam –“The
Immutable Seed.” Since the whole world has sprung from Him, He is the
indestructible and changeless cause of the world. It can also mean “that
without which the world can never be.” Hence He is the undecaying root of all
things.
430. Arthah -One
who is worshipped by all; invoked by everyone. Lord Narayana is desired by all
as He is the Paramaatman who is of the nature of bliss. Even the sensuous man
running after the sense-objects is seeking the Lord in as much as he is
searching for bliss which is the nature of the Self.
431. Anarthah -One
to whom there is nothing that is yet to be fulfilled. This means one who has no
desires, as He has fulfilled all His desires. So long as vaasanaas exist
desires manifest. Where vaasanaas have ended there cannot be any desires and
that state is the State of Self-realization.
432. Mahaakosah -One
who has got around him great sheaths. The Self in us functions through the
five- sheaths such as the food-sheath, etc. Sri Narayana is one who, as the
Lord of the universe (Jagadeesvarah), is conditioned by the macrocosmic sheaths
of the universe, and therefore, the great Isvara is here indicated as
Mahaakosah.
433. Mahaabhogah -One
who is of the nature of enjoyment (bhogah), He being of the nature of bliss.
Also He is the one from whom the greatest bliss (bhogah) can be gained by the
seekers. In short, the term indicates Him as one who gives the greatest
happiness to all those who are devoted to Him.
434. Mahaadhanah -One
who is supremely rich with the wealth of bliss which he can give to His
devotees. Vishnu is one from whom His devotees gain great wealth.
Stanza
47
anirvinnah
sthavishtho-abhoordharma-yoopo mahaa-makhah
nakshatranemir nakshatree kshamah kshaamahsameehanah.
435. Anirvinnah -One
who has no nirveda. This term nirveda means “the sense of disinterestedness
that comes to the bosom of one who could not fulfil his passionate desires in
life.” The Lord is one who is griefless as He has no desires to fulfil. In His
fullness and perfection, He has no more any desires to fulfil, and therefore,
Sri Hari has no occasion to suffer from the sense of nirveda.
436 Sthavishthah –One
who is supremely gross. The entire cosmos being His form. He Himself is the
universe, and as such in His total manifestation, He is supremely gross, Geeta
says (Chapter XI-20) that the Lord spreads Himself covering the whole world and
the atmosphere The Upanishad (Mundaka 1-4) also says how “the sky form' His
head, the sun and the moon are His eyes.”
437. A-bhooh -One
who has no birth, or the one, baying realised whom, the seeker will no more
have births Some people dissolve the line Sthavishthah + Bhooh. In that case
instead of A-bhooh they give the Lord the name, ‘Bhooh’, meaning ‘earth.’ Just
as the earth is the stage upon which the entire drama of life is being played,
Sri Narayana is the substratum upon which the entire world of experiences is
playing about.
438. Dharma-yoopah -Yoopah
is the name given to the post to which the sacrificial animal is tied in a
yaaga The Lord is the very Post to which all Dharmas (righteousness) ace tied
to This means He is the very essence behind all righteousness.
439. Mahaa-makhah -The
Great Sacrificer. Because the sacrifices dedicated to Him confer total
liberation -(Nirvaana). Also in the Geeta we were told, “offer is Brahman, what
is offered is Brahman, the fire is Brahman, the offerer is Brahman and the goal
reached is also Brahman.”
440. Nakshatranemih -The Nave of the stars. One who is the nave around which all the star
and the planets including the sun, moon and other planets always move around.
For this brilliant glowing wheel of Light, Sri Narayana is the very Axle
441. Nakshatree -One
who is the Lord of the stars. Lord of the stars is the moon. Geeta says, “among
the stars I am the moon.”
442. Kshamah -One
who is supremely efficient in all undertakings. One who has extreme patience
with all the stupidities of his devotees.
443. Kshaamah -One
who ever remains without any scarcity- (kshaama). During the final deluge all
things in the world dissolve and perish away but even then the Lord remains
untouched by all distinction and hence He is called kshaamah.
444. Sameehanah -One
whose desires are suspicious. The Lord is considered as “Well-desiring” in as
much as he desires the well-being of all His creatures at all times. He knows
how to control and regulate His power of desiring (Icchaa-sakti) and thus He is
extremely efficient in His creative activity.
Stanza
48
yajnah
ijyo mahejyashcha kratuh satram sataam gatih
sarvadarshee vimuktaatmaa sarvajno jnaanamuttamam.
445. Yajnah -One
who is of the nature of yajna. All sacrifices are His own forms. He exists as
sacrifice in order to satisfy men and gods. Sruti says that all yajnas are of
the nature of Vishnu (Yajno Vai Vishnuh).
446. Ijyah -One
who is fit to be invoked through yajnas. Lord Narayana is the only one who is
being invoked in all yajnas, even when the devotee particularly invokes any
other deity. He, being the Infinite, all gods are expressions of His own glory
and therefore, irrespective of the deity invoked, all yajnas are worship of
Vishnu. In Harivamsa we read a declaration which openly reveals this truth:
“They who worship through holy sacrifices, the devas or the pitris, they
worship indeed the Vishnu, the Self, through the Self.”
447. Mahejyah -One
who is to be most worshipped. One who most certainly is to be invoked in every
ritual because all other devataas invoked during the yajnas can each fulfil the
seeker’s desires; but to invoke Sri Narayana is to invoke the only Power that
can supply complete liberation for the devotee. Therefore, He is the object of
great sacrifice.
448. Kratuh -It is a kind of yaaga wherein there is a
pillar to which the sacrificial animal is tied. Since all sacrifices are
offered to Him-the Lord, even Kratuh, a sacrifice with violence inherent in it
is also Vishnu.
449. Satram -The
Lord who protects the good (Sat). In continuation with the previous Kratuh,
when we read this it can also be considered as indicating a particular kind of
yajna described as Satram in our Vedic literature.
450. Sataam gatih -One
who is the refuge (for the good people). One who is worshipped and invoked by
those who wish to liberate themselves from all limitations in life. Gatih in
Sanskrit means both the path and the goal. Thus, through surrendering to the
Narayana alone does one reach Sri Narayana.
451. Sarvadarshee –“As
He is the pure Consciousness in all living creatures, all knowledge in all
beings is illumined by Him. Just as the sun is “the eye of the universe,” so
the Consciousness is the Illuminator of every- thing.
452. Vimuktaatmaa –“The
ever-liberated Self.” The Supreme, though He expresses Himself through the
equipments, He is never conditioned by the matter envelopments through which He
apparently expresses Himself. Just as the waves rise, exist and dissolve in the
ocean, the equipments of experiences rise, play and dissolve themselves in Him.
He is ever-liberated, never-shackled by gross
matter. This great principle of Paraatmaa is Sri Narayana. -Sruti says
(Kathopanishad 5-1).
453. Sarvajnah –“Omniscient.”
He is the Principle of Consciousness and, therefore, He is the Illuminator of
all thoughts, all intentions, motives, emotions and all sense perceptions in an
individual. The meaning is the same as in Sarvadarsee.
454. Jnaanamuttamam –“The Supreme Knowledge of all other knowledges.” The Self is the
Supreme Knowledge, for, without the Consciousness, no knowledge is possible.
Taittireeyopanishad indicates the Self as. “Satyam Jnaanam, Anantam Brahma”
Stanza
49
suvratah
sumukhah sookshmah sughoshah sukhadah suhrit
manoharo jita-krodho veerabaahurvidaaranah.
455. Suvratah –“The
one who is ever performing the pure vow.” It is a sacred vow of the Lord that
He has to give shelter and protection to all those who totally surrender
themselves into him-says Sri Ramachandraji: “To give shelter to all living
creatures-this is my vow.” This term can also refer to Him who had done tapas
for a long number of years on the mount of Nara-Narayana in Badrinath.
456. Sumukhah -One
who has an enchanting face. Truth is beauty and Beauty truth. In all conditions
the Lord is ever cheerful and brings to His face the dignified beauty of calm
repose. When the devotees come and surrender at His sacred feet Narayana is the
one of Infinite mercy who beams with joy at the devotion of the surrender.
457. Sookshmah -One
who is subtler than the subtlest. In Vedanta terminology subtlety indicates
pervasiveness. Therefore, the term means All-Pervasive. The Upanishad says the
Lord is All-Pervading, subtler than the subtlest (Sarvagatam susookshmam).
458. Sughoshah –“Of
auspicious sound.” This is the name of the conch that Krishna blew in the
opening of the Mahabharata war. The sound of Vishnu is the essence of all Vedas
as all the four Vedas have come from Him, the Supreme. Hence the term “of
auspicious sound.”
459. Sukhadah –“One
who confers happiness.” It can also mean in Sanskrit one who is the destroyer
of joy (Da-to destroy). Here, of course, it means that One who gives joy to His
devotees and takes away joy from those who are undivine.
460. Suhrit
–“The friend of all living creatures.” A true friend is one who gives all that
he possesses without expecting any return.
461. Manoharah -One
who is the looter of the mind; or charming. Not only is the Lord Beauty
Incarnate, but He compels the attention of the devotee to come away from all
other sense objects to dwell upon His enchanting form. Thus Vishnu is one who
generates an irresistible joy in the mind of His devotees and compels them to
spend their time in constant worship.
462. Jita-krodhah -One
who has conquered anger. By the one term here, anger, we should consider all
the six inner enemies Kaama, Krodha, Lobha, Moha, Mada and Maatsarya. These six
constitute the types of thoughts in man; the six categories into which all his
mental activities fall. One who has conquered all these means one who is beyond
the mind-the Self.
463. Veerabaahuh -One
having mighty, valiant arms. From time to time He has to incarnate in order to
put down the wicked and thereby protect the good.
464. Vidaaranah -One
who splits asunder; destroys. In the man-lion form, Narasimha, Lord Vishnu
appears to tear open and kill Hiranyakasipu. Again, in order to destroy
Hiranyaaksha and to lift the earth from the ocean, Sri Narayana had to take the
form of the great boar (Varaaha). Accordingly in the Sanskrit vocabulary,
bhoo-daarah is a synonym for boar (Varaaha). Dara means to split or to tear
open. Thus the meaning of the divine Boar can be squeezed out from the term
Vidaaranah used here.
Stanza 50
svaapanah
svavaso vyaapee naikaatmaa naikakarmakrit
vatsaro vatsalo vatsee ratnagarbho dhanesvarah.
465. Svaapanah –One
who puts people to sleep; stupefying. Lord Vishnu as Isvara has for Himself the
total Vaasanaa (Maayaa) as an equipment for His self-expression as Eesvara
(Narayana). He, through His Maayaa, veils each individual and renders them
ignorant of their own divine nature. This “veiling-power” (Aavarana Sakti)
creates many agitations (Vikshepa), due to which individuals rush out for
sense-gratification. Since Isvara, thus, with His Maayaa-power deludes
everybody, He gathers to Himself this epithet Svaapanah meaning “the mighty
stupefying force.”
466. Svavasah - The
One who has everything under His own personal control; the totally independent.
Since He is the Supreme Consciousness, all living creatures and phenomenal
powers are functioning by His grace, drawing their capacities to exist and act
from Him only. If He withdraws His patronage everything in this Universe must
stop functioning immediately. He is supremely independent inasmuch as, though
the world-of-objects needs Him, He is entirely self-sufficient and needs no
world for His Existence. Thus He is totally free. The waves need the ocean, but
the ocean is totally independent of the waves’ existence.
467. Vyaapee -All-pervading.
Pervasiveness in philosophy indicates subtlety. Thus All-pervading means that
which is “subtler than the subtlest.” This concept is again sustained by the
physical observations in the world. The cause always pervades all the effects;
the gold pervades all ornaments. The entire universe is an effect and He being
the Cause, He pervades all and everything at all times. Thus the All-pervading,
in its suggestion, indicates that He is the Ultimate-cause and Himself in His
pervasiveness is ever-present everywhere and in everything, presiding over all
behaviours, actions and work, everywhere in the universe.
468. Naikaatmaa -Many-souled.
Lord, the Infinite, though ever the one, expresses Himself as the many, while
manifesting Himself, in the form of the universe. It is He, the One Great
Consciousness, that expresses Himself as the creator, sustainer and
destroyer-in order to maintain the play of the eternal dance, among the
phenomenal things and deeds. He who becomes the Trinity is the great Vishnu
Tattva.
469. Naika-karma-krit -The one does many actions, as He is the one Lord of all evolution,
preservation, and involation of the universe. where he is not presiding over,
no activity can ever take place.
470. Vatsarah -The
Abode of the Lord. Not only Lord is living in each one of us our inner-Soul
(Antaryaamee) but He is at once, the All-prevading Essence in which, the entire
universe exists, and as such, He alone is the Abode of the creatures, He is the
endless ‘time’ and the infinite ‘space’ at once. for, in the time-space field
alone do things exist. the term “Vatsa,” in sanskrit also means “calf.” the
world under discussion, therefore, can also mean “one who gives away claves.”
this has reference to krishna who returned to Gopas all the calves, when they
were taken away by the enemy.
471. Vatsalah -The
supremely affectionate. One who loves his devotees extremely. Narayana is one
who has got more affection towards his devotees that all the paternal and
maternal love in the world put together. Supreme love is the meaning of the
world ‘Vatsalah;’ Lord Narayana is Love Incarnate.
472. Vatsee -The
Father. One who has infinite number of children; Lord considers the entire
living kingdom as His own children; and nurses and nourishes them. It can also
be interpreted as one who trains and protects the calves in the herd.
473. Ratnagarbhah -The
Jewel-wombed. Like the ocean, One who has rich wealth concealed in Himself.
On the whole, the term Ratna-garbhah only means
that the Lord is quick in His bestowing all the desired objects on His
devotees.
474. Dhanesvarah -The
Lord of wealth. Here the term “Wealth” means all the good things in the
universe- all objects of happiness. He is described in the Puranas as the Lord
of the Goddess Lakshmi (Lakshmipati) and as such He is ever the
Master-of-all-wealth. The greatest of wealth is, of course, the liberation, and
Lord Narayana is the Isvara of this great wealth, He blesses the true devotees
with the experience of complete liberation from the entanglements and sorrows
of the vestures of matter around us.
Stanza
51
dharmagub
dharmakrit dharmee sadasatksharamaksharam
avijnaataa sahasraamsur vidhaataa kritalakshanah.
475. Dharmagup -One
who protects the Dharma. In the Bhagavad Geeta the Lord says: “In every cycle I
shall manifest for re-establishing Dharma.”
476. Dharma-krit -One
who acts Dharma. Though He, as the Absolute Consciousness that illuminates
everything, is beyond all Dharma and Adharma, Sri Narayana exemplifies what is
the righteousness by His own conduct. He is, therefore, called as
Dharma-Pravartaka. In the various incarnations, the Lord has exemplified how
the generation should live under the ever-changing kaleidoscopic pattern of
circumstances that play around us at all times.
477. Dharmee -The
Supporter of Dharma; meaning the very Seat of all Dharma. Just as the waves
exist in the ocean; just as the cotton supports the cloth; just as all the
ornaments exist in gold-so Sri Narayana, the Infinite Truth is the very essence
and support of the entire universe. Narayana is the Throne at which all
righteousness take their refuge. Without direct reference to Him and His Glory,
righteousness has no meaning; just as law books of a country are empty pages
when the Government falls.
478. Sat -The
Existence in all things and beings is the same ever, and it is All-pervading.
The sun exists; the space between the sun and the earth exists; the ocean and
the creatures therein exist; the physiological organs and their functions, mind
and its activities, the intellect and its agitations -all exist. This
Ever-present Principle of Existence is Sri Narayana. That which remains the
same without any change in and through all changes, unaffected ever, same in
the past, present and the future is called in Vedanta as ‘Satya.’ One who has
all these natures is called Sat-Purusha. In the Upanishads, the Supreme Brahman
is indicated as ‘Satya’ –“This, O Child, indeed was Sat.” In the Geeta while
describing the Changeless Factor behind the eternally changing matter, Bhagavan
says: “That which is the All-pervading in this world, that alone is
indestructible and no one can destroy it.”
479. A-Sat -The
Conditioned; Limited; the One who appears at this moment as the limited,
conditioned, and therefore confined only to the world of plurality. That which
actually is not, but apparently seems to be there, is called a delusion and
this is indicated by the word “ A-Sat.” In the Vedantic terminology,
higher-Self (Param) is ever Immutable and Eternal, while the lower-Self
(A-param) constituted of all the universe of manifested things and beings, is
mutable and ephemeral. Sri Narayana Himself is, in His Apara nature, expressing
as the world of the many that we today recognise around us. Bhagavan Sri
Krishna confesses to Arjuna in the Bhagavad Geeta: “Arjuna, I am at once
immortality and mortality. I am both existence and non-existence.”
480. Ksharam -The
Perishing. One who is the very Immutable Self in all things, that appears to
suffer from constant mutation: The changeless-core in the midst of all the
changes. All the changeable and variable things and beings of the Universe play
in Him who is the only Substratum and, therefore, the Immutable Eternal Reality
is called here as the Mutable; the changing and the dying waves are all ever
nothing but the changeless ocean indeed.
481. A-ksharam -Imperishable.
In order to recognize the change, there must be a changeless entity knowing it.
If one ornament is to become another, there must be indeed the changeless
consistent gold permanently supporting it all the time. In the same way, there
must be a Changeless Factor which must be the essential core, that holds
together the pattern of the constant changes, which together constitute the
play of the universe. This Changeless Factor is called Narayana. Krishna says
in Bhagavat Geeta: “all creatures together constitute the Kshara-purusha and
the Changeless in an creatures is the A-kshara-purusha.”
482. Avijnaataa -The
Non-knower. Here we must carefully understand the term ‘knower.’ The “knower”
of the emotions and thoughts is the Self, imprisoned in the body, mind and the
intellect, and, therefore, functioning as the perceiver, feeler, thinker-called
in the Vedanta Sastra as the “Jeeva,” This individualised personality is the
‘doer’ and the ‘enjoyer’, in the calamitous world of activities. Sri Narayana
is the Pure-Self, who has not been contaminated by the matter- vestures and
their agitated-nature, and the consequent sorrows. Therefore, ‘Vishnu,’ the
Pure-Self, is indicated here as Non- Knower (A-vijnaataa), meaning the “Jeeva.”
483. Sahasra-amsuh -The
thousand-rayed. As the Pure Consciousness, He is effulgent, and in the
Upanishads we read that even the sun, moon and stars gain their effulgence from
Him alone. In fact the Upanishads conclude that all living creatures are
resplendent after His effulgence alone. Or, we can say that it means Sri
Narayana, in the form of the Sun, illumines and nourishes the world of living
creatures; because the name of the Sun in Sanskrit is ‘Sahasraamsuh.’ In
praising the Lord Sun it is usual to sing of him as ‘Sooryanaaraayana.’
484. Vidhaataa -All-supporter
.As the final sub- stratum for everything, the Lord supports the entire
universe of living creatures, and nobody supports Him, He alone is His own
support. The Lord is at once the material, instrumental and the efficient
causes for the universe of forms.
485. Krita-lakshanah -One who is famous because of six qualities, such as glory,
righteousness, fame, wealth, knowledge and detachment. Again following the
Puranic literature, Sri Narayana is the one who made on His own bosom the great
mark of the feet of Maharshi Bhrigu. In fact from the standpoint of pure
Vedanta, the term indicates the Ever-existing Pure Consciousness which is the
very goal (Lakshana) to be ultimately achieved for liberation. Lakshana also
means the scriptural textbooks and, therefore, the term also can mean He who is
the author (Krita) of the Scriptures (Lakshana).
Stanza
52
gabhastinemih
sattvasthah simho bhootamahesvarah
aadidevo mahaadevo deveso devabhrit guruh.
486. Gabhastinemih -The
Centre of the Supreme planetary system. The Sanskrit term ‘Gabhasti’ means
‘rays’, and the term ‘nemih’ means the ‘spokes.’ Therefore, the term indicates
“One who is the hub of the wheel-of-light in which the spokes are His own rays
of brilliancy.” Astronomically, we can consider this as the sun, the centre of
the planetary system. Subjectively, He is the Atman, the Self-the Effulgent
Consciousness-beaming out Himself to the whirls of matter (the five koshas).
487. Sattvasthah -Abiding
in Sattva. Maayaa is constituted of the three gunas: unactivity (sattva),
activity (rajas) and inactivity (tamas). When the Maayaa is predominantly
constituted of Sattva, it becomes the vehicle for the Supreme Brahman to
express as God, Sri Narayana. The Lord is essentially constituted of the
“Sattva Guna” and, therefore, He is pure truthfulness in nature (Suddha Satya
Svaroopa). It can also mean that He who remains (Stha) in all beings (Sattva).
488. Simhah –The
Lion Due to His great exploits in fighting the negative forces during His
various incarnations, He is indicated as the Lion among beings in the universe
Also in Sanskrit “any part of a name can indicate the full name” Thus Bheema
means ‘Bheema Sena’ or ‘Bhaamaa’ means ‘Satya-Bhaamaa’ Similarly, ‘Simha’ here
might mean a part of the Lord’s name as ‘Narasimha’; Narayana had taken the
form of the Man-Lion in order to end the tyranny of Hiranyakasipu, and bless
his God-devoted son Prahlaada
489. Bhoota-Mahevarah -The Great Lord of Beings One who is the Lord who orders, commands,
regulates and presides over all activities of all living creatures, and hence
is ever the Ruler of All creature.
490. Aadidevah -The
first Deity. Or it can also mean as one who is First (Aadi) and one who is
resplendent (Deva); further we can also take it to mean that He is the First
Deva, meaning, He is the God of all gods. The term ‘Aadi’ also means “one who
eats;” the term’ Deva’ can mean ‘one who evolves’: thus the term can mean “one
who evolves in eating up,” by consuming the names and forms. This implies that
to the extent one withdraws himself from his false occupations with the
perceived names and forms, he moves deeper and deeper into the experiences of
the divine Lord in himself; with this idea in mind, Lord is described by this
term, “One who evolves in consuming the names and forms.”
491. Mahaadevah -The
Great Deity, He is the Source of all Consciousness, and from Him have risen all
further deities and beings, therefore, it is right to consider Him as the
Supreme Lord.
492. Devesah -The
Lord of all Devas. He is the very Consciousness in the gods themselves;
therefore, in His unquestionable prominence, He is addressed here as “God of
all gods.”
493. Deva-bhrid-guruh –“One who is the king of gods”-Indra -(Deva Bhrit) and one who is the
teacher (Guruh). In short, He is the protector and advisor of the very Indra,
who is the king of gods.
Stanza 53
uttaro
gopatirgoptaa jnaanagamyah puraatanah
sareera bhootabhritbhoktaa kapeendro bhooridakshinah.
494. Uttarah -One
who helps to lift us from (Uttarah) the ocean of Samsar. It also conveys the
most excellent meaning of “One who is greater and nobler than all other
deities.” Rigveda declares: “He is the most excellent of all.”
495. Gopatih -The
shepherd-As one who played the part of a cowherd in His Krishna-incarnation.
The term ‘Go’ in Sanskrit has got four meanings: the cattle, the earth, the
speech and the vedas. In all these meanings He is the Lord (Pati): Lord of the
cattle; Lord of Earth; Lord of speech; the Lord about whom all the Vedas speak
of as the very Goal.
496. Goptaa -The
protector He is the Protector of all living creatures in as much as, if He were
not there, the creatures could not exist He is the very Existence in the living
Kingdom.
497. Jnaanagamyah -The
One who is to be attained only through the subtle perception of Jnaana He is
not attained either by actions, or by progeny or by wealth Only through a
(“JnaanaPrasaadena”) pure ‘knowledge’ alone He is experienced Here the word
knowledge does not mean the ordinary knowledge-of-thing. The experience of
Truth is gained only on transcending the intellect. Thus crossing the barriers
of the non-apprehension (Avidyaa) the meditator comes to apprehend the Reality;
this subjective first-hand apprehension is called True Knowledge (Jnaana); by
this one process alone can one attain the Infinite; hence this term.
498. Puraatanah -He
who was even before Time. That from which even the concept-of- Time itself rose
up is the Infinite Truth and. therefore. Truth cannot be measured in terms of
Time. Therefore, he is called the Ancient, for, he transcends Time.
499. Sareera-bhoota-bhrit -One who nurses and nourishes the very element from which the bodies
are constituted. The Lord is the controller of the very five elements.
500. Bhoktaa -The
Enjoyer or the Protector. The term “ Bhoktaa” can be dissolved in two ways. In
(a) it would mean the ‘Protector’ and in (b) it would mean as the ‘Enjoyer’.
According to Vedanta, Lord in His transcendental glory, as the Atman, is
neither the ‘Doer’ nor the ‘Enjoyer’ and yet, here, the Lord is taken as the
‘Enjoyer’ only in the sense that the experiencer ‘ego,’ the Jeeva, is also
nothing other than the Supreme in Its final Essence.
501. Kapeendrah -One
who is the Lord of the Monkeys-Sri Ramachandraji. ‘ Kapih’ also can mean the
Boar-incarnation (Varaaha).
502. Bhoori-dakshinah -He who gives away large gifts (Dakshinaa), as presents distributed at
the end of the Sacrifices. When the body, mind and the intellect of man make
sacrifices, man does Karmas. Lord Narayana is the One who gives the results for
all actions: (Karma Phala Daataa); hence this term to indicate the Lord.
Stanza
54
somapo-amritapah
somah purujit purusattamah
vinayo jayah satyasandho daasaarhah saatvataam patih.
503. Somapah -One
who drinks the Soma-juice in the Yajnas, in the form of the deity that has been
invoked by the householder. In short, Narayana is the Lord that receives all
the offerings, in all rituals, which we may offer, because He is the One
invoked, who plays as the various hierarchy of deties.
504. Amritapah -One
who drinks the nectar. As the Infinite Truth He at all times enjoys the
blissful immortality (Amritatvam). Also, it may have the echo of the puranic
story of the churning of the Ocean-of-milk (Ksheeraabdhi) until they got the
Nectar, which was confiscated by the Asuras, and when they ran away, it was Sri
Narayana, who, in the form of the irresistible Mohinee, a beautiful enchanting
damsel, recovered the Nectar from them and distributed it to the gods. He had
partaken the Nectar along with the gods.
505. Somah -One
who in the form of the moon- light (Soma) nourishes all the plant-kingdom with
their respective essential sap. It is very well known in the Hindu literature
that the moonlight is that which enriches the food value in the fruits and
grains. In the Geeta, Bhagavan says: “I in the form of the moon-light, enrich
all the plant-kingdom,” The term can also mean Siva, in which case it would
mean as “One who is ever consorted by Umaa.”
506. Purujit -One
who has won over numerous enemies. The word Puru means ‘many’.
507. Puru-sattamah -One
who is Greater among the great. Here the word Puru means ‘great’. In some
readings we find instead of this term “Puru-sattamah” the term “Purushottamah”
is used, in which case the meaning is the Omnipresent (Purusha) and the Best
(Uttamah)-the Absolute Reality.
508. Vinayah -In
direct meaning, of course, it means “He who shows the supreme humility.” But
the term also means “One who humiliates those who are unrighteous.” The Lord is
one who leads well (Vi-Naya) the seekers steadily through the path of truth and
righteousness.
509. Jayah -The
Victorious. One who has conquered all the matter. It connotes that in order to
experience the ‘Self’ we have to conquer all the lower matter-realms and their
by-products. Realizing the Self, the seeker himself becomes the Self. At that
time he has conquered all.
510. Satya-sandhah -Of truthful resolution (Sankalpa). The Lord is One, who in His
perfection, has so completely integrated, that His resolve, His thoughts,
feelings, words and action are always truthful. There would he no com- promise
in them, and as such, every resolve of His becomes fruitful “Heavens might fall
down, the earth might tumble down, the Himalayas might be crushed, the ocean
might become dry, but My word uttered shall never be in vain.” (Purana).
511. Daasaarhah –It
is a name of Lord Krishna since He was born in the Dasaarha race
(Yaadava-kula). It can also mean “One who is fully competent to receive all
devoted offerings made in the ritualistic sacrifices.”
512 Saatvataam-patih -The Lord of the Saatvat-people Those who are followers of the Tantra
named Saatvata-scriptures essentially Saattvic in nature- are called Saatvatas,
and their Lord is Sri Narayana. The essential path of the Saatvatas is
single-pointed meditation upon the form of Lord Vishnu with utter devotion
Stanza
55
jeeva
vinayitaa-saakshee mukundo-amitavikramah
ambhanidhiranantaatmaa mahadadhisayo-antakah.
513. Jeevah -One
who remains as the limited ego (jeevah), who in its sense of separateness comes
to experience the endless joys and sorrows in the fields of life. One who
functions as the Experiencer-of-the-Field (Kshetrajna), as described in the
Bhagavat Geeta.
514. Vinayitaa-saakshee -The Witness of modesty. He is the one Consciousness that illumines the
very sense of humility in His devotee’s heart. It can also mean that as Pure
Consciousness, He is one without a second, and, therefore, from His state of
Universal Oneness He sees nothing other than Himself everywhere. In this
Absolute Nature He does not see the world of finitude constituted of the ego
and its deluded devilry.
515. Mukundah -One
who gives liberation. To those who are trying to free themselves from the
imperfections of the matter-conditionings, and who are struggling hard to end
their delusions, Sri Narayana, being the very Goal, ultimately gives complete
liberation for all devotees who reach Him in the true spirit of total
surrender.
516. Amita-vikramah -Of immeasurable Prowess or One whose step (Vikramah) is immeasurable
(Amita). The Lord in his Vamana-incarnation measured the three worlds by His
three steps, and, therefore, He gained the title of ‘Trivikramaha’. Since the
Lord’s steps are so vast, they are, indeed, immeasurable-” Amita”- Vikramah.
517. Ambho-nidhih -The
direct meaning of the word is “ocean” and the Lord Himself in the Bhagavat
Geeta has declared, “Of the lakes I am the ocean”. According to the Taittireeya
Braahmana: “These are the four Ambhas: viz. the Devas, Men, Manes and the
Asuras.” Therefore, the term Ambhonidhih should mean “One who is the substratum
for all the four types of creatures.
518. Ananta-atmaa -The
Infinite Self. He is undefeated by time, space, or substance, and, therefore,
in His own unconditioned nature He is the Infinite One Self. Or it can also
mean One who manifests Himself as the endless varieties of entities
constituting the universe. Ananta also means “end-less” and, therefore, the
Endless Self, which means the Paramaatman, the Supreme Self.
519. Mahodadhisayah -One
who rests on the great ocean. According to the description of Vishnupurana,
Lord Narayana reclines upon the Aadisesha in the Milky-ocean of Vaikuntha. It
can also mean, “One who remains on a fig-leaf, upon the waters of the deluge,
when all names and forms have been dissolved into the unmanifest.
520. Antakah -The
Death. As Time, He is the One who brings about constant changes in the world,
without which no evolution or creative development is ever possible.
Stanza
56
ajo
mahaarhah svaabhaavyo jitaamitrah pramodanah
aanando nandano nandah satyadharmaa trivikramah.
521. Ajah -Unborn.
As the changeless and deathless Reality, He has neither birth nor any decay,
‘Unborn’ in philosophy means undying; therefore, Eternal, Changeless, “Born to
Lord Vishnu” is yet another meaning, and according to this interpretation, the
term can suggest “Pradyumna,” son of Vishnu, who is considered to be in our
Purana as an Incarnation of the Lord of Love.
522, Mahaarhah –“One
who deserves the highest worship.” Arhaa means ‘poojaa’: ‘worship’.
523. Svaabhaavyah -Ever-rooted
in the nature of His own Self. One who is the Uncaused Cause, the God.
524. Jitaamitrah -One
who has conquered all his enemies both within and without. Within, He has
conquered all enemies such as desires, hope, etc., and externally, has
conquered enemies like Ravana, Hiranyakasipu and others.
525. Pramodanah –‘Ever-blissful’.
One who is constantly enjoying His own Eternal, Blissful nature. The term
indicates ‘Vishnu’ because Sri Narayana is the One that causes bliss in the
heart of those who meditate upon Him.
526. Aanandah -A
mass of Pure Bliss. Bliss is His pure nature. The Brihadaranyaka Upanishad
says: “Of this happiness, all other beings enjoy only a part.”
527. Nandanah –“One
who makes others blissful.” Since the Lord is the very source of the happiness
of the devotees who reach the divine plane of Pure Consciousness, it is in Him
they get themselves intoxicated with the endless drunkenness of thus unceasing
Bliss.
528. Nandah -One
who is freed from all limited worldly pleasures. Worldly pleasures come through
contact with the objects of the sense-organs. The term means One who has no
contact with the world of senses, as He dwells in transcendence of all the
equipments of pleasure-the body, mind and intellect. Chandogya Upanishad says,
“That which is immensity is felicity; there is no felicity in littleness.”
529. Satyadharmaa -One
who has in Him- self all the true Dharmas. Kindness, non-injury, charity etc.
are considered as the noble Dharmas. Sri Narayana is One in whom we find all
these Dharmas to the maximum. In short, He is the embodiment of Yoga
(Yogesvara). It also means that One who is rich in the experience of the
Supreme Self; for, the Upanishad says: “This alone is the Supreme Dharma which
is to experience the Self through yoga”...
530. Trivikramah –“One
who has taken the three steps”. One who has, in three steps, conquered the
three worlds in his Vamana-incarnation. The spiritual seeker has only to take
three steps to reach the Centre of the Self in him- self. Once he has stepped
across the fields-of-experiences in the waking, dream and deep-sleep
conditions, he has reached the Infinite Consciousness, the Atman. The very term
‘Tri’ in Sanskrit means ‘the three-worlds.’ “The greatest men of reflection
have declared the three fields-of-experiences (Loka) by the simple term
‘Tri,”-(Harivamsa).
Stanza
57
maharshih
kapilaachaaryah kritajno medineepatih
tripadastridasaadhyaksho mahaasringah kritaantakrit.
531. Maharshih Kapilaachaaryah - One who has manifested as the teacher Kapila, the great sage. “Rishi”,
the sage, is one who has mastered a portion of the Veda, and one who has
mastered the entire Vedas is called “Maharshi” in the Hindu tradition. The
preceptor Kapila, who is a great master of the entire Vedic literature, is the
propounder of the Saankhya philosophy. The glory of kapilaachaarya is endorsed
by Lord. Krishna Himself in the Geeta when He declares, “Of the perfected-ones,
I am sage Kapila.”
532. Kritajnah -The
created and the knower of the creation. Kritam means “the universe that has
been created.” Jna means “the knower of all the objects.” The Supreme Self is
the material cause for the “knower” ego (Jna), and the effects constitute the
world of things and beings (Kritam). He who is the very substratum for both
cause and effect is the Absolute Self, the Lord. He is unconditioned by the
outer matter vestures such as body etc. and thus Lord Sri Narayana is the
Absolute Reality. Nowadays, this word (Kritajna) has come to mean “gratitude”
or “thanks-giving”. It is a cheap application of this deep meaning. To express
to my benefactor that “I have known (Jna) what he had done (Kritam) to help me”
is thanksgiving, and hence, this usage is today very popular in our vernacular.
533. Medineepatih -The
Lord of the Earth, Sri Narayana. The Preserver Vishnu as the husband of the
inert matter, Earth, is a concept at once immensely beautiful and deep,
philosophic and poetic.
534. Tripadah –“The
One who has taken the three steps.” This indicates, the Vamana-incarnation, and
how He measured, in just three steps, the entire universe. The jeeva, the
limited ego, meaning the seeker, has also to take three steps forward, to reach
across the delusion of the three worlds of sleep, dream and waking. The
meditator can measure these three “worlds” in three steps and arrive at his own
original Real Nature in his inner mystic experience.
535. Tridasaadhyakshah –“The Lord of the three steps”-the ‘three steps’ are waking, dream and
deep-sleep. One who is the Witness of the ‘three steps’ is the Self. It can
also mean that One who assumes, in His play, the three qualities of Sattva,
Rajas and Tamas-and yet, Himself, is not affected by anyone of them.
536. Mahaasringah –“The
Great-Horned.” The term indicates how the Lord in the Fish-incarnation tied the
ship to his great horn and sported in the waters of the deluge.
537. Kritaantakrit -He
is the destroyer of the “creation.” He is the Creator, in our subjective life,
of the inactive (taamasa) and positive (saattvic and raajasa) vaasanaas- the
sins and the merits. When the merits are more, the Lord provides a heaven for
them to exist and when the sins are more, they move into the lower wombs, where
sin-vaasanaas, too, get exhausted. An individual seeker when he exhausts all
the above vaasanaas, rises to the realm of the Self and gets totally identified
with the Self. Therefore, Sri Narayana is that State Divine, wherein all
created vaasanaas (Krita) get destroyed (Anta). Thus, the end (Anta) of the
vaasanaas (Krita) is called “total liberation” (Kritaantam). He who is the
giver of the’ krita’, Him- self is the giver of “total liberation”
(Kritaanta-krit)…. We find it also interpreted to mean that the Lord is one who
has destroyed (Krindanam) Lord Death (Kritaanta) himself. One who is the
destroyer’ Kritaanta’, in this sense we can take this term as meaning the Lord
who has taken the form of Rudra, the Destroyer-Lord Siva.
Stanza
58
mahaavaraaho
govindah sushenah kanakaangade
guhyo gabheero gahano guptaschakragadaadharah.
538. Mahaa-Varaahah -One who had manifested as the Great Boar. In order to heave up the
world from the slush that formed naturally when the waters of the deluge
receded. This is the third of the Lord’s incarnations.
539. Govindah -One
who is to be known (Vid) through the declarations of the Vedanta (Go). In
Vishnu Tilaka we read:
Here, “Gobhih” means the statements and
declarations of the Upanishads.
540. Sushenah -He
who has a charming army. The army of Vishnu is called as His Ganas. They are
mainly constituted of the great sages and hence, their compelling enchantment.
541. Kanakaangadee -The
bright-as-gold armlets. Armlets are ornaments worn on the upper arm covering
the shoulder and the top portion of the arm.
542. Guhyah -The
mysterious; the Profound. Due to the profound nature of the Truth even in the
upanishads the essential theme is mysteriously secretive. Therefore, the entire
Upanishadic literature is called as “the secret literature.” Vishnu is to be
realised in the secret chambers of the heart, so He is called as the Supreme
“Secret” (Guhya).
543. Gabheerah –“The
Unfathomable.” Even the Upanishads declare that He is unknown. The limited
human intellect cannot apprehend or visualise, or plumb the depth of, or
unravel the mystery of His Wisdom, Power, Strength or Purity.
544. Gahanah -He
is impenetrable; Imponderable. We cannot dash into the domain of His Nature
Divine. Through surrender alone can we reach the realm of the Self.
545. Guptah -The
Well-concealed. He is not easily revealed by words. Nor can the sense organs
ever recognise Him. All the Upanishads repeatedly declare that the Self-being
the very “subject,” the instruments of the body, mind and intellect can never
apprehend Him. He can only be apprehended by a steady mind that has been
purified by continuous meditation “Being the hidden nature of all beings he is
not manifested.”
546. Chakra-gadaa-dharah -One who is the bearer of the Discus and the Mace. His Chakra is called
Sudarsana; His Gadaa is called Kaumodakee. The ancient Acharyas have declared
that the Discus represents the Mind and the Mace represents the Intellect.
Stanza
59
vedhaah
svaangojitah krishno dridhah sankarshanochyutah
varuno vaaruno vrikshah pushkaraaksho mahaamanaah.
547. Vedhaah -One
who is the Creator of the whole universe, the Supreme who is expressing Himself
for the apparent function of creating the world of plurality. The Infinite
Truth functioning through the Total-Mind is the Creator-Hiranyagarbha.
According to Amarakosha, ‘Creator’ is called as Srashtaa, Prajaapatih or
Vedhaah.
548. Svaangah -It
is commented upon by some, as one who is beautiful, who has well proportioned
limbs. This meaning emphasises the glory and beauty of the form of the enchanting
Vishnu. The same term can also be interpreted as “Self-instrumental.” For the
projection of the pluralistic phenomenal world, He has no instrument other than
Himself. The Lord not only creates everything from Himself but He, Himself, is
the instrumental cause for the world. We have already indicated earlier that in
the making of anything, three causes must come into play, the “material-cause”
(mud), the “instrumental-cause” (the pot-maker’s wheel) and the “efficient-
cause” (the intelligent pot maker). In the case of the creation of the universe
all these three causes are intrinsically the Lord alone. Thus, He is the
material, from which He creates the world by Himself. This idea is expressed
here when the compelling beauty of the Lord’s form is being indicated by the
precious term “Self-instrumental.”
549. A -Jitah -One
who is vanquished by none- unconquered-and therefore, the unconquerable in any
of His incarnations. We never meet Him as vanquished in any of his
confrontations with mighty evil.
550. Krishnah –One
who incarnated in the Yaadava tribe as the son of Vasudeva and Devakee. It is
commented upon as ‘one who served the Hindu Spiritual World in the form of
Krishna Dvaipaayana’ which is the full name of Vyasa, the author of the
Puranas. However, Krishna also means ‘The Dark’; the one great Infinite
Consciousness that plays in us constantly, because of which we are aware of our
experiences, and yet, never can we directly apprehend this Source of All- life
within ourselves. The Krishna is the “unknown factor” that expresses through
us-whose manifestations are all our physical, mental and intellectual
capabilities. He is, therefore, called as the’ Unknown’, the ‘Dark’-Krishna.
551. Dridhah -“The
Firm.” One who is firm in His convictions, judgements, love and mercy. It is in
this sense that the Bhakti Marga describes the Lord often as ‘A-Dridhah’,
especially when a sinner prostrates before Him; meaning that in full repentance
were a criminal to surrender himself to the Lord’s Feet, the Infinite Justice
even wavers and becomes anxious to help the sinner out of his mistaken notions
and his consequent ugly actions. The Lord is ever vigilant to re-establish such
a one in his own wisdom, which is his real nature.
552. Sankarshano-achyutah -During the great dissolution of the entire universe of names and forms,
He, being the one who merges the entire plurality into His own essence-He is
called ‘Sankarshanah.’ When an individual sleeps, his entire world of
experiences get absorbed into himself and they all remain in seed condition in
the ‘Causal-body’ as mere vaasanaas. One who never falls away from His own
essential nature is called ‘Achyutah’ -one who knows no fall (Chyutih). The one
expression used here for the Lord is the combination of both these terms. The
Lord Narayana who absorbs the whole world into Himself at the time of the
deluge, and He who never falls away from His own Real Nature.
553. Varunah -Since,
in the evening, the sun reaches the western horizon (Varuna-Dik), the sun is
called Varunah. Also after his day’s functioning in the world, in the dusk he
gathers his scorching rays unto himself and disappears. Like the setting sun,
the Lord withdraws all the pluralistic world unto Himself. The Eternal Reality,
functioning through the sun as the sun’s energy and light, is described in the
Upanishads as the ‘Golden One’, and hence the appropriateness of using this
term Varunah for Narayana. The designation Soorya- Narayana is very familiar to
the students of Purana.
554. Vaarunah -The
son of Varunah is called Vaarunah. Both Vasishtha and Agastya are traditionally
considered as sons of Varunah. Therefore, the term indicates the Lord, who
manifested himself as Vasishtha or Agastya. Where-ever there is an explosive
expression of any spectacular glory of stupendous achievement, “understand them
all as coming out of my glory,” says Krishna in the Bhagavad Geeta.
The term can also be read in some manuscripts
as A - Vaarunah-meaning, according to some commentators, “one whose nature is
never subject to veiling.”
555. Vrikshah -In
the Upanishads the world emerging out of the Supreme Brahman is described
metaphorically as a ‘Tree’; in the Kathopanishad and in the Geeta, we read of
the Samsaara- Vriksha-the Tree of Life-exhaustively described. In the Puranas,
again we find, in more than 3 or 4 places, exhaustive descriptions of the world
manifested from the Lord as a ‘Tree.’
556. Pushkaraakshah -One who has eyes (Aksha) as beautiful as the lotus flowers (Pushkara);
the descriptive epithet: ‘Lotus-eyed.’ The Sanskrit term ‘Pushkara’ also means
the Universal-Space, thus, it also has the interpretation, “one who is ever
pervading all space.”
557. Mahaamanaah –“One
who has a great mind.” Narayana as the Lord (Eesvara) is the Supreme
Consciousness functioning through the Total-Mind, and He, with His Mind,
creates, sustains and destroys, fulfilling the great game of Samsar,
continuously.
Stanza
60
bhagavaan
bhagahaanandee vanamaalee halaayudhah
aadityo jyotiraadityah sahishnurgatisattamah.
558. Bhagavaan -The
word ‘Bhaga’, according to the Great Vishnu Purana means, “One who has all the
Six Great Glories-Wealth, Power, Dharma, Fame, Character, Knowledge and
Dispassion-is called ‘Bhagavaan’.” Again, Vishnu Purana says: “He is named
Bhagavaan who knows (a) the beginning and the end, (b) the arrival and
departure of beings, and also (c) Vidyaa and Avidyaa.” one who has all the six
glorious in himself alone in Bhagavan and these great mighty power atomically
come to Him, because his equipment is the Total-mind.
559. Bhagahaa -One
who destroys, during the deluge, the six glories just mentioned. At this time,
the lord absorbs everything unto himself, and in this sense the term,
“destroyer of all great glories. When thus the total -mind rest from its
self-willed projections, the world of plurality appears have to been absorbed
by the lord unto himself.
560. Aanandee
–“The one who gives delight.” the lord is himself Absolute Bliss, and those
devotees who move towards him in pure surrender, come to share his divine nature
of All-bliss. There is a version wherein we read this term as ‘Nandee’. Here,
too, there is no difference in meaning. also this term indicates: “Son of
Nandagopal”-lord krishna-who was natured and tended by Yasodaa and Nandagopal
throughout his childhood.
561. Vanamaalee -One
who wears always a garland of leavers and flowers named Vaijantee. Vaishnavas
declare this to represent the subtle aspect of very fine elements themselves,
(Bhoota-tanmaatraas).
562. Halayudhah –“One
who has the plough as his weapon.” he is brother of lord Krishna, Balaabhadra,
who is considered as the eight incarnation of lord Vishnu. Even today in our
country the farmer repeat Bala-rama’s name while ploughing for a successful
cultivation and profitable harvest.
563. Aadityah -One
who was born as the son of Adhiti and Kasyapa as Vaamana, who begged of Emperor
Bali three steps of ground and got all the three worlds.
564. Jyotir-aadityah –“The supreme who is the resplendence in the Sun.” the Atman expressing
as the glorious light and energy in the sun is meditated upon as lord Vishnu.
“One must meditate upon Vishnu who is adorned fully, holding in his hands the
conch and Discus, sitting in padmasana, enveloped in golden hue, in the centre
of the orb of the sun.” the Deity residing in the disc of the sun is Narayana
Himself. “Aat” -’from Vishnu’; “ityah” -’to be obtained and so He is called as
Aaditya. This interpretation gives us an insight into the meaning of the word
Sun, in Sanskrit-‘Aaditya’: “One from whom all creatures have to receive”! The
great-grand-giver is the Sun.
565. Sahishnuh -One
who calmly endures the pairs of opposites. One who is above them, and thus is
never influenced by these experiences of the physical and mental realms.
566. Gatisattamah -The
ultimate refuge for all devotees; the best (Highest) destination and at once
the noblest path. Lord Narayana. “Gati” means both the goal and the path. In
short, One who is himself the very essence of the spiritual liberation.
Stanza
61
sudhanvaa
khandaparasurdaaruno dravinnapradhah
divah-sprik sarvadrik vyaaso vaachaspatirayonijah.
567. Sudhanvaa -One
who has his glorious bow-called “Saarga.” Acoording to some, it represents the
sense organs and their activities.
568. Khanda-parasuh -One who has the axe- weapon-called “Parasu.” The Lord used this weapon
in His Incarnation as Parasuraama, the son of Jamadagni. It is endowed with
terrible prowess in cutting down the unholy enemies of the nobler life and so
it is called as the “Khanda-Parasu.” As such it means ‘one who wields the invincible
Parasu.’
569. Daarunah –“The
one who is merciless towards the unrighteous.” Up to a point the Lord is
All-mercy- but when He finds that no other method can save the individual, like
a surgeon at the operation theatre, He appears to be relentless-merciless.
570. Dravina-pradah -One who lavishly gives wealth asked for by His devotees. According to
Vyasa, Lord Vishnu gives to his true devotees the wealth of the Sastra
knowledge-the deeper and clearer understanding of the Science of Reality.
571. Divah-sprik –“The
Sky-reaching.” The Lord who revealed His Universal Form to Arjuna in the
Bhagavad Geeta.
572. Sarva-drik-vyaasah: -When considered as one word it means: “One who creates many omniscient
men of wisdom.” One who encourages the spread of knowledge and thus turns out
many men of wisdom and clearer understanding of life and the world. Or taken as
two words its interpretation can mean: “One who is Omniscient and Vyasa.” This
would mean, “The Lord who has expressed Him- self as Sri Veda Vyasa.” Vyasa is
the poet-philosopher who codified, compiled and edited the Vedas and published
them in four volumes-Rig Veda, with its 21 branches; Yajur Veda, with its 101
branches: Saama Veda, with its 1000 branches and the Atharvana Veda, with its 9
branches (or Saakhaas). He is the one who gave us the 18 Puranas and the
Brahmasootras. Hence he is called: “The Omniscient Vyasa.”
573. Vaachaspatir-ayonijah -One who is a master of all knowledge (Vidyaas) and who is unborn
through a mother’s womb.
Stanza
62
trisaamaa
saamagah .Saama nirvaanam bheshajam bhishak
samnyaasakrit-sanaah saanto nishthaa saantih paraayanam.
574. Trisaamaa –“One
who has been glorified by the three Saamas.” ‘Saama’ means divine songs-hence,
Veda. The one who has been praised by the singers of the Saama-Veda, those
called as the Devas, the Vratas and the Saamans.
575. Saamagah –“The
singer of the Saaman songs.” One who performs the actions prescribed in the
Saama Veda and who invokes the Lord is called, in Vedic terminology, the’
Udgaataa’.
576. Saama -The
Lord is the Saama Veda. This is to indicate the sacredness of the very Book.
Lord Krishna has confessed in the Geeta: “Of Vedas lam the Saama Veda.”
577. Nirvaanam -The
Lord is of the very nature of “Ever-liberated, Ever-free.” There is no trace of
imperfection and sorrow in Him whose nature is, All-Bliss.
578. Bheshajam –‘Bheshajam’
means ‘medicine.’ Hence, He who is the very specific cure for the disease of
Samsar (change, becoming).
579. Bhishak -One
who is the ‘Physician,’ who is the ‘cure’ for the disease of Samsar. Or it can
also mean that the Lord manifested during the “churning of the Milky Ocean “ as
the Deity of Medicine, holding the pot of Amrita in His hand- The Lord
Dhanvantari. In Indian systems of Medicines, He is considered as the presiding
Deity of the Medical Sciences. Vishnu manifested as this Lord of Doctors, where
upon this name for Him: “Doctor” (Bhishak).
580. Samnyaasa-krit
-Lord is the institutor of the fourth stage of life (Aasrama) called
‘Samnyaasa’ which is meant for those who walk the path of total renunciation.
The One who, in His Infinite Grace, gives the needed qualifications unavoidable
for Samnyaasa.
581. Samah –“The
Calm.” One who exists without the mind running out into the passions of the
sense-organs. “ In Samnyaasa, He teaches the life of calmness and quietude and
in the accumulated inner peace, the final experience is gained. The Smriti
prescribes the duties of the four stages as: “The duty of the ‘Brahmachari’ is
service; for the ‘House- holder’, charity; for the ‘Forest-dweller’ is the duty
of restraint, and for the ‘Samnyaasin’ ‘Calmness’. Samnyaasa without Sama is
inconceivable and this ‘Calmness’ is His nature.
582. Saantah -One
who is quiet within, as in Him the sense-organs are perfectly controlled. The
Upanishads glorify the Supreme State as actionless, partless, peaceful. This is
a declaration from Svetaasvatara Upanishad.
583. Nishthaa -The
Abode of all beings, not only while living, but during the Pralaya (deluge).
During this Cosmic dissolution, the entire living creatures merge back into
their Vaasanaas, (seed-form), and remain in Him. Therefore, He is called, “The
Abode of the Universe.”
584. Saantih –“One
whose very nature is Peace.” Agitations are caused by desires and the consequent
temptations to strive for, acquire and indulge in them. In the All-Full, there
is no desire, hence He need not seek His fulfilment among the perishable
objects of the universe, and so He is Peace.
585. Paraayanam -The
Supreme Goal is Narayana. After reaching Him there is no return In short, the
term indicates that Narayana is the way to the Supreme Liberation (Moksha).
Stanza
63
subhaangah
saantidah srashtaa kumudah kuvalesayah
gohito gopatir goptaa vrishabhaaksho vrishapriyah.
586. Subhaangah -One
who has the most beautiful form. That one who is enchanting, most handsome.
587. Saantidah -Narayana
dispenses that Peace which puts an end to likes and dislikes (Raaga-Dvesha). He
is the One who cleanses the mind of His devotees and gives to each the inner
Peace and Joy.
588. Srashtaa –“The
Creator of all beings.” In the beginning, He has created all from Himself as
the Great Five Elements: (Viranchi).
589. Kumudah -The
reveller in the Earth. The term ‘Ku’ means Earth. Therefore, the term means “He
who delights in the Earth.”
590. Kuvalesayah -He
who reclines in the waters (Kuvala). Waters surround the earth, thus it is
called as Kuvala. The term can also mean the ‘Crawler’-meaning ser- pent. In
this sense it indicates-” Sarpa-Saaye”: “One who reclines upon the Great
Sesha”-the Divine “Sesha-Saaye.”
591. Go-hitah -One
who does the Cow-welfare-work, always. Sree Krishna, through many incidents,
helps to develop and conserve the sacred animal, Cow, for, the very existence
of Bharat’s dispensation depends upon the Cow; the agriculture being
essentially Cow-centred. ‘Go’ also means Earth. Thus: “One who saved the world”
from the materialists and their designs of excesses and imperfect vision. One
who protects against the irresponsible havoc, for example, of Ravana and
others; all inimical to the genius of the natural Bhaarateeya Samskriti.
592. Go-patih –“The
husband of the Earth.” Or, One who is the Lord protecting all those who are
weary of their samsaaric life of passions and desires. Such ones, exhausted by
grazing in the pastures of dissipation’ and enervated from the world of
happenings, are comparable to cows. Hence Narayana is called here as the “Lord
of the Cows”, -‘Gopaala.’ ‘Go’ also may be interpreted as ‘sense-organs’. In
this way the term suggests “Lord of the Sense-Organs,” Sri Narayana, the Self.
593. Goptaa -The
root ‘Gup’ has two meanings: to protect; to veil. Thus ‘Goptaa’ can imply “One
who protects the universe” or “One who, by His Maayaa, veils the glory of the
Divine Self within.
594. Vrishabhaakshah -One whose eyes rain fulfilment of all desires of His devotees. He sees
the un- expressed desires of His devotees and fulfils them easily. Or it can be
taken that Sri Narayana is “One whose eyes are Dharma Itself”; meaning, One who
sees righteousness clearly and continuously. If one wants to see clearly
righteousness, he must cultivate and develop the Narayana vision.
595. Vrisha-priyah: -Vishnu delights in Dharma. ‘Vrisha’ means’ Dharma,’ so the term can be
dissolved as “One who delights in Dharma”. Or it can signify, “One who is
beloved of the virtuous, the Good.”
Stanza
64
anivartee
nivrittaatmaa samksheptaa kshemakrit-sivah
sreevatsavakshaah sreevaasah sreepatih sreemataam varah.
596. Anivartee –“One
who never knows retreat.” During the clashes between the Good (Devas) and the
Bad (Asuras), Narayana never retreats. He is One Who never turns back from
Dharma; for He is its friend and protector.
597. Nivritta-atmaa -One who is fully restrained from all sense indulgences. So long as the
equipments of our experiences-the Body, Mind and Intellect-are roaming about in
their pleasures-among objects, emotions and thoughts-our attention is
dissipated and is not available for the contemplation of the Higher, the Self.
Narayana is the Atman in all, and to reach Him we have to retire from the
fields of our indulgences. Hence, He is indicated as the “Restrained-Self.”
598. Samksheptaa -The
One who absorbs unto Himself the entire universe of multiplicity during the
dissolution-the “Involver.” Narayana presides over not only the evolution but
also is the controller at the involution. In some readings, we find this term
as “ Asamksheptaa”-meaning “One who never abandons His devotees.”
599. Kshema-krit –“The
doer of Good”; One who protects and guides the devotees. “Kshema” signifies
protecting what has been gained, and it includes “ Yoga” also, meaning
“acquiring things not yet gained.” In Geeta, Lord Krishna promises that “I
shall govern both your’ Yoga’ and ‘Kshema’
when you are a true devotee.”
600. Sivah -Lord
Narayana is adored here as Sivah and, at the same time, all Vaishnavites repeat
Vishnu- sahasranaama. Human prejudices have no logic or reason. Sri Narayana is
Siva (auspiciousness) and there is no difference between the two. “I am the
dweller of Vaikuntha, Vishnu. Between us there is no difference,” so says Lord
Siva Himself. Vishnu is the “Purifier” (Siva), as His names, when chanted, and
His form-divine, when meditated upon, become a means of quietening the mind and
sharpening our perceptions of the subtler and the transcendental.
601. Sreevatsa-vakshaah -One who has the mark, Sreevatsa, upon His divine and sacred chest.
602. Sree-vaasah -The
Abode of Sree; the dwelling place of Mother Lakshmi. This term is dissolved
as “Sree”-all glory and riches-ever
dwell in His bosom of love and beauty.
603. Sree-patih -The
Lord of Goddess Lakshmi. During the great churning of the Ocean of Milk,
holding a lotus in hand, there rose Lakshmi from it, and She chose, among all
gods, Lord Vishnu as Her Beloved Husband. Hence Narayana is Sree-Patih, the
Lord of Sree. The Svetasvatara upanishad says: “The Supreme Sakti of Him is
declared to be various.” Sree represents the Energy (Paraa Sakti) in the
universe. Lord Narayana is the One Vital Truth that functions through the Paraa
Sakti and gives Her the dynamism to act and to accomplish.
604. Sreemataam-varah: -The best among those who have glory-in-life, (Sree), is Narayana.
Taittireeya Braahmana says, “The Rig, Yajus and Saaman are the imperishable
wealth of the wise”, so Sree has been interpreted here to mean the Vedas. Lord
Narayana is the One who is the Best among those who know the ‘Books’; He being
the very Infinite Reality that is the one theme of all the Vedas. Also Varah
can mean “One Who blesses” and thus the term under discussion yields the
meaning, “Vishnu, Who is the Lord That blesses all great students of the
Vedas.”
Stanza
65
sreedah
sreesah sreenivaasah sreenidhih sreevibhaavanah
sreedharah sreekarah sreyah sreemaan-lokatrayaasrayah.
605. Sree-dah -One
who gives Sree to all His sincere and dedicated devotees. Narayana provides
wealth, for all His ardent devotees. He is the River of Knowledge and Joy for
all devoted hearts which are surrendered to Him.
606. Sreesah -The
Lord of the Goddess of Wealth, Sree-Mahalakshmi. Her wealth is ‘the ability to
nourish.’ Thus She gives to the striving devotee, the mighty and noble virtues,
his inner wealth.
607. Sree-nivaasah -One
who dwells and manifests in the good people. Here the word Sree is to be understood
as “those who have Sree in them.” The One Who abides in purified hearts-wherein
the passions and lusts have been removed and peace, joy, devotion and
understanding have arrived. In such people the Self comes to shine all by
Itself.
608. Sree-nidhih -One
Who is the treasure- house (Nidhih) of Sree. Vishnu, being the All-Full and
Perfect, all glories draw themselves from Him alone. Even Sree-Maayaa --can
play Her games only when She draws Her vitality from Narayana, the Self.
609. Sree-bibhaavanah –“One Who is a Distributor of Sree.” Vishnu provides each, according to
his merit, the wealth, both inner and outer. Sree Narayana is the Law behind
actions and so He is the Dispenser of the fruits- of-actions.
610. Sree-dharah -Lord
always carries Sree in His bosom. In short, Atman, the Self, is never divorced
from Its omnipotence and All-Fullness.
611. Sree-karah -One
Who confers Sree upon His devotees who remember Him continuously, reflect upon
His nature and meditate upon His Glories.
612. Sreyah -Narayana
is Moksha-Liberation. He is the Way and the Goal. He gives to His devotees the
total liberation from all their physical passions, emotional agitations and
intellectual restlessnesses.
613. Sreemaan –One
Who possesses all Glories, Riches, Capacities and Beauties. He who is the owner
of all Sree; the abode of all Its Splendour.
614. Lokatraya-asrayah -The Shelter for the three worlds. The Substratum for the three
worlds-of-experiences (waking, dream and deep-sleep). If the Self, the
Consciousness, were not in us, no experience would ever be ours. Narayana is
this “objectless awareness.”
Stanza
66
svakshah
svangah sataanando nandirjyotirganesvarah
vijitaatmaa vidheyaatmaa salkeertischhinnasamsayah.
615. Svakshah -Brilliantly
“Beautiful-Eyed”. is Vishnu.
616. Svangah –“Beautiful-Limbed.”
Most hand- some form, captivating the hearts of all His loving devotees.
617. Sataanandah -One
who divides Himself into the infinite Jeevas, manifesting through the different
equipments and experiences in all of them. “Of infinite varieties of Joys”:
gained through the individual equipments from each one’s appointed field of
things and beings.
618. Nandih –“Infinite
Bliss” is the nature or Vishnu as the Supreme Self. Thus by this term, Nandih,
He is called.
619. Jyotir-ganesvarah -The Lord of the luminaries in the Cosmos is Narayana. He, as the Self,
gives light to al! brilliant things in life. The Sun, itself, receives its
light borrowed from the Infinite, Ever-Effulgent Self. Kathopanishad describing
the Self as the Light or Consciousness declares, “When He shines all else
shines after Him.”
620. Vijitaatmaa -One
who has conquered the sense-organs. That devotee who is no more a slave to his
sense-organs comes to experience the necessary mental quiet with which Narayana,
the Self, can be apprehended.
621. Vidheyaatmaa -One
who has come to live under the command of the Higher Self or One Who is ever
available for devotees to command in love. Some read this as “A- Vidheya-Atmaa”
-in which case it declare$ that Narayana is “One Who is of Unfathomable
Nature-Divine.” One who obeys none, but all obey His Will is “ A-
Vidheyaatmaa.”
622. Sat-keertih -Of
Pure Fame is Narayana. He is the husband of Sree and therefore He is famous.
623. Chhinnasamsayah -One, whose doubts are ever at rest, or solved. Doubts regarding the
Supreme can be only so long as we try to experience and comprehend Him with our
Intellect. He is the very subjective vitality in the Intellect. So, on
transcending the Intellect, the seeker can “become” the Self in a non-mediate
experience, intimate and immediate. Once having become the Self, there cannot
be any spiritual doubts. Therefore Narayana, the Self, is known as “The One in
whom all doubts are resolved.” In Geeta, Arjuna admits that all his doubts were
cleared.
Stanza
67
udeernah
sarvataschakshuraneesah saasvatasthirah
bhoosayo bhooshano bhootirvisokah sokanaasanah.
624. Udeernah –“The
Great Transcendent.” He is the Infinite beyond all finitude, beyond all
limitations and change, and therefore, beyond decay. Transcending all
equipments of our experiences, as the Self in all, Sri Narayana revels as the
Immutable Transcendental Reality, the sole substratum for the entire universe
of forms and actions.
625. Sarvatah-chakshuh –“One Who has eyes everywhere.” Geeta declares Truth, the Pure
Consciousness, as “Hands and legs everywhere, eyes-face-mouth everywhere.”
Vishnu, as the Consciousness, is the One Self That sees through all eyes in the
world, hence He, through all eyes, sees everywhere at all times. If He is not,
the eyes are blind; when He is the indweller. The eyes then see-therefore, all
eyes are only His.
626. Aneesah –“One
Who has none to lord over Him.” The Supreme Lord is He. Mahanarayana upanishad
says, “None rules over Him.”
627. Saasvata-sthirah –“One Who is ever Eternal and Stable”-never changing, thus permanent
(Eternal) and ever-the-same (Stable). The body changes, the mind modifies, the
intellect grows into new dimensions-but the Consciousness that illumines them
all with Its Light of Knowledge is ever-the-same through childhood, through
youth, in middle years and old-age. It is the Changeless throughout, hence
Eternal and ever-the-same with- out any change.
628. Bhoosayah –“Resting
on the Earth” is the word-meaning of this term, so it may signify One Who
rested on the shores of the ocean, on His Way to Lanka- referring to Sri
Ramachandraji. Or, one who slept (on) the Earth-meaning the Lord is Bhoo-Pati,
the Husband of the Mother Earth. Or, its intention may also be: “One in whom the
world rests” at the time of dissolution.
629. Bhooshanah –“One
Who adorns the world”: physically with the infinite beauties of His Creation;
emotionally He gives love and other finer instincts, and intellectually He is
the One behind all great, noble and beautiful thoughts which have enriched
human life, history and culture. Lord Narayana, in His various Incarnations,
has also glorified the world.
630. Bhootih -One
who is the Pure “BE”-ness or Existence. “ Bhooti” also means Glories
(Aisvarya), so He is One Who is the treasure-house of all Glories.
631. Visokah -Narayana
is sorrow-less; grief- less. He is the Self, transcending all matter vestures.
At the body-mind-intellect level there are agitations and so there are sorrows.
He is beyond them all, so He, as the Absolute Reality, is indicated as
All-Blissful. Disturbances of sorrow or grief can never molest His nature of
Infinite Bliss--ever contented, ever desire-less.
632. Soka-naasanah -The
destroyer of all sorrows for His devotees. One who lifts the suffering ego-
sense out of its meaningless identification with the changing, pain-breeding,
equipments and gives it the true wisdom of Its Divine Nature. To those who
truly worship “To them I shall be, err long, a Saviour from the Ocean of
Samsar”, promises Lord Krishna in the Bhagavat Geeta.
Stanza
68
archishmaanarchitah
kumbho visuddhaatmaa visodhanah
aniruddhoapratirathah pradyumnoamitavikramah.
633. Archishmaan –“The
Effulgent.” As Pure Consciousness, Narayana is the Source of all Light. The
Kathopanishad confirms this when it declares, “There, neither the sun nor the
moon, nor the stars nor the lightning, has any effulgence; how then can this
Fire-light illumine It? By Its Light alone, all else in the world is
illumined.”
634. Architah -One
who is constantly worshipped by His devotees. Even Brahmaaji (The Creator) and
Siva (The Destroyer) are worshipping Sri Narayana (The Preserver). Hence this
term, “The Worshipped” for Lord Vishnu.
635. Kumbhah –“The
pot.” The Lord, the Self, is called as “the pot” because just as things are
contained within a pot, so the whole universe rests within Him, the “Container”
and “Sustainer.” Everything and every happening is within Him alone.
636. Visuddha-atmaa –“One Who has the purest Soul.” When the Self is cleansed of all
passions and thought agitations, in that uncontaminated purity It is realised.
Therefore, the Lord, the Self, is called the Pure Atman, completely bereft of
all equipments and their passions, all disturbances from desire. One who is
beyond the “Three Gunas,” Trigunaateetah, meaning one who transcends all the
Vaasanaas that generate the three moods constituting the entire phenomenon,
Maayaa.
637. Visodhanah –“The
Great Purifier.” The One, meditating upon whom all vaasanaas get exhausted and
the personality purified from these desires, becomes free of all its
accustomed, existent agitations. He who is the very Source of Purity; who lends
purity even to the sacred-places. By remembering Him, the human heart becomes
cleansed of its sins, immaculately swept of all consequent feelings of
restlessness.
638. Aniruddhah -Of
the four manitestations (Vyoohas) of Vishnu, the Aniruddha manifestation is
indicated here. The four Vyoohas are: (I) Vaasudevah; (2) Samkarshanah; (3)
Pradyumnah; and (4) Aniruddhah. The term can also mean “He Who is invincible by
any of His enemies.”
639. Apratirathah -One who is never challenged by any enemies
and who has no enemies to even threaten Him. Sri Narayana is without enemies;
in His loving Presence they are vanquished.
640. Pradyumnah –“Very
Rich.” Lord is Lakshmi-Pati and, in His benevolence, He gives riches and mighty
glory to His devotees. Pradyumnah can also be the third of His four
manifestations as Vyoohas.
641. Amita-vikramah -Of immeasurable Prowess is Sri Narayana. The Self, the Supreme, is
Omnipotent and none can stand against Him. It can also mean, “One who has
un-measurable steps” exhibited in His Divine performance in His Vamana
Incarnation.
Stanza
69
kaalaneminihaa
veerah saurih soorajanesvarah
trilokaatmaa trilokesah kesavah kesihaa harih.
642. Kaalaneminihaa -The slayer of the Asura, Kaalanemi. “Kaala” means ‘Time.’ The Self is
the ‘destroyer of time’ as It is beyond the intellect and ‘time’ is but a
concept of the intellect only.
643. Veerah –“The
Heroic Victor.” One who is ever victorious.
644. Saurih -Born
in the Soorasena-clan, in Jagannaath-which, in the Puranas, is called the
Utkala country. Also, Sauri can indicate the One who has invincible prowess
always.
645. Soorajanesvarah –“The Lord of the valiant.” Sri Narayana, the fountain-head of
irresistible might. He is invoked by the victorious, and is the Source of
strength from which even lndra and others draw their vigour.
646. Triloka-atmaa –“The
Reality, the Self of the three worlds.” The ‘three-worlds’ are the three
‘fields of experiences’: the waking, the dream and the deep-sleep. As the Pure
Consciousness, in the Light of which the waker-dreamer- sleeper comes to
experience all the ‘three-worlds,’ the Self, Sri Narayana is called “The Atman
of the three-worlds.”
647. Triloka-eesah –“The
Lord of the three-worlds.” Lord is One in whose presence all activities take
place; in Whose absence all activities cease. He is called the Lord, the Great
Proprietor. When life, the Self, manifests in a body, all experiences take
place; when life is extinct, all activities cease. Hence Lord Narayana is the
Self, the spark of Existence in all creatures.
648. Kesavah -Generally
it is meant to describe Lord Krishna as “One Who has long hairs.” But Kesas are
the rays of the Lord that illumine the Sun, Moon and such other effulgent
things of the Cosmos. “The rays of mine that illumine (the Sun, etc.) are
called Kesas. Therefore. the wise Brahmins call Me, Kesava.” Also’ Ka’ means
Brahmaa, the Creator and ‘Eesa’ means Siva, the Destroyer. Both of them have
sprung from Vishnu, the Preserver, hence He is called Kesavah.
649. Kesihaa -One
Who destroyed the Asura called Kesi.
650. Harih -The
Lord is called “The Destroyer.” He, it is, who destroys the false values and
the inner conflicts created by man in his own life and in his consequent
discordant contact with the world around him. These confusions and sorrows
created by man, for man in life, due to his own ignorance of his own divine
nature, is called Samsaara. Lord Narayana is the Destroyer of this
Samsara-sorrows in His devotees.
Stanza
70
kaamadevah
kaamapaalah kaamee kaantah kritaagamah
anirdesyavapurvishnurveeroananto dhananjayah.
651. Kaamadevah –“The
Beloved Lord.” One who is a seeker must necessarily get charmed by the Glory of
Sree Narayana, and by the influence of this captivating love He is to be
worshipped. Thus One Who is to be loved and worshipped by the seekers who
strive for the four “aspirations-in-life”-Purushaarthas. There is also this
meaning for the term: “The One Who is Pradyumnah”-since Pradyumna- form is an
incarnation of Kaama (Love).
652. Kaamapaalah –“The
Fulfiller of Desires of all His true devotees.” Those who in their sincere
attitude and love for Him alone are surrendered unto Him, their hearts’ inner
longings are satisfied by Him. The same idea finds similar but varied
interpretation in that Koomapaalah can imply “One Who had taken the incarnation
of Balarama,” for Balarama is called as the “Wielder-of-the-plough”
(Hala-ayudhah) or as Kaamapaalah. Thus it can also mean “Protector (Paalah) of
His devotees” (Kaama, meaning the ‘Desired Ones’).
653. Kaamee -One
who has fulfilled all His desires. Desire is an expression of an inherent sense
of in- completeness-and this insufficiency unto oneself is called ignorance of
the Self. The non-apprehension of Reality gives rise to endless
misapprehensions of the same. Sree Narayana is the Self, the Reality, and so
all non-apprehensions must end in Him, then no desires can ever remain in Him
demanding fulfilment. He is “One of fulfilled desires” ...Some commentators
give just the opposite explanation, since the term Kaamee in Sanskrit can also
mean “One who has desires.” Here it would mean that Lord Vishnu is the Supreme
Reality who “desired to create” the world of plurality. The Upanishads roar:
“He desired” (Sah akaamayata). The creative urge in the Supreme is that which
expressed as the apparent illusion of a playful creation of multiplicity and
the endless varieties in them.
654. Kaantah –“Of Enchanting-Form;”
“Supremely-Handsome;” the “Beauty of Beauty itseIf.” In all His Incarnations we
find Him described as extremely charming with His Grace and Beauty. In Sanskrit
the term Kah means the Creator, Brahmaaji. In this sense, therefore, Kaantah can
suggest “One Who destroys even the Creator during the dissolution.”
655. Kritaagamah -The
author of the Scriptures (Aagamas). Sruti and Smriti form the Aagamas. Or in
perfect harmony with the preceding term where Lord is termed as the destroyer
of even the Creator at the time of deluge, some commentators have again
interpreted this term as “The One Who is the inaugurator of the Krita-Yuga.”
This means the Lord is One into Whom the world dissolves and from Whom the
world rises up again.
656. Anirdesya-vapuh –“Of Indescribable Form;” “Of Indefinable Nature.” Since the Lord
transcends the Elements and is the very cause for the three Gunas- as the pure
Self, expressing Itself through the body, mind and intellect of man-it becomes
impossible to describe or define His Form.
657. Vishuh –“All-Pervading.”
One who pervades the entire Visvam. In His Visvaroopa-Form in Geeta XI we have
from Arjuna a description of the dazzling wonderment of Him as “
All-pervading.”
658. Veerah –“The
Valiant;” “The Courageous- the One of heroic exploits.” The root’ ‘Vi’ often
means creation, radiance existence, involution or motion. One who has a1l these
powers is called Veerah.
659. Anantah -“Infinite;
Endless.” That which is unconditioned by Time-Space-Substance is ‘Infinite.’ None
can discover the end or such a Truth. Conditioned things will all have an end-a
change from one condition to another. The Infinite is totally unconditioned, so
unlimited, and naturally, therefore, changeless. Hence Narayana is Infinite.
660. Dhananjayah -One
who had gained through his conquest and his prowess vast wealth for the
enrichment of his country. From his various campaigns, Arjuna had brought great
wealth to the land. In Geeta, Lord Krishna says: “I am Dhananjaya, among the
sons of Pandu.
Stanza
71
brahmanyo
brahmakrit brahmaa brahma brahmavivardhanah
brahmavid braahmano brahmee brahmajno braahmanapriyah.
661. Brahmanyah -One
who is a great friend of Brahman. The term Brahman includes in its connotation
the Sastra, Tapas, Vedas, Truth, Knowledge, etc. Sree Narayana is a protector
and friend of all these. Here Brahman means Jeeva-a friend of all individuals.
662. Brahma-krit -The
One Who performs the Brahman-meaning the one who lives in Truth, who abides in
Tapas, etc. He is the author of Brahman as enumerated in the explanation of the
preceding term.
663. Brahmaa –“Creator.”
As the total Creative- power, it is Narayana Who functions as Creator through
Brahmnaji.
664. Brahma –“The
Biggest, the Vastest, the An- Pervading.” Upanishads thunderingly declare the
Brahman to be “Existence-Knowledge Infinite.” The Knowledge which lifts all
false perceptions of differences, pure in all its aspects, ever beyond the
grasp of the senses, and that which can be experienced only in one’s own Self,
is called Brahman.”
665. Brahma-vivardhanah –“One who increases the Brahman.” Here, of course, the term Brahman
means “Austerities, Vedas, Truth, Knowledge.” These are increased in one who
has earned the Grace of Sree Narayana through total surrender and constant devotion.
666. Brahma-vit
–“One Who knows Brahman.” The meaning here is one who has intuited the Vedas
and their full commentaries. In Geeta (XV) we listen to the Lord declaring
that: “I alone am the Author of the Vedas and the Knower of the Vedas.” Brahman
alone can “know” Brahman just as the “dreamer” can never survive to know the
“waker.” The knower-of-the-waker is the “Waker” alone. Similarly, the
individualised ego conditioned by the equipments of Body, Mind and Intellect
experiences the Brahman only when it has transcended the entanglements of
matter-and then the ego is no more a Jeeva but “becomes Brahman.” Thus the
Higher is experienced only by the Higher. Sree Narayana is the Brahman-and
therefore, He alone is the Knower of Brahman.
667. Braahmanah -One
who has realised that the pluralistic world is a mere superimposition upon the
Brahman caused by an error of judgement, and who experiences the Supreme
Consciousness of the One Reality is a Braahmanah. His duty is to convey this
knowledge to others with a pure missionary zeal and a higher proselytising
enthusiasm. By mere accident of birth one does not become a Braahmanah.
Visvamitra and others through their Tapas and Divine Experience had reached the
status of Brahmin-hood, so we read in the Puranas. Narayana manifests as such
mighty men of realisation, serving their generations through their teachings.
668. Brahmee
–“One Who is with Brahma.” The term Brahma meaning as before –“Austerities,
Vedas, Truth and Knowledge-divine.”
669. Brahma-jnah -One who
lives ever in Brahman, and so “knows” the nature of the Brahman. He, the Lord,
being the very Brahman, no one knows His nature as He Himself can. The “waker”
alone knows the waking- the “dreamer” and “sleeper” can never realise and
experience the waking-state until they “become” the “waker.”
670. Braahmana-priyah -One who is the beloved or and One Who is the lover of true men of full
realisation, the Braahmanas. Not the caste, but the men of supreme
experience-divine. The Lord is dear to them, and they too are dear to Him.
Stanza
72
mahaakramo
mahaakarmaa mahaatejaah mahoragah
mahaakraturmahaayajvaa mahaayajno mahaahavih.
671, Mahaakramah –“Of
Great-Step.” Directly we are reminded of the Vamana-Incarnation when the Lord
measured the three worlds by His three steps. It also indicates the root
meaning of the term, Vishnu-”The one who has the long stride-meaning, “
All-pervading.” Since He is All-pervading, He reaches everywhere earlier than
all others.
672. Mahaakarmaa –“One
Who performs great deeds.” The creation, the dissolution, the protection and
the spread of the Knowledge-of- Truth, all these are indeed great undertakings.
He alone performs them, through Maha- Purushas who have surrendered themselves
unto Him-those who, in total surrender, have indeed become one with the Lord in
love and being.
673.
Mahaatejaah –“Of
Great Resplendence.” The Upanishads glorify Him in that even the Sun, Moon, the
stars and fire have no light of their own. By Him they shine, the Giver of Light
to all. In the Geeta, the Lord insists that “The Supreme is the Light of all
lights, beyond all darkness” and again He asserts, “Understand that Light in
the Sun by which the whole world is illumined, and that Light in the Moon and
in the fire to be My own Light.” Here the Light of Consciousness, the Self, is
indicated.
674. Mahoragah –“The
Great Serpent.” Uraga means serpent In Geeta, Bhagavan says (Among the nagas,
the many-hooded serpents, I am Ananta.) Ananta is the five-headed Great Serpent
also called Sesha, upon which the Lord Vishnu reclines. Again in Geeta the Lord
says (Among the serpents I am Vasuki), Mythologically, this is the serpent
adorning Lord Siva's ring finger, Though so small as to become a ring for the
Lord, it was this Vaasuki who offered himself as the great rope in churning the
milky ocean. This paradox reminds us of the Upanishadic declaration (Smaller
than the smallest and greater than the greatest).
675. Mahaakratuh –“The
Great Sacrifice.” The Supreme cannot be experienced without the greatest
sacrifice, the total sacrifice of the Ego, the jeeva-Bhaava. The Great Sacrifice indicates
traditionally the Asvamedha Yaaga. There- fore, some commentators explain this
term “as one who is of the very form of Asvamedha Yaaga.”
676. Mahaayajvaa –“One Who had performed Great Yajnas.” In the
Rama-Incarnation, He had performed Asvamedha- Yaaga. He is the One, by Whose
Grace, all “Sacrifices” are fulfilled successfully. One who performs sacrifice
properly and faithfully is called Yajvaa.
677. Mahaayajnah –“The Great Yajna,” In Bhagavat Geeta, the Lord in
describing His Immanence in the world says to Arjuna: “I am among the Yajnas,
the Japa- Yajna.” Lord Narayana Himself is the greatest Yajna- therefore, in
devotion approach Him and gain His Grace. The Japa Yajna is glorified by the
Lord as the greatest sacrifice because it is both the essential means of all
other Yajnas and transcends them all as an end in itself, by maintaining a
constant stream of the same divine thoughts in the mind.
678. Mahaa-havih –“The
Great Offering.” The yajna is He; the very things offered to the sacred fire,
the Havis, are also He. Geeta tells us, “We offer to Brahman that which is
Brahman, in the fire which is Brahman, and the act of offering is also
Brahman.”
Stanza
73
stavyah
stavapriyah stotram stutih stotaa ranapriyah
poornah poorayitaa punyah punyakeertiranaamayah.
679. Stavyah –“One Who is the object of all praise”-meaning, One
Who deserves all our praise but One who has none top praise, he is praised by all and he
praises none. The jeeva invokes him; the self, the atman, never invokes the
ignorant jeeva.
680.
Stava-priyah –One
who is invoked through the loving chants of the devoted hearts. When a devoted
seeker melts away in singing the praise of the lord, his physical, mental and intellectual
preoccupations with objects, emotions and thoughts silently roll away from him.
In such quiet moments they rise above their present nature and explode into the
realms of experiences of the higher state of divine consciousness – Sree
Narayana.
681.
Stotram –“The
hymn.” A glorious hymn, that describes the lords divine nature, itself is he,
as the words lift the singer into the experience of the supreme nature of the
truth. It is infallible if the singer of the Hymn has full devotion and ardent
aspiration to realise him. “Naama” and “Naamee” are one and the same in
experience.
682.
Stutih –“The
act of praise.” The very noble, divine “act of invoking the lord” is by his
grace alone.
683.
stotaa –“One
who adores or praises.” The true devotee, singing the divine hymns is also of
the nature of supreme peace, love, beauty, goodness- the divine qualities
attributed to the lord in whom he dissolves through his songful identification.
Such a devotee in this at–one–ment with Him, the lord praises again and again
as “He is the one dear to Me.”
684.
Rana-priyah –“Lover
of Battles.” Hence we see sree Narayana ever carrying his mace and discuss in
order to destroy the vulgar and thus protect the decent. Here “battle” is the
constant struggle for evolution.
685.
Poornah –“The
Full.” The infinite is ever the same. Though things are apparently emerging out
of it, still the supreme remains irreducible and without a change. Lord
Narayana is Ever-Full with is own glories and powers; One who is full with all
the wealth, inner and outer, the supreme lakshmi-pati.
686.
Poorayitaa –“The
Fulfiller.” Lord Hari fulfils, surely, all the desires and demands of his true
devotees.
687.
Punyah –“The
truly–Holy.” When the devotee’s heart is filled with remembrance of the
glorious from divine and infinite nature and supreme of the lord Vishnu, he
then, in that very moment, removes all sin from his devotee’s heart. The lord
is Auspiciousness itself, so where he is invoked, all inauspiciousness must
immediately retire.
688.
Punya-keertih
–“Of Holy frame.” He is gloriously renowned as the holy one. Whoever glorifies
him becomes himself holy. All the unholy animal passions in the devotee are
routed and beaten back when his heart is wholly in tune with the lord’s Glory
and Form.
689. Anaamayah –One
who has neither the mental or physical diseases. Of pure unstained divine
essence is his nature. He is not involved in karmas, thus the resultant of the
karmas which visit us in terms of mental restlessness or physical pangs, never
touch Him.
Stanza
74
manojavasteerthakaro
vasurtaah vasurpradah
vasuprado vaasudevo vasurvasumanaah havih.
690. Manojavah –Fleet
as the mind is the Lord’s movement. He is anxious to run and reach the devotee
to remove his suffering and ignorance. All-pervading is the lord, thus he is
faster than all those who run after him – and wherever they reach, the supreme,
He, in the form of existence, is already there.
691 Teerthakarah –“The
Teacher of the Teerthas” The term, Teertha” means vidyaas. Sree Narayana is the
author of the Vidyaa, or auxiliary Sciences Therefore, “One Who is the most
ancient Teacher of all Vidyaas and Tantras.”
692 Vasuretaah –“He
Whose Essence is Golden.” In the beginning of Creation were the primeval waters
Into this One Ocean the Lord dropped His Essence and it became a Golden Egg
from which Brahmaa, the Creator, first arose Thus Lord, as the womb of all
Creation is mentioned in the Puranas as “Hiranyagarbha,” the Golden Womb
693 Vasupradah –“The
Free-Giver of Wealth” Inn this context, Vasu means “Worldly-Wealth”- money,
property, grains, possessions, progeny Lord Vishnu who nourishes and maintains
all beings with the wealth of His consort, Sree Laksmi, distributes and
patronises His devotees very liberally
694. Vasupradah -Again,
the same term as we read above, but here if means “The Giver of Salvation”
Liberation (Moksa) is the greatest wealth-whom He chooses, Moksha is gained by
him alone.
695. Vaasudevah –“The
son of Vasudeva,” Lord Krishna. Or “One Who is Vaasu and Deva” “Vaasu” means
“One who dwells in all creatures as their ego-centric individuality
(Jeeva-raopa).” ‘Deva' means “One who revels” Therefore, this name for Lord
Krishna has the appropriate meaning “One who revels in every living creature as
the Jeeva-entity in each”.
696 Vasuh –“The
Refuge for all.” The One Who dwells within, veiled behind Maayaa, the mind The
mind projects this play of things, beings, emotions and thoughts. The world is
the shadow-show round the Pure Consciousness Lord declares
in Geeta: “I am the beginning, the middle and also the end of all beings.” Thus
He alone is the Refuge, for there is no other existence. “All have emerged out
from Me, exist in Me and must come back to Me.”
697. Vasumanaah -One
who is attentive to, and, therefore, concerned with every object and being in
this world: “Omnipresent.”
698. Havih –“The
Oblation.” That which we offer unto Him is also permeated by Him-there is
nothing other than He, Himself, the same everywhere, in all places, at all
times. In Geeta, Lord insists that the “oblations” are nothing but Brahman.”
Stanza 75
sadgatih
satkritih sattaa sadbhootih satparaayanah
sooraseno yadusreshthah sannivaasah suyaamunah.
699. Sadgatih –“The
goal of good and noble seekers.” Lord Narayana is the Spiritual Goal to be
reached. “The Good” here means those who know the existence of Brahman, for the
Upanishad says: “If a person knows ‘Brahmaji exists,’ then the wise call him
‘good.”
700. Sat-kritih –“One
Who is full of Good Actions.” Lord Hari is the One Who maintains the rhythm of
creation and the logic of its preservation. Even through His destructive
activities, there is creation only for the sake of the
individual and for the good of the world. All His actions are totally in
harmony for the establishment of Peace.
701. Sattaa -The
Lord is the “One without a second,” and, therefore, remains ever the same,
without any differences of genus, species or in Itself.”
702. Sad-bhootih –“One
Who has Rich Glories.” The term ‘Glories’ means wealth, power, happiness Or
“One who has taken different kinds of Incarnations,” exhibiting in all of them
the glories of the Supreme. So immeasurable are the Lord’s Glories that even
all these splendours scarcely reveal His Divine Might. Him, whom even the Devas
know not; only the Yogis in meditation come to perceive His Eternal Glory.
703 Sat-paraayanah –The
Supreme Goal for the “Good” who pursue the path of Truth. Here the “Good” means
those who are the Knowers of Brahman.
704 Soora-senah –“One
who has heroic and valiant armies” The Incarnations as Rama and Krishna are
indicated here in whose armies there were valiant people like Hanuman and
Lakshmana, Arjuna, Bheema and others.
705. Yadusreshthah –“The
Best among the Yadava clan.” The Glory of the Yadavas-Lord Krishna, Who was an
Incarnation of Sree Hari.
706. Sannivaasah –“The Abode of the Good.” The great souls of
realisation come to live in Him, the Self; drowned in God-Consciousness, they
beam out from that Abode their divinity all around. Bhagavan in Geeta says: “My
devotee thus knowing (realising the Truth, the jneyam, seated in the heart of
all) enters into My Being.”
707. Suyaamunah -One
who is attended by the righteous Yaamunas-meaning Gopas who live on the Yamuna banks. In a
metaphysical sense, these Gopas are not the keepers of ‘cows,’ but the keepers
of the sacred milk of Knowledge-Upanishads.
Stanza
76
bhootaavaaso
vaasudevah sarvaasunilayo-analah
darpahaa darpado dripto durdharo-athaaparaajitah.
708. Bhootaavaasah –“The very dwelling place of the Great Elements.”
“Since the Beings (Elements) dwell in You, You are called ‘Bhootaavaasa,’ “ so
says Harivamsa. Bhagavaan Himself says in the Geeta: “I am the Source of all
Creation.” Therefore He is also called
the ‘Bhootayoni.’
709. Vaasu-devah -One who envelops the world with His Maayaa-powers of
veiling and agitations. The Lord discloses: “I pervade the whole world with My
Glory, as the Sun with its rays.”
710. Sarvaasu-nilayah –“The Abode of all Life-Energies.” One who is the very
Substratum for the life and existence of all creatures. He is the Self, the
Life in all of us-therefore, He is the very support for the Praana in each
living creature.
711.
Analah –“One
who is unlimited wealth, power and Glory.” There is no boundary for his Glories
– there is no limit for his greatness, and All-pervasive. ‘Of my Divine Glories
there is no end’, Bhagavan Himself reveals to Arjuna.
712.
Darpahaa –“The
Destroyer of the pride in evil-minded people.” Easily He curbed the pride of
Indra and others by lifting the mountain and protecting the cows of the Yamuna
banks.
713.
Darpadah –“One
who gives pride to the righteous,”- meaning, one who creates in the Good an
Anxious urge to be the best among the righteous and virtuous. This pride is
their protection from compromising in even in a small way in any act. This is a
positive ‘pride’ of the higher order. There is also a reading of A-darpadah
when the meaning would be: “One who never allows his devotees to become proud.”
In this way, devotees would totally surrender unto him all their virtues,
acting on purely as His agents, are feed by him from bondage of spiritual
pride. For such pride, resulting from a preponderance of Sattva guna and sense
of doership, would make them vain-glorious of their goodness.
714.
Driptah –One
who is ever drunk with the infinite Bliss of his own essential nature as
Sat-chit-Ananda.
715.
Durdharah –the
object of contemplation which is indeed very difficult to attain: -the one who
is realized by yogis through radios process of intense, single pointed
contemplation. Lord Krishna in Bhagavad Geeta admits: “Greater in their trouble
whose minds are set on the unmanifest; for the goal, the unmanifested, is very
hard for the embodied to reach.”
716.
A-paraa-jitah –“The
Unvanquished.” “Never-Conquered” is the Glory of the self, for, conquering is
of ‘objects’; the ‘subject’ can be conquered. This, being the reality in all,
the senses, mind, etc., including the faculties (Devas) can never reach or
conquer him. Even when the mighty senses and the terrible Asuras fight against
it, still this over whelming powers of desires and passions can never vanquish
the self, the divine Narayana.
Stanza 77
visvamoortirmahaamoortirdeeptamoortiramoorimaan
anekamoortiravyaktah satamoortih sataananah.
717.
Visvamoortih –“Of
the form of the entire universe.” Lord as the total – created, so his form is
called Visvaroopa. The total gross form of the universe to be gather represents
his gross-form-divine.
718.
Mahaa-moortih –the
great form divine of the lord as he reclines upon the sesha couch as the very
support for the creator to bring into existence the universe of the forms and
plurality. The entire universe and the creator of the universe are but an
aspect of Sree Narayana, the Supreme Self.
719.
Deepta-moortih –“Of the Resplendent Form.” As Consciousness, He is never bright and
fully effulgent illuming all experiences at all times. Sanjaya reports: “If the
splendour of a thousand Suns were to blaze out at once in the sky, that would
be like the splendour of that Mighty Being.”
720.
A-Moortimaan –“Having
no Form.” Though He is described above as Deepta-moorti: “of the resplendent
Form”; Mahaa-moorti: “of great form”; Visva-moorti: “of the universal-Form” –
He has, in reality, “No-Form”; A-moortimaan. He pervades all, but nothing
limits Him. The limited alone has a form-the unlimited, like ‘Space’, has no form.
The Infinite Brahman being so subtle. “Subtler than the subtlest.” Sree
Narayana as the Self-in-all, allows everything to remain in Him, but He is not
conditioned by anyone of them. ever.
721. Aneka-moortih –“Multi-Formed”:
One Who Himself has become the world of varieties of Forms -Who has Himself
taken the various Incarnations in order to help the world of beings to evolve
quicker and fuller.
722. Avyaktah –“Unmanifest.”
Things are called manifest when they can be perceived by the sense- organs. As
the Self. The Consciousness in us. Sree Hari is the very faculty of seeing.
Hearing, smelling, tasting and touching in the five sense-organs. He being,
thus, the very subject. He cannot at the same time be the object of the
sense-organs. Hence. He cannot be defined or described.
723. Sata-moortih –“Of
Myriad-Forms”: even though Consciousness, like Light, has no form of its own,
all thought and the thought-projected world of infinite forms are all illumined
by the Supreme. Therefore, the Self, functioning through the fluctuations of
the restless mind “creates” the illusion of forms-all those forms as His, just
as all dream- forms are created by the waker’s mind only.
724, Sataananah –“Many-Faced”:
because He is of the Universal-Form, all faces are His only. “Hands and feet
everywhere, with heads and mouths everywhere, His ears everywhere, stands (The
Lord). enveloping all”
Stanza 78
eko
naikah savah kah kim yattatpadamanuttamam
lokabandhurlokanaatho maadhavo bhaktavatsalah.
725. Ekah –“The
One. The One-without-a second.” As the Infinite is without any of the three
distinctions, He, Sree Narayana, the Brahman, can only be the One without any
otherness.
726. Naikah -“The Many.” One who, though the One, yet
plays in the bosom of all the living creatures. Just as we are one entity, but
our thoughts are many, the Supreme Consciousness, Sree Narayana, though One,
His reflections as ‘Jeevas’ play in all mind-intellect-equipments. Because He
is thus seen to be manifested in the world of plurality, He is “Not One.”
Again, “The One” is a definition, a quality. The Lord is Indefinable,
quality-less (unqualified). Hence after making the student grasp that He is
“The One,” where the pluralities are all merged, the teacher is immediately
pointing out that He is “Not even One” For, to conceive “The One” is to
conceive the Truth with our intellect-He is to be experienced on transcending
the intellect. “The One” has a meaning only with reference to the many. “The
One” is a relative statement. To show that the Infinite is to be “experienced”
by the “becoming” and not by “knowing,” the teacher has negated “Not even One.”
Sruti says “The Lord sports with many forms by His Maayaa.”
727. Savah -“He Who is of the nature of the
Sava-Sacrifice.” The sacrifice in which the Soma juice is squeezed out is
called Sava.
728. Kah –“Happiness.”
One who is of the Nature of Bliss. Since He transcends the
body-mind-intellect-equipments, which are the seats of sorrow, in Him there can
be only Bliss. Or Kah means a question: He Who is ever a “question without an
answer” to the human intellect-He who can be experienced only on transcending
the intellect and not apprehended through intellection.
729 Kim –“What.”
Since the Lord is the final Goal to be reached, Ho is the On, Who is to be
enquired into or diligently sought through constant questioning upon What is
His Nature Also because the Truth is realised through this process of enquiry
and discrimination-the final Goal of all “What” enquiring-the Lord, is termed
here a, “What,” (Kim).
730 Yat –“Which.”
The pronoun “Yat” means “that which is self-existent” Hence in the Upanishad,
we find the usage of this term frequently. It may also be noted that the
pronoun “Which” (Yat) denotes an already existing object Thus the
Self-existence of the Supreme Reality, independent of the existence and
non-existence of things in the world is indicated when Lord Sree Hari is termed
as “Which.”
731 Tat –“That.”
The Supreme is indicated by this term in all the Upanishadic literature, and
one of the Mahaavaakya is “That Thou Art” Here “That” means the Truth that is
not comprehended now, but is to be apprehended through listening to the Teacher
(Sravana), reflections upon what you have heard (Manana) and meditation
(Nididhyaasanaa). In Geeta, Bhagavan says “Om Tat Sat” are the three
designations of Brahman” Or again, the term Tat can mean, “That which expands
all the world of plurality:”
732 Padam Anuttamam -“The Un-equalled Stare of perfection The Supreme State of Truth.” Lord Vishnu is the Way and the Goal and the very pilgrimage. “He than
whom there is no Higher.”
733. Loka-bandhuh –“Friend
of the World.” Everyone is inextricably bound to Him in His Love Infinite, and
He is the Father to all. Since there is no well-wisher or friend dearer than
one’s own Father, He is the One unfailing sure Friend of the world of beings
and things. The Lord serves for the uplift of the world whenever the creatures
come to suffer sorrows created by their own immoral negative ways.
734. Loka-naathah –“One
Who is the “Lord” of the World,” or “One Who is ‘solicited’ by the world of
beings for the fulfilment of all their desires and needs. Or it also means,
“One Who ‘adds glory’ to the world. There are also interpretations for the term
‘Naath’ which express “ shines, praised by or loved by”: in all these different
meanings, Sree Hari is described as the Lord of the World Lokanaatha.
735. Maadhavah –“One
Who was born in the family of Madhu.” The Vaisaakha-month is called Maadhava-
month because the Lord is the Spirit of Beauty behind the Spring and its regal
lush.
736. Bhakta-vatsalah –“One Whose Love for the devotees knows no bounds.” He
is ever merciful and endlessly kind towards His devotees.
Stanza
79
suvarnavarno
hemaango varaangaschandanaangadee
veerahaa vishamah soonyo ghritaaseerachalaschalah.
737. Suvarna-varnah –“Golden Coloured” is Sree Narayana for He is, in the
devotee, the pure Self; and in all, He is the very All-Illumining Pure
Awareness. Mundaka Upanishad declares: “When the Seer sees Him of
Golden- hue.” Upon witnessing the Self-Effulgent (Golden) Being, the seer’s
realization is completely transforming, and “then that wise one, shaking off
all deeds of merits and demerits, becomes stainless, and attains the supreme
State of Equipoise.”
738. Hemaangah
–“One who has limbs of Gold.” The description of the Lord functioning through
the orb of the Sun is well-known: Hiranmaya-”of pure-golden- form.” Sruti
mentions it: “This Golden Person seen in the disc of the Sun”… This same Upanishad insists further that
“Mind is Brahman” and the “Sun is Brahman.” Lord Hari, as the Infinite Brahman,
plays in the Sun (Soorya-Narayana)- thus the term is most appropriate.
739. Varaangah –“With
beautiful limbs.” Also, Vara can take the meaning “lovable,” therefore, Sree
Narayana is described here as “One whose form (limbs) is supremely “lovable” to
the yogi-of-devotion.”
740. Chandanaangadee -This is made up of two terms, “Joy-giving” (Chandana) and “armlets”
(Angada). Thus the phrase means “One who has attractive armlets.” It can also
be used as describing “One Who is smeared with the sandal.”
741. Veerahaa –“The
destroyer of the valiant heroes”-in order to uphold righteousness, Lord Hari
takes His Incarnations and destroys the intrepid and daring Asuras in battle.
Again, it may be interpreted as One Who destroys the powerful and mighty forces
of likes and dislikes-Dvandva -pairs of opposites, the hosts of our own
negativities in our hearts.
742. Vishamah –“Unequalled.”
Arjuna, in Bhagavad Geeta, estimates his experience of the Lord’s Cosmic Form
and says: “None there exists who is equal to You; how can there be then another
superior to You in the three worlds, O Being of unequalled power?”
743. Soonyah –“The
Void.” Here Void means the total absence of (a) the
equipments-of-experiences-the body-mind-intellect; (b) the
fields-of-experiences-the objects- emotions-thoughts; (c) the
experiencer-attitudes-the perceiver-feeler-thinker personality. In Brahman, the
Pure Consciousness, all these three (a, b and c) are totally absent as the
devotee of Hari transcends them all. So the Lord, in His Infinite Nature, is
‘without attributes;’ seemingly then, He is the “Void.” This is not
“non-existence” of the Buddhists. This is Pure Existence without the
object-emotion-thought world-the Self, Sree Narayana.
744. Ghritaaseeh –“One
Who has no need for any good wishes from anyone.” The Infinite Lord, perfect
and transcendental, has no need for any of the objects of the world to make Him
complete since the state of incompleteness is indeed the springboard for all
desires to gush forth. It can also mean one who has eaten away the ghee stolen
from the cow-herds’ store-rooms in Brindavan.
745. Achalah –“The
non-moving.” Either it can signify One Who never falls and therefore does not
move away from His own Infinite nature, or it may mean that since the Lord is
All-Pervading, He cannot move as there is no place where, at any time, He is
not. He is Ever-Present everywhere.
746. Chalah –“Moving.”
By the juxtaposition of these two opposite qualities, we are reminded that the
apparent world of plurality that constitutes the realm of change is also
nothing other than the immovable Atman interpreted through our personal
equipments of experiences. Unconditioned by the body, mind and intellect, the
Lord in His Infinitude is motionless, but as conditioned by the vehicles He
apparently seems to move. We have already explained this relationship earlier.
It is something like a traveller, though himself sleeping, is able to
travel all the night since he is conditioned by the vehicle which carries him.
Stanza
80
amaanee
maanado maanyo lokasvaamee trilokadhrik
sumedhaa medhajo dhanyah satyamedhah dharaadharah.
747. Amaanee –“One who has no false vanity.”
Since He knows His own real divine nature, He has no false identifications with
the equipments of not-Self such as the flesh, the emotions or the thoughts.
748. Maanadah -”One
who gives, or causes, by His Maayaa the false identification with the body.”
The Sanskrit term ‘maana’ can also mean ‘honour,’ and therefore, ‘maanadah’ can
mean One who honours all His true devotees. The root ‘da’ in Sanskrit means
‘blasting’, and therefore, the same term can also mean one who blasts all false
notions from the bosom of his devotees.
749. Maanyah –“One
Who is to be honoured.” He is the most worshipful as He is the very material
Cause for the world of plurality. Bhagavan Sankara says: “If he, who has
realised the Supreme, is so blessed and to be honoured in this world,” how much
more worshipful is the Lord who is the very substratum and support of the whole
universe and by whom all are blessed and inspired to gain their experiences in
the world of things and beings!
750. Lokasvaamee –“Lord
of the Universe.” Here the word ‘loka’ in Sanskrit means ‘field-of-experience.’
The One Who is the Controller, Director, Who is the Lord and Governor of all
fields-of-experiences of all living creatures, at all times, everywhere, is the
Consciousness that illumines matter. Therefore, the term Loka-svaamee is
extremely appropriate.
751. Thriloka-dhrik
–“One Who is the support of all the three worlds.” Apart from the usual concept
of the three worlds: heaven, earth and hell, there is a deeper import of the
term ‘loka’. It should mean the three fields of experience constituted of
waking, dream and deep sleep. Atman, the Self, as Consciousness, is the One
that supports all these three states inasmuch as, without this kindling support
of life in the bosom, it would be impossible for us to have any experience.
752. Sumedhaah –“One
who has Pure Intelligence.” In fact, the term may denote a special power in the
human intellect which is the capacity to remember and repeat what has been once
experienced before. As such, the term indicates that the very nature of the
Self is not a knowledge newly gained, but it is only a remembrance of the
seeker’s own real nature, which the seeker in his earlier confusion had
forgotten. So long as we have not invoked this great power of memory of our
real nature, we shall continue to grope in our sorrows created by our
misconception. On realising the Self, it is not that we gain anything new, but
we re-discover our own essential Self. Naturally, therefore, with reference to
our present forgetfulness, the ultimate goal is indicated by the pregnant term
‘Divine Memory Power.
753. Medha-jah –“Born
out of sacrifices.” ‘Medha’ means sacrifices like Asvamedha Yajna. In such a
sincere and great ritual, He is invoked and in His Pure Presence there in the
sacrifice, we can say He is born. The Geeta meaning of ‘sacrifices’ (Yajna) is
“a co-operative endeavor wherein: -we offer our capacity into a field of chosen
work invoking in It the unmanifested Lord Who pours forth His blessings in
terms of profit.” In this sense, when all the personality layers are offered in
an act of total surrender, the spiritual experience of the Self is born. To the
student of Vedanta, the term is rich in its suggestiveness.
754. Dhanyah –“Fortunate.”
As He has no objects yet to be fulfilled, or any of His wishes not already
fulfilled, He is indeed one who is utterly fulfilled. The state of the Self is
an eternal state of total contentment.
755. Satyamedhah –“One
whose intelligence never fails.” He is the supreme Power of Discrimination,
never deluded by the finite world of appearances, but is, in all circumstances,
ever rooted in the Truth that He alone is the world of multiplicity.
756. Dharaadharah –“The
sole support of the earth.” The earth here stands for matter; and the very
essence from which matter has come to express itself, both in its gross and
subtle forms, is the Self, Narayana, and therefore, He is considered as the
very substratum for the play of matter (earth). Geographically, the earth is
supported by water. Water is supported by the atmospheric air and the atmospheric
air by the space. The daring enquirer may still continue the question and
investigate into the source of space. We know that the space is a concept which
we experience in our intellect. All experiences of the intellect are
established in Conscious- ness and, therefore, the ultimate support for the
entire ‘world’ is the Supreme Narayana.
Stanza 81
tejovrisho
dyutidharah sarvasastrabhritaam varah
pragraho nigraho vyagro naikasringo gadaagrajah.
757. Tejo-vrishah –“One
Who showers Radiance.” In the outer cosmos the Sun gives out heat and light,
and because of this, rain and cultivation are possible-not directly because of
the Sun, but due to the sum-total-result of an endless chain of cause-effect
links. In the same way, He Who by His mere presence illumines the experiences
of all living creatures with His Light, is Sree Narayana, the Self.
758. Dyutidharah -The
term ‘Dyuti’ indicates the glow of beauty and strength in a form; thus the term
means “One Who bears an Effulgent Form.” The expression also discloses that the
seat of Pure Consciousness is described as “the Bearer of Radiance” for it is
in the light of the Atman that creatures become aware of all their perceptions,
emotions and thoughts.
759. Sarva-sastra-bhritaam-varah -“The best among those who wield weapons.” Since Sree Narayana is
described in the Puranas as wielding the Discus (Sudarsana), it, being the
greatest of all weapons, justifies this term. Also, the Lord never uses His
weapon of annihilation indiscriminately-for He is ever supremely just. It is
also significant that all destructions in nature are always ‘constructive
destructions’, therefore the Lord’s Discus is itself called “the auspicious
vision” (Sudarsana). In the maturity of one’s evolution when one becomes fit
for one’s own inner unfoldment, slowly, but irresistibly the seeker can ever
detect a secret hand that diligently cuts off all his connections with the
outer world, and compels him to lean more and more on the higher. Our Puranic
literature is replete with instances, and, without exception, in all of them
Sree Narayana is described as using His weapon to destroy the devilish-and to
give him Moksha! –“the Auspicious Vision”: Su-darsana. Others, when they employ
their weapons of destruction, the result invariably end in a sad ‘destructive
destruction’, and, therefore, to invoke Him as “the best among those who wield
weapons” is most significant for a seeker.
760. Pragrahah -One who is the sole receiver of all the
worship of every devotee, irrespective of his creed or race, or his location in
the world, at all times. The devotee may invoke the spiritual presence in
various institutions, using different symbols, believing in his own creed and
scripture, but, whoever he be, when he comes to transcend his vehicles of
perception, feeling and thinking, the experience of the Self (God) should be
universally one and the same-as God is All-Pervading and Changeless. This great
factor-transcendental IS the Self, Sree Narayana, and therefore, He is the
ultimate, sole Receiver of all prayers that rise consciously or unconsciously
in every heart, be it from a plant, an animal or a man.
The term ‘Pragrahah’ is used in Sanskrit to
mean the reins with which horses are controlled and their movements regulated.
In this sense when we reflect, the metaphor of the chariot In the Upanishad
suddenly comes in front of us. In this famous scriptural metaphor, mind is the
rein by which the steeds of the sense-organs are controlled and regulated. Here
Lord Sree Narayana Himself is invoked as ‘Pragrahah’ because when the mind has
turned in devotion to His feet, the devotee need not strive to control his
sense-organs, but the Lord’s own glory shall imperceptibly do the job for His
beloved seeker. There- fore, a truly devoted heart in its utter surrender, calls
the Lord ‘‘as the very controller of his sense-organs.”
761. Nigrahah –“The
killer.” An uninitiated student may get shocked when he finds that the Lord is
invoked as a murderer! But it is true. The only difference is that He is only
the destroyer of the ego-just as a doctor is a ‘murderer’ of diseases; just as
the sun is the destroyer of the night; as summer is the annihilator of winter.
Similarly, the Lord is the destroyer of ego and ego-centric limitations in the
devotee. In Sanskrit this word also indicates “One who absorbs the devotee unto
Himself.” Once an individual withdraws himself even a wee bit from his total
pre-occupation with the world and turns his attention to the spiritual centre
in himself, the Lord fascinates and enchants the seeker’s attention more and
more to His own Infinite Glory, and ultimately “absorbs (Ni-grahah) the
individual totally into the state of Pure-Consciousness.
762. Vyagrah –“One
Who is ever engaged in fulfilling the devotee’s desires.” Desire arises in the
human mind due to a sense of imperfection in oneself. In the absolute sense of
bliss and peace, which is the true nature of Sree Narayana, there cannot arise
any desire and, therefore, He is described as “the fulfiller of all desires.”
763. Naika-sringah –“One
Who has many (na-eka=Naika) horns.” To a modern student it would look fantastic
and even foolish should one worship his Lord, the God, as One with many horns.
This mental shock can even stun him when he understands also that his Lord has
three legs: “Chatvaarah Sringaah Trayo Asya Paadaah,” says the Maha Upanishad.
If the literal translation shocks the student, the very jolt prods him to a
more vigorous enquiry. The four horns mean the four States of Consciousness-the
waking, dream, deep-sleep and the fourth plane of consciousness, the Pure
Awareness. The three feet (paada) indicate the three states of consciousness in
which we now revel in our gross, subtle and causal bodies respectively.
764. Gadaagrajah -“The elder
brother of Gada.” Lord Krishna had a younger brother whose name was Gada. The
term Gada has also the meaning in Sanskrit of ‘mantra.’ Mantra are chanted and
therefore Gada can indicate ‘mantra, -”Gadyate iti gadah.” A commentator
insists that Ni-gada means mantra, but the prefix Ni gets dropped, so Gada
means mantra. Naturally, “Gadaagraja” would mean One who manifests or is
invoked through mantras.
Stanza
82
chaturmoortischaturbaahuschaturvyoohaschaturgatih
chaturaatmaa chaturbhaavaschaturvedavidekapaat.
765. Chatur-moortih –“Four-Formed.” The Lord, the Infinite is considered
as having four forms-meaning that He, in His manifestations in the world, takes
these four forms.
The Puranas have declared that the incarnations of the Lord in the
various Yuga, were of different colours: white in Krita Yuga, red in Tretaa
Yuga, yellow in Dvaapara Yuga and dark (black) in the Kali Yuga. But according
to Vedanta, the Lord, the Self, has four distinct expressions in the subjective
life of each individual: the Waker, the Dreamer, the Deep- sleeper and the Pure
Self. In the microcosm these are called as Virata, Taijasa, Prajna and Tureeya,
and in the macrocosm, the Lord’s complete expression, in the total gross,
subtle and causal bodies, is called as Viraat, Hiranyagarbha, Eesvara- and,
beyond all bodies as the Eternal Paramaatman.
766. Chatur-baahuh -Lord Narayana is represented as having four hands.
These represent the four factors that together constitute the inner equipments
in man- mind (Manas); intellect (Buddhi); thought flow towards objects (Chitta)
and ego (Ahamkaara). These are the four agents by which all the physical
activities are controlled, regulated and constantly commanded from within the
body.
767. Chatur-vyoohah –“One Who expresses himself as the dynamic centre in
the four Vyoohas. A “Vyooha” is a whirlpool of activities made by a large
number of imperfected forms, commanded by a pivotal person who remains in the centre of the whirlpool-just as a battalion functions under the
orders of its commander. It is shown in this analogy that the Lord, the central
Source of all activities, is manifest as the universal Force which blesses
every engagement and contact of a living man with his outer world. In the
Aitareya Upanishad, the four Vyoohas (or persons) are mentioned: the person in
the body, the person in the Chhandas (Vedic mantra), the person in the Vedas
and the Great Person.
768. Chatur-gatih –“The ultimate goal of all the four.” Though their
means and purposes appear divergent, Sree Narayana alone is the inevitable goal
of all activities of the four types (Varnas) of men: Thinkers (Braahmanas),
Rulers and Leaders (Kashatriyas), Men of Commerce (Vaisyas) and Workers
(Soodras). The Lord, also, is the consummate goal to be achieved by the four
stages (Aasramas) of life: the Age of Study (Brahmacharya), the Householder
(Grihastha), the Retirement (Vaanaprastha) and the Stage of Renunciation
(Samnyaasa).
769. Chatur-aatmaa -There
is also a reading as Chatvaraatmaa. In the former reading, the definition
suggests “the clear-minded”-meaning the Lord is one who is completely free from
desires, passions, vanities, in short, free from all maladies of ego in His
essential Nature. In the latter term, the meaning signifies that Sree Narayana
is the one Infinite Effulgence which expresses Itself as the four aspects of
our inner equipment (Antahkarana Chatushtaya).
770. Chatur-bhaavah –“The Source of the four.” One who is the Source for the four types
(varna), for the four stages-of-life (Aasrama) and the four human aspirations
(purushaartha). The human aspirations as codified by the Sanaatana Dharma are
again four in number. Righteousness (Dharma), Wealth (Artha), Pleasure (Kaama)
and Spiritual Liberation (Moksha). Lord Krishna reveals in the Bhagavad Geeta:
“ All the four types in creation have come from Me.”
771. Chatur-veda-vit –“Knower of all the four Vedas.” The Lord is the very theme discussed
and expounded in the four vedas. The student of the vedas when he realises the
Lord, then only he fulfils his study of them. In this sense of the term,
Bhagavan proclaims in the Fifteenth Chapter of Geeta: “I am verily that which
has to be known in all the Vedas: I am indeed the author of the Vedas and the
“knower” of the Vedas am I.”
772. Eka-paat –“The
one-footed.” The term ‘paada’ in Sanskrit has two meanings: a ‘part’ and a
‘foot.” The Lord, in Bhagavad Geeta, uses the first meaning to describe His
mighty Glory: “The whole universe’ is supported by one part of Myself.” There
is a reference in the Taittireeya Aaranyaka which clarifies the latter meaning:
“All beings are His foot.” The significance here is the ~me as in Geeta-wherein
even the totality of all universes cannot be compared to Him, the Infinite
Absolute Existence.
Stanza 83
samaavarto-anivrittaatmaa
durjayo duratikramah
durlabho durgamo durgo duraavaaso duraarihaa.
773. Samaavartah –“The
efficient turner’ -of the wheel-of-life. ‘ Aavarta’ is to turn. The
wheel-of-life- and-death, the samsar, is constantly being churned by the Law,
which is none other than the Lord. The Law and the Law-Giver
are one and the same in this universe-Sree Narayana.
774 Nivrittaatmaa –“One
whose mind is turned away from all sense indulgences.” The famous ‘two birds’
of the Mundaka Upanishad strike a simile here. “Two birds bound one to the
other in close friendship, perch on the selfsame tree. One of them eats the
fruits of the tree with relish, while the other looks on without eating,” The
latter is the Nivrittaatmaa, Some commentators have taken the word as’
A-nivrittaatmaa’ in which case the meaning would be: “One who never turns away
from anything, but enters into every- thing.” as the very Self is every thing
and every being-that Supreme One, Lord Narayana.
775. Dur-jayah –“The
Invincible”-One who cannot be conquered by anyone else. Even though, in the
majority of us, there is a preponderance of the lower urges, in the patient
grinding of time, the evolutionary goal ultimately wins and irresistibly pushes
each one of us towards the altar of the Self. Battles may be lost but the war
in the end is won by the Lord of our heart.
776 Durati-kramah –“One who is difficult to be disobeyed:’ This term
declares a truth which is proven upon observation of this scientifically
precise world where no object or being dares to disobey the Lord, the Cosmos
The Rishi in Kathopanishad says “through fear of Him the Fire burns, through
fear of Him shines the Sun, through fear of Him functions Indra, Vaayu, Lord of
the Wind, and Death itself is the fifth”-as though He is behind each one with
uplifted thunderbolt. The term ‘Atikromah’ means ‘going beyond’, therefore the
term, as it stands, indicates “a state beyond which no one can go”-meaning Sree
Narayana is the final and the absolute destination of all evolution He is the
transcendental Reality and other than He there is no more a beyond to he
achieved
777. Dur-Labhah –“One
who is obtained with consummate effort.” The final destination of all evolution
is He, the spiritual perfection. Therefore, He is only gained after millenniums
of slow evolutions, from the insignificant unicellular existence to the status
of man, and the fulfilment of man’s evolved, rational life is the state of
Godhood. The reward for all the slow and steady efforts of evolution is
bestowed when an organism reaches the height of the rational human being; and,
thereafter, through selfless, dedicated service, deep and individual devotion,
and sincere and serious study of the scriptures, man learns to remove his mind
from all his worldly pre-occupations and brings himself to finally realise his
divine Godhood. Indeed, the state of Narayana- Consciousness is an experience
that is to be obtained with consummate effort.
778. Dur-Gamah –“One
Who is realised with great difficulty.” In Bhagavata there is a statement that
the Lord is easily obtained (A-dur-gamah). For those who have not already
developed extreme meditative abilities in their devoted hearts, the processes
of self development, when studied from a book or heard from a teacher, the
immediate reaction in the bosom of such students will be that it is very
difficult. But as he marches forward in his saadhanaa he gains the further
guidance and inspiration to ‘go-forward.’ More bounteous aspects on him beam
and the ‘kindly light’ leads him safely to the goal through all obstacles. A
candle or torch can at best light up only ten or fifteen yards in front of a
traveller. It can never illumine the whole path of one or two miles at a
stretch. He has to start and proceed as far as he can see and as he marches
ahead the forward stretches will be illumined.
779. Dur-Gah –“Not
easy to storm into.” The term is used in Sanskrit to indicate a fortress;
therefore the suggestion is that the essence of the Lord, Sree Narayana, is
fortressed around by the matter vestures and their objects of fascination.
Attracted by them, our attention is always distracted towards the joy contents
in them. This seducing power of the matter vestures is itself the mighty
Maayaa, which only very rare, courageous and blessed ones are able to cross
over.
Bhagavan
Himself says: “Mama My Duratyayaa….” The Upanishads say that the truth,
Narayana, cannot be perceived by the senses, imagined by the mind or thought of
by the intellect. These being the only source of our knowing, it almost
impossible to realize the Truth. It is only an all-out suicidal attack that
enables some rare ones to storm the fort and reach the Goal. Hence to an
extrovert man, the seat of Consciousness apparently seems to be impenetrably
fortified. The direct meaning here indicates the great Lord seated in our heart
who is “not easily realized.”
687.
Punyah –“The
truly–Holy.” When the devotee’s heart is filled with remembrance of the
glorious from divine and infinite nature and supreme of the lord Vishnu, he
then, in that very moment, removes all sin from his devotee’s heart. The lord
is Auspiciousness itself, so where he is invoked, all inauspiciousness must
immediately retire.
688.
Punya-keertih
–“Of Holy frame.” He is gloriously renowned as the holy one. Whoever glorifies
him becomes himself holy. All the unholy animal passions in the devotee are routed
and beaten back when his heart is wholly in tune with the lord’s Glory and
Form.
689. Anaamayah –One
who has neither the mental or physical diseases. Of pure unstained divine
essence is his nature. He is not involved in karmas, thus the resultant of the
karmas which visit us in terms of mental restlessness or physical pangs, never
touch Him.
Stanza
84
manojavasteerthakaro vasurtaah vasurpradah
vasuprado vaasudevo vasurvasumanaah havih.
690. Manojavah –Fleet
as the mind is the Lord’s movement. He is anxious to run and reach the devotee
to remove his suffering and ignorance. All-pervading is the lord, thus he is
faster than all those who run after him – and wherever they reach, the supreme,
He, in the form of existence, is already there.
691 Teerthakarah –“The
Teacher of the Teerthas” The term, Teertha” means vidyaas. Sree Narayana is the
author of the Vidyaa, or auxiliary Sciences Therefore, “One Who is the most
ancient Teacher of all Vidyaas and Tantras.”
692 Vasuretaah –“He
Whose Essence is Golden.” In the beginning of Creation were the primeval waters
Into this One Ocean the Lord dropped His Essence and it became a Golden Egg
from which Brahmaa, the Creator, first arose Thus Lord, as the womb of all
Creation is mentioned in the Puranas as “Hiranyagarbha,” the Golden Womb
693 Vasupradah –“The
Free-Giver of Wealth” Inn this context, Vasu means “Worldly-Wealth”- money,
property, grains, possessions, progeny Lord Vishnu who nourishes and maintains
all beings with the wealth of His consort, Sree Laksmi, distributes and
patronises His devotees very liberally
694. Vasupradah -Again,
the same term as we read above, but here if means “The Giver of Salvation”
Liberation (Moksa) is the greatest wealth-whom He chooses, Moksha is gained by
him alone.
695. Vaasudevah –“The
son of Vasudeva,” Lord Krishna. Or “One Who is Vaasu and Deva” “Vaasu” means
“One who dwells in all creatures as their ego-centric individuality
(Jeeva-raopa).” ‘Deva' means “One who revels” Therefore, this name for Lord
Krishna has the appropriate meaning “One who revels in every living creature as
the Jeeva-entity in each”.
696 Vasuh –“The
Refuge for all.” The One Who dwells within, veiled behind Maayaa, the mind The
mind projects this play of things, beings, emotions and thoughts. The world is
the shadow-show round the Pure Consciousness Lord declares
in Geeta: “I am the beginning, the middle and also the end of all beings.” Thus
He alone is the Refuge, for there is no other existence. “All have emerged out
from Me, exist in Me and must come back to Me.”
697. Vasumanaah -One
who is attentive to, and, therefore, concerned with every object and being in
this world: “Omnipresent.”
698. Havih –“The
Oblation.” That which we offer unto Him is also permeated by Him-there is
nothing other than He, Himself, the same everywhere, in all places, at all
times. In Geeta, Lord insists that the “oblations” are nothing but Brahman.”
Stanza 85
sadgatih
satkritih sattaa sadbhootih satparaayanah
sooraseno yadusreshthah sannivaasah suyaamunah.
699. Sadgatih –“The
goal of good and noble seekers.” Lord Narayana is the Spiritual Goal to be
reached. “The Good” here means those who know the existence of Brahman, for the
Upanishad says: “If a person knows ‘Brahmaji exists,’ then the wise call him
‘good.”
700. Sat-kritih –“One
Who is full of Good Actions.” Lord Hari is the One Who maintains the rhythm of
creation and the logic of its preservation. Even through His destructive
activities, there is creation only for the sake of the
individual and for the good of the world. All His actions are totally in
harmony for the establishment of Peace.
701. Sattaa -The
Lord is the “One without a second,” and, therefore, remains ever the same,
without any differences of genus, species or in Itself.”
702. Sad-bhootih –“One
Who has Rich Glories.” The term ‘Glories’ means wealth, power, happiness Or
“One who has taken different kinds of Incarnations,” exhibiting in all of them
the glories of the Supreme. So immeasurable are the Lord’s Glories that even
all these splendours scarcely reveal His Divine Might. Him, whom even the Devas
know not; only the Yogis in meditation come to perceive His Eternal Glory.
703 Sat-paraayanah –The
Supreme Goal for the “Good” who pursue the path of Truth. Here the “Good” means
those who are the Knowers of Brahman.
704 Soora-senah –“One
who has heroic and valiant armies” The Incarnations as Rama and Krishna are
indicated here in whose armies there were valiant people like Hanuman and
Lakshmana, Arjuna, Bheema and others.
705. Yadusreshthah –“The
Best among the Yadava clan.” The Glory of the Yadavas-Lord Krishna, Who was an
Incarnation of Sree Hari.
706. Sannivaasah –“The Abode of the Good.” The great souls of
realisation come to live in Him, the Self; drowned in God-Consciousness, they
beam out from that Abode their divinity all around. Bhagavan in Geeta says: “My
devotee thus knowing (realising the Truth, the jneyam, seated in the heart of
all) enters into My Being.”
707. Suyaamunah -One
who is attended by the righteous Yaamunas-meaning Gopas who live on the Yamuna banks. In a
metaphysical sense, these Gopas are not the keepers of ‘cows,’ but the keepers
of the sacred milk of Knowledge-Upanishads.
Stanza 86
bhootaavaaso vaasudevah sarvaasunilayo-analah
darpahaa darpado dripto durdharo-athaaparaajitah.
708. Bhootaavaasah –“The very dwelling place of the Great Elements.”
“Since the Beings (Elements) dwell in You, You are called ‘Bhootaavaasa,’ “ so
says Harivamsa. Bhagavaan Himself says in the Geeta: “I am the Source of all
Creation.” Therefore He is also called
the ‘Bhootayoni.’
709. Vaasu-devah -One who envelops the world with His Maayaa-powers of
veiling and agitations. The Lord discloses: “I pervade the whole world with My
Glory, as the Sun with its rays.”
710. Sarvaasu-nilayah –“The Abode of all Life-Energies.” One who is the very
Substratum for the life and existence of all creatures. He is the Self, the
Life in all of us-therefore, He is the very support for the Praana in each
living creature.
780.
Dur-aavaasah –“Not
easy to lodge” –within the heart steadily for even great seekers who are
diligent in their consistent pursuit. To withdraw the mind from the objects of
pleasure and to steadily contemplate upon the great seat of Life is not an easy
accomplishment. Therefore, even yogins, in their persevering meditation, find
it not easy to contemplate steadily upon Sree Narayana, hence this name. “This Yoga of equanimity, taught by Thee, O
slayer of Madhu, I see not its enduring continuity, because of the restlessness
(of the mind),” cries Arjuna in the Geeta. Bhagavan also adds in the same
Chapter that the meditation should be “As a lamp placed in a windless place
does not flicker.”
781.
Duraarihaa –
“One Who is the slayer of the devilish Asuras.” Even in those among us who are
not steadily good, the Lord, when invoked, out of His compassion destroys the
devilishness and redeems our personality from its sad consequences. The asuric
tendencies are in the bosom of every seeker and devoted invocation of the Lord
in our bosom can cleanse the heart of all its negative tendencies. Therefore,
it is indeed appropriate that He is significantly indicated as
`Duraarihaa.’’
Stanza 84
subhaango lokasaarangah
sutantustantuvardhanah
indrakarmaa mahaakarmaa kritakarmaa kritaagamah.
782.
Subhaangah –“One
with enchanting limbs of perfect beauty.” The Beauty of all beauty is the Lord,
and His captivating form and the rhythm of His shape are the theme of
meditation for the devotees. In the Upanishads the Infinite Lord, the Self, is
described as Peace-Auspiciousness-Beauty (Saantam-Sivam-Sundaram). Thus the
devotees of the Lord, remembering the auspicious beauty of His sacred limbs,
prostrate at His altar in their deep reverence and mounting joy of
devotion.
783.
Lokasaarangah –“One
who has enquired into or understood the Essence behind the universe of names
and forms” Or, Lokasaarangah can mean the essence, or the source, of the world
which is the great Pranava, `OM.’ So the term means the State of Supreme
Consciousness that is gained or reached through the contemplation upon the
significance of OM.
784.
Sutantuh –“Beautifully
expanded.” Just as the thread is drawn out in different counts from cotton
which is later employed as the warp and woof in the creation of infinite
varieties of cloth, so too, from the Narayana-Consciousness, the endless
variety of beings and things gets projected to constitute the enchanting
tapestry of His mighty universe. As the thread is the substratum for all the
various fabrics, the Narayana is the beautiful thread, the-substratum, for all this wonderful universe. The Lord Himself says: "There is
nothing whatsoever higher than I, O Dhananjaya. All this is strung on Me, as
clusters of gems on a string.
785. Tantu-vardhanah –“One who sustains the continuity of the drive for the family.” The family
is maintained by the virility of the members and this potency in the individual
is an expression of vitality which Life imparts to the living organism. Thus,
the grace of the Self is that which is manifested in the fertility of the seed
(Ojas). Generally in India, among the Hindus, it is customary to attribute the
continuity of the family to the Grace of Narayana.
786. Indrakarmaa –“One
who always performs gloriously auspicious actions” The root ‘Id’ is used in the
sense of Supreme Auspiciousness, Parama-aisvarya.
787. Mahaa-karmaa –“One
Who accomplishes Great Activities.” To
create a cosmos so scientifically precise and perfect out of the five great
elements, and to sustain them all with an iron hand of efficiency, all the time
constantly presiding over the acts of destruction without which the world of
change cannot be maintained, is, in itself, a colossal achievement of an
Absolute Intelligence.
788. Krita-karmaa –“One
Who has fulfilled all His activities.” There is nothing more for Him to achieve.
He is the Goal. He is the Destination. In His Eternal Perfection there is
nothing more for Him yet to achieve. This sense of complete fulfilment is
described in all the scriptures as the State of Blissful Perfection-the
Self.
789. Kritaagamah –“One
who is the author of the Vedas.” The vedic mantras are called Aagamah. The
mantras were revealed to the great Rishis during moments when they were not
identified with the Body-Mind- Intellect and, therefore, they were not, at
those inspired moments, limited individual egos. Where the ego is thus ended,
the Self-alone comes to manifest. In this sense of the term, all scriptures
have burst forth from prophets and seers when they transcended their limited
existence to experience their oneness with the Eternal, Sree Narayana, In
Bhagavad Geeta also, Lord Krishna confesses, “I am the author of all the Vedas;
I alone am the knower of the Veda.”
Stanza 85
udbhavah
sundarah sundo ratnanaabhah sulochanah
arko vaajasanah sringee jayantah sarvavij-jayee.
790. Udbhavah –“The ultimate source”- the very spring of Creation.
In the Puranic view of the term, it may mean One Who has by His own free-will
manifested Himself by Himself for the service of mankind, or, it may designate
subjectively, the Self, Sree Narayana, as the one dynamic Witness in Whose
Presence alone the vital activities of life gush forth into expression.
791. Sundarah –“Of unrivalled beauty.” In almost all religions the
Infinite Lord is described as one having the most enchanting beauty. When we
experience beauty in the world, we are moved to consider its beauty either by
the pro- portion or the symmetry, or th~ tender charm in the object of
observation. Within the mind of the observer, there reflects for a moment the
rhythmic grace in the proportion, the smooth peace in the symmetry, or the joy
of ecstasy which ripples out from the object into the contemplative eye. In all
these conditions, the observer’s mind, sensitive to the
aestheticism in him, quietens, and, it is at such moments of supreme inner satisfaction,
the flashes of “beauty-experiences” floods the bosom. Remember, beauty is not
in the object nor is it in the mind. The enchanting occasion silences the mind
that is now available for the aesthetic reaction which resultingly fills the
observer- and this is nothing but the manifestation of That which is behind the
mind, Sree Narayana. Hence, the Infinite Reality is glorified in the Upanishads
as “Peace-Auspiciousness-Beauty’. ( Saantam-Sivam-Sundaram} .
792. Sundah –“Of
Great Mercy.” Whatever be the amount of vaasanaas hoarded in our personality,
due to our ego-centric, extroverted activities, once a devotee turns unto Him
in total surrender, all the vaasanaas are purified and he comes to move more
and more towards Him-as though, in infinite mercy, He forgives all sins that a
man might commit in his innocent ignorance (Avidyaa).
793. Ratnanaabhah –“Of
beautiful navel.” Text books of Bhakti-cult advise devotees that they should
meditate upon the Lord’s navel-point, as a flashy, brilliant jewel (Ratna).
This point of concentration is not without significance. The mystics of India
long ago explored the percentage of human action that is grossly manifest at
the physical level. Today also, psychologists confess that they have no other
knowledge beyond the obvious fact that thoughts express themselves as actions.
But deeply meditative mystic enquirers delved deeper to detect and chart the
story of actions. In their adventurous explorations, they discovered that in
seed form all thoughts are with the Infinite (Para) before manifestation. From
this womb they become manifest and an individual becomes dimly aware of
thoughts in their embryo form-vague and still incompletely un-formed
(Pasyantee). Thereafter, the thoughts get translated into expressions (Madhyamaa)
and in their last full stage of manifestation they come to express themselves
as actions in the outer world (Vaikharee).
In this chain of processes when thoughts become
manifest for the thinker, it is said the seat of Pasyantee-stage is the navel
region. This brilliant seat of nascent manifestation of all thoughts is
indicated here as “the jewel of his navel.” Generally, the
intelligent student would readily jump to the conclusion that this truth is
merely a poetic exaggeration, but there is a deep significance in it indeed.
794. Sulochunuh –“One
Who has the most enchanting eyes.” The term indicates the beauty of the Lord’s
eyes for those devotees who turn to the Lord’s form. To the deeper students of
contemplation, the eyes are great not be- cause of their form, colour or
expression, but because of their ability to see constantly the infinite purpose
and goal of the entire creation. Therefore, the term means. “One who has the
wisdom of the Self.”
795. Arkah -“One Who is in the form of the Sun.” The Sun
is worshipped as a Vedic deity, even by the Creator Himself-hence, the term
suggests ‘most worshipful.’ The Sun-centre of the solar system-is the one
source of light and energy illumining and nourishing everything. The Infinite
Consciousness, Sree Narayana, is the Sun by Whose Splendour the experiences of
all people are illumined, at all places and at all times. He, as the One Life,
thrills all living creatures and presides over, in and through their nurture
and nourishment. Once He has left from therein, that body cannot be maintained
-though we witness today the experiments of medical science to do so.
796. vaajasanah –“The
giver of food.” The one Vital Force that ultimately sustains, supports and
nourishes all living creatures in the Universe is the Supreme. and Its Nature
is not really different from the Lord, Sree Narayana. In the Bhagavad Geeta the
Lord describes Himself as manifesting through the sun as the sunlight which
penetrates the earth to fertilise it. The fertility of the soil, in turn, becomes
the plant on the surface into which the Lord transfuses the food value of the
vegetable world by the essence of moon- light from the moon. Further, in the
Upanishads, we find indicative declarations that offerings, given in the
worship of Fire themselves come down as a reward in the form of rain and plenty
for the society.
Again, it is a law of life that each individual
is supplied with the exact type of ‘equipments for experiences’ and each one
also finds himself in the precise environmental circumstances for their
expression according to the texture and type of vaasanaas in him. Thus, in the
larger sense, the entire world of ‘emotions-feelings-and-thoughts’ constitute
the total food (Annam) for the experiences of the body, mind and intellect.
797. Sringee -“The horned one.” This is generally
commented upon as reminiscent of the Lord’s Incarnation as a Fish. It would
have been happier had it been reminiscent of the Boar-Incarnation which Sree
Narayana took to lift up the world from its slushy condition to the plane of
dry-surfaced earth.
798. Jayantah –“The
conqueror of all enemies.” No force could ever vanquish Him who is ‘the Source
of all energy and strength’-the Almighty. Sree Narayana is acclaimed as the
conqueror, because it is by His Grace and direct help that the gods always win
against the ‘diabolically bad’ (the Asuras). In our bosom it is the grace of
the mind and intellect, in attunement with the Self, that helps us to conquer
our lower impulses, our endless desires for the sensuous-and our craving for
the cruel pleasures of indulgence.
799. Sarvavij-jayee –“One Who is at once Omniscient (Sarvavit) and victorious (Jayee).” The
term, however, is not two words and, therefore, as a single expression, we can
also understand it to mean, ‘One who is victorious over all men of wisdom.’
Prattlers of wisdom, however eloquent in their discussions, must become utterly
silent in their moments of Samaadhi, in the presence of the Self, Sree
Narayana.
Stanza
86
suvarnabindurakshobh
yah sarvavaageesvaresvarah
mahaahrado mahaagarto mahaabhooto mahaanidhih.
800. Suvarna-binduh –“With limbs radiant like gold.” Chhandogya Upanishad declares: “He,
having a golden body, even to the tip of his nails.” The great name of the Lord
in the Vedic literature is ‘OM’ which consists of the sounds ‘A’, ‘U’, and the
bindu ‘M.’
801. Akshobhyah –“One
Who is ever unruffled.” Ordinarily an individual gets disturbed, subjectively,
by the presence of desires, anger, passions, etc., and objectively an average
man is constantly stormed by the enchanting dance of beautiful sense-objects
all around him. Lord, the Self, is a state of existence wherein neither the
subjective disturbances of the mind, nor the objective persecutions of the
sense-organs can ever reach to ruffle the quietude and peaceful grace of His
perfection. In describing the state of the Sthitaprajna, Bhagavan says in the
Geeta that such a one will be Akshobhya like the ocean: “He attains Peace into
whom all desires enter as waters enter the ocean, which filled from all sides,
remains unmoved; but not the ‘desirer-of-desires.”
802. Sarva-vaageesvaresvarah –“The very Lord of the Lord of Speech.” In the Kenopanishad it has been
made amply clear that it is not the instruments of actions and perceptions that
act by themselves as they are all made up of inert matter. The immediate
animation to the equipment is given by the ‘inner instruments.’ Therefore, for
all the sense-organs, the mind-intellect-equipment is their immediate Lord. But
these subtle instruments themselves get their dynamism to act only in the
presence of Sree Narayana, the Consciousness. Therefore, it is most appropriate
to invoke Him as the Lord of Lords in all living creatures.
The term Vaageesvara (Lord of Speech) is often
used in the language to indicate poets, writers and orators. Therefore, the
term can also be interpreted as ‘the Lord from whose altar all ordinary
speakers draw their powers. Theologically, some commentators have spun a
meaning out of this term indicating that Sree Narayana, as the Absolute
Reality, is the ‘Lord’ of even the Creator .
803. Mahaa-hradah –“One
Who is like a great refreshing swimming pool.” In the hot summer season,
plunging into the cool crystal waters of a. pool holds the swimmer in a
refreshing cool embrace on all sides. Similarly, the plane of
Narayana-Consciousness revives, refreshes and en- thralls all meditators when
they plunge into its reviving quietude. The Yogins often plunge into It from
the springboard of their devotion, and after a time emerge out of It-cool,
clean and refreshed. Sree Narayana is metaphorically addressed as the great
(Mahaa) pond (Hradah).
804. Mahaa-gartah –“The
great chasm.” Here the ‘chasm’ means the Lord’s maayaa which He Himself
describes, in the Bhagavad Geeta as “My Maayaa (non-apprehension and the
consequent misapprehension) is very difficult to cross over.” The industrious
lexicographers enter here and additionally press out of this word garta the
meaning, ‘chariot,’ and, therefore, the term can also mean that He is a
‘mahaaratha’ (Great Chariot).
805. Mahaabhootah –“The
Great Being.” He is the Source from which even the Great Elements spring forth
into existence and, therefore, in His Infinitude and Pervasiveness, Lord
Narayana is called ‘Mahaabhootah.’ The entire play of birth and death, of
integration (sanghaata) and disintegration (vighaata) are taking place in Him
Who is the mighty substratum and, therefore, it is very appropriate that the
Lord, the God, is considered by the devotees as the “Great Being.’
806. Mahaa-nidhih –“The
Great Abode.” “The Eternal Source from which everything springs forth and the
Infinite substratum upon which the entire play of the finite is held in
animated suspension.” The term ‘nidhi’ means ‘treasure’ and, therefore, its
indication here is that Sree Narayana is the richest treasure of all His
devotees-to loot at will!
Stanza
87
kumudah
kundarah kundah parjanyah paavano-anilah
amritaaso-amritavapuh sarvajnah sarvatomukhah.
807. Kumudah –“One
Who gladdens the earth,” or “one who gets gladdened by the earth.” Earth here
should be understood as the entire cosmos ever so dynamic and scientifically
precise. The world of plurality is Narayana’s joyous expression of His infinite
potentialities. It is the fulfilment of the Omnipotent.
808. Kundarah –“The
one who tore the earth in His Incarnation as the Boar in order to destroy the
mighty tyrant, Hiranyaaksha. It can also mean: Darah(one who wears); Kum (the
earth). The term is further commented upon as “One who bestows rewards as
beautiful as the Kunda flowers.”
809. Kundah -Here
we read it as ‘Kunda flower.’ In this context the term means “One who is as
comely and attractive as the kunda flowers.” In Harivamsa it is said that the
Lord, as Parasuraama, in order to atone for the battles he had fought, gave (do)
gifts of this earth (kum) to Rishi Kasyapa. ‘ Ku’ also has the meaning of the
“rulers of the earth,” and ‘do’ means “slaying.” In this way the term indicates
the “one who had taken the Incarnation of Parasuraama to destroy the
unreasonably vicious tyrants of the land.”
810. Parjanyah –“He
who is similar to the rain-bearing clouds.” Lord Krishna has been described as
being so gloriously hued. Again, agriculturists and all living creatures are
extremely happy when they see these clouds-the harbingers of comfort and
prosperity. To the devotees, the Lord is a
total fulfilment, as the clouds are for the parched earth.
811. Paavanah –“One
Who ever purifies.” The impurities of a personality are gathered when the mind
and intellect, in a natural impulse of animal voluptuousness, rush towards the
sense-objects with ego-centric passion. To I retrieve the mind from the
sense-objects and to peacefully let it settle in contemplation of the divine
nature and the eternal J glory of Sree Narayana, the Self, is to exhaust all
the existing vaasanaas, which are the personality-impurities within.
812. Anilah -Like
the atmospheric air the Lord is the life-giver everywhere, and also He is
All-pervading. Nilah also means ‘to slip’-into a condition of non-apprehension:
thus, one who is ignorant (avidya). When the symbol of negation, ‘a’, is added
to it, ‘A-nilah’ comes to indicate “One who slips not, but is ever of the
nature of Consciousness.” Hence it means “Omniscient.”
813. Amritaasah -Since
‘amrita’ has both the meanings of ‘nectar’ and ‘immortality,’ the term is
interpreted to mean “One whose desires are never fruitless,” as well as “One
whose greatest desire is for the State of Immortality.”
814. Amrita-vapuh –“He
Whose Form is Immortal.” He, the Eternal Reality, is unconditioned by time.
This principle of Consciousness, functioning as the flame of life in every
bosom, by its mere presence has in Itself neither the physical, subtle nor
causal bodies-which alone are the perishable. Transcending them
all-unconditioned by time, and, therefore, never undergoing any of the natural
modifications of mortality, Sree Narayana revels in His Absolute Glory.
815. Sarvajnah –“Omniscient.”
It is only when the light of Awareness illumines the happenings that living
creatures can become conscious of their experiences. To know the outer and the
inner world of happenings, they must be lighted up by the principle of
Consciousness. This seat of Sree Narayana is, therefore, called the Pure
Knowledge- the Principle, because of which all other knowledge is possible in
every being.
816. Sarvato-mukhah –“One Who has His face turned everywhere”-just as the
light in the sun, or the light of a lamp. In the Bhagavad Geeta He
is described as having eyes, heads and faces on all sides.
Stanza
88
sulabhah
suvratah siddhah satrujit satrutaapanah
nyagrodhodumbaro-asvatthaschaanooraandhra-nishoo-danah.
817. Sulabhah –“One
who is readily available” and, therefore, easily attainable for those who have
true devotion and the heroism to put forth the right effort in unveiling Him
from the miserable pits of matter. To the mind in contemplation, the Reality is
self-evident; all saadhanaas are only to render the mind contemplative.
818. Suvratah –“He
Who has taken the most auspicious Forms”-to destroy the evil and to protect the
good is the motive behind all His manifestations. The seeker himself is one of
the Lord’s own manifestations; thus, every spiritual/ student will ultimately
realise that to destroy the ego in himself and finally gain back the very state
from which he apparently manifested is re-discovery of the Self.
819. Siddhah –“One
Who is Perfection”-not one who has attained perfection. Sree Narayana, the
Absolute State of Perfection, can never, even when He is playing as the
Incarnation, forget His real nature of Eternal, Unbroken, Unchanging
Perfection.
820. Satrujit
–“One Who is ever victorious over His hosts of enemies.” In the bosom of man,
his enemies are none other than consciousness of his body and the con- sequent
passions of the flesh-both objective and subjective. The seeker feels that
these urges in him constitute a very powerful team of belligerent forces, and
against their concerted onslaught he feels helpless. But when such an alert
seeker turns himself towards the Truth, the Lord Who is in his own heart, all
obstacles whither away. It is natural then that Sree Narayana is invoked here
as the “Supreme Conqueror of all Enemies.”
821. Satrutaapanah –“The
Scorcher of enemies.” When the devotee
offers himself at the altar of His Feet, He burns down all the negative
tendencies polluting the devotee’s heart.
822. Nyagrodhah –“The
One who, while controlling all beings, veils Himself behind this Maayaa.” The
Consciousness constantly functions within us, but due to the Vaasanaas, our
attention is constantly distracted to the perception of objects outside and not
to the Effulgent Being which is the core in us. At the same time Sree Narayana,
the Self, is the very Life which has made possible the entire manifestation of
the world. Still, by His own playful inscrutability we recognize Him not.
Interpreted in another sense, the term can also mean, “He who is above all.’
The nobler, the mightier power which controls and regulates any organised set
of activities, when it is conceived by human intellect, it is always expressed
as something higher or above. Therefore, the significance of this term must be
clear to the students.
823. Udumbarah –“He
Who is the Nourisher of all living creatures”-supplying each with its
appropriate food. The term also suggests: “one who transcends even Aakaasa, the
subtlest of the manifested elements.” Sree Narayana, the Source out of which
all creatures have emerged, He alone must also be the Great Cause from which
even the subtlest element, Aakaasa, (space) has sprung forth. The cause is
subtler than the effect, therefore, the essential principle, Narayana,
transcends even the concept of space.
824. Asvatthah -In
the Upanishad, (Kathopanishad) and in the Bhagavad Geeta (Chapter XV), Lord
Narayana is indicated as the great “Tree of Life,” the Asvattha. Ficus
Religiosa is a perennial tree, seemingly relatively immortal, as compared with
the quickly-perishing mankind that comes in waves, generation after generation,
to play under its shade, to make love at its base; to grow old in its breeze.
Even when they are dead, their bodies are carried in moonlit procession to the
burial ground, where under the tree’s dancing leaves, a play of light and shade
splashes a wizardly pattern upon each lifeless face. The children of each
departed one, in their turn, repeat the unending cycle of life under the shade
of the same old tree whose nodding grimace mocks the procession of fleeting
joys and sorrows. This tree has been chosen to represent the finite play of the
Infinite and the Tree itself has been named: A-svattham meaning: “That which
will not remain the same tomorrow.”..
825. Chaanooraandhranishoodanah - “The slayer of Chaanoora, the
great wrestler. Andhra means wrestler.”
Stanza 89
sahasraarchih
saptajihvah saptaidhaah saptavaahanah
amoortiranagho-achintyo bhayakrit bhayanaasanah.
826. Sahasra-archih –“He Who in His Effulgence has thousands of rays.” The Self, Sree
Narayana, the Pure Consciousness which illumines all experiences, is considered
in our scriptures as the ‘Light of all Lights,’ and, in the Geeta’s famous
description of this mighty Effulgence of Reality we read: “If the Splendour of
a thousand suns were to rise up together and at one and the same time blaze
forth. In the sky, that would be like the Splendour of the Mighty Being.”
827. Sapta-jihvah –“He
Who expresses Himself as the ‘seven tongues’ (flame).” ‘Jihvaa’ means tongue;
here it is used as the ‘tongues-of-flame.’ These seven flames of different
properties are enumerated in the Mundakopanishad. It sets forth the idea that
the Light of Consciousness beams out through seven points in the face of a
living entity-two eyes, two ears, two nostrils and the mouth. As intelligent
beings, powers of perception metaphorically flame out through each one of them,
illumining the world for us. The one in our heart, Sree Narayana, Who totally
manifests as the seven distinct tongues-of-flame is classified here by the
scientific-poets, the Rishis, in the language of lyrical service as
Sapta-jihvaah.
828. Sapta-edhaah –“The
Seven Effulgent flames.” The earlier term invoked Him as the “Seven tongues-
of-flame.” Here the emphasis seems to be for the Effulgence in those flames.
829. Sapta-vaahanah –“One Who has the vehicle of seven horses.” Lord Sun is described by the
poet-seers of the Vedas as riding in a chariot drawn by seven horses,
representing the seven days of the week.
830. A-moortih –“One
Who is formless.” ‘Form’ implies a thing that is limited by other factors. The
All-Pervading cannot have a form-just as space has no particular form. All
things having a form are perishable. Narayana who is Infinite and Eternal is
thus ever Formless.
831. Anaghah -The
Sanskrit term Aghah means sin or sorrow. Therefore the term means one who is
sinless or sorrowless. Lord Paramesvara, the Self, is Immaculate-untouched and
uncontaminated by the Vaasanaas. He is Eternal Bliss-beyond all traces of
sorrow.
832. Achintyah –“One
Who cannot be comprehended by man’s mind and intellect.” Not only the Lord is
Formless, and consequently Imperceptible, but He is also unavailable as an
object for our emotional experience, or for our intellectual appreciation. He
is the Pure Conscious- ness in Whose Light all our perceptions, feelings and
thoughts are illuminated. In Geeta, this “Nourisher of All” is compared with
the changeless white screen upon which all the perishing scenes of life are
focused.
833. Bhaya-krit -Lord
is the “Giver of fear.” He is a terror to the evil-minded. In all His
Incarnations, He gives fear to the evil-hearted, that they may ultimately be
swayed to the path of Dharma.
834. Bhayanaasanah –“Destroyer
of all fear,” is the Supreme Lord. The Upanishads repeatedly -declare the State
of Self-Knowledge to be the only state of absolute fearlessness. From a sense
of otherness or plurality alone can fear spring forth. In the One Reality,
where there is no other, how can there be fear? Sree Narayana alone is the only
harbour from all fears.
Stanza
90
anurbrihat
krisah sthoolo gunabhrinnirguno mahaan
adhritah svadhritah svaasyah praagvamso vamsavardhanah.
835. Anuh –“The
Subtlest; the All-pervading.” Sree Narayana is the subtle flame-of-life in our
bosom, the Essence from which all life’s activities spring forth. He is called
as Anuh because He is in the centre of even the Subtlest. Bhagavan Himself
says: “I am seated in the heart of all-as the core or Essence in all.”
836. Brihat -At
the same time He is Greater than the Greatest in dimension, He being the
All-pervading. These two may seem paradoxical but the apparent contradiction
dissolves into an illumining experience for the contemplative mind. The
Upanishad daringly combines these two terms to give the students a vague
comprehension of the All-pervading Infinitude of the Self.
837. Krisah –“One
Who is lean; subtle; delicate.” Again, this description will be opposed by the
next following one, for herein is a deliberate use of contradictions. The
Rishis made an art of effectively employing terms of contradiction in order to
bring the incomprehensible within the cognition of the students of contemplation.
838.
Sthoolah –“One Who is the fattest; the grossest;
roughest.” These two terms are indicating opposites. Here it is to be
understood that the Lord, in His state as Pure Consciousness, is the subtlest,
and He is the grossest in the form of the Universe (Viraat).
839. Gunabhrit –“One
Who supports”- maintains and expresses through the three Gunas. Through rajas He creates; through Sattva He preserves and
through tamas He annihilates. He, as Consciousness, expresses Him- self through
these three textures of vaasanaas.
840. Nirgunah-“Without-any-properties.”
That which has property is matter-perishable, changeable, finite. The
Imperishable, the Changeless, the Infinite is property-less; it is the
Consciousness that illumines all properties (Gunas). With the matter
equipments, in His Incarnations He manifests as having ‘form’ (Guna-bhrit), and
in His Absolute Nature He is ‘form-less’-the Non-dual Self.
841. Mahaan –“The Great; the Glorious; the Mighty.” “One who is
not conditioned by the five Elements- nor by Time and Space. Quite on the other
hand, it is He Who is the very Existence in everything.
842. Adhritah -None supports Him, but He supports all. Just as the
cotton in cloth, gold in ornaments, mud in pots, He is the supporter of the
entire universe. To the devotee who feels the Lord is far away from him, to
contemplate upon Sree Narayana as his very own support will open his heart to
the certainty and plenitude of faith.
843. Svadhritah –“Self-supported.” When from the previous term we hear
that the Self is he ultimate support of the Universe, the
question automatically rises in a rational intellect: ‘what supports the Self?’
The Lord is “supported” by nothing else other than His own Glory. In the
Upanishad, in answer to a question where the Mighty One abides, the teacher
declares, “He abides in His own Glory.”
844. Svaasyah
–“One Who has an Effulgent Face.” Because He gives to the Vedas their beauty
and charm, He is conceived as brilliantly beautiful, enchantingly fascinating,
hauntingly charming.
845. Praag-vamsah –“One
Who has the most ancient ancestry.” The Infinite, the Cause for the universe
and Time itself, is indicated as the ‘Most Ancient’. The term can also mean the
accommodation reserved during a Yaaga meeting where the invitees and guests may
rest. Generally built on the eastern courtyard of the house~ this accommodation
is called ‘Praagvamsah.’ Since everything connected with a Yajna or Yaaga is
considered as sacred, the ‘Praag-vamsah’ has been used here as a name to
indicate Sree Narayana.
846. Vamsa-vardhanah –“He who multiplies His family of descendents.” The Lord’s family is the
whole Universe of things and beings. Or it can also imply just the opposite as
the root Vardh means ‘the annihilator.’ Narayana is the sacred factor in us, to
Whose Feet we turn in all love and undivided attention, in Whom the world of
perceptions, emotions and thoughts merge as a dream merges into the mind of the
waker.
Stanza
91
bhaarabhritkathito
yogee yogeesah sarvakaamadah
aasramah sramanah kshaamah suparno vaayuvaahanah.
847. Bhaara-bhrit –“One
Who carries the load of the Universe.” This carrying is not as a man would
carry a load-something other than himself. The Self Itself has become the world
so here it means only that Narayana is the very material Cause of the Universe.
848. Kathitah –“One
Who is glorified in the Vedas and other spiritual text books.” Narayana-essence
is the theme of all scriptures in the world.
849. Yogee –“One
Who can be realised through Yoga:” “One Who is the greatest Yogee.” The term
Yoga is defined in the Sastra as ‘stopping all thought flow.’ One who has no
thought agitations-who has totally conquered the mind( Maayaa) and lives in His
own Effulgent Self-nature is the greatest Yogee.
850. Yogeesah –“The
King of Yogees.” “One who realises the Self, becomes the Self,” is an
Upanishadic declaration. Therefore, Self alone is the perfect Yogee and Sree
Narayana, the Self, is the King of all Yogees. The sense of agency-in-action
and the sense of enjoyership-in- experience is the ego (Jeeva-bhaavanaa). To
end this ego-personality is to rise to the awareness of the Universal
Consciousness, the Self. Sree Narayana, the Absolute Reality, alone can be
free-entirely and fully-from any involvement while being ever in the midst of
Samsar and its seething activities. Hence He is glorified as the best among
Yogees.
851. Sarvakaamadah –“One
Who fulfils all desires of all true devotees.” Such devotees have no other
desire but to reach, meet and merge in Him. In this way the term would also
indicate that He destroys the chances of fulfilment of all unholy, sensuous and
lusty desires in the faithless.
852. Aasramah -Sree
Narayana is the harbour, the sequestered haven for all who are tossed about in
the storms of life without and within. For each one, the source of all strains
is attributable entirely to his functioning as a body-mind-intellect equipment.
To remain as the Self-the essential real nature of man-is to experience the end
of all stresses and strains. This state of Peace and Joy, of Quiet and Bliss is
Sree Narayana, the Lord of the heart.
853. Sramanah –“One
Who persecutes the worldly people”-who, driven by their hungers and passions,
seek sense-gratifications. By the very nature of the ephemeral sense-objects
and the ever-changing instruments of experience in us, the life of
gratifications can only yield exhausting fatigue and weary disappointments.
This is the ‘Law’ and Sree Narayana is the ‘Law-Giver.’ The Law and the
Law-Giver are but one in theology.
854. Kshaamah
–“One Who destroys everything during the final deluge”-He who prunes our
agitations and shrinks our desire-prompted world-projections.
855. Suparnah –“The
Golden Leaf.” In Bhagavad Geeta the world is pictured as the Asvattha tree and
its leaves are declared to be the Vedas. The theme of the Vedas is none other
than the Self, making the term extremely en- chanting with its springs of
suggestions.
856. Vaayu-vaahanah –“The mover of the winds.” From fear of Him Fire burns, Sun and Moon
function, earth rotates, the Wind moves....declares the Upanishad.
Stanza
92
dhanurdharo
dhanurvedo dando damayitaa damah
aparaajitah sarvasaho niyantaa niyamo yamah.
857. Dhanurdharah -“The wielder of the Bow.” In His Incarnation
as Sree Rama, He drew the great Bow as no one else ever could. Also in the
Upanishad there is the famous metaphor of the Bow with which the arrow of the
individuality is to be shot to strike and sink into the goal. The Rishi of the
Mundakopanishad explains that the ‘Bow’ is the OM (Pranava mantra). (The significance
is clear.)
858. Dhanurvedah –“One
Who declared the Science of Archery.” The One Who propounded the unfailing
technique of OM -meditation for realisation of the Self.
859. Dandah –“One
who punishes the wicked.” In Geeta, Bhagavan declares Himself to be the
policeman of the Universe. The term can also mean the ‘Sceptre’-the insignia of
king-ship. Sree Narayana, the King of kings in the entire, limitless universe,
holds the Sceptre of total royalty.
860. Damayitaa –“The
Controller.” One who punishes the wicked, destroys the sinners and thus
regulates and cultivates life in the universe, making it a garden for the
blossoms of spiritual beauties.
861. Damah
-That which is ultimately gained by the worldly punishments-the final
experience of Beatitude in the Self.
862. Aparaajitah –“The
Invincible; One who cannot be defeated.” The Self ultimately asserts within
every bosom from wherein the spiritual values finally emerge victorious. The
Self alone remains when all else has been destroyed.
863. Sarvasahah –“One
Who carries the entire Universe.” The One Who meets heroically all the enemical
impulses of unspiritual lusts. He carries the entire Universe as its very
material Cause: as mud in pots.
864. Aniyantaa –“One
Who has none above Him to control Him.” He is the One Who has appointed all
other controllers of the phenomenal forces as the Sun, the Moon, Air and
Waters.
865. Aniyamah –“One
Who is not under the laws of anyone else.” He is the Law and the only Law-
Giver. It is His hand that governs the inscrutable and un- relenting laws of
nature.
866. Ayamah –“One
Who knows no death.” He is the Eternal: how can He know death? - the principle
of death cannot act in Him. Within Time alone there is change or death. The
Pure Consciousness is That which illumines the sense of time and so is beyond
Time-beyond death.
Stanza
93
sattvavaan
saattvikah satyah satyadharmaparaayanah
abhipraayah
priyaarho-arhah priyakrit-preetivardhanah.
867. Sattvavaan –“One
Who is full of exploits and courage.” Supremely adventurous, daring and heroic
is Narayana-as witnessed in all His actions during all His Incarnations.
868. Saattvikah –“One
Who is full of Saattvic qualities.” Quietude, tranquillity, peace-these are
some of the saattvic qualities. Sattva is the creative-pause of the mind before
it launches out into a burst of creative thoughts and action. Full of
inspiration and meditative-poise is the Total-Mind, Sree Narayana.
869. Satyah –“Truth.”
That which remains the same in the past, present and future is Truth. Self knows
no change. It is ever in Its own Nature in all the three periods Time.
870. Satya-dharma-paraayanah - Who is the very abode of Truth and Righteousness.” Satyam (Truth) is
‘truthfulness in thought, speech and action. Dharma (Righteousness) is the
injunctions regarding what is and what is not the duty to be fulfilled.
871. Abhipraayah –“One
Who is faced by all seekers marching to the Infinite.” Or it can mean, “One who
merges the entire world of plurality into Himself.”
872. Priyaarhah –“One
Who deserves all our love.” Priya also expands its meaning into: “things we are
supremely fond of,” therefore, the term, as it stands, may be read: “One Who
deserves to be worshipped by His devotees with all that they are supremely fond
of.” As an expression of our devotion we do offer to the Lord that which we
love the most in life.
873. Arhah -Narayana
is the One Who de to be worshipped by all devotees. He, being our very own self
is the treasure-source of all our devotion. Thus He does from us all our
surrender, love and reverence.
874. Priya-krit –“One
who is ever-obliging in fulfilling our wishes” -One Who is anxiously eager for
the well-being of all devotees. But the term can also yield just opposite
meaning –“One who- destroys the wishes or disturbs the well-being of the wicked
and the faithless.”
875. Preeti-vardhanah -The sense of drunken joy that arises in one’s bosom when one loves
deeply and truly is called Preeti. “One who increases Preeti in the devotee’s
heart” is Sree Narayana. The more He is contemplated upon, the more His glories
are appreciated, thereby the more
Stanza
94
vihaayasagatirjyotih
suruchirhutabhug vibhuh
ravirvirochanah
sooryah savitaa ravilochanah.
876. Vihaayasa-gatih -The term Vihaayasa means pertaining to, depending on, the space-aerial.
Gatih means one who moves. Therefore, in its totality, this name describes:
“One who travels in space-having the nature of the Sun, Soorya-Narayana.”
877. Jyotih
–“Effulgent with His own inherent Light.” The Lord as Consciousness is the
‘Light of all lights.’ “By Its Light all are brilliant: by Its Light all are
illumined.” Sree Narayana is the Self-effulgent Atman, the Self.
878. Su-ruchih -The
suffix ‘Su’ indicates Auspiciousness (sobhana): the term ‘Ruchi’ is Glory or
Desire. The Glory of Lord Narayana is this world: it is His ‘desire’ (sankalpa)
that manifests as the universe.
The Supreme Brahman, the Infinite Reality,
functioning through the ‘Total- Vaasanaas,’ meaning the ‘Total-Causal- Body’
(Maayaa), is Lord, the Eesvara. So we are given the irrefutable scientific
truth in the Sruti-declaration that the universe is the ‘will’ or ‘desire’ of
Lord Narayana.
879. Huta-bhuk –“One
Who receives and enjoys all that is offered into the sacred fire during the
Vedic Rituals- Yajnas and Yaagas.” The faithful may offer oblations invoking
his own special Deity, but it is the One Lord, Narayana Who receives them all,
manifesting as the particular Deity invoked.
880. Vibhuh –“All-pervading.”
Lord Narayana, the Self, is unconditioned by time or space for He is the
Eternal, the Omnipresent. In His Absolute Nature, He is All-pervading as He is
unlimited by any conditionings.
881. Ravih –“One
Who absorbs the vapour (Rasa) from everything.” As the Soorya-Narayana, Sree
dries up everything in the universe.
882. Virochanah –“One
Who shines in different forms.” Whatever form the devotee chooses for
contemplation upon Him, the Lord manifests in that very Form for the sake and
joy of the devotee. Additionally it may be interpreted as “One Who Himself
manifests as the Sun and the Moon and all other resplendent spheres in the
Consmos.”
883. Sooryah -The
term etymologically means the One Source from which all things have been born
or out of which they have been delivered. The Lord as the First Cause is the
Womb of the Universe. On the surface of the world it is the Sun that nurtures
and nourishes all living creatures. It must be noted that many of the Lord’s
names indicate or are associated with the sun –as he is like the sun in the
solar System: the Centre around which the entire system revolves and by Whose
benign rays, as the ‘Orb-of-all Energies’, He thrilling to life the infinitude
of creatures.
884. Savitaa –the
one who brings forth, from Himself, the me Self functioning through the sun is
called savitaa.
885. Ravi-lochanah –“One Whose Eyes are the Sun.” In the Upanishad and
the Geeta, the Viraat Form of the Lord (the Cosmic-Form) is described as having
for His eyes the Sun and the Moon.
Stanza
95
ananto
hutbhugbhoktaa sukhado naikajoagrajah
anirvinnah
sadaamarshee
lokaadhishthaanamadbhutah.
886. Anantah –“Endless.”
One who is not conditioned by time and place is Self. In His All-pervading
nature He is immortal, and thus Immutable.
887. Huta-bhuk –“One
who accepts the things devotedly poured as oblation into the sacred Fire.”
These oblations which may be in the name or any devataa, are all received by
Narayana in the form of that devataa because He is the One Infinite Self Who
plays in and through all forms, worldly and heavenly.
888. Bhoktaa –The
One Who enjoys the world of objects-emotions-thoughts, through the equipments
of body- mind-intellect is none other than the Self expressing through these
‘instruments-of-experiences’ as the individuality-constituted of the
perceiver-feeler-thinker-ego.
The term Bhoktaa also means “One Who Protects”
(the Universe)-as He is the very material Cause for the entire world of names
and forms.
889. Sukha-dah -“One Who gives the experience of Eternal
Bliss to the devotees at their final spiritual destination-Moksha. As the term
stands in the verse, some would read it-’ A-sukha-da’ in which case the
nominative would mean: “One Who removes all the discomforts and pains of the
devotees.”
890. Naikajah -Na-’not’;
Eka-’once’; Ja ,-born.’ One who is born not only once, but many times, in many
Forms, to serve the devotees in His different Incarnations. In fact, all births
are all His manifestations alone as he is the Spark-of-Existence in the Universe of
inert matter. Through all equipments He alone is the One Consciousness that dances
Its Infinite Glories.
891. Agra-jah –“The One Who was First-Born.” Naturally, everything
came from Him alone; this Primordial First Cause is the concept of God. That
from which everything comes, in which everything exists and into which all
things can again finally merge-'That' is conceived as God.
892. Anirvinnah –“One Who feels no disappointments”-Who has no chance
to feel disappointment as He is ever the totally fulfilled. The agonising
disgust with things that comes to a bosom when a burning desire is unfulfilled
is called Nirveda. One who has no Nirveda is called Anirvinnah. He, being
“Ever-full” and “Perfect,” has no desires yet unfulfilled or something yet to
be fulfilled in the future. Bhagavan declares this in Geeta: “There is neither
anything that I have not gained nor anything I have yet to gain.”
893. Sadaa-marshee –“One who ever forgives the trespasses of all His
devotees” -One who is infinitely merciful and kind.
894. Loka-adhishthaanam -The one sole substratum for the entire Universe
of things and beings.”
895. Adbhutah –“Wonder is He.” The Geeta roars of this 'wonder,' and
the Upanishads assert that He and the teacher who
teaches of Him, and even the student who grasps Him are all ‘wonders.’ “
Wonder” is an experience that comes to one whose mind and intellect are stunned
by the overwhelming experience of any given moment. The experience has made the
mind stagger, the intellect to halt-so that no feelings or thoughts emanate
from them. That moment of realisation is a moment of total transcendence of the
“inner- equipments,’ so this term “Wonder” is often used in our scriptures to
point out the condition within at the time of our Experience Infinite.
Stanza
96
sanaat
sanaatanatamah kapilah kapirapyayah
svastidah
svastikrit svasti svastibhuk
svastidakshinah.
896. Sanaat –“The
Beginningless and the Endless factor is He.” Time cannot condition Him. He, the
Consciousness, illumines the very concept of Time and Space. He was, is and
shall ever be-He being Changeless, Immutable.
897. Sanaatanatamah –“The most Ancient.” It is from Him that the very intellect springs
forth and thereafter one of the concepts of the intellect is Time. Therefore,
He is the most’ Ancient,’ inasmuch as He was already there to be aware of even
the first experience of the beginning of Time.
898. Kapilah -The
Lord Himself, manifested as the great Rishi Kapila, propounded the Saamkhya
philosophy. In the Geeta, Bhagavan Sree Krishna declaring His own Glory,
describes Himself: “I am Kapila among the great ones.”
899. Kapih –“One
Who drinks water” -by one’s rays. The Sun it is that dries up everything,
evaporating the water-content contained on the surface of the earth.
900. Apyayah –“The
One in whom the entire Universe merges”-during the great deluge when the Total-
mind-the Creator-rests. The Supreme Atman functioning through the Total-mind is
the Creator, Brahmaaji-each mind being ruled by its own vaasanaas. The
Total-vaasanaas in the Universe (Causal-Body) is Maayaa and the Supreme Self
expressing through Maayaa (the Total-Causal-Body) is Eesvara. Therefore, Sree
Narayana, as Eesvara, is the One into Whom the total world of experiences
merges when the Total-mind rests during the ‘pause’ between two busy cycles of
Creation and involvement in the projected world of thoughts-feelings-objects.
In the north this term is read as Avyayah where
the meaning is clear: “Immutable”: and needs no explanation.
901. Svasti-dah –“One
Who gives Svasti to all His sincere devotees.” A true devotee is one who has
discovered his fulfilment in seeking and gaining the Infinite Bliss that is
Sree Hari. Naturally, he comes to turn away from the realms of
inauspiciousness. To the extent he is able to move into the Hari-Consciousness,
he is to that degree in the Bliss- Experience. Therefore, the Lord is termed as
the ‘Giver-of- Auspiciousness.
902. Svasti-krit -As
in many earlier terms which were preceded by the suffix ‘ Krit,’ here also, it
expands into two meanings: “One Who brings Auspiciousness” -or “One who robs
all Auspiciousness.” To the seeker who is moving towards the
Narayana-Consciousness, his experience is of added joy and peace in life, but
the one who seeks only sense-gratification and so moves away from the Reality,
to him the experience is more and more sorrow, agitations, tears and
tragedies-total inauspiciousness. The indeclinable (Avyaya) Sanskrit word
‘Svasti’ means Auspiciousness.
903. Svasti –“One
Who is the Source of all Auspiciousness” -as He is Himself the Auspicious. In
essence His Nature is Sat-Chit-Aananda so there can be no cause for
inauspiciousness therein. The individual functions within the powers of His
avidyaa and so is under the infatuation of Maayaa, while the Lord rules over
Maayaa and plays out through Maayaa.
904. Svasti-bhuk -“One who constantly lives in His Experience
a perpetual sense of holy Auspiciousness”-as it is His very nature-divine. It
can also be interpreted as “One Who showers Grace and makes His devotees
constantly experience Auspiciousness in their loving Narayana- centred hearts.”
905. Svasti-dakshinah -Lord is ever engaged in smartly distributing Auspiciousness. The
word ‘Dakshinaa’ has, apart from the
meaning of ‘gift,’ also a meaning: “One who is efficient and quick.” Therefore,
the term indicates that Sree Narayana quickly and efficiently will reach His
sincere seekers to give them the experience of Auspiciousness which is the
Lord’s very nature.
Stanza
97
araudrah
kundalee chakree vikramyoorjitasaasanah
sabdaatigah
sabdasahah sisirah sarvareekarah.
906. Araudrah –“One
who has none of the negative terrible urges and emotions.” The State of
Perfection is a condition where the frailties of the mortal heart can never
remain. The Lord is One in Whom the cruelties which rule the man of the
world-likes, dislikes, hatredness, jealousy and his other imperfections-can
never abide or even be contained.
907. Kundalee –“One
Who wears the famous ear-ring called the Makara-Kundala.” The term Kundalee
also signifies the ‘Serpent’-hence the Kundalinee-Sakti-the ‘Serpent-Power’-the
coiled mystic-glory lying now inert, uninvoked at the base of the back-bone in
the deep pelvic region. Here the ‘Serpent’ may be taken as the thousand-
tongued Ananta on whom Sree Narayana is described as ever reclining in His
Yoga-rest.
In all religions, ‘Serpent,’ it seems,
symbolises the ‘mind.’ In Hinduism it is true. Whether it is in Krishna’s dance
on the Kaaliyan-Serpent, or Siva wearing as ornaments the Serpents (Bhooshana), or Sree Hari resting upon
Ananta-the idea is always the conquest of the mind, the poisonous serpent.
908. Chakree –“He
Who wears ever His Discus called Su-Darsana (Auspicious Vision).” The Lord
destroys with the Discus only the foul and the low in us and the individual
naturally gains the Experience Divine, the Self.
909. Vikramee –“He
Who is more daring than all others.” The term is also interpreted: “One who
travels by air,” as ‘Vi’ means Bird. Famous is the allegory that Lord Vishnu
travels on the back of the white-necked Eagle.
910. Oorjita-saasanah –“One who commands and administers with His Hand.” His commands in the
scriptures advise us firmly what is right to do and what are the destructive
forces in each one of us. In case man decides to disobey His Laws, He severely
punishes him on all such occasions. Disobedience of Laws is immediately
followed by His loving curative punishment. It permits no exceptions; accepts
no excuses; admits no circumstantial conditions.
911. Sabdaatigah –“He
who transcends all words”-One who is Indescribable. The Vedas themselves are
but indications ‘pointing to Truth’ and are not explaining, describing or even
defining Truth. The Infinite and the Eternal Truth is beyond even the Vedas,
beyond all that can be gained through even the highest faculties of the finite
equipments (mind and intellect).
912. Sabda-sahah –“One
who allows Him- self to be invoked by the Vedic declarations.” If, however, the
Upanishadic declarations are properly reflected and sincerely meditated upon,
even though the Vedas have failed to define Truth, their contemplative
implications can transport us into the realms of the Infinite
Experience-Divine.
913. Sisirah -The
term means winter, the cold season. In India it is the cool season. Therefore,
by suggestion, this name indicates that the Lord is the ‘cool arbour’ for those
who are tortured by the heat of Samsar.
914. Sarvaree-karah -The word Sarvaree means ‘night’ or ‘darkness’; therefore, the term
defines the Lord as “One Who creates darkness.” To the men of realisation, our
world of sorrows and pains, of strains and stresses, of worries and anxieties
are unknown -while to those who live in their ego-sense, to them the Real is
unknown. ! The unknown means ‘veiled in darkness.’ The subtle meaning is clear
now.
Stanza
98
akroorah
pesalo daksho dakshinah kshaminaam varah
vidvattamo
veetabhayah
punyasravanakeertanah.
915. Akroorah –“Never-cruel.” Cruelty comes from anger, and anger
rises from ‘desire’--craving or lust. Sree Narayana, the Fulfilled and the
All-Full, cannot have ‘desire’ from which could come anger-thus, naturally,
never any cruelty. Generally this term is interpreted as “One who is of the
form of the Yaadava, Sree Akroora.” Akroora was a great devotee of the Lord
upon whom were bestowed many divine powers. “Wherever, there is any special
glory in anyone, know that to be a manifestation of a part of my Splendour,”
sings Lord in Bhagavad Geeta. Thus the term is interpreted as the Lord Whose
one ray of glory was the Kamsa-employee, the Yaadava-Akroora.
916. Pesalah –“One
who is supremely soft.” In His Infinite Kindness and Mercy, His Heart-divine is
ever flowing out in love and tenderness towards His devotees when they call out
for help ardently and lift themselves from their body-consciousness and
ego-centric life of sense-pursuits.
917. Dakshah -This
term stands for the quality of ‘promptitude.’ In army training, the Sanskrit
command Daksha is equal to “attention alertness, vigilance and utter
preparedness to act immediately with supreme urgency.” All these are implied in
that pose of “ Attention.” The Lord is
‘Daksha’ in serving the world and in rushing to His sincere devotees.
Omnipotent and divinely Efficient in His Infinite Smartness to reach and help
all, at all times, everywhere, under every circumstance is echoed in the
charming suggestions of this chosen term in the Sahasranaama of Sree Narayana,
the Self in All.
918. Dakshinah –“One
who is most liberal.” The term’ Dakshina’ is popularly used for the ‘gift’
presented to the priests after a ritual as their fee. This giving must be done
in a spirit of large-hearted, liberal charity-so that very large-heartedness of
mind (Daakshinya) itself is the Lord, as it is the opposite of selfishness and
attachment to the wealth which one possesses. “One who has Infinite Kindness
and Charity towards all good people and One Who is thus ever- ready to
liberally give away His endless Benevolence” is Sree Narayana, the Dakshina.
919. Kshaminaam-varah –“One Who has the greatest amount of patience with the sinners and
forgiveness for their sins.” Sree Narayana is more patient than even the Earth
which is generally pointed to as an example of highest patience (Kshamaa). He
exhibits supreme patience with the evil-minded, with the tyrant, the foul and
the fiendish. Hiranyaksha, Hiranyakasipu, Ravana and others of this type were
given many fair opportunities to realise for themselves the folly of their
baser attitudes to existing things and their immoral ways of life. It is only
when no other method of treatment could cure them that the Lord destroyed them
in His infinite kindness.
920. Vidvat-tamah –“One
who has the greatest Wisdom.” There are wise men in the world-each one also may
be a master in his own subject. The Lord, the very Consciousness illumining all
bosoms simultaneously everywhere, is the One Knowledge Absolute, the Knower of
all knowledge of all wise men. Omniscient-Infinite Truth is Sree Narayana as He
is Pure Knowledge by the Light of which all ‘Knowledge’ is known.
921. Veeta-bhayah –“One
who has lost all fears.” Fear can come only from the sense of ‘other.’ In
Advaita Reality, there cannot be any fear as He is the “One- without-a-second.”
The state of Narayana-Consciousness is declared in all scriptures to be’
Abhaya’-the Fearless State.
922. Punya-sravana-keertianah –“One whose Glory when ‘heard’ (sravana) and ‘sung’ (keertana) causes
merits (punya) to grow in the bosom of that devotee. This statement of fact is
never investigated deeply by students so they generally understand its
superficial and obvious meaning only.
By ‘hearing’-with attention-to the stories of
the Lord- we must get ourselves involved in the ‘listening’ and thereafter we
must reflect upon the glories of the Lord (Bhagavat Guna) and thus expose
ourselves to those recreative thoughts. Not only is it sufficient thus that we
imbibe the qualities spiritual, but we must learn to get ourselves committed to
the life of God- centred activities. This is called true keertana-singing His
Glories. It is not to be a mere noisy chanting of hymns, a mere muttering of
mantras; we must teach ourselves to allow Him to express through us. Our
physical activities, mental feelings and intellectual thoughts must all shine
forth the awareness of His Divine Presence that is in us at every moment,
every- where. The life of such a deyotee will itself become, in its dynamic
beauty, love and devoted tenderness, a constant worship (poojaa), a continuous
(akhanda) hymn chanted (keertana) in praise of the Lord-of-the-heart.
Stanza
99
uttaarano
dushkritihaa punyo duhsvapnanaasanah
veerahaa
rakshanah santo jeevanah paryavasthitah.
923. Uttaaranah –“One
who lifts us out of the ocean-of-change.” We, by identifying through our body-
mind-intellect, with the changing whirls of matter around us, assume to
ourselves the changes and these provide us, in their totality, the horrible
sorrow of the mortal finitude. On lifting our attention from the giddy changes
in these whirls of finite matter, when we fix it upon Him, the one
Consciousness that illumines all changes in all living creatures, we get
uplifted into a state of Immortality-Changeless, Blissful, Supremely
Satisfying. Hence, Sree Narayana is called as the ‘Up-lifter,’ the ‘Saviour.’
The ‘Taara-mantra’ lifts us from the cesspool
of sense living into the serener climes of the lit-up peaks of peace and
perfection.
924. Dushkritihaa –‘Kriti’
means actions; ‘Dush-kriti’ means bad actions. When actions are undertaken,
prompted by sensuous desires, they leave impressions (vaasanaas) and these
always have a tendency to make us repeat similar actions. When one turns the
mind towards Narayana,-the Self, he is emptied of his existing vaasanaas, so
Lord is indicated as the ‘destroyer (Haa) of the sins.’
925. Punyah –“Supremely
Pure.” One who purifies the heart of His devotee-removing all his sensehunting
vaasanaas of indulgence. Sree Narayana guides the pure-hearted to the portals
of the final goal, the Higher Consciousness.
926. Duh-svapna-naasanah –“One who destroys all ‘bad dreams’.” The worst dream is the samsar.
Perception of plurality is the horrible dream of terrible pangs, consuming
fears and drowning sorrows. Dreams are explosions of the suppressions stored
away in the subconscious. A real devotee exists in utter surrender unto the
Lord. When his life is ever-centred in Narayana-smarana, in such total and
humble dedication he has no chance of earning these suppressions. Since his
sub-conscious mind is not loaded with half-digested thoughts and unexpressed
intentions, repressed desires and suppressed motives, immoral passions and
covetous inclinations, he has no fearful dreams in his daily sleep. Ultimately
each seeker will rise above his little ego and its hungers and enters into the
plane of Narayana-Consciousness.
927. Veerahaa –“One
Who ends the passage from womb-to-womb-the wheel of birth and death.” ‘Veera’
means diversified ways, or one who functions in innumerable fields in countless
ways.
928. Rakshanah -“One who is the Protector of the Universe.”
Among the Trinity, Vishnu is the Protector, the Sustainer of all the created.
“For the protection of the good, the destruction of the wicked and the
establishment of righteousness, He takes different Incarnations.”
929. Santah
-This term, used in the plural number, indicates “the good people.” They are
considered as “good” who have moral virtues, ethical values, spiritual purity
and scriptural knowledge. By using the plural form here, the import is that the
holy beauty of Sree Narayana is found expressed in the glory of such a company
of good and saintly men.
930. Jeevanah –“The
Life-Spark in all living creatures.” The Flame-of-Existence that warns an
organism to life is the presiding Consciousness Supreme, the Self. This Self is
Narayana. “Permeating the earth I support all beings by (My) energy; and having
become the juicy Moon I nourish all herbs”-is the declaration of Bhagavan.
931. Paryavasthitah -In all places, in all creatures, He dwells. He is the final
Factor-Divine beyond which there is nothing, and upon which all else depends.
Stanza
100
anantaroopo-anantasreer
jitamanyur bhayaapahah
chaturasro
gabheeraatmaa vidiso vyaadiso disah.
932.
Ananta-roopa –“One
of the infinite forms.” The endless variety of forms constituting the world of
objects are all projections in him. They are in their essence nothing but
himself. Just as the entire spread –of –objects in a dream is nothing but the creation
of the single mind of the waker, and it is seen as many only in the dream
–plane –of –consciousness, so, too, the world of objects –emotions-and
–thoughts are all discovered as the Narayana –Consciousness.
933.
Anantasreeh
–“One who is full of infinite Glories,” “One who is full of Incomparable
Powers,” the main tree ‘powers’ which the lord expresses in the world are the
‘Desire Power’ (Icchaa-sakti). These are expressions of his Glory at our
physical, mental and intellectual levels. These are three manifestations of his
‘powers’ and their continuous interplay, together weave the fabric of the total
dynamic expressions of life in the world. The self, Sree Narayana, the one
spring –board for all these vibrant aspects of the life –He, the Omniscient, is
called “One of Infinite Forms.”
934.
Jitamanyuh
–“One who has conquered anger” (manyuh). It cannot be repeated too often, thus
this significance is again given in this term, that anger is one of the most
overpowering enemies within us –”One who has conquered anger” is One who
established in his own Purity. Earlier, the technique of anger was explained
that when a desire is unfulfilled, anger rises in a man’s heart towards a
desire is unfulfilled, anger rises in a man’s heart towards the obstacle between
him and his desire. The self is All-full (Paripoorna); it cannot feel any need,
want or desire. The Self, then Sree Narayana, is ever without the low and
ruinous passion called ‘anger.’
935.
Bhayapahah
–“One who destroys or removes all fear in the samsaric life.” Naturally, lord
Narayana is the one sure harbour wherein the boats of life, tossed mercilessly
on the high seas of passions, can find their calm of peace and total security.
936.
Chaturasrah
–“One who deals squarely with all.” The term Chaturasrah means a geometrical
square of equal sides. Sree Narayana distributes the results of actions equally
to all: each one can get only the exact reward of his own previous actions.
Thus, Narayana bestows justly and squarely upon all.
937.
Gabheeraatmaa
–“One who, in his real Nature, is too deep to be fathomed by the frail
instrument of our mind.” Depth here indicates the profoundness –the supreme
essence pervading the Universe is unfathomably profound in its significance and
glory.
938.
Vidisah
–“One who is unique in his giving.” He is divinely liberal, magnificently
benevolent in fulfilling the earnest desires of all his true devotees.
939.
Vyaadisah –“One
who is unique in his Commanding –Power.” One who orders even the phenomenal
powers, the deities and gods.
940.
Disah –“One
who advises and gives knowledge.” It is the self who is author of the Vedas,
nay, the very theme and essence of the Vedas. Lord Narayana, in the form of the
sruti-texts, gives to man the knowledge of the self.
Stanza
101
anaadirbhoorbhuvo
lakahmeeh suveero ruchiraangadah
Janano
janajanmaadir bheemo bheemaparaakramah.
941.
Anaadih –“One
who is the first cause” –and who is himself the uncaused. The eternal, the
Beginingless is Sree Narayana.
942.
Bhoorbhuvah –“the
very substratum or support for the earth.” Since the earth revolves in the
space in which the universe exists and revolves is the supreme, Narayana.
943.
Lakshmeeh –“One
who is wealthy, the richness or glory of the universe.” If self were not, then
all would have been inert, unborn, deed. As the one life every-where, as pure
existence, all the glories of this dynamic Universe are in him and from him
alone.
There
is a reading wherein the terms 942 and 943 are coupled, in which case their
combined meaning would be: “One who is the glory in the universe and in the
interspace everywhere.”
944.
Suveerah –“One
who moves through various ways which are all divinely glorious.” Or, One who exhibits in all his Incarnations
the inimitable splendour of valour in his actions and achievements.
945.
Ruchiraangadah –“One
who wears resplendent shoulder-caps” –a kind of ornament used by ancient Indian
kings to protect their upper arms and shoulders from their enemies slashing
swords.
946.
Jananah –“He
who delivers all living creatures.” Lord Sree Narayana is the great Father of
all living beings as all the universe comes from him alone. He alone was before
all creation; from him alone everything has risen; in him everything exists, is
nurtured and nourished by his Glory. Thus, as the very progenitor of the
universe, Sree Narayana, the Self, is the only jagat-Eesvara (Lord of the
universe).
947.
Janajanmaadih
–“One who is the sole Cause of birth for all living creatures in the universe.”
The immediate cause is, of course, the vaasanaas of each being, but the real
and ultimate cause in the self, Sree Narayana.
948.
Bheemah –“One
whose form is terrible and frightening to the sinners.” “Oh, Glorious Sir,
seeing yours wonderful but awesome from, the whole world is shuddering with
fear,” cried Arjuna upon beholding the cosmic Form of the lord. He adds:
“Having seen Thy Immeasurable Form … the worlds are terrified and so am I.”
Again, “On seeing thee touching the sky…my heart is stricken with dread and I
find no courage nor peace, O Vishnu.”
949.
Bheemaparaakramah –“One whose prowess is irresistible and fearful to his enemies.”
Stanza
102
aadhaaranilayo-adhaata
pushpahaasah prajaagarah
oordhvagah
satpathaachaarah praanadah prranavah panah.
950.
Aadhaaranilayah –“One who is the fundamental sustainer” –the support for all that
exists. All things and all beings are supported by the earth which itself rests
upon the lord, the self, that each mind projects the entire world of names and
forms.
951.
Adhaataa –“Above
whom there is no other to control or to command” –One who is the supreme
controller of all. He is the Law; the eternal truth is that the Law and the
Law-Giver are one and the same.
952.
Pushpahaasah –“He
who shines like an opening flower.” The bud opens and manifests into the lord
at the time of deluge existed as the total Unmanifest, and there after, at the
maturity of the vaasanaas, opens up as the manifest world of things and beings,
He came to be indicated by this term.
953.
Prajaagarah –“Ever-Awaked”
–He who knows no sleep. Sleep means ‘non-apprehension.’ This ‘non-apprehension’
of reality is called ‘Avidyaa’ (nescience) which produces our
‘mis-apprehension’ of I and mine, and the world of pains and shocks. Since
Narayana is the self, He is ‘Ever-available” and is never asleep to his
Eternal-Divine-Nature.
954.
Oordhvagah –“One
who walks the path of truth” –a path which other implicitly follow to reach the
Truth Inifinite. “Whatever an adored one does, other people will implicitly
follow,” warns Krishna in Bhagava Geeta. Lord is the standard of perfection”
and all devotees place him as the ideal –trying to imitate, in their own lives,
His Absolute Goodness, Absolute Love and Absolute Peace.
956.
Praanadah –“One
who gives ‘Praana’ to all.” The term ‘Praana’ in our Sastras means the
physiological functions, the manifestations of life in man. Therefore,
Narayana, the self, is the Vital Source from which all sense organs, mind and
intellect barrow their power of perception, capacities of feeling and their
faculties of thinking and understanding.
957.
Pranavah –“Om-kaara
is Pranava.” The Infinite reality is indicated by ‘OM’ in the Vedas. ‘OM’ is
the manifesting sound of the supreme self. Therefore, Sree Narayana is called
‘Pranavah’: meaning he is of the ‘nature of Omkaara.”
958.
Panah –“The
supreme Manager of the universe.” The root ‘Pana’ means “to transact.” By
giving the exact rewards for all actions, Lord both orders and justly manages
all activities of each individuals and things constituting this scientifically
precise universe.
Stanza
103
pramaanam
prananilayah
praanabhrit praanajeevanah
tattvam
tattvavidekaatmaa janmamrityujaraatigah.
959.
Pramaanam –“He
whose very form is the Vedas” –which are the only ‘proof’ for the Eternal
Reality. Or, we may read it: He who is pure Infinite Consciousness (Prajnaanam)
as we have it in the great Commandment, “Consciousness is the Infinite
Reality.”
960.
Praananilayah
–“He in whom all ‘praanas’ stand established.” He who is very substratum –vital
foundation –for all ‘activities’ manifested in a living organism.
961.
Praana-brit
–“He who rules over all ‘Praanas’ –Sree Hari is the one who causes everyone to
eat, digest, feel energized, act, achieve the fruits thereof, grow old and die.
In all ‘activities,’ the great One-commanding, Factor-Divine, Sree Narayana,
the self, presides in silent detachment, and by His Presence He initiates and
maintains all these activities in all living creatures upon the earth’s
surface.
962.
Praana-jeevanah
–“He who maintains the life-birth in all living creatures.” This interpretation
is not a happy one as this meaning has just come in the preceding, endearing
term. In love, of course, there is no rule that the lover should not repeat the
same loving words to address his beloved. But, we can find yet a new depth of
suggestion if we understand this term to mean “One who is the very life-giving
divine-touch in every breath.”
963.
Tattvam–“the
Reality” –that which is eternal, the essence. “That which one gains in
subjective realization is the self,” Sree Narayana.
964.
Tattvavit –“One
who has realized fully the reality” –meaning the original essential nature of
the self. On realizing the self, the individual become the self and, therefore, Sree Narayana, that very
self, is One who has realized fully the Reality which is His Own Nature Divine.
965.
Ekaatmaa –“The
Advaita Reality” –Narayana is the One self, the Oversoul, Who expresses himself
as the individualities of the infinite entities in the universe.
966.
Janma-mrityu-jaraa-atigah –“One who knows no change or modifications in Himself.” Ever finite
object in the world undergoes constant ‘change’ and each of them is extremely
painful. They are birth, growth, decay, and the Eternal, the changeless Self,
Sree Narayana, Ever- the-same Supreme. Geeta thunders the nature of the self to
be “ever-birthless and never dying,” and once It has existed, Self never
becomes non-existent.
Stanza
104
bhoorbhuvah
svastarustaarah savitaaa prapitaamahah
yajno
yajnapatiryajvaa yajnaango yajnavaahmah.
967. Bhoor-bhuvas-svas-taruh –“One
who is snap in the tree-of-life existing in all the universe of the higher
world, our-world and the lower world.” The famous Vedic terms bhooh Bhuvah and
Svah connote the three worlds (lokas). The world ‘Loka’ in Sanskrit means “a
field of experience.” Therefore, in fact, these three terms, called
Vyaahritees, subjectively represents all our experiences in the walking, dream
and deep-sleep states of consciousness. His constant Yajna to nurture and
nourish the Universe. So, this epithet has been given to Sree Narayana, the
infinite Self, the glorious Essence (Sap) that pervades the entire
Tree-of-Life-flowering out to even embrace all experiences in all planes of
Consciousness. Everywhere, in the everything at all times.
968.
Tarrah –“One
who helps all to cross –over” –the Eternal Boat-man, to whom, if the devotees
can surrender in unswerving faith and true devotion, he will surely row them
across the “Ocean of samsara:” that one is Taarah. Through exclusive, devoted
meditation, alert with understanding, the individuality in each of us wakes up
to the higher plane – and there is Be-attitude to experience the Self, the
eternal Brahman – Sree Hari.
969. Savitaa –“He who is
the father of All” –Who is the eternal father of the entire Universe.
970.
Pra-pitaamahah
–“He who is the father of even the ‘Father of all Beings,’ the creator,
Brahmaaji, of the trinity.” The creator Himself rose from the Absolute self.
Creator is known in our scriptural language as Pitaamaha –the Father.
971.
Yajnah –“One
whose very nature is yajna.” The term yajna means “work undertaken with a pure
spirit of total dedication in complete co-operative endeavor with total
selflessness, there is Sree Narayana in action through His creatures.
972.
Yajna-patih
–“The lord of all yajnas.” I am the ‘Enjoyer’ in all self –dedicated,
co-operative endeavors (Yajna). These are the joyous words of the lord who
Himself declares; “The ‘Enjoyer’ and the ‘lord’ in all yajnas am I.”
973.
Yajvaa –“The
one who performs Yajna according to the strict prescriptions laid down in
Vedas” –the one who maintains in ll his divine actions the true Yajna spirit.
974.
Yajnaangah –“One
whose limbs are the ‘things’ employed in Yajna.” In Harivamsa we told that
‘things’ are the very aspects of Lord Sree Narayana.
975.
Yajna-vaahanah –“One
who fulfils Yajnas in complete and exact accord with the Vedic instructions.”
Stanza
105
yajnabhridyajnakridyajnee
yajnabhugyajnasaadhah
yajnaantakridyajnaguhyamannamannaada
eva cha.
976.
Yajna-bhrit –“the
ruler of the Yajnas” –the One who helps us to conclude successfully all our
‘good, dedicated. Selfless acts of service to others’ –Yajnas.
977.
Yajna-Krit –“One
who performs Yajna.” The same term also mean One who destroys the yajnas. The
term Yajna connotes all noble and divine actions of service and love undertaken
in a pure sense of God dedication, selflessness and joy. Lord issued forth the
creation as an act of yajna, and in the end He must also undertake the total
dissolution of this very yajna. Sometimes this is interpreted as “One who
‘performs’ the yajnas of the good people and one who ‘destroys’ the Yajnas of
the evil minded folk.”
978.
Yajnee –“One
who is constant ‘Enjoyer’ of the perpetual Yajnas.” In all Yajnas, because
every act is Narayana –centered-god-dedicated-to him alone is the attribute of
being the only single ‘Enjoyer.’
979.
Yajnee –“All
that is offered into the scared Fire during a Yajna, though with an invocation
to any of the deities, in tender devotion and joy. Goes to Him alone, the “One
receiver of all that is offered,” for all deities are but Narayana in different
forms.
980.
Yajna-saadhanah
–“One who fulfills all Yajnas.” It is by his grace alone all noble endeavours,
undertaken in an honest and true sincerity, gain spectacular success.
981.
Yajnaantakrit –“One
who performs the last, concluding act in all Yajnas.” The final item in a yajna
is the “total –offerings” (Poorna-Aahuti) when Sree Narayana is reverently and
earnestly invoked. Without this prayer-ritual. Yajna is never complete. Sree
Hari, therefore, is of the form of Poorna-Aahuti -in the sense that when
‘total’ surrender of all vehicles and their actions is accomplished, the
transcendental experience of the Self, Narayana alone, comes to manifest in all
His divine Splendour.
Some
commentators have, however, taken the meaning of the Yajna-anta-not as “the
last item in yajna” but as ‘anta,’ the ‘fruit’ of the yajna by which they
bestow the meaning that Narayana is the “One who gives away the ‘fruits’ for
all Hari-dedicated, selfless acts of love and service.”
982. yagna-guhyam –“Sree
Narayana is the most profound truth to be realised in all yajnas.” The self is the most noble truth to be sought
through ‘offerings’ all the ‘Dravya’ (objects) into the “consciousness” (Fire)
in the “body” (kunda). This kind of subjective-Yajna is called in the Geeta as
“Knowledge-Yajna.” This is also called in the Vedas as Brahma-Yajna.
983.
Annam –“One
who has himself become the ‘food’ ” –sense –objects which are the ‘food’
consumed by the sense –organs. As a verb it can be used as One who “Eats” the
whole universe at the time of the great dissolution. At that time, he is the
one in whom the world remains absorbed in the pralaya, just as our individual
world each day gets dissolved in our sleep. The one in whom alone the world of
names and forms can remain in their ‘seed-form,’ is Sree Narayana, the self.
984.
Annaadah –“One
who eats the ‘food.’ ” not only the objective world is the projection on
Narayana, but the subjective-enjoyer –the individuality, the ego, that
experiences-is also Narayana. The self, functioning through the “equipment” is
the jeevaatman, the individuality in each of us who “experiences.” Thus the
self is the both ‘food’ (Annam) and ‘eater-of-food’ (Annaadah) just as our own
waking-mind becomes the “experiencer” and the “experienced” in our dream-world.
Stanza 106
aatnayonih svayamjaato
vaikhaanah saamagaayanah
devakeenandanah srashtaa kshiteesah paapanaasanah.
985.
Aatma-yohin –“One
who is himself the ‘material cause’ (Upaadaana Kaarana) for himself;” the self
born, the uncaused cause.
986.
Svayam-jaatah –“One
who, as the lord of the universe, has no other ‘Instrumental cause’
(Nimitta-Kaarana) in projecting Himself.”
Three
cause are necessary in all ‘creation’ in the pluralistic world: the Material
cause’ (mud), the “Instrumental cause’ (wheel), and the ‘Efficient cause’ (the
pot maker). In sree Narayana’s self-projection, as in the dream, that all these
three causes are He, Himself, is shown in these term.
987.
Vai-Khaanah –“The
one who dug through the earth” –cutting through the denseness of the gross to
reach, apprehend and kill the subtle Hirnyaksha, the terrible and the monstrous
who had tried to destroy the spiritual values in the world. The self has to
reach us to destroy the ego in us and give us the ‘liberation’ from our evil adherence
to the body-mind-intellect.
988.
saama-gaayanah
–“One who signs the Saama-songs.”
989.
Devakeenandhanah –“He who appeared as born to Devakee in his Incarnation as Krishna.”
And since Devakee could only, from afar, see, watch and enjoy the pranks and
play of her blessed child in Gokula, Krishna is called as the “Joy of Devakee”
(Devakee-nandhana).
990.
Srashtaa –“One
who creates.” Even the Creator can perform his job only by drawing his
abilities and capacities from the infinite self, Sree Narayana.
991.
Kshiteesah –“One
who is the lord of the earth.” Sree Narayana is the husband of mother Earth. He
is her protector. Her nurtuer and nourisher. Her, earth may stand for all that
is gross –the entire maayaa-and Narayana is the Lakshmee-Pati.
992.
Paapa-naasanah –meditating upon whom, all vaasanaas (sins) are liquidated. When the
individuals, surrendering in love to Him, acts and fulfils his duties, all his
existing vaasanaas are destroyed and no new ones are created –this is the very
root in the theory of karma Yoga in the Vedas. Through meditation upon the
self, all sins are dissolved and totally removed.
Stanza 107
Samkhabhirnnandakee chakree
saarngadhanvaa gadaadharah
Rathaangapaanirakshobhyah sarvapraharanaayudhah.
993.
Samkha-bhrit –“One
who has the divine conch named “Paanchajanya.” The word meaning is this term
pancha-janya is “that which is born of the five” (sense organs), so it stands
for the mind. Mind being the seat of ego, the sastras declare that the conch in
the divine hand of Sree Narayana is the ego-factor (Ahamkaara-Tattva) in our
personality.
994.
Nandakee –The
lord’s sword is called Nandaka. Therefore,this term indicates one who holds and
wields the Nandaka sword. The word Nanda-kam mean “that which brings bliss.”
The Sastras sing that the divine sword in the sacred hands of the lord hari
represents the knowledge-Spiritual (Vidyaa-Tattva) with which the seeker can
destroy all his “ignorance” of the self in him.
995.
Chakree –“one
who carries the discus called Sudarsana.” The term Su-Darsana means “that gives
the auspicious vision.” The sastras attribute to this discus-Divine the
representation of the human mind.
996.
Saarnga-dhanvaa –“One who aims his unerring bow called Saarnga.” This bow of Narayana
is glorified in our texts as representing the Ego, as the ‘apex’ of all the
sense organs, Ahankaara-Tattva. In this concluding Stanza, the instruments of
Blessing in sree Narayana’s hands are remembered with reverence and devotion.
997.
Gadda-dharah –“One
who holds his divine club (Mace) celebrated as Kaumodakee –which generates and
spreads beauty and joy.” This Mace is described as representing the intellect
in man (Buddhi-Tattva).
998.
Rathanga-paanih –“The traditional meaning is, of course, “One who has the ‘wheel of the
chariot’ as his weapon.” This means the discuss which already has been
mentioned in this very Stanza as Chakree. But, there are others who would like
to interpret this term in other ways. In a glorification-Hymn or
devotional-Chant, repetition is no sin; in fact, it should be quite natural.
999.
Akshobhyah –“One
who cannot be exasperated by anyone, by any act or acts, however blasphemous
they may be.” One whose peace and calm cannot be stormed out by any happening
in his outer world; Ever-peaceful. The term suggests Infinite patience, love
and kindness towards man and his frailties.
1000.
Sarva-praharanaayudhah –“He who has all implements for all kinds of assault and fight.” No
enemy can surprise Him. The ‘conqueror of all.’ One who has weapons to meet any
missile. However powerful.
Sree Sarva-praharanaayudhah
Om Namah iti
[The
1000 names end here...]
Concluding
Verses:
1. Itidam Kirtaniyasya Keshavasya Mahatmanahah
Naamnaam Sahasram Divyaanaam Asheshena Prakeerthitham
1.
In the above verses have been given a complete enumeration of the thousand
divine names of the the Great Being Keshava, who is the fit object for all
praise and prayer.
2. Ya Idam Srunuyaan Nityam
Yaschaapi Parikeertayet
Naashubham Praapnuyaat
Kinchit Somutreha Cha Maanavah
2.
Nothing evil or inauspicious will befall a man here or hereafter who daily
hears or repeats these names
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
5. Bhaktimaan Yah
Sadotthyaaya Suchis-tadgata Maanasahah
Sahasram Vaasudevasya
Naamnaam Etat Prakeertayet
Whichever
devoted man, getting up early in the morning and purifying himself, repeats
this hymn devoted to Vaasudeva, with a mind that is concentrated on Him...
6. Yashah Prapnoti Vipulam
Jnaati Praadhaanyam Eva Cha
Achalaam Sriyam Aapnoti
Sreyah Praapnotyanuttamam
That
man attains to great fame, leadership among his peers, wealth that is secure
and the supreme good unsupassed by anything....
7. Na Bhayam Kvachid Aapnoti
Veeryam Tejasya Vindati
Bhavatyarogo Dyutimaan
Bala-roopa-gunaanvitahah
He will be free from all
fears and be endowed with great courage and energy and he will be free from
diseases. Beauty of form, strength of body and mind, and virtuous character
will be natural to him.
10. Vaasudeva-ashrayo Martyo
Vaasudeva Paraayanahah
Sarva Paapa Vishudhaatmaa
Yaati Brahma Sanaatanam
Free
from all sins, a man devoted to Vaasudeva and completely dependent on Him
attains to the eternal status of Brahman.
No
inauspicious things can happen to a devotee of Vasudeva. The person will
conquer the cycle of birth, death, fear and disease.
One
who reads this hymn every day with devotion and attention attains peace of
mind, patience, prosperity, mental stability, memory and reputation.
Such
a person is not caught by anger, binding, jealousy, or any inauspicious event.
Such a bhakta becomes a "punyatma" and merges with the Purshottama
(i.e. supreme being)
All
scriptures consider right conduct as the foremost requisite. Dharma is based
upon right conduct, and Dharma, Achyuta is the master.
The
rishis, pitrus, the devas, the great elements and in fact all things moving and
unmoving constituting this universe have originated from Naaraayana.
The
Yoga, Jnaana, Saamkya, sciences, arts, works, Vedas, scriptures, spiritual
illumination -- all these have originated from Janaardhana.
Mahaavishnu
is the one all-comprehending being who appears as many. He is the essence of
all brings, the consumer of the world, the indestructible one, and the master
of all. Pervading all the three worlds, He enjoys all entities constituting
them.
Whoever
desires advancement and happiness should repeat this devotional hymn on Vishnu
composed by Vyaasa.
Never
will defeat attend on a man who adores the Lotus-eyed One, who is the Master of
all the worlds. Who is birthless, and out of whom the worlds have originated,
and into whom they dissolve.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
