vishNu sahasranAmam (5)

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PB = Translation of srI parAsara bhattar's commentary.

SA = Translation of srI sankarAchArya's commentary.

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(sl-7) agrAhyaH SASvataH kRshNo lohitAkshaH pratardanaH

prabhUtas-trikakubdhAma pavitram mangalam param

 

55 agrAhyaH

 

PB: One who is beyond the grasp (of others). He cannot be handled

like mud (by a potter) or thread (by a weaver). He is not

controlled by anyone- agrAhya. Vide-

"One could grasp Him neither at the top, nor across, nor

in the middle",

"He alone controls creation".

 

SA: One who cannot be grasped by the organs of knowledge or

concieved by mind. TaiU. (2.9):

"yato vAco nivartante aprApya manasA saha- He is beyond

speech and thought".

 

56 SASvataH

 

PB: The eternal. He is so called because of the continuous flow

of His action pertaining to the Universe. Vide-

"His actions (creation, sustenance and destruction) are

going on constantly".

 

SA: One who exists at all times (SASvat). nArU. (13.1):

"SAsvatam Sivam acyutam- He is eternal, auspicious and

undecaying".

 

57 kRshNaH

 

PB: He who is exceedingly delighted (by such creation,

sustenance

etc.). i.e. He is the embodiment of Ananda due to His

rAsa-lIlA.

 

SA: The Existence-Knowledge-Bliss.

MahabhArata, udyoga-parva (70.5):

"The syllable 'kR' denotes existence and 'na' denotes bliss.

vishNu is both these. So He is always kRshNa".

Because of His Dark color He is called 'kRshNa'.

58 lohitAkshaH

 

PB: The Red-eyed (due to the Ananda described in 'kRshNa')

 

SA: The Red-eyed.

 

59 pratardanaH

 

PB and SA: Destroyer of all (during pralaya). Vide-

"He who has for food the brahmins and the kshattriyas (i.e.

all beings)"

"He is a great consumer by drawing to Himself the

Universe,

both moving and unmoving".

 

60 prabhUtaH

 

PB : He who is affluent / possessed of plenty (though He destroys

all Universe during pralaya). He ever shines in

paramapada

possessing and giving endless joy to all.

 

SA: Great because of unique qualities like omnipotence etc.

 

61 trikakubdhAmaH

 

PB: He who has a three fold world as His abode. Vide-

"All the world comprised in this Universe from a forth

part. His Divine abode is three times as large". Another

explanation is: trikakuth indicates three pairs of

qualities, j~nana (Omniscience), bala (Strength),

aiSwarya (Sovereignty), vIrya (Constancy), Sakti (Power),

tejaH (Lustre). Or, trikakubdhAmaH may also represent the

varAha avatAra.

 

SA: He who is the support (dhAma) of the three regions above,

below and in the middle.

 

62 pavitram

 

PB: Embodiment/Incarnate of Purity. The earlier names descriptive

of His guNAs (qualities), aiSwarya (riches) and rUpA (form)

lead by stages to to the description of His Personality,

which is Purity embodied.

 

SA: He who purifies everything.

 

63 mangalam param

 

PB: The Embodiment of Supreme Auspiciousness (opposed to all that

is mean and inauspicious). 'param' indicates the

unlimited

nature of 'mangalam' (Auspiciousness). Vide-

"He is immersed fully in incomparable/immeasurable bliss",

"satyam, j~nanam, anantam brahma - That Supreme is Truth,

Knowledge and Eternal",

"Anando brahma- That Supreme is Bliss".

 

SA: Supremely Auspicious. vishNu purANa says:

"That whose very remembrance removes the inauspicious and

bestows the auspicious in abundance- the brahman is

called

'mangalam' by the wise".

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(sl-8) ISAnaH prANadaH prANo jyeshThaH SreshThaH prajApatiH

hiraNyagarbho bhUgarbho mAdhavo madhu-sUdanaH

 

64 ISAnaH

 

PB: The Controller (of all at all times). This clearly

distinguishes Him from the bound/released/ever-free souls

whose qualities are shrouded or manifested. The affix

'chAnas' is added to a verb to denote the sense of being

one's nature. i.e. Naturally, He regulates all in the

Universe at all times. Vide-

"Him, the greatest Lord, greater than all the greats",

"Knowledge, Power and Action are His innate nature",

"The Supreme Soul is the Support of all, He is parameSwara"

 

SA: Hw who controls/regulates all.

 

65 prANadaH

 

PB: The life-giver (the foremost of his aiSwaryas). He gives

life and spiritual strength to the ever-free souls(niyasUris)

to enable them visualize Him always, enjoy Him, and do

service

to Him. Vide-

"Who offers His own self and strength",

"That Lord enters as life (into the beings of the Universe)".

 

SA: One who activates/bestows prANa, the vital energy.

TaitU. (2.7): "ko hy'evAnyAt, kaH prANyAt - if there were not

the Lord, who is then to activate the prANa?"

Or, one who destroys (dyati) the prANas.

 

66 prANaH

 

PB: Life(of niyasUris) and the cause of living of all. Vide-

"Thereafter He remained as the life of all Gods",

"Who else can be life, excepting Him",

"Therefore this indestructible Supreme is the life,

speech

and mind",

 

SA: The Supreme being. BrU. (4.4.18) says: "prANasya prANaH-

the life force behind life force". The second life force

is

the jIva (living soul of individual). The Supreme Being is

the life force even behind it. Thus, He is the mukya prANa.

 

67 jyeshThaH

 

PB: Highly praise-worthy (because of His possessing riches of

unlimited and unimaginable extent, though they are being

enjoyed ever and in all possible ways by Him and niyasUris).

Vide-

"The glory of Bhagavan vasudeva is most praise worthy",

"Brahman alone is most praise worthy".

Another meaning is "the Oldest of all beings" as He existed

before all.

 

SA: He is the eldest/oldest.

 

68 SreshThaH

 

PB: The Pre-eminent. He is always adored by stotras by the

niyasUris due to the Ananda enjoyed by them permanently

in moksha.

"tasmai devA upAsate - Pious souls who are subordinate to Him

do service to Him".

 

SA: Most praise-worthy (as He is replete with all excellences).

ChU. (5.1.1) says: "prANo vAva jyeshthaS ca SreshthaS ca -

prANa alone is the eldest and the greatest".

The reference is to the concept of mukya prANa. Or being

the first cause and thus elder to all, He is jyeshThaH,

and being the highest Being excelling others, He is SreshThaH.

 

69 prajApatiH

 

PB: Who are they and how are they related to Him? The answer is

'prajApatiH'. niyasUris are called 'prajaH' as they are vastly

superior to bound/freed souls. Vide-

"The niyasUris reside in Him who is far superior to Universe".

 

SA: The Master of all living beings, because He is ISvara.

 

70 hiraNya-garbhaH

 

PB: He who is in a lovely abode (where only sattwa/purity abounds

forever). This is similar to hiraNya or Gold. Or 'hita

and

ramaNIya', i.e. agreeable and lovely. It is said to be

pregnant

with Him as He is always there. Vide-

"In that supreme golden world, that Supreme brahman lives

free from qualities of activity and darkness, a luminary

superior to all luminaries. This, the niyasUris know.

There

the Sun does not shine".

 

SA: One who is the Atman of even brahma (the creator). brahma is

called hiraNya-garbhaH- the luminous globe containing the whole

universe in the seminal form (brahmANda). Rg veda (10-121.1)-

"hiraNya-garbhaH samavartat'Agre - at first

hiraNya-garbha

alone existed".

 

71 bhUgarbhaH

 

PB: He for whom Earth is the object of protection. This

denotes

that He has bhoomi (Earth) as His consort. She is being

rejuvenated by Him by constant enjoyment and herein she

is

like the garbha (womb or child). Vide-

"Goddess bhoomi is the spouse of vishNu and ever young".

 

SA: Having the bhUmi (earth) within (womb) Himself.

 

72 mAdhavaH

 

PB: The consort of mA (lakshmi/srI). Vide-

"srI, the consort of vishNu, rules the Universe".

srI sUkta and other texts show that lakshmi is all sakti

and pervades the universe. The Lord is inseparable from

Her and enjoys His aiSwarya etc. along with Her. rAmAyaNa

says, "The entire rAmAyaNa is a great narrative od sItA".

 

SA: The consort of mA (lakshmi/srI). Or one who is fit to

be known through madhu-vidhyA. MahAbharata Udyo. (70.4):

"O bhArata! know mAdhava through mauna (slience), dyAna

(meditation) and Yoga".

 

73 madhusUdanaH

 

PB: The slayer of demon madhu. He is called madhusUdana as He

is the controller of all and bestows undisputed prosperity

by slaying the asurAs.

Or, 'madhu' means sense-organs. Since He helps His devotees

to restrain indriyAs He is madhusUdana.

 

SA: The slayer of demon madhu.

 

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S. G. Srinivasan email : sgsrini

Graduate Student

Dept. Of Mater. Sci. & Engg.

Room 204, Roberts Hall, BOX 352120

University Of Washington Phone : (206)-632-1083 (H)

Seattle, WA 98195-2120 (206)-685-3851 (W)

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REALITY IS AN APPROXIMATION OF THEORY - anonymous

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