vishNu sahasranAmam - (3)

[Guest guest]

I'll use the abbreviation SA and PB respectively to denote SankarAcharyA's

and ParAsara Bhattar's commentaries. Sundar posted the Mangala slokas from

PB's version on March 11, 1996. In this posting I'll post the Mangala slokas

due to SA. I'll strive to post translations to at least 10 slokas every Friday

(except when I'm out of Seattle March 23-29, whole of May and some time in June)

 

Abbreviation Key:

MuU - Mundaka Upanisad; KeU - Kena; KaU - Katha;

BrU - Brihadharanyaka;

 

 

Mangala Slokas (SankarAcArya)

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sankara begins his commentary with these 3 mangala slokas.

 

(SA-1) saccidAnandarUpAya kRshNAyAklishtakAriNe

namo vedAntavedyAya gurave buddhisAkshiNe

 

[ "Obeisance to kRshNa whose nature is sat (existence/being),

cit (consciousness) and Ananda (bliss), who performs his

functions without any effort, who is cognized by the vedAnta,

who is the guru (teacher) and who is the witness of buddhi".

 

Sankara wants to impress us that although kRshNa, in whose

praise the sloka is sung is saguNa brahmaN, he is sat cit Ananda

swarUpa parabrahmaN. He is not only vishNu but also the ultimate

parabrahmaN or the supreme self. ]

 

(SA-2) kRshNAdvaipAyanam vyAsam sarvalokahite ratam

vedAbjabhaskaram vande SamAdinilayam munim

 

[ "I worship the muni kRshNAdvaipAyana vyAsa, devoted to the

welfare of the world, who is to the vedas as the sun is to the

lotus and who is the fountain of self-control".

 

The words "kRshNAdvaipAyanam vyAsam" is a reminder of the

famous text, "kRshNAdvaipAyanam vyAsam viddhi nArAyaNam prabhum",

and show that he is an avatAra of vishNu. He is the sun causing the

lotusses to blossom. The vedas were in a massy and unclassified

condition and they were like closed lotuses. vedavyAsa classified

and handed them to the world for our moral and spiritual welfare.

In Chapter 10 of Gita (vibhUti yoga),

kRshNa says "Of all sages, Iam vyAsa". ]

 

(SA-3) sahasramUrteH purushottamasya sahasranetrAnana pAdabAhoH

sahasraNamam stavanam praSastam nirucyate janmajarAdiSAtyai

 

[ "The admirable stotra containing the thousand names of the

supreme pUrusha (person) who has thousands of forms, eyes,

faces, feet and arms is now being expounded to enable the

creation to overcome the samsAric evils".

 

The pUrusha sUkta, found in all the 4 vedas, describes the

cosmic pUrusha divinity as having one thousand heads, eyes,

and feet. Sankara suggests in this sloka that the number of

names viz. one thousand is quite appropriate for a stotra of

the cosmic pUrusha having one thousand eyes, faces, feet and

forms. He echoes the sloka of brahmadeva, recited at the end

of the stotra saluting the SaSvata ananta purusha of one

thousand forms, legs, eyes, heads and hands possessing one

thousand names existing for one thousand crores of years i.e.

for ever. ]

 

nAmAvali (one thousand names)

----------------------------

 

Before reciting the 1000 names of vishNu, bhIshma makes it clear to his

listeners that all the names are are very well known names of the self

of the universe, which are expressive of His attributes, which are famous

and which are ever and anon sung with Ananda (joy) by Rshis. Whether they

are proper or attribute names, they convey the great guNas and beneficient

aspects and deeds of the AtmA of the universe. bhIshma considers the

recitation of sahasranAmam as the greatest dharma. As He (vishNu) realizes,

receives and enjoys the object here, He is named AtmA. He is the only AtmA

who possesses unimaginamble powers. All the four purushArthas - the four

objects of human aspiration, viz, dharma, artha, kAma and moksha are

attainable through the chanting of the sahasranAmam. As the first name in

the series 'viSwam' indicates, it is an easy and effective remedy for all

samsAric ills without any restrictions whatsoever.

 

Among the 1000 names the words 'Sun' etc. are used because they are not only

His manifestations (vibhUtis) and are not distinct from Him. The vishNu purANa

says: "You are the AtmA in all indriyas. You are tyhe chief AtmA. You are the

jIvAtmA. You are the ultimate supreme AtmA (paramAtmA). Yopu are the one AtmA

manifested in all these five ways". "Everything luminous and illuminating is

vishNu. All the world systems are vishNu; all the woods are vishNu; all the

mountains, all the rivers, all the oceans and in fact everything which is seen

and everything that is unseen are all He alone".

 

In Gita Lord kRshNa says: "Of all the AdityAs, Iam vishNu"; "Having pervaded

this whole universe with a portition of Myself, I exist". According

Mundakopanisad, "The purusha is all this- sacrifice, askesis, brahma, the

highest, the immortal". These quotations provide a good background for a

proper understanding of the importance of 1000 names of God.

 

Accordinf Sankara, the words such as vishNu, though repeated, must be taken as

referring to different aspects in different places. The 1000 names consist of

words in masculine (qualify vishNu), feminine (qualify devatA) and neuter

genders (qualify brahmaN).

 

 

 

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S. G. Srinivasan email : sgsrini

Graduate Student

Dept. Of Mater. Sci. & Engg.

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

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

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