Guest guest Posted March 19, 1996 Report Share Posted March 19, 1996 -- PB = Translation of srI parAsara bhattar's commentary. SA = Translation of srI sankarAchArya's commentary. -- (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". ----------- (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. - 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) - REALITY IS AN APPROXIMATION OF THEORY - anonymous - Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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