FW: Sri VishNu sahasranAmam - nama 2.

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> Sri VishNu SahasranAmam - Nama 2.

>2. VishNu: - a) One who is all-pervading

>b) One who has entered all sentient and non-sentient things and resides in

>them

>

> This name can be derived from the root vish - to pervade, or from the root

>vis - to enter. The first of the two meanings above can be understood based

>on the first root, and the second one derives from the second root. The

>latter is the same as the root from which the first name - visvam - was

>derived. However, the interpretation is different. The interpretation here

>is that BhagavAn has entered all beings - sentient and non-sentient, that He

>has created.

>

> For the first meaning above, the following supports are quoted from the

>srutis:

>

> In Sri KrshNa's own words from ShAnti Parva in MahAbhArata,

>vyApte me rodasI pArtha kAntiscApadhikA sthitA |

>kramaNaccApyaham pArtha! VishNuritabhisamgjnita: ||

>

> "As I have pervaded the horizons, my glory stands foremost, and as I have

>measured by my steps the three worlds, O Arjuna! I am named VishNu".

>

>"vyApya sarvAn imAn lokAn sthitah sarvatra kesava: |

> tatasca vishNu nAmAsi viserdhAto: pravesanAt ||

>

> "Kesava exists everywhere having pervaded all these worlds. Therefore His

>name is VishNu...".

>

> The following corroborative segments are quoted in support of the second

>meaning above:

>

>vivesa bhUtAni carAcarANi - He entered all beings, movable and immovable

>

>tat srshtvA | tadevAnuprAvisat - Having created it, He entered into the

>same.

>

> Sri Sankara interprets the name as meaning that BhagavAn is unlimited by

>space, time, and substance, having pervaded the whole world externally and

>internally.

>

> Nirukti gives the following summarization of Sri Bhattar's interpretation:

>

>"carAcareshu bhUteshu vesanAt vishNurucyate" -

>

> Because He enters - permeates - everything sentient and non-sentient,

>movable and immovable, He is named VishNu".

>

> Sri Surin, in his commentary on Amara Kosa, has given the following

>derivation for the word VishNu:

>

> veveshti iti vishNu: - One who surrounds and envelop.

>This is dervied from the root word vesht - to srround (recall the word veshti

>in Tamil for dhoti, which surrounds!).

>

> Between the first two nAmas, visvam and vishNu, the guNas of the Lord that

>have been described are that He is present everywhere and He is present in

>.everything. Sri Bhattar has interpreted the first name as meaning that the

>Lord is present everywhere with His shAdguNya paripUrNatva, ans Sri Sankara

>has interpreted the second name as meaning that the Lord is present in

>everything unlimited by time, space, and substance. Surely these are guNas

>of the para vAsudeva form of the Lord. The first two names are among the

>most discussed names from the point of view of interpretation, and Sri

>Sankara in particular has given several other interpretations to these names,

>in particular to the first one.

>

> One interesting rhetorical question that has been raised is: Given that the

>stotram is called visNu sahasranAmam, why did Sri VyAsa not start the

>stotram as vishNur visvam vashatkAro, and instead chose to start it as visvam

>vishNur vashatkAro...? It is to be inferred that visvam is the name that

>symbolizes the primary attribute of the para form as one of shAdguNya

>paripUrNatva, and vishnu and the following names then elaborate on the name

>or the guNa represented by the name visvam.

>

> For me, these first two names have been very difficult to grasp. I am sure

>there is mention of some of these names in some of our AlvAr's pAsurams,

>where they have sung these names and described how they have enjoyed the Lord

>in the context of these names. It will be extremely gratifying to hear these

>instances in parallel as we go along. I invite our Bhakti group members to

>share their insights into these.

>

>-Dasan Krishnamachari

>

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