NaarAyaNi, VaishNavi & RaamAnujA NaamAs

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Dear Srimathi Nagu Satyan :

You are correct in your observation about dual

(multiple ) meanings for the above three names .

It is common in Sanskrit to have context-sensitive

meanings for names based on the same root .

 

VaishNavi symbolizes the personified energy or

sakthi of VishNu . It is mainly used to refer to

VishNu Durgai housed in the ardha mantapam

of ThirukkOvalUr , KumbakOnam AarAvamudhan

Koil .

 

NaarAyaNi is an epithet for MahAlakshmi and DurgA .

She is the VishNu mAyA born before LOrd KrishNA

in the prison of KamsA to Devaki and VasudEvA .

 

VaishNavi is the presiding deity of AmpatthUr , a

town near Chennai . There , the presiding deity

has sanka -chakram in Her hands and is considered

as the fifty first ( Iympatthu onru ) of the body

of Sathi Devi , when it was dispersed all over India

by VishNu's chakram , when she immolated herself

at Daksha Yajnam and Lord Siva was overpowered by grief

and sent AgjOra Veerabhadra to destry His father-in- law ,

Daksha PrajApathi for insulting Him and His consort .

Ampatthur is therefore the 51st Sakthi Peetam in India.

It is one of the 108 such peetams . Sri Anbil Ramaswamy

has conenctions to AmpatthUr .

 

The name RaamAnuja can be intrepreted both as the brother

of balarAmA or the brother of Sri RamachandrA . In the area near

Narmada , there is a temple for LakshmaNA , the brother

of Sri RaamA to salute his Kaimkarya Sree . The naamam

RaamAnujA is preferred by our elders over LakshmaNA

in nmaing the children. BalarAmA again as RaamAnujA

pales into insignificance before the mighty deeds of his

brother . There are other amsAvathArA aspects that does not

endear him to the hearts of Sri VaishNavAs in elevating him

to higher levels of worship .

 

Best Wishes ,

V.Sadagopan

Best wishes ,

V.Sadagopan