SrI vishNu shasranAmam - Slokam 24.

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SrI vishNu sahasranAmam - Slokam 24.

 

AgraNIr-grAmaNIh SrImAn nyAyo netA samIraNah |

sahasramUrdhA viSvAtmA sahasrAkshah sahasra-pAt || (24)

 

Om agraNye namah

Om grAmaNye namah

Om SrImate namah

Om nyAyAya namah

Om netre namah

Om samIraNAya namah

Om sahasra-mUrdhne namah

Om viSvAtmane namah

Om sahasrAkshAya namah

Om sahasra-pate namah

 

220. agraNIh - One who leads forward.

 

Om agraNye namah.

 

agre nayati iti agraNIh - One who leads forward is agraNIh. SrI Sankara and

SrI Bhattar interpret the 'leading forward' as referring to bhagavAn's guNa of

leading His devotees to moksha.

 

The writer in dharma cakram gives an elaborate account of the kind of people

whom He will lead to moksha. The example compares people to four stages of fish

in a river in which a fisherman casts his net. The nitya sUri-s are like the

fish which do not get caught in the net - i.e., they do not fall for the bait,

and remain safely outside. The mukta jiva-s are those who get caught in the

net, but with their best effort, succeed in getting out. The mumukshu-s are

like the fish which keep trying to get out, even though they have not succeeded

in escaping. The baddha jiva-s are like the fish who enjoy the bait the

fisherman has provided, and remain happily in the net and become the food for

the fisherman. SrI vishNu's guNa of agraNI applies to those who are the

mumukshu-s, who constantly want to get out of this ocean of samsAra by devoting

themselves to the worship of Him. They are like the fish that has been taken

out of water and that is desperately trying to get into the water, or like the

man who has been thrown into water and drowning and who is desperately

interested in getting a breath of air. It is this kind of intensity in seeking

Him that will qualify a person for the agraNI's dayA.

 

SrI satyadevo vAsishTha points out that this attribute of SrI vishNu in 'moving

everything forward' is constantly demonstrated in everyone's life - i.e., we

only keep moving forward, and can never go backwards in time, and time lost is

lost forever. Not only we are moving forward, but we are moving forward

according to His will. This is true of the Sun, the moon, etc.

 

 

221. grAmaNih - Leader of the hosts of angels.

 

Om grAmaNye namah.

 

grAmam samAjam nayati iti grAmanIh - One who leads the group (of devotees).

SrI satyadevo vAsishTha points out that grAma refers to any collection, e.g., of

several houses ( a village), of several indirya-s (the body), of several musical

instruments (sapta svarAs-trayo grAmA ... in nAradIya SikshA), or the

collection of all created beings. The writer in dharma cakram interprets this

nAma in the context of the devotees who have unconditionally entrusted

themselves in His care that are led by Him to moksha. He gives the example of

one who is lost in a forest (of samsAra). If this person goes and seeks help

for getting out of this forest from others (such as his relatives, his friends,

etc.), who are also lost in this forest, this request for help is going to be

futile. But if they seek the help of vishNu who alone can lead us from the

bondage of samsAra, then and only then will they be able to get out of this

forest. It is this category of people who are led by this guNa of bhagavAn

denoted by the nAma grAmaNI.

 

222. SrImAn - a) One who is endowed with wealth.

b) One who is full of all glories.

c) One who is radiant.

d) The Lord of MahAlakshmi

e) One who has MahAlakshmi in his vaksha-sthala.

f) One who is endowed with all the powers.

 

Om SrImate namah.

 

This nAma occurred previously as nAma-s 22 and 180. Under these names, the

translator of SrI Sankara's bhAshyam had added his own personal comments, which

I had incorrectly attributed to SrI Sankara. So I am revising the write-up for

SrImAn to correct this error as below.

 

Under nAma 22, I had incorrectly indicated that both SrI Sankara and SrI Bhattar

interpret the nAma as referring to the beauty of nr*simha avatAra. SrI

Bhattar does interpret nAma 22 as referring to the beauty of nr*simha

incarnation. SrI Sankara interprets nAma 22 as 'One who has lakshmi on His

vaksha-sthalam'. A translator of Sankara bhAshyam, SrI anatakr*shNa SAstri,

has added his own note that vishNu is SrImAn because there is no diminution in

His beauty even though He has the form of a man-lion. Probably this note was

added based on SrI Bhattar's vyAkhyAna. I had incorrectly attributed the

translator's note to SrI Sankara.

 

For nAma 180, SrI Bhattar interprets SrImAn as referring to the beauty of the

Lord decorated with celestial ornaments, and SrI Sankara interprets SrImAn as

referring to the Lord's prosperity (SrI), and the translator's note adds that

this refers to the six kinds of prosperity (shADgunya paripUrNatva).

 

For the current nAma (222), SrI Bhattar's interpretation is that bhagavAn is

endowed with SrI or wealth. He makes reference to the "Lotus-eyed matsya mUrti

- matsyah kamala locanah", and indicates that based on this, the matsya mUrti

form is none other than SrImAn who is the paramAtmA. SrI Sankara interprets SrI

as kAnti or radiance in this instance, and gives the interpretation that here

SrImAn refers to the Lord who is more radiant or resplendent than anything else

that exists. Here again, the translator has added a note that though He

incarnated as a fish, His splendor was supreme in that form. Here again, the

translator's note is probably based on Sri Bhattar's vyAkhyAna.

 

SrI cinmayAnanda interprets SrI as Mother lakshmi, who is the total manifested

power potential and stands for all powers or all glories. VishNu is SrImAn

because He has all these powers in Him or is courted by all glories.

 

SrImAn also refers to Sriyah pati, or the Lord of Sri or mahA-lakshmi.

BhagavAn's beauty is natural to Him because He has SrI in his vaksha-sthala.

The dharma-cakram author inteprets this nAma to mean that the prakr*ti and

purusha are inseparable, just as SrI and the Lord are inseparable, and are part

of the same para-brahmam.

 

SrI satyadevo vAsishTha gives the root as "Sri -sevAyAm" - One who is fit to be

served. SrI also means SobhA or beauty or "kAnti". He points out that the

beauty that is seen all around us in the trees, the birds, the rivers, the

flowers, the Sun, the Moon, the stars, etc., should remind us constantly of

bhagavAn, the SrImAn whose SrI is shining in everything. SrI also means wealth.

The wealth that humans have is transient, and can disappear any time. BhagavAn

is SrImAn whose wealth is nitya or permanent.

 

223. nyAyah - a) The Just.

b) Logical arguments (tarka) and lines of contemplation (yukti) that help us

in arriving at the absolute experience.

 

Om nyAyAya namah

 

SrI Bhattar interprets this nAma as referring to the Lord's guNa of ensuring

that He does whatever is appropriate for His devotees, and ensures that nothing

faulty or unwelcome happens to them. SrI Sankara gives the interpretation that

He is nyAya because He is both the tarka (logical contemplation) and yukti (the

lines of contemplation) running through all sources of knowledge

(pramANAnugrAhakah). The sense here as expressed by SrI rAdhAkr*shNa SAstri is

that He is nyAya because He is the only one who can give what is good for His

devotees in a rational and consistent form that cannot be refuted through

counter-arguments (probably through the veda-s?).

 

The writer in dharma cakram elaborates on this further, and points out that

there are three types of tarka (lines of argument) - vAda, vitanDA, and jalpa.

Of these, vAda is done with the purpose of understanding and arriving at the

truth, and is undertaken with humility and sincerity. VitanDA is the argument

which is meant to just confuse the opponent, and is undertaken with a haughty

disposition and with ahankAra. Jalpa is the line of argument where the power or

position is used to subdue, frighten, insult and threaten the opponent. Of

these, vAda is the most appropriate way of argument, and will lead to enhancing

understanding. Devotees who worship mahA-vishNu are blessed by Him with the

ability to analyze and understand the truth through the just means, and they are

saved from destructive thoughts and are led towards self-realization. The

example of Lord Kr*shNa's instructions to arjuna is given to illustrate the

instance that bhagavAn leads His devotees to the thought process involving nyAya

yukti, whereby arjuna's thoughts become clear, his attachments are removed, and

he acts on the right and just course of action.

 

SrI satyadevo vAsishTha, in addition to the above explanation, derives his

interpretation based on nIyate prApyate iti nyAyah - One who ensures that

everything in this world is on its right track and reaches its destination is

nyAyah. The yantra that is this Universe, with its Sun, moon, stars, etc., is

functioning under the guidance of the nyAya that is vishNu. So also the

indriya-s in our bodies are directed by the SarIra-nyAya that is vishNu. The

word 'niyati', which means 'rule', is related to the word nyAya (nIyate).

 

224. netA - a) One who fulfills the requests of His devotees.

b) One who manages or regulates the affairs of the cosmos.

 

Om netre namah.

 

a) niyuktam karoti iti netA (SrI Bhattar), or b) jagad-yantra nirvAhakah netA

(SrI Sankara). The dharma cakram writer gives the analogy of objects attached to

a rotating wheel. The objects rotate because of the movement of the wheel. We

are all moving around because of His Will which is analogous to the rotating

wheel. However, we keep believing that it is we who are responsible for our

motion, and forget that it is He who is moving us as He wishes. Those who

understand this get out of the false belief that we are the ones who are

achieving everything around us. arjuna the jivAtmA was sitting in the chariot

or the body, and Lord kr*shNa was driving both the chariot and arjuna. The

chariot did not have any feeling of responsibility for its motion, but arjuna

believed that his actions were caused by his will. The Lord did not take up

weapons, but was witness to what was happening. Similarly, in our case bhagavAn

is in each of us watching and witnessing our actions. This nAma indicates that

He is the Controlling Force behind everything in this Universe.

 

225. samIraNah - a) One who performs acts which are delectable.

b) One who controls all movements (e.g., breath) in beings.

 

Om samIraNaya namah.

 

This nAma is derived from the root Ir- to move (IraNa). SrI Bhattar associates

this movement with that part of the matsya incarnation where bhagavAn dove deep

into the Ocean to retrieve the veda-s from the nether-world from the asura named

hayagrIva. SrI rAdhAkr*shNa SAstri associates the motion implied by IraNa with

the act of bhagavAn leading the boat with the seeds of creation during the

pralaya in His matsya incarnation. The following is from SrImad bhAgavatam

skandam 8, chapter 24, Slokam 33 -

 

"trilokyAm lIyamAnAyAm samvartAmbasi vai tadA |

uapsthAsyati nauh kAcit viSAlA tvAm mayA IritA ||

 

"When all the three worlds disappear under the Ocean, a large boat will be

steered by Me towards you" - note the use of the word IritA here.

 

SrI Sankara associates the motion or movement with the breath in living beings.

He is samIraNa because He controls the functioning of the body through the

breath. SrI satyadevo vAsishTha takes this concept of control further, and

points out that this control by bhagavAn is seen even in the fact that man has

had 32 teeth ever since creation, and will continue to have this till the end of

the kalpa, man gets the teeth twice in his life, and this is as it has been

since creation, and will continue till the end of kalpa, etc., and so will the

rising and setting of the Sun and the moon and the movement of the planets etc.

 

226. sahasra-mUrdhA - The thousand-headed

228. sahasra-akshah - The thousand-eyed

229. sahasra-pAt - The thousand-footed.

 

Om sahasra-mUrdhne namah; Om sahasrAkshAya namah; Om sahasra-pade namah.

 

SrI Bhattar interprets these three names together, and points out that the

reference to head, eyes, and feet really includes all organs of knowledge and

action, and the reference to a thousand signifies 'innumerable'. What is

referred to here is that bhagavAn is endowed with infinite capacity to know and

act, which are the functions of these organs. Reference is made to the

following sruti-s:

 

purusha sUkta passage - sahasra SIrshA purushah sahasrAkshah sahasra-pAt

sarvatah pANi pAdam tat sarvato'kshi Siro-mukham (gItA 13.13)

viSvataScakshuruta viSvatomukho viSvato bAhuruta viSvatspAt (taittirIya AraNyaka

10.1)

aneka vaktra nayanam anekAdbhuta darSanam (gItA 11-10)

rupam mahat-te bahu-vaktra-netram........bahu-bAhUru pAdam (gItA 11-23)

 

SrI rAdhAkr*shNa SAstri points out that reference is made to the head first in

the above sequence of nAma-s because head is the first one that forms when a

child is formed in the mother's womb, and head is the part of the child that

appears first when the child is born. Also, reference is made to head, eyes,

and feet because of their importance in exercising the j~nAna and kriyA Sakti-s.

 

These three nAma-s also remind us that He is everywhere, in everything,

all-powerful, always observing everything in every one of us, etc. Many heads

can also refer to His unlimited intellect (SrI satyadevo vAsishTha). We are all

part of His body, and thus all our heads are His heads, and so also He is

sahasramurdhA. By the fact that He is the antaryAmi in all of us, and is

always observing all that we do and think from within each of us, He is

sahasrAkshah. SrI satyadevo vAsishTha adds that "One who is of many legs" also

suggests that He has made his creations such that they can get around by many

means e.g., as two legged humans, as four-legged animals, as the hundred-legged

centipedes, as multi-legged millipedes, as no-legged serpents, as birds getting

around by flying, as fish by swimming, etc. In this sense, sahasrapAt really

reveals that He is ananta j~nAnavAn, or of Infinite Intellect, in having created

and supported this kind of immeasurable diversity. Note the similarity in the

vedic chanting "sahasra SIrshA purushah sahasrAkshah sahasrapAt", including the

sequence which is the same as in SrI vishNu sahasra nAma.

 

Sri cinmayAnanda points out that the "many heads", "many eyes", and "many

legs"

together indicate that the One Infinite Consciousness expresses everywhere in

all forms and at all times through all these equipments of thinking (head),

perception (eyes), and action (legs).

 

227. viSvAtmA - The very soul of the Universe; the very inner Essence in all

living creatures.

 

Om viSvAtmane namah.

 

viSvasya AtmA viSvAtmA. He is viSvAtmA because He pervades the entire Universe

by His knowledge and strength. In gItA, Lord Kr*shNa says: "ahamAtmA gudAkeSa!

Sarva bhuta.... - Arjuna! I am the AtmA that resides in the heart of all beings"

(gItA 10.20).

 

The writer in dharma cakram points out that the true significance in this nAma

lies in our realizing the unity among all the living beings, rather than seeing

the difference in our outer appearance or the difference in our thoughts etc.

By seeing the difference in our external appearance or in our thoughts, only

kAma, krodha, lobha, moha, matha, and mAtsarya grow and develop in us. Only

when we learn to see the unity behind our inner selves, we will qualify to

receive His dayA. This is what sage yAg~nyavalkya taught to maitreyi viz. that

when one loves his wife, it is not her shape that should be loved, but it is the

AtmA in her that should be loved, etc. (na vA are jAyAyai kAmAya jAyA priyA

bhavati, Atmanastu kAmAya jAyA priyA bhavati etc.). That is the true meaning of

love.

 

-dAsan kr*shNamAcAryan