SrI vishNu sahasranAmam - Slokam 55 - Part 2.

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SrI vishNu sahasranAmam - Slokam 55 - Part 2.

 

SrI BhaTTar interprets the nAma-s 520 to 528 which follow in terms of

the kUrmAvatara.

 

520. ambho-nidhih - a) He who has the waters as His abode (kUrma

incarnation)

b) He who is in the form of the Oceans

c) He who sustains the ambhA-s (devas, men, manes, and asura-s)

 

om ambho-nidhaye namah.

 

SrI BhaTTar gives the first interpretation - pAtAlAmbhasi

akhila-jagadAdhAra-pITha nidhIyate iti ambhonidhih - He has kept His

form as a Tortoise in the waters of the pAtAla loka as the base plank

to support the Universe. The mantra quoted by SrI BhaTTar in support

is "ananta bala Saktaye bhuvanabhr*te kacchapAtmane" - Unto Him of

unlimited power and strength Who supports the worlds in the form of a

Tortoise.

 

nidhi means reservoir, abode, receptacle. SrI Sa~nkara gives the

second and third interpretations - bhagavAn is the Ocean or the

reservoir of water. He quotes the gItA - sarasAm asmi Sagarah - 10.24.

 

 

His alternate interpretation is based on the term ambhA as representing

the deva-s, the asuras, the people of this world, and the pitr*-s, as

defined in the tait. brAhmaNa 2.3.8 - "tAni vA etAni catvAryambhAsi |

devo manushyAh pitaro'surAh ||". Thus the nAma can be interpreted to

mean that bhagavAn is the abode or resting place of all the ambhA-s.

The dharma cakram writer points out that while these ambhA-s are the

ones who control the rest of the life forms, bhagavAn controls the

ambhA-s, and thus He controls everything. BhagavAn also supports the

life forms as kUrma mUrti when everything gets submerged under the

water during pralaya. Thus, this nAma signifies that bhagavAn is the

Support of all life forms at all times.

 

SrI satyadevo vAsishTha interprets the nAma as meaning that bhagavAn

establishes (nidhAnam) water in various forms and with various

attributes and sustains life - the blood stream running in several life

forms, the water that seeps through the root from the earth to sustain

the trees and other plant forms, etc. Water is one of the essentials

in sustenance of life. He gives the quote from atharva veda - apAm

retAmsi jinvati.

 

521. anantAtmA - The Inner Soul of ananta.

 

on anantAtmane namah.

 

SrI BhaTTar interprets the nAma as referring to bhagavAn being the

Inner Soul of ananta, who bears the Universe standing on top of the

kUrma.

 

SrI Sa~nkara's interpretation is that bhagavAn is the Indefinable Soul

(AtmA), not limited by Time, Space, or Substance (ananta). SrI

rAdhAkr*shNa SAstri elaborates on this further by observing that for

all objects in this Universe, if they are in one place they can't be in

another place, and if they are in one form they can't be in another

form at the same time. BhagavAn is not subject to these constraints,

signified by the nAma anantAtmA.

 

522. mahodadhi-Sayah - He Who is reclining in the vast ocean.

 

om mahodadhi-SayAya namah.

 

The words comprising the nAma are mahA, udadhi, and Sayah. SrI

BhaTTar's vyAkhyAnam is that BhagavAn lies on the couch-like

serpent-body of ananta in the Milk-Ocean at the time of the final

deluge. This is expressed by periAzhvAr in periAzhvAr tirumozhi 5.1.7

- veLLai veLLattin mEl oru pAmbai meddaiyAga virittu adan mElE kaLLa

nittirai koLginRa mArgam kANa, and by nammAzhvAr in tiruvAimozhi 3.4.9

- acyutanai anantan mEl naNNi nangu uRaiginRAnai (SrI v.v. rAmAnujan).

 

 

SrI Sa~nkara gives the interpretation that during pralaya bhagavAn

disintegrates everything and reduces them all into one ocean and

reclines in those primeval waters.

 

SrI cinmayAnanda suggests that the nAma can also be interpreted as

referring to bhagavAn reclining on a fig-leaf on the waters after the

deluge (Alilai mEl paLLI koNDAn).

 

523. antakah - He Who beings out the end of all.

 

om antakAya namah.

 

SrI Sa~nkara gives the derivation "antam karoti bhUtAnAm itit antakah".

SrI BhaTTar gives several supporting quotes. ante pr*thivyAm salile

dr*Syase tvam mahoragah (SrImad rAmAyaNa, yuddha. 120.23) - "At the

time of the end of this world, Thou art seen on the AdiSesha in the

waters of the deep"; "kalpAnte yasya vaktrebhyo vishAnala Sikhojvalah

| samkarshaNAtmako rudro nishkramya atti jagat-trayam || - "From His

mouths, at the end of the kalpa, proceeds the venomed fire that,

impersonated as rudra, who is one with balarAma, devours the three

worlds" (vishNu purANam 2.5.19). SrI v.v. rAmAnujan quotes nammAzhvar

- yAvarum yAvaiyum ellAp-poruLum kavarvinRit tannuL oDu~nga ninRa Azhi

am-paLLiyAr - tiruvAimozhi 2.2.6.

 

SrI cinmayAnanda adds that as Time He brings an end to all things thus

creating constant changes in this world, without which no evolution or

creative development is ever possible, and in this sense bhagavAn is

the antakah.

 

-dAsan kr*shNamAcAryan

 

 

 

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