SrI vishNu sahasranAmam - Slokam 57 - Part 1.

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SrI vishNu sahasranAmam - Slokam 57.

 

maharshih kapilAcAryah kRtaj~no medinI-patih |

tri-padah tri-daSAdhyaksho mahA-SR'ngah kRtAnta-kRt ||

 

om maharshaye namah

omkapilAcAryAya namah

om kRtaj~nAya namah

om medinI-pataye namah

om tri-padAya namah

om tri-daSAdhyakshAya namah

om mahA-SR'ngAya namah

om kRtAnta-kRte namah.

 

534. maharshih - The Great Seer.

 

om maharshaye namah.

 

BhagavAn is maharshih because, in His incarnation as kapila, He

realized the three veda-s by intuitive perception (Rshir-darSanAt -

niru. 2.11 - satyadevo vAsishTha). He is known for chanting all the

veda-s without a break - SrutIh RgAdyAh vaktrebhyah prodgirantam atah

smaret. SrI BhaTTar gives reference to SvetASvataropanishad 5.2 -

Rshim prasUtam kapilam mahAntam (kapila, who was a seer from his

birth). He is also a maharshi for his propounding the sAnkhya system -

sAnkhyasya vaktA kapilah paramrshih sa ucyate (source of quotation

unidentified). SrI Sa'nkara gives reference to the gItA, where

bhagavAn kRshNa declares that "Of the perfected ones, I am the sage

kapila" - siddhAnAm kapilo munih (gItA 10.26).

 

SrI Sa'nkara comments that those who envisioned part of the veda are

referred to as Rshi-s, and those who envisioned the entire veda are

referred as the "Great Rshi-s (maharshi-s)". Of these, Lord kRshNa

ranks kapila as the foremost (the gItA reference above). SrI Sa'nkara

combines this nAma and the next one as one nAma - maharshih

kapilAcAryah - kapilAcArya, the great sage. We already saw why kapila

is called a maharshi. He is also an AcArya because he propounded the

sAnkhya system.

 

535. kapilAcAryah - He Who is of brown complexion and also an AcArya.

 

om kapilAcAryAya namah.

 

kapilaScAsau AcAryaSca iti kapilAcAryah. kapilam refers to the color

of the inside of a tree; Sage kapila's name signifies his complexion

which resembles that of smokeless fire. The mantra to meditate on him

is "nirdhUmA'ngAra varNAbham Sa'nkha padmAksha sUtriNam" - He who is

possessed of a luster like the burning and smokeless ember, and has

San'kha and padma beads in his hand. The reference to kapila being

like the smokeless and burning ember also can be taken to refer to his

character which is flawless like the smokeless fire, and the similarity

to the burning fire a reference to his extra-ordinary j~nAnam. The

mantra referring to this attribute is "samvit prakASanAya" - To Him Who

spread the knowledge of His system.

 

SrI satyadevo vAsishTha gives a nice and crisp definition of an AcArya

- Acarati svayam, SishyebhyaSca AcAram grAhayati iti AcAryah - An

AcArya is one who observes the sad-dharma himself, and also imparts the

knowledge of this sad-dharma to his disciples.

 

536. kRtaj~nah - a) He Who remembers the good deed done.

b) He Who is both the Created and the Creator.

c) He Who knows everything about His Creation.

 

om kRtaj~nAya namah.

 

This nAma occurred earlier as nAma 83 (Slokam 9). Please refer to the

earlier explanation for additional guNAnubhavam.

 

sukRtameva j~nAtavAn iti kRtaj~nah - He Who remembers only the good

acts done. SrI BhaTTar explains this nAma in the context of sage

kapila and the sons and grandson of sagara, a descendant of the

ikhsvAku race. The sons of king sagara offended sage kapila and he

reduced them to ashes. But later on, amSumAn, the grandson of sagara,

came before kapila and bowed with respect, and pleaded on behalf of his

ancestors. kapila remembered only this good act, and immediately

conferred a boon to amSuman to ask whatever he wants.

 

SrI Sa'nkara interprets kRtam as referring to the Universe which is

created, and j~nah as referring to the Knower or the AtmA which is not

created. Since bhagavAn is both the Created and the Creator, He is

kRtam and j~nah (SrI rAdhAkRshNa Sastri).

 

SrI satyadevo vAsishTha gives the interpretation - kRtam jAnAti iti

kRtaj~nah - He Who knows precisely everything there is to know about

His creation. He knows the why, when, how, where, what, and precisely

for how long, of everything He has created.

 

537. medinI-patih - The Lord or Protector of the Earth.

 

om medinI-pataye namah.

 

At the time of creation, when the Earth sank under water, at the

request of brahmA, bhagavAn took the yaj~navarAha incarnation, and

supported the Earth and brought it out. In the form of kapila in the

pAtALa loka, bhagavAn is supporting the Earth through His yoga-Sakti.

In SrImad rAmAyaNam, we have

 

yasyeyam vasudA sarvA vAsudevasya dhImatah |

kapilam rUpamAsthAya dhArayatyaniSam dharAm || (bAla. 1.40.2)

 

"All the Earth belongs to the omniscient vAsudeva; taking the form of

kapila, He always bears the Earth".

 

SrI v.v.rAmAnujan gives the reference to tiruvAimozhi which conveys the

same thought: peria appan, piraman appan, uruttiran appan, munivarkku

uriya appan, amarar appan, ulagukkOr taniyappan (8.1.11).

 

To be continued...

 

-dAsan nRsimha kRshNamAcAryan

 

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