SrI vishNu sahasranAmam - Slokam 62 - Part 2.

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SrI vishNu sahasranAmam - Slokam 62 - Part 2.

 

587. sannyAsa-kRt - a) He Who cuts asunder the bonds when desires are

renounced.

b) The Institutor of the samnyAsa ASrama for the attainment of moksha.

c) He Who shows the path of SaraNAgati to His devotee.

 

Om sannyAsa-kRte namah.

 

a) SrI BhaTTar interprets this nAma in relation to the previous nAma,

and explains how bhagavAn treats those with the affliction of the

bondage of samsAra. "sAttvikena sanyAsena rajas-tamasau kRtanti iti

sannyAsa-kRt - He who cuts the bonds in the form of rajo and tamo

guNa-s in those who perform all their acts in a disinterested manner

with a spirit of renunciation of desire for the fruit. Another name

for this is also sAttvika-tyAga - The abandonment of all the fruits of

any action we perform, and assignment of these benefits to Him and Him

alone; in other words, every act that we perform should be for His

benefit and His pleasure. This is the gist of karma yoga that is

enunciated in the gItA. The word san-nYasa here signifies surrender of

the burden to the Master, and this surrender alone is the remedy for

samsAra.

 

SrI BhaTTar gives reference to the Sruti - "vedAna vij~nAna

suniScitArthAs-sanyAsa yogAt parimucyanti sarve | te brahma loke tu

parAntakAle parAmRtat parimucyanti sarve |" - Those who have acquired

the true knowledge of tattva, hita and purushArtha through the study of

the upanishads, do yoga by doing acts renouncing the desire for fruits

and giving up the idea that they are the chief agents of the acts. By

this process their minds become pure and they practice bhakti yoga.

At the end of their last body they attain the brahman and become free

from all karma.

 

b) SrI Samkara vyAkhyAnam is "mokshArtham caturtham ASramam kRtavAn iti

snanyAsa-kRt" - He Who instituted the fourth ASrama of samnyAsa for the

attainment of moksha.

 

c) SrI rAdhAkRshNa SAstri brings out the point that while samnyAsa -

the surrendering of the burden for our acts and the fruits thereof to

Him - is the only means for relieve from samsAra, it is also He alone

who shows this path of samnyAsa to His devotee; in other words, He is

the One who leads His devotee to perform samnyAsa. SrI kRshNa datta

bhAradvAj echoes this when he gives the following interpretation for

the nAma - "samyak nyAso nikshepah samnyAsah shad-vidha SaraNAgateh

ekatamam a~ngam Atma nikshepaNAm adheyam | tam karoti draDhayati

bhakta-hRdaye iti samnyAsa-kRt. Thus, bhagavAn is samnyAsa-kRt in the

sense that He is the One who blesses His devotee so that He performs

the act of surrender or saraNAgati. He is also the One who gives the

needed qualifications to those who undertake the samnyAsa ASrama - SrI

cinmayAnanda.

 

d) The dharma cakram writer brings out the importance of leading a life

devoid of attachment caused by the indriya-s. He gives the analogy of

a child forming in the mother's womb, which has to give up the mother's

womb at the appropriate time if it were to live. Similarly, the jIva

has to give up the life dominated and controlled by the indriya-s if it

is to evolve to a higher level than to be part of the cycle of samsAra.

This act of being relieved from the negative guNa-s of prakRti viz.

rajas and tamas is samnyAsa. The current nAma emphasizes the

importance of leading a life of detachment and renunciation.

 

588. Samah - a) He Who instructs on how to control anger etc.

b) He who instructs that control of mind is the principal dharma for

samnyAsin.

c) He who controls all beings, including during pralaya.

d) He Who has absolute control of mind - He Whose nature is Calmness.

e) He who puts an end to the darkness in His devotees' mind.

 

Om SamAya namah.

 

The root from which the word is derived is Samu - upaSame - to grow

calm, to put an end, to stop (note the link to SAnti). So the meaning

is - One who puts an end to, One who quiets down or calms down, etc.

Thus, the interpretations are related to: He puts an end to qualities

like tamas in His devotees, He puts an end to all things at the time of

pralaya, He gives instructions on how to calm down the mind, He

controls all beings, etc. SrI satyadevo vAsishTha observes that by

meditating on this quality of bhagavAn, the person who meditates will

himself become quieted down in his mind, and attain SAnti.

 

a) SrI BhaTTar continues the link with his interpretation for the

previous nAma, and interprets this nAma as referring to bhagavAn being

the Instructor of how to control the desire, anger, fear etc. He

gives reference to the gItA 5.29, where bhagavAn tells us that He is

the real enjoyer of the fruits of all sacrifices and austerities -

bhoktAram yaj~na tapasAm sarvaloka maheSvaram | suhRdam sarva

bhUtAnAm j~nAtvA mAm Santim Rcchati ||

 

b) SrI Samkara ties the interpretation to his interpretation of the

previous nAma as referring to the samnyAsa ASrama, and indicates that

bhagavAn is the instructor of the rule of Sama or control of the mind

for the samnyAsin, and he quotes the smRti - yatInAm praSamo dharmo

niyamo vanavAsinAm | dAnameva gRhastAnAm SuSrUshA brahmacAriNAm ||

 

 

c) He also gives the alternate interpretation - sarva bhUtAnAm Samayita

iti Samah - He controls all the beings. SrI anantakRshNa SAstry

interprets this as referring to His quieting or calming down

everything during the pralaya.

 

d) SrI cinmayAnanda gives the interpretation that bhagavAn Himself is

the embodiment of calmness, and so He is called Sama Himself.

 

The dharma cakram writer elaborates on how the ancient traditional

system ensured that this control of the mind was built into the duties

of all the four ASrama-s. In the brahmacarya stage, practices such as

getting up early in the morning, taking a cold bath, chanting veda-s,

performing the mantra japam, serving the guru, and being kept active

throughout the course of the day, was part of the training, and so the

control of the mind was constantly inculcated. Similarly, the gRhasta

was supposed to involve himself actively in performing religious rites

such as yaj~na-s etc., which kept him involved in mind control through

involvement in these activities. Similar discipline applies to the

vAnaprastha and samnyAsa ASrama-s. The current nAma reveals to us that

control of the mind and channeling of the mind towards acts that please

Him should be our goal in life.

 

e) SrI satyadevo vAsishTha interprets Samah to mean that bhagavAn puts

an end to the darkness in us - tamobhavAni kAryANi Samayati

niSAcarANAm.

 

589. SAntah - He whose mind is always tranquil.

 

Om SAntAya namah.

 

SrI BhaTTar comments that even though bhagavAn's greatness is such that

it can express itself like a rising ocean, He chooses to be tranquil

like a calm and waveless ocean. A poet has said of sage vyAsa: His

tranquillity is such that even the wild animals become tranquil at his

very sight. It can also be said that in

spite of all the oceans of apacAra-s that all of us commit, which can

justifiably make Him boil with anger at our deeds, He still keep

Himself tranquil and always willing to forgive us.

 

SrI Samkara's vyAkhyAnam is that bhagavAn is peaceful because He is

completely unattached to the sense world - "nishkalam, nishkriyam,

Santam" - SvetAsvatara. 6.19. SrI rAdhAkRshNa SAstri gives the

additional reference to praSna upanishad 7.5 - SAntam ajaram amRtam.

 

The dharma cakram writer observes that the more one gets involves in

the desire for material objects, the more one gets lack of peace of

mind. The more one draws one's interests inward, the more one finds

peace. Thus control of the mind is the path to attaining peace. The

more one meditates on this mantra which represents the guNa of

tranquillity in bhagavAn, the more our mind will become tranquil.

 

590. nishThA - a) The object of concentration.

b) The stable Abode of all during pralaya.

 

Om nishThAyai namah.

 

a) nishThA essentially means a pivot, firm support. SrI BhaTTar's

vyAkhyAnam for the nAma is "vyutthita cittaih SubhASrayabhUte asmin

nishThIyate iti nishThA" - Those who have achieved a deep level of

concentration have Him and His body as the object of their meditation.

The root from which the word is derived is shThA (sthA) - gati nvRttau

- to stand, to wait, to be at hand etc. SrI kRshNadatta bhAradvAj

gives the derivation of this nAma as - niyatam sthAnam ni-shThAnam

svajanakAmAnAm iti nishThA - He is the firmly established abode as the

object of desire of the devotees. SrI v.v. rAmAnujan gives refers to

peria tirumozhi 4.9.2 - Sindai tannuL nI~ngAdu irunda tiru.

 

b) SrI Samkara gives the interpretation that He is the stable final

Abode for all the beings during pralaya - pralaye nitarAm tatraiva

tishThanti bhUtAni iti nishThA.

 

c) SrI satyadevo vAsishTha comments that while bhagavAn has permeated

everything in this world and makes everything else go, He Himself is

fixed. Just as a worm inside a stone cannot move the stone while the

worm itself keeps moving, the rest of the world keeps moving within Him

and because of Him, but He is fixed - nishThA.

 

The dharma cakram writer observes that the significance of the nAma

lies in realizing the importance of having our thoughts centered and

anchored on bhagavan-nAma-dhyAnam. The more we let it wander in

search of worldly objects, the more we will be plagued by needless and

meaningless fears and confusion on the real purpose of our existence,

and the more we will slip and fall from that great Object whom we

should attain in order to be relieved of the cycle of samsAra. We

should meditate on Him with "nishThA" or firmness.

 

591. SAntih - a) Peace.

b) The object of meditation

c) The Ultimate Support.

 

Om SAntaye namah.

 

a) When a devotee has attained the perfect calm in the final state of

meditation, this state is called samAdhi. At that stage, the Lord

makes the devotee enjoy Him and Him alone, and forget all else

including the self, other activities, interests, etc. This quietening

of all the person's interests and activities is called SAnti, which is

granted only by the Lord. Those who have abandoned everything else

find peace in Him who is the Ultimate Peace. So He is called SAntih.

This is the final stage of perfect meditation.

 

SrI v.v. rAmAnujan quotes from the Sruti - yatra nAnyat paSyati nAnyat

SruNoti… tad bhUmA - when you enjoy Him and His greatness, nothing else

is seen or heard or enjoyed. He also quotes from the prabandham -

ippAl kai vaLaiyum mEgalaiyum kANEn, kaNDEn ghana magarak kuzhai

iraNDum nAngu tOLum (tiru neDuntANDagam 22) - When tiruma~ngai AzhvAr

had Him in his mind, he did not remember anything about himself; he

only saw bhagavAn and His beauty, His AbharaNams, etc. SrI rAdhAkRshNa

Sastri gives reference to kaThopanishad 2.2.13 - teshAm SAntih SAsvatI

na itareshAm - Permanent Peace is to be found in Him and nowhere else.

 

 

SrI Samkara vyAkhyAnam is that bhagavAn is devoid of all avidyA-s, and

so He is the personification of the peace that results from the total

absence of avidyA in Him. SrI cinmayAnanda substitutes avidyA with

desire. Agitations are caused by desire, and since bhagavAn is

All-Full and has no desire to be fulfilled, there is no agitation in

Him and He is thus Peace itself.

 

b) SrI kRshNadatta bhAradvAj explains the meaning based on the root

Sama - Alocane - to look at, and explains the nAma as indicating that

He is the object of meditation of the devotees - bhaktAnAm Alocana

vishayatvAt SAntih.

 

c) SrI satyadevo vAsishTha gives the interpretation based on Sam-

upaSame - to grow calm, to put an end to, to stop - and interprets the

nAma on the basis of the Sruti - dyauh SAntih antariksham SAntih

pRthivI SAntih Apah SAntih …….. . Here the word SAnti can be

interpreted as each level supporting the previous level. Everything

else is ultimately supported by Him and ends in Him, and so He is

called SAntih.

 

592. parAyaNam - a) The Ultimate Means.

b) The Best Goal.

c) He Who has the Best Abode to seek.

 

Om parAyaNAya namah.

 

The first interpretation is that He is the Means, and the second one is

that He is the End. Both are appropriate since bhagavAn is really

both the upAya and upeya.

 

a) Param ayanam parAyaNam. The root from which the word "ayanam" is

derived here is ay- gatau - to go. He is the best means for attaining

Him, since the highest bhakti that is needed for attaining Him is

acquired from Him alone. SrI BhaTTar gives reference to the gItA,

18.53-54, in support of the interpretation: …. nir-mamah SAnto

brahma-bhUtAya kalpate || brahma-bhUtah prasannAtmA na Socati na

kAnkshati | samah sarveshu bhUteshu mad-bhaktim labhate parAm || ,

 

Also we have in Slokam 11.54 - bhaktyA tu ananyayA Sakya aham evam

vidho arjuna | j~nAtum drashTum ca tattvena praveshTum ca parantapa

||

 

In amarakOSam, ayanam is given as a term that is equivalent in meaning

to mArga, or path -ayante anena iti ayanam.

 

b) SrI Samkara gives the interpretation that He is the best goal to

aim for, since this way one is assured that there is no return to

samsAra. SrI rAdhAkRshNa SAstri refers us to the words "paramam yah

parAyANam" which occur in the introductory part of sahasranAmam.

 

SrI cinmayAnanda give the quote from gItA 15-6 - yad gatvA na

nivartante tad dhAma paramam mama - He is the Supreme Goal, and there

is no return to samsAra after reaching Him.

 

SrI BhaTTar has interpreted the word parAyaNam in the introduction

involving the question from yudhishThira - "kim ekam daivtam loke, kim

vA'pyekam parAyaNam" - as referring to the end (upeya) in his

vyaAkhyAnam to the introduction. (paramam upeyam pRccati - kim vA'pi

ekam parAyaNam iti; ayanam - prApyam; evam upeyam dvidhA pRshTam etc.

are extracts from his vyAkhyAnam to the Slokam kim ekam daivatam

loke…).

 

c) SrI P. B. aNNa'ngarAcArya svAmi points out there an alternate pATham

is parAyaNah, which means that He is the One who has the best sthAnam -

the best place to offer - param ayanam yasya sah parAyaNam.

 

SrI rAdhAkRshNa SAstri observes that the japa on "sannyAsa kRt Samah

SAnto nishThA SAntih parAyaNam" will bring peace to a disturbed and

agitated mind .

 

The dharma cakram writer nicely contrasts the state we achieve when we

control our indriya-s and our mind, and the state we achieve when we

let the indriya-s and mind control us. In the former case we reach the

state of no more birth in this world, and in the later we are back to

the cycle of samsAra. When we perform any action, we should remember

that He is the doer and we are only His instrument. This is how we can

elevate ourselves through karma yoga. When we convert our desire for

worldly pleasures into a desire for Him instead, we elevate ourselves

through bhakti yoga. When we realize the true nature of the self and

the distinction of the body and the mind, and realize that we are

subservient to Him and Him alone, we elevate ourselves through j~nAna

yoga. Thus, it can be seen easily that He is the means for attaining

Him.

 

-dAsan kRshNamAcAryan

 

 

 

 

 

 

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