SrI vishNu sahasra nAmam - Slokam 68 - Part 2.

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SrI vishNu sahasra nAmam – Slokam 68.

 

 

 

SrI vishNu sahasra nAmam - Slokam 68 - Part 2.

 

SrI BhaTTar interprets the next few nAma-s as describing the vyUha

(Emanations) and vibhava (Incarnations) of bhagavAn in the holy

shrines. SrI v.v. rAmAnujan adds that the forms described are His

representations in the para, vyUha, and vibhava forms in different

kshetra-s. Note that the vyUha forms are the ones which are the

precursors to the vibhava forms in the viSAkha yUpa tree, and are the

forms which He assumes in the process of creating and maintaining the

various beings in the Universe.

 

644. aniruddhah – a) He Who is in the form of aniruddhah.

b) He Who is unobstructed.

 

Om aniruddhAya namah.

 

This nAma occurred earlier as nAma 187. The root from which the word

is derived is rudhir – AvaraNe to oppose, to besiege. niruddha means

obstructed, hindered, restrained, etc. a-niruddha is one who is

unrestrained or unrestrainable. The nAma literally means “One who

cannot be obstructed in any way” – na asti nirodho yasya sa aniruddhah

(SrI satyadevo vAsishTha). SrI BhaTTar has explained nAma 187 by

pointing that this Unobstructed Power is used by Him to protect all

beings and to repel all opposition in this act of His. (Note that

always bhagavAn’s acts are for the good of His creation, His devotees,

His Sesha-s, and never for His pleasure or benefit! This is also seen

in all His incarnations, such as the rAma and kRshNa incarnations,

where none could stop Him from fulfilling the purpose of His

incarnation). The aniruddha form is considered one of the vyUha

forms. His main function in this form is protection of the beings (SrI

rAdhAkRshNa SAstri terms this form as “kAppuk kaDavuL”). The dharma

cakram writer observes that this form of bhagavAn also illustrates that

He has the unobstructed Power to help His devotees who want to overcome

the influence of the indriya-s.

 

SrI cinmayAnanda refers to the law of Truth and dharma being

irresistible, as a demonstration of His irresistible power. SrI

satyadevo vAsishTha gives the example of the inability of anyone or any

way to prevent the jIva from leaving the body when the time comes for

this to happen.

 

For the current occurrence of the nAma aniruddhah, SrI BhaTTar gives

the interpretation as referring to bhagavAn’s nitya vAsam as janArdana

in the part of this earth called vasubhANDa. Some translators of SrI

BahTTar’s bhAshyam refer to vasubhANDa as a kshetram.

 

645. a-prati-rathah – The Matchless.

 

Om aprati-rathAya namah.

 

prati-rathan is one who can oppose another in a fight mounted in a

chariot. a-prati-rathan is One who has no such person who can

confront Him thus. bhagavan is matchless in the sense that no one can

stand directly in front of His chariot and engage successfully in a war

with him. na prati-rathah samAna SaktimAn ko’pi yasya iti

a-prati-rathah (SrI kRshNa datta bhAradvAj). SrI v.v. rAmAnujan gives

the reference to tiruvAimozhi 2.3.2 – “ottAr mikkArai ilaiyAya mAyan”.

SrI BhaTTar gives the interpretation that as janArdana (The Tormentor

of people who are wicked by nature), He is matchless in this task, and

there is no one who can stop Him. SrI Samkara bhAshyam is –

prati-rathah pratipakshah asya na vidyata iti a-prati-rathah. SrI

kRshNa datta bhAradvAj gives reference to the gItA – na tvat

samo’styabhyadhikah kuto’nya… (11.43) – “There is no one equal to You.

How then could there be another greater than You in the three worlds?”.

 

 

SrI cinmayAnanda’s anubhavam is that in the loving Presence of vishNu,

everyone is vanquished, and there is no one even to threaten Him.

 

646. pradyumnah – a) He Who illumines the jIva-s.

b) He Whose wealth is of a superior order.

c) The Bestower of all desires.

d) He Who is endowed with great strength.

 

om pradyumnAya namah.

 

The word dyumnam means wealth as well as luster. SrI Samkara uses the

former meaning and SrI BhaTTar uses the latter. Other interpretations

are based on the meaning “desire”, “strength”, etc. for the word

“dyumnam”.

 

SrI BhaTTar’s explanation is “Atma pradyotavAn pradyumnah” – He who

makes the individual souls effulgent. Per information in SrI v.v.

rAmAnujan’s book, we can worship pradyumna in tiru-allik-kENi. I

believe tirunaRaiyUr or nAcciyAr koil is another kshetram where

bhagavAn is present in the four vyUha forms.

 

SrI satyadevo vAsishTha, who analyzes the meaning of each nAma by

looking at the word syllable by syllable, derives the meaning from pra

+ dyu + mna (pra - prakRshTa, utkRshTa – Superior; dyu – luster; mnA –

abhyAse - repeatedly. Thus, he gives the interpretation that

bhagavAn displays His special luster again and again in the form of the

sun, and so He is called pradyumna; or because He gives luster to the

jIva-s repeatedly birth after birth. We can also extrapolate and have

the anubhavam that because He takes several incarnations and keeps

displaying His superior luster repeatedly, He is also called pradyumna.

Thus, SrI satyadevo vAsishTha’s interpretation draws heavily on “mnA –

abhyAse – repeatedly, again and again.

 

SrI Samkara gives the interpretation “prakRshTam dyumnam draviNam asya

iti pradyumnah” – One who has wealth of a superior order, or One who

has enormous wealth. SrI cinmayAnanda adds that as lakshmI-pati, He is

endowed with all the riches, and in His benevolence, He gives riches

and mighty glory to all His devotees.

 

Again, we note the difference in the approach of the vyAkhyAna-s of SrI

Samkara and SrI BhaTTar – SrI BhaTTar emphasizes bhagavAn’s qualities

in terms of helping the jIva-s, and SrI Samkara emphasizes His

parattva.

 

SrI rAdhAkRshNa SAstri gives the additional meaning “desire” to the

word dyumnam. pradyumna is the Deity for manas, and in this role He

creates the desires in us that contribute to the sustenance of

creation. The dharma cakram writer gives the interpretation that the

desires being fulfilled are those of the devotees to realize the Self.

The best of desires that for Self-realization and for performing

eternal service to Him. He is the Only One who can fulfill this, and

so He is called pradyumna – The Bestower of all desires.

 

SrI kRshNa datta bhAradvAj uses the meaning “balam” or strength for the

word dyumnam, and gives the meaning “He who has distinguished strength”

- prakRshTam dyumnam balam yasya iti pradyumnah. He quotes the support

from medinI kOSam 1.20.11 – dyumnam vittam bale’pi ca. SrI baladeva

vidyAbhUshaN also gives the same interpretation – prakRshTam anantam

balam asya iti pradyumnah.

 

647. amita-vikramah – He of immeasurable steps.

 

Om amita-vikramAya namah.

 

This nAma occurred earlier as nAma 519. See the write-up under Slokam

55.

 

vikrama means stride. SrI BhaTTar interprets the nAma as a reference

to His tri-vikrama incarnation – trilokye’pi aparya vasita vikramatvAt

trivikramah amita-vikramah – “In His incarnation as trivikrama, all the

three worlds were no match for His three steps. So He is tri-vikrama”.

SrI v.v. rAmAnujan takes amita as a reference to “innumerable”, and

gives the interpretation that He has innumerable feet – tALgaL

AyirattAi pErgaL AyirattAi tamiyanEn periya appanE (tiruvAi. 8.1.10).

Note the declaration in purusha sUktam – sahasra SirshA purushah;

sahasrAkshah sahasra pAt. SrI Samkara has given this as the first of

his two interpretations fpr the earlier occurrence of this nAma (Slokam

55).

 

Vikrama also means prowess, heroic valor. For the current occurrence

of the nAma, SrI Samkara uses this meaning and gives the interpretation

that He is amita-vikramah because of His unequaled prowess which cannot

be injured by any one – amitah atulitah vikramah asya iti amita

vikramah; a-himsita vikramo vA. This interpretation in terms of His

boundless valor was given by SrI BhaTTar for the earlier occurrence of

this nAma (519). SrI rAdhAkRshNa SAstri makes a connection to the

previous nAma by observing that since pradyumna is the Lord of manas,

He acts with unlimited speed of mind (power of mind) in His role as

pradyumna, and so He is also called amita-vkramah. SrI cinmayAnanda

remarks that as SrIman nArAyaNa, He is Omnipotent, and none can stand

against Him.

 

SrI baladeva vidyAbhUshaN, a follower of the gauDiya vaishNava

sampradAyam, interprets the nAma in terms of the Prowess displayed by

child kRshNa – ati-vikramiNAmapi cANUrAdInAm helaiva vinASanAt

amita-vikramah – He is called amita-vikrama because He destroyed the

likes of the mighty cANUra as if in a sport. Thus we see that the

different interpreters interpret the nAma-s in terms of their

sampradaAya-s, all of which are equally valid except when it comes to

deep philosophical differences. Thus, in most instances, we benefit by

getting exposed to multiple, equally enjoyable, anubhavam-s of His

kalyAna guNa-s.

 

-dAsan kRshNamAcAryan

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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