SrI vishNu sahasra nAmam - Slokam 71 - Part 1.

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SrI vishNu sahasra nAmam - Slokam 71 - brahmaNyah.

 

brahmaNyo brahma-kRt-brahmA brahma brahma-vivardhanah |

brahma-vid brAhmaNo brahmI brahma`jno brAhamNa-priyah ||

 

om brahmaNyAya namah

om brahma-kRt-brahmaNe namah

om brahmaNe namah

om brahma-vivardhanAya namah

om brahma-vide namah

om brAhmaNAya namah

om brahmiNe namah

om brahma~jnAya namah

om brAhamNa-priyAya namah

 

The word brahman or a derived word occurs in this Slokam repeatedly.

It will be useful to have some basic understanding of this term before

proceeding with the explanation of the nAma-s.

 

The word brahman is derived from the root brah, which means vastness,

power, growth, etc. Anything that is big is covered under the term

brahma. The term can refer to penance, veda-s, brAhmaN-s well-versed

in scripture, wisdom, etc. - tapo vedASca viprASca, j~nAnam ca brahma

sam~jnitam.

 

The word brahman can also denote the Supreme Being, veda, prakRti, and

the Atman (jIva). The last one is particularly used in the bhagavad

rAmAnuja school, because the jIva in its essential nature is unlimited

in its power, and thus is brahma in nature. Any limitation it suffers

is temporary, and the limitation is only when the jIva is associated

with a body. The Atman or self possesses the quality of "infinite

extensiveness" as its true nature, even though it is conditioned by the

limitations of the body when it is associated with a body.

 

As a proper noun, the term brahmA refers to the four-faced brahmA, and

of course, the word stands to denote bhagavAn when it comes to the

creation of the four-faced brahmA.

 

The different interpreters use one or more of the above meanings for

the term brahman in their vyAkhyAna-s for the following nAma-s. This

is partly the source of the differences in the different anubhava-s.

 

667. brahmaNyah - a) He who is beneficial to all the big things both

a-cetana and cetana, namely prakRti and Atman.

b) He who is beneficial to Brahman, namely the veda, brAhmans

well-versed in scripture, penance, etc.

 

Om brahmaNyAya namah.

 

In chapter 5.1 of pANini's ashTAdhyAyI, sUtra-s 4 to 7 deal with the

affix yat, and indicate that the suffix means "good for that" under

certain cases; specifically, sUtra 5.1.7 - khala yava mAsha tila vRsha

brahmaNah ca (yat) - states that the affix ya after brahman denotes

"good for Brahman".

 

Since bhagavAn is the cause for the existence and enjoyment of prakRti

and purusha, He is beneficial to them. Thus, SrI BhaTTar's

interpretation for this nAma is that He is beneficial to the jIva and

to prakRti, and so He is called brahmaNyah.

 

The vastness of prakRti, jIva, and paramAtmA (and thus all being

Brahman) is nicely captured by nammAzhvAr in tiruvAumozhi 10.10.10 as

referenced by SrI v.v. rAmAnujan:

 

SUzhndu aganRu Azhndu uyarnda muDivil perum pAzhEyO

SUzhndu adanil peria para nan malarc cOdIyO

SUzhndu adanil peria SuDar j~nAna inbamEyO

SUzhndu adanil peria ennavA aRac cUzhndAyE.

 

"Oh the antarAtmA of the mUla prakRti, which evolves into mahat,

ahamkAra, etc., which pervades all space, and is infinite!

Oh the antarAtmA of the jIvAtmA-s, who encircle, extend over, and are

larger than, the prakRti in extant, whose j~nAna is unlimited, and

whose very nature is characterized by j~nAna, Ananda, and tejas!

Oh the unique possessor of samkalpa j~nAna, which extends beyond the

above, and has its halo even beyond still further, which is pure Bliss

in nature!

My desire to join you is even larger than your samkalpa j~nAna. But

You have now enveloped me, and I am a drop in your vastness of nectar

ocean. My long-time ambition is fulfilled".

 

The first line above refers to the vastness of prakRti, the second

refers to the vastness of the j~nAna of the Atman, and the third line

refers to His vastness. When the term Brahman refers to the Supreme

Being, it is qualified by both cit and acit, or has both conscious and

unconscious entities as His body; when it refers to prakRti, it is

qualified by only acit or insentiency; and when it refers to Atman, it

is qualified by only cit or consciousness.

 

b) SrI Samkara interprets the term brahma in this nAma as referring

collectively to penance, veda-s, brAhmaN-s well-versed in scripture,

and wisdom - tapo vedASca viprASca, j~nAnam ca brahma sam~jnitam, and

gives the interpretation to the nAma that because He is beneficent to

them all, He is called brahmaNyah. SrI rAdhAkRshNa SAstri gives

examples of this: bhagavAn retrieved the veda-s from the asura by name

hayagrIva in His matsya incarnation; He showed the path of penance in

His nara-nArAyaNa incarnation; He gave us the knowledge of the veda-s

through His teaching of the gItA; He takes several incarnations to

protect the brAhmaNa-s (vipra-s) in their times of distress.

 

As examples of bhagavAn being beneficent to the brAhmaNa-s, SrI kRshNa

datta bhAradvAj gives the example of Lord kRshNa doing pAda pUjA for

all the brAhmaNa-s who came for the rAjasUya yAga performed by

yudhisThira, and SrI baladeva vidyA bhUshan gives the example of Lord

kRshNa retrieving the son of His guru from yama loka.

 

SrI satyadevo vAsishTha observes that He is called brahmaNyah because

He is big, and He makes His devotees big, by giving them all the things

to enjoy, and by supporting them and protecting them.

 

-dAsan kRshNamAcAryan

 

 

 

 

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