SrI vishNu sahasra nAmam - Slokam 71 - Part 5.

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672. brAhmaNah - The Instructor of the veda-s.

 

om brAhamNAya namah.

 

The etymologists give the derivation - brahma nayati, aNati iti

brAhmaNah - He Who guides or recites the veda is a brAhamNa (SrI

BhaTTar). (The relevant roots for aNati are aN - Sabde to sound, or

prANane - to live). SrI BhaTTar refers to bhagavAn's taking birth in

the atri gotra as dattAtreya, and other such births as brAhamaNa in

order to establish the teachings of the veda in this world.

 

In the amarakoSa vyAkhyAnam, a brAhmaNa is described as one who engages

in the six-acts -

yajana yAjana adhyayana adhyApana dAna pratigraha lakshNAni - the act

of sacrificing, the act of helping in conducting a sacrifice, learning

the veda-s, teaching or instructing of the veda-s, giving dAnam to

others, and receiving or accepting alms from others.

 

The dharma cakram writer summarizes the qualifications for a brAhamaNa:

He knows the true nature of Brahman, and devotes his entire life in

the service of Brahman; he has no attachment to his body or to material

things in this world; he has absolute trust in bhagavAn's kalyANa

guNa-s; he dedicates himself through thought, word, and deed to

bhagavAn; every act of his is dedicated to His service and to the

service of His devotees; by nature he has control of his mind and

indriya-s; he is not interested in worldly enjoyment; he devotes his

life in the pursuit of eternal service to Him; he has naturally purity

in thought, word, and deed; he accepts whatever difficulties confront

him without question, and does not cause harm to others in return; he

is straightforward in thought, word, and deed; he will have full trust

and faith in veda-s, SAstra-s, and bhagavAn; he will learn the veda-s,

and teach the veda-s to others; he will get enormous delight in

learning the veda-s and SAstra-s from the learned, and in living a life

based on these teachings; he will be dominating in sattva guNa; his

dharma will be to live for the veda-s, to learn the veda-s and to

impart the knowledge of the veda-s to others; he will dedicate himself

to live in such a way that by his example he will teach others what it

is to live a life of righteousness and love towards others.

 

673. brahmI - a) He who possesses all that goes by the term brahma -

prakRti, purusha, ISvara, veda, etc.

b) He Who has the four-faced brahmA in His nAbhI-kamalam.

 

om brahmiNe namah.

 

The etymology for the nAma is given by SrI satyadevo vAsishTha based on

the pANini sUtra "vrIhyAdibhyaSca" (5.2.116) and "nastaddhite"

(6.4.l44), whereby the addition of the affix ini to the word brahma

gives the meaning "having or bearing brahma".

 

a) SrI BhaTTar gives the interpretation that He is called brahmI

because He possesses all that is in the form of pramANa (the means of

knowledge), and prameya (the objects of knowledge). SrI

SrInivAsarAghavan notes that this includes the veda-s (pramANa), and

prakRti, purusha, ISvara, etc. (the prameya-s - those that are to be

known from the veda-s). SrI rAdhAkRshNa SAstri observes that the

veda-s, the four-faced brahmA, the braAmaNa-s (vipra-s), tapas, etc.,

are all there to reveal His true nature, and since they are all His

possessions, He is called brahmI.

SrI vishNu sahasra nAmam - Slokam 71 - brAhmaNah, brahmI.

 

b) SrI kRshNa datta bhAradvAj gives the interpretation that because He

has the four-faced brahmA in His nAbhI-kamalam (in the lotus in His

navel), He has the nAma brahmI - sa nAbhIkamale vishNoh sthito brahmA

prajApatih - mArkaNDeya purA. 78.51).

 

The dharma cakram writer observes that the significance of this nAma is

to realize that just as the body which is made of the pa'nca bhUta-s

needs their support for its survival, the realization of the paramAtmA

who resides within us requires the support of His possessions, namely

the veda-s, the brAhMaNa-s (vipra-s), and tapas. One should learn

the veda-s, live the life revealed by the veda-s, and live the life of

a brAhmaNa as described in the previous nAma, and this yogic way of

life will lead to His realization.

 

-dAsan kRshNamAcAryan

 

 

 

 

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