SrI vishNu sahasra nAmam - Slokam 71 - Part 6.

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SrI vishNu sahasra nAmam - Slokam 71 - brahma~jnah,

brAhmaNa-priyah.

 

674. brahma~njah - The Knower of the inner meaning of the veda-s.

 

om brahma~jnAya namah.

 

SrI BhaTTar distinguishes between this nAma and the earlier nAma

brahma-vit (671), as follows:

 

"brahma-vit - anatA vai vedAh; tAn avadhinA vetti iti brahma vit" -

veda-s are limitless; He knows the the veda-s to completion or to the

ultimate limit, and so He is called brahma-vit.

 

"brahma~jnah - vedAn artha-paryantam sAkshAtkaroti iti brahm~jnah" - He

perceives, apprehends, and knows the veda-s inclusive of their

significance or meanings, and therefore He is called brahma~jnah.

 

The nirukti author gives the corresponding summary for veda-vit as "yo

vedAn antato vetti sa brahma-vit udIritah" - He Who knows the veda-s to

their full extent is brahma-vit is called brahma-vit, and for

brahma~jnah as "yo vedAn arthato vetti so'yam brahma~jnah Iritah" - He

Who knows the veda-s with their true inner meanings is veda~jnah.

 

Based on the above, one can say that in the first nAma, SrI BhaTTar

emphasizes the breadth of knowledge of the veda-s, and in the second

one the depth of knowledge is indicated.

 

SrI Samkara differentiates the two nAma-s as follows: brahma-vit -

vedam vedArtham ca yathAvat vetti iti brahma-vit; brahma vedAn

svAtmabhUtAn jAnAti it brahma~jah. Thus, in this case, the first

interpretation includes the knowledge of the meanings of the veda-s,

and the second one states that He knows the veda-s which are born of

Himself. SrI cinmayAnanda comments for the first one as "One who has

intuited the veda-s and their full commentaries", and for the second

one, "One Who knows the nature of Brahman as no one else can; He being

the very Brahman, no one else knows His nature as He Himself can".

 

Other interpreters have used other ways to distinguish between the two

nAma-s. SrI kRshNa datta bhaAradvAj uses the meaning "to find, to

get", to the word "vid", in the nAma brahma-vit - "brahma vedah; tad

vindati matsyAvatAre iti brahma-vit", and uses the meaning "One who

knows" for "j~nah" in "brahma~jnah". - brahma SrI vishNor vibhUtih;

tad sva vibhUti rUpam jAnAti iti brahma~jnah (brahma refers to all His

manifestations; He who knows this brahma in truth is brahm~jnah).

 

The best way to view the interpretation of the two nAma-s seems to be

to consider them as complimentary to each other, the two nAma-s

together signifying His perfect knowledge of all there is to know of

the veda-s, in completion and with the complete understanding of the

significance of the veda-s.

 

675. brAhmaNa-priyah - a) He for Whom the brAhamaNa-s are of special

liking.

b) He Who is specially liked by the brAhamaNa-s.

 

a) SrI BhaTTar's interpretation is that the brAhamNa-s are extremely

dear to Him, and so He is called brAhmaNa-priyah. He gives the example

of how bhagavAn treated bRgu maharshi when the latter kicked Him in His

vaksha sthalam (chest). SrI BhaTTar quotes several supports:

 

ghnantam Sapantam parusham vadantam

yo brAhmaNam na praNayet yathA'ham….." (itihAsa samuccaya 30.100)

 

"Though a brAhmin beats a person, curses him, or utters harsh words to

him, one should bow to the brAhmin as I did to bRgu. One who does not

respect the brAhmin this way will be consumed by the wild fire of the

brAhmin's anger, and he deserves to be killed and punished. He is not

Mine".

 

This extreme respect for brAhmins from bhagavAn is because "they are

the ones who follow the virtuous conduct of karma yoga as instructed by

Me, who are full of faith, and who hold Me as the Highest Deity, and so

they are dear to Me" -

 

ye tu dharmyAmRtamidam yathoktam paryupAsate |

SraddhAnA mat-paramA bhaktAste atIva me priyAh || (gItA 12.20)

 

"I am victorious over the asura-s because of the blessings of the

brAhmins" - vipra prasAdAt asurAn jayAmi (vishNu dharma 52.23).

 

Buried in this vyAkhyAnam is also a summary of how a brAhmaNa should

conduct himself, that justifies the great respect that bhagavAn holds

for them. SrI rAdhA kRshNa SAstri gives the following explanation:

"The brAhmins are very dear to Him because they live for the sole

purpose of chanting the veda-s as well as teaching the veda-s. Sinve

the veda-s are the Lord Himself, the love of a brAhmin in the veda-s as

He chants them transforms into a love to Him; and since the brAhmin

gives the place for Him in them in the form of the veda-s, the brAhmin

is dear to Him". The dharma cakram writer adds that those who live for

Him are brAhmins, and those who live for themselves are the rest.

 

b) SrI Samkara gives the first interpretation as well as the second one

- brAhmaNAnAm priyah brAhmaNa-priyah | brAhamNAh priyaA asya iti vA| He

also gives the support given under a) from itihAsa samuccayam.

 

c) SrI bala deva vidyA bhUshaN, who gives all his interpretations based

on Lord kRshNa's life in this world, gives the example of His pleasing

sAndIpani by bringing back his child alive, as the explanation for this

nAma.

 

d) SrI cinmayAnanda observes that the term brAhmaNa here refers to the

class of people who have the supreme experience-divine, those men of

complete realization, and not to the brAhmins by caste.

 

-dAsan kRshNamAcAryan

 

 

 

 

 

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