SrI vishNu sahasra nAmam - Slokam 83 - dur-atikramah.

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SrI vishNu sahasra nAmam - Slokam 83 - dur-atikramah.

 

782. dur-atikramah – a) He Who cannot be bypassed by those who seek

relief from samsAra.

b) He Who cannot be transgressed because of fear of the consequences of

disobeying Him.

c) He for whom all sorrow is bypassed.

d) He by transgressing whose orders, sorrow is the result.

 

Om dur-atikramAya namah.

 

The root involved in the nAma is kramu – pAda vikshepe - to walk, to

step. atikrama means overstepping, going beyond, breaching.

 

a) SrI BhaTTar gives the interpretation that it is impossible to have

any recourse except Him if we wish to cross the ocean of sorrow. He

gives several supporting references:

 

1. yadA carmavad-AkASam veshTayishyanti mAnavAh |

tadA devam avij~nAya duhkhasyAntam nigacchati || (SvetA. 6.20)

 

“The success with which one can reach the end of sorrow without

resorting to God, is the same as the success one would have in rolling

the whole firmament and putting it into a small leather bag”

 

2. vAsudevam anArAdhya ko moksham samavApnuyAt

 

“Who can attain salvation without worshipping vAsudeva?”

 

3. na hi vishNumRte kAcit gatiranyA vidhIyate |

ityevam satatam vedA gAyante nAtra samSayah || (lai’nga purANam

24.43)

 

“All the veda-s are always singing in chorus that there is no other

means of redemption except the worship of vishNu. There is no doubt

about this”.

 

SrI v.v. rAmAnujan refers to the kAkAsura episode in support. He went

round all three worlds for someone to protect Him from the astra of

Lord rAma, and ultimately had to come back to His feet for rescue. In

SrImad rAmAyaNam, hanuman declares that if rAma decides that someone

should be killed, then no one in all the three worlds, including

indra, brahma, rudra, or any other devatA can protect that person.

nammAzhvAr reveals the same truth in his tiruvAimozhi pASuram 10.1.1

(kALamEgattai anRi maRRu ilam gatiyE), and 10.1.6 (tirumOgUr Attan –

Aptan tAmarai aDi inRi maRRu ilam araNE) – There is no recourse for us

except His Feet.

 

b) SrI Sa’nkara vyAkhyAnam is also that He cannot be transgressed. This is

because He is the source of fear for those who transgress His orders,

and none will dare to disobey them. He gives kaThopanishad in support:

 

bhayAt asya agnis-tapati bhayAt tapat I sUryah |

bhayAindrSvca vAyuSca mRtyur-dhAvati pa’ncamah || (kaTho. 6.3)

 

“Through fear of Him burns the fire, through fear of Him shines the

sun, through fear of Him functions indra, the wind, and Death as the

fifth”.

 

We have a similar passage in the taittirIya upanishad:

 

bhIshAsmAt vAtah pavate, bhIsdhodeyti sUryah, bhIshAsmAd

agniScendraSca, mRtyur-dhAvati pa’ncama iti | (taitti. 2.8.1)

 

“Out of His fear the wind blows; Out of fear the Sun rises; Out of His

fear runs Fire, as also Indra and Death, the fifth”.

 

c) SrI satya sandha yatirAja gives the explanation – duhkhasya atikramo

yasya sa dur-atikramah – He for whom all sorrow is bypassed.

 

d) SrI satyadevo vAsishTha explains the nAma as meaning that He by

transgressing whose order, sorrow is the result – yo bhAgavatam niyamam

ulla’ngate sa SaSavat dukkhameva Apnoti iti dur-atikramah. SrI

baladeva vidyA bhUshaN gives a similar interpretation – duhkhadah

atikramah Sasana ulla’nghanam asya iti dur-atikramh – Bypassing His

order will lead to sorrow.

 

-dAsan kRshNamAcAryan

 

 

 

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