SrI vishNu sahasra nAmam - Slokam 85 - arkah.

February 4, 2003

801. arkah – a) He Who is praised.

b) He Who is in the form of the sun.

Om arkAya namah.

The root from which this nAma is derived is arka – tapane stavane ca –

to heat, to praise. arcyate – stUyata iti arkah – He Who is

praised is arkah. SrI satya devo vAsishTha points out that the

meaning can also be derived starting from the root Rc – stutau – to

praise, and from the root arc- pUjAyAm – to worship. Based on the

meaning arka – tapane – to heat, arkah also refers to the sun.

a) SrI BhaTTar gives the meaning that He has an adorable form, and

indicates that He was praised in His Buddha incarnation by His

followers as "aho! mahAtma! ati-dhArmikah!" – "Oh! A great soul and a

highly virtuous one!".

SrI Sa'nkara gives the interpretation that He is adored by even the

likes of brahmA – brahmAdibhih pUjyatamairapi arcanIyatvAt arkah.

The same idea is given by SrI kRshNa datta bhAradvAj – arkyate

stUyate brahmAdibhih iti arkah. He gives the support from SrImad

bhAgavatam:

yam brahmA varuNendra marutah stuvanti divyaih stavaih (bhA.

12.13.1) – He Who is worshipped through divine adorations by brahmA,

varuNa, indra, vAyu, etc.

b) SrI cinmayAnanda interprets the nAma as referring to His being in

the form the Sun, using the meaning "sun" for the word "arkah". The

Infinite Consciouness, SrIman nArAyaNa, is the one source of light

and energy illumining and nourishing everything. Once He leaves the

body of any creature, the body cannot be maintained.

-dAsan kRshNamAcAryan

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