SrI vishNu sahasra nAmam - Slokam 86 - mahA-nidhih.

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SrI vishNu sahasra nAmam - Slokam 86 - mahA-nidhih.

 

812. mahA-nidhih – a) He Who has the great treasure in the form of

His devotees.

b) He Who is a great treasure for His devotees.

c) He Who is the Abode of everything in the Universe.

d) He Who is like a treasure from which His devotees can draw at will.

 

Om mahA-nidhaye namah.

 

a) ni is an upasarga – prefix. The root on which the nAma is based

is dhA – dhArana poshaNayordAne ca – to put, to grant, to produce, to

bear; nitarAm dhIyate pushyata iti ; nidhIyate atra iti nidhih;

That in which things are stored is nidhi. Usually the term is used

to refer to treasure.

 

nitarAm – wholly, entirely, continuously, always. nidhi –

reservoir, receptacle, abode

 

a) SrI BhaTTar uses the meaning "treasure" for the term "nidhi", and

gives the vyAkhyAnam that bhagavAn has this nAma because He values

the devotees as His treasure – they are so dear to Him: te nidhivat

ati-priyA asya iti mahA-nidhih.

 

nammAzhvAr captures this aspect of bhagavAn in his tiruvAimozhi

pASuram 10.7.8: triup pArkkaDalE en talaiyE; taN tiru vE'nkaTamE

enadu uDalE; manamE vAkkE karumamE oru mA noDiyum piriyAn -

bhagavAn loves my head with the same attachment He has for tirup park

kaDal; He loves my body with as much intensity as He likes tiru

vE'nkaTam; He now appears to be a complete dependent on my body for

His very sustenance". SrI v.n. vedAnta deSikan's interpretation

for this pASuram, in part, is: "The Lord bestows the same attachment

on my body and limbs as He does on divya deSa shrines. He appears to

love my head as much as He does tirumAl irum Solai and

tiruvE'nkaTam".

 

b) SrI Sa'nkara's vyAkhyAam is: sarva bhUtAni asmin nidhIyanta iti

nidhih – He is called mahA-nidhih because He is the great Treasure

House of all beings. He protects all beings inside Him like a

treasure at the time of pralaya.

 

c) SrI satyadevo vAsishTha gives the interpretation that the nAma

symbolizes that He is the abode of everything in the Universe,

including such great things as the sun – mahAntah sUryAdayo'pi grahA

yatra pakshiNa iva nihitA iti mahatAm nidhitvAt sa mahA-nidhih –all

the planets reside in Him like birds.

 

d) SrI cinmayAnanda translates the nAma as "The Great Abode". He

explains the nAma as "The Eternal Source from which everything

springs forth, and the Infinite substratum upon which the entire play

of the finite is held in animated suspension". He also notes the

meaning "treasure" for the word nidhi, and observes that SrI nArAyaNa

is the richest treasure of all of His devotees – to loot at will!".

The idea is that His devotees will never be satiated with His

anubhavam, and He is always there for them to eternally enjoy.

 

AzhvArs refer to bhagavAn as their nidhi in this sense of His being

available for their enjoyment and support always. SrI v.v.

rAmAnujan gives several references:

 

- tiruma'ngai AzhvAr in tiruk kurum tANDakam (1) – nidhiyinai,

pavaLat tUNai… - He is the Treasure who comes forth without fail when

we are in need; He is like the pillar that comes for us support like

to pillar made of pavaLam.

- tiruma'ngai AzhvAr – periya tirumozhi 7.1.7: gatiyEl illai

nin aruLEl enakku; nidhiyE - I have no recourse to any help except

Your Mercy; You are the treasure in reserve for me when I am in

need".

- nammAzhvAr, tiruvAimozhi 6.7.11: vaitta mA nidhiyAm

madusUdanaiyE alaRRi…..- MadhusUdanan is like a great treasure in

reserve (vaitta mA-nidhi), available in time of need in future.

 

SrI kRshNa datta bhAradvAj interprets the nAm as a combination fo two

guNa-s - that He is great and He is also held as a treasure by His

devotees - SrI bhagavAn hi bhaktaih prathamam pUjyate tataSca tasya

manomayI pratimA hRdaye nidhIyate dhyAyate ca.

 

-dAsan kRshNamAcAryan