SrI vishNu sahasra nAmam – Slokm 87 - kumudah.

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SrI vishNu sahasra nAmam – Slokm 87 - kumudah.

 

kumudah kundarah kundah parjanyah pavano'nilah |

amRtaSo'mRta-vapuh sarva~jnah sarvato-mukhah ||

 

om kumudAya namah

om kundarAya namah

om kundAya namah

om parjanyAya namah

om pavanAya namah

om anilAya namah

om amRtASAya namah

om amRta-vapushe namah

om sarva~jnAya namah

om sarvat-mikhAya namah

 

813. kumudah – a) He Who is on this earth with delight by enjoying

the association with His devotees.

b) One Who gladdens the earth by ridding it of the

evil-doers.

c) One Who bestows the auspicious world of parama

padam.

d) One Who delights in the sky, in the form of the

sun.

e) He Who wears a garland made of blue lilies.

 

Om kumudAya namah.

 

The nAma consists of two or three parts, depending on the

interpretation. One way to look at the nAma is as ku + mudah. The

first part is derived from the root kai – Sabde – to sound. kauti

dhvanati iti kuh – that which is full of sound. The amara koSam

gives the meaning "world" to the word kuh – kuh pRthivI prthvI…

mudah is derived from the root muda – harshe – to rejoice, to be

glad. modata iti mudah – One who rejoices, or modayati iti mudah –

One Who makes others rejoice. Another way to look at the nAma is ku

+ mu + dah (see c below).

 

a) SrI BhaTTar interprets the nAma in terms of ku + mudah. His

vyAkhyAnam is kau – prakRti maNDale – (even) in this world of

prakRti; mudah – (taih saha) modate – (In the company of His

devotees) He rejoices. So He is known as kumudah.

 

SrI v.v. rAmAnujan wonders aloud how difficult it must be for

bhagavAn to have to be part of us just to enjoy our company. By

coming into this world, Lord rAma had to undergo lots of miseries –

"nATTil piRandu paDAdana paTTu" is how He had to live – such is life

in this world, that it will make even the parama purushaN undergo

enormous suffering and misery. Lord rAma Himself describes His

miseries – rAjyAt bhramSah vane vAsah sItA nashTah hato dvijah –"I

was driven away from My kindgdom, I have to live in the forest, I

have lost sItA, and now this great brAhmin (jatAyu) has been

slain". And yet, He chooses to live amongst us just for the company

of, and association with, the likes of bharadvAja, atri, agastya,

etc.

 

SrI cinmayAnanda "One Who gladdens the earth", or "One Who is

gladdened by the earth". He explains that bhagavAn's delight is a

sheer expression of His Omnipotence – the very fact that He has

created this dynamic, complex, cosmos that is so scientifically

precise, is a matter of delight, since it is the fulfillment of His

Omnipotence.

 

b) SrI Sa'nkara's vyAkhyAnam is – kum dharaNim bhAra avataraNam

kurvan modayati iti ku-mudah – He Who frees the earth from its

burdens and gives joy to the beings of the earth. SrI ananta kRshNa

SAstry observes that this lightening of the burden is through the

elimination of the wicked people (dushTa nigraham). SrI rAdhAkRshNa

SAstri gives the example of His taking many incarnations for the same

purpose – to destroy the wicked people and protect His devotees.

 

Here is one more instance of seeing the difference in the approaches

of SrI Sa'nkara and SrI BhaTTar in their general approach to their

interpretations. SrI Sa'nkara explains the nAma as His giving joy to

the earth by freeing it of its burdens, and SrI BhaTTar explains the

nAma as His rejoicing and deriving pleasure by the company of His

devotees. We should keep in mind that both the interpretations are

valid anubhava-s of bhagavAn. Just the difference in approach is

that one emphasizes His Power, and the other emphasizes His

saulabhayam and sauSIlyam.

 

c) SrI M. V. rAmAnujAcArya gives an additional interpretation: He Who

bestows the world of mukti, or parama padam – ku = bhUmi, mu = mukti;

dah = Giver or Bestower.

 

d) SrI satyadevo vAsishTha gives the meaning "sky" to "ku" (based on

kai – Sabde), and gives the interpretation to the term "kumudah"

as "One Who delights in the sky, in the form of the sun" – Sabdavat

AkASe modayati iti kumudah; SabdASraye khe modata iti kumudah

sUryah.

 

e) The word kumuda is also used to refer to the blue lily or to

lotus. He Who wears a garland made of these is kumudah – utpala

dhAro kumudah (SrI baladeva vidyA bhUshaN).

 

-dAsan kRshNamAcAryan