[Guruvayur/Guruvayoor] Commentaries on Vishnu Sahasranama

[Guest guest]

Hi Sunita. Thanks for this very detailed commentary. The Vishnu Sahasranamam has

always

been dear to me; it is the very first prayer/nama that I started reciting. I

have a book

which gives the literal meaning of each of the thousand names. I have always

wondered why

the same names occur in different places because that makes it difficult to

recite

completely from memory. But this commentary, so in-depth, explains that point.

Inspires

me to continue chanting it with renewed vigor Thanks.

Om Namo Narayanaya.

 

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--- rsunitaa <rsunitaa wrote:

 

>

>

> Om Namo Narayanaya!

> The Vishnu Sahasranama can be chanted in form of a sloka or the

> names can be chanted in Archana form, such as Om Vishnave namah,

> etc. When chanted in the form of a sloka, the thousand names are

> arranged in 107 stanzas. Each of these names is highly pregnant with

> meaning that refers to the guna or the quality of the Paramatma. The

> Lord is infinite and indescribable and the human mind cannot

> comprehend the qualities of the Lord. Sage Vyasa, however, has tried

> to describe the Lord by choosing the thousand best qualities of the

> Lord, while composing the Vishnu Sahasranama.

> The interpretation of the names depends on the seer who has written

> the commentary. The two important commentaries are by Shri Adi

> Shankaracharya and Shri Bhattar. Shri Shankaracharya was a great

> proponent of the Advaita Philosophy, which describes the Nirguna

> Brahman, One without attributes. The saguna brahman is only an

> interim means to realize the real truth for the advaitin - namely

> the realization of the nirguNa Brahman. To an advaitin the only

> truth is nirguNa Brahman - One without any attributes. Shri Bhattar

> on the other hand, was a great exponent of the VisishtAdvaita

> philosophy. The central idea of Visishtadvaita is this: there exists

> an Ultimate Principle, an Absolute Being that is the source and

> substratum of all that exists. This immanent spirit is the inner

> guide and controller of the whole universe with all its diverse

> animate and inanimate elements. Communion with this gracious,

> omnipotent Supreme Being constitutes the supreme end of existence.

> Such communion is attainable exclusively through self-surrender and

> undivided, loving meditation. According to Sri Sankara, all

> qualities or manifestations are unreal or temporary. They are a

> result of Avidya or ignorance. According to Sri Ramanuja, the

> attributes are real and permanent. Thus, Sri Sankara mostly gives

> his interpretations emphasizing the supremacy of Brahman, the all-

> powerful nature of Brahman, the difficulty in realizing It, etc. Sri

> Bhattar's commentary emphasizes the gunas of the Lord that are so

> much in favor of His devotee. For example,

> vijitAtmA (Slokam 66):

> The simple meaning of the words in the nama is: He who has a mind

> that has been conquered. It does not say " conquered by whom? " This

> is the place where we see the different anubhavam-s of the two

> commentaries.

> Sri Sankara has interpreted the nama as One who has controlled His

> indriya-s and mind - vijita AtmA mano yena sah vijitAtmA. In other

> words, bhagavan is referred to by this nama here because He has

> conquered His own mind.

> Sri Bhattar sees here an example of how bhagavan's mind is easily

> conquered by His devotees. So he gives an interpretation which is in

> a sense the exact opposite of that Sri Sankaracharya - namely, He is

> one whose mind is easily conquered by others, namely His devotees.

> So He is the One who is defeated in His mind control, since He gives

> in easily to His devotees' wishes.

> Of the thousand names, there are some repetitions. For example, in

> Sri Parasara Bhattar's choice of the thousand names, two names occur

> four times, 12 names occur three times, and 82 names occur twice.

> When a name occurs more than once, the revered commentators have

> interpreted the meaning of the name differently in each instance

> depending on the context in which the name occurs. They have also

> quoted extensive evidence from ancient scriptures in support of

> their interpretation. The commentators have emphasized that the

> recurrence is not the result of a dosha (deficiency of being

> repetitive) in the composition

> In his commentary on Sri Vishnu Sahasra Namam, Sri Bhattar has

> beautifully traced a thread of connectivity in the sequence of the

> 1000 names as they occur in the stotram. He has identified an

> organization and structure in the composition that refers to the

> gunas of the Lord in the five manifestations in which He has

> revealed Himself to us, as described in the Pancharatra Agamas.

> These manifestations are: para, vyuha, vibhava, archa, and

> antaryami. Thus, for instance, Sri Bhattar has noted that the first

> 122 names in the stotram describe the qualities of the Lord in his

> para vAsudeva form. The next set of names describes the vyuha forms

> etc. Thus the names as they occur in the stotram are not just a

> random collection of names, but have a beautiful thread of

> organization and structure to them. Sri Bhattar has identified 44

> such manifestations of Bhagavan in his exposition. A brief

> introduction to the five types of manifestations of the Lord, to

> which Sri Bhattar refers in his exposition of the significance of

> the 1000 names of the Lord, is given below.

> The para can be viewed as the full and undifferentiated

> manifestation of the Lord in His complete and resplendent glory in

> which He has chosen to be unlimited by anything. He does not assume

> this form as a result of another object, and in this form He is

> endowed with the fullness of the six qualities - jnAna, bala,

> aisvarya, vIrya, sakti, teja). In this form, He is the shadgunya

> paripurna, maharNava, ni:sima - complete in all respects in the Six

> qualities, the Great Ocean of all that is perfect, unlimited by

> anything.

> " In the para form, the Lord has the body endowed with all six

> qualities;

> He shines with intense brilliance and luminosity, and has hands and

> feet all around.

> This form is unique, is the support of all, and is all-pervasive " .

> In the vyuha manifestation, the Lord assumes different forms which

> are rich in some of the six qualities, with different functions

> which emphasize these qualities. The vyuha forms can be viewed as

> the differentiated forms which arise from the para form. In

> particular, the following vyuha forms are identified:

> pradyumna - aisvarya and vIrya - function of srshti or creation

> aniruddha - sakti and tejas - function of sthiti or protection and

> preservation

> samkarshaNa - jnAna and bala - function of samhAra or destruction

> The vibhava is that group of manifestations which are taken by

> BhagavAn in the form of god, man, animal, etc. (sura, nara,

> tiryagAdi). Vibhava is of two kinds: mukhya and anuvrtti, also

> referred to as vibhava and vibhava antara.

> Vibhava occurs in one of four forms:

> 1. Some like matsya and kurma are direct manifestations

> 2. In some incarnations, the Lord enters into the bodies of

> distinguished sages such as Sri VyAsa.

> 3. In others, He invests His sakti for some period of time in others.

> 4. There are others in which He manifests Himself in idols as for

> instance in the arcAvatAra.

> Sri Bhattar, in his commentary, has grouped the arcA form as a

> subgroup of the vibhava form. Sri Bhattar distinguishes the vibhava

> form from the Lord's creations such as the four-faced Brahma, who

> are not manifestations of Bhagavan, but are the creations of

> Bhagavan.

>

>

>

>

 

 

 

 

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