Vishnu Sahasranama Stanza 20

June 4, 2006

Om Namo Narayanaya!

maheshvaaso maheebhartaa sreenivaasah sataam gatihaniruddhah suraanando govindo govindaam-patih.

181. Maheshvaasah -One who wears or wields the Great Bow called Saarnga. SrI satyadevo vAsishTha points out that ishvAsa can mean the bow (that which throws or discharges the arrows), and one who has the great dhanus is maheshvAsa - mahAn ishvAsah asya asti iti maheshvAsah. SrI Bhattar gives the examples of Lord Rama discharging the arrows to establish a bridge across the sethu river and at the time of destroying the ten-headed RAvaNa. The dharma cakram author points out that even though modern science provides a lot of facilities like being able to build bridges to cross great rivers in times of war in a short time nowadays, the result is more war and more insecurity and more evils. Not so with the Lord's arrows, which always achieve their objective without fail (rAma bANam vIN pogAdu is a saying in Tamil - Rama's arrows never go to waste), and bring good to mankind.

182. Maheebhartaa -The husband of Mother Earth. The Sanskrit term for husband is Bhartaa and the term denotes `Supporter'. In the Puranic language we have the description of how the Lord, as the Great Boar uplifted the earth from the "waters of Deluge." Viewed from the platform of philosophy, just as gold is the supporter of all things made of gold, the Infinite Consciousness is the Essence from which everything has risen. Hence He is the Lord, the Supporter, the Husband (Bhartaa) of Mother Earth and everything that exists in her. SrI Bhattar interprets this nAma as referring to bhagavAn bearing the earth constantly as the Adi kUrma. The author in dharma cakram surmises that the gravitational force which keeps everything in this universe in its place is just a demonstration of the Sakti or power of this mahI-bhartA.

183. Sreenivaasah -The permanent abode of Sree. Mother Sree connotes "all Glory and power, faculties and strength, to be good and to perform creative acts of righteousness". She is found to remain never permanently in any bosom. Even saints and sages, in recorded history, have come to compromise the perfections in them. The only place, where imperfections never enter to molest the serene essence, is the seat of Eternal Perfection, which is the bosom of Narayana. Hence Maha Vishnu is indicated as Sreenivaasa –"the Permanent Abode of Lakshmi".

184. Sataam Gatih -For the truly virtuous and for all spiritual seekers (Sat-People) He who is the final Goal. In the language of the Geeta He is the "Paraa gatih". The term gati is used to denote not only the goal, but the very movement, as well as the direction and the way. Narayana is the very Direction, Path, Progress and the Goal for his devotees.

185. Aniruddhah - One who cannot be obstructed or resisted by anyone. Irresistibly, the will of the Lord functions in the world of created things-and-beings. Just as in the world of matter, the laws of nature are irresistible, the Rhythm and Harmony of Truth ever march in their Eternal Logic of objectless Love and immaculate perfection. Time and tide wait for none. When the sun rises, the living creatures absorb energy and nothing can obstruct this process. In the Puranas, we find Bhagavan Vishnu taking up in His various Incarnations different manifested forms and in all of them He was victorious; ever irresistible (Aniruddhah) is His Might. This nAma not only says that no one can obstruct bhagavAn helping His devotees, but it also says that no one can save His enemies. The writer in dharma cakram gives a very obvious example of the unobstructed nature of bhagavAn's wishes. Kamsa tries many things to get rid of child KRshNa right from the time of His birth, and in fact he had planned to get rid of the child long before the child was to be born. We all know that nothing worked, and the child kRshNa became the boy kRshNa and got rid of kamsa as He had planned. This nAma not only says that no one can obstruct bhagavAn helping His devotees, but it also says that no one can save His enemies.

186. Suraanandah -The One who doles out happiness (Aananda) even for the Denizens-of-the Heavens (Suras). In the Upanishad we have the declaration that the Infinite Perfection, the Lord is of the very nature of Absolute Bliss. In the Aanandavallee of Taittireeya Upanishad we find the arithmetics of Bliss. The Rishi concludes that all joys of the world and heavens-mental and supramental-are all but flickerings of the Infinite Bliss, which is the Lord Mahavishnu.

187. Govindah -The word Go in Sanskrit has four meanings: `Earth', `Cows', `Speech' and `Vedas'. As the earth is the supporter of everything that is existing, He, who is the supporter of everything within the individual, is called Govinda; He, who is the Protector of the Cow's and played the part of Gopaala in Gokula, is the very controller of the animal instincts and passions in the bosom of man; "One, without whom, no speech can ever emerge out of any throat-He being the very Life in all Creatures" says Kenopanishad; and the Highest Speech is the declaration of Truth in the Vedas. The Lord Himself is the very Theme and the Author of the Vedas. This great Self is Mahavishnu. An author by name ananta kRshNa Sastri, who has translated SrI Sankara's vishNu sahasranAma vyAkhyAnam, gives 10 meanings for the combination go+vid - 1) go -svargam - He transcends Heaven. 2) arrows - He knows all the weapons. 3) cattle - He is the leader of cows. 4) Speech - He is to be known by the veda-s. 5) Thunderbolt - He has the vajra marks on His feet. 6) Quarters - He is known in all quarters. 7) Eyes - He is the seer in every person. 8) The Sun - He is in the orb of the sun. 9) Earth - He recovered the Earth from the Ocean. 10) Waters - His seat is in the waters.

Nastam vai dharanim purvam avindad yad guhagatam | Govinda iti ten'aham devair vagbhir abhistutah || Maha. Santi Parva 342.70

In the ancient times, I restored the earth that had sunk down in to the Patala. So all Devas praised me as Govinda.

Aham kilendro devanam tvam gavam indratam gatah | Govinda iti lokas tvam stosyani bhuvi sasvatam || Harivamsa 2.19.45

I am Indira or leader of Devas. Thou hast attained to the leadership of the cows. So in this world men praise Thee always addressing as Govinda.

Gaur esa tu yato vani tam ca vindayate bhavan | Govindas tu tato deva munibhih kathyate bhavan || Harivamsa 3.88.50

Gau means words. Thou pervadest all words, giving them power. Therefore sages call Thee Govinda.

188. Govidaam Patih -One, who is the Lord of all `seers' and "Men of Wisdom". We have already indicated that Go means Vedas. Govit- Vedavit-those, who have realized the Theme indicated in the Vedic declaration as the Essential Reality in their Own subjective bosom. They are called the Seers or Sages. To such Men-of-Wisdom the Self-alone is the Lord and the Master. Sri Sankara: Gau means words. Govid means Master of words.

Krishnarpanamastu!!