Vishnu Sahasranama Stanza 26

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Om Namo Narayanaya!

 

suprasaadah prasannaatmaa visva-dhrik- visvablluk- vibhuh

satkartaa satkritah saadhur jahnur-naaraayano narah.

 

 

236. Suprasaadah -One who is full of the Supreme Grace and who, so easily,

becomes so

entirely satisfied. Even to those who can remember Him, even if it be in a

spirit of constant

and faithful antagonism, His Grace is readily available. In Bhaagavata we read

Pootanaa,

who tried to poison Him, Kamsa, who planned to murder Him, or Sisupaala, who

falsely

accused Him-all of them were ultimately rewarded by the Lord. In the Geeta, He

confesses,

" with a little am I satisfied, if it is given with sincerity, and with faithful

consistency " . The

writer in dharma cakram points out that there are those of us who will do good

to those

who are bad to us, in addition to those who follow the rule of an eye for an

eye, and worse

still, there are those who do bad to those who are good to them. SrI mahA-vishNu

is one

who does always what is good for everyone irrespective of how they are towards

Him.

Meditation on Lord vishNu with this guNa implied by this nAma will give us the

right frame

of mind to follow the sAttvic path.

 

237. Prasannaatmaa -Ever-Pure and All-Blissful Self. The Supreme is ever-pure

because, It

is untouched by the sorrows lived by matter, when matter is ruled over by its

gunas. In

Geeta we read that the cause for all the sorrows of the individuality (Jeeva) is

the

attachment with matter and its various imperfect conditions (Gunas). Since He is

untouched by them He is Ever-Pure; and since no identification of matter is in

Him, He is

all-Bliss. The dharma cakram writer gives the example of the three brothers,

rAvaNa,

kumbhakarNa, and vibhIshaNa, respectively dominated by rajasic, tAmasic, and

sattvic

guNa-s. rAvaNa was indulging in non-righteous acts under the influence of kAma,

and

brought self-destruction as a result. Kumbha-karNa was inactive under the

influence of

tamas. VibhIshaNa on the other hand had the clarity of mind aided by his sattvic

guNa. He

could save SrIlankA from destruction and could attain the grace of the Lord

because of his

clear thinking. Meditating on the nAma prasannAtmA will lead to the clarity of

mind that

bhIshma could command, when he advised duryodhana prior to the start of the

mahAbhArata war that they won't win a war fought on immoral and unethical

grounds, and

the support of the Lord will be on the side of dharma. prasannatA results out of

the

dominance of sattva guNa.

 

238. Visvadhrik -As a Mighty Source of all existence in every thing and every

being, He is

the Supporter (Dhrik) of the total world of all perceptions, all emotions and

all thoughts

(Visva). Herein the Supporter and the supported being essentially one, no

calamity comes

to the Lord by the increase in population. Ocean, the supporter of the waves,

can never

feel bothered by the stormy surface and the consequent increase in the number of

waves.

In the context of the interpretation based on viSva-dhRg – the overseer or ruler

of the

cosmos, the dharma cakram commentator rhetorically asks the question - Do we

rule our

mind, or does our mind rule us? If we learn to rule over our mind, then we can

rule our

family, our nation, etc., and also know the Ruler of everything. And we get this

conditioning of our mind through meditation on the Lord who is viSva-dhRg.

 

239. Visvabhuk -The One who enjoys or swallows (Bhuk) all experiences (Visva).

The term

means, " the One who absorbs unto Himself all names and forms " at the time of the

dissolution (Pralaya). In the plane of God-consciousness, all other experiences

gathered in

fields of waking, dream and deep- sleep, are transcended and, therefore, the

State of

Perfection can be figuratively indicated as " Visvabhuk " the One who swallows all

other

experiences of plurality " . The dharma cakram writer points out that He is the

Protector for

the Universe in its expressed form with all its created beings or in its

unexpressed or

pralaya form as well. This compares with the situation of mortals like us who

cannot do

any good in protecting this world either in our wakeful state or in our sleep

state.

 

240. Vibhuh -One who manifests Himself in an endless variety of forms. vividham

bhavati

iti vibhuh. Though essentially the Infinite is One, Non-Dual and All-Pervading,

the Reality,

when viewed through the equipments of mind-and-intellect (Maayaa) seems to have

apparently become the pluralistic world. Mundakopanishad (1-6) says, " nityam

vibhum -

He is Eternal and Multiform. " Based upon this idea we have in the Puranas, the

description

of the Lord's incarnations and His play in the world of the many.

 

241. Satkartaa -One who revels and adores those who are good and wise. His

palace is

ever lit up with His hospitality and He Himself presides over the loving

reception of the

righteous.

 

242. Satkritah -One who is adored by all good people. Not only is He adored and

worshipped by great men of wisdom and devotion-as the Sanatkumaaras, Naarada and

others-but He is invoked and worshipped consciously by all living creatures. The

Upanishad describes every experience of all living creatures as a Yajna in which

the stimuli

received are the `Oblations' poured at which the inner Consciousness flares up

into

brilliancy.

 

243. Saadhuh -One, who functions strictly according to the righteous code of

living is a

Saadhuh Atman. The Supreme Saadhu is Vishnu Himself. The lesson to take here is

(dharma cakram) that we should always follow the righteous path in everything we

do, and

this will not only endear us to Lord vishNu, but also lead to success in our

just endeavors.

 

244. Jahnuh -leader of men; the One who leads all creatures along the path of an

inexorable law-the law of action and reaction, the rhythm of Karma. SrI Sankara

gives an

addtional interpretation that He is jahnu because He is the disintegrator of the

Universe at

the time of pralaya -janAn samhAra-samaye apahnute apanayati iti jahnuh.

 

245. Naaraayanah -This simple sacred word has an endless number of direct and

indirect

meanings, imports and suggestions, and Vyasa seems to have explored almost all

its

possibilities.

1. The Shelter (Ayanam) for man (Nara) is Naaraayana.

2. The term Nara implies the ego-centric individuality and a large collection of

them is

called Naara and the One who is the sole refuge for the entire living creatures

is called

Naaraayanah.

3. Nara also means Eesvara and the elements (Tattvas) born out of Him are called

Naara;

and One who is the controller, the regulator, the very source of all Existence

in these very

Tattvas is called Naaraayanah.

4. Naaraah also mean " waters " . According to the picture painted in the Puranas

of the

Deluge, wherein the names and forms devolve themselves into their elemental

waters, the

Lord is objectively described as lying alone upon the waters, the Eternal baby,

floating

upon a banyan leaf. " Holding in His Lotus-hand His own Lotus-feet, and sucking

His own

toe with His Lotus-lips, the Lotus child resting playfully upon a banyan leaf,

floating up on

the waters of the Deluge-I meditate. "

It is in this sense, we find Manu interpreting the word " Naaraayana " . In the

great

devotional classic, Bhaagavatam, we find very many suggestions digged out of

this sacred

name; such as the `Self of all bodies', " the Dynamic Force behind matter " , " the

Witness of

all good and bad " . All these indicate that Sri Narayana is nothing other than

the Glory

(Ayanam) of the Self.

Sri Sankara quotes the following:

Yac ca kincit jagat sarvam drsyate sruyate pi va | antarbahis ca tat sarvam

vyapya

Narayanah sthitah|| Na. Up 13.1.2

Narayana remains pervading within and without this whole universe that is seen

and

heard.

The mahabharatha says Narat jatani tattvani naran iti tato viduh | Tany eva

c'ayanam

tasya tena narayanah smrtah ||

All the categories are born out of Nara, therefore they are called Naras. They

constitute the

residence of the Lord. So He is Narayana.

He is called narayana also because He is the ayana or the residence of all

beings at the

time of dissolution.

Tait Up. 3.1 says Yat prayanti abhisamvisanti- that in to which all jivas enter

after death.

Manu says " Apo nara iti prokta apo vai narasunavah | Ta yad asy'ayanam purvam

tena

Narayanah smritah || Water is called nara because it is the offspring of nara or

Paramatman. That water was formerly the lying place of the Paramatman. He is

therefore

called Narayana.

Says Narasimha Purana:

Narayanaya nama ity ayam eva satyah

Samsara-ghora-visa-samharanaya mantrah

Srnvantu bhavyamatayo yatayo'staragah

Uccaistaram upadisamy aham urdhva-bahuh

O ascetics of virtuous mind and endowed with the spirit of renunciation! Listen

to me. With

hands uplifted I declare aloud that " narayanaya namah " is the true mantra for

overcoming

the terrible poison of the serpent of Samsara.

 

SrI Bhattar points out that this nAma is spoken of in every upanishad, and the

veda itself

gives the derivation of the name nArAyaNa thus - yacca ki~ncit jagat sarvam

dRsyate

SrUyatepi vA | antar-bahiSca tat-sarvam vyApya nArAyaNah sthitah || " Whatever

object

there is in the Universe that is seen or heard, nArAyaNa remains pervading all

that, both

inside and outside " . SrI Bhattar gives several references to bring out the

greatness of this

nAma. " nArAyaNAya vidmahe vAsudevAya dhImahi | tanno vishNuh pracodayAt ||

(taitti.

nArAya. 6.1.28) " nArAyaNa param brhma tattvam nArAyaNah parah | nArAyaNa paro

jyotir-AtmA nArAyaNah parah || (taitt. NArAya. 6.11) " eko ha vai nArAyaNa AsIt|

na

brhamA na ISAnah na Apah naagnishomi yau na eme dyAvA pRthvI na nakshatrANina

sUryah na candramAh| (mahopanishad) etc. SrI Sankara gives the following

interpretation:

nara refers to Atman; nAra refers to ether and the other effects produced from

it; He, as

their cause, pervades them and they are thus His abode (ayana). Hence He is

named

nArAyaNa. He gives the following quote from mahAbhArata supporting this

interpretation:

" narAjjAtAni tattvAni nArANIti tato vidhuh | tAnyeva cAyanam tasya tena

nArAyaNah

smRtah || (anu.Parva. 13.1.2) " The tattva-s are called nAra since they are

sprung from nara

(Atman); He is called nArAyaNa as they are His abode " . Another interpretation he

gives is

" narANAm jIvAnAm ayanatvAt pralaya iti vA -Whom the jIva-s approach and enter

(He is

the abode of the beings during pralaya). This is supported by

'yatpryantyabhisamviSanti' -

Whom they approach and enter - taittirIya upanishad 3.1. Or He is nArAyaNa since

He is

the seat of the nAra-s or the tattva-s - nArANAm ayanam yasmAttasmAn-nArAyaNah

smRtah - brahmavaivartapurANa. (Note that this third interpretation is that He

is their

seat, whereas the first interpretation was that they are His seat). Manu-smRti

gives the

following definition - " Apo nArAh iti proktAh Apo vai narasUnavah | tA

yadasyAyanam

pUrvam tasmAn-nArAyaNah smRtah ||(manu-smRti 1.10) " nAra refers to waters (the

panca-bhUta-s before they inter-mixed and became visible through forms etc.)

which He

created. As they are His original abode (i.e., during prlaya), He is called

nArAyaNa " . In

narasimha purANa, we have the following - " nArAyaNAya nama ityayameva satyah

samsAra ghora visha samharaNAya mantrah | SRNvantu bhavyamatayo yatayo'starAgA

uccaistarAmupadiSAmyaham Urdhva-bAhuh || (narasimha purANa18.31) " This is the

real

mantra that destroys the deadly poison of smasAra - nArAyaNAya namah. This I

proclaim

loudly with uplifted hands; let the ascetics, with passions curbed and

intellects clear, listen

to me " . SrI rAdhAkRshNa SAstri reminds us that the mantra-devatA that we worship

through the gAyatri mantra is SrIman nArAyaNa - dhyeyah sadAsavitRmandala

madhyavartI nArAyaNah. It is very important to note SrI Bhattar's concluding

statement of

his vyAkhyAnam on this nAma. He points out that the secret of this sacred mantra

should

only be properly learned by approaching an AcArya, and not by reading the

explanations

like the one presented. His words are that he does not want to say anything more

on this

nAma because its greatness can only be learned from an AcArya, and is thus a

matter that

should be seen by four eyes (the two eyes of the disciple and the two eyes of

the AcArya)

and not by six eyes viz. he does not want to add his two eyes further. So no

amount of

explanation on paper can bring out the greatness of this nAma.

 

246. Narah -The Guide: One-who guides all creatures strictly according to their

actions is

none other than the Ancient (Sanaatana) Self. SrI Sankara gives the meaning

" Leader " to

nara, and gives the quote from vyAsa -nayati iti narah proktah paramAtmA

sanAtanah -

Because He directs everything, the eternal paramAtman is called nara. SrI

Bhattar gives the

meaning that nara refers to one with imperishable possessions, both sentient and

non-

sentient (both of which are eternal by nature). The dharma cakram writer points

out that

just as a mother leads a child with the child's welfare in mind, and does not

mind

disciplining the child for its own good when the child goes and eats dirt, or

the teacher

tries to discipline a student who is not learning the knowledge from the

teacher, so also

nara, viz. mahAvisNu, leads us all for our good even if He has to mete out some

punishment occasionally to get our ways straightened out.

 

krishnarpanamastu!