Vishnu Sahasranamam Stanza 28

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Om Namo Narayanaya!!

vrishaahee vrishabho vishnur-vrishaparvaa vrishodarahvardhano vardhamaanascha viviktah sruti-saagarah.

 

 

256. Vrishaahee - This nAma is interpreted differently by different vyAkhyAna-kartAs. SrI Sankara's interpretation for this is vRshah dharmah tadeva Ahah - One who reveals dharma. An alternate interpretation he gives is that vRshAha refers to a ten or twleve-day sacrifice, and He is vRshAhI because He is the performer or enjoyer as the devatA for the sacrifice. The term Vrishah is very familiar with the ritualistic portion of the Vedas and it connotes objectively the sacred "Left over" after the Yajna functions. Subjectively, Vrisha means the residual `results' gathered in the personality after each devoted and dedicated act of offering, during all Self-less services (Yajnas). Therefore, Vrishaahee means "One who is a controller of all actions and the dispenser of all results", in all individual, conscious, intelligent creatures. The nAma is composed of two words, vRsha meaning dharma, and aha meaning day. One interpretation is that He shines bright like day because of His dharma. Or He makes those who adhere to dharma shine like day. Both these are given by SrI rAdhAkRshNa SAstri. SrI Bhattar's interpretation is that He is vRshAhI because the day on which a devotee approaches the Lord, is a day of auspiciousness -dharma.

 

257. Vrishabhah -The term Vrisha is used in the Vedic literature to indicate Dharma-"the essential nature of a thing without which the thing cannot remain as the thing" is its Dharma. One who showers all Dharmas is called Vrishabhah. In short, one who showers glowing health, burning devotion and thrilling silence on all sincere seekers and faithful devotees is Vrishabhah; and He is Sri Narayana.

 

258. Vishnuh -All-Pervading: Long-Strident. This term wad already explained earlier (nama 2). In Mahabharata we also read the Lord Himself explaining to Arjuna, "Because I stand striding across the Universe (Kramanaat), O Partha, I am known as Vishnu." -(Mahabharata 12-350-43).

In the Upanishad also we read, "Vishnu has spread Himself and conquered all these three worlds. The root from which this nAma is derived is vish - to pervade. SrI BhaTTar gives the meaning that this pervasion is in the sense of association such as between fire and smoke. Wherever there is smoke there is fire, but when there is fire, smoke is not necessarily present (e.g., in the case of a red-hot piece of iron). So also, bhagavAn is there in association with His bhakta-s always, and renders all kinds of help to His devotees as needed.

 

259. Vrishaparvaa -We had already explained that Vrisha means Dharma. The term Parvam means "Ladder", "a flight of steps" that takes us to the Higher floors (hence Parvata means mountain). Thus, here, the term is explained as a flight of steps on the ladder of life to take one to the Ultimate Reality, the Eternal (Sanaatana) Dharma: "I am the way". Vishnu is the One to worship at whose altar will facilitate the devotee's steady evolution towards the experience of the Higher consciousness [sri Sankara]. SrI BhaTTar's interpretation is that He is vRsha-parvA because He has revealed the steps of varNASrama dharma as the means to attain Him. Other vyAkhyAna kartA-s have included various steps such as j~nAna, bhakti, etc. as the steps that He has established. These include SravaNam, mananam, kIrtanam, sat-sangham, SraddhA, etc. These are like the steps of a ladder to reach Him.

 

260. Vrishodarah -Vrisha, that which rains; Udara = belly. The idea here is the seat of all-creative thinking is resting on a psychic, centre, roughly indicated by the navel, and hence we find the description that the total Creator of the universe is sustained and held aloft at the navel of Maha Vishnu. During Pralaya (sleep) the "creative power" merges back to its source, and thereafter, upon waking, the creation again starts; the creative power" manifests itself and continues its creative activities, from the same point of Its merger, (Udara). This culminating point of all creation, during the time of the dissolution-which is also the same from wherein, during creation, the manifestations of names and forms spring forth (shower down = Vrisha)- is Vishnu, the Supreme, and hence, He is called as Vrishodarah, "the Showering Belly." Several different interpretations are given for this nAma. One who has dharma as His mid-region or belly. One is that He is the receiver of all the offerings through yag~na etc., and so He is the one with the udara that receives all offerings of dharma. The other is that creation of those who observe dharma such as Brahma originate from His belly.

 

261. Vardhanah -One who is the nurturer everywhere, at all levels of life, both material and spiritual. In short, from the standpoint of the student, who is studying with devotion these "Thousand names of the Lord", the term indicates that Vishnu is the Mighty Power that supplies all spiritual growth, provides all well-being and ultimately blesses all His devotees with the final Realization. vardhayati iti vardhanah. One who augments, increases, or nourishes [sri Sankara]. Following up on the interpretation of the previous nAma, SrI Bhattar interprets this nAma as One who keeps the beings in His womb like a mother and nourishes them. SrI rAdhAkRshNaSAstri gives the example of the offer of one handful of 'aval' – a form of compacted rice, by His friend kucela, which was augmented so much in return that kucela became richer than kubera. So is the offer of patram, phalam, pushpam, toyam, etc. that we make to Him. Thus He is vardhana because an offer of the size of an atom to Him with devotion results in a mountain of return and protects His devotees like a mother.

 

262 Vardhamaanah -One who can grow Himself into any dimensions; ever-growing. Since the names and forms of the universe are ever dynamic and has the unseen movement of progressive evolution everywhere, the Lord is indicated here as this very "dimensional movement of progress" (Vardhana). SrI Sankara's interpretation is "prapa~ncarUpeNa vardhate iti vardhamAnah - One who grows or multiplies Himself in the form of the Universe". In the previous nAma we saw that He makes things grow. In this nAma, it is indicated that He Himself grows as a result or simultaneously. SrI BhaTTar interprets vardhamAnah as one who grows happy as He sees His devotees grow. Or He keeps growing in spite of His bestowing all that anyone asks for. SrI cinmayAnanda points out that this name is indicative of the vAmana incarnation in which He continued to grow to cover the three worlds. SrI rAdhAkRshNa SAstri indicates that the 'ca' at the end of vardhamAnah is because He grows at the same fast rate at which the Universe is growing.

 

263. Viviktah -Alone=solitary. Standing apart from everything. With reference to the dream and the dreamer, the waker is, indeed, separate. Similarly the world of names and forms and its joys and sorrows, passions and lusts, smiles and tears, though they all play in the Self, the Supreme is not affected by them.

The horrid "ghost" cannot affect the innocent "post". One who thus remains alone and apart, in His Own Majesty and perfection, even when the world-of-Maayaa is heaving about is Viviktah. In the daily happenings of Samsar, in its births and deaths, He remains ever changeless and ever unaffected. This freedom is indicated in the Geeta and the Lord explains: "They are in me; I am not in them

 

264. Srutisaagarah -The ocean for all the rivers of all scriptural thoughts. All scriptures, irrespective of the age, language, tradition and beliefs, ultimately indicate a Theme which is ever the same. All scriptures are rivulets of thoughts, flowing through different terrains of national character and historical climates, gushing to reach forward the ocean of Perfection, which lies beyond the dark sorrows of mortality. That which is the goal of all Scriptures is the Immortal Bliss of God-consciousness, the Maha Vishnu.

 

Krishnarpanamastu!!