Vishnu Sahasranamam Stanza 45

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Om Namo Narayanaya!!

 

rituh sudarsanah kaalah parameshthee parigrahah

ugrah samvatsaro daksho visraamo visva-dakshinah.

 

416. Rituh – " Seasons " -Here it means the Lord of Time, who governs

the seasons [sri Sankara]. SrI BhaTTar interprets the nAma as

referring to bhagavAn's auspicious guNa-s which are unique and

delightful and which present themselves like waves of seasons in the

hearts of His devotees and blesses them. SrI rAdhAkRshNa SAstri:

Rtu refers to a two-month period, of which there are six in an year.

These are called vasanta, grIshma, varsha, Sarad, hemanta, and

SiSira. The cycle of time involves these Rtu-s successively moving

one after the other without interruption. This nAma indicates that

BhagavAn is in the form of Time which is behind the cycle of

seasons. SrI rAdhAkRshNa SAstri refers us to aruNa praSnam (9)-Rtur-

RtunA nudyamAnah vinnAdAbhidhAvah - One season pushes the other out

and declares its arrival loudly.

 

417. Sudarsanah - " One who is easy to be perceived if the seeker has

sufficient devotion, " or " He whose meeting is auspicious in as much

as it removes the seeker's worldly worries. " SrI Sankara has given

three interpretations: a) su darSanam asya iti sudarSanah - He who

has the good Vision that leads to moksham. su - Sobhanam, nirvANa

phalam; darSanam - j~nAnam, asya iti sudarSanah. b) He who has eyes

that resemble the petals of lotus - Subhe darSane -IkshaNe padma-

patrAyate asya iti sudarSanah.c) He who is easily seen by His

devotees - sukhena dRSyate bhaktaih iti sudarSanah. SrI BhaTTar

gives the interpretation that the nAma refers to His guNa that the

very sight of Him is a source of delight and is auspicious even to

those who may be ignorant of His qualities and greatness.

SrI rAdhAkRshNa SAstri relates this nAma to the previous one by

interpreting the current nAma as referring to the devatA for the

sudarSanacakra. Just as time is spinning uninterruptedly in the form

of the six Rtu-s, the six-pronged sudarSana cakra is revolving

powerfully and without interruption, and BhagavAn is the devatA for

this sudarSanacakram. He gives the following reference in support of

this interpretation - shaDaram vA etat-sudarSanam mahA-cakram tasmAt

shaDarambhavati, shaD-patram cakram bhavati, shaDvA Rtavah Rtubhih

sammitambhavati, madhye nAbhir-bhavati, .... (nRsimha pUrva 7.2).

 

418. Kaalah- SrI Sankara bhAshyam is kalayati sarvam iti kAlah - He

who measures and sets a limit to everything is kAlah. He gives

reference to gItA - kAlahkalayatAm aham (10.30)- Among measurers, I

am time.

SrIBhaTTar's bhAshyam for this nAma is carAcara sa~nkalanAt kAlah -

He who gathers everything - movable and non-movable, into Himself

through His delightful qualities (kalanAt kAlah).

SrI cinmayAnanda adds that this nAma signifies that bhagavAn

measures the merits and defects in each individual, and doles out

the appropriate results - kalayati iti kAlah.

SrI rAdhAkRshNa SAstri observes that among those that are used to

measure or quantify things, kAla or Time is the most precise; it is

not prone to any error and keeps prodding everything to its destined

end. This is BhagavAn's act. He gives reference to the following

passage - " kAlo hinAma bhagavAn svayambhuh anAdi madhya nidhanah |

sa sUkshmAmapi kalAm nalIyate iti kAlah | samkalayati kAlayati vA

bhUtAni iti kAlah (suSrutasUtra 6.3).

 

419. Parameshthee – " One who is readily available for experience in

the Supreme cave of the heart. " SrI cinmayAnanda, who follows SrI

Sankara bhAshyam, bases his explanation on the kaThopanishad

passage " parame vyomni prathisTHitah " - He who is centered in the

Supreme cave of the heart and readily available for experience. The

Vedas say " paramesthi vibhrajate – he shines intensely as

Paramesthi " .

SrI BhaTTar gives the derivation - parame sthAne tishThati

itiparameshThI - He who resides in the Supreme Abode, SrI vaikunTham.

 

420. Parigrahah -Among the interpretations given by SrI Sankara are:

a) parito gRhyate -He who is grasped on all sides by those who seek

refuge in Him; and b) parigRhNAti iti parigrahah - He who receives

(accepts) the offerings of leaves, flowers, etc. offered by the

devotees. Recall " patram pushpamphalam toyam... " in the gItA. SrI

BhaTTar concludes his anubhavam of Lord rAma's guNa-s by singling

out His souSIlyam as the most outstanding guNa in SrI rAma avatAra -

His guNa of mingling with everyone without distinction regardless of

His Supreme Superiority.

 

421. Ugrah – " The Terrible. " The One who gives fear to those who are

diabolically evil " , or, as the Upanishad declares, " For fear of Him

the fire burns; for fear of Him shines the sun; For fear of Him

Indra, Vaayu and Death proceed with their respective functions, " -

therefore He is the Terrible. SrI BhaTTar explains the next few nAma-

s in terms of the kalki incarnation. The nAma is derived from uc -

samavAye - to collect together. At the end of kali yuga, when all

are more inclined to commit sins, and when there is great confusion

in the divisions of caste and the several stages of life, bhagavAn

becomes ugra- furious and wrathful, and takes the kalki incarnation

to destroy.

 

422. Samvatsarah a) He who resides (in the pAtAla loka). b) He in

whom everything resides. The word is derived from the root vasati

preceded by the preposition sam. SrI Sankara bhAshyam: samvasanti

bhUtAni asmin iti samvatsarah - He in whom all beings reside. SrI

BhaTTar's vyAkhyAnam is that bhagavAn is reclining on the ananta-

couch in the pAtAla loka with all His weapons awaiting the time when

He has to appear as the kalki incarnation. SrI cinmayAnanda gives

the meaning " Year " to the word samvatsarah, and interprets this to

mean Time, in the context of which all beings exist and gather their

experiences.

 

423. Dakshah -SrI Sankara observes that daksha refers to one who has

the three qualities, immensity, strength, and quick execution

(pravRddhah, Saktah, SIghrakArI ca dakshah). This nAma conveys that

all these qualities are natural to the Supreme Being.

SrI BhaTTar continues his interpretation in terms of the kalki

incarnation, and points out that this nAma refers to bhagavAn's

quick action in eliminating the dasyu-s (miscreants, looters)

quickly during His incarnation.

SrI cinmayAnanda gives the explanation " He who is Smart " , because He

is very prompt, efficient and diligent in His function of creation,

protection, and destruction of the Whole Cosmos. He also explains

the nAmaas referring to " bhagavAn's readiness to reach and help

all, at all times, everywhere, under every circumstance " .

 

424. Visraamah –One who bestows Visrama or liberation to aspirants

who seek relief from the ocean of Samsara [sankara]. " The resting

place " " the Quiet. " That State wherein people who suffer in Samsar,

can discover a perfect rest and quietude is the consciousness

Supreme, Sree Narayana.

 

425. Visva-dakshinah – " The most skilful and efficient. " All

efficiency and skill that we find in the universe among the dynamic

living creatures are all His expressions alone, and, therefore, He

is the source of all skill and efficiency. Again, He is the One who

is the very Creator and Preserver of the whole universe and He must

be the most efficient Manager and Administrator among the living

creatures.

 

Krishnarpanamastu!!