Vishnu Sahasranamam Stanza 49

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Om Namo Narayanaya!

 

suvratah sumukhah sookshmah sughoshah sukhadah suhrit

manoharo jita-krodho veerabaahurvidaaranah.

 

455. Suvratah - SrI Sankara gives this interpretation - Lord rAma's

vrata expressed during vibhIshNa SaraNAgati through sakRdeva

prapannAya tavAsmIti ca yAcate | abhayam sarva-bhUtebhyo dadAmyetat

vratam mama || yuddha18.34 " To him who seeks my protection even once

and begs of me saying " I am Thine " , to him I give protection from

all beings. This is my vow " . SrI BhaTTar: a) He of good vows - to

protect anyone who surrenders. b) He who did intense tapas in His

nara-nArAyaNa incarnation. c) He who has good control of the

offerings He accepts - e.g., from the likes of kucela only. d) He

who observes nitya-karma-s in His incarnations just to set an

example to us. SrI rAdhAkRshNa Sastri observes that bhagavAn had

good control of His habits when He was nara-nArAyaNa.

The dharma cakram writer gives some examples of the power of su-

vrata. BhIshma practiced the su-vrata of brahmacarya, which gave him

his enormous greatness. hariScandra's story is an example of the

greatness of satya-vrata.

 

456. Sumukhah -One who has an enchanting face. Truth is beauty and

Beauty truth. In all conditions the Lord is ever cheerful and brings

to His face the dignified beauty of calm repose. When the devotees

come and surrender at His sacred feet Narayana is the one of

Infinite mercy who beams with joy at the devotion of the surrender.

Sobhanam mukham asya iti su-mukhah. This can be taken as a reference

to His having a sweet countenance even when He was chanting the

mantra-s and meditating as nArAyaNa maharshi in His nara-nArAyaNa

incarnation. Sri Sankara quotes visnu Purana [6.7.80]: Prasanna

vadanam caru-padma-patrayateksanam –one with a calm face and

beautiful eyes, wide like a lotus petal. Or it may mean one who

gives instruction in all forms of knowledge. Sve. Up [6.18] says: Yo

brahmanam vidadhati purvam yo vai vedams ca prahinoti tasmai – who

first created Brahma and imparted the veda to him. Or He who as rama

bore a pleasant and contended face even when exiled. SrI BhaTTar

refers us to the mantra about kRshNa - kRshNAya kamala-dala amala

netrAya - To SrI kRshNa Who has a face with eyes pure and spotless

like a lotus petal. SrI rAdhAkRshNa Sastri explains the significance

of the nAma very nicely by pointing out that normally with practice

one overcomes the strain of severe penance, and so the countenance

will not reflect any strain. But in bhagavAn's case we see

cheerfulness instead of just the lack of strain. When He was told to

go to the forest just at the time He was decorated for

paTTAbhishekam, His face didn't have the slightest indication of

disappointment or sadness, but instead displayed the peace and

satisfaction typical of the greatest of those who have renounced the

worldly things (ayodhyA kANDa 19.30-33). kamban's description of

rAma's face is - Lord rAma's face resembled a picture-perfect lotus-

flower no matter whether He was asked to ascend the throne or to

forsake all and go to the forest. SrI Sankara gives reference to

vishNu purANam and to several passages from SrImad rAmAyaNa. In

vishNu purANam we have - prasanna vadanam cArupadma-patrAyatekshaNam

(6.7.79)- His face is pleasing, handsome, possessed of large eyes

resembling the lotus-petal. In rAmAyaNa, SrI Sankara gives

references to sundara kAndam 33.24 - sa pitur-vacanam SrImAn

abhishekAtparam priyam | manasA pUrvam AsAdya vAcA prati-gRhItavAn;

ayodhyA kANDam24.17 - imAni tu mahAraNye vihRtya nava-pa~nca ca |

varshANiprama-prItah sthAsyAmi vacanam tava ||; and ayodhyA kANDam

19.33 - na vanamgantu-kAmasya tyajataSca vasundarAm | sarva-

lokAtigasyeva mano rAmasyavivyate || An alternate interpretation

given by SrI Sankara based on the Sruti passage- yo brahmANam

vidadhAti pUrvam - SvetA. upa. 6.18, is that He has a very satisfied

countenance because He has imparted all the knowledge to brahmA.

 

457. Sookshmah - Subtle, delicate and difficult to comprehend. SrI

Sankara gives reference to the Sruti - sarva-gatam susUkshmam -

muNDakopanishad 1.1.6 - He who is very subtle and has entered into

everything. He is sUkshmah because He can be realized only by deep

contemplation and meditation which is performed without expecting

any benefit. He can't be comprehended through the physical organs

such as the eyes and ears, and can't be realized through the mind,

but can only be experienced. SrI rAdhAkRshNa Sastri nicely explains

the power behind the concept of sUkshma. The subtler the object, the

more power it has. We all know the ultimate power of the atom. If we

start from the macro level of our body, and go through the different

subtler levels such as the sense-organs, the mind, the buddhi, and

finally the soul, the power increases as the subtlety increases.

MahAvishNu is subtler than the subtlest of things, sUkshmah. SrI

cinmayAnanda points out that in vedAnta terminology, sUkshma or

subtlety implies pervasiveness, and bhagavAn's nAma of sUkshma

refers to His All-pervasiveness.

 

458. Sughoshah – " Of auspicious sound. " This is the name of the conch

that Krishna blew in the opening of the Mahabharata war. The sound

of Vishnu is the essence of all Vedas as all the four Vedas have

come from Him, the Supreme. Hence the term " of auspicious sound. "

SrI Sankara bhAshyam is " su-Sobhano ghoshovedAtmako asya iti su-

ghoshah " - One whose auspicious sound is the veda-s. He also gives a

more direct alternate interpretation - He who has a voice deep and

sonorous like that of the cloud - megha-gambhIra ghoshatvAt. The

dharma cakram writer points out that when veda is chanted with the

proper intonations, the sound originates from the region of the

diaphragm, and this sound has the ability to cleanse and purify our

mind. The sweet sound of Nature, the sound arising from the trees

and the birds, is soothing and comforting to the mind. This nAma

should remind us that all the mantra-s sung in praise of bhagavAn

and that sing His greatness are su-ghosha-s.

 

459. Sukhadah -He who Bestows Bliss. BhagavAn bestows Supreme Bliss

on those who practice sadAcAra (good conduct) and deep meditation

(samAdhi). SrI BhaTTar's vyAkhyAnam is - sadAcArasamAdhi

anushThApanena tan-nishThebhyah phalam parama-sukham dadAti itisukha-

dah. The dharma cakram writer points out that even though bhagavAn

is the One who bestows even the ordinary benefits such as wealth,

health etc., based on karma-s, the significance of the current nAma

is that He alone can bestow the Ultimate sukham viz. moksham. SrI

Sankara gives an additional interpretation which means that bhagavAn

destroys the sukham of those who are wicked and evil. asad-vRttAnAm

sukhamdyati khaNDayati iti vA sukhadah.

 

460. Suhrit – " The friend of all living creatures. " A true friend is

one who gives all that he possesses without expecting any return.

The dharma cakram writer observes that the heart which suffers when

sorrow hits, or rejoices when a favorable event occurs, is not

the " good heart " referred to here, but the heart that bleeds when

others suffer is the good heart. Lord rAma was not affected one way

or the other when He was about to be crowned or when He was asked to

leave for exile in the forest. He was neutral in both

circumstances. But the pure heart is one which anguishes when

someone else suffers, and rushes to help those who need help.

Meditating on the significance of this nAma will lead to the

purification of the heart of the devotee.

 

461. Manoharah -One who is the looter of the mind; or charming. Not

only is the Lord Beauty Incarnate, but He compels the attention of

the devotee to come away from all other sense objects to dwell upon

His enchanting form. Cha. Up [7.23.1] says `Yo vai bhuma tat sukham

na'lpe sukham asti –what is vast is beautiful, there is no hapinees

in what is small'. Thus Vishnu is one who generates an irresistible

joy in the mind of His devotees and compels them to spend their time

in constant worship. The dharma cakram writer generalizes the

interpretation of this nAma to suggest that bhagavAn gravitates the

minds of people either towards Him or towards the worldly objects

depending on what they want. Those who want materialistic pleasures,

He gravitates their mind deeper towards the life of short-term

enjoyment; and those who have controlled their mind and senses, He

gravitates these devotees closer and closer towards Him. So bhagavAn

is mano-harah for both categories of people.

 

462. Jita-krodhah -One who has conquered anger. SrI rAdhAkRshNa

Sastri distinguishes between three types of anger, all of which have

been mastered by BhagavAn. manyu is the type of anger which is in

the mind but which does not find expression in words or in action.

When the anger spills out in the form of reddening of the eyes,

expression in the face, etc., this is called kopam. When anger finds

expression in harsh words, shaking of the body, deeds which reflect

harshness as a result of the anger, etc., then this is called

krodham. It is to be noted that bhagavAn has not eliminated anger

completely, but just has conquered it, and will get angry when He

feels the need for it. SrI vAlmIki nicely expresses this through

the words " krodham AhArayat tIvram " - 3.24.33 - He brought Himself

to be angry. When His devotee hanumAn is hurt by rAvaNa, Lord rAma

made Himself angry. (yuddha 59.147). SrI Sankara points out that if

He kills an asura, it is not because of anger but only to establish

the vedic order of life. SrI cinmayAnanda extends the anubhavam to

include not just krodha, but all the six types of afflictions that a

man can suffer from - kAma, krodha, lobha, moha, mada, and mAtsarya.

This nAma indicates that bhagavAn has conquered all of these.

 

463. Veerabaahuh - He of mighty arms. SrI BhaTTar's anubhavam of

this nAma is that bhagavAn has a thousand arms which are all vying

with each other in the wonderful act of churning the Milk-Ocean -

arms which are shining with effulgent bracelets, armlets, and

garlands. SrI Sankara bhAshyam is that bhagavAn is vIra-bAhuh

because he destroyed the foes and established the moral law of the

scriptures (veda-s). SrI rAdhAkRshNa Sastri observes that a vIra is

one who engages in his act with intensity in a prescribed way

without backing down. BhagavAn's four hands with four different

weapons in them simultaneously go into action independently of each

other, and accomplish the desired action flawlessly, each one of

them displaying the quality of the vIra independently. The dharma

cakram writer observes that a vIra is one who uses the might of his

arms to help the cause of dharma and not for any selfish purpose.

rAvaNa was also one of mighty arms, not just two but twenty of them

for that matter. He cannot be considered a vIra, since all he could

use his might for was to nurture his kAma. This nAma of mahA vishNu

should remind us that our abilities should be put to use to protect

dharma, and not for selfish purposes.

 

464. Vidaaranah -One who splits asunder; destroys. In the man-lion

form, Narasimha, Lord Vishnu appears to tear open and kill

Hiranyakasipu. Again, in order to destroy Hiranyaaksha and to lift

the earth from the ocean, Sri Narayana had to take the form of the

great boar (Varaaha). Accordingly in the Sanskrit vocabulary, bhoo-

daarah is a synonym for boar (Varaaha). Dara means to split or to

tear open. Thus the meaning of the divine Boar can be squeezed out

from the term Vidaaranah used here. The dharma cakram writer gives

the interpretation that bhagavAn tears away the association

(bandham) between the AtmA or the soul and the body or prakRti.

BhagavAn is the one who separates or tears away the unchanging soul

from the ever-changing body.

 

Krishnarpanamastu!