Vishnusahasranama-introduction continued

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96. Ajah

 

Na jaayatha ithi ajah. One who is never born. Even in His incarnations He does not have birth but only manifests Himself, 'aathmaanam srjaamyaham.'-Bhagavatgita.

'ajaayamaano bahudhaa vijaayathe, one who is never born manifests in various forms.'- Purusha suktham.

'Na jaatho naiva jaaye aham na janishye kadhaachana

kshethrajnassarvabhoothaanaamthasmaadhaham ajah smrthah, I have never been born nor I am born now . I will never take birth being the inner self, kshethrjna of all. Therefore I am known as ajah,'- Mahabharatha.

Since the root 'aj' means to throw the Lord is aja as He removes all obstacles of His devotees. One other explanation given for aja is akaaravaacyatayaa jaatah - One who is known through the letter "a". - akaara vaacyatayaa jaatah ajah. In the gItA we have "aksharaaNaam akaaro'smi - (gitA )

 

 

97. Sarvesvarah

 

He is the Lord of all. Sarvasya Isvarah. Also He is called sarvesvara since He comes to those who surrender to Him whether they are able or weak to overcome their tardiness or timidity to approach Him.' Asnuthe ,approaches, ithi isvarah.

 

98. Siddhah

 

He is attainable through His own nature and not through effort.'Naaham yajnena thapasaa na dhaanena na chejyayaa bhkthyaathvananyayaa sakyah'- Bhagavat gita.

'Yameaivesha vrnuthe thena labhyathe'- Upanishad.

 

99. Siddhih

 

He is the ultimate goal to be reached through all means, saadhana. Sarvaih upaayaih ayameva saadhyathe, thus differentiating Him from ashtasiddhi, the eight kind of powers attained through yogic practices.

 

100. sarvaadhih

 

He is sarvasya aadhih, origin of all.

End of first satakam.

 

 

 

101. Achuthah

 

Svarupasaamarthyaath na chyuthah na chyasthe na chyavishyathi ithi. Does not swerve from His position in the past present and future. He neither swerves from His assurances nor from His devotees. That is why Rukmini called Him 'achyutha' and 'Nrsimha,' and not by any other name.

 

102. Vrshaakapih

 

The form of Dhrmavarahamurti is extolled. Na kampathe ithi kapih. Since He is achutha He does not swerves from upholding dharma, vrshaa. Dharma is called vrshaa since it rains, varshayathi, the desired fruits to one who follows dharma. Kapih means monkey as well as boar. 'kaath, thoyaath, bhoomim apaath,' one who protected the earth from water, that is the ocean. Hence He is kapih. He is dharma svarupa, vrsharupa and kapirupa and therefore this refers to Varahamurti.

 

103. Ameyaathma

 

Immeasurable in His glory, incomprehensible. Iyaan ithi vakthum paricchetthum na sakyathe. Maana is measure and meya is the object that is measured. Mana or pramaana is the means of cognition and the Lord is beyond cognition and hence He is Aprameya. This also can refer to Varaha as He was described as being so big that the ocean came only up to His ankle. Andal says 'maanamilaa panriyaai,' the boar which was immeasurable. He is 'aprameya' both in the gross sense of the term as being sarvavyapi and also in the figurative sense, being incomprehensible.

 

104. Sarvayogavinsrthah

 

He can be attained only by the means laid out by sastras which are difficult to understand. Yoga here means the aatmavidya as laid out in the end of the chapters of Gita as 'bhagavatgitaasu upanishadsu brahmavidyaayaam yogasastre.'

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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