SrI vishNu sahasra nAmam - Slokam 105. 980 - yaj~na sAdhanaH.

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SrI vishNu sahasra nAmam - Slokam 105. 980 - yaj~na sAdhanaH.

 

980. yaj~na-sAdhanaH – a) He Who is an accessory for the sacrifices.

b) He Who is attained through yaj~na-s as a means (or

sAdhana).

 

om yaj~na-sAdhanAya namaH.

 

The word sAdhana is derived from the root sAdh – samsiddhau – to

finish, to accomplish. SrI BhaTTar gives the interpretation – te

asya j~nAna-dvArA siddhyupAyA iti yaj~na-sAdhanaH – The sacrifices

become the means for attainment of the respective fruits only because

of the knowledge about Him. The emphasis is made that it is the

knowledge about bhagavAn, about the relationship between us and

bhagavAn – the Sesha-SeshI bhAvam or the servant-Master relationship,

and above all, the love with which the offerings are made to Him,

that are essential for the attainment of the fruits. It is not so

much the substance of what is offered that is important, but the

dedication behind it that is important, as has been emphasized

repeatedly earlier.

 

SrI baladeva vidyA bhUshaN's interpretation is along similar lines –

j~nAna dAnena yaj~na upakAritvAt yaj~na-sAdhanaH – Becaue He gives

the know-how for the performance of the yaj~na, and thus assisting in

the conduct of the yaj~na, bhagavAn is called yaj~na-sAdhanaH.

 

SrI veLukkuDi kRshnan starts with the definition of the term yaj~na

as " prApti upAyAH yaj~nam " - any means to attain Him is termed

yaj~na. Thus, the term does not just refer to the yaj~na performed

in a homa kuNDam, but covers any means of worshipping Him, including

the nitya tiru ArAdhanam performed for Him. The term sAdhanam refers

to upAyam or means to attain Him. SrI kRshnan points out that this

nitya ArAdhanam should be performed with SraddhA, and full dedication

to Him, and then bhagavAn acceptas this as means or uapAyam to attain

Him, and so He is called yaj~na-sAdhanaH.

 

SrI vAsishTha explains the nAma as – yaj~naH sAdhyate anena, yaj~nam

sAdhayati vA yaj~na-sAdhanaH – He through whom the yaj~na gets

accomplished, or He Who fulfils the yaj~na, is yaj~na-sAdhanaH.

 

SrI Sa'nkara explains the nAma as – yaj~nAH sAdhanam tat-prAptau iti

yaj~na-sAdhanaH – He is yaj~na-sAdhanaH because the yaj~na-s are a

sAdhana or a means to attain Him.

 

SrI kRshNa datta bhAradvAj notes that He is called yaj~na-sAdhanaH

because He enables the devotee to perform the yaj~na, and He is also

yaj~na sAdhanaH because He is attained through the yaj~na-s –

" yaj~naH pUjA ArAdhanam vA | tam bhaktAnAm sAdhayati iti yaj~na-

sAdhanaH | tathA yaj~naH pUjA sAdhanam prAptaye yasya iti yaj~na-

sAdhanaH " .

 

Sri cinmayAnanda explains the nAma as: " One Who fulfils all ya~jna-

s. It is by His Grace alone that all noble endeavors, undertaken in

an honest and true sincerity, gain spectacular success " . Notice

again that SrI cinmayAnanada interprets the term yaj~na in a broad

sense as " any effort undertaken for the public good, in a sense of

selfless undertaking " .

 

SrI satya sandha tIrtha uses the meaning " means " for the term

sAdhana, and explains the nAma as " yaj~nasya sAdhanam sruk sruvAdikam

mantrAdikam vA yasmAt iti yaj~na-sAdhanaH " – He is called yaj~na

sAdhanaH since it is He who is the cause for the means such as the

ladle, the mantra-s, etc. used during the yaj~na. The terms sruk and

sruva refer to two different types of ladles used in the yaj~na

(sruva refers to the smaller ladle, and sruk refers to the larger

ladle in which the ghee is poured using the smaller ladle – Monier-

Williams dictionary). Lord kRshNa declares in the gItA that He is

the means for all the aspects associated with a yaj~na:

 

brahmArpaNam brahma haviH brahmAgnau brahmaNA hutam |

brahmaiva tena gantavyam brahma karma samAdhinA || (gItA 4.24)

 

" Brahman is the instrument to offer with; Brahman is the oblation.

By Brahman is the oblation offered into the fire of Brahman; Brahman

alone is to be reached by him who meditates on Him in his works " .

 

Bhagavad rAmAnuja explains the term `brahmArpaNam' as a reference to

the means for offering in a yaj~na, such as a ladle – arpyate anena

iti arpaNam srugAdi, tad brahma kAryatvAt brahma, brahma yasya

havishaH arpaNam tad-brahmArpaNam.. - " That by which an offering is

given, such as a ladle, is an arpaNa. It is called Brahman because

it is an effect of Brahman, Brahman being the material cause of the

Universe. BrahmArpaNam is the oblation, of which the instrument is

Brahman… " . This is the same idea that has been reflected by SrI

satya sandha tIrtha in his interpretation given above.

 

As if to illustrate that the devotees of the Lord can enjoy Him in

His infinite dimensions through their thoughts, Sri raghunAtha tIrtha

gives another interpretation – yaj~na SabdaH Subha-vAcI, tam

sAdhayati iti yaj~na-sAdhanaH – " The term yaj~na refers to

auspiciousness, and since bhagavAn gives auspicious results, He is

called yaj~na-sAdhanaH " .

 

-dAsan kRshNamAcAryan

 

(To be continued)