SrI vishNu sahasra nAmam - Slokam 106. nAma 987 - sAma-gAyanaH.

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SrImate SrI ra'nga rAmAnuja mahA deSikAya namaH.

 

SrI vishNu sahasra nAmam - Slokam 106. nAma 987 - sAma-gAyanaH.

 

987. sAma-gAyanaH – a) He before Whom the sAma hymns are sung.

b) He Who sings the sAma gAna Himself.

c) He Who is the final resort for those who sing the

sAma gAna.

 

om sAma-gayanAya namaH.

 

The word sAma is derived from the root so – antaHkarmaNi – to

destroy, to bring to an end. By application of the uNAdi sUtra 4.152

(sAtibhyAm manin maniNau), the word sAma is obtained, meaning `that

which is appeasing'. The word also refers to the sAma veda. The

word gAyana means `singer' (derived from the root gai – Sabde – to

sing, and the pANini sUtra 3.1.153 – NyuT ca). sAma-gAyana means one

who sings the sAma, and sAma-gAyaNaH means One Who has the singers of

sAma hymns.

 

a) SrI BhaTTar uses the above interpretation and explains the nAma

as " One Who has the mukta-s or the Released souls singing the sAma

hymns in praise of Him once they have attained Him " – sva-prApti

madhu pAnena " hAvu hAvu hAvu " iti sAmAni gAyamAno muktaH asya asti

iti sAma-gAyanaH. He gives the quote from taittirIya Upanishad –

" etat sAma gayannAste " – (The released soul or mukta) will be

singing this sAma chant….

 

SrI kRshNa datta bhAradvAj refers us to a passage in SrImad

bhAgavatam where the description is given about bhagavAn being

worshipped through the sAma gAna chanting:

 

yam brahmA rudrendra varuNa marutaH stunvanti divyaiH stavaiH

vedaiH sA'nga pada kramopanishadaiH gAyanti yam

sAmagAH |

dhyAnAvasthita tad-gatena manasA paSyanti yam yoginaH

yasyAntam na viduH surAsura gaNA devAya tasmai

namaH || (12.13.1)

 

" Our obeisance to Him who is worshipped by the likes of brahmA,

rudra, indra, and marut-s through the best of praises, through veda-s

chanted systematically with their a'nga-s and karma-s, whose praise

is sung by those who sing the sAma gAna, who is seen through the

concentrated meditation of the yogi-s, and whose infinite nature is

beyond realization by the deva-s and asura-s, and Who is ever

resplendent " .

 

Among the four veda-s, sAma veda is given special emphasis by Lord

kRshNa:

 

vedAnAm sAma vedo'smi devAnAmasmi vAsavaH |

indriyANAm manaScAsmi bhUtAnAm asmi cetanA || (gItA

10.22)

 

" Of the veda-s I am sAma veda. Of gods, I am indra. Of sense-organs

I am the manas. Of living beings, I am consciousness " .

 

b) Sri Sa'nkara attributes the singing of the sAman to kaNNan

Himself, and interprets the nAma as " One Who sings the sAma gAnam " –

sAmAni gAyanti iti sAma-gAyanaH. SrI rAdhAkRshNa SAstri comments

that the brahma j~nAni sings the sAma gAnam in the excitement of his

realization, and Lord kRshNa in His incarnation sang in the flute the

peaceful and all-quieting sAma gAnam, and hence He is sAma-gAyanaH.

 

c) SrI satyadevo vAsishTha derives the interpretation for the nAma by

looking at the nAma as sAma + ga+ ayanaH.

 

Those who sing the sAma veda are called sAma-gAH. SAmagAnAm ayanam =

ASrayaH paramo lakshayaH sAmagAyanaH – He Who is the final goal of

those who sing the sAma is sAmagAyanaH.

 

SrI raghunAtha tIrtha explains the nAma as " yaj~na vinASakAn

rAkshasAn syati hinasti iti sAma | gIyante asmin iti gAyanaH |

sAmAni stotra viSeshAH gIyante asmin iti sAma-gAyanaH | - " Extolled

by special hymns of praises for His acts of killing the demons who

ruin the performance of the sacrifice " .

 

-dAsan kRshNamAcAryan

 

(To be continued)