SrI vishNu sahasra nAmam - phala Sruti - Part 3.

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SrImate SrI ra'nga rAmAnuja mahA deSikAya namaH.

 

SrI vishNu sahasra nAmam - phala Sruti - Part 3.

 

Next, it is stated that if a person is exclusively devoted to SrI

kRshNa and his only desire is to attain Him, all his difficulties

will automatically vanish even though he does not pray to the Lord

for any relief from them.

 

durgANi atitarati ASu purushah purushottamam |

stuvan nAma sahasreNa nityam bhakti samanvitah || (9)

 

" That person, who, with devotion, praises the Supreme Being

(purushottaman) reciting his thousand nAma-s daily, surmounts all

difficulties very easily.

 

SrI BhaTTar comments that the next two Sloka-s speak of the

attainment of the Lord by such devotees.

 

vAsudeva ASrayo martyo vAsudeva parAyaNaH |

sarva pApa viSuddhAtmA yAti brahma sanAtanam || (10)

 

na vAsudeva bhatAnAm aSubham vidyate kvacit |

janma mRtyu jarA vyAdhi bhayam vA api upajAyate || (11)

 

" That man, who has taken resort to vAsudeva with the thought that

vAsudeva is the highest goal to be reached, becomes cleansed of all

sins and his mind becomes pure. He finally attains the Eternal

Brahman.

 

" Nothing inauspicious ever occurs to the devotees of vAsudeva. Nor

do they have any fear from birth or death or old age or disease " .

 

imam stavam adhIyAnah SraddhA bhakti samanvitah |

yujyeta Atma sukha kshAntih SrI-dhRti-smRti-kIrtibhih ||

(12)

 

" The person who chants this hymn with zeal and devotion, is blessed

with happiness of the self, forbearance, riches, firmness of mind,

excellent memory, and great fame " .

 

SrI BhaTTar comments – niyamavato bhaktasya anusha'ngiNIm abhyudaya

siddhim Aha – For the devotee who recites the names in accordance

with scriptural injunctions, there is attainment of prosperity of all

kinds that come as a matter of course " . He explains the term

SraddhA as sa-gaurava tvarA – Eagerness associated with respect. He

also comments that bhakti is a result of highly meritorious acts -

bhagavati bhaktih mahatah su-kRtasya phalam. . Thus a true devotee

should chant the stotram with sincere devotion and interest, and

should accompany the chanting with other meritorious acts as part of

his way of life. SrI BhaTTar further adds: govinda

bhaktyabhyadhikam SreyaSca anyat na vidyate – There is no act

superior to devotion to Lord govinda.

 

SrI BhaTTar's vyAkhyAnam for Sloka-s 5 to 8 was " atha niyama

viSeshavat japa rUpa sa'nkIrtane bhaktasya sarva samRddhim Aha " .

For the current Sloka, his interpretation is " niymavatah bhaktasya

anusha'ngiNIm abhyudaya siddhim Aha " . Thus the interpretations in

both cases describe the benefit for a `bhakta' or devotee who

follows `niyama' or rules as laid down in the scriptures. Slokam 5

refers to the bhakta who follows niyama and does prakItanA (praising,

extolling, lauding) of bhagavAn through the stotram, whereas the

current Slokam refers to the bhakta with niyama who is `adhIyAnah' (a

student, or one who goes over the stotra either as a student or as a

teacher). SrI v. v. rAmAnujan has used the term anusandhAnam (which

means inquiry, investigation, scrutiny etc.), in the context of this

Slokam. Thus, the difference between the two, if one were to look

for a difference, is that the first discusses the benefits attained

by the bhakta who chants the stotram, and the second about the

benefits attained by the bhakta who propagates or delves deep into

the meanings etc.

 

One translator of SrI Sa'nkara bhAshyam has grouped the Sloka-s from

5 (bhaktimAn…) to 12 (imam stavam…) into one group, and has ascribed

SrI Sa'nkara's short commentary as follows, for all these Sloka-s as

one group – " bhaktimAn ityAdinA bhatimatah Suceh

satatamudyuktasyaikAgra cittasya SraddhAlorvivishTa adhikAriNah phala

viSesham darSayati " – " In the verses beginning with bhaktimAn etc.,

the stated results are promised to one who is devout, pure, ever-

persevering with one-pointed attentive meditation, with faith " . SrI

Sa'nkara further explains: " SraddhA Astikya buddhih | bhaktih

bhajanam tAtparyam | Atmanah sukam Atma-sukham | tena ca

kshAnyatibhiSca ucyate | " . This is translated as: " Faith means

belief in God; bhakti refers to worship; Atma sukham means spiritual

bliss – by this term, other qualities such as patience, forgiveness

etc. are also meant " .

 

na krodho na ca mAtsaryam na lobho nAsubhA matih |

bhavanti kRta puNyANAm bhaktAnAm purushottame || (13)

 

" Neither anger nor jealousy, neither greed nor evil thoughts haunt

the minds of those people who are devotees of purushottama (The

Supreme Being) and who have acquired merit by virtuous deeds " .

 

SrI BhaTTar comments that as a matter of natural course, these

defects by themselves keep away from the devotees. SrI Sa'nkara

emphasizes the point that in the Slokam, krdha, lobha and aSubhAmatih

occur without a `ca', whereas mAtsarya occurs with a `ca'. He

explains that this means that not only krodha, lobha and aSubhA mati

anger, lust and evil thoughts) are absent in these devotees, but also

jealousy is absent.

 

-dAsan kRshNamAcAryan

(To be continued)