SrI vishNu sahasra nAmam - phala Sruti - Part 5.

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SrImate SrI ra'nga rAmAnuja mahA deSikAya namah.

SrI vishNu sahasra nAmam - phala Sruti - Part 5.

 

Rshayah pitaro devAh mahAbhUtAni dhAtavah |

ja'ngamAja'ngamam ca idam jagat nArAyaNodbhavam || (18)

 

" All the Sages, the departed ancestors, the different gods, the great

elements, their effects, the moving and the non-moving objects that

comprise the Universe, all have their origin on nArAyaNa " .

 

This Slokam and the next one declare that everything that exists, has

existed and will ever exist have as their origin and support bhagavAn

SrIman nArAyaNa. SrI bhaTTar notes that anything and anyone that is

under the influence and control of dharmam has bhagavAn as their

origin – dharmAnubandhinAmapi tad-udbhavatvam Aha.

 

 

SrI bhaTTar provides word-by-word explanation:

- Rshayah – manvAdayah, tasya smartArah, anushThAtAraSca (Manu

and others; the writers of smRti-s as well as those who practice

them);

- pitarah, devAh – avAntara – ArAdhyAh – The Manes and the gods

who are the subsidiary divinities that are to be worshiped.

- mahA bhUtAni – viyadAdIni – The five great elements (air,

water, fire, earth and ether)

- dhAtavah - tat-kAryANi, tvak carmAdIni etAni karma phala

bhoga uapakaraNAni – skin etc., that are provided as the means of

enjoyment of the fruits of karma

- ja'ngama aja'ngamam ca idam jagat – This world of beings both

moving and non-moving, that enjoy the fruits of karma-s.

- nArAyaNa udbhavam – all originated from nArAyaNa.

 

yogo j~nAnam tathA sA'nkhyam vidyAh SilpAni karma ca |

vedAh SastrANi vij~nAnam etat sarvam janArdanAt ||

(19)

 

" The knowledge of yoga, sA'nkhya, other branches of learning, arts,

works, Vedas and SAstra-s – a knowledge of all these springs from

bhagavAn janArdana " .

 

The Critical Edition has the pATham " SilpAni " , and SrI bhaTTar has

used the pATham " SilpAdi " . Also, SrI bhaTTar seems to have used the

pATham yoga j~nAnam instead of `yogo j~nAnam'. The former would

mean `knowledge of yoga' sprung from janArdana, and the later would

mean `yoga and j~nAna' originated from janArdana.

 

The previous Slokam declared that bhagavAn is the source and origin

of all cetana-s and acetana-s (sentient and insentient beings). This

Slokam declares that bhagavAn is the Source of all knowledge as

well. Again, SrI bhaTTar gives word-by-word meanings.

 

- yoga j~nAnam – yogasya j~nAnam; j~nAnam – SAstram. yogo dvi-

vidhah samAdhi yogah, karma yogaSca | (j~nAnam = SAstra-s; yoga is

of two kinds – bhakti yoga and karma yoga. So yoga j~nAnam means the

knowledge of the SAstra-s related to bhakti yogam and karma yogam.

- sA'nkhyam – sa'nkhyayA tattvAnAm avadhAraNam sA'nkhyam – The

science by which the nature of the Realities is arrived at by means

of sankhyA or intellect.

- vidyAh – vyAkaraNAdi a'nga vidyAh, dhanur, Ayur, gAndharva

prabhRtIni dRshTArthAni upa-vidyAh - The subsidiary branches of

knowledge such as grammar, archery, medicine, music, dancing etc.

(veda-s are considered the foremost among sciences, as we see below).

- Silpa Adi – Sculptures, architecture, etc.

- karma – sarvatra anushTheyam karma - Observance of duties in

all places.

- vedAh – pradhAna vidyAh - The foremost among all sciences.

- SAstrANi – smRti, itihAsa purANAni – smRti, itihAsa-s and

purANa-s.

- sarvam etat vij~nAnam – all these SAstra-s

- janArdanAt (udbhavanti) – All these sciences are born of

janArdana.

 

The greatness of BhagavAn as revealed by His possession of all things

and beings in both the nitya vibhUti (SrI vaikuNTham) and the leelA

vibhUti (all the other Universes), is sung in the next Slokam.

 

eko vishNur_mahad-bhUtam pRthak-bhUtAnyanekaSah |

trIn-lokAn vyApya bhUtAtmA bhu'nkte viSva-bhuk avyayah ||

(20)

 

" vishNu is the unique and unparalleled Deity in that He pervades the

many, various, and different objects of the three Universes, and the

three worlds of souls. Remaining as the Inner Soul of everything, He

protects and enjoys the Universe, and yet remains untouched by their

foibles and defects " .

 

Again SrI bhaTTar provides word-by-word meanings and

interpretation.

 

- ekah - svayam ekah san, Being the Supreme Deity above all else

- vyApya – teshAm niyama SeshitvAdibhih AtmA bhavan – By

pervading, by being the Inner Soul of, Controller of, and Master of

- anekaSah pRthak bhUtAni - asa'nkhyeyatayA rUpa-prakAra-

pariNAma-prayojana bhedena pRthak ca sthitAni mahAnti bhUtAni - The

great Elements that are of countless forms, manners, mutations, and

utility which are distinct and different from one another.

- trIn lokAn ca – baddha mukta nityAn cetanAn – and of the

three worlds of souls, namely, the bound souls, Released souls, and

Eternal angels.

- viSva-bhuk – sarvathA paripAlakah; and by being the Sole

Protector of everything in all the Universes; tathA'pi – Even so,

- avyayah – tad-doshaih aparAmRshTah, punaSca para vibhUtyA –

being untouched by the faults of any of the souls whose AtmA He is.

- mahad-bhUtam – avA'ng-manasa gocaraSca bhavan – His greatness

is beyond description through words, imagination by the mind, etc.

- bhu'nkte – leelA bhoga rasam anubhavati – and He enjoys the

pleasure of Divine Sport and Divine Bliss.

 

SrI Sa'nkara has not commented on this Slokam. However, SrI T. S.

Krishnamoorthy, who has provided a translation for Sa'nkara bhAshyam,

provides the following translation:

 

" vishNu, the one great Being, pervades innumerable individual beings

and the three worlds; and being the undecaying Self and enjoyer of

all, He experiences everything (and also protects) " . He has

essentially echoed the translation provided by SrI R. Anantakrishna

Sastry.

 

An interpretation that is more reflective of the advaitic philosophy

is given by SrI rAdhAkRshNa SAstri, a rough translation of which

follows: " Lord vishNu who permeates everywhere, became mahat, the

basis for all the three worlds. Then He became many, took different

forms, and filled all the worlds with these forms; He is the soul of

all things that appeared thus. He is enjoying these worlds without

being distinct from them in the slightest way. He ultimately

contains everything within Himself. (He is the One who performs

creation, protection, and destruction) " .

 

-dAsan kRshNamAcAryan

(To be continued)