SrI VenkatEsa Sahasra Naamam: RathnAngi Kaimkaryam Series: Part 88, First Sahasra Naamam .

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SrI:

 

NamO VenkatEsAya

 

Dear BhakthAs of Lord SrInivAsa of Thirumalai:

 

AdiyEn will list SrI VenkatEsa Sahasra Naamams

in sets of ten and , provide a brief meaning for each of them

and comment in detail on each of these sacred NaamAs.

The first ten NaamAs of this sacred Sahasra Naamam are:

 

1. (PraNavam) SrI VenkatEsAya Nama:

 

Salutations to the Lord, who is never ever separated

from His Divine Consort, MahA Lakshmi! Salutations to the Lord,

meditation on whom burns (kaDa:) all sins ( vEm) of

a Bhakthan/upaasakan!

 

Special Notes

*************

A. This is the manthram for Lord VenkatEsa and

hence the Sahasra Naamm of the Lord of the Seven Hills

starts auspiciously with His own Manthram .This manthram

is considered equivalent to AshtAkshara manthram in power.

 

B.Related AzhwAr's Paasuram

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The meaning for this NaamA can be found in Swamy NammAzhwAr's

ThiruvAimozhi Paasuram (TVM), which in turn relates to

Brahma Soothram IV.1.13:

 

vEmkaDangaL meymmEl vinai muRRavum

thANkaL tankatkku nallanEva seyvAr

vEnkaDatthuRaivArkku namavennal

aangkaDamai athu sumanthArkatkkE

 

--T.V.M 3.3.7

 

 

(meaning of this Paasuram): " When You say " NamO VenkatEsAya " ,

that is sufficent to get all the sins of a chEthanam burnt to

ashes ( " Theeyinir thoosAhum " ). Once You have recited

" NamO VenkatEsAya " , that would be all that is needed for

gaining such an effect. The rest is taken care of by

Lord VenkatEsan Himself as His vratham/vow/responsibility.

Afterwards, we have to choose a Kaimkaryam for Him (Vaachika,

MaanasIka ,Kaayika Kaimkaryam /Speech-mimd-body))with in

our capability as our Svaroopa LakshaNa duty as

the servant of the Lord(Sesha bhUthan) to the Master

(Sarva Seshi). That will result not only in the destruction of

all the sins through the recitation of the First Sahasra Naamam

( SrI VenkatEsa Manthram) but it will also make sure that

future vinaikaL (Fruits of One's karmAs) do not cling to

us. Our Lord Venkatesan takes care of all these matters

for His bhakthAs (us), who recite His manthram (viz).,

the First Sahasra Naamam.

 

C. The three debts for us as ChEthanam

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The three debts that we have from birth are Deva , Rishi,

Pithru RuNams/kadankaL .They originate from the association

with Prakruthi and get burnt and destroyed through

the recitation of this NaamA(Manthram).All of these

are burnt by the mere utterance of the First Sahasra

Naamam " NamO VenkatEsAya " (SrI VenkatEsa Manthram).

 

D.Nama: Sabdham

****************

This Paasuram passage " VenkaDatthuRaivArkku Nama:yennal "

means offering salutations to the Supreme One having His

abode at Venkatam. " VenkatEsAya Nama: " is same as

uttering " VenkatatthuRaivArkku Nama yennal " . According to

VenkatEsa BhakthAs , the utterance of " NamO VenkatEsAya "

is equivalent to the utterance of " NamO NaarAyaNAya "

(Moola Manthram). The vyAkhyAnams on Moola Manthram

are profound and central to VisishtAdhvaitham ( Vide:

Swamy Desikan's elaborate commentary in SrImath Rahasya

Thraa Saaram: Moola Manthra adhikAram).

 

Briefly, Nama: sabdham has many intrepretaions. In one view,

the meanings are given acording to SthUla, Sookshma and Param

approaches. (a) In the SthUla view (following VyAkaraNa Saasthrams),

Nama sabdham implies deep prostrations at the Lord's sacred

feet and performance of Saanga Prapatthi.(b)The sookshmArTam

(following Niruktham) refers to Jeevan is the property of

the Lord (Seshi) and the Jeevan has no Lordship

(Swamithvam ) over itself or those related to it.

Jeevan has thus no independence (SvAtantryam).

©Param view (based on Rahasya Saasthrams)

is that the fruit of Prapatthi/SaraNAgathy ( SaadhyOpAyam)

is the Lord ( SiddhOpAyam) Himself.

 

E. UnakkE Naamm AatccheyvOm

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" NamO VenkatEsAya " also means that the Kaimkaryam

is for VenkatEsan alone and for no one else ; this is

the echo of " UnakkE Naamm aatccheyvOm " doctrine

revealed to us by Soodikkodutha NaacchiyAr. It means

that the Kaimkaryam is for Him and Him alone.There is no

payan(phalan) for us in such Kaimkaryams(na Mama).

 

F.Another view of Nama: Sabdham

********************************

The " Nama: " sabdham in this and all other Sahasra Naamams

of Lord VenkatEsa means the destruction of three kinds of

VirOdhis ( obstacles/enemies that stand in the way of

recieving th Lord's MokshAnugraham: (a) Seshathva Svaroopa

VirOdhi (b) PurushArtha Kaimkarya VirOdhi and ©UpAya

VirOdhi.All of these VirOdhis are destroyed by the mere

utterance(Ukthi mAthram).That is sufficent.The Veda Vaakyam

of " BhUyishtAm tE Nama ukthim vidhEma " is to be remembered

in the context.

 

G. Bhrahma Soothram reference:

******************************

The fourth Chapter of Bhrahma Soothram is about

meditation (UpAsana) and its Phalan.Brahma Soothram

IV.1.13 dealing with BhramOpAsanam instructs us

on the fruits of meditation on the Supreme Brahaman

in the Upanishadic way:

 

" tadhigama uttharapUrvAgayOraslesha vinAsou

tadhvyapadEsAth "

 

(Meaning): " On attaing that , non-clinging and

destruction of subsequent and previous sins

(vEnkatam) will result respectively , because

it is so declared (by the scriptures).

 

The above is the first of the SoothrAs on

the fruits of meditation. SrI BhAshyam quotes

ChAndhOgyam passages in intrepreting this soothram:

" As water does not wet the lotus leaf even so no

signs cling to him, who knows this " (ChandOgyam:IV.14.3).

" Just as cotton growing on reeds is burnt , when thrown

in to fire, even so are burnt the sinsof one--- " (Ch.V.24.3).

The power of meditation on the Lord (with upAsanA

of this Manthram) is referred to here.

 

Let us all repeat the Parama taaraka , pOshaka ,

RakshaNa manthram of " NamO VenkatEsAyA " all

through out our lives.

 

2. (PraNavam) VirUpAkshAya Nama:

 

Salutations to the Lord , who has atypical eyes !

( it is hard to think of the Lord having eyes

that have vikAram (viroopam) .It is also incoorect

to intrepret that Lord VenkatEsA is a form of Rudran).

 

3. (PraNavam) ViswEsarAya Nama:

 

Salutations to the Lord (Iswaran) , who is the undisputed

Soverign(Supreme Master) of this Universe!

 

4. (PraNavam) Visva BhAvanAya Nama:

 

Salutations to the Lord, who is pervasively present

in all of His creations(Sentient and insentient alike)!

 

5. (PraNavam) VisvasrujE Nama:

 

Salutations to the Lord, who is the Creator of

this Universe!

 

6. (PraNavam) VisvasamhathrE Nama:

 

Salutations to the Lord, who is the destroyer of

this universe during the great deluge!

 

7. (PraNavam) Visva PrANAya nama:

 

Salutations to the Lord, who is the life breath

for all the created beings in this Universe!

 

8. (PraNavam) VisvarAD-prabhavE Nama:

 

Salutaions to the Lord , who is the Prabhu

of this world!

 

9. (PraNavam) SeshAdhri NilayAya Nama:

 

Salutations to the Lord, who has His abode

on top of the SeshAdri hills!

 

10. (PraNavam) AsEsha -bhaktha dukkha:praNAsanAya Nama:

 

Salutations to the Lord , who is the banisher of

the entire heap of soorows (SamsAra klesams)of

BhakthAs, who seek the refuge of His sacred feet.

 

 

NamO SrI VenkatEsAya,

Daasan , Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri Sadagopan