How Vishnu Gave His Names to the Gods

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How Vishnu Gave His Names to the Gods

 

By Sri Srimad Gour Govinda Swami Maharaja

 

Abheda means “non-different”. Because Shiva, Brahma and all of the demigods are very dear to Vishnu, and are consequently His subordinates and are under His control — tad-ayatta-vrtti — therefore they are non-different from Him. The acaryas give the example of a viceroy under the control of the emperor, samrat. When India was ruled by the British, there was a viceroy, a representative of the king, who worked under the control of the king. Sometimes this viceroy was referred to as “emperor” or “king”. Still, he was under the control of the king. Similarly, Shiva and Brahma are under the control of Vishnu. They are representatives of Lord Vishnu and are incarnations of Lord Vishnu. Therefore, they are sometimes said to be as good as Lord Vishnu. Brahma says, “I have created this world under the direction of Lord Hari.” And Shiva is obeying the will of Lord Hari by annihilating. Brahma, Shiva, Indra, and all of the demigods are empowered by Lord Vishnu. But Lord Vishnu is the Supreme Lord.

 

Srila Baladev Vidyabhushanpad says (Siddhanta-ratnam 3.12):

 

sahasra-nama-stotre sarva-siva-sambhu-rudradi-sabda visnu-namani pathyante. tesam tatra pravrttau nimittani coktani brahmande,

 

rujam dravayate yasmad rudras tasmaj janardanah

isanad eva cesano maha-devo mahattvatah

 

pibanti ye nara nakam muktah samsara-sagarat

tad-adharo yato visnuh pinakiti tatah smrtah

 

sivah sukhatmakatvena sarva-samrodhanad dharah

krty-atmakam idam visvam yato vaste pravartayan

 

krttivasas tato devo virincas ca virecanat

brmhanad brahma-namasav aisvaryad indra ucyate

 

evam nana-vidhaih sabdair eka eva trivikramah

vedesu sa-puranesu giyate purusottamah

 

In the Visnu-sahasra-nama-stotra, the thousand names of Lord Vishnu, you will find that “Sharva”, “Shiva”, “Shambhu”, and “Rudra”, are all names of Vishnu. The Brahmanda Purana describes that Lord Vishnu, Janardana, controls Rudra. Therefore, Lord Vishnu is known as “Rudra”. Lord Shiva works under the control of Lord Vishnu, therefore Shiva is known as “Ishan”. “Ishan” is also a name of Lord Vishnu. One of the names of Shiva is “Mahadev”. “Mahadev” is also a name of Lord Vishnu because He is the Lord of the Lords, the Lord of Shiva and Brahma. “Siva” means, “all-auspicious”, or “all-good”. One of the names of Lord Vishnu is “Shiva” because He is all-auspicious and all-good. “Hara” means, “one who annihilates”. Thus, one of the names of Lord Vishnu is “Hara”. One of the names of Lord Shiva is also “Hara”, because he annihilates. “Brhat” means “very great”. Thus “Brahma” is also a name for Lord Vishnu. And because He is full of all opulences, so His name is also “Indra”. Thus the one same Lord Trivikrama, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is glorified by various different terms in the Vedas and Puranas.

 

Baladeva Vidyabhushan in Siddhanta-ratnam 3.13 explains with evidence from the Skanda Purana:

 

narayanadini namani vinanyani sva-namani druhinadibhyo dadau

 

krte narayanadini namani purusottamah

pradad anyatra bhagavan rajevarte svakam puram

 

Lord Purusottama kept some names for Himself, like “Narayana”, etc. , and others of His own names He gave to the demigods:

 

A king keeps a palace for himself and he gives residential quarters to his ministers and subordinate officers. Like that, Lord Vishnu keeps some of His names like “Narayan” for Himself, and other names He gives to demigods because they are His subordinates.

 

Baladeva then comments on further evidence from the Brahma Purana:

 

catur-mukhah satanandi brahmanah padma-bhur iti

ugro bhasma-dharo nagnah kapaliti sivasya ca

visesa-namani dadau svakiyany api kesavah

 

svakiyani rudra-virincy-adini ca

 

Lord Kesava also gave away these particular names, even though they are actually His own. He gave “the one with four heads”, “the one with hundredfold bliss”, and “the one born from a lotus” to Brahma, and “the fierce one”, “the one who wears ashes”, “the naked one”, and “the one with a skull” to Shiva.

 

Thus His own names include the names “Rudra”, “Virinchi”, etc.

 

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Shiva in Vraja

 

Cintahara Mahadeva

 

The Chintahara or Chintaharana Mahadeva temple is situated on the eastern side of the Yamuna River, south of Gokul and about one kilometer south of Brahmananda Ghat, where Krishna manifested His universal form to Mother Yasoda. This ancient deity of Shiva is known as Chintahara, “the remover of anxieties”, because it is said that Mother Yasoda was regularly coming here from Gokula to worship this siva-linga to remove her worries. As a baby, Krishna was constantly performing many mischievous acts. Sometimes He would catch hold of the tail of a calf and have it pull Him through the dirt and mud. Sometimes, much to the horror of His mother, He would play with snakes or wild animals. Sometimes He would eat dirt or steal butter and break the pots of the elderly gopis. Sometimes He would pass urine in the houses of other gopis. Other times He would pinch their sleeping babies and make them cry. Seeing all of His naughty activities filled Mother Yasoda with a kind of ecstatic anxiety for the well being of her beloved child. In this mood, Krishna’s mother would pray to Lord Chintahara Mahadeva to protect the jewel of her heart.

 

Another local tradition has it that this deity of Chintaharana Mahadeva was situated here even before Mother Yasoda started coming to worship him. Once, Mahadeva Shambhu wanted to see the beautiful form of Krishna. With this desire in mind, he left Kailash and came to this ghata on the bank of the Yamuna, where he began meditating on Krishna. Eventually Krishna appeared and captured (harana) the mind (cinta) of Shiva with His beauty.

 

The ancient siva-linga at this place is said to be the same one that was originally worshiped by Mother Yasoda. In a side temple here there are also deities of Mother Yasoda and Krishna.