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  SrI vishNu sahasra nAmam - Slokam 105, nAma 980 - yaj~na sAdhanaH.

980. yaj~na-sAdhanaH ? a) He Who is an accessory for the sacrifices.
                b) He Who is attained through yaj~na-s as a means (or 
sAdhana).

om yaj~na-sAdhanAya namaH.

The word sAdhana is derived from the root sAdh ? samsiddhau ? to 
finish, to accomplish.  SrI BhaTTar gives the interpretation ? te 
asya j~nAna-dvArA siddhyupAyA iti yaj~na-sAdhanaH ? The sacrifices 
become the means for attainment of the respective fruits only because 
of the knowledge about Him.   The emphasis is made that it is the 
knowledge about bhagavAn, about the relationship between us and 
bhagavAn ? the Sesha-SeshI bhAvam or the servant-Master relationship, 
and above all, the love with which the offerings are made to Him, 
that are essential for the attainment of the fruits.  It is not so 
much the substance of what is offered that is important, but the 
dedication behind it that is important, as has been emphasized 
repeatedly earlier.  

SrI baladeva vidyA bhUshaN's interpretation is along similar lines ? 
j~nAna dAnena yaj~na upakAritvAt yaj~na-sAdhanaH ? Becaue He gives 
the know-how for the performance of the yaj~na, and thus assisting in 
the conduct of the yaj~na, bhagavAn is called yaj~na-sAdhanaH.

SrI veLukkuDi kRshnan starts with the definition of the term yaj~na 
as "prApti upAyAH yaj~nam"  - any means to attain Him is termed 
yaj~na.  Thus, the term does not just refer to the yaj~na performed 
in a homa kuNDam, but covers any means of worshipping Him, including 
the nitya tiru ArAdhanam performed for Him.  The term sAdhanam refers 
to upAyam or means to attain Him.  SrI kRshnan points out that this 
nitya ArAdhanam should be performed with SraddhA, and full dedication 
to Him, and then bhagavAn acceptas this as means or uapAyam to attain 
Him, and so He is called yaj~na-sAdhanaH.

SrI vAsishTha explains the nAma as ? yaj~naH sAdhyate anena, yaj~nam 
sAdhayati vA yaj~na-sAdhanaH ? He through whom the yaj~na gets 
accomplished, or He Who fulfils the yaj~na, is yaj~na-sAdhanaH.  

SrI Sa'nkara explains the nAma as ? yaj~nAH sAdhanam tat-prAptau iti 
yaj~na-sAdhanaH ? He is yaj~na-sAdhanaH because the yaj~na-s are a 
sAdhana or a means to attain Him.

SrI kRshNa datta bhAradvAj notes that He is called yaj~na-sAdhanaH 
because He enables the devotee to perform the yaj~na, and He is also 
yaj~na sAdhanaH because He is attained through the yaj~na-s ?
 "yaj~naH pUjA ArAdhanam vA  |  tam bhaktAnAm sAdhayati iti yaj~na-
sAdhanaH  |  tathA yaj~naH pUjA sAdhanam prAptaye yasya iti yaj~na-
sAdhanaH".

Sri cinmayAnanda explains the nAma as:  "One Who fulfils all ya~jna-
s.   It is by His Grace alone that all noble endeavors, undertaken in 
an honest and true sincerity, gain spectacular success".   Notice 
again that SrI cinmayAnanada interprets the term yaj~na in a broad 
sense as "any effort undertaken for the public good, in a sense of 
selfless undertaking".  

SrI satya sandha tIrtha uses the meaning "means" for the term 
sAdhana, and explains the nAma as "yaj~nasya sAdhanam sruk sruvAdikam 
mantrAdikam vA yasmAt iti yaj~na-sAdhanaH" ? He is called yaj~na 
sAdhanaH since it is He who is the cause for the means such as the 
ladle, the mantra-s, etc. used during the yaj~na.  The terms sruk and 
sruva refer to two different types of ladles used in the yaj~na 
(sruva refers to the smaller ladle, and sruk refers to the larger 
ladle in which the ghee is poured using the smaller ladle ? Monier-
Williams dictionary).  Lord kRshNa declares in the gItA that He is 
the means for all the aspects associated with a yaj~na:

brahmArpaNam brahma haviH brahmAgnau brahmaNA hutam   |
brahmaiva tena gantavyam brahma karma samAdhinA   ||    (gItA 4.24)   

"Brahman is the instrument to offer with; Brahman is the oblation.  
By Brahman is the oblation offered into the fire of Brahman; Brahman 
alone is to be reached by him who meditates on Him in his works".

Bhagavad rAmAnuja explains the term `brahmArpaNam' as a reference to 
the means for offering in a yaj~na, such as a ladle ?  arpyate anena 
iti arpaNam srugAdi, tad brahma kAryatvAt brahma, brahma yasya 
havishaH arpaNam tad-brahmArpaNam..  -  "That by which an offering is 
given, such as a ladle, is an arpaNa.  It is called Brahman because 
it is an effect of Brahman, Brahman being the material cause of the 
Universe.  BrahmArpaNam is the oblation, of which the instrument is 
Brahman?".  This is the same idea that has been reflected by SrI 
satya sandha tIrtha in his interpretation given above.

As if to illustrate that the devotees of the Lord can enjoy Him in 
His infinite dimensions through their thoughts, Sri raghunAtha tIrtha 
gives another interpretation ? yaj~na SabdaH Subha-vAcI, tam 
sAdhayati iti yaj~na-sAdhanaH ? "The term yaj~na refers to 
auspiciousness, and since bhagavAn gives auspicious results, He is 
called yaj~na-sAdhanaH".

-dAsan kRshNamAcAryan

(To be continued)





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