Jai Sriman Narayana! The nama "Kim" appearing in Sri Vishnu shasaranamam may not denote the question "what." Srimath Bhagavatham talks about Kimpurusha varsham north of the Meru parvatham, and indeed may be talking about the present Korea or China. Kimpurusha varsham denotes "the kinngdom or land of Kimpurusha," and therefore, it is possible that Vishnusahasra namam is talking about an individual named "kim" or a race or jathi named "kimpurushas." In many places, in Srimath Bhagavatham, they talk about kinnaras, kimpurushas, etc. when referring to some (different) kind of race that existed. These kimpurushas might have ruled the world once upon a time, like the English or the present Americans ruling the world. My feeling is that a great dynasty by the name "kim" (who was dharmic) once existed north of Himalayas, and "kinnaras" existed in the west (Europe/Americas). The word "KInnera" appears in many street names in the US (Kinnerer Street, Kinnered Avenue etc.). In order to fully understand, perhaps, one has to conduct research in Korea on the meaning, origin, and significance of the word "Kim." Significant amount of research is neaded in the geographical interpretation of Srimath Bhagavatham and other puranas and ithihasas. It is a pure coincidence that the city "Ramchar" exisits on the southern side (Swiss side) of Lake Bodennsee, while the city "Ravensburg" exists (in Germany) 30 miles north of the lake Bodensee. We took a boat from Ramchar (Switzerland) to German side of Lake Bodensee to attend a conference in Wein Garten close to Ravensburg. Incidentally, during the world war, Hitler manufactured his misslies in a plant close to Ravensburg. My feeling is that the Sanathana dhrama once florished all over the world, and somehow, in Kaliyuga, the Sanathana dharma is completely lost outside the Bharatha Varsha. The nama Kim perhaps referres to a mighty race that was once prominent. With all Glories to Lord Sri Venkateswara, I remain, Sincerely Narender P. Reddy --- "M.K.Sudarshan" <sampathkumar_2000@xxxx> wrote: > Dear friends, > The 735th 'nAmA' of Vishnu in the > 'Vishnu-Sahasranamam' is the > one-syllabled Sanskrit name -- "kim". It appears in > the 78th > 'shlOkA': > ekah naikah sah vah kah kim yat tat > padama~nuttamam > lOka bandhur lokA natha: mAdhavO > bhaktavatsalah > > It's a rather unusual name indeed for anyone to > have. Even God > Almighty, one might say... > > In native India it is common for mothers and fathers > to select a name > for their new-born from the one-thousand hallowed > 'nAmA-s' of God > found in the 'SahasranAma'. Yet I doubt you will > find a single soul > anywhere in the country having "kim" as either first > name or surname. > > > I learn, on the other hand, that 'Kim' is a pretty > common feminine > first name in America and Europe. In Korea I > understand every fourth > man you pass on the street bears the name 'Kim'. My > 13-year old > daughter tells me there is a famous Hollywood > actress by the name of > 'Kim Bassinger'; and my 15-year old son enlightens > me about 'Kim' > being the title of a lesser-known novel written by > an English author > of colonial fame, Sri.Rudyard Kipling. > > God bless children these days! How profoundly > worldwide their > knowledge of trivia is and how well they educate > their ignorant > parents indeed. Thanks to my two children, I have > now made the > important discovery that the western first name > 'Kim' is actually > short for 'Kimberly'. And since then, believe me, I > have lived in > secret dread of the day when 'Kim' might catch on > fast amongst NRIs > everywhere in the world, all clamouring to christen > their new-borns > with a 'tirunAma' found at last to be both hallowed > by the > 'Sahasranamam' and glamourized by Hollywood! > > The Sanksrit "kim", however, is actually a very > common, very ordinary > interrogatory. The Sanskrit word for 'Question' or > 'Query' is > "prashna". A "prashna" cannot be framed without > using an > interrogatory like 'kim'. The whole of the > Vishnu-Sahasranamam, if > you have carefully noticed, is actually a response > to Yudhishtara's > "prashna" beginning with 2 simple but profound > 'kim?': > > "kim Ekam daivatam lOkE? kim vyApEkam > parAyaNam?" > > "Whither God? What is the path unto Him?" > > The Sanskrit 'kim' literally means "what?" or > "which?". In a limited > context, it can also be used as the English > equivalent of > "wherefore?" or "whither?". Most questions, most > 'prashna-s' hence > usually begin with this interrogatory. > > It is because the Sanskrit 'kim' is an interrogatory > that in India it > is considered unfit, in spite of being sacred > 'nAmA', to christen > one's child with it. Otherwise, one can easily > imagine how endless > the embarrassments in life would be for a child > named 'kim' who when > asked, "What's your name?" has to respond saying, > "What?". And the > questioner who, then thinking he hadn't been heard > well, repeats, "I > asked you for your name?". And the child, poor > thing, insisting, "I > already told you -- "What?""... And to this the > bewildered questioner > asking again, "Excuse me, what do you mean?". And > the poor child > having to retort, "I heard you. It's really > "What?""... > > And on and on, so forth thus, would it all probably > go -- a farcical > chain in a theatre of the absurd called 'kim'! > > *********** > > Our ancient Vedic forbears (the great Sage Vyasa, > for instance, the > author of the 'Vishnu-Sahasranama') however had no > compunction at all > giving Lord Almighty the unusual "nAmA" of "kim" > i.e. "What?", > "Which?" and "Whither?". Even if one knew nothing > whatsoever that is > certain about God, the Vedic Masters said, one thing > at least should > be beyond Man's doubt: God remains and shall ever > remain an eternally > unanswered question... Hence, it is quite in order > to call him, > simply, 'kim?'. > > There is a widespread feeling in the world, even and > especially > amongst young Indians today, that the religion of > the Vedas is one > founded on blind, mechanical and credulous faith. It > is thought that > there is really nothing more to this religion called > 'Hinduism' than > ritual, pilgrimage, purificatory bath, > breath-control and chanting > Sanskrit litanies called 'stOtrA-s' that few > understand and fewer > still appreciate... Nothing could be further than > the truth. The > piety of the Vedantic religion does not lie in > parroting. It has its > springs deep in an age-old tradition of unceasing, > relentless > questioning about and after Truth. > > This tradition is called "pari-prashna" and it has > been around in > India for centuries. The word "prashna" means (as > already explained) > "questioning" and the adjective "pari" means "deep", > "unrelenting". > This Vedantic tradition of "pari-prashna" is perhaps > even more > rigorous, uncompromising and single-minded in its > search for Truth > than what we know modern sciences to be. It is this > tradition > precisely that Krishna recommends to Arjuna as a > solution to the > oppressive problems of life: > > "tadvidhi praNipAtEna pari-prashnEna sEvayA > upadEshyanti tE gnyAnam > gnyAninas-tattva-darshinah:" > > (B.Gita IV.34) > > "Seek out the wise men of knowledge", says Krishna > in the > 'Bhagavath-Gita', "They will surely show you the Way > if only they see > you to be truly humble, devoted and unrelentingly > questful". > > Although he embraced Krishna's prescription quickly > enough, Arjuna > seems to have lagged a bit in acting upon it. The > suggestion of > "pari-prashna" was made by Krishna towards the end > of the 4th Chapter > in the 'Bhagavath-Gita' but not very late > thereafter, and not until > the opening of the 8th Chapter, do we see Arjuna > really acting upon > the Lord's cue and counsel. But when Arjuna did > indeed frame his > first serious questions on the problems of life, it > is all put, and > quiet predictably so, with the inevitable "kim?"! > > kim tadh brahma? kim adhyAtmam? kim karma > pUrUshOtama? > adhibhutham cha kim? prOktam~adhidaivam kim > achyutha? > (bhagavath-gita VIII.1) > > === message truncated === __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? SBC Yahoo! DSL - Now only $29.95 per month! http://sbc.yahoo.com
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