Srimate SrivanSatakopa Sri Vedanta
Desika Yatindra Mahadesikaya nama:
Bhagawan
All of us know that the Vishnu Sahasranama Stotram contains a thousand
names of the Lord. Each of these refers to a particular auspicious attribute, a
specific quality of Emperuman, among His innumerable ones. As His enchanting
traits are endless, so too are His names describing the former and afford
infinite delight to devotees, who find the divine names delectable to utter,
sing and to contemplate. Among these names, however, we find that some find
greater favour with bhaktas than others. For instance, we find several Maharshis
and Poorvacharyas enamoured with the tirunaamam, ?Bhagawan?. Manu, while describing the process of
creation, uses the term to denote the Parabhrahmam. Sri Ramanuja uses the name
any number of times in his commentaries on Brahma Sutras and more frequently in
the Gita Bhashya and Gadyas. Sri Bhattar is so taken up with the moniker that he
has named his commentary on Vishnu Sahasranamam as ?Bhagavat Guna Darpanam??a mirror
reflecting the flawless attributes of the Ultimate. Swami Desikan too finds the
name glorious and great. If such exalted souls have been partial to this
sobriquet ?Bhagawan?, there must indeed be something in it. Shall we see what
exactly the term means and why it should endear itself to
devotees? The etymological significance of the
term ?Bhagawan? is brought out by Sri Vishnu Puranam. The word consists of the
principal word ?Bhaga:? and the
suffix ?wan? denotes one who possesses this ?Bhagam?. ?Bha? and ?ga? are the two letters constituting the
word ?Bhaga:? Of these, the first
letter ?Bha? indicates the qualities
of absolute ownership or Overlordship (?Swaamitvam?) and the capability of
making non-sentient matter undergo transformation, resulting in the process of
creation??Sambhartaa iti tatthaa bhartaa
Bhakaara: artthadvayaanvita:? Emperuman is the sole proprietor of all things
and people that we find in this world and others. Everything belongs to Him,
forever. Irrespective of what the individual may think, regardless of our own
misconceived feeling of absolute freedom, all of us belong, body and soul, to
the Lord. And it is He who, during creation, transforms inert matter into
objects and bodies for souls, to enable them to work off their Karma. The second
letter ?ga? refers to the Lord being
the Creator, Protector and Destroyer of the
universe. Thus, read together, the term ?Bhaga:? comprehensively describes the
unbeatable combination of six great gunas?Ishvaryam, Veeryam, Yashas (glory),
Richness beyond contemplation, Gnaanam and Vairaagyam, which make the Lord what He
is. This is clear from the following Vishnu Purana
slokam? ?Iysvaryasya samagrasya Veeryasya yashasa:
Sriya: Gnaana
Vairaagyayo: chaiva shannaam Bhaga iteerana? The letter ?wa? in the name ?Bhagawan? indicates
that the Paramatma is the Inner Dweller of all sentient beings and insentient
objects, having them as His body and residing in them eternally. And they too
have Him as their immutable abode. This aspect is brought
out by the letter ?wa?. Summarizing the glorious import derived
from the individual meanings of the letters ?Bha?, ?ga? and ?wa?, the Vishnu Purana tells us that
Bhagawan is one who possesses the six principal and premier traits of Gnaanam, Balam, Isvaryam, Veeryam, Shakti
and Tejas. Though each of these attributes calls for separate volumes of
description, shall we see briefly what they
represent? 1.
Gnaanam is infinite, instantaneous and immaculate
knowledge, by which the Lord is able to see and know all that happens in His
vast domain, irrespective of whether it is done in public or private. We may
fondly imagine that the sins we commit in private, whether in thought or deed,
are unknown to anyone?but the Lord always knows, for no event, however
insignificant and however carefully hidden from the public gaze, can ever escape
Emperuman?s vigilant eyes and knowledge-- He is instantly aware of everything,
as it happens, or even before??Yo
vetti yugapat sarvam, pratyakshena
sada svata:? says Sri Nathamuni, describing the Lord?s
omniscience. 2.
Balam: It is Emperuman who bears the burden of the entire
lot of universes, cosmos and galaxies. It is He who shores them up and is their
unwavering support. And all this He does effortlessly. Some of us may be able to
lift a 20 kilo weight, some 200, but even for the strongest of us there is a
limit to the weight we can hoist. And even while lifting and bearing these
weights, we have to strain every sinew and grunt and groan with the resultant
stress. However, despite the unimaginable load of all the universes on His
apparently delicate shoulders, the Lord is not a bit strained. For Him, the
exercise is effortless and absolutely nothing to speak of. This phenomenal and
prodigious strength characterized by effortlessness and absence of fatigue, is
Balam. 3.
Isvaryam: The Lord controls the entire gamut of beings and
objects in all the worlds, irrespective of their individual status. There is
none who is immune to His dictates, whether it is the mighty emperor of all
lands or even Brahma or Rudra, supposedly in charge of creation and destruction
of these worlds. This uninhibited Lordship and infinite control over all
sentient beings and non-sentient objects are known as Isvaryam. 4.
Veeryam: Despite being the singular source of all creation,
despite bearing all components of His vast empire single-handedly, despite
controlling and directing all His innumerable subjects, Emperuman Himself does
not undergo any change and remains immutable. None of the aforesaid functions
and burdens causes any change in Him. This trait of Virility and of remaining
immutable despite the discharge of onerous responsibilities is what is known as
Veeryam. 5.
Shakti: The Lord is the Primordial Cause, from which all
Creation sprouts. It is the potency to become the material cause of the world,
as also the power of bringing about what appears impossible, that constitute Shakti. It is interesting to note that
the Tamizh savant Tiruvalluvar too used the term Bhagawan to denote the material
cause of the world??Aadi Bhagawan
mudattre ulagu?. 6.
Tejas: In performing His various functions as enumerated
above, Emperuman does not need any assistance, either by way of implements or
lackeys, being entirely capable of carrying out His onerous tasks by Himself.
While even a potter, manufacturing humble pots and pans, needs his wheel and
other implements for producing pots, the Lord needs no such assistance even in
the monumental and complex process of Creation. He is totally independent of
others and singularly self-sufficient, needing none to extend a helping hand in
His endeavours. This, in short, is Tejas. Alternative purports of this word
are unmatched splendour, matchless might and the power to overcome others,
however mighty. It is the glorious combination of the
aforesaid six traits that is depicted by the short word
?Bhagawan?. The Vishnu Puranam itself provides
another definition of the term- as one who knows the origin and end, the arrival
and exit, of beings, as also Vidya
and Avidya? ?Utpattim Pralayam chaiva bhootaanaam aagatim
gatim Vetti vidyaam avidyaam cha sa vaachyo Bhagawan
iti? However, a closer look at this
definition would tell us that it is only an expansion and extension of the
divine attribute of Gnaanam, detailed
above. Sri Bhattar?s commentary on the tirunaamam is unique. He defines
Bhagawan as one endowed with all auspicious qualities, eminently worthy of
worship by virtue of His essential nature, which is the antithesis of all that
is bad and negative? ?Sarva heya pratyaneeka kalyaanaatmakatayaa
sthita: Poojyaat poojyatamee yosou Bhagawan iti
sabdyate?. From all the aforesaid, it is clear
that the word ?Bhagawan? denotes the Parabrahmam, Sriman Narayana, the Ultimate
and the Almighty all rolled into one. However, we are assailed by a doubt here.
In several contexts, we have seen the term being used to denote several others,
no doubt great and glorious, but who cannot hold a candle to the Lord in any
respect. Instances are galore of such usage, in the epics Srimad Ramayanam and
Sri Mahabharatam, where even Sri Rama and Sri Krishna address elders and
Maharshis as ?Bhagawan!?. Even the
Mahopanishad contains a reference to the four-headed Brahmaa as ?Bhagawan???Sa eva Bhagawan Brahmaa sarva loka pitaamaha:?
The same Upanishad refers to Veda Vyasa too as Bhagawan??Vyaasopi Bhagawan buddhva putra abhipraayam eedrisam?. In the
Mahabharata, elders and Rishis are routinely referred to as Bhagawan?the term is
used to refer to Kasyapa??tam aagatam abhiprekshya Bhagawan Kasyapa:
tada? to Bhrigu Maharshi??Brahmano hridayam bhitva nissruto
Bhagawan Bhrigu:?:
to Vasishtta? ?atha abhyaagacchat Bharataan Vasishtto
Bhagawan
Rishi:? to Agni??Tatheti tat pratishrutya Bhagawan
Havyavaahana;?. Even the deity of the waters and the
And to add to the confusion, the Amara Kosam tells us that Bhagawan is
definitely one of the names of the Buddha? ?Ashtaadasa naamaani
Buddhasya- ?Sarvagya: Sugata: Buddha: Dharmaraja:
Tathaagata:
Samanta bhadro Bhagawan Maarajoka Ujijjina:? From all these and a plethora of
similar references, are we to conclude that Bhagawan is a generic and general
term referring to all who are great, even if their glory is nothing compared to
the Lord?s? It does appear as though it is a common word, applied to all who
have some aspect of greatness in them and not necessarily and exclusively to the
Lord. In Srimad Ramayanam, it is very common to find Sri Rama addressing
Maharshis by this honorific. The beauty of our Scriptures is that
all sorts of doubts that may occur to lesser mortals like us, have been foreseen
and comprehensively clarified. The Vishnu Puranam, which furnishes various
definitions of the word Bhagawan, also tells us that it refers unequivocally to
the Lord alone. Wherever it is used to denote others, it is used in a laudatory
sense and as an honorific?it does not at all mean that the subject so addressed
possesses the entire gamut of attributes which the term is capable of denoting.
It is thus used merely to convey respect and regard, when applied to entities
other than Emperuman. It is used to indicate esteem and deference and not the
absolute devotion to which only the Lord is
entitled. Here is the categorical sloka from Sri
Vishnu Puranam, which clarifies beyond doubt that Bhagawan refers only to the
Ultimate and to none other? ?Evam esha maha sabda: Maitreya! Bhagawan
iti Parama Brahma bhootasya
Vasudevasya naanyaga: Tatra poojya padaarthokti
paribhaasha samanvita: Sabdoyam na upachaarena anyatra hi
upachaarata:? The term is used in its most
comprehensive sense when applied to the Lord and in other cases, in an extremely
limited sense, intended merely to convey respect and reverence. For anyone who
still has any doubt in this regard, here is the Varaha Purana slokam, which lays
down beyond misgiving and misconception, that it is indeed Emperuman who is
entitled to be addressed as Bhagawan and as Purusha, without any reservation
whatsoever, the sobriquet suiting Him perfectly and highlighting His essential
nature and enchanting attributes? ?Bhagawan iti sabdoyam tatha Purusha
ityapi nirupaadhee cha vartete Vasudeve
sanaatane?. This becomes clear to us when we find
even those lesser beings, who are referred to as Bhagawan, themselves addressing
Emperuman Sriman Narayana by the term, thus forsaking any claim to the status
and sobriquet. Leave alone the Vishnu Sahasranamam, which is after all
specifically adulatory of Sri Vishnu. We find that the Siva Sahasranamam too refers to Sri
Mahavishnu as Bhagawan, telling us how the Devas in their entirety paid
obeisance to the Lord? ?Taan sameekshya atha Bhagawan deva devesvaro
Hari:
Pranipatya sthitaan devaan idam vachanam abraveet? Devi Maahaatmyam and Durga
Saptasati, both of which are indubitably in praise of Shakti, lavish unrestrained praise on
Sriman Narayana, acknowledging Him to be the Parabrahmam, by referring to Him as
Bhagawan. In the portion dealing with the Lord?s encounter with Madhu and Kaitapa, the Bhagavat sabdam is used reverentially to denote
the Lord, praising Him as the only entity surviving the cosmic
floods- ?Aasteerya Sesham abhajat kalpaante Bhagawan
Prabhu: Tadaa
dvou asurou ghorou vikhyaatou Madhu Kaitapou? Srimad Bhagavatam confirms that none
other than the Lord can be indicated by the term Bhagavan, in its true sense-?Bhagawan anyo Mukundaat ko naama loke!?. Only Sri
Krishna is Bhagawan, says another text??Krishnastu Bhagawan swayam?. Sri
Madhwacharya tells us that because He is Bhagawan, He is entirely
independent??Vishnu: svatantra: Bhagawatvaat?. Quoting from the Bhaagawata Tantrasara, it is Sri
Madhwacharya again, who proclaims that Bhagawan is one who is responsible for
the mutation of everything sentient and non-sentient, while Himself remaining
immutable. Though Sri Mahabharata contains any number of references to others
being addressed as Bhagawan, whenever Sri Krishna says something, it is prefaced
with ?Sri Bhagawan uvaacha? (Thus
spoke the Lord), thus clearing all possible doubts as to whom the term really
means. Similarly, the word ?Bhagawati?, the feminine equivalent of Bhagawan,
denotes only Sri Mahalakshmi, in its comprehensive sense, though it is applied
laudatorily to other deities too. I received an invitation yesterday,
addressed to ?U.Ve. Sri Satakopa Iyengar Swamy?! The sender had conferred
on me the title of ?Ubhaya Vedanta Vidvan?, little knowing that I
was neither Vidvan, nor had mastered
even one Vedanta, leave alone ?Ubhaya? (two) Vedantas. Perhaps he meant the title ?U.Ve.? merely as a mark of his (rather
misplaced) regard for me. Whither an ignoramus like me and whither mastery of
Vedantas! It was then that it struck me that addressing anyone as Bhagawan is
something similar?we don?t really mean it, as it sits well only on the
Paramatma. Srimate Sri LakshmiNrisimha divya
paduka sevaka SrivanSatakopa Sri Narayana Yatindra Mahadesikaya
nama: dasan,
sadagopan
Azhvar EmberumAnAr JeeyAr ThiruvadigalE Saranam http://www.vedics.net
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