Vishnu Sahasranamam
(Meanings: based upon the commentary of Shankaracharya)
Meanings: Courtesy: http://www.mypurohith.com
Sanskrit script courtesy: Shri. N. Krishnamachari:
http://home.attbi.com/~chinnamma/
Vishnu Sahasranama means the "Thousand Names of Vishnu." This
narrative is based upon the commentary of Shankaracharya. Acharya
sankara reached the feet of his Guru, Sri Govindapaachaarya, and on
the bank of Narmada, the Nambootiri-boy from kaaladi got initiated
into the secrets of the Mahaavaakyas. At the end of his short but
intense study, sankara, the inspired missionary, wanting to fulfill
his glorious work, craved from the blessings of his teacher.
Govindapa Acharya tested sankara by ordering him to write an
exhaustive commentary (Bhaashya) upon the Vishnu Sahasranaama. He
accomplished his great task and the very first work of the
Upanishadic commentator, sankara, the greatst Hindu missionary of the
7 th century, thus came to see the light of the day.
Govindaacharya, satisfied with the proficiency of the student blessed
him and set him on the road of service and action. Earning the grace
of the teacher and the blessings of the Lord Vishnu, Sri sankara
inaugurated an incomparable revival movement of the decadent culture
of the 7th century Hinduism. We shall here follow closely Sankara's
commentary and also draw our material from the Puranic literature
that has an endless store of appeal to the hearts of all devotees.
The Vishnu Sahasranaama was composed by Sri Veda Vyaasa, the author
of the Puraanas, and we meet this great chant in his classical work,
the Mahaabaarata, Prince Yudhisthira, the eldest of the pandavas, at
the end of the war approached Bheeshma Pitaamaha, when the mighty
grandsire of the Kuru family was lying on the bed of arrows,
unconquered and in conquerable, awaiting the scared hour of his
departure to the feet of the lord. Yudhishthira, the righteous, asked
six questions, Bheeshma, the constant devotee of Krishna, the
gigantic Man of Action, calmly answered them all. This is how we find
the "Thousand Names of Lord Vishnu" introduced in the immortal
classic of the Hindus, the Mahaabaarata.
For the eradication of all obstructions, I meditate ("dhyayeth") on
Vishnu, who is wearing ("dharam") a white ("shukla") cloth
("ambara"), who is of the color ("varnam") of the moon ("sashi"), who
has four ("chatur") arms ("bhujam"), and who has a placid expression
("prasanna") on His face ("vadanam").
Shree Vaisham pãyana uvacha:
Shruthvã dharmãna séshéna pãvananicha sarvashaha
Yudhishtara shanthanavam punarévãbya bashatha
Vaisampayana, the narrator to Dhritrastra says: Yudhishthira, as a
righteous man ("dharamana") of spiritual inclination, with the mortal
integrity ("paavanaani") of a careful mortal, asks ("bhaashatha")
Bhishma ("shaantanavam") quite an interesting set of questions which
are typical queries which the heart of seekers will always ask.
Yudhishtira uvacha
Kimékam daivatham loke kim vápyekam parãyanam
Sthuvantha kam kamarchanda prapnuyur mãnavã shubam
Who ("kim") is the greatest ("ekam") Lord ("daivatam") in the world
("loke")?
Who is the one ("ekam") refuge ("paraayanam") for all?
By glorifying ("sthuvantah") whom ("kam") can man ("manavah") reach
the Auspiciousness ("shubam") (peace and prosperity)?
By worshipping ("archantah") whom can a man reach
auspiciousness (peace and prosperity)?
Ko dharma sarva dharmãnam bhavatha paramo mathaha
Kim japan muchyathé janthur janma samsãra bandhanãth
What ("ko") is, in thy opinion, the Greatest Dharma?
By ("kim") doing japa of what can "creatures" (jantu) go beyond
("mutchyate") the bonds ("bandhanaath") of samsara?
Shree Bheeshmã Uvacha
Jagath prabhum deva devam antham purushothamam
Sthuvan nãma sahasréna purusha saththo thithaha
The supreme ("uttamam") Purusha, who is ever up and working for the
welfare of all, the Lord ("prabhum") of the world ("jagat") the
endless ("anantam") ? Sri Maha Vishnu.
Thameva chãr chayanth nithyam bhakthya purusha mavyayam
Dhayãyan sthuvan namasyamsha yajamãnas thamevacha 10
By meditating upon ("sthuvan naama"), by ("cha") worshipping
("archayan") and by prostrating at the same Purusha, man can reach
true Auspiciousness.
Anãdhinidhanam vishnum sarva lokamahesvaram
Lokãdhyaksham sthuvan nithyam sarva dhukkã thigo bhavéth
The greatest Dharma is the one Vishnu, who has neither a beginning
(Aadi) nor an end (Nidhanam), the supreme Lord ("maheshwaram") of the
world. All creatures can go beyond the bonds of samsar, "and he goes
beyond all sorrows" who daily ("nityam") chants ("stuvan") the
sahasranaamas and within glorifies "the knower of the world"
(Lokaadhyaksha).
Brahmanyam sarva dharmangyam lokãnãm keerthivardhanam
Lokanãtham mahath bhootham sarva bhootha bhavothbhavam
Esha mé sarvadharmãnãm dharmodhi kathamo mathaha
Yath bhakthyã pundari kãksham sthavai rar-chén nara ssatha
Paramam yo mahath teja paramam yo mahath thapaha
Paramam yo mahath brahma paramam ya parãyanam
He who is the great ("mahat") effulgence ("tejah"); He who is the
Great controller ("tapah"); He who is the Supreme All-Pervading
Truth; ("brahma") he who is the Highest (Param) Goal (Ayanam)-the
Lord Vishnu.
Pavithrãm pavithram yo mangalãnãncha mangalam
Daivatham dévathãnãncha bhoothãnãm yovyaya pithã 15
He who is ("yo") the very sanctity ("pavitram") that sanctifies all
sacred things ("pavitraanaam"); he who is most auspicious
("mangalam"); he who is the god ("devataa") of gods ("daivatam"); he
who is the eternal ("avyayah") father ("pitaa") of all creatures
("bhootaanaam") is the one god ? VISHNU.
Yatha sarvãni bhoothãni bhavanthyãdhi yugãgamé
Yasmimscha pralayam yãnthi punaréva yugakshayé
Thasya loka pradhãnasya jagan-nãdhasya bhoopathé
Vishnor nama sahasrm mé srunu pãpa bhayãpaham
Yãni nãmãni gounãni vikyãthãni mahãthmanaha
Rushibhi parigeerthãni thãni vakshãyãmi bhoothayé
Rushirnãmnãm sahasrasya védhavyãso mahãmunihi
Chchando-nushtup thadha dhévo bhaghavãn dhévagee-suthaha
Amruthãm soothbhavo bheejam shakthir dhévaki nandhanaha
Thrisãmã hrudhayam thasya shãnthyarthé viniyujyathe 20
Vishnum jishnum mahãvishnum prabhavishum mahéswaram
Anaika roopa dhaithyãntham namãmi purushoth-thamam
----------------------------------------------------------Meanings of
the Dialogue------------------------------------------------
Yudhistirau Uvaachaa:
(Question 1.) Kim ekam daivatam loke?
Who ("kim") is the greatest ("ekam") Lord ("daivatam") in the world
("loke")?
(Answer 1.)
Pavitraanaam pavitram yo
Mangalaanaam cha mangalam
Daivatam devataanam cha
Bhootaanam yo avyayah pitaa.
He who is ("yo") the very sanctity ("pavitram") that sanctifies all
sacred things ("pavitraanaam"); he who is most auspicious
("mangalam"); he who is the god ("devataa") of gods ("daivatam"); he
who is the eternal ("avyayah") father ("pitaa") of all creatures
("bhootaanaam") is the one god ? VISHNU.
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(Question 2. ) Kim vaapyekam paraayanam?
Who is the one ("ekam") refuge ("paraayanam") for
all?
(Answer 2.)
Paramam yo mahat-tejah Paramam yo mahat-tapah
Paramam yo mahat-brahma Paramam yah paraayanam.
He who is the great ("mahat") effulgence ("tejah"); He who is the
Great controller ("tapah"); He who is the Supreme All-Pervading
Truth; ("brahma") he who is the Highest (Param) Goal (Ayanam)-the
Lord Vishnu.
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(Question 3.) Stuvantam kam praapnuyuh (
Maanavah subham)?
By glorifying ("sthuvantah") whom ("kam") can man ("manavah") reach
the Auspiciousness ("shubam") (peace and prosperity)?
Answer 3.
Jagat-prabhum deva-devam
Anantam purushottamam
Stuvan naama-sahasrena
Purushah satatotthitah.
The supreme ("uttamam") Purusha, who is ever up and dong for the
welfare of all, the Lord ("prabhum") of the world ("jagat") the
endless ("anantam") ? Sri Maha Vishnu.
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Question 4. (Kam archantah) praapnuyuh Maanavaah subham?
By worshipping ("archantah") whom can a man reach
auspiciousness (peace and prosperity)?
Answer 4. Tameva cha archayan nityam
Bhaktyaa purusham avyayam
Stuvan naama-sahasrena
Purushah satatthitah.
By meditating upon ("sthuvan naama"), by ("cha") worshipping
("archayan") and by prostrating at the same Purusha, man can reach
true Auspiciousness.
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Question 5. Ko dharmah sarva-dharmaanaam
Bhavatah paramo matah?
What ("ko") is, in thy opinion, the Greatest Dharma?
Question 6. Kim japan muchyate jantuh
Janma-samsaara-bandhaaat?
By ("kim") doing japa of what can "creatures" (jantu) go beyond
("mutchyate") the bonds ("bandhanaath") of samsara?
Answers 5&6.
Anaadi-nidhanam vishnum
Sarvaloka-maheshvaram
Lokaadhyaksham stuvan nityam
Sarva-duhkha-atigo bhavet.
Both questions are answered here: - the greatest Dharma is the one
Vishnu, who has neither a beginning (Aadi) nor an end (Nidhanam), the
supreme Lord ("maheshwaram") of the world. All creatures can go
beyond the bonds of samsar, "and he goes beyond all sorrows" who
daily ("nityam") chants ("stuvan") the sahasranaamas and within
glorifies "the knower of the world" (Lokaadhyaksha).
The supreme is described as that from which the whole world of names
and forms had risen in the beginning of the creation, that in which
the world continues to exit, that into which alone the world can
merge back during the `Dissolution' (Pralaya); this supreme is VISHNU.
After thus answering all questions, "His thousand Name", said
Bheeshma, "I shall now advise you. Please listen to them with all
attention". This is how the Sacred Hymn, called as "The thousand
names of Lord Vishnu", is introduced in the Mahaabhaarata.
------------------------------------------------------END: Meanings
of the Dialogue------------------------------------------------
Extra Comments: The Supreme cannot be defined and since He is the
very substratum of all qualities, He cannot be denominated by any
name, or indicated by any term, or defined in any language, or ever
expressed, even vaguely, in any literary form. He is beyond both
the "Known" and the "Unknown". He is the very illumining Principle of
Consciousness that illuminates all experiences.
And yet He has many manifestations and, therefore, He can have
infinite names in terms of His manifestations. Definitions should
directly describe the thing defined, and here we have a thousand
indirect definitions with which the Real, the Infinite is being
indicated in terms of the unreal and the finite. These "Thousand
names of the Lord" have been coined and given out by the Rishis. They
were collected and strung together into a joyous Hymn to Vishnu, a
garland of devotion and reverence, by the poet-seer Vyaasa.
Since each of them is thus an indicative definition of the unknown in
terms of the known, each term here is believed to rocket-us up into
the realms of the divine experience, only when we have lifted our
minds towards it through contemplation. Thus the Vishnu Sahasranaama
is employed not only by the devotees, in the sweet attitude
of `sporting with the Lord', but these are also employed by the
contemplative students of philosophy, as gliders to roam in the
realms of inspired Higher Consciousness.
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More commentary: In the Kali-Santarana Upanishad, which is one of the
minor Upanishads, we find the great devotee Naarada approaching
Brahmaaji to enquire what is the way out for man to evolve in these
hard days of extrovertedness, which is quite natural and unavoidable
in the Iron-age (Kaliyuga)."Repetition of the names of Naaraayana is
sufficient enough", was the reply given.
It is to be carefully noted here that in the sixth question the
enquiry was how can `creatures' realise the Highest. Jantu
means `that which is born' (Janana-dharman). So all living creatures
are fit for this easy path. `Creatures' could even include the animal
kingdom as it is described in the Puraanas in their own poetic
language. In the Trikutaachala lake, the elephant that was caught by
the crocodile is described as having been saved by the Lord (Gajendra
Moksha). The story of Jadabharata is yet another example.
Sankara in his commentary describes here Japa as comprehensive of all
the three types. (A) That which can be heard by others; (B) That
which is heard by ourselves; (C) That which is mental.
Vishnu Sahasranaama can be employed in performing Japa of all these
three kinds.
In the following "Thousand Names", we meet with, though rarely, some
repetitions. Exactly 90 names have been repeated in this Great Hymn;
and of them, 74 are repeated twice, 14 are repeated thrice, and again
2 of them are found to have been repeated four times. Sometimes, the
terms are repeated as such Vishnu- Vishnu, Siva-Siva etc. and
sometimes different words with the same meaning are also employed
(Sreepati- Maadhava; Pushkaraaksha- Kamalaaksha). These need not be
considered as a defect, since this Hymn is a chant of His Glory .In a
chant of glory (stuti) repetitions are acceptable-it is but a style
of the emotional heart to repeat its declarations of love.
There are exactly 1,031 single "Names" of the Lord in the 1000-Name-
Chant (Sahasranaama). The extra 31 Names are to be considered each as
an adjective qualifying (Viseshana) the immediately following noun.
When one makes Archanaa to the Lord the correct dative case is to be
used. There are 20 double-names in the first 500 Names and 11 double-
names in the second half of the chant. There is one indeclinable
(Avyaya) word used, and it (896th) should be used in the dative for
Archanaa as Sanaat Namah; so too the 929th Name in the chant, being a
plural noun, should be used in Archanaa as Sadbhyo Namah.
It will also be found, as we study the significances of these Divine
names, that Vyaasa has employed sometimes masculine gender, on other
occasions feminine gender and some other times even neuter gender.
Wherever it is masculine. , it denotes Vishnu, the Lord of Lakshmi.
and when it is feminine it is indicative of His Might. Glory or power
(devataa) that is manifest everywhere, and when the term is in neuter
gender, it means Pure Brahman, the infinite Reality.
This Archanaa is generally performed by devotees daily; if this is
not convenient they perform this worship at least on their own birth-
days, on eclipse days and on the day on which the Sun moves from one
zodiac to another (the Samkraanti-day). This performance has been
prescribed by the Sastra for warding off troubles arising from the
position of planets, anger of the rulers, incurable diseases and
ruthless enemies. The highest effect is for purifying the mind and
thus gaining more and more inner-poise for the Saadhaka in meditation.
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INSTALLATION OF THE LORD
All ritualisms start in Hinduism with a beautiful function-the
installation of the Lord in the devotee's own physical form. This is
technically called as Anga-Nyaasa and Kara-Nyaasa. The "Installation
in the Limbs", and the "Installation in the Palm". This is a method
by which the seeker with wilful thoughts and deliberate physical
signs sanctifies himself to be a Divine Temple and installs various
sacred deities in himself.
This helps the student to realise that though he is worshipping the
Lord as a Goal (or an Ideal) other than himself (bheda or anya), in
fact, he is to seek his identity with no traces of differentiation
(Abheda or Ananya), between himself and the Lord. The final
realization is a perfect identity indicated in the Mahaavaakya. "I am
Brahman". (Aham Brahmaasmi).
Neither in the Northern texts nor in the original Mahaabhaarata do we
find this `subjective installation ceremony' (Anga-Nyaasa)
prescribed. However, pundits of ritualism in the South employ the
Anga-Nyaasa; and it being such a beautiful act, so very helpful to
the seekers, we give here below the most popular one practised widely
in the South.
This "Installation Ceremony" declares to the devotees that the
enchanting form of Vishnu is to be ultimately realised as One
Infinite Reality without names or forms-in which the recognition of
even the distinction of the meditator-meditated- meditation is to
cease. Beside this deep significance, even though it be only for the
time being, the student is also given a sense of purity and sanctity
in himself. Just as a devotee feels highly inspired in the divine
atmosphere of a sacred temple, so too, after the Anga-Nyaasa, however
shattered we might have been, before we entered the Pooja-room, we
can artificially work ourselves up into a divine mood of peace and
purity.
The body itself is rendered as the temple of the Lord, wherein the
various limbs become the altars upon which, with a heart of love and
faith, the devotee invokes and installs various deities. In this
process, in order to bring the full blast of the sacred suggestions
to him, the repetition of each of these mantras is emphasised by a
corresponding physical sign. The idea is only, as we have already
explained, to establish the correct mood for devoted contemplation.
A. asya Vishnu-sahasranaama-stotrasya veda-vyaasa Rishih
For this sacred chant, the "Thousand Names of Lord Vishnu", Sri Veda
Vyaasa is the divine Rishi.
Great mantras of deep spiritual significance and sublime Vedic
dignity are not mere poetic compositions by mortal fallible
intellects. When a. mastermind through meditation transcends the
lower levels of his personality and soars into the higher mental
altitudes, through his contemplation, there he `receives'
certain `revelations' that are faithfully repeated by them to the
world. Such `heard' statements (Srutam) alone have the power to stand
against the onslaught of the intellect, the ravages of time, the
forces of criticism etc.
Such statements when contemplated upon by lesser seekers, they too,
in the spiritual cadence of these mantras, get unconsciously uplifted
into realms unknown, and there they come to live a world of
experiences unfrequented by the ordinary multitudes. The `author of
the mantra' is thus termed in our Vedas as the `Seer' (Mantra-
Drashtaa). Such Rishis themselves admit that they did not
manufacture, compose or create the mantra, but they had a revelation
or vision (Darsanam) of the mantra.
The Mantra- Drashtaa, the Rishi, is the guru of the seeker, who is
seeking his path with the help of that particular mantra. The Rishi
of a mantra is installed at the roof of the head and the seeker, in
his seat of Vishnu-Sahasranaama-chanting,
Symbolism: ... chants this mantra in his mind, and, with his right-
hand thumb, middle-finger and ring-finger touches the top of his
head.
B. Anushtup Chandah
The metre ("chandah") in which the revealed mantra comes to the
teacher is also mentioned because it orders the discipline that
should be followed while chanting the mantra. Anushtup is the name of
the particular metre in which this thousand-name- chant on Vishnu is
sung. The chant is to come out through the mouth, and therefore,
the `altar of the metre' can be only the mouth.
Symbolism: The fingers that were touching the roof of the head now
come down to touch the lips, when the mantra `B' is repeated in the
mind by the seeker.
C. Sri Vishvaroopo Mahaavishnur-Devataa
Lord Vishnu of the form of the entire universe of variegated names
and forms (Vishva-roopah) is the deity of the mantra. Vishnu is the
theme of the chant. The Lord of Vaikuntha is the altar at which the
devotee is preparing to offer himself in humble dedication and utter
surrender.
Symbolism: Since Lord Vishnu is, to the devotee, the Lord of his
heart, the very centre of his personality, while chanting mentally
the mantra 'C' the student, installs the Lord in his heart, bringing
the fingers from the lips down to touch his bosom.
D. Devakee-nandanah srashteti Saktih
Every deity is a manifestation of the mighty Omnipotency of the
Supreme. The creator and sustainer (Srashtaa) of Dharma, the son of
Devaki (Devakeenandana), is the manifested power ("shaktih") of the
Almighty.
Symbolism: This creative power of righteous-ness and peace is
installed at the navel (naabhi) point, and, therefore, the fingers
come down from the heart region to the navel.
E. Sankha-bhrit nandakee chakree iti Keelakam
The mighty Creative Power invoked and established on the navel region
cannot be as such conceived by the mind. Therefore, to `nail' it down
(Keelakam) and establish it in our comprehension, this mantra
conceives ("udbavah") the Power as the Lord, who bears the Conch
("shanka"), the Sword, named Nandaka, and the Discus ("chakra"). This
is only to show how the total cosmic Power, expressed in terms of our
present understanding as creation, sustenance, and destruction, is
but a manifestation of the Lord. The conch (Sankha) represents
the `call' of the Reality, the Lord's own declarations stated in the
scriptures. Nandaka, the sword that punishes to bring joy (Nandana)
into the community and the destruction, without which evolution is
impossible, is represented by the concept of the Discus (Chakra).
Here it is also to be noted that the blowing or the conch represents
speech; wielding the sword represents action and the discus that
takes off from Him at His will, represents his thoughts. Thus this
great Power installed at the navel expresses itself in the world
through speech, action and thought.
Symbolism: To conceive fully this form is to hold firmly the Lord's
own feet, and, therefore, when this mantra is mentally chanted, the
fingers move away from the navel, and with both hands the seeker
touches his own feet.
Here it is to be carefully noted how:
the Guru is kept at the roof of the head,
the Veda (metre) in the mouth,
the Lord in the heart,
the Power in the navel and, thereby, the seeker himself becomes so
sacred that he prostrates unto himself by holding his own feet.
F. Saarnga-dhanvaa-gadaa-dhara iti Astram
Whenever there is a large wealth in a box it becomes a treasure and
it is locked and safely protected; when this divine installation has
taken place, and therefore, the body has become the Temple of the
Almighty, and therefore, it has become a scared treasure house to be
protected. But the seeker himself has no power to protect, and so, he
invokes the very weapon (Astra) of Vishnu, the protector of the
world, to stand by for the defence of the sanctified bosom. Saarga is
the name of the Bow (Dhanus) of Vishnu and the Mace (Gadaa) is
another of his weapons. These two form the artillery of defence;
which are manned by the Lord himself.
Symbolism: At this moment when this mantra is mentally chanted, it is
significant that the student lifts the palm away from the feet, and
with the stretched out index and middle fingers of the right palm
snaps them on the open left palm.
G. Rathaangapaanir-akshobhya iti Netram
Lord Vishnu as Lord Krishna played the part of the charioteer and
gained the name "Rein-handed" (Ratha-anga-paani). A charioteer has to
guide every step of every horse in order that the chariot be safe,
and the travel be pleasant. Of the sense organs, the eyes ("netram")
are the most powerful and once they are well guided, all others also
follow their heels. When Lord Vishnu, the charioteer, Himself is
installed in the eyes ("netram"), the individual is safe
("rakshobya") in his spiritual pilgrimage.
Symbolism: Therefore, invoking the Divine Driver, with reins in his
hand (Rathaangapaani), He is installed in the pair of eyes, and at
the moment of mentally chanting this, both the eyes are touched by
the tip of the fingers.
H. Trisaamaa saamagah saameti Kavacham
He (Tri-Saamaa) who is glorified by all the three ("tri") types, of
Saama songs (Deva-Vrata-Prokta), He who is the very theme that is
glorified by the Saama songs (Saamagah), He whose glory itself is the
manifested Sama Veda (Saama), He is none other than the Supreme This
great Lord is installed a, an armour ("kavacham") to wear for self-
protection.
Symbolism: While chanting this in the mind the seeker first touches
with the tip of his finger, of each arm, the same shoulders, and
afterwards crosses the arm, in front of him making fingers of each
palm touch the other shoulder-as if he is actually wrapping himself
and wearing the divine armour.
I. Anandam brahmeti Yonih
The Supreme ("para") Brahman, the Infinite Bliss ("anandam") is
("eti") the very womb (Yonih) from which the universe has emerged
out. The procreated world of endless variety has only one Eternal
Father, and this source is immaculate Bliss. When this is chanted the
seeker installs the Bliss Infinite at the very place of procreation
in himself. It is a spot in this great divine temple of the body,
wherein is the one source, from which the world has emerged out,
manifesting itself as the power of procreation (Taittireeya).
J. Visvaroopa iti Dhyaanam
The entire band of experience gained through the instruments of the
body, mind and intellect in terms of perceptions, emotions and
thoughts together is indicated by the term Visva. He, who has
manifested to be the total world of experiences (Visva), must
therefore be Visvaroopah. The cosmic form of the Lord (Visvaroopa) is
the total universe. Thus to meditate (Dhyaanam) upon Him as the whole
universe, is a method of installing Him in our intellect.
Symbolism: At this moment the student locks his fingers and sits in
meditation.
K. Ritam sundarasnah kaala iti Dikbandhah
Truth (Ritam), the lord, and his weapon, the discus, called
Sudarsana, and his annihilating power, Time (Kaala)-these three are
the mighty forces that guard this scared temple of life in the seeker
at the outer frontier of his world of influence (Dik-Bandhah). To be
truthful and ever to seek the great Reality (Ritam), to discriminate
and see the play of the Lord in all situations (Su-Darsanam), and to
control the very instrument of the time (Kaala), which is intellect
in the seeker, is to guard the frontiers of one's spiritual world,
against the hoards of inimical forces.
Symbolism: At this moment the student snaps his middle finger with
the help of his thumb and runs his palm around his head.
L. Sree-mahaa-vishnu-preetyarthe jape Viniyogah
Having thus installed through sankalpa the Lord in himself and having
come under the protecting wings of the mighty lord, here is the
declaration how he is going to employ himself in it. He is going to
engage himself (Viniyoga) in japa (jape) of the "Thousand Names of
Lord" ("sahasra-naama"). Now the question is: with what motive should
be undertake this chanting? The answer is in the very statement that
it is only for the grace (Preetyarthe) of Sree Maha Vishnu.
Symbolism: After chanting this declaration in the mind, the saadhaka,
takes a spoon of water (Teertham) in his right palm and pours it on
the floor in front of him.
A true seeker is not desire-ridden for material satisfaction, and,
therefore, he can have only one intention-the grace of lord, which
will manifest in him as contemplative power.
These twelve `slogans' are chanted for invoking and installing these
refreshing and spiritually benign ideas on the limbs of the devotee
himself. At this juncture this makes him inspired sufficiently for
higher meditation upon the truth as indicated and directed by the
thousand terms in Sahasranaama.
This beautiful subjective ritual is known as `Installation on the
limbs' (Anga-nyaasa). Not only that the student temporarily discovers
a new surge of inspiration, but even beginners feel highly relieved,
at least temporarily, from the load of his senses of `sins'. When
this is properly performed with a right attitude and devotion, the
student gains identification (saaroopya) with the Lord of his heart,
at the outer levels of his personality.
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THE MEDITATION STANZA
saantaakaaram bhujaga-sayanam
padmanaabham suresam
"We meditate ("vande") upon the master ("naatham") of the universe
("sarva-lokaika"), lord Vishnu, who is ever peaceful ("shaanta-
aakaaram"), who lies on the great serpent-bed ("bhujaga-shayanam"),
from whose navel ("nabhi") springs the lotus ("padma") of the
creative power, who is the controller ("eesham") of the gods ("sura").
visvaadhaaram gagana-sadrisam
megha-varnam subha-angam
... whose form ("aakaaram") is the entire universe ("vishwa"), and
who is the foundation ("aadhaaram") for the universe. who is all
pervading ("sadrusham") as the sky("gagana"), of the hue ("varnam")
of the cloud ("megha"), of fascinating beauty ("shuba-angam"),
Laksmikantam Kamalanayanam
Yogibhir-dhyaana-gamyam
... the lord ("kaantam") of Laksmi, the lotus ("kamala") eyed
("nayanam"), he who dwells in the hearts ("bhir") of the yogis and
who can be approached ("gamyam") and perceived through meditation
("dhyaana"),
vande vishnum bhava-bhaya-haram
sarva-lokaika-naatham.
We pray to ("vande") to Lord Vishnu, he who is the destroyer
("haram") of the fear ("bhaya") of samsara ("bhava") and the Lord of
all ("sarva") the worlds ("loka").
This is the meditation upon the form of the lord, visualising Him
thus in His, all-Comprehensive nature, and meditating upon Him, the
seeker starts the vishnu-sahasranaama chanting.
(Approximate meanings:
Whose body is of the dark ("shyamam") like the clouds ("megha").
He lives ("vaasam") in the pure ocean of milk ("peeta-kousheya").
He has Lakshmi ("sri") in his chest ("vatsangam"). )
["shanka" = conch, "chakram" = discus; "kireeta" = crown; "kundalam"
= ear-rings,
"peeta" = yellow, "vastram" = clothes; "saraseeruha-ekshanam" = lotus-
like eyes;
"sahaara" = wide; "vakshasthala" = chest; "kaustubha" = gem stone;
"namaami" = i pray; "sirasaa" = bow down with my head; "chatur-
bhujam" = to the four-handed one;
"chandra-aananam" = moon-faced; "baahum" = hands ]
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Stanza 1
Om visvam vishnur- vashatkaaro
bhoota-bhavya-bhavat-prabhuh
bhoota-krit bhoota-bhith bhaavo
bhootaatmaa bhoota-bhaavanah
(1) Visvam - He whose manifestation is the whole universe of forms:
the Viraat-Purusha. The cause is always present in the effects and as
such That Form from which the whole universe has emerged out can only
be its own manifestation. The whole cosmos of gross forms is His own
expression, and therefore, He is called as Viraatpurusha. `Sa eva
Sarva- Bhootaatmaa Visvaroopo Yato-Avyayah'. The Sanskrit term Visvam
comes from the root Vis, to enter: Thus it means He who has created
and entered into the entire universe, as the All-Pervading Reality.
It can also mean, That into which the entire universe has entered to
remain therein established. In the Upanishads also we have assertions
of similar ideas. It is only when intellectually, we view the Lord
that we come to recognise Him as the `cause' for the universe. When
viewed through contemplation, since the effect is nothing other than
the cause, there can be no world other than Him. In fact, there is
nothing other than the Supreme. In the Mandukya Upanishad we
read `Omkaara Evedam Sarvam'. In Geeta `OM ltyekaaksharam Brahma'.
(2) Vishnuh -The term Vishnu is dissolved as Veveshti Vyaapnoti iti
Vishnuh-That which pervades everywhere is Vishnu. That which has the
nature of pervasiveness is Vishnu. He is the one who pervades all and
nothing ever pervades Him. `Eesaavaasyam Idam Sarvam'-All this is
indwelt, pervaded by the Lord. This very same idea is described in
the typical style of the Puranas, in the incarnation of the Lord as
Vaamana, the short-boy (Vamana), who, with His three feet, measured
the entire universe. Because of this act, the Lord got the name
Vishnu, says Mahaabhaarata. Vishnu Purana (3-1) says: The root Vis
means `to enter'. The entire world of things and beings is pervaded
by Him and the Upanishad emphatically insists in its mantra `whatever
that is there is the world of change'. Hence it means that He is not
limited by space (Desa), time (Kaala) or substance (Vastu).
(3) Vashatkaarah - ln the ritualistic portion of the Vedas we find
many mantras ending with `vashat' and they are used in pouring
devoted and dedicated oblations. Thus the term Vashatkaara means: He
who is invoked, and for propitiating whom, the oblations are poured
in Vedic ritualism, using mantras ending with vashat.
Also Vashatkaara can mean yajna in its association and thus the term
in its suggestion can signify `He who is of the form of the Yajna'.
In the Upanishads also we find this meaning endorsed when the
Upanishad mantra says: "Yajno vai Vishnuh" - Yajna itself is Vishnu.
(4) Bhoota-bhavya-bhavat-prabhuh - He who is the Lord (Prabhu) of
the Past (Bhooita), the Future (Bhavya) and the Present (Bhavat).
Time is the concept of the intellect; it expresses itself in the
interval between experiences. Experiences are registered as thoughts
and thoughts are ever changing. This very change is known and
experienced by us. The knower of the change must be something other
than the change. Thus, He who is the Illuminator of all changes,
meaning the Consciousness (Aatman) is the Lord Vishnu. He is the One
who is not conditioned by time.
(5) Bhoota-krit -The Creator (Krit) of all creatures (Bhoota). This
word can be dissolved in two ways:
(a) One who creates the creatures (Bhootaani Karoti iti Bhoota- Krit)
or
(b) One who annihilates all creatures (Bhootaani Krindati iti Bhoota-
krit).
In both these cases, Brahman, the Supreme is the One Reality that
seems to function as the Creator, Sustainer or Destroyer, when He
functions through different gunas in the Total-Mind. Functioning
through a preponderance in Rajoguna, He becomes the `Creator';
through Sattvaguna the `Sustainer', and through Tamoguna, He Himself
expresses as the `Destroyer'.
Extra comments: Subjectively, the Atman functioning through my own
mind and intellect is I, the individuality. My personality entirely
depends upon the quality and texture of my own thoughts. I myself
become according to the moods of my mind the creator, sustainer and
annihilator of my world of experiences. He who manifests and
functions, in these three aspects, is the Supreme Vishnu.
(6) Bhoota-bhrit -One who nurtures ("brith") and nourishes all beings
(living creatures: "bhoota") in all their attitudes is this Great
Reality and, therefore, He is called as the Bhoota Bhrit. In Geeta
there is an elaborate description of this idea in the l5th Chapter
where the Lord points out how, He, as the light in the sun, fertility
in the earth, growth in the plants, nourishment in food, heat in
fire, -becomes Himself the `eater', and, therefore, how He Himself
presides over all the functions of the body and mind, and apparently
nurtures and nourishes the creatures, who are in fact nothing other
than Himself.
(7) Bhaavah -One who `becomes' (Bhavati iti Bhaavah) Himself into the
movable and the Immovable beings and things in the world. He is the
Pure Existence in all the sentient organisms and the insentient
objects in the universe. Hence He is indicated by the term Bhaavah.
(8) Bhootaatmaa -He is the Aatman (soul) of all the beings
("bhoota"): The very `Be' in the living beings. Just as the same
universal space manifests in all rooms as the room-space, so the
Infinite Life manifesting through any given vehicle is called the
Aatman of the vehicle. It is well known that space everywhere is one
and the same; so too, the One Reality sports as though different
Aatmans. This One Universal Soul is called in Vedanta the Supreme
Brahman (Para-Brahman) .In Bhaagavata, the Lord is addressed as "You
are the One Self in all living creatures ever illumining all their
experiences.'' In Kathopanishad: "The One enchanting Truth that
revels in every form manifesting in plurality".
(9) Bhoota-bhaavanah -One who creates and multiplies the creatures;
meaning the One, who is the cause for the birth and who is
responsible for the growth of all living creatures.
Stanza 2
pootaatmaa paramaatmaa cha
muktaanaam paramaa gatih
avyayah purushah saakshee
kshetrajno akshara eva cha.
10) Poota-atmaa -One with an extremely Pure (Pootam) Essence; One who
is not affected the least by the impurities of Maayaa. The Self is
beyond all vaasanaas and, therefore, He cannot be affected by anyone
of the manifestations of Maayaa such as thoughts of the intellect,
emotions of the mind or the perceptions of the body. Immaculate is
ever the Self, and so He is termed as the Pure Self (Poota-Aatmaa).
(11) Parama-atmaa -The Supreme, meaning that which transcends all
limitations and imperfections of matter: in short, the Transcendental
Reality. The Spirit is other than matter, and that in its presence,
the vestures of matter, borrowing their dynamism from Him, play their
parts rhythmically at all times. This has been the assertion found
chorusly repeated in all the Upanishads and in the entire Vedantic
literature. Sankara in Aatma Bodha points out that the Self is other
than the three bodies and that He functions in the microcosm as a
king in the nation. It was also said therein that matter borrows its
energy from the Spirit and continues its activity "as the world from
the Sun".
Kathopanishad and the Geeta guide us from the outer levels of our
personality, stage by stage, into the inner-most sanctum, and there,
the teachers declare, is He the Infinite, transcending all, reigning
in His own glory. "In short, that which remains other than the cause
and effect-Maayaa and matter-is He, the Parama Aatman. In Vishnu
Purana this Supreme is glorified as Maha Vishnu (Paramaatmaa)"-Vishnu
Purana 6.4.10...
(12) Muktaanaam paramaa gatih -He who is the final Goal ("parama
gathi"), that is reached by all the liberated souls ("mukta"). The
limitations and bondages lived through by man are in fact the destiny
of the matter vestures. Through delusion of non-understanding, we
identify with them and come to suffer the consequent sense of
imperfections. To liberate ourselves from the thraldom of matter is
to realize the Self. Hence the Truth is defined as the Supreme Goal
of the emancipated.
This `Goal' to be attained is called as `Gati' in Sanskrit, "The
Supreme Goal" (Paramaa Gatih) would necessarily be then that Goal,
having reached which, there is no return:
"There where having gone, men never return, That sacred place is My
seat"-Geeta Ch. 15. St. 6. In Geeta. (Ch. 8. St. 6)
even more explicitly the same idea has been asserted by Sri Krishna
when He says:
"O Son of Kunti, having reached Me, there shall be no more any re-
birth".
Again, He defines the final Goal as "That having reached no return
again" ? Geeta Ch. 15, st.4.
(13) Avyaah ?"Vyaya" means destruction; destruction cannot be without
change; therefore, that which is "without destruction" (Avyayah) is
the changeless. The Indestructible, and therefore, changeless, can
never have any modifications (Parinaama). For, modification is but
the death of a previous condition and the birth of a new condition.
The Eternal and the Immutable (Avyayah) is the Supreme Sat-chit-
aananda, and every other thing and being come under the hammer or
change. The medium in which all these changes are sustained is
Brahman, the Immutable. The Upanishads glorify Him as "Ajaro Amaro
Avyayah"-without old age, death or change.
(14) Purushah -One who dwells in the Fort-city (Puri sete iti
Purushah). Herein metaphorically the Rishis conceive our body as a
fortress with nine gate-ways-"Nava Dvaarc Pure Dehee"-(Geeta Ch. 5,
St. 13) -and declare the One who rules within it, like a king, is the
Self.
This term can also be dissolved in two more different ways giving
more and more suggestions to the nature of the Self. Thus, Purusha
can mean "That which was before all creatures" -Puraa Aaseet iti
Purushah or it can be
"One who completes and fulfils the Existence everywhere", meaning,
without whom Existence is impossible (Poorayati iti Purushah).
This Aatman remains in the bodies of living creatures as their
individuality (Jeeva) and in all the activities, physical, mental and
intellectual, Aatman is not in fact involved but He is therein only
an observer of all that is happening. This will become clear in the
following discussion.
(15) Saakshee -Witness. In every day life he is a witness who without
any mental reservation or personal interest observes and watches what
is happening in a given field of experience. "Saakshaad Drashtari
Saakshee syaad-Amarakosa. "The `Knower' in every bosom is the same
Supreme Self", says Lord Krishna (Geeta Ch. 13, St. 3). Though thus
Consciousness illumines everything, It is only a Witness, as It knows
no change. Just as the sun illumines every thing in the world and yet
the Sun is not affected by the condition of the things it is
illumining, so too Vishnu, the Supreme, illumines all, without Itself
undergoing any change.
According to Paanini Sutras the word Saakshee is derived from "Sa
+akshi", meaning "direct perceiver".
(16) Kshetrajnah -One who knows the body and all the experiences from
within the body, is the Knower-of-the- field, Kshetrajnah. As
Brahmapurana would put it: Bodies are `fields' and the Atman
illumines them all without an effort, and therefore, is called Knower-
of-the-field, Kshetrajnah".
(17) Aksharah -lndestructible: things which are finite are
necessarily conditioned by time and space; the Infinite is
unconditioned, and so It is Aksharah. Since It is Indestructible, It
cannot come under the methods of universal destruction arising from
nature or through the wilful actions of man. "It cannot be cleaved by
instruments of destruction, nor can fire burn It, nor water drench
It, nor air dry It"-(Geeta Ch. 2, St. 23). It is also indicated that
the Supreme Brahman is the Akshara-"Aksharam Brahma Paramam" -(Geeta
Ch. 8, St. 3).
Please note that in the stanza there is the extra word `only' (Eva)
used, indicating that Kshetrajnah is the Aksharah; there is no
difference between them both: the "Knower-of-the-field" and
the "field".
Stanza 3
yogoh yoga-vidaam netaa
pradhaana-purushesvarah
naarasimha- vapuh
sreemaan kesavah purushottamah.
(18) Yogah -The one who is to be known or realized through yoga. By
withdrawing the sense organs from their objects of preoccupation,
when the mind of the seeker becomes quietened, he is lifted to a
higher plane-of-consciousness, wherein he attains "yoga", meaning
wherein he realizes the Reality. At such moments of equanimity and
mental quiet "yoga" is gained: Samatvam yoga uchyate- (Geeta Ch. 2,
St. 48).
Since He is experienced through Yoga He is known as Yogah.
(19) Yoga-vidaam netaa ?One who guides ("neta") all the activities of
all men `who knows yoga' (Yogaviti) .To all men of realization, He
who is the Ideal, is the Supreme Lord. Just as our activities are
today ordered by our selfishness and individuality, the Ideal that
commands and orders all activities in the bosom of a Man of
Realization is his God-Consciousness. This realm of experience is
Mahaa Vishnu. In the Geeta also we find the same idea expressed, in
the language of emotion, when the Lord says: "Those who contemplate
upon Me with total dedication, their daily welfare and spiritual
progress I shall bear".
(20) Pradhaana-purusha-eesvarah -Lord of both Pradhaana and Parusha.
The term Pradhaana means `maayaa'-the total cause for the entire
universe of forms.
The term Purusha indicates the individuality in each one of us-the
Jeeva.
Lord Eesvara means the Master (Eeshte iti Eesvarah).
The Lord of Maayaa and Jeeva means the one who makes both these
possible to exist and function. The One Infinite Reality which Itself
manifests as Maayaa, Jeeva and Eesvara is the Essence in Vishnu.
(21) Naarasimha-vapuh -One whose form ("vapuh") is half human
("nara") and half lion ("simha").This is the famous fourth
incarnation of Lord Vishnu which He took in order to destroy the
atheistic tyrant Hiranyakasipu and bless his devotee, Prahlaada.
(22) Sreemaan -One who is always with ("maan") Sree. Mother Sree is
Mother Lakshmi. In the Puranic terminology Lakshmi stands for all
powers, all faculties. The total manifested power potential in the
Omnipotent is Lakshmi. These powers are ever in Him and therefore, He
is the Sreemaan.
(23) Keshavah -He who has beautiful and graceful (Va) locks of hair
(Kesa) is familiar as in Lord Krishna's form. Or, it can also mean,
one who destroyed ("vah") the demon Kesin who was sent to destroy the
child-Krishna by his uncle Kamsa This interpretation is endorsed by
the Vishnu Purana, 5.16.23.
(24) Purushottamah -The constitution of the individuality, Jeeva,
when analysed, we find that it is made up of both the perishable-
matter and the Imperishable-Spirit. The Spirit expressing through
matter is the individuality, Jeeva. Reflected moon is the moon of the
heavens dancing on the surface of water. Just as the moon is
something different from its reflections and the water surfaces, so
too the Self is, in its transcendental nature, something different
from both matter, the perishable, and Spirit, the Imperishable, ever
playing in matter. This Transcendental Truth is indicated by the term
the Supreme Purusha (Purusha-uttama).
Stanza 4
sarvas-sharvas-sivah sthaanur
bhootaadir nidhir-avyayah
sambhavo bhaavano bhartaa
prabhavah prabhur-eesvarah.
(25) Sarvah -He who is the all. He being the One cause from which
have sprung forth all things and beings. He himself is the all. In
Mahabharata Udyoga Parva (70-12) we read: "As He is the origin and
end of all, whether existent or otherwise, and as He, at all times,
cognises all, He is called "Sarva". All waves rise from the same
ocean and, therefore, the ocean is the very essence in all waves.
(26) Sharvah - The Auspicious One: meaning, the One who gives
auspiciousness to those who hear of Him, to those who have a vision
of Him, and to those who meditate upon Him.
(27) Sivah -The One who is Eternally Pure. In Him can never be any
contamination of the imperfection of Rajas and Tamas. `Non-
apprehension of Reality' is Tamas and `misapprehensions of Reality'
constitute the Rajas. In the Reality Itself there can be neither of
them `He is Brahman; He is Siva', so the Upanishad declares of the
Absolute Oneness, which is Vishnu.
(28) Sthaanuh: -Generally this term Sthaanuh is used for the
permanent pillars that mark the frontiers of a country. They are
permanent, immovable, fixed. The Truth, that remains thus firm and
motionless, without movement, permanently established in Its own
Realm of Purity, is called by the term Sthaanuh-the Pillar. "Eternal,
All-Pervading, the Pillar, Motionless (is) this Ancient One," so says
Geeta Ch. 2, 24.
(29) Bhootaadih - The very cause ("aadi") for the five great
elements: Space, Air, Fire, Water and Earth.
(30) Avyayah Nidhih -The Imperishable treasure. The term Nidhi
means `that in which precious things are stored away or preserved
secretly': (Nidheeyate Asmin iti Nidhih). Therefore, He who is the
substratum-container-for the entire universe is the Nidhi. During the
dissolution (sleep) the One into Whom all things go to lie merged
therein temporarily, till the next projection or creation (waking),
as this Immutable Treasure Chest-the Vishnu. Here `unchangeable'
(Avyaya) is qualifying `Nidhi'.
(31) Sambhavah -One who takes up by his own free will various
incarnations for the glory of the world is Sambhavah. In fact, He
alone is the source of all that is created. In Harivamsa we read the
assertion: "I am the Narayana, the Source from which all creatures
and things spring forth". To uphold Dharma I shall manifest again
and again, declares the Lord in His Geeta:
(32) Bhaavanah -To do Bhaavana is to give: One who gives everything
to His devotees is Bhaavanah. The Lord is One who gives both joy and
sorrow to each one according to his deserts. In the case of humanity
it is He again who destroys the evil and blesses the good.
(33) Bhartaa -The One who `Governs' the entire living world.
Governing includes protecting the world from all harms and serving it
positively with progress and joy. One who does these to all creatures
at all times is Vishnu-the great Bhartaa.
(34) Prabhavah - The One who is the very womb of all the Five Great
Elements. It is That from which even the very concepts of time and
space have sprung from.
(35) Prabhuh -The Almighty Lord. He who is the All-Powerful. He who
has the supreme freedom to do (Kartum), not to do (Akartum), or to do
quite differently from what He had already done (Anyathaa Kartum) is
considered as the Prabhuh.
(36) Eesvarah -One who has the ability to do anything without the
help of other beings or things is called Eesvara.
Stanza 5
svayambhooh sambhur aadityah pushkaraaksho mahaasvanah
anaadi-nidhano dhaataa vidhaataa dhaaturuttamah.
(37) Svayambhooh -The one who manifests Himself from Himself is
considered as self-made. Everything born or produced must have a
cause. The Supreme is the cause from which all effects arise, and
Itself has no cause. This un- caused Cause-of-all, this Ultimate
Cause, with reference to which every thing else is considered
as `effects' is in itself the Absolute Cause. This idea is indicated
by the term Self-made (Svayambhooh).
(38) Shambhuh -He who brings Auspiciousness- both inner goodness and
outer prosperity to His devotees. Sambhuh is one of the famous names
of Lord Siva. By using this term in invoking Vishnu, by its
suggestion, it declares that Vishnu and Siva are not two Divine
Entities, but they are both manifestations of the One Essential
Reality.
(39) Aadityah-The Truth (Purusha) that glows with a golden splendour
in the solar system is called Aadityah. There are twelve Aadityas and
of them One is called Vishnu.
Krishna Himself declares, `I am Vishnu among the Aadityas' -
Aadityaanaam Aham Vishnuh- (Geeta Ch. 10, St. 21).
The word Aaditya can mean `Son of Aditi'-signifying the one who was
born as the son of Aditi in His Vaamana incarnation.
The term Aadityah can also mean in Sanskrit `One who is like the
sun'. The Sun is the one who illumines all, and every living creature
draws its nurture and nourishment directly or indirectly always from
the sun alone. In the same way Brahman is the one Sun in the universe
of living creatures illumining all experiences of all creatures.
(40) Pushkaraakshah -One who has eyes ("akshah") like the lotus
("pushkara"). Joy and Peace in the bosom of an individual are
expressed in the world outside at no other point so vividly as in the
eyes. The One, whose inner peace and joy, beaming out through His
eyes, bring into the devoted hearts all the aesthetic beauty and
romantic thrills of seeing a lotus dancing in the breeze, In short,
the term indicates the Lord who with His beautiful looks, magically
lifts all the sorrows in the devotee's heart and fills it with Peace,
Joy and Perfection.
(41) Mahaasvanah- One who possesses thundering ("mahaa") voice of
compulsion: "Svana" means `sound'. One whose `call' is thundered in
all hearts, familiarly known as the `compelling whisper' of the
Higher.
Or, Svanam can also mean `breath'; and so, the term can mean, `He
whose great breath is the very Vedas'. "Thus, O Maitreyee, this has
been breathed forth from this great Being what we have as Rigveda.
Yajurveda" -Brihadaaranyaka Upanishad (4.4.10). In the Spiritual
literature of India we often read Vedas described as His breath; He
breathed out the Vedas (Nih-svasitam).
(42) Anaadi-nidhanah ?One who has neither ("an") birth (Aadi) nor
death (Nidhanum). Thus One who is changeless is Anaadi-Nidhanam; for,
any change should include the death of an old condition and the birth
of newer condition. To the Immortal and the Immutable, change is
impossible.
(43) Dhaataa- One who is the Substratum for the world of names and
forms. And who supports all fields of experiences in all. He who is
the screen for the cinema of empirical experiences' (Visvam).
(44) Vidhaataa -The One who is the Dispenser of all `fruits-of-
actions'. In the Karma-kaanda portion of the Vedas, Eesvara is
described as the Dispenser of fruit (Karma- phala-daataa Eesvarah).
He is the Lord who is behind this universe of scientific truths and
rhythm. He is the One who has not only ordered the laws of the
nature, but he is the one afraid of whom, the phenomena dare not
disobey his laws anywhere at any time. The light of the sun, the
heart is the fire, the sweetness in the sugar, the pains in the sin
and the joy s in goodness, are all their `nature' and none dare ever
disobey these laws. The one who is thus the unquestionable law behind
the entire universe of laws is Vidhaata.
(45) Dhaatur-uttamah ?the fundamentals ("dhaatu") that form the
reinforcement on any existent thing are called Dhaatu. In science of
life, as explored by the Rishis, all corporal forms have risen form
and exist as composed of some definite `elemental factor' called the
Dhaatus. Of the end less varieties of Dhaatus available in existence,
the subtlest Dhaatu, without which no existence, is ever possible, is
the chit Dhaatu, and this is the Dhaatu-ruttamah.
Though very rarely, we do find some commentators splitting this word
into two as Dhaatu and uttama. But in the majority of the cases we
find it taken to form one term and explained as `the subtlest of the
Dhaatus'.
Stanza 6
aprameyo hrisheekesah padmanaabho-a- maraprabhuh
visvakarmaa manustvashtaa sthavishthah sthaviro dhruvah.
(46) Aprameyah ? He, who cannot be defined and explained in terms of
any logical term of reference with other things should necessarily be
inexpressible. A thing that can be directly perceived (Pratyaksha)
can be desired, certain other things, which we may not directly
perceive, but can be infer (anumaama) them from data available. And
there are yet things which can be brought home to the listener by
describing them in terms of similar other objects (Upamaa). Since the
infinite has no `Properties'. It cannot be perceived, nor can It
be "understood through inference." Nor even explained in terms of
similar or dissimilar things." Hence the supreme Reality, Vishnu, is
called as Aprameyah. We can experience him only by ending all sense
of separativeness and becoming one with Him.
(47) Hrisheekesah ?In the Puranic literature the meaning of the term
is `close-cropped' or `One who has coiled up his locks of hair'
(Hrissheeka+Eesa).
The term `Hrisheeka' is an absolute one now, and it means the "sense
organs". The Aatman, the self as Consciousness is the one who gives
light to all sense organs and, therefore, it is the lord of all sense
organs. This lord is Vishnu.
The obsolete word Hrisheeka also means the `rays' or that which gives
the joy'. Thus the term Hrisheekas can mean "the Lord of the rays":
the sun and moon. This way interpreted, commentators point out that
the term Hrisheekesah means He who has Himself becomes the Sun and
the Moon.
In His manifestation as the Sun and the Moon, the Lord Himself whips
the world to wakeful activities and sends the world to sleep and
rest. Thus Hrisheekesa in its deeper significance, is, to all
contemplative hearts, the Lord, who becomes Himself the world,
exhausts Himself in His activities, and ultimately packs His toys and
goes to rest at the time of dissolution.
(48) Padmanaabhah ? One from whose navel ("nabhi") springs the Lotus
("padma"), which is the seat of the four-faced Creator, Brahmaaji.
Lotus in Hinduism represents Truth or any of Its manifested powers.
The creative faculties in man flow from the navel area (center:
naabhi), and manifests as the `four-faced' inner equipment
(Antahkarana) constituted of the mind, intellect, Chit and ego.
In the Yoga-sastras, we find a lot of details regarding this concept.
According to them every "idea" springs from Him (Paraa), and then at
the navel area, each of them comes to be `perceived' (Pasyantee).
Thereafter they play in the bosom as thoughts (Madhayamaa), and at
last they are expressed (Vaikharee) in the outer fields-of ?activity.
In this discussion-upon the evolutionary stages through which
every "idea" becomes an "action" ? we gather a clearer insight into
the meaning of the symbolism of "the Creator seated on the lotus",
which springs forth from the navel of the Lord, the Supreme Vishnu.
(49) Amaraprabhuh -The Lord ("prabhu") of the Immortals ("a-mara"),
the Devas. The Denizens of the Heavens, including all the office
bearers therein (Dikpaalakas etc.) along with Indra, are
called `Devas', and they enjoy in their heavenly state a relative
immortality.
The devas live and continue functioning till the great dissolution-
the Sleep of the Creator. Compared with the short span of the
existence of man on this globe, the aeons through which the Devas
live can be considered as end- less or immortal.
One who serves them with His might, giving protection and security to
all creatures, is called, therefore, Amaraprabhuh.
(50) Visvakarmaa -The very creator-of the world-of-objects, of all
equipments-of-experiences, and of all experiences in all bosom-is
called the Visva-Karmaa. Herein the Infinite Lord is but a Witness of
all that is happening and though the experienced world is sustained
in Him, He is not involved in the imperfections or mortality, that
are happening all around at all times in the Visvam. "They are in Me,
I am not in them"-Geeta.
(51) Manuh -The term means One who has the ability to reflect upon
the Higher (Mananaseelah Manuh). Manu also means mantra and so, as
applied to the Lord, it can mean as the One who has manifested
Himself in the form of the Vedic mantras.
(52) Tvashtaa -One who makes gross things of huge dimensions into
minutest particles. At the time of the world's dissolution, the
entire gross-world folds back into its subtler elements until at last
pure objectless space alone comes to remain.
(53) Sthavishthah -lt is the superlative degree of gross (sthoola)
and thus `the Supremely gross' is the subtlest Reality. The
contradiction that it contains is itself its vigour and beauty. The
Infinite as the subtlest is All-Pervading in Its own nature. It is
this Maha- Vishnu who has Himself become the entire universe of gross
things and beings. Just as all waves are the ocean, the total world
of gross things is itself the form of Vishnu.
In His cosmic form, Narayana had manifested to Arjuna in he Geeta.
There the words of Arjuna's chant will clearly bring home to us that
the entire gross world is ever His own Divine form.
(54) Sthaviro Dhruvah -The Ancient (Sthavirah) and the Motionless or
firm (Dhruvah). He is called the `Ancient' because the very
first `unit of time' itself had risen from Him. He was the progenitor
of the very concept of Time in us. Therefore, `Time' cannot condition
Him. Thus He becomes the most Ancient. He is the `Firm Truth';
nothing that happens in the phenomenal world can affect Him at any
time.
Stanza 7
agraahyah saasvatah krishno lohitaakshah pratardanah
prabhootah trikakub-dhaama pavitram mangalam param.
(55) Agraahyah -That which cannot ("a") be perceived ("graahyah")
through the play of the sense organs; in short, that which is not
an `object' of perception, but which is the very `subject'-who is the
Perceiver in all that is perceived.
The `subject' can never become the `object', and hence Truth is
something that the sense organs cannot apprehend, as they do any
other sense-objects. He is the one `subject' ever-perceiving all
objects, through all sense-organs of all living creatures,
everywhere, at all times.
The Lord is the `subject', not only in the sense organs, but He is
the "feeler" in the mind and the "thinker" in the intellect.
And thus the sense organs cannot perceive It, nor the mind feel It,
nor the intellect apprehend It; says the Upanishad, "That from which
words retire unapproached along with the mind" is the Supreme. Hence
He is Agraahya-Imperceptible and Incomprehensible.
Kenopanishad is very clear and emphatic: "That which the eyes cannot
perceive, but because of which eyes are perceiving, understand That
to be Brahman (Maha Vishnu) and not that which you here worship."
(56) Saasvatah -That which remains at all times the same is the
Permanent, That which is permanent, should remain Changeless in all
the three periods of time. In short, He is unconditioned by time. The
Supreme Consciousness Itself is the very Illumminator of Time, and
the Illuminator can never be affected by what It illumines. This
changeless reality is Vishnu.
(57) Krishnah -The word Krishna means in Sanskrit `the dark'. The
Truth that is intellectually appreciated, but spiritually not
apprehended, is considered as `veiled behind some darkness'.
The root Krish means Existence (Sattaa) and na means Bliss (Aananda).
So says Vyasa in Mahabharata, Udyoga Parva 70, 5. Therefore Krishna
(Krish+na) means Existence- Bliss (Sattaa-Aananda). Thus, the very
name divine, `Krishna', represents the Supreme Paramaatman.
Or, because of His dark-blue complexion He is called as Krishna.
Mahabharata Santi Parva 343 says, "As My colour is dark-blue, I am
called Krishna, O Arjuna."
In Mahabharata, we find Krishna explaining Himself to Arjuna `when
the earth becomes shelled in by its hard crux I shall turn myself
into an iron plough-share and shall plough the earth.
Apart from the above meaning Krishna also means the Enchanter of all
His devotees (Aakarshana). Truth is One which irresistibly attracts
everybody towards Itself. Commentators have interpreted this
significance in a more attractive context. They conclude that Krishna
means One who sweeps away the sins in the heart of those who meditate
upon Him.
Truth has got a magnetism to attract to Itself all the ego and ego-
centric passions of the individual. In this sense viewed, we need not
consider Krishna as a deity of the farmyard in the agricultural
estates. The Lord ploughs the hard stupidities in us and prepares the
heart-field, weeding out all the poisonous growths of sin, and
cultivates therein-pure Bliss which is of the nature of Reality.
(58) Lohitaakshah -Red-eyed. Very often we find descriptions in the
Puranas, where the Lord is explained as having eyes like the red-
lotus (Hibiscus). Generally the ruddy eyes represent anger and the
incarnations are taken for the purpose of destroying the evil and so
His anger is towards the evil-minded materialists who live ignoring
the higher values of life.
(59) Pra-tarda-nah - The root Tarda means "destruction" and with the
prefix Pro the root (Pra-tarda) means "supreme destruction". One who
does this total destruction (Pratardanah) is the Lord in the form of
Rudra at the time of the great dissolution (Pralaya).
(60) Prabhootah -The term means `born full' or `ever-full'. He is
ever-full and perfect in His Essential Nature, as the Transcendental
Reality, or even when He manifests in the form of His various
incarnations. Especially in His chief and glorious incarnation as
Lord Krishna, He proved Himself to be ever full with His Omnipotency
and Omnisciency.
(61) Tri-kakub-dhaama -One who is the very foundation or support
(Dhaama) of the three ("tri") quarters (Kakubh). We find this is
generally commented upon and described as "all quarters, in the three
realms above, below and middle." Viewing this from the platform of
Vedanta, He must be considered by us as the three Planes-of -
Consciousness-the waking (Jaagrat), the dream (Svapna) and the deep-
sleep (Sushupti) conditions. The fourth Plane-of-Consciousness
(Tureeya) is the Substratum for all the other three planes.
(62) Pavitram ?One who gives purity to the heart. To the seekers who
are meditating upon Him, He gives inner purity, and hence He is known
as Pavitram.
Or, the term Pavi means; the weapon vajra (thunderbolt). One who
saves ("tram") his devotees from the thunderbolt of lndra is
Pavitram. This can also be interpreted as the "giridhara" episode
where the lord saves his devotees from Indra's wrath.
The thunderbolt is described as an instrument made out of the bone of
sage Dadheechi. Indra is the Lord of the lndriyas. In Vedanta Indra
signifies the mind. Mind's cross purposes, confusions, intellectual
compromises and the consequent self- cancellation of our mental
powers (Sankalpa-Vikalpa) can be the great thunderbolt of the mind
with which Indra (mind) can destroy in no time all the acquired tapas
of the saadhaka. Deep devotion, ardent meditation and firm faith in
the Lord Vishnu save the saadhaka from all such mental storms and,
therefore, the Lord acquires the significant name Pavitram
(63) Param Mangalam -Mangalam is that which not only removes the dark
pains of evil, but brings the bright joys of merit. Param Mangalam is
Supreme Mangalam, and It can be none other than He, by whose mere
remembrance all inauspiciousness gets lifted up and all
Auspiciousness comes to flood our hearts The Upanishad declares. "May
That Brahman-who removes all inauspiciousness in man and gives man
all auspiciousness, by a mere remembrance of Him -give us all
auspiciousness.
Stanza 8
eesaanah praanadah praano jyeshthah sreshthah prajaapatih
hiranya-garbho bhoo-garbho maodharo madhu-soodanah.
(64) Eesaanah ?"The Controller of all the five Great Elements". When
this term is used, Eesvara becomes the Administrator of His own Law
in the phenomenal world of plurality. The executive function of His
Infinite Will, when manifested through Him, the Lord. Eesvara, is
said to function as Eesaanah. Or, the term can also mean One who is
the Supreme Eesvara-the Paramesvara.
(65) Praanadah -One who gives (Dadaati) the Praanas to all. The term
Praanas used in philosophy indicated "all manifestations of Life in a
living body". The Source of Life from which all dynamic activities in
the living organisms of the world flow out, meaning, That from which
all activities emerge out is Praanadah.
Taittireeya Upanishad (2- 7) exclaims: "Who could then live. who
could breath" if He be not every- where."
(66) Praanah -That which sustains is Praana and that which has got
Praana functioning in it is called a Praanee. Since the Lord is
termed as this very same Praana, it means by its suggestion that He
is One who ever lives. The Immortal and the Eternal is Praanah.
The term can also mean that which gives Life-impulse even to the air;
the capacity to sustain life in the atmosphere flows from Him alone.
In the Kenopanishad we read the Supreme `Defined' as the "Praana of
Praanas" (Praanasya Praanah).
(67) Jyeshthah -Older than all. The Infinite is That which was even
before the very concept of space (Aakaasa) came into existence. The
term is the superlative degree of the Aged. In short, the import of
this term is the same as the more familiar term used in our sastras,
the Ancient (Sanaatanah).
(68) Sreshthah -The most Glorious One: Here again it is the
superlative degree of glorious, Sreyah.
(69) Prajaapatih -The Lord (Pati) of all living creatures
(Prajaah) .The term Prajas means `Children'. Therefore Prajaapati
means the Great Father, to whom all beings in the living kingdom are
His own children, In this sense, the term connotes One, who, as the
Creator, creates all creatures.
(70) Hiranyagarbhah -One who dwells in the womb (garbha) of the world
(Hiranya). The Upanishad declares: "All these are in-dwelt by the
Lord." The "Golden Universe" is an idiom in Sanskrit where `gold'
means "objects of fulfilment and joy". One who dwells in them all is
Hiranyagarbhah. The term can also mean as He who, having become first
the Creator, has come to he considered as the womb of all objects.
(71) Bhoogarbhah -One who is the very womb of the world (Bhooh) The
One from whom the world has emerged out. In the Cosmic Form of the
Lord, this world occupies an insignificant though sacred portion,
just as the foetus in the womb, constantly and lovingly nurtured and
nourished by the very Essence in the mother. Or, Bhooh = the earth:
the divine consort of Hari: Garbha = Protector.
(72) Maadhavah -The Lord of Maayaa, Spouse of Mahaalakshmee. Or, the
term can signify the One who is ultimately experienced through a
diligent practice of "Madhu technique": the very famous Madhu Vidyaa
of the Chandogya Upanishad. The term Maadhavah can also mean One who
is the Silent (Mauni); who is ever the Non-interfering Observer, the
Silent Witness of the physical, mental and intellectual activities in
the realm of change. To put it in one word, He is the One whom the
seeker experiences when he has stilled his mind which has been
purified by Yoga practices.
(73) Madhusoodanah -One who destroyed the great demon Madhu. The
story of Vishnu destroying these two demons, Madhu and Kaitabha, is a
story of secret suggestions in Mahabharata. Madhu also means in Veda
(Madhu=honey) as the fruits of actions (Karma-phala). Actions leave
impressions and these sensuous Vaasanaas are destroyed by meditations
on the Reality and so the Supreme gathers to Itself the name
Madhusoodanah: "the Destroyer of Vaasanaas."
Stanza 9
eesvaro vikramee dhanvee medhaavee vikramah kramah
anuttamo duraadharshah kritajnah kritir-aatmavaan.
(74) Eesvarah -One who is Omnipotent, and so has all powers in Him to
the full. The manifested powers of Life express themselves in every
intelligent man as the power of action in the body (Kriyaa Sakti),
the power of desire in the mind (Icchaa Sakti) and the power of
knowledge in the intellect (Jnaana Sakti). All these three powers are
manifestations of Him, and since He is the One everywhere, He is the
total mighty power-the Great Vishnu.
(75) Vikramee -One full of prowess (Vikrama), courage, daring. Or, it
can be One who has "Special foot steps". This term commemorates how
the Lord, as Vamana, measured with His tiny three steps all the three
worlds.
(76) Dhanvee -Lord Vishnu's Divine Bow is called `Saarnga' and it is
described as the mightiest among the weapons. One who is having this
Mighty Bow at all times is Dhanvee. It can also remind us of His
incarnation as Sree Ramachandraji, when, in order to protect the
world from the mighty Raakshasas of Lanka, He had to dedicate a
substantial part of His life almost constantly wielding his bow:
hence Sri Rama came to be known as Dhanushpaani; in His attitude of
protection He is known as Kodandaraama. Thus, the term Dhanvee, the
Wielder of the bow, is quite appropriate for Vishnu. "I am Sri Rama
among the Wielders of the bow" ?Geeta Ch.l0, St. 31.
(77) Medhaavee -Supremely intelligent; One who is capable of
understanding everything. One who has the capacity to comprehend
intellectually all that is happening around is called Medhaavee.
Since Consciousness is the One Light in all living creatures, which
illumines all intellects, and since Vishnu is this Infinite
Consciousness, He is the One Knower, knowing all things, at all
times, at once. Hence Sarasvati, the Goddess of Learning and
Knowledge is described as the very tongue of Vishnu.
(78) Vikramah -While describing the term Vikramee (75) we had already
explained the meaning contents of Vikrama, and thus Vikrama is an
appellation that had come to Vishnu as a result of His Supernatural
Act of measuring the universe with three steps.
Also, Vi means the "king-of-birds", the white-necked eagle; Krama
means steps and, therefore, `movement or travel'. In this sense
Vikrama can mean: "One who rides on the white- eagle (mind) is
Vishnu"-who is described as having Garuda for His vehicle (Vaahanam).
(79) Kramah -He who is All-Pervading is Kramah. Because of His All-
Pervasiveness, the Infinite is called as Vishnu. That which goes
beyond the frontiers of the known is the Supreme, and, therefore, in
the description of Him, who has manifested as the Cosmos, we have in
Purushasookta an indication that He not only pervades all that is
known but "extends even beyond by ten digits" (Atyatishthat
Dasaangulam).
(80) Anuttamah -One who is `incomparably Great' in glory-Anuttamah.
In the Sanskrit construction of the word, it means something more
than what we have said; it means: `He is one, beyond whom there
exists none who is greater than He (unexcelled). The Upanishad itself
describes Him: In Geeta (XI-43) we read: "For Thy equal exists not,
whence another superior to Thee?" In Sri Narayana Upanishad (12) we
again read, "There is nothing above or below, equal to Him".
(81) Duraadharshah -One who cannot be attacked, stormed or
beleaguered successfully. In short, He is All-Powerful. In the
Puranas, we find Daityas and Asuras and others, mighty and powerful
ones, become themselves helpless victims of His Power and come under
His sway. To one who has realized the Infinite, the lower nature of
the mind (Daityas) and the enchantments of the senses (Raakshasas) ,
are all helpless to overwhelm Him. "Rasopyasya Param Drishtvaa
Nivartate" -Geeta Ch. 2, St. 59.
(82) Kritajnah -He who knows all that is done by all: the One Knower
who knows all physical activities, all emotional feelings, and all
intellectual thoughts and motives. He illumines them all, in all, at
all times. Hence He is called Kritajna. Vishnu is the One who knows
clearly the exact depth of sincerity, the true ardency of devotion,
the real amount of purity in the bosom of all his devotees, and,
accordingly, brings joy and bliss to their hearts.
(83) Kritih -The One, who is the very dynamism behind all activities.
He is the Inevitability behind the result of actions. He is called
Kritih because it is He who visits to bless the good and to punish
the evil; in short; He is the One who rewards all our actions.
(84) Aatmavaan -One who is the Self in all beings. In the Chandogya
Upanishad (7.24.1) when the disciple asks, "Where does the Lord, the
Infinite, stand established?" the Sruti answers, "In Its own glory
established ever is the Self"-(Sve Mahimni Pratishthitah).
Stanza 10
suresah saranam sarma visva-retaah prajaa-bhavah
ahah samvatsaro vyaalah pratyayah sarvadarsanah.
(85) Suresah -The denizens of the Heavens are called in the Puranas
as Suras. Eesa means the Lord; Suresa, therefore, indicates the God
of gods, the Lord of the Suras. The gods are called as Suras because
they are capable of blessing their devotees with a fulfilment of
their desires. Therefore, Suresah means One who is the best among
those who fulfil all the demands of their devotees (Suras). In short,
He is the One who gives the Supreme State of Beatitude and the
consequent total liberation from all desires of the ego.
(86) Saranam -The Refuge for all who are suffering from the thraldom
of imperfection in life. According to the Sanskrit Lexicon
(Amarakosa), the term Saranam means `Protector' and also `home'.
Since the Lord is the Ultimate Goal, Saranam, He is also
the "Destination", the `Harbour'. The One Who realizes Him comes to
live in Him.
He is the home to which the prodigal son (jeeva) ultimately returns.
Not only for the men of Realization is He the Home, but for all
creatures, movables and immovables, He is the Home, to which they all
disappear to rest and to revive during Pralaya (Sleep).
(87) Sarma -One who is Himself the Infinite Bliss. Transcending the
mind lie the shores of Bliss, beyond the waters of agitations. The
Infinite is described in our Upanishads as the "Sacchidaananda", ever
of the same nature-"Saantam Sivam Sundaram".
(88) Visvaretaah -Retas means `seed'; the term connotes that He is
the seed from which the tree of life has sprung forth. He who is the
very cause for the entire play of experience in the world of
pluralistic objects (Sarva- Prapancha-Kaaranabhootah) is called
Visvaretaah.
(89) Prajaabhavah -He from whom all living creatures (Prajaa) spring
forth (Bhava) is known as Prajaabhavah.
(90) Ahah -Ahan has got two meanings: the 24-hour-day or the 12-hour
day-time. He is of the nature of `day-time' means "He is the One,
ever effulgent and bright"; as bright as the daylight that illumines
all objects around. In case we accept the other meaning, "the 24-hour-
day", then, a day being a unit of time, the term Ahan can also
mean, "One who is of the nature of Time itself". Also He is one who
does not (a) ever destroy (han) the devotees who have surrendered
themselves to Him.
(91) Samvatsarah -One who is of the nature of year-meaning One who is
the Lord of Time; He, from whom the very `concept of Time' rises.
(92) Vyaalah -One who is unapproachable. Vyaala also means `Serpent';
to those who have no devotion or understanding, God or Truth is as
horrible and terrible as a `serpent'. Moreover, it is so difficult to
grasp in our understanding that It is like a serpent: ever eluding,
always slippery.
(93) Pratyayah -One whose very nature is Knowledge. That the Supreme
is Knowledge Absolute is very well known. It is in the light of
Consciousness that all `know- ledges' are possible. `Knowledge of a
thing' is the Awareness of its nature. Awareness is Knowledge. Since
the Supreme is the One Awareness everywhere, all `Knowledges' spring
from the Self. Hence, He is called "the Pure
Knowledge". "Consciousness is Brahman" is one of the Mahaavaakyas.
(94) Sarvadarsanah -This term, "All-seeing" is very appropriate in as
much as the Supreme Consciousness has been defined and indicated in
the Kenopanishad as, "That which the eyes cannot see, but because of
which the eyes see". It is the Seer in the eyes, the Hearer in the
ears, the Speaker, the Feeler and the Thinker". And since this
Principle of Consciousness is One everywhere, as expressed through
the equipments, It is indeed the One Seer in all `seeing', by
everyone, everywhere. The Upanishad says: and the Geeta indicates
Him as "One who has eyes and heads everywhere".
Stanza 11
ajah sarvesvarah siddhah siddhih sarvaadir achyutah
vrishaakapir ameyaatmaa sarva-yoga- vinissritah.
(95) Ajah -Unborn. Birth implies a modification; birth cannot be
without the death of its previous condition. Since the Eternal and
the Infinite, is ever Changeless there can be in It neither birth nor
death. That which is born must necessarily die: -(Geeta Ch. 2, St.
27) and so, that which is unborn should be deathless (Amritah).
Rig Veda (1-81-5): "He was neither born nor is He going to be born."
(96) Sarvesvarah -God of all gods or the Supreme Controller of all.
In a sense it means the Almighty, the All-powerful. "He is the Lord
of all," says Brihad Upanishad (6-4-2).
(97) Siddhah -One who has achieved all that has to be achieved, as
He Himself is the Final Goal for all. Or the term can also mean "the
most famous".
(98) Siddhih -He who is available for recognition (Siddha) everywhere
at all points in His nature as Pure Consciousness. Again, Siddhi also
means the `fruit of action', and in the context here this would-
mean, "He who gives the Infinite fruit of Kaivalya, Moksha." All
other karmas can acquire for us only relative joys of the heavens,
but in realizing the Self the seeker gains an `Infinite State from
which there is no return', so describes Geeta.
(99) Sarvaadih -One who is the very beginning (Aadi) of all; one who
was in existence earlier than everything else. Even before effects
arise, the Cause. The Infinite which was before creation and from
which the created beings had emerged out, as an effect, is naturally
the Primary Cause (Moola-Kaarana).
(100) Achyutah -Chyutah= Fallen; Achy utah: One who has never fallen:
the Ever-Pure Reality which is never fallen into the misconceptions
of Samsar: the Pure Knowledge in which ignorance has never come to
pollute Its purity. Lord Himself says in Bhagavata, "I have never
ever before fallen from my Real Nature; therefore, I am Achyutah".
(101) Vrishaakapih -There is a lot of controversy among pundits upon
the exact meaning of this term. But all controversies become
meaningless when we read Bhagavan's own words, "Since Kapi has a
meaning the `boar', and since vrisha has the meaning of `Dharma' the
great Kasyapa Prajapati says I am Vrishaakapih".
In Sanskrit the term Kapi has a meaning: `that which saves one from
drowning'. Lord in the form of the Great Boar, (Varaaha) in that
incarnation, had lifted the world from the waters at the end of the
deluge; the term vrisha means `Dharma'. One who thus lifts the world
drowned in Adharma to the sunny fields of Dharma is vrishaakapih
(102) Ameyaatmaa -One who has His manifestations (Aatmaa) in Infinite
varieties, almost unaccountable (Ameya), The Viraat Purusha of the
Form of All-Lord of the Cosmic Form is suggested here. As all forms
have risen from Him, exist in Him, and dissolve into Him alone, all
forms are His own different forms.
(103) Sarva-yoga-vinissritah -Yoga is from Yuj `to join'; `to
attach', One who is totally free (vinissritah) from all contacts or
attachments. Attachment to a thing is possible only when the object-
of-attachment is other than the subject, In the One Infinite Reality
there cannot be any attachment with anything, mainly because there is
nothing here that is not the Infinite Itself. The Infinite is a Mass
of Love; there is no attachment in It; for, attachment is Love with
possessiveness and desire for gratification, "This Purusha is,
indeed, unattached", roars Brihad Upanishad (6-3-15), Lastly, the
term, Sarva- Yoga- Vinissritah can also mean that He is beyond the
reach of the various systems of Yogas taught in the Sastras. These
systems are to quieten the mind, to end the misapprehensions-of-
Truth, to annihilate the Maayaa, What is there left over in the
seeker's bosom is the Self-the Great Vishnu,
Stanza 12
vasur-vasumanaah satyah samaatmaa sammitah samah
amoghah pundareekaaksho vrishakarmaa vrishaakritih.
(104) Vasuh -The One who is the very support of all elements, and the
One who Himself is the very Essence of the elements, This is
something like the dream made up of our own mind; and the very same
dream-world plays itself out, all the time sustained in the very same
mind. Similarly, the Self indwells all and all dwell in the Self. In
the Geeta we are told by the Lord, "I am among the Vasus the
Paavakah"-(Geeta. Ch. 10, St. 23). Therefore, the Self exists like
air-allowing everything to remain in it and sustaining everything by
it.
(105) Vasumanaah -One who has a mind which is Supremely Pure; meaning
a mind that has none of the sins of passions and pains; none of the
storms of desires and jealousies; none of the quakes of likes and
dislikes.
(106) Satyah -He is the Real. The term Satyam used in philosophy has
a special connotation. That which remains the same in all the three
periods of time is called Satyam. That which seemingly exists, but
which never was nor shall ever be, is considered as a false delusion,
A-satya. He who remains the same, before the creation, during the
existence and even after the dissolution, is the Infinite Truth,
Satyah. The Taittireeya Upanishad thunders that the Eternal Truth
is "Truth, Knowledge, Bliss": "Satyam, Jnaanam, Anantam Brahma" -
Taittireeya Upanishad: 2-1.
We may here mention a couple of other meanings that are generally
given to this term "The best among good people is Satyam. Again, the
word Satyam is made up of three sounds -Sat-ti-yam -and, herein,
according to the Upanishad itself, "Sat means praana, ti means food,
Yam means sun;" therefore, Sat yam is the Law which orders the food
to sustain the praana when both are blessed by the sources of all
gross energies in the cosmos, the Sun.
(107) Samaatmaa -He wbo is equally in all. In Kathopanishad we read
the declaration of Lord Death to Nachiketas how the same Truth has
come to express itself differently from form to form. To visualize
the Paramesvara who revels equally ill all, among the perishables and
imperishables, is the Vision Divine. Kauseshika Upanishad (3-9)
says, "One should understand that the Self is the same-in-all". In
the Geeta also is the declaration "I am the Seer in all the fields-of-
experiences everywhere" -Geeta Ch. 13, St. 3).
(108) Sammitah -The term Sammatam means `acceptable'. The One. Truth,
which has been proved and accepted by the Rishis In the Upanishads
through subtle logic and philosophical reasoning, is called Sammatah.
This is the most direct and very appealing meaning. But there are
some who would interpret this portion of the Thousand Names of Lord
Vishnu by combining Samaatmaa (107) and Sammitah (108) to form
together a single `Name', wherein the compound word would read
Samaatma-asammitah. Here the term Asammitah then would come to
mean "One who is incomparable, Inimitable (Atulya) who has none to
equal Him".
(109) Samah -Equal; the same. Truth remains the same. One Infinite
Reality plays the game of plurality. As has been said in the
Kathopanishad, "The One Principle of Fire having entered this world
burns itself out differently according to the equipments upon which
it is manifested", so the One Truth manifests as the many Jeevas.
Hence He is called the Samah. Also it can mean as One who is ever
united, with (Sa) Lakshmi (Maa).
(110) Amoghah -Moghah means "useless fellow" (Nishphalah), "a
disappointing power". Amogha is the opposite of it: "Ever
Useful", "Ever the Fulfiller" of all the wishes and demands of His
devotees. Chandogya Upanishad (8-1-5) declares: "Truthful is His
wish, and Truth is His resolve".
(111) Pundareekaakshah -One who can be contacted and fully
experienced in the Heart Space (Pundareekam). In the Narayana
Upanishad (10) we find the same term employed: "In the core of the
body, in the Heart Space, dwells the Supreme." In the `Heart', the
meditator can experience the Reality more readily and very clearly,
and so the All- Pervading Reality is described as "dwelling in the
Heart-cave".
(112) Vrishakarmaa -Vrisha means Dharma. One whose every activity is
righteous and who acts only to establish righteousness. "For the sake
of establishing Dharma, I am born in every age", says Lord -(Geeta
Ch. 4, St. 8).
(113) Vrishaakritih -One who is of the form (Aakriti) of Dharma
(Vrisha). It is not only that His actions are righteous but He is
Himself Righteousness. It can also mean as One who takes different
forms during His Divine Incarnations-all for maintaining the Rule of
Dharma in the world.
Stanza 13
Rudro bahu-siraa babhrur visvayonis-suchi-sravaah-
amritah saasvatah-sthaanur- varaaroho mahaatapaah.
(114) Rudrah -One who makes all people weep, At the time of death or
during the total dissolution, the One who makes all weep is Rudrah.
>From a devotee's standpoint the same term is interpreted as the One
who liquidated all sorrows is Rudrah. Bhagavan declares Himself to
be "Among the Rudras, I am Sankara ?(Geeta Ch. 10, St. 23). According
to the Vedic terminology there are 11 Rudras; this eleventh "Rudra"
is called as Sankara: Sam-karoti-iti = Sankarah - "One who blesses
all with Auspiciousness (Sam)."
(115) Bahusiraah -One who has many heads. The Purushasooktam of the
Rig Veda describes the Cosmic Form of the Lord with a narration, "The
Purusha of thousand heads, thousand eyes and thousand feet??." In
Geeta a similar description of the Universal Form of the Lord is
found in Chapter XI. Again in the Geeta Chapter XIII when the Lord
was describing the Infinite Goal to be known (Jneyam), He describes
It as "Everywhere legs, everywhere hands, every- where eyes,
everywhere His face".
Thus, He whose personal manifestations constitute the universe is
known as "One who has many heads."
(116) Babhruh -One who rules over the worlds. "Like a King" -
Atmabodham gives this analogy .He in whose presence all the
instruments of perception, feeling and knowing continue their
coordinated activity is the Self, the Atman, who is Great Lord
Vishnu.
(117) Visvayonih -One who is the Total Cause from which alone the
entire world of experiences (visvam) has emerged out. The womb (yoni)
from which thoughts and actions had risen is called Visvayonih.
(118) Suchisravaah -One who has beautiful and efficient ears
(Sravas): "Everywhere are His ears"-(Geeta Ch. 13, St. 13) meaning
thereby He is the Hearer in all ears. The term Sravas not only means
ears, but it also means "names" -so Suchisravas can mean `One who has
Divine and Sacred names'. Thus, the devotee can invoke Him with
thousands of His names when He can readily listen in and rightly
understand the exact purity and the real depth of devotion in the
devotee. Also the term can be used to indicate the One whose "names"
are worthy of being heard by seekers.
(119) Amritah -One who is Immortal and Immutable. Mritam = dead. The
Infinite is Ajarah, Amarah and Avyayah. It can also mean as One who
is of the nature of Nectar (Amritam) -a sure cure for those who are
suffering from malady of ignorance. Amritah also means Moksha; and
thus it is indicated, He is the ever-liberated-the Pure State of
Being.
(120) Saasvata-sthaanuh -One who is both permanent (Saasvatah) and
irremovable (Sthaanuh). He is the One who remains Changeless, because
Immortal; who remains the same in all periods of time, because
permanent (Saasvatah); and who remains changeless in His nature or
Consciousness (Sthaanuh). This is a single term (Saasvata-sthaanuh)
and, therefore, we must add the meanings together- Permanent and
Changeless; Permanently Changeless Factor in lire is Vishnu.
(121) Vararohah - He who is the most Glorious (Vara) Destination
(Aaroha). The Seat of the Self is the most Glorious because the
imperfections of the world-of-matter (Prakriti) are not there in the
Spirit (Purusha). Liberation from the thraldom of matter is the
arrival of the Infinitude of the Self. "He never returns", thunders
the Chandogya Upanishad (8-15-1) three times in one and the same
breath, assuring us that one who has reached the Seat of Vishnu,
beyond the frontiers of the intellect, there is for him no more any
return ever into the ego-centric life of tensions of sorrows.
(122) Mahaatapaah -One of great Tapas. The term tapas in Sanskrit has
three meanings: `Knowledge' (Jnaana), `Prosperity' (Aisvarya) and
also `Might' (Prataapa). It is in the presence of Consciousness that
we come to know all our experiences. `Conscious of' a thing or an
idea is the `Knowledge of' the thing or the idea. That about which I
am not conscious of, I have really no knowledge of it. All
knowledges, of all bosoms, in all living creatures, everywhere, at
all times, cannot be without the play of Consciousness upon the
respective objects of knowledge, and hence this Consciousness is
indicated in the Upanishads as Pure Knowledge, in the light of which
alone all knowledges are possible. All achievements and prosperity
(Aisvarya), all might and power of the living creatures can express
themselves through them only when they are alive. This great truth is
Maha Vishnu. "Whose Tapas is of the nature of Knowledge" (Mundaka-
Upanishad. 1-1-9).
Stanza 14
sarvagah sarvavid-bhaanuh- vishvak-sena janaardanah
veda vedavid-avyango vedaanga vedavit kavih.
(123) Sarvagah ?"He who has gone everywhere", meaning "One who
pervades everything". The cause pervades its effect: gold in all
ornaments; ocean in all waves; cotton in all cloth. The Infinite
Consciousness Itself expresses as both world-of-matter (Kshetra) and
the Knower-of-the-field (Kshetrajna). Vishnu, the Infinite is beyond
these two (Uttamah Purushah) in whom there is no expression of matter
and, there- fore, no `Knower'-hood. He is the All-Pervading Self,
Maha Vishnu.
(124) Sarvavid-bhaanuh -One who is All- Knowing (Sarvavit) and
Effulgent (Bhaanuh) .The Light of Consciousness is the "Light that
illumines all lights" and it is again Consciousness that "illumines
even darkness" -Geeta Ch.13, St.17. In the Mundaka Upanishad (4.10)
also we read: "By its Light alone it illumines all other
experiences." Sarvavit-Bhaanuh is one term: meaning that all Knowing
Effulgent Consciousness.
(125) Vishvaksenah -He, while facing whom, even the mighty army of
the gods retreat and scatter away, is called as Vishvaksenah. He is
the Almighty and All-Powerful, and no army can stand against Him.
(126) Janaardanah -The term Ardayati is a verb meaning both `giving
sorrow' or `giving joy'. Thus, One who gives sorrow and disaster to
the vicious, and who blesses with joy and peace to the good people is
called Janaardanah.
(127) Vedah ?The term Veda comes from the root vid: `to know'. Since
Veda gives knowledge, the Lord is termed as Vedah, in the sense, that
He is the One who gives the Knowledge of the Reality, because He is
the very Reality. In Mahabharata, Vyasa says: "Krishna alone is All-
vedas, All-sciences, All-techniques and All-dedicated Actions". In
the Bhagavad Geeta (Ch. 10, St.2) Lord says: "Out of mere compassion
for them, I, abiding in their Self, destroy the darkness born of
ignorance, by the luminous lamp of wisdom".
(128) Vedavit ?`One who knows the veda'. The Lord alone is the One
Experience without which the Vedas cannot be fully realized. The
surest and the most exhaustive commentary of the Vedas is to be found
only in a stilled mind, which is in communion with Vishnu, the
Supreme Reality. Geeta (Ch. 15, St. 15) says, "I am the author of the
Vedanta, as well as the Knower of the Vedas."
(129) Avyangah -He who has no imperfections (Vyanga) anywhere in him-
The All-Perfect. The term Vyanga also means person, and so A vyanga
means One who cannot be known by anyone in any `personal-form'. Geeta
plainly says "This great Reality is Imperceptible, Unthinkable,
without any modifications". -Geeta. Ch. 2, St. 25
(130) Vedaangah ?One whose very limbs are the vedas. In Kenopanishad
in the closing stanzas, the teacher insists that all knowledges are
Its limbs.
(131) Vedavit ?`One who contemplates upon the Veda is Vedavit':
(Vedam Vichaarayati=Vedavit). Mere word meaning cannot give us the
true concept of the subtle theme discussed in the Vedas. Continuous
reflection upon their declarations alone can reach us to the peaks of
their imports. In the Geeta, Bhagavan Himself declares that He is not
only the very Revealer of Vedas but He is at once the Knower of the
Veda -Geeta Ch. 15, St. 15.
It is absolutely necessary that the student of the Vedas should try
to understand the meaning of their declaration. To repeat the mantras
parrot-like is not of any consequence: `He who has studied the Vedas
but has not understood the meaning, but carries a load, as the `road-
rest' on the roadside.' Thus He who constantly reflects upon the
Veda, and naturally lives up to it, is the Great Lord.
(132) Kavih -The term Kavi in the Vedas means the `Seer'. One who
experiences something more than the ordinary is called a Kavi. In the
Isavasyopanishad (8) we read: -"The Seer, the Intelligent...." In
the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad (5-7-23) we read: "There is no Seer
except Him."
In the Glory of the Lord, He confesses, in the Geeta, "among the
Poets, I am Usanas, Sukra-Aachaarya".
Stanza 15
lokaadhyakshah suraadhyaksho dharmaadhyakshah krita-akritah
chaturaatmaa chaturvyoohas-chatur-damshtras-chatur-bhujah.
(133) Lokaadhyakshah ?One who presides over all fields of
experiences -all lokas. President is one who is responsible for the
conduct of the assembly; he guides the discussion in a disciplined
manner, and ultimately at the end of it all, he dissolves the
meeting. All through the discussions he never interferes with the
freedom of speech and action of the members, if they act within the
agenda of the day. Similarly, the Lord presides over all the fields
of activities, never interfering with the freedom of the individuals
to act. "The Supreme Purusha in this body is also called the
spectator, the permitter, the supporter, the enjoyer, the great Lord,
and the Supreme Self." From the Puranic standpoint the Lord in His
Vaamana manifestation was installed as the king of the three worlds
and, therefore, this name, say the Pauraanikas.
(134) Suraadhyakshah -The President of the Heavens to whom the Devas
run for protection when they are threatened by their constant
enemies -the Daityas and the Asuras. When in the Heaven of our bosom,
the thought-angels are threatened by the negative tendencies and
criminal purposes, He to whom the good in us surrender totally for
sure protection and safety is Vishnu, the President within the bosom.
(135) Dharmaadhyakshah -Presiding over the activities of the living
organisms, Consciousness revels, illumining both the good and the
evil therein. The One Sacred factor that constantly thus illumines
all the nature and functions (Dharma) of the body, mind and intellect
is the Dharmaa- dhyakshah, Lord Vishnu.
(136) Kritaakritah -Kritam = that which is done = that which is
manifested or created Akritam, therefore, is that which has not
manifested or become. The former (Kritam) indicates all the "effects"
manifested out of the Creator's activities, and the latter (Akritam)
is the "cause" from which no manifestation has yet emerged -it is
still unmanifest. The Self, the Atman, is the `Post' -in the ghost-in-
the-post example -upon which the cause and the effect, the unmanifest
and the manifest, like the "ghost" apparently come to play (Kritam =
Vyaktam, A-Kritam = A-Vyaktam).
(137) Chaturaatmaa -The Self is described as four-fold when we
consider the Atman as the Glory (Vibhooti) of the Self. Thus, the
Essential factors, with which alone the endless play of creation,
sustenance and destruction can continue, are the glories of the Self
(Aatma-Vibhooti). In Vishnu Purana, four distinct vibhooties of the
Lord -when He functions as the creator, sustainer and destroyer -are
found enumerated. From the standpoint of a Vedantic student, since in
the Non-dual Reality there cannot be anything other than It- self,
all the plays of the gross, the subtle and causal bodies, in the
microcosm and in the macrocosm, are the glories (vibhooties) of the
One Self. In the Absolute, in the Eternal, all these are transcended;
these- the water, dreamer, deep-sleeper, the Tureeya -are all Its
Glories. The Possessor of these Glories is the One that transcends
even "Tureeya"; He is called as the Tureeyaateetah.
(138) Chaturvyoohah -One who manifests into the four mighty powers
(Vyooha). The Truth, that plays thus Himself in these four levels
having apparently created the world of experiences, is Vishnu, the
All-Pervading. According to the Vaishnava literature, for the purpose
of creation, Maha Vishnu Himself became four mighty powers (Vyooha)
and they were called Vaasudeva, Samkarshana, Pradyumna and Aniruddha.
One who has Himself these four mighty powers, necessary for the
conduct of plurality, is the Great Self, Maha Vishnu.
(139) Chatur-Damshtrah -The canine teeth fully developed in the upper
and the lower rows, as in the case of carnivorous animals, are called
in Sanskrit as Damshtraa. This is reminiscent of the Powerful
Damshtraa of the Lord when He took the form of Nara-Simha to protect
Prahlaada.
Also in the Puranas we find that the Great white Elephant of Indra, "
Airaavata," has four tusks -He whose glory is the four-tusked
Airaavata is Maha- Vishnu. To the student of the Upanishad, it is
indeed very clear that these four `tusks' or `teeth' are nothing
other than the four paadas which Mandukya thunders -"Chatushpaada".
The manifestation of the Might and Glory of the Supreme are the play
of the waking, dream and deep-sleep conditions. With reference to
these three, transcending them all, is the fourth plane-of-
consciousness the Springboard for all these three. He, whose Glory
are all these four grinding, crushing, fearful experiences of
duality, is the One Non-dual Self, the Great Maha Vishnu.
(140) Chaturbhujah ?"One who has four hands". It is famous that Maha
Vishnu has four hands and they carry the Conch, the Discus, the Mace,
and the Lotus. According to the Puranas, these four are used by the
Lord in maintaining Dharma among mankind. The `Conch' calls man to
the righteous path that directly leads to Peace and Perfection, the
Divine Vishnupada. Very many of us in the enchantment of the
immediate sense-joys refuse to listen to the small inner voice of
conscience, the sound of the Paanchajanya-conch, and so He wields
the `Mace' and we come to suffer small calamities and tragic jerks in
our smooth existence -communal, social or national. If still the
individual is not listening to the call of the `Conch', the wheel-of-
time, Chakra annihilates the entire. The call and the punishment are
all only to take man towards his Ultimate Goal, represented by
the "Lotus" in His hand.
Subjectively Vishnu is the Self within, who manifests as the four-
armed `subtle-body' to serve as the Eesa of the gross physical
structure, in all its actions and protect it with existence.
The "Subtle-body" as the inner-equipment (Antah-Karana) functions as
four mighty powers -mind, intellect, chit and ego. Chit is
the `Lotus', intellect is the `Conch', ego is the `Mace', and mind is
the `Discus'. All these four are wielded by the One Infinite Blue-
bodied Narayana, clothed in His `yellow garb', manifesting to
maintain and sustain the world of good and evil. Since the Self
functions thus in a four-fold pattern, Vishnu has the
appellation, "the four-armed Lord."
Stanza 16
bhraajishnur-bhojanam bhoktaa sahishnur- jagadaadijah
anagho vijayo jetaa visvayonih punarvasuh.
(141) Bhraajishnuh -Self-Effulgent Consciousness illumines
everything; and it is not borrowing Its Light from any other
source. "It is the Light of lights that illumines even darkness"-
(Geeta Ch. 13, St.18). And the Upanishad is equally vehement and
declares: "There the sun has no light nor the stars nor these
lightnings; how little then can this fire! By its Light alone all
these are illumined.
(142) Bhojanam -The immediate meaning of the term is food, viz.
eatables. In philosophy it has a wider implication and the
term "food" cannotes the entire field-of-objects experienced or
enjoyed by the sense-organs. The world-of-objects projected by the
sense-organs, the inner psychological play and this world-of-matter
constituting the field-of-plurality, all together is comprehended by
the term Maayaa. Thus cathodox commentators reduce this
term `Bhojanam' to the contents and functions of Maayaa. Taittireeya
Upanishad (2-7) says: "He is indeed the Essence (Rasa)".
(143) Bhoktaa -The "Experiencer" Not only the world-of-objects is
essentially nothing but the Spirit, Lord Vishnu, but even the very
instruments-of -experiences and their ultimate joys and sorrows, are
all illumined for us by the Lord- of-Lakshmi. The Pure Self,
expressing through the gross, the subtle and the causal bodies,
becomes the waker, dreamer and deep-sleeper, experiencing all
happenings, good and bad, as the individuality in that living person.
Consciousness, Purusha, identifying with and functioning through
matter (Prakriti), comes to experience the endless modifications that
are born out of Prakriti. The Self in Its Infinite nature is
actionless and yet in Maayaa seems to function and becomes the
Enjoyer or Sufferer of the actions of matter.
(144) Sahishnuh -One who is capable of patiently suffering, in his
perfect detachment, all that is happening around, is a sahishnuh.
Whatever happens to the reflections of the Sun, the Sun in the cosmos
is unaffected by them, and with reference to his reflections we can
call him a Sahishnuh, the Sun is a mere "witness" of his own endless
reflections.
The term has also got two more meanings in Sanskrit as `Forgiver'
or `Conqueror'. Vishnu is one who forgives us readily all our
trespasses, and conquers for us all the inimical forces in our inner
personality.
(145) Jagadaadijah -One who had born (Jah) in the very beginning
(aadi) of the world (jagat) is called Jagadaadijah. At the time of
dissolution (Pralaya) when the entire gross and subtle bodies go to
lie absorbed in the Total Causal-body, the world, in Pralaya, lies
merged in Eesvara. Before the gross world-of-plurality emerges out
there should be a condition of subtle manifestation of it in the form
of thoughts. Thoughts constitute the mind-intellect; when the
Infinite functions through this Total Mind-intellect, It is called as
Hiranyagarba the womb of all objects, it is from the Hiranya garba-
state, the manifestation of the gross world emerges out, when the
lord comes to play as a Virat Aatmaa. Maha Vishnu is the one who was
born before the world of gross bodies, therefore it is indicated here
that he is the "Womb-of all- objects" in the world, the Hiranyagarba-
the very creator.
(146) Anaghah -Agham means sin (Paapa), impurities (mala); and
therefore, Anaghah means One who has no imperfections and who is not
affected by the good and bad Vaasanaas left over in the personality
as a result of the wilful actions. He is the Uncontaminated
(Aliptah) .The Light of Consciousness is the Illuminator of the mind,
and so the peace of virtue or the agitations of the sin cannot affect
the Illuminator -the Illuminator being always different from the
illuminated. Chandogya Upanishad (8-1-5) says: "He is free from Sin".
(147) Vijayah ?"The Victorious". One who realizes the Self can
thereafter stand apart from the thraldom of matter, Victorious over
the tyrannies of the flesh, feelings or facts. Thus, the Seat of Self
is the Seat of Victory over matter. The Peace and harmony of the Self
can never be assailed by the noisy hordes of the world of plurality.
Vijaya is the name also of Arjuna and the Lord Himself says, "Among
the Pandavas, I am Arjuna" - Geeta Ch. 10, St. 37.
(148) Jetaa ?"Ever Successful". In all undertakings He alone wins;
One who never knows any defeat or failure. Upanishad says: "Truth
alone wins, never falsehood".
(149) Visvayonih -It can be interpreted in two ways as (a) He who is
the Cause of the universe or (b) He who has the world as His Cause.
The former is clear to those who have so far followed the commentary,
and to them the latter may be a very confusing statement. From the
standpoint of the Puranas, it is logical. The Self has manifested as
the various Incarnations from time to time because of the condition
of the world, and therefore, Visvam is the cause for His
manifestations.
(150) Punarvasuh -One who comes to live again and again in various
equipments of living organisms is Punarvasuh:
Stanza 17
upendro vaamanah praamsur-amoghah suchir-oorjitah
ateendrah samgrahah sargo dhritaatmaa niyamo yamah.
(151) Upendrah -The younger brother of Indra. In His Incarnation as
Vaamana, He was born to Aditi, who was the mother of Indra, and
hence, the Lord is known as the "Younger brother of Indra". In
Sanskrit the prefix upa denotes `Above' in the sense of `superior
to'; therefore, Upendra may also mean "One who is superior to Indra",
the king of gods. Such an explanation we find in the Harivamsa (76-
47).
Indra, the king of the sense-organs, is the mind and the
Consciousness, which is the Self, is the One factor that dynamises
the mind. Since life is that which controls even the mind, certainly
It is superior to the mind and this Self is the Maha Vishnu.
(152) Vaamanah -Of the ten great incarnations, the fifth one is
Vaamana; and the very name indicates `One who has a small body'. It
was in the form of a child (vatuh =A child student in a gurukula)
that Vaamana approached the divinely righteous Emperor Mahaabali to
beg of him a little land, of the length of his tiny three steps-and
the Lord measured in His three steps all the three worlds and thus
conquered Mahaabali. He checked (Vamayati) the rising pride of
possession in Bali, hence He, in that incarnation as a Vatu, is
called Vaamana.
The term Vaamana also means `worshipful': "Him, the Dwarf, sitting in
the middle of the heart, all gods adore", so we read in the
Kathopanishad (5-3). However, here the emphasis should be upon the
meaning "short statured" because of the contrast it makes with the
following name.
(153) Praamsuh -One whose body is vast is called Praamsuh. Vaamana,
when He got the promise from the righteous King, and when He started
measuring, the Lord took His Cosmic Form, and with each step measured
the earth, the interspace, and the heaven. In Harivamsa (262-263)
there is a beautiful description of the little Vaamana growing into
His Total Form. The rate of His expansion is described with reference
to two fixed factors the Sun and the Moon. When He took the form, the
Sun and the Moon were His eyes; as He measured the earth, they came
to His bosom; as He was measuring the space, the Sun was at His navel
and as He lifted His feet to measure the Heaven, the Sun and the Moon
were just below His knees.
(154) Amoghah -One whose activities are ever a fulfilment of some
great purpose. Even insignificant actions, which, ordinarily, people
would think are empty and purposeless, are never really so, when they
spring from Him. Even when He punishes, it is only for inaugurating a
greater evolutionary blessing.
(155) Suchih -One who is spotlessly `clean', and therefore, Ever-
Pure. Impurities in a substance are things other than itself; when
dust is on the cloth, the cloth is impure, unclean. Since the Self,
the Aatman, is the Non- Dual Reality, having nothing other than
Itself in It, Ever-pure alone must It always be. And Suchih is One
who gives this purity to those who contemplate upon Him constantly.
(156) Oorjitah -One who has infinite strength and vitality. Wherever,
in the organism, we meet with any strength and vitality they are all
the strength and vitality of the Self. The Infinite Vishnu is the One
All-Pervading Self, and therefore, He is the very springhead for all
strength.
(157) Ateendrah -One who is beyond Indra in knowledge, glory and
strength. Since Indra represents the `mind-intellect' equipment,
Aatman, the Self is denoted here as that which transcends the mind.
(158) Samgrahah -One who holds the entire world of beings-and-things
together in an indissoluble embrace unto Himself. Just as the hub of
a wheel holds the rim unto itself by its endless spokes, so too the
Aatman, the Self within, lends Its vitality to every cell in the body
and to every thought in the inner-equipments.
In none can anything happen which is not a glory borrowed from Him.
And, the Self, being the same everywhere, in all existence, in both
the movables and immovables, gross and subtle -in the manifest as
well as in the unmanifest - He certainly is the One who holds the
world of phenomena unto Himself in a vast embrace of Love and
Oneness.
(159) Sargah -One who has created out of Him- self the whole world.
It therefore must also connote One, who has the whole created world
as His own form, since the creation is His own manifestation as the
Subtle and the Gross.
(160) Dhritaatmaa -One who supports Himself by Himself. In the
previous epithet Samgrahah, He was shown as the Cohesion of Love in
the world of matter and energy, and in Sargah, He, as the One
material and efficient cause of creation, was shown as also the very
supporter of the manifested world. But who supports Him? He is
Dhritaatmaa - He is established in Himself.
(161) Niyamah -The Appointing Authority: It is He, who orders all the
mighty forces of nature and prescribes for each the Laws of their
conduct, the ways of their behaviour and the methods of their
functions. The Sun, Moon, Air, Waters, Dik-Paalakas, Death etc. are
all appointed and ordered by the Lord.
(162) Yamah -One who is the mighty Power that administers all the
forces of Nature under His Law. Everything in nature strictly obeys
ever all His Laws.
Stanza 18
vedyo vaidyah sadaa-yogee
veerahaa maadhavo madhuh
ati-indriyo mahaamaayo mahotsaaho mahaabalah.
(163) Vedyah -That which is to be known; in the language of the
Geeta, it is Jneyam. That final knowledge, knowing which every-thing
becomes known. "Kasmin nu bhagavo vijnaate sarvamidam vijnaatam
bhavati iti"-(Mundaka. 1-3).
All sciences are investigations into Truth After observing the nature
and behaviour of things and beings when the investigator moves ahead
seeking the ONE Harmonious Chord of Reality that holds all phenomena
in its inescapable love-web, the scientist of Truth-comes to reject
first the gross, and soon thereafter the subtle realms, and
ultimately even the causal factors, and thus-comes to apprehend this
harmony, which he is seeking as the very subjective core of his own
Self. This final Goal to be realized, "having known which everything
else becomes known," the One Consummate Knowledge to be gained
(Vedyah), is the Self, the Great Vishnu.
(164) Vaidyah -The One Supreme Doctor who alone can minister to the
world suffering from ego and egocentric misconceptions. One who is a
master of all knowledge (Vidyaa) is also termed as Vaidvah
(165) Sadaa Yogee -To the confused and the deluded to detach
themselves from the false vestures-of-matter and to seek their
identity with the ETERNAL Self is called Yoga. All attempts in
attaining an at-one-ment with the Self is called Yoga. The Goal, the
Self, therefore, in the language of the seeker must be Sadaayoga-ever-
in yoga.
(166) Veerahaa ?"He who destroys the mighty heroes". The powerful men
of strength and valour when they grow in their audacity to become
tyrants, the Lord manifests to destroy such Raakshasas and thus
protects the Dharma and the Good.
(167) Maadhavah -Earlier this term was used (72) where we interpreted
the term as the "Lord of Lakshmi." Maa means not only "Lakshmi," but
she is also "Vidyaa" (Knowledge). The Lord (Dhava) of all Knowledge
(Maa) is Maadhava.
He who helps introspection and meditation in the seeker is
Maadhava. "To become conscious of the existence of a thing" is called
the knowledge of the thing, The Aatman, the Self is Existence (Sat)
and Consciousness (Sphurana) and, therefore, Lord Vishnu, the Self is
the source of all knowledge and as such the Master of all Vidyaas:
(Maa-dhava), Harivamsa says" "O Hari, You are the Lord (Dhava) of
Knowledge (Maa), and hence You are called as Maadhava, the Master of
Maa."
(168) Madhuh -The term Madhuh familiarly stands for "honey". It is
also a term to indicate "nectar." One who generates Nectarine Bliss
in the hearts of His devotees is called Madhuh. The springtime in
India is called as Madhumaasa since spring is the season of flowers;
full of honey for the bees, and joy for man. The month called Madhu
(March- April) is the Chaitra month which is considered specially
auspicious for prayers, and meditation. One who is of the nature of
the Maadhava-maasa, the month of Maadhava (April-May) can also be the
suggestion in this term. Vaisaakha (April-May) is considered as the
most auspicious time of the year for the worship of Vishnu by all
Vaishnavites.
(169) Ateendriyah -One who is beyond the sense-organs not only in the
sense, that the sense-organs cannot perceive Him as their `object'
but also in the sense that He is other than the sense-organs and
their functions. Lending to them, all their very vitality, is His
mere presence! He is the very `subject' in the perceiver, and,
therefore, the instruments of perceptions, emotions, and thoughts
cannot experience Him: this Source of All-life is Maha Vishnu.
Kathopanishad (3-15) says: "He is soundless, untouched, formless,
immutable, so without taste, eternal, smell-less.
(170) Mahaamaayah -One who is the Supreme Master of all Maayaa. He is
the very Substratum upon which all the plurality spring up and play
their infinite enchantments, constantly basking in the Light of the
Supreme Consciousness. Aatman, the Self, is untouched by the play of
Maayaa, and yet the Maayaa-play is sustained only by the exuberant
warmth of His Divine presence. The Sun is the Master of all clouds,
inasmuch as, in its presence, borrowing its heat, water by its own
nature gets evaporated, and the water, vapour again, because of its
own nature of a lesser density than the atmospheric air, rises to the
higher altitudes and gathers there as clouds. It is, again, the
nature of the atmosphere that at higher altitudes it is cooler and
the water-vapour so cooled becomes water again, and due to the higher
density of water it descends as rain. In this example the Sun can be
called as the "Creator" of all clouds and the "Cause for the rams,"
and consequently the sun is also the " Master of the Seasons." And
yet, the Sun is uncontaminated by all these phenomena that are
happening in its presence.
In the same fashion the Infinite Reality, Vishnu, is indicated here
as the Great Magician, who has the magic of Maayaa at His command.
Krishna Himself confesses in the Geeta: "Very difficult indeed it is
to cross over My Maayaa" -(Geeta Ch. 7 St. 14).
(171) Mahotsaahah -The Great Enthusiast; the Ever-Dynamic
Accomplisher. The Powers of creation, of sustenance and of
annihilation-in their totality is the world of birth and death that
we live in. This wonderful world cannot be sustained without the
endless enthusiasm of this Mighty Power. Looking at the ocean,
through the waves, we come to recognise the ocean as the "Sleepless
Agitator"; similarly, looking at Vishnu, "through the ephimeral
kaleidoscopic changes in the patterns of life available to us in our
experience today, we call Him as the "Dynamic accomplisher"
(Mahotsaahah). The term employed here, the Enthusiastic Accomplisher,
is indeed one of the most appropriate names for Maha Vishnu.
(172) Mahaabalah -One who has Supreme Strength. He, being Omnipotent,
is the Source of all Strength that we see in each individual organism
in life. His Vitality reflected in each of us, is our individual
strength; naturally He is the Infinitely Strong, Mahaabalah.
Stanza 19
mahaabuddhir-mahaa- veeryo mahaa-saktir mahaa-dyutih
anirdesya-vapuh sreemaan ameyaatmaa mahaadri-dhrik.
(173) Mahaabuddhih-In the previous term, we were told He is
Omnipotent. Here He is indicated as Omniscient. The Supreme,
functioning through the intellect, is the intelligence. The quality
and quantity of the intelligence will depend upon the condition of
the "intellect' through which the Infinite comes to play. The
intelligence in a mathematician, poet or an artist, scientist or
politician-all are the different play-patterns of energies invoked
from the one Supreme Intelligence, and therefore, Mahavishnu, the
Self, is called here as Mahaabuddhih, the Reservoir of all
Intelligence.
(174) Mahaaveeryah -One who is the Supreme Essence. "Veerya" is the
Essence behind all the creative urges. Since the Divine is the very
source, from which alone the dynamism for creation can manifest, the
Supreme Divinity is termed here as the Mahaaveerya.
(175) Mahaasaktih -All-Powerful. Power here means efficiency. He-
whose manifestations are the power-of-action, the power-of-desire and
the power-of-knowledge saktees-must necessarily be the most powerful,
in as much as a play of these three powers is the total play of the
world.
(176) Mahaadyutih -Of Splendorous Light. Dyuti means `Glow', Sobhaa.
The Pure Consciousness is the illuminator of all, including all other
material sources of light in the world-Sun, Moon, stars, fire etc.-
but this is not all; He is also the One, who is Himself Self-
Effulgent. This is Mahavishnu-the Supreme Self. In the
Mundakopanishad (4-9) Lord is described as the "Light of lights".
Brihadaaranya- kopanishad (6-3-9) declares: "He is Self-effulgent".
(177) Anirdesyavapuh -One whose form is indefinable, indescribable,
inexplicable (Anirdesyam). Ordinary things can be defined, described
or explained because they come within our experience. Our objective
experiences can be satisfactorily expressed in words. Vishnu is that
Truth which is the Subjective Essence in all of us; He is
that `Knowledge', in the light of which, all other knowledges are
rendered possible. As such no "sources of knowledge" (Pramaanas such
as Direct perception, Inference etc.) can be employed successfully in
exploring the realm of the Self. Subjective experiences of `Be', the
Maha Vishnu, is possible; but It can never become an `idea' to
express, nor can It become an `emotion' to feel, nor can It ever
become an `object' to be described.
(178) Sreemaan -Sree means Glory (Aisvarya). Vishnu is permanently
wedded to Mother Glory; He, who is constantly courted by all glories,
is Sreemaan, Lord Vishnu.
(179) Ameyaatmaa -He whose Essence (Aatmaa) is inestimable and
immeasurable (Ameya). As Aatman (Kshetrajna) He, the One, expresses
Himself everywhere in every equipment (Kshetra), as the `knower' in
each `field'. Since these equipments are infinite in number, as the
individuality (jeeva) in each one of the created beings, His own
Glory expresses in endless manifestations.
(180) Mahaadridhrik -One who supports the great Mountain. In the
Puranas, we find two instances, wherein the Lord has been described
as the uplifter of or as having lifted and supported the mountains.
While churning the milky ocean with the Mandara mountain we are told
that the "churning-stick" sunk into the bottom and the Lord had to
manifest in the form of the Great Tortoise (Koorma) and support it,
while the Gods and Demons continued the churning, until they gathered
the nectar (Amritam).
Again, the Supreme, as Lord Krishna, in order to protect the cows had
to lift the Govardhana Mountain. Because of these two stories in the
Puranas, Lord, the Protector of the mind in Saadhanaa, is called as
Mahaadridhrik.
Vishnu is the Divine, that supports the mind-intellect of the
Saadhaka while he is churning, through study (sravana) and reflection
(manana), his own Milk-like pure heart-of devotion in order to gain
the experience of Immortality (Amritam).
Stanza 20
maheshvaaso maheebhartaa sreenivaasah sataam gatih
aniruddhah suraanando govindo govindaam-patih.
(181) Maheshvaasah -One who wears or wields the Great Bow called
Saarnga.
(182) Maheebhartaa -The husband of Mother Earth. The Sanskrit term
for husband is Bhartaa and the term denotes `Supporter'. In the
Puranic language we have the description of how the Lord, as the
Great Boar uplifted the earth from the "waters of Deluge." Viewed
from the platform of philosophy, just as gold is the supporter of all
things made of gold, the Infinite Consciousness is the Essence from
which everything has risen. Hence He is the Lord, the Supporter, the
Husband (Bhartaa) of Mother Earth and everything that exists in her.
(183) Sreenivaasah -The permanent abode of Sree. Mother Sree
connotes "all Glory and power, faculties and strength, to be good and
to perform creative acts of righteousness". She is found to remain
never permanently in any bosom. Even saints and sages, in recorded
history, have come to compromise the perfections in them. The only
place, where imperfections never enter to molest the serene essence,
is the seat of Eternal Perfection, which is the bosom of Narayana.
Hence Maha Vishnu is indicated as Sreenivaasa ?"the Permanent Abode
of Lakshmi".
(184) Sataam Gatih -For the truly virtuous and for all spiritual
seekers (Sat-People) He who is the final Goal. In the language of the
Geeta He is the "Paraa gatih". The term gati is used to denote not
only the goal, but the very movement, as well as the direction and
the way. Narayana is the very Direction, Path, Progress and the Goal
for his devotees.
(185) Aniruddhah -One who cannot be obstructed or resisted by anyone.
Irresistibly, the will of the Lord functions in the world of created
things-and-beings. Just as in the world of matter, the laws of nature
are irresistible, the Rhythm and Harmony of Truth ever march in their
Eternal Logic of objectless Love and immaculate perfection. Time and
tide wait for none. When the sun rises, the living creatures absorb
energy and nothing can obstruct this process. In the presence of the
Self, the worlds of matter must get thrilled into their own
independent activities, and in all these welter of efforts and
exertions, achievements and failures, joys and sorrows, the Self is
not involved by the Irresistible Enchantment of His presence, the
Gopis seek their own fulfilment in their own dances. In the Puranas,
we find Bhagavan Vishnu taking up in His various Incarnations
different manifested forms and in all of them He was victorious; ever
irresistible (Aniruddhah) is His Might.
(186) Suraanandah -The One who doles out happiness (Aananda) even for
the Denizens-of-the Heavens (Suras). In the Upanishad we have the
declaration, that the Infinite Perfection, the Lord is of the very
nature of Absolute Bliss. In the Aanandavallee of Taittireeya
Upanishad we find the arithmetics of Bliss. The Rishi concludes that
all joys of the world and heavens-mental and supramental-are all but
flickerings of the Infinite Bliss, which is the Lord Mahavishnu.
(187) Govindah -The word Go in Sanskrit has four
meanings: `Earth', `Cows', `Speech' and `Vedas'. As the earth is the
supporter of everything that is existing, He, who is the supporter of
everything within the individual, is called Govinda; He, who is the
Protector of the Cow's and played the part of Gopaala in Gokula, is
the very controller of the animal instincts and passions in the bosom
of man; "One, without whom, no speech can ever emerge out of any
throat-He being the very Life in all Creatures" says Kenopanishad;
and the Highest Speech is the declaration of Truth in the Vedas. The
Lord Himself is the very Theme and the Author of the Vedas. This
great Self is Mahavishnu.
(188) Govidaam Patih -One, who is the Lord of all `seers' and "Men of
Wisdom". We have already indicated that Go means Vedas. Govit-
Vedavit-those, who have realized the Theme indicated in the Vedic
declaration as the Essential Reality in their Own subjective bosom.
They are called the Seers or Sages. To such Men-of-Wisdom the Self-
alone is the Lord and the Master.
Stanza 21
mareechir-damano hamsah suparno bhujagottamah
hiranyanaabhah sutapaah padmanaabhah prajaapatih.
(189) Mareechih -The term Mareechih means `Effulgence'. Consciousness
illumines objects and therefore in terms of worldly knowledge the
Upanishads declare that the Supreme is the Light-Infinite. In the
Geeta we read Bhagavan, Vaasudeva declaring: "I am the Light in all
effulgents" -(Geeta Ch. 10, St. 36).
(190) Damanah -One who restrains and controls every Raakshasic
impulse within the bosom. In the forms of the ten incarnations, He
had controlled the irresistible tyrannies of the vicious against the
good. In the form of pain and agitation, sorrow and death, it is He,
who is the Controller, Damanah, of all negative tendencies in
everyone's Heart.
(191) Hamsah -One of the great declarations of the Vedas is: "I am
Brahman" (Aham Brahmaasmi). Here the term I, the first person
singular used, denotes the supreme. Self functioning through the
conditionings." This individual concept is called jeeva. Thus I, the
Jeeva (Aham), once detached from the conditionings, IS essentially
nothing other than He, the Lord (Sah). This experience that Aham is
Sah is the very God-consciousness and therefore, Vishnu, the Supreme
State of Realization is declared as Hamsah.
(192) Suparnah -Parna means wings; Suparna means that which has
beautiful wings-bird. "A pair of white- winged birds extremely
friendly sit on one and the same tree; one cats the fruits, the other
eats not and gazes on".
Thus traditionally in the Upanishads, the Suparnas suggest the
Jeevaatmaa and the Paramaatmaa sitting on the same tree (body): one
(Jeeva) eats the fruits (of actions) and the other (the Self) merely
gazes on (Saakshee). Vishnu is this All-experiencing Principle of
consciousness.
(193) Bhujagottamah -The sacred serpent named in the puranas as
Ananta. " Among the serpents I am Ananta," says Krishna: -(Geeta Ch.
10, St. 29).
(194) Hiranyanaabhah -He, who supports at His navel, the creator,
Hiranyagarba. The meaning for this term as given by some is "the One
who has the navel region beautiful in its golden hue" must fail, in
the context of the thoughts in the stanza, to appeal to all seekers.
(195) Sutapaah -One who has glorious Tapas. Consistent creative
thinking is called tapas. For this, mental concentration is
unavoidable. Mind cannot have consistent concentration unless it can
have a perfect control over the sense-organs. Even when the mind is
withdrawn from the sense-organs, it must have a consistent
intellectual ideal to concentrate upon. In the Upanishad, we
read: "He thought and through thought, He created all this".
(196) Padmanaabhah -One who supports at His navel the very seat of
all creative-power. We have described this term earlier (48).
According to Sankara, here the term may mean one who has a navel
region which in its rounded beauty, is as charming as the lotus
flower .
(197) Prajaapatih -The Lord of the creatures. Since all creatures
have emerged from Him, the living creatures are His children (Prajaa)
and He is their Pati. The term Pati has a direct meaning: `father'.
Thus Vishnu, as the only source from which all creatures have emerged
out, is called as Prajaapatih.
Stanza 22
amrityus-sarva-drik simhah san-dhaataa sandhimaan sthirah
ajo durmarshanah saastaa visrutaatmaa suraarihaa.
(198) Amrityuh ?One who knows no decay Birth, growth, decay, disease
and death, are the five great modifications through which every
finite objects must necessarily pass. Everything born must perish.
The one who has no birth has no death. The waves die but not the
ocean. That which is Changeless in the changing whirls of matter is
the Infinite Vishnu. In the Bhagavad Geeta, the Lord is emphatic: "He
who sees the Changeless amidst the changing names and forms, He alone
sees the meaning and purpose of life."
(199) Sarvadrik -The seer and knower of everything. The Consciousness
that illumines all motives and intentions -and the manifested
activities that spring from them -in each individual, at all times,
is necessarily the Witness of all, the Seer of everything, Maha
Vishnu.
(200) Simhah -One who destroys. The Law be- hind all destruction and
change in the Maayaa is the Mighty Lord. On transcending the Vehicles
of the body, mind and intellect, at a time when all experiences of
perceptions, emotions and thoughts are annihilated from us, the
Experience left over is the Supreme. And in the Non-dual Supreme,
there cannot be any object other than itself. Therefore, that "State"
is called as the Total Destroyer. The State of Waking is
the "destroyer" of the dream-world; the State of Sleep is
the "destroyer" of the waking and the dream; the State of God
Consciousness is the total " Annihilator" of all the known three
planes of Consciousness. He is Simhah -a word that has been formed by
the mutual transposition of the letters in Himsaa.
Even taking its obvious superficial meaning Vishnu is a Lion in our
bosom, in as much as, He is the king of the forest of Samsaar: at the
roar of Narayana all the animal-passions flee from the jungles of the
mind. In the Geeta while describing His own Glory, the Lord
says, "Among the animals, I am the King of animals, Lion." -Geeta Ch.
10, St. 30.
(201) Sandhaataa - The Co-relator, the Regulator, the One who co-
relates the actions and their fruits. In fact, the fruit of an action
is nothing other than the action itself; the action itself presents
as its fruit in a different period of time, maturing under its own
Law. This Great Law is the Lord, whom the devotee accepts as "The
Giver of all fruits of action".
202) Sandhimaan - The structural engineering of individuality is the
mightiest of phenomenon available in nature. The Supreme is the Law
and the Law-giver; and the Light of Consciousness functioning in the
mind and intellect Itself is the individuality (Jeeva), that comes to
suffer the good and bad results of the actions. Thus not only that it
is He, who is the Giver of the results but It is He, again, Who is
the enjoyer or the sufferer of the results. Hence He is called as the
One who is apparently conditioned by the actions that emanate from
Him, Sandhimaan, enjoyer (conditioned). In fact, He is the One
presiding over and illumining all actions; the very Law of reaction
Itself; the ensuing experience in all actions of all people, at all
times. From the standpoint of our existence, with reference to our
individual existence, the Divinity in us, for all appearances, seems
to be conditioned; this Sandhimaan, the Jeeva in His own Pristine
Purity is Maha Vishnu.
(203) Sthirah -Firm, consistent. One who is ever consistent in His
nature and One who remains changeless, at all times.
(204) Ajah -Unborn. Ajah is also a term denoting the Creator,
Brahmaaji; He who, in the form of Hiranyagarbha, apparently creates
the delusory world of plurality is Vishnu.
(205) Durmarshanah -One who cannot be attacked and vanquished. In the
long run, everyone in his own maturity will have to come and accept
and walk the path of Vishnu -He is the final Goal. In the lesser
levels of evolution, the animal-man may deny himself the peace and
joy of living the spiritual values, and deluded by the senses and
enchanted by the flesh, he may live a life of sense-joys and
temporary fulfilments. But soon enough irresistibly he will be
seeking the "feet" of Vishnu for real happiness and true achievement.
His also is the final victory and one can stand apart from Him in a
victory over him.
(206) Saastaa -One who rules over the universe, Not only that He is
the Administrator of the laws of the Phenomenon but also He is the
Saastaa. He is the One who, through Sastra, with firm hand, instructs
and guides us through the righteous path, drives us along steadily to
progress in cultural beauty and finally reaches us at the Great Goal
of all evolutions: the Seat of Vishnu.
(207) Visrutaatmaa -The famous term Aatmaa, famous in all the Vedas,
is Vishnu. This term clearly shows that all the thousand terms, used
herein, though can be considered for the Saguna worship of Vishnu,
represent nothing other than the Pure Self, which is the famous theme
of the Hindu Scriptures. Through hundreds of suggestive definitions,
this Great Self has been successfully pointed out through
declarations of Its Transcendental Nature and through statements of
negation indicating what He is not.
(208) Suraarihaa -Sura="God of the Heaven", Ari="enemies",
Ha="destroyer". The Supreme is the Destroyer of the enemies of the
gods. The sensuous claims of the flesh, the mild assertions of the
ego, the nocturnal devils of i desires and passions, are the common
enemies of the higher mind aspiring to evolve. When invoked with true
devotion, He who drives away and destroys the inimical negative
tendencies, and helps the devotee to master himself, is Suraarihaa,
Sri Narayana.
Stanza 23
gurur-gurutamo dhaama satyas-satya-paraakramah
nimisho-a-nimishah sragvee vaachaspatir-udaara-dheeh.
(209) Guruh -The teacher, who initiates seekers into the secrets of
the sacred scriptures is called the Guru. Since the Lord, the
infinite alone, is the very author and knower of the Vedas, He is the
Teacher in all spiritual study. Aatman being the Light, that
illumines the knowledge in the teacher, his very capacity to speak
and the very ability in the student to hear, understand and apprehend
this great Truth, He alone is the Teacher wherever there is any
transference of knowledge.
(210) Gurutamah -The Greatest Teacher; One who had inspired with
knowledge and initiated the very Creator Brahmaaji into the knowledge
of the four Vedas. The creative mind of the very first Spiritual
Master must have received this experience of the Transcendental,
initiated by none other than the Supreme Itself. Later on, the Man of
Realization might come to help other seekers, and to that extent the
following generations of disciples, can, no doubt, psychologically
believe that the teacher guided them to Truth. But, in fact for all
times to come, the final experience of the theme of the Vedas is
arrived at only through the final revelation, which has nothing to do
with the teacher or the text. Svetaasvatara Upanishad (6-18)
says, "He who first Created the Creator (Brahmaa) and imparted him
the Vedas."
The Guru and the scripture, devotion to God, meditation, moral
conduct and the religious discipline are all necessary, in as much
as, they prepare the bosom of the seeker for the dawn of realization.
But the final unveiling is done by the Infinite alone, and hence,
Vishnu, the Self, is the best among the Gurus. Heaviness is called by
the same term (Gurutvam), and in this sense the Lord is Indicated
here as "that which is heavier than the heaviest.
(211) Dhaama -The Goal; the Sacred destination of a pilgrimage. The
Supreme is the Param-dhaama, the `Supreme Destination', having
reached which, there is nothing more to reach beyond. This Absolute
State of Perfection is called the "Peak" (Dhaama). The Sanskrit term
Dhaama also means "Effulgence" (Tejas); the Pure Consciousness as the
illuminator of all experiences is considered and glorified as the
Light of all Lights etc.
(212) Satyah -One who is Himself the Truth. The difference from the
general connotation, we have for the term "That which remains without
a change in the past, present and future" is called Sat yam. "Truth,
Knowledge, Infinite is Brahman", thunder the scriptures. Brihad
Upanishad (4-1-20) says, "The Praanas are the truth, and He is the
Truth of them."
(213) Satyaparaakramah -Dynamic Truth. Passive truthfulness is the
harbour of the fools, the dark den of the cowards; although it is any
day better than suicidal un- truth and criminal dishonesty. The Lord,
the Infinite is not only Himself the Truth but He is Dynamic in
insisting that "Truth shall prevail, not untruth". Not only gravity
is a law of nature, itself ever truthful, but it insists that none
shall escape its influence or disobey sway. So too, the Infinite Law
of Harmony and Love is an Inevitable Truth persisting with insistence
in life. The Lord is therefore indicated by the term "
Satyaparaakramah".
(214) Nimishah -The condition of "the eyelids closed" is called
Nimishah; the unwinking is called Animishah. When the eyes are open,
the mind is extrovert; the condition of mental introvertedness is
expressed in an unconscious closing of the eyes. When a man is deeply
thinking, remembering, contemplating, we find him naturally closing
his eyes.
In a state of intense contemplation, when the intellect is turned
away from the objects-of-experiences, the bosom experiences the One
Divine "Subject" both within and without. The Lord is described here
as "with eyes closed", only to indicate that He is ever rooted in
Himself; from Him viewed, there exists nothing other than Himself to
constitute the world- of-objects.
(215) Animishah -One who remains unwinking. Whenever we wink both the
eyelids close together and what we are seeing is at least technically
veiled from the seer in the eye. The Supreme is indicated here by the
term "unwinking", in the sense that, the consciousness is Ever-
Knowing. In Sankara's words, in Chandogya Bhaashya, "there is no
cession of knowing in the knower".
(216) Sragvee -A garland is called Srak and, therefore, the term
means One who is constantly wearing a garland of undecaying flowers.
The famous garland of Vishnu is called Vaijayantee.
(217) Vaachaspatir-Udaaradheeh -Vaachaspati is a term given to One
who is eloquent in cham" pioning the Supreme law of life; and Dheeh
means the power of intelligence; and Udaaradheeh one who has a "Large-
hearted intelligence", One who is not puritanical in his view
points. God is not only the Declarer of the Law but He has a large-
hearted tolerance to appreciate the weakness of the devotee's heart,
suffering under the delusion of Maayaa, and hence, has a great
sympathy for the weakness in us This is expressed in God's Infinite
kindness towards sinners in general.
The laws of spiritual living can be disobeyed for a long time without
any tyrannical onslaught, unlike the law of physical nature, which is
blind and uncompromising. Fire knows no mercy. But Narayana, the
Great Vishnu, is kind and considerate the while He expresses the
Truth of Life eloquently at all times around us. In His Large-
heartedness, He has enough paternal kindness to overlook our
trespasses.
Stanza 24
agraneer-graamaneeh sreemaan nyaayo netaa sameeranah
sahasra-moordhaa visvaatmaa sahasraakshas-sahasrapaat.
(218) Agraneeh -One wh0 guides us to the end -the peak. Also the One,
wh0 leads (Agra) the entire pilgrim- age-the Guide. He moves ahead
and following His footsteps, keeping Him in our gaze, faithfully
following Him, we shall reach the Goal and thus He is called as the
leader, Vishnu.
(219) Graamaneeh -One who controls, guides and leads
the "Collection", the "flock" (Graama). In Sanskrit Graama means "a
collection of many number of things".
(220) Sreemaan -Sree means Light, Effulgence or glory. Consciousness
has all these three, and therefore, Sreemaan means the Self, the
Lord.
(221) Nyaayah -The word in its direct meaning is "Justice". In the
spiritual world, it connotes logical arguments (Tarka) and lines of
contemplation (Yukti), which help us in arriving at the absolute
experience indicated in the Sruti, are together called Nyaaya.
(222) Netaa -the leader-one who protects, nurtures, nourishes and
guides all living creatures in the world. One who is being the
Superintendent of the machinery of life -("Jagat-Yantra Nirvaahakah")-
Sankara.
(223) Sameeranah -One who efficiently administers all movements of
all living creatures. In the physical body, all physiological
activities are controlled by the five `Praanaas' and thus in the form
of `Praanaas' He who governs all movements of all living creatures in
the universe is Maha Vishnu.
(224) Sahasria-Moordhaa -One who has endless number of heads. All
living creatures are His manifestations and He Himself is the One who
has become the many. Therefore all heads are His, just as in a
factory the proprietor considers all the employees as his
own `hands'. Here the term Sahasra means innumerable.
(225) Visvaatmaa -The very Soul of the universe; the very inner
Essence in all living creatures.
(226) Sahasraakshah -In describing the macro- cosmic form of the Lord
we have an endorsement of this declaration in the Bhagavad Geeta.
227. Sahasrapaat -In the Purushasookta of the Rig-Veda, the same
terms are used in describing the Infinite Form of the Mighty Truth:
("The Purusha is thousand-headed, thousand-eyed, and thousand-
footed.")
The "many heads" (224), "many eyes" (226), "many legs"
(227), together indicate that, through all these equipments of
thinking (head), of action (leg) and of perception (eyes), the
Thinker, the Doer and the Seer, the One Infinite Consciousness
expresses everywhere, in all forms, at all times, and He is Lord
Vishnu.
Stanza 25
aavartano nivrittaatmaa samvritah sam-pramardanah
ahassamvartako vahnir anilo dharaneedharah.
(228) Aavartanah -One who is the Unseen Dynamism behind the ever-
whirling wheel-of time upon which play the endless drama of birth and
death. The repetition (Aavartanam) of these changes is the experience
of Samsaar, and the One mighty Lord, in whose presence alone the
factors of matter start their thrilled dance of decay, is indicated
here (Aavartanah) as "the Great Power behind the continuity of change
in the world of phenomena". In the Geeta, Bhagavan says, "O Arjuna,
the Lord dwells in the heart of all, and spins, through His Maayaa,
all layers of personal ties as though the universe is a complicated
machinery."
(229) Nivrittaatmaa -The pure Self, which has retreated totally
(Nivritta) from all Its identifications with matter. In short, Maha
Vishnu is the Pure Self, ever Immaculate and totally Free from all
the sorrows of the constant modifications taking place apparently in
the Prakriti.
(230) Samvritah -One who is completely veiled from the recognition of
the "Perceiving-feeling-thinking entity", the ego (Jeeva) .The Self
is veiled away from direct experience of all Jeevas. This
intellectual state of non-apprehension (Aavarana) creates the
agitation (Vikshepa) which is the cause for the misapprehensions of
Truth as the sad and sorrowful world of imperfections. Thus veiled,
lies the Truth today to the seeker, and that Glorious spiritual
Centre is Vishnu.
(231) Sampramardanah -One who persecutes relentlessly men, who are
sensuous, evil-minded, and so, fully extrovert in their personality
(Raakshasas). In the form of disease, decay, disaster or death That
which manifests to annihilate the pride, vanity and conceits of
all "animal-men", as they live drowned in their flesh cravings, low
emotions and materialistic values, is the Ultimate Reality-the
Supreme Lord Vishnu.
(232) Ahassamvartakah -One who thrills the day (Ahas) and makes it
function vigorously (pravartakah). The one who dynamises the day and
lends the enchantment of joy to all living creatures is the Sun. The
Mighty Truth, who, in the form of the Sun, gives life to all and
lends this energy to them to act, is Vishnu. In the Geeta, Lord
Krishna says, "Please understand that I am the Light of the Sun that
illumines all earth; and the light and heat in the moon and fire are
all mine only."
(233) Vahnih -Fire. One, who is worshipped at the altar as the God of
gods, was Fire in the Vedic period. Invoking the various deities,
oblations were poured into the Fire in Vedic ritualism and Lord Fire
is entrusted with the duty of conveying the oblations to the
appropriate deities Invoked by the devotee.
In short, Vishnu is the Omniscient Lord, who conveys appropriate
Karma-phala to the Kartaa (doer) and thus fulfils all actions of
everybody, at all times.
234. Anilah ?This term has four distinct meanings. All of them are
appropriate here. (a) Air (Vaayu); living creatures; (b) "Beginning-
less" (Aadi-rahitah); that Truth, from which the concept of time
itself has born, must have been there even before time, manifested,
and therefore, in terms of our intellectual concept of time, we can
only say that He is "Beginningless"; (c) `Eater' of food (Attaa); all
experiences that satisfy the inner man is called the "food", and
since all experiences are lived only when illumined by the
consciousness, the Supreme, in terms of our experience is called
the "Eater" and (d) "The Homeless" since He is All-pervading He is
the shelter of all and He is not sheltered by anything.
235. Dharaneedharah -One who supports (Dharah) the earth (Dharanee).
The field of our experiences is the earth, and for all our earthly
experiences, Consciousness is at once the very substratum and the
very Illuminator. In the Light of Consciousness alone, the web of
happenings around is held together to provide us with our
experiences.
Stanza 26
suprasaadah prasannaatmaa visva-dhrik- visvablluk- vibhuh
satkartaa satkritah saadhur jahnur-naaraayano narah.
236. Suprasaadah -One who is full of the Supreme Grace and who, so
little, so easily, becomes so entirely satisfied. Even to those who
can remember Him, even if it be in a spirit of constant and faithful
antagonism, His Grace is readily available. In Bhaagavata we read
Pootanaa, who tried to poison Him, Kamsa, who planned to murder Him,
or Sisupaala, who falsely accused Him-all of them were ultimately
rewarded by the Lord. In the Geeta, He confesses, "with a little am I
satisfied, if it is given with sincerity, and with faithful
consistency".
237. Prasannaatmaa -Ever-Pure and All- Blissful Self. The Supreme is
ever-pure because, It is untouched by the sorrows lived by matter,
when matter is ruled over by its gunas. In Geeta we read that the
cause for all the sorrows of the individuality (Jeeva) is the
attachment with matter and its various imperfect conditions (Gunas).
Since He is untouched by them He is Ever-Pure; and since no
identification of matter is in Him, He is all-Bliss.
238. Visvadhrik -As a Mighty Source of all existence in every thing
and every being, He is the Supporter (Dhrik) of the total world of
all perceptions, all emotions and all thoughts (Visva).
Herein the Supporter and the supported being essentially one, no
calamity comes to the Lord by the increase in population. Ocean, the
supporter of the waves, can never feel bothered by the stormy surface
and the consequent increase in the number of waves.
239. Visvabhuk -The One who enjoys or swallows (Bhuk) all experiences
(Visva). The Supreme Consciousness apparently conditioned by the mind
and intellect is the experiencer of the joys and sorrows.
The term also means, "the One who absorbs unto Himself all names and
forms" at the time of the dissolution (Pralaya) .In the plane of God-
consciousness all other experiences, gathered in fields of waking,
dream and deep- sleep, are transcended and, therefore, the State of
Perfection can be figuratively indicated as "Visvabhuk" the One who
swallows all other experiences of plurality".
240. Vibhuh -One who manifests Himself in an endless variety of
forms. Though essentially the Infinite is One, Non-Dual and All-
Pervading, the Reality, when viewed through the equipments of mind-
and-intellect (Maayaa) seems to have apparently become the
pluralistic world. Mundakopanishad (1-6) says, "He is Eternal and
Multiform." Based upon this idea we have in the Puranas, the
description of the Lord's incarnations and His play in the world of
the many.
241. Satkartaa -One who revels and adores those who are good and
wise. His palace is ever lit up with His hospitality and He Himself
presides over the loving reception of the righteous.
242. Satkritah -One who is adored by all good people, not only is He
adored and worshipped by great men of wisdom and devotion-as the
Sanatkumaaras, Naarada and others-but He is invoked and worshipped
consciously by all living creatures. The Upanishad describes every
experience of all living creatures as a Yajna in which the stimuli
received are the `Oblations' poured at which the inner Consciousness
flares up into brilliancy.
243. Saadhuh -One, who functions strictly according to the righteous
code of living is a Saadhuh Atman, the Self, is the Mighty Presence,
which apparently lends intelligence and capacity to inert matter. The
Supreme Saadhu is Vishnu Himself.
244. Jahnuh -leader of men; the One who leads all creatures along the
path of an inexorable law-the law of action and reaction, the rhythm
of Karma. Irresistibly, the good is led, by his own subjective
disharmony, dashes to reach a hell made by himself for himself.
245. Naaraayanah -This simple sacred word has an endless number of
direct and indirect meanings, imports and suggestions, and Vyasa
seems to have explored almost all its possibilities.
1. The Shelter (Ayanam) for man (Nara) is Naaraayana.
2. The term Nara implies the ego-centric individuality and a large
collection of them is called Naara and the One who is the sole refuge
for the entire living creatures is called Naaraayanah.
3. Nara also means Eesvara and the elements (Tattvas) born out of Him
are called Naara; and One who is the controller, the regulator, the
very source of all Existence. in these very Tattvas is called
Naaraayanah.
4. Naaraah also mean "waters". According to the picture painted in
the Puranas of the Deluge, wherein the names, and forms devolve
themselves into their elemental waters, the Lord is objectively
described as lying alone upon the waters, the Eternal baby, floating
upon a banyan leaf. "Holding in His Lotus-hand His own Lotus-feet,
and sucking His own toe with His Lotus-lips, the Lotus child resting
playfully upon a banyan leaf, floating up on the waters of the Deluge-
I meditate."
It is in this sense, we find Manu interpreting the word "Naaraayana".
In the great devotional classic, Bhaagavatam, we find very many
suggestions digged out of this sacred name; such as the `Self of all
bodies', "the Dynamic Force behind matter", "the Witness of all good
and bad". All these indicate that Sri Narayana is nothing other than
the Glory (Ayanam) of the Self.
246. Narah -The Guide: One-who guides all creatures strictly
according to their actions is none other than the Ancient (Sanaatana)
Self.
Stanza 27
asankhyeyo-aprameyaatmaa visishtah sishta-krit-suchih
siddhaarthah siddhasankalpah siddhidah siddhisaadhanah.
247. Asankhyeyah -Sankhyaa means number; Asankhya=numberless.
Asankhyeyah is one who has numberless names and forms. The infinite
variety of things and beings that constitute the manifested Universe
are all His Own Form, and hence He is indeed numberless, whom He
expresses Himself as the Universe. In the 11th Chapter of Geeta, we
see through Arjuna's eyes the Cosmic Form of the Lord. Of boundless
forms on every side with numberless arms, stomachs, mouths and eyes-
neither end nor middle, nor beginning do I see, O Lord of the
Universe.
248. Aprameya-Atmaa -Prameya=Pramaana Vishaya-anything that can be
known through any of the "Sources-of-knowledge"-direct or indirect.
Atman, the Self, cannot be apprehended by the intellect through any
of the known "Sources-of-Knowledge" (Pramaana) and so He is called as
Aprameya. One who has this nature is the Self, Aprameya-Atmaa, Sri
Narayana.
249. Visishtah -The One who transcends every- thing, in His Glory is
the Supreme (Visishtah). Something that is other than the three
bodies, something other than the five kosas, something definitely
different from the finite world of perishable things is the Infinite
Self-which cannot be defined in terms of either the waking or the
dream or the sleep conditions. The Self is something other than all
these:
This Supreme-most Troth is Maha Vishnu.
250. Sishtakrit -One who governs; One who is the Law Maker and the
Law that governs the universe. The goal of His administration is the
protection of the good (Sishtah). Maha Vishnu is the Governor of all,
and the Protector of the good.
251. Suchih -One who is Pure. The immaculate Reality which is never
contaminated by the Maayaa and its by- products is Maha Vishnu. When
dirt (Mala) exists upon anything, it becomes unclean. In the Absolute
Oneness there can be nothing other than itself and therefore the
Fourth-plane-of- Consciousness (Tureeyam) is indicated in our
Scriptures as the Transcendental Ever-Pure Self, Sri Hari.
252. Siddhaarthah -One who has gained all that has to be gained and
achieved all that has to be achieved. That which has to be achieved
in life during an individual's existence have all been classified
under four heads and they are called as the four "aims of life"
(Purushaartha). Theyare Righteousness in conduct, (Dharma), Wealth
and Possession (Artha), desires and ambitions (Kaama), liberation
from imperfections (Moksha). One who has gained all these "four" have
nothing more to gain as there cannot be any sense of imperfection in
Him. One who has gained (Siddhah) all that has to be gained (Arthah)
is Siddhaartha, Lord Vishnu.
253. Siddhasankalpah -Sankalpa means "intellectual willing and
wishing". One who gains all that He wishes for, or One who
immediately gains what He wills is called Siddha-sankalpah.
Ordinarily we fail to gain what we demand because of the
disintegration within ourselves. The Lord, the Perfect, is One who
instantaneously gains all that He wishes; hence the Upanishads define
Him as the Satya Sankalpavaan. This great Paramesvara of the
Upanishads is the Maha Vishnu, the theme of the "Thousand Chants'
(Sahasranaama).
254. Siddhiddah -One who is the Giver of the appropriate reward for
all actions, for those who are doing spiritual practices. Lord
Narayana is the great Universal Power that brings about the reward
for all actions.
255. Siddhi-Saadhanah -One who is the very secret force which enables
the seeker to diligently continue all efforts of his seeking. Siddhi
ordinarily means "fulfilment", here it means all efforts at a given
fulfilment. It is also interpreted by some as the One Mighty Reality,
to worship at whose altar is the very means (Saadhana) for all
achievements (Siddhi), and this is Sri Narayana.
Stanza 28
vrishaahee vrishabho vishnur-vrishaparvaa vrishodarah
vardhano vardhamaanascha viviktah sruti-saagarah.
256. Vrishaahee -The term Vrishah is very familiar with the
ritualistic portion of the Vedas and it connotes objectively the
sacred "Left over" after the Yajna functions. Subjectively, Vrisha
means the residual `results' gathered in the personality after each
devoted and dedicated act of offering, during all Self-less services
(Yajnas). Therefore, Vrishaahee means "One who is a controller of all
actions and the dispenser of all results", in all individual,
conscious, intelligent creatures.
257. Vrishabhah -The term Vrisha though not very familiar now is used
in the Vedic literature to indicate Dharma-"the essential nature of a
thing without which the thing cannot remain as the thing" is its
Dharma. One who showers all Dharmas is called Vrishabhah. In short,
one who showers glowing health, burning devotion and thrilling
silence on all sincere seekers and faithful devotees is Vrishabhah;
and He is Sri Narayana.
258. Vishnuh -All-Pervading: Long-Strident. We had already explained
this term earlier (2). In Mahabharata we also read the Lord Himself
explaining to Arjuna, "Because I stand striding across the Universe
(Kramanaat), O Partha, I am known as Vishnu." -(Mahabharata 12-350-
43).
In the Upanishad also we read, "Vishnu has spread Himself and
conquered all these three worlds.
259. Vrishaparvaa -We had already explained that Vrisha means Dharma.
The term Parvam means "Ladder", "a flight of steps" that takes us to
the Higher floors (Hence Parvata means mountain). Thus, here, the
term is explained as a flight of steps on the ladder of life to take
one to the Ultimate Reality, the Eternal (Sanaatana) Dharma: "1 am
the way". Vishnu is the One to worship at whose altar will facilitate
the devotee's steady evolution towards the experience of the Higher
consciousness.
260. Vrishodarah -Vrisha, that which rains; Udara = belly. The idea
here is the seat of all-creative thinking is resting on a psychic,
centre, roughly indicated by the navel, and hence we find the
description that the total Creator of the universe is sustained and
held aloft at the navel of Maha Vishnu. During Pralaya (sleep)
the "creative power" merges back to its source, and thereafter, upon
waking, the creation again starts; the creative power" manifests
itself and continues its creative activities, from the same point of
Its merger, (Udara). This culminating point of all creation, during
the time of the dissolution-which is also the same from wherein,
during creation, the manifestations of names and forms spring forth
(shower down = Vrisha)- is Vishnu, the Supreme, and hence, He is
called as Vrishodarah, "the Showering Belly."
261. Vardhanah -One who is the nurturer and nourisher everywhere, at
all levels of life, both material and spiritual. In short, from the
standpoint of the student, who is studying with devotion
these "Thousand names of the Lord", the term indicates that Vishnu is
the Mighty Power that supplies all spiritual growth, provides all
well-being and ultimately blesses all His devotees with the final
Realization.
262 Vardhamaanah -One who can grow Himself into any dimensions; ever-
growing. Since the names and forms of the universe are ever dynamic
and has the unseen movement of progressive evolution everywhere, the
Lord is indicated here as this very "dimensional movement of
progress" (Vardhana). (The Pauraanikas attribute that this name came
to Him because He in His Vaamana incarnation grew
Himself to measure under His three steps the whole universe.
263. Viviktah -Alone=solitary. Every standing apart from everything.
With reference to the dream and the dreamer, the waker is, we knew,
indeed, separate. Similarly the world of names and forms and its joys
and sorrows, passions and lusts, smiles and tears, though they all
play in the Self, the Supreme is not affected by them.
The horrid "ghost" cannot affect the innocent "post". One who thus
remains alone and apart, in His Own Majesty and perfection, even when
the world-of-Maayaa is heaving about is Viviktah. In the daily
happenings of Samsar, in its births and deaths, He remains ever
changeless and ever unaffected. This freedom is indicated in the
Geeta and the Lord explains: "They are in me; I am not in them
264. Srutisaagarah -The ocean for all the rivers of all scriptural
thoughts. All scriptures, irrespective of the age, language,
tradition and beliefs, ultimately indicate a Theme which is ever the
same. All scriptures are rivulets of thoughts, flowing through
different terrains of national character and historical climates,
gushing to reach forward the ocean of Perfection, which lies beyond
the dark sorrows of mortality. That which is the goal of all
Scriptures is the Immortal Bliss of God-consciousness, the Maha
Vishnu.
Stanza 29
subhujo durdharo vaagmee mahendro vasudo vasuh
naika-roopo brihad-roopah sipivishtah prakaasanah.
265. Subhujah -He who has graceful arms. This need not be taken as a
description of the physical beauty of the anatomical structure of the
arms but since those arms are ever working in the service of His
devotees on sheltering them (Abhaya) and in blessing them (Varada)
they are full of grace and hence graceful.
266. Durdharah -One who cannot be comprehended even by Great Yogis,
who spend long periods of time in meditation. Transcending the mind
and intellect is the "experience" of the Supreme and, therefore, the
mind and intellect can never comprehend It.
267. Vaagmee -One who is eloquent of His Glory. The full sense or the
term should embrace not only the eloquence in speech, but all
physical capabilities in the world, all the Glories or the cosmos,
all the beauties or the heart, the total might of the intellect-all
are eloquent of His Glory. Through the scriptures of the world, it is
again He, who speaks to us of our ultimate Harbour beyond the stormy
seas; of Maayaa, in the simple words of brilliant suggestions
declared by the Saints, Sages, Rishis, Prophets and other Divine Men.
268. Mahendrah -One who is Lord of even Indra, the Lord or gods. In
philosophy the "Mind" is called lndra (lndriyaanaam Raajaa) and One
who is the Lord of even the "mind" is the Self.
269. Vasudah -Vasu means wealth and, therefore Vasudah means One who
enriches all, both in their outer prosperity and in their inner well-
being. Once surrendered unto Him man learns to live ever in dynamic
success, with all the glories of the loving heart, self-controlled
mind, and contemplative intellect.
270. Vasuh ?The term Vasu has got three meanings: Wealth (Dhana),
Veil (Aacchaadana) and Sun (Aaditya); thus He is the One who
manifests Himself in the form of the external wealth, for He, as the
very sun, nurtures and nourishes the world. He is the One, who veils
Himself from the comprehension and understanding of the unprepared
men of evil temperaments and who possess no true devotion.
The term Vasu also can mean "One who lives in" (Vasati iti) all
things and beings of the universe; or it can also mean as "One who
allows all things and beings to exist in Himself" (Vaasayati iti). In
Geeta and in the Upanishads we find the Infinite described as the
very Indweller everywhere in His Eesvara status, and as the very
substratum for the universe in the Pure Transcendental nature.
271. Naikaroopah -One who is of Infinite forms in his manifestations;
the single waker's mind becomes itself variegated to serve as the
endless items of the dream-world. The One Supreme "Cause" of the
whole Universe is Vishnu; and all "effects" are but different
expressions of their "cause". In a very familiar chant, traditionally
repeated by all devotees, this Idea has been brought out beautifully.
Looking at Him through our distorting instruments of body-mind-
intellect, we see the plurality, and only on transcending this
equipment can we "experience" the Oneness of the Absolute Reality.
272. Brihadroopah -Vast of Infinite dimensions; pervading all. One
whose very form (roopa) is the totality of the universe and therefore
as vast as the universe, nay, in the description of the Supreme
Person in the Rig Veda (Purusha- sookta) we read the Rishis declaring
that Vishnu is not only of the total size and dimension of the
Universe but He stands beyond it all by ten digits. ? "Atyatishthat
Dasaangulam".
273. Sipivishtah -Sipi is the name given to the "Sacrificial cow".
The term denotes the One who sanctified all dedicated offerings
poured into all fields of selfless sacrifices (Yajna). The root Si
has also the meaning of waters; Sipi-`that which drinks water' ?"The
rays of the Sun". Thus Sipivishtah would indicate the Supreme, who
is the Presiding deity in the Sun, giving it both its energy of heat
and light. In Geeta, the Lord confesses: "Understand that the light
and energy that expresses themselves through the sun and moon is the
Light and Glory essentially belonging to Me".
274. Prakaasanah ?The One who illuminates; expressing Itself as the
All-pervading Consciousness in every equipment. He is the knower,
knowing everything in each bosom (Sarvavit) and knowing all things
that are happening in the universe at one and the same time in His
omnisciency (Sarvajnah). He is the Illuminator of all experiences.
Just as the One sun illumines everything in the world the Reality
illumines both the fields of experiences and the knower-of- the-field.
Stanza 30
ojas-tejo-dyutidharah prakaasa-aatmaa prataapanah
riddhah spashtaaksharo mantras-chandraamsur-bhaaskara- dyutih.
275. Ojas-tejo-dyutidharah -One who is the possessor (Dharah) of
Perfect physical virility (Ojas), all brilliancy (Tejas) and every
beauty (dyuti). These three terms indicate perfection at three
different levels of personality known to us at present. Ojas is
glowing health (physical) due to perfect balance in the constituents
(Tattvas) of the healthy body. This virility in us when conserved,
disciplined and trained can, through meditation, be converted into
intellectual "brilliancy" and perfect personality "integration".
The shine of an individual, who has thus sublimated Ojas, is termed
in our Sastras as tejas. A Yogi, through intelligent living and
through a devoted life of continued meditation, has thus gathered to
himself ojas and Tejas sufficiently, he, in time, grows to become an
experienced Saint of Divine Realization, a Buddha. The enchanting
atmosphere of irresistible peace and compassion, love and perfection,
knowledge and strength, such a man throws around him, is called the
aura of Divinity (Dyuti). In the lOth Chapter of the Geeta, the
Geetacharya autobiographically confesses, "I am the Might in all
strength; I am the Brilliancy in all that is brilliant."
Some commentators are found to take these three terms as separate
names of the Lord. However, Sankara interprets it as one single term.
276. Prakaasaatmaa -The Effulgent Self. The One who is the Self in
all hearts, who can be experienced as the Consciousness, which is the
source of all illumination to shine upon all experiences in the three
planes-of-consciousness, in all living creatures, at all times. This
Universal and Absolute Self is Maha Vishnu.
277. Prataapanah -The One who manifests Himself as the Essential
Thermal Energy, that lends Life Potential to the very atmosphere
around each living creature. In the words of the Geetacharya, we find
a confirmation to thus declaration when the Lord declares to Arjuna
that He Himself is the Reality that manifests as the heat and light
in the Sun and the Moon, and it is He again who warms up the crust of
the earth and impregnates it with its fertility. (Geeta XV-12 & 13).
278. Riddhah -One who is ever full of all prosperity. As the very
Lord of Lakshmi, Vishnu should be one who has all glories (Aisvarya).
When the entire universe of wealth, strength and beauty is itself a
manifestation from Him, He Himself must be the Absolute Glory.
279. Spashta-aksharah -Spashtam=clear. One who is clearly indicated
by the Supreme Sound (Akshara), the famous Sound-Symbol of the
Eternal Lord Om. In Geeta we read: "One who chants my name Om and
leaves his body at the time of death thus remembering Me, he shall go
to the Supreme State" In Sanskrit, Kshara means the "Perishable" and
Akshara means the "imperishable." The world of plurality,
the "perishable" is no doubt nothing other than the All-Perfect, the
Immutable Truth, but due to the imperfections of the instruments-of-
perception-body, mind and intellect-the perceiving ego can experience
only this world constituted of a plurality-sense objects, emotions
and thoughts- The ego peeping through the vehicles can never
experience the One co-ordinating Reality, the Divine. When the mind
is hushed and the ego thus sublimated, the Immutable Akshara-factor
is experienced, wherein we gain the clearest (Spashta) understanding
of the Absolute. Since it is thus clear (Spashta) only in Its
Immutable nature (Akshara=Kootastha), Vishnu, the Supreme Self, is
indicated here as Spashtaaksharah).
280. Mantrah -One who is of the nature of the Mantras of the Vedas.
The declarations of the Vedas the mantras are the vehicles that will
take us straight into an experience of the Transcendental. The
vehicles are often called by the nan1e of their destination. Mantra
means that which can save us on being properly meditated upon. Only
through the mantras of the Upanishads we ever come to experience the
Supreme Nature of the Lord, and so He is named as Mantrah.
281. Chandraamsuh -Rays of the moon. That the moonlight has got an
effect upon the herbs was known to India in the Vedic period. "As the
rays of the moon (Soma) I fill the vegetable kingdom with nutrition",
confesses Bhagavan Vaasudeva. Thus the Lord is One who nurtures and
nourishes all living creatures instilling into each its particular
vitality. Though this is the deep philosophical significance,
superficially the beauty, calm and peace that the moon suggests to
our mind is but a reflection of the Infinite Peace of Vishnu.
282. Bhaaskaradyutih -The Effulgence of the Sun. Sun is the centre
of the solar system, an eternal exchequer of energy, ever
distributing Life and Strength to all living upon the earth; life
would have been impossible but for the Sun. At the same time, the Sun
stays where he is and he never interferes with life; from afar he
blesses life. The Lord who thus from afar blesses by His mere
presence is the true Sun of Life, the Atman, the Self- Sree Maha
Vishnu.
Stanza 31
amritaamsoodbhavo bhaanuh sasabinduh suresvarah
aushadham jagatas-setuh satya-dharma-paraakramah.
283. Amritaamsoodbhavah -The moon who has consoling rays that gives
the essential food value (Rasa) to the plants and fruits is called in
Sanskrit as Amritaamsuh. In the Puranas it is described that the moon
was first born from the milky-ocean during its churning. Since Vishnu
is described as ever reposing upon His Ananta-bed in Ksheerasaagara,
the Lord is Himself termed here as the Begetter of the Moon.
Subjectively Moon (Mati) is the Presiding Deity of the intellect, and
the discriminating intellect itself arose when our bosom started
churning the heart by the two forces, the positive -the good (Deva) -
and the negative -Vicious (Asuras). If the Sun is the Presiding Deity
of energy, moon represents the world of matter, and the very source
from which the world-of-matter, Kshetra, has risen is Amritaam-
soodbhavah.
284. Bhaanuh -Self-Effulgent; One who expresses Himself for the
blessing of the world in the form of the Sun and presides over the
entire solar system.
285. Sasabinduh -The patch in the moon looks like the silhouette of a
rabbit for the naked eye; that which has a "beauty-spot" (Bindu) in
the shape of a rabbit (Sasa) is called Sasabindu -the moon. Since the
Lord is the Nourisher of all and He is Himself the entire world of
matter, He Himself is the Moon "that nourishes with essence all plant
kingdom".
286. Suresvarah -Sura means Deva and so the term indicates "the God
of all gods". The word Sura also can be dissolved to mean Giver (Ra)
of Plenty (Su); Sura therefore stands for a person of extreme
charity .The Lord, Eesvara, who prompts and fulfils the loving
kindness of all charitable men is Suresvarah, Lord Vishnu.
287. Aushadham -Medicine. Narayana is the Divine Medicine for the
immediate cure for all the burning sorrows of Samsar. Even to
consider it more directly as the specific cure for all bodily
ailments is not necessarily wrong, for ailments of the body are
caused by mental disintegration, and when the inner man has
surrendered in devotion to Him, Lord Narayana indeed becomes a
specific cure for even all the physical diseases of His devotees.
288. Jagatassetuh -A reclamation bund thrown across waters
connecting distant islands to the main land is called Setu. Sri
Ramachandraji built one and reached Lanka. The term Jagatassetuh,
therefore, implies that the Lord is Himself the Bridge over which one
can safely cross over the realm of egocentric imperfections and reach
the joyous realms of the Infinite Perfection.
289. Satyadharmaparaakramah -One who champions heroically for Truth
(Satya) and Righteousness (Dharma). It can also imply as One who has
Truthfulness (Sat yam), Righteousness (Dharma) and Heroism
(Paraakramah) .In short, Lord is One, who fights constantly against
the false and the unrighteous to establish Truth and Purity.
Stanza 32
bhoota-bhavya-bhavan-naathah pavanah paavano-analah
kaamahaa kaamakrit-kaantah kaamah kaamapradah prabhuh.
290. Bhoota-Bhavya-Bhavan-Naathah - The Lord of the three periods of
time: the past, the present and the future. Lord of Time is the One,
in whose presence alone, time concept is possible. "Time" is the
interval between "thoughts" and the Awareness that illumines the rise
and fall of thoughts is the very Lord of Time. Objectively He is the
Lord of all those, that exist in the three periods of time; or He to
whom all creatures conditioned by time, pray for comforts, solace and
protection.
291. Pavanah -One who purifies everything. Or One who manifests as
the life-giving atmosphere around the world and sustains the
existence everywhere.
292. Paavanah -In the earlier term "Pavanah" the Lord is indicated as
the One who has, in the form of the atmospheric air, filled the
universe. He is the One who sustains life in all living creatures as
the life-giving atmospheric air. Here, the present term "Paavanah"
means the One who gives this life-sustaining power to the atmospheric
air. It is very well-known that the moving air (Breeze) purifies more
than any other known thing in the world. This purifying power is
acquired by the atmosphere by His Grace. In short, He is the secret
glory that lends the atmosphere, the very life-sustaining property
for the air, and He is the dynamism that moves the air.
293. Analah -The term itself means Fire. So He who is in the form of
fire, and sustains life. A certain amount of minimum thermal heat is
necessary for life to continue, be it in the human body or be it in
the Earth itself. This warmth of life in the world around and in the
organism itself, without which life cannot continue. that mighty
warmth of life is none other than the Lord, and hence, He is called
Analah. Also the term `Ana' has the meaning of Praana, and `La' means
to receive. Therefore, the term can also imply "One who is the very
Self, the very Vital Factor, in the Praana".
294. Kaamahaa -One who destroys all desires. Desires spring forth
from the Vaasanaas. We can experience the Self only on transcending
the vaasanaas. Just as the sun is the destroyer of night, similarly,
the Pure consciousness, the Atman and the Vaasanaas cannot remain at
the one and the same time. The Vaasanaas end when the Atman is
experienced. From the devotees' stand-point, He is the One who
fulfils all his desires. Or He who is the father of Kaama, Pradyumna,
which again is one of the names of Vishnu.
Desire is the source from which endless series of other sources of
sorrows flow into the human life. When a desire arises in the mind,
only two things are possible. Either we fulfil the desire or we do
not. In case we get our desires fulfilled, it is natural for the
human mind to crave for more and thus he becomes restless due to
greed. If, on the other hand, the desire is not fulfilled, anger
rises and when anger increases, it brings about delusion of the mind
and makes the victim see things in others, in himself and the
situation he is in, which are not in fact there around him. In such a
deluded one, Wisdom slips away and, naturally, therefore, his
discriminative power cannot function, since he cannot judge the
present situation with reference to any standard ideal that he had in
the past. When the rational discriminative power fades away that man
falls completely off the dignity of mall and becomes worse than a
brute. Geeta charters thus, a steady psychological fall in a
spiritual being, and this entire chain of self-destruction springs
forth from desire. A devotee, or a meditator, when he approaches this
Great Reality, existing in the subjective Core of his own
personality, he transcends all the realms of his desires and passions
and, therefore, this Great Inner Self is indicated here as
the "Destroyer of all Desires". He is the One who fulfils all desires
in His devotees, and thus bring about a calm fullness of joy within.
295. Kaama-krit -One who fulfils all desires. The implications have
been indicated in the analysis of the previous term. It can also mean
as the Very Creator of the Lord of Love-Kaama Deva. Even though
desires spring forth from the realm of the Causal Body, constituted
of the Vaasanaas without the thrilling touch of the Self, even
Vaasanaas cannot express all by themselves. In that sense of the
term, the very agitations of desire, erupt from His Grace. Hence, He
is called the Kaama-krit.
296. Kaantah -One who is of enchanting form. Infinite Beauty is the
very nature of the Self, and the Upanishads define the Self as
Saantam-Sivam-Sundaram.
The aestheticism in man craves for harmony and where we experience
the greatest of harmony, there we detect the presence of beauty. In
front of beauty, the entire personality of an intelligent man becomes
calm and peaceful, hushed in silence, transported to ecstasy. These
are moments when the meditator has transcended his Sheaths and is in
union with the Pure Self. Naturally therefore, the Pure personality
of an intelligent man becomes calm and peaceful. Self is indicated
here as Kaantah-Divine Auspicious form of Absolute Beauty.
297. Kaamah -One who is the beloved. Not only He is the beloved of
the devotees, but every activity of all living creatures is an
attempt at courting and winning bliss and happiness. The Blissful
Self is the goal of all creatures in life. Even insignifical1t
unicellular organisms revolt against pain, and they too seek
happiness. Man is no exception. The Infinite Bliss which is
experienced only on transcending the body, mind and intellect, is
that which is constantly demanded by every organism that breathes in
this universe. In the ignorance of this All Satisfying Goal, the
world suffers. That Lord is the beloved of all devotees, and in fact,
He is also the beloved of even those who deny Him and run after the
sense- objects. The theist seeks Him through devotion or meditation.
The atheist too seeks Him only in and through all his diligent
pursuits of the sense-stimuli.
298. Kaamapradah ?One who supplies the desired objects; One who
fulfils all desires To the devotee, the Lord, is the giver of all
desired objects, and to a man of meditation, the Lord is that state-
of-mind where all desires are fulfilled- in the sense that no more
can any desire linger in his heart after the Experience-Divine
299. Prabhuh -He is the Lord, the Master, the Owner, the proprietor.
One who has all powers to do, not to do and to do otherwise is called
the Great Lord.
Stanza 33
yugaadi-krit yugaavarto naikamaayo mahaasanah
adrisyo vyaktaroopascha sahasrajit anantajit.
300. Yugaadi-krit -One who is the creator of the divisions of aeons,
described in our Puranas, as Yugas. These Yugas are four in number.
Kritam, Tretaa, Dvaapara and Kali. In short, He is the Lord of Time.
By the term Aadi, it must be understood to indicate all other
divisions of Time as Centuries, Years, Months, Weeks, Days, Hours,
Minutes and Seconds. He is not only the Lord of the Yugas, but He is
the Light of Consciousness that illumines the duration of each
experience and the very interval between every pair of subjective
experiences.
301. Yugaavartah -In the previous term the Lord is indicated as the
Creator of the Yugas, and here we are told that He is also the Power
behind the wheel of time that goes on changing and repeating itself,
i.e. not only He is the Lord of Time, but He is the Mighty
Administrator of the performances of Time, the very Law behind the
constant flow of the flood of time.
302. Naikamaayah -One whose delusory forms are endless and
variegated. According to Puranas, for the sake of sustaining the
world and maintaining its order and rhythm, the Lord had taken
different forms, each of His manifestations well-suited for the times
of His arrival. Thus, we have ten in- carnations. Also, in that
mighty manifestations of the Lord, as Krishna and Raffia, we find
descriptions of how one and the same entity generated different
attitudes and emotions in different types of people. In short, one
who has realised the Self, can thereafter freely play through all his
existing Vaasanaas and none of them can ever entangle him, because he
has grown to be the master of his own Vaasanaas. Maayaa, otherwise
called as Avidyaa, is constituted of the Vaasanaas in us, forming our
Causal Body. One who has transcended this is the One who has realised
the Infinite. Lord is therefore, one who is without Maayaa in Him. An
individual entity, like us, is one who is under the tyrannies of
Maayaa. The Lord is one who can wield Maayaa for His purpose without
Himself becoming involved in it.
303. Mahaasanah -This word can be dissolved as He who eats up
everything. One who swallows up all perceptions, emotions and
thoughts, created by the Vaasanaas, at the various levels of
personality, due to our own individual Vaasanaas. At the time of
Samaadhi when the limited ego is ended and the Supreme is experienced
all the expressions of Vaasanaas are, as it were, swallowed by that
Infinite Experience, and therefore, this Great Vishnu is called as
the "Consumer of Everything."
304. Adrisyah -Through the sense-organs, the mind and intellect at
this moment, we are aware of the outer objects and our subjective
emotions and thoughts. The ultimate Reality is neither the objects
perceived by us, nor the instruments of our perception. He is the
Subjective Core, the Eternal Essence, wherein, the perceived and the
instruments of perceptions are all totally absent. This Subjective
Reality must necessarily be, by Its very nature, not an object-of-
perception, and hence, It is called as the Imperceptible meaning, He
is the very Perceiver in all perceptions.
305. Vyakta-roopah -He who has a form- clearly perceptible to the
meditator in his meditation. The contradiction is so smotheringly
apparent because of the very placing of the term. It is only just-
now, in the above term, that we are told that the Lord is
imperceptible (Adrisyah) and the very following term declares that He
is perceptible. Here it means that though He is not perceptible with
the physical instruments of perceptions, yet on transcending the
equipments, the Yogi intimately comes to experience the entire Divine
Glory of the Self. Though, ordinarily it is not easy to see Him, in
the devotee's heart, the Lord comes to play vividly and drives the
devotee mad in his ecstasy.
306. Sahasra-jit -One who vanquishes thou- sands. In all the Puranas
everywhere, it is found that the Incarnations manifest to destroy the
diabolically fallen (Raakshas) who approach the good in endless
hoards to annihilate them. One who conquers over these diabolical
forces is the Lord Vishnu.
Subjectively the hosts of passions and lusts, greeds and jealousies
which invade the inner bosom, and loot away the seeker's tranquillity
and peace, are all ultimately vanquished by this Higher Consciousness
and therefore, the Self is indicated as the one who is ever
victorious over all the hoards of our lower impulses.
307. Ananta-jit -Ever-victorious. The victory of the Lord is endless;
in every Incarnation, He alone wins in the end. The victory over
negative forces becomes complete when once the Higher Consciousness
is experienced, and hence, the Self is indicated here as Ananta-jit.
Stanza 34
ishto visishtah sishteshtah sikhandee nahusho vrishah
krodhahaa krodhakrit kartaa visvabaahur maheedharah.
308. lshtah -This term can be interpreted in two ways. One who is
invoked through the different types of Vedic rituals (Yajnas), is
Ishtah. Or, it can also mean, One who is loved by all. The Lord being
the very centre of all love in everyone. The Brihadaranyakopanishad
very clearly indicates this idea in almost unvarnished words: "The
man loves his wife not because of the wife, but because of
himself. ...etc."
All love spring from our personal love for the Infinite which is the
Self in us.
309. Visishtah -One who is the noblest and the most sacred. Vishnu,
the Lord, dwells in the heart of every- one. He is the sole essence
presiding over every physical, mental and intellectual activities in
every living creature and, therefore, He is indicated by this term.
310. Sishta-ishtah -To all spiritually minded good people and
therefore sincere seekers, the Lord is the greatest beloved in-as-
much as, He represents the Goal and the Destination of all devoted
seekers. In short, He is the Supreme Beloved for all spiritually
inclined divine hearts.
He can also mean that the Lord is one who Himself is sincere and
ardent lover and courtier of all devotees, sincerely and diligently
seeking Him. There are commentators who indicate that the term can
also mean: One who is being constantly invoked and help in adoration
by all true devotees with their physical, mental and intellectual
activities.
311. Sikhandee -One who wears `Sikhanda' meaning "the peacock
feather", Lord Krishna is described in Bhagavat as having adorned
with the `eye' of the peacock feather, especially in his early child
and boy-hood.
312. Nahushah -The term "Nahanmn" means bondage, therefore, the term
stands for "One who is familiar with bondages," ln Vedanta, the
word `Isvarah' is the Supreme Consciousness conditioned by the total-
Causal-Body (Maayaa); at the same time, Isvara is One who has the
Maayaa under His control, It can also be understood as "One who bind,
all creatures of the world with the cord of Maayaa." Those who are
students of the Puranas interpret this word as One whose glory was
expressed in the spectacular magnificence in Nahushah, who gained the
Office of Indra.
313. Vrishah -There is a famous statement in the Hindu tradition from
which we can gather that the Lord is of the nature of Dharma. Dharma
means the essential Law of Being, that because of which an individual
is an individual, without which the individual cannot exist, is the
Dharma of the individual. In this sense, the essential Dharma of one
is the Self. Thus, Vrishah is but another name to suggest that the
Lord Vishnu is none other than the Self in us. It can also mean "One
who showers the fulfilment of all desires in all devotees." Desires
arise when the existing Vaasanaas get impatient and explode into
manifestation. As the desire arises, the mind plans out and the body
acts towards its fulfilment. All these activities are possible only
when the vehicles are thrilled by the Self in us. Thus, ultimately,
one who fulfils all desires is the Lord of our heart, the Atman.
314. Krodhahaa -One who destroys anger in all sincere seekers. We
have already found earlier that anger manifests when fulfilment of a
deep desire is obstructed. On realising the Lord, all desires end
and, therefore, there cannot be any anger on any occasion. Also,
anger can come only when we recognise the world of plurality around
us. For one who is experiencing the Self, there is nothing but the
One Self everywhere and, therefore, there is no occasion to entertain
this emotion of anger.
315. Krodha-krit-kartaa ?One who generates in a sincere and serious
seeker anger against the lower tendencies when they manifest-"Krodha-
krit". Also He is the very creative impulse `Kartaa' behind the lower
tendencies; because all things come out from Him alone. Some
commentators consider this term as two different words, but the
majority consider them as an integrated one.
316. Visvabaahuh -One who has number of hands; whose hands are
everywhere doing all activities in the universe. The life in the
bosom as long as it exists, so long alone the hands and the legs
function. The hands can lift and do its job only when it is in
contact with life. Life expressing through the hand is its function.
All hands that are doing variegater activities all over the world are
all His hands in-as- much as, where He is not, that lifeless hand can
perform no more any activity. Since He is thus the dynamic One
Principle that functions through all hands at work, He is called a
Visvabaahuh.
317. Maheedharah -One who is the Substratum and support for the
Earth. The Lord is the very material cause for the universe and as
such, He supports the world-just as cotton supports the cloth, mud
supports the pot, gold supports the ornament. Since the term Mahee
also means "the adorations sent up by the devotees," it can also
mean `One who receives all the worship of devoted hearts.'
Stanza 35
achyutuh prathitah praanah praanado vaasavaanujah
apaam nidhiradhishthaanam apramattah pratishthitah
318. Achyutah -One who has not got any modifications (Chyutam) such
as birth, growth, decay, disease, death etc. The Eternal and
Immutable cannot have any change and the Self being the Eternal, it
cannot have any of the changes that are natural to all mortal and
finite things, Upanishads themselves thunder this Truth-"Eternal,
Auspicious and Changeless".
319. Prathitah -One who exists pervading all; spreading Himself
everywhere. It can also mean "One whose glory, as described in the
Upanishads, has spread round the world everywhere."
320. Praanah -All manifested expressions of life are called as the
Praana. He is the Praana in all-living creatures; meaning, it is His
manifestations that we recognise as the endless activities in all
living creatures in this dynamic world. Also it can mean that "He is
the One who in the form of vital-air, sustains life in all
creatures."
321 Praanadah ?One who gives strength (Praana) to everywhere The
root `da' has a meaning of destruction and, therefore, the term
comprehends also the power of destruction everywhere According to the
Puranas, therefore, He is the One who gives the strength and glory
for Devas, and again, He is the One who supplies special strength to
them to win over the brutal forces of the diabolically wicked, the
Asuras Subjectively, it is the Self that supplies the mental strength
for cultivating the higher values of life, and it is the same Source
Divine that floods the seekers heart with the courage to annihilate
the lower impulses that come to destroy his peace and tranquillity
within
322. Vaasavaanujah -the brother of the Indra. This name has been
acquired by lord Vishnu because of his incarnation as the Adorable
Dwarf-(Vaamana). At that time, the Lord had to take birth in the womb
of Aditi and manifest as the younger brother of Indra. In the
subjective science of Vedanta, the king of the gods (Indra) is the
Lord of the sense organs and so he is the Mind. The spiritual urge
that dawns in us as a younger brother of the Mind, ultimately comes
to measure away and win over the three worlds of waking, dream and
deep-sleep, and thus comes to conquer over the entire kingdom of
Indra in more sense than one.
323. Apaam-nidhih -Treasure of waters, meaning the ocean. The very
glory and might of the oceans are all but a reflection of Sri
Narayana's own glory divine. In the Geeta, Bhagavan Himself
says, "among the collections of waters, I am the Ocean."
324. Adhishthaanam - the substratum for the entire universe. The
delusory misconceptions can be projected only upon something that is
real and this permanent `post' is called the `substratum' for the
desulory `Gost'-Vision.
325. Apramattah -One who has no Pramaada, meaning, `One who never
commits a mistake in judgement." The Lord is the Law behind all
happenings in the universe. The results of the actions are always
strictly according to the quality of the actions. In administering
this Law of Karma, One who never makes any mistake is Apramattah. We
are full of Pramaada -we make the mistake of misunderstanding
ourselves to be the matter equipment around us and due to this
Pramaada, we project in ourselves the false concept of an Ego The
Supreme is ever the Pure Consciousness and, therefore, He is without
such wrong self-judgement.
326. Pratishthitah -Everything in the world depends upon something
else to serve as its cause. Since all things that we perceive and
experience in the world are all effects, they have their own causes,
and the effects must necessarily depend upon the cause for their very
existence. The Supreme Lord is the One uncaused Cause with reference
to whom everything is only an effect. Since He is thus the ultimate
Cause, He is not depending upon anything other than Himself. This
self-established Reality is indicated by the term Pratishthitah.
Stanza 36
skandah skanda-dharo dhuryo varado vaaryuvaahanah
vasudevo brihat bhaanur aadidevah purandarah.
327. Skandah -This is one of the names of the youngest son of Lord
Siva, Subrahmanya, who is described in the Purana as Commanander-in-
Chief of the righteous army. Therefore, Skanda means "the Lord, whose
glory is expressed, through Subrahmanya", In order to realise the
Self, it is a prerequisite condition that the different personality
layers in the seeker should be completely integrated.
328. Skanda-dharah ?"One who upholds the withering righteousness."
Or, "One who fathered Lord Subrahmanya", meaning One who is in the
form of Paramesvara.
329. Dhuryah -One who carries the Lord. The Lord is the One who
carries the responsibilities of creation, sustenance and annihilation
of the entire world of plurality. One who carries out these functions
systematically without any hitch round millenniums is Sree Narayana
and He is therefore Dhuryah.
330. Varadah -One who blesses all true devotees and fulfils their
request for boons. It can also mean "One who gives the best (Varam)
in life to those who seek Him with perfect detachment and sharpened
discrimination.
331. Vaayuvaahanah ?"The One who controls, regulates and moves the
great winds". In the Sanskrit literature, the movement of air in the
atmosphere has been classified under seven types and they are called
the `Sapta Marutah'.
In short, the inconceivable might and power of the winds and their
life-sustaining abilities are all lent out to the air by His own
munificence and, therefore, He is called as Vaayuvaahanah.
332. Vaasudevah ?"One who is at once both Vaasu and Deva. Vaasu
means "One who dwells in the physical equipments of all living
creatures as its indweller (Jeeva); Deva means "One who revels or One
who illumines". Thus, Vaasudevah means "One who lives in the physical
equipment as though conditioned by them, and yet, who is the Vital
Consciousness in the light of which every experience is illumined.
The Lord is the One who dwells in all things of the universe and He
is at once the Supporter of the entire world.
Also, directly, it can be taken to mean, One who is born as the Son
of Sri Vasudeva in the Jail of Kamsa, the Blue-Boy of Brindaavana. He
is called Vaasu as He veils Himself with His own Maayaa; Deva
means "He who sports, wishes to conquer, conducts, shines, creates
and moves". In the Udyoga Parva of Mahabharata, we read, "Like the
Sun with his rays I am covering (Deva) in all beings and hence, I am
called Vaasudeva".
Vishnupurana says, ``as He resides everywhere in and through all
things, He is termed Vaasudevah. " All beings remain in the Supreme,
and He in all being and hence, the Omnipresent is called the
Vaasudeva.
333. Brihat-bhaanuh -Possessed of endless rays, meaning "One who
illumines the world with the rays of the Sun and the Moon."
Mahabharata says, "He whose great rays are in the Sun, Moon and
others and He who illumines the universe through them is called the
Possessor of great rays.
334. Aadidevah ?"One who is the Primary source for everything,"
meaning the Lord. He is the First Cause, and hence the first Deity.
335. Purandarah ?"The destroyer of the cities." City is the well-
equipped field for gathering endless experiences. The three cities
through which we generally move about gathering our experiences in
this world are the waking, dream and deep-sleep, On transcending the
Gross, Subtle and Causal Bodies, one experiences the Self, and at
such a moment these three cities are burned down or pillaged or
blasted, The same ideal is explained in the Shiva-purana also;
accordingly, we can say that He is One who as Mahesvara, performed
the destruction of the three cities.
Stanza 37
asokastaaranastaarah soorah saurih-janesvarah
anukoolah sataavarttah padmee padmanibhekshanah.
336. Asokah ?"One who has no sorrows." Sorrow is a condition
experienced when the mind is agitated and extremely disturbed. The
agitations of the mind come from desires, greed, etc. Therefore, the
term Asokah indicates, "One who has none of these negative tendencies
that create in their turn more and more mental disturbances". This is
a true appalation, because, the Lord, as the Self, transcends the
realm of the thought-disturbances constituted by the mind-intellect-
equipment.
337. Taaranah ?"One who enables others to cross." The ego suffering
the constant agitations of the equipments is saved by the Self. The
ego (jeeva), when it discovers its identity with the Self,
automatically moves away from the sorrows of the vehicles. In short,
as Vishnubhaagavata says, "who is there other than You that can save
us from the wheel of birth and death."
338. Taarah ?"One who saves is called Taarah, One who saves from the
fear of re-birth and also One who is a constant protector of the
devotees and, therefore, the devotees themselves call Him as the
Saviour (Taarah).
These three terms indicate how Vishnu is the Absolute Protector of
His devotees. He saves us from the afflictions (Asoka) of the body
and so Subjective-sorrows (Adhyaatma). He enables us to cross the
ocean of Samsaara (Taaranah) and, therefore, He saves us from all
Cosmic pains (Adhibhootah). He saves us from the elements (Taarah),
and so, He is the Saviour from all sorrows of birth and death; this
indicates all trans-Cosmic tragedies (Aadhidaivika), meaning that
Narayana can save us from all sorrows contributed by the hand God.
339. Soorah ?"The Valiant". All sources of strength and courage
spring from the Life in us and, therefore, the Lord of the universe
is called here as the Valiant-capable of crushing all unrighteous
forces, however well-trenched they may be in the world.
340. Saurih ?Soorasena was the father of Vasudeva, and we have
already found that Vasudeva's son is Vaasudeva. Therefore, the Lord
had taken His incarnation in the family of Soora and so He is termed
as `Saurih'.
341. Janesvarah -The Lord of the people (jana). Those who are born
are called Jana. Therefore the term indicates that He is the Lord of
all creatures born the universe.
342. Anukoolah ?"A hearty well-wisher, or friend of everyone". Since
the Lord is the Essential Life in everyone, He is the friend and ally
of every individual in as much as, nobody spends his life except in
concurrence with his own subjective intentions and purposes. Thus,
the Lord is a friend fulfilling the intentions of a murderer, and He
is again the friend of another helping Him to serve the mankind, if
that be his intention. Thus, He is a friend and a devoted ally to
everyone since He is the mighty power behind all Vaasanaas expressing
through all creatures.
343. Sataavarttah -Sata means "hundred", and here it is used
as "innumerable". Thus the term' Sataavarttah' means "One who takes
infinite varieties of forms". All forms in the universe are but His
own, inasmuch as, His manifestation is the universe. Again, He takes
innumerable incarnations in order to maintain the taw of the cosmos
and also the law of evolution. It can also mean "One who, as Praana,
moves in the innumerable Naadees in the body".
344. Padmee ?"One who has the lotus in his hand". The lotus is the
national flower in Bharat as it symbolises in our culture, the Goal
of our Spiritual life. It is to offer this "Knowledge", that the Lord
blows His conch, and if people are not listening to this silent call
of the Higher from within, He uses His gadaa (mace) to give merciful
knocks in life. Still, if an individual or a generation is not
listening to His kindly warnings, He has the Discus (Chakra) in His
hand. He annihilates totally the existing forms and re-creates.
345. Padma-nibhekshanah ?"One whose eyes are as beautiful as the
Lotus." In short, `lotus-eyed.'
Stanza 38
padmanaabho-arvindaakshah padmagarbhah sareerabhrit
maharddhi-riddhah uriddhaatmaa mahaakshah gantdadhvajah.
346. Padmanaabhah ?"One who has the lotus in his navel". This is not
to be taken literally. Navel (Naabhi) is the psychic centre where all
un-manifest thoughts first spring forth into our recognition
(Pasyantee). The seedless state of all thoughts is called in the Yoga
Sastra, as Paraa. It therefore means "one in whose bosom lies, in
potential, all the possibilities of the universe of expression." It
can also mean "One who manifests Himself in the lotus of the heart of
his devotee. Some translate as "He who is seated in the pericarp of
the lotus."
347. Aravindaakshah ?"One who has eyes as beautiful as the lotus".
The lotus opens at sun-rise and closes in the night. The Lord opens
His beauty and grace in the presence of the devotees and the flood
of His grace, as it were, drys up in the presence of the dark
sensuality of the ignorant.
348. Padmagarbhah ?"One who is being meditated upon in the centre of
the lotus-of-the-heart."
349. Sareerabhrit ?"One who sustains nourishes all bodies". Or, it
can mean "One who is form of food and praana, becomes the very cause
for the sustenance of the body". It is a fact very well known that
even though a body can continue existing without visibly decaying for
50 years, once Life has ebbed away, the deadbody cannot maintain its
form and it does not exist even for 48 hours intact. He who while
presiding over the body nourishes and maintains it, and in whose
absence the body decays and nourishes, He is the One who is the
Sustainer of the body (Dehahhrit).
350. Maharddhih ?"One who has great riddhi, meaning, prosperity and
power". These two-prosperity and power-together is called glory
(Aisvarya). Thus the term means, "One who has by His very nature
glory ever with Him."
351. Riddhah -"One who has expanded Himself to be the universe." In
short, "One who has manifested Himself as the entire world of
plurality, constituted of the finite things of the Cosmos."
352. Vriddhaatmaa ?"The ancient Self." In the Self there is no
concept of Time, It being beyond the intellect. But here, by the term
Vriddhaatmaa, it only means that He was the Self before all creation.
It is only after the creation of Time that we are capable of saying
and indicating Him as the Self of the various living creatures. He is
the first Self, meaning, He is the Self whose manifestations are the
world of plurality.
353. Mahaakshah ?"The Great-eyed", meaning, the eyes that can see not
only the world-of-objects, but also X-ray through them and see all
that are happening deep within the bosom of all creatures. He is
the "Great Eye" seeing all, at all times, as He is the Consciousness
that illumines everything at all times, in all bosoms.
354. Garuda-dhvajah ?"One who has the (Garuda) as his insignia on his
flag. The eagle is consider as the vehicle of the Lord; most probably
Because this bird ever soars high and from above sees even the
minutest speck of dirt in the world. The eagle after spying the
carrion, swoops down and takes it away, thus purifying the
atmosphere. Similarly, the Lord never allows any negative thought to
come into the heart of His devotees, and hence, the eagle is
considered as His vehicle.
Stanza 39
atulah sarabhah bheemah samayajno havirharih
sarvalakshanalakshanyah lakshmeevaan samitinjayah.
355. Atulah ?"Incomparable." For him whose name is the glory of the
universe, there is no licence." Again, Bhagavat Geeta says, "For Thy
equal exists not, where is another superior to Thee in the three
worlds ?" In short, there is nothing like Him, since He does not fall
under the categories of the things perceived by the body or the
emotions felt by the mind or the thoughts entertained by the
intellect: nothing that we know of can be comparable with Him.
356. Sarabhah ?"One who dwells and shines forth through the bodies."
Bodies are called Sara because they are perishable. The life that
presides over the perishable body, whose glory is the individuality,
is the Self, the Lord. It can also mean, "Lord, who is of the nature
of Paramesvara," for, Lord Siva had once taken the incarnation of
Sarabha, a creature with eight legs, capable of killing even the
lions.
357. Bheemah ?"The All-inspiring, the Terrible," meaning, One who is
a mighty and terrible phenomena to those who are cruel and sensuous
in the world. To the bad, the Lord is always a frightful power of
vengeance, to follow them relentlessly as their doom.
Some commentators, due to the position of this word in the stanza,
read it as a-bheemah, meaning thereby, "He who is the shelter" to
those who are good.
358. Samayajnah ?"Knower of all six systems of philosophy," or it can
mean "One who knows the exact time (samaya) for creation,
preservation and destruction." Or, it can also mean "One whose
worship (Yajna) is nothing more than keeping an equal vision of the
mind by the devotee" The great devotee Prahalada says, "to be equal
in all conditions, is the worship of Achyuta."
359. Havir-harih ?"The receiver of all oblation." He is the Lord of
all Yajnas and as such, He is the One to whom the devotee offers his
oblations, and He is the One who receives them in all dedicated
activities. Bhagavat Geeta says, "I am indeed the enjoyer and also
the Lord of all sacrifices." The Lord is called Havis as He is
worshipped through oblation.
Some commentators recognise in this term two different names of the
Lord: `Havih' and `Harih'. In this case, the former term, `Havih'
means "He who is invoked by everyone who performs the Yajnas." The
term Harih means "One who loots away all Vaasanaas (Paapa)," and
consequently, "One who wipes away all expressions of Vaasanaas."
360. Sarva-lakshana-lakshanyah ?"Known through all methods of
proofs," meaning "He is the One Self that is ultimately proved by all
scientific investigations and philosophical enquiries." Whether it be
through dualistic (dvaita) or through non-dualistic (advaita)
philosophy, the Ultimate Truth experienced by the realised seeker, is
this Great Vishnu.
361. Lakshmeevan ?"The consort of Lakshmi." He is the Spirit
(Purusha) that thrills the entire world- of-matter (Prakriti). Matter
thrilled with the spirit is the dynamic world that we see around.
Thus, the manifested Lord is ever wedded to Lakshmi. Lakshmi also
means Effulgent, and therefore, the Lord who is Ever-effulgent,
meaning the Pure Consciousness, that illumines everything, is indeed
Lakshmeevan.
362. Samitinjayah ?"Ever-Victorious." In the Puranas, we find the
Lord ultimately wins in His battle with the unrighteous forces. He is
the destroyer of all pains in the individuality of the devotees.
Samiti as a word, has got the meaning-"Battle".
Stanza 40
viksharo rohito maargo hetur daamodarah sahah
maheedharo mahaabhaago vegavaan-amitaasanah.
363. Viksharah -Ksharah means "decaying," "that which is perishing",
and so Viksharah means "Imperishable". Those who are meditating upon
the Lord in His un-manifested State of Glory, this term is very often
used. All material things are conditioned by time and all objects
are, therefore, perishable. The Lord, the Self, is the Subject and
is, therefore, ever Unchanging and always Imperishable.
364. Rohitah -The term `Rohita' means fish, and this name has come to
indicate Lord Vishnu because of His first incarnation as the Fish.
When the entire world was submerged in the waters of the deluge, the
only living creatures that were available at that time could only be
fishes. Lord could incarnate at that time only in the form of the
Fish. Therefore, here the term means "One who had manifested to serve
the living creatures as the Fish among the fishes."
365. Maargah ?"The Path." In order to realise the Highest which is
the Nameless and Formless, human mind will have to first hold on to a
divine form, and that is Lord Vishnu. He is the Way and the Goal. In
short, "He is the One whom seekers of the Highest meditate upon in
order to reach the Supreme."
366. Hetuh ?"The Cause". One who is the cause for the whole universe.
He is at once the material-cause (Upaadaana Kaarana), the
instrumental-cause (Nimitta Kaarana) and He who alone is also the
efficient-cause in the creation of this universe. Hence, He is called
The Cause.
367. Daamodarah ?This term has come to indicate the Lord because, He
is One who is known through a mind which is purified (Udara) by means
of self-control (dama) and such other qualities. According to
Mahabharata, "We call Him as Daamodara as He is known by means of
Dama."
Brahmapurana re-capitulates the incident in the early childhood of
the Lord when He was tied with a cord (daama) round His waste
(udara). This term can also mean "One in whose bosom rests the whole
universe."
368. Sahah ?"All enduring". The Lord is One who has patience at
everything, and is One who readily forgives all the defaults of His
sincere devotees.
369. Maheedharah ?"The Supporter or the Bearer of the Earth". Since
He is the very essence in the universe as its material-cause, He is
the One who supports all forms in the universe. The Lord supports the
world, just as gold `supports' the ornaments, the cotton `supports'
the cloth, the ocean `supports' the waves.
370. Mahaa-bhaagah -He who has extreme beauty in all His limbs, or He
who is ever fortunate, or fie who gets the greatest share (Bhaaga) in
every Yajna.
371. Vegavaan ?"He who is swift"; One who is the fastest in reaching
the devotee the moment his loving heart remembers Him. By import it
means that He is All- pervading, therefore, He is the fastest,
inasmuch as "nothing can ever overtake Him."
In the Isavasyopanishad He is indicated as swifter than the mind-
(Manasojaveeyah).
372. Amitaasanah ?"Of endless appetite." This should not be taken
literally, but it only means that the entire world of plurality
projected by the mind, merges back when the mind is transcended at
the time of the experience of the Self. Just as we can say that the
waker swallows the dreamer, the Higher Consciousness, with an
infinite appetite, as it were, swallows the Infinite Cosmos; hence
figuratively, He is considered as `the Great Consumer' of the whole
world of plurality during involution (Pralaya).
Stanza 41
udbhavah kshubhano devah sreegarbhah paramesvarah
karanam kaaranam kartaa vikartaa gahano guhah.
373 Udbhavah ?"The Originator" The Lord is the material-cause from
which the entire universe arises and, therefore, He is the origin for
the Cosmos, or it can mean to indicate, "One who is again and again
born as the endless jivas under the urge of their individual
vaasanaas".
374 Kshobhanah ?"The Agitator" If the Self were not in the
equipments, the equipments will not get agitated -will not pursue
their functions The Atman, the Pure Consciousness is that which
thrills and agitates both the matter (Prakriti) and energy (Purusha),
and causes the manifestation of the living entities (jives), who,
with their actions, constitute the dynamic aspect of the world. If
the Self is not there, there can be no movement or expression of
life; everything would have remained completely inert and insentient.
He is the Lord who thrills the world and makes it so beautifully
palpitating with life. Hence, He is called as the Agitator
(Kshobhanah).
375 Devah ?"One who revels is Deva. This term `Deevyati' in Sanskrit
also means `to conquer', `to shine' and `to praise' Therefore, Lord
Vishnu is rightly called as Derah because He sports through His play-
the great Creation-Sustenance-Destruction-play, He functions in all
Beings as He shines as the Universal Consciousness; and He is praised
by all the devotees Svetasratara Upanishad indicates "there is only
one Deva".
376 Sree-garbhah -"Containing all glories within; One in whom are all
glories (Aisvarya)" The glory of the Lord is the universe and this
universe resides in Him, and therefore, all powers and glories that
are manifested in the universe are also ever in Him.
377. Paramesvarah -The Supreme (Parama) Lord (Isvara). The fanatics
generally interpret the word to mean as "the only Lord", in the sense
that all other concepts of God are wrong. The large-hearted, tolerant
Rishis of old, could have never meant such a meaning. It could only
mean "that He is the Supreme Consciousness whose expressions are all
the deities". The term Isvara indicates both might and glory.
Therefore, Paramesvara means "One who is Omnipotent and All-
glorious."
378. Karanam ?"The Instrument." That which is most useful in
fulfilling any piece of work is called the tool or the instrument.
For the creation of the world He is the instrumental-cause (Nimitta
Kaarana).
379. Kaaranam ?"The Cause." By the earlier term it was indicated that
He is the instrumental-cause (Nimi- tta Kaarana) for the whole
universe. Here now, by this term, it is indicated that He is the very
material-cause (Upaadaana Kaarana) of the universe. Since the term
directly means only "the cause", it can mean not only the material
cause, but also it can suggest the instrumental-cause. In the former
case it would mean "He from whom the whole universe arises", and in
the latter sense, the term is interpreted by some commentators as "He
who causes the universe to emerge out".
380. Kartaa ?"The Doer". He is the One in whose presence alone all
activities are possible, and hence by a transferred epithet, though
the doings all belong to the equipments, the Self is called as
the "Doer". One who can freely perform all the functions of creation,
sustenance and destruction, is the "Doer".
381. Vi-kartaa ?"One who creates the infinite varieties that
constitute the universe." It can also mean, "One who has created out
of Himself, the endless self-manifestations of incarnations."
382. Gahanah ?"The Un-knowable". One who cannot be comprehended by
any of the known instruments of knowledge; One who is not an object
of perception, but is the very subject and the perceiver in all sense-
organs.
383. Guhah ?"One who dwells in the cave of the heart" meaning "One
who is the very core of every living creature." He is concealed
within the equipments and hence, He is described in our Scriptures
as "One who dwells in the cave of the heart". The Smriti describes
Him as "This Lord, the Great Purusha, the Witness who dwells in the
cave most secretively." Mundakopanishad describes the Self
as `Nihitam Guhaayaam'. Again, the Lord Himself says, "I am not
readily perceivable by all as I am veiled by my own Maayaa ".
Stanza 42.
vyavasaayo vyavasthaanah samsthaanah sthaanado-dhruvah
pararddhih paramaspashtah-tushtah pushtah subhekshanah.
384. Vyavasaayah -"Resolute." Being of the nature of Pure Wisdom,
there is no vacillation in Him; all irresolution is at the level of
the doubting mind and the unprepared intellect. The
term `Vyavasaayah' also means "Yoga." In this sense, the term is used
in the Geeta, "The intellect of one who is practising Yoga is single-
pointed without vacillation." Again, in the same chapter criticising
those who are running after enjoyment and power, Krishna says, "those
who are revelling in sensuality and consequently disturbing the poise
of their intellect, cannot have a steady mind and consistent pursuit
of Yoga."
To work persistently until the Goal is reached is resolution. "To
steadily apply ourselves in continuously withdrawing ourselves from
our identifications with the not-Self, until we come to apprehend and
experience the Self", is Yoga. Hence, commentators
interpret `Vyavasaaya' as "Yoga."
385. Vyavasthaanah ?"The Basis or the Substratum." The one who is the
very Substratum for the entire pluralistic world; the One who orders
the laws of the cosmos and administers those laws.
386. Samsthaanah ?"The Ultimate Authority, State or Goal." He who
absorbs unto Himself all the multiplicities of names and forms during
the time of deluge. The One Source into which all perceptions,
emotions and thoughts retire and merge at the time of deep-sleep. In
short, it means "the One who integrates the plurality and absorbs it
all unto Himself when the projections are ended at that time of
transcendence.
387. Sthaanadah ?"One who confers the right abode." Each living
organism, "according to his actions and thoughts" gathers to himself
vaasanaas and according to the vaasanaas, each individual takes his
birth. Thus, the One who gives (dada) the appropriate abode (sthaana)
to each individual (jeeva) is called Sthaanadah. In short, the Lord
is the distributor of the fruits-of-actions.
388. Dhruvah ?"The stable; the Firm." That which remains "the
Changeless in the midst of changes", "that which is Imperishable in
the midst of all perishing". The body, the mind and the intellect and
the worlds interpreted by them are all variables and changeable. The
Consciousness, which illumines all of them and makes us aware of them
is, indeed, the "Changeless."
389. Pararddhih ?"One who has Supreme Manifestations (Riddhi)". The
glory (vibhooti) of the Lord is expressed in His manifestations and
there manifestations are indeed divine as the Geeta thunders, "the
glories of the Self are indeed divine".
390. Parama-spashtah ?"The extremely vivid." He who is extremely
clear to those who have conquered the agitations and all disturbing
thought-currents of the mind through a successful pursuit of the
practice of meditation. He being the very Self, nothing in fact is
so `clear', meaning, so self-evident, as the Pure Consciousness is in
us. No experience in the outer world or in our subjective bosom would
have been possible had it not been for the Light of the Self. Even
the sense of individuality in us is but an image of this Awareness,
which is the very Self in every living creature. It being thus the
Absolute Subjective essence. It is described as "the most Vivid."
391. Tushtah ?"The ever-Contented," meaning "the One who is happy at
the minimum offering of a devotee." "I accept even if you offer some
leaf or flower, or fruit or spoon of water, happily, if it is offered
in love," confesses Lord Krishna in the Geeta.
The Self being beyond body, mind and intellect, it cannot have any of
the sense of imperfections or incompleteness and as such, the All-
full Self must be at all times, complete in Himself. Naturally
therefore He is All-Blissful. Consequently, His Nature must ever be
Supreme contentment.
392. Pushtah ?"One who is ever-full." The Supreme Consciousness being
All-pervading, He is Infinitely Full- nothing can we take out of It,
nor can we add to It. It is Ever- full and, therefore, even when the
manifestations emerge out from It, It is not less for it.
393. Subh-ekshanah ?"All auspicious gaze." One whose very gaze brings
streams of auspiciousness to the devotee. The Self-being beyond
vaasanaas, one who realises the Self, goes beyond all sins. A devotee
walking the very path and moving towards the spiritual contents,
purifies himself from all sins, since he will be living a life not
identifying with his body, mind and intellect.
Stanza 43
raamo viraamo virajo maargo neyo nayo-anayah
veerah saktimataam-sreshthah dharmo dharmaviduttamah.
394. Raamah ?"That which revels in every form or that in which all
Yogins in their meditation revel. In Padmapurana, it is clearly
defined, "in Him, who is Eternal Bliss, Pure Consciousness, and
Endless, the Yogins revel." Therefore, by the term `Raamah', the
Supreme Self is indicated. The term can also mean "One who has a
compelling charm about Himself. He who is the most Handsome."
395. Vi-raamah ?"He in whom the creatures rest; The Abode of perfect
rest", having reached which, there is no return into the realms of
experiences. That state is called Viraamah. Some commentators
recognise in this term a meaning as, "He (Isvara) in whom the world
of plurality merges during the deluge."
396. Virajah ?"Passionless." "One who is not associated with the
agitations (Rajas) of the mind." The mind gets agitated when it
identifies with the sense-objects of the world outside. The Atman,
the Self, in its Pure Nature, has no such identifications, and,
therefore, He is recognised as `passionless.'
397. Maargah ?"The path." There is no other way to know Him. For
complete liberation, there is no way other than realising the Self,
Sree Narayana.
398. Neyah ?"The Guide", the "Conductor." He who guides and
ultimately takes the seeker to the Reality is Lord Narayana, the
Saguna Brahman. Through surrender to Narayana, the devotee develops
the integration within and when fully integrated, he becomes the
meditator and through meditation, the Highest is achieved. Therefore,
Vishnu is indicated here as the "Conductor."
The term can also mean "One who is fit to be conducted to the
Highest." The individual-ego .is that which tries to realise its own
real nature, the self. The very individuality (Jiva) who is fit to be
led towards the gateway to the Higher Consciousness is the One that
has removed its false attachments and is held in animated joy, in
meditation. In essence, such a jiva is nothing other than the
Supreme, and, therefore, the Supreme is thus called as the Jiva.
399. Nayah ?"One who leads." When such a true devotee slowly and
steadily gains his detachments from the outer world he moves himself
more and more into the Higher and Subtler states of Consciousness.
The one who leads such a seeker is again the grace of the same Self-
Atmabala.
400. A-nayah -If the ego is led by the Lord (as Naya) to the Highest,
then when once the Supreme State is reached, It has none to lead or
guide It. The Lord guides all, but there is none to guide Him. This
is because He is All- pervading and, therefore, He needs no guide to
lead Him to Himself, as He is everywhere at all times.
401. Veerah ?"The Valiant." One who, by His prowess; creates the fear
in the minds of the Rakshasas.
402. Saktimataam-sreshthah ?"The best among those who have power."
All powers that are available, have been classified under three
types: the power-of -Knowledge (Jnaana-Sakti), the power-of-Desire
(Icchaa-Sakti) and the power-of-Action (Kriyaa-Sakti). All these
powers are expression of the Self in the intellect, in the sub-
conscious mind and in the physical body, respectively. Naturally the
Self is the best among all other kinds of powers inasmuch as, all
powers are expressions of this Great Self.
403. Dharmah -This term is used in Hinduism in thousands of different
shades that, to the early student, the meaning of this term is lost
in confusion. Dharma of a thing is that because of which the thing
is, without which the thing is not." This term, Dharma, has,
therefore, been translated as "the Law of Being" -the Dharma of the
Sun is light; the Dharma of the Fire is heat, the Dharma of Sugar is
sweetness. What then is the Dharma of the individual? The essential
Dharma of the individual can only be the self, because, without which
is the individual cannot exist, and the individual's expressions,
physical mental and intellectual, are all expressions of the self
through the equipment in Him. Thus "Dharma" means the only self in
all individuals.
This is essential Dharma in anything is that which supports the
things and, therefore, the self which is essence everywhere, is
considered as the very one which supports everything.
404. Dharma-vid-uttamah ?"One who is the highest among men of
realisation." All those who know the Reality are knower among all
knowers of the self.
Stanza 44
vasikunthah purushah praanah praanadah pranavah prithuh
hiranyagarbhah satrughno vyaapto vaayuradhokshajah.
405. Vaikunthah ?"One who prevents men from going astray into wrong
paths (Vikunthah)." In Mahabharatha it is mentioned, "I united the
Earth with Water, Space with Air with Fire, hence, the
name `Vaikunthah' has come to Me.
406. Purushah ?"One who dwells in all bodies (Puris)." In
Brihadaranyaka Upanishad (3-4-1) it is said, "because He as the first
(Poorva) of all of them consumed (Aushad) by fire all sins,
therefore, He is called Purushah." In short, He is the One Self which
thrills all living creatures everywhere at all times.
407. Paanah ?"One who is the form of `Praana' exits in the body,
propels all sense organs to act in their appointed fields, it is the
Lord Vishnu that activates the body as the 5 praanas, is found in the
Vishnupurana. As Praana, He causes movements.
408. Praanadah ?this can mean "One who gives `Praana' or as one who
takes away `Praana', because, the root `da' has both the
meanings, `to give' and to break.' Therefore, Vishnu is the supreme
who gives Praana to all creatures in the beginning of the creation,
and He alone is again the one who destroys all the Praanaas
(movements) at the time of the dissolution.
409. Pranavah ?"That which is praised or adorned by even the gods."
There is a declaration of Sanatkumara, "because it is being
worshipped and adorned by the gods, the self is called as Pranavah.
This great reality is indicated in Vedas by the symbol Om and,
therefore `Omkaara' is called as Pranava. Thus the supreme
self, `Omkaara' is Vishnu.
410. Prithuh ?"The expanded." He whose expanse is expressed as the
world of infinite forms. In short, "He who All-pervasive." Looking at
the world, through Puranas, it suggests, "the one who is born as the
king Prithuh, the son of the king vena ?for bringing prosperity to
the country, is Lord Narayana."
411. Hiranyagarbhah ?it is the term used in the Vedanta for
the "creator". He is the expression of the creative urge of the lord
Narayana. "The Golden-egg" means here that from which all the
objective world had emerged out, indicating the creator." The term
thereby suggest that the entire creative power of the creator is but
the expression of the Self, Narayana.
412. Satru-ghnah ?"the destroyer off he enemies." The lord is the one
who annihilates all the enemies of the gods, meaning, He is the one
who destroys all the negative tendencies in all serious seekers
totally devoted to Him.
413. Vyaaptah ?"The Pervader." The effects can never remain without
the Cause; the Cause is concurrent and inherent in it, effects. And
thus, the world that has risen from the Infinite, should be pervaded
by the Infinite. He who thus pervades everything is Narayana.
414. Vaayuh ?"One who in the form of the atmospheric air, sustains
all life everywhere." He is not the air, but He is the life-giving
rower in the air.
415. Adhokshajah -Mahabharata says, "at no time My vitality flows
downwards, and hence, I am called, Adhokshajah'. The term can also
mean, "One who is not available for the powers of the sense organs to
perceive." Or, it can also mean, "He who remains under both the
atmosphere and the earth as the Supporter of the entire universe."
Stanza 45
rituh sudarsanah kaalah parameshthee parigrahah
ugrah samvatsaro daksho visraamo visva-dakshinah.
416. Rituh ?"Seasons"-Here it means. the Lord of Time, who governs
the seasons.
417. Sudarsanah -"One who is easy to be perceived if the seeker has
sufficient devotion," or "He whose meeting is auspicious inasmuch as
it removes the seeker's worldly worries."
418. Kaalah ?"One who measures the merits and defects in each
individual, and who doles out the appropriate results." Bhagavat
Geeta says, "I am the Time of counting." Kaalah is also the name of
Lord Death, and in this sense, it can mean "the Lord, who is Death or
Annihilation- personified to all His enemies."
419 Parameshthee ?"One who is centred in His own infinite glory." Or,
it can also mean "One who is readily available for experience in the
Supreme cave of the heart."
420 Parigrahah ?"The Receiver" He who receives from His devotees even
insignificant things as a leaf or a flower, with all satisfaction"
Some commentators stretch the suggestion of the word and find a
meaning in this term as "One who has been accepted as the Sole Refuge
by all devotees."
421. Ugrah ?"The Terrible." The One who gives fear to those who are
diabolically evil", or, as the Upanishad declares, "For fear of Him
the fire burns; for fear of Him shines the sun; For fear of Him
Indra, Vaayu and Death proceed with their respective functions,"-
therefore He is the Terrible
422. Samvatsarah ?"The Year," which is the abode of all living
creatures. Time is spread in which creatures exist and gather their
experiences.
423 Dakshah ?"The Smart" One who undertakes the creation, sustenance
and destruction of the Whole Cosmos with ease and efficiency,
diligence and promptitude,
424. Visraamah ?"The resting place;" "the Quiet." That State wherein
people who suffer in Samsar, can discover a perfect rest and quietude
is the consciousness Supreme, Sree Narayana.
425. Visva-dakshinah ?"The most skilful and efficient." All
efficiency and skill that we find in the universe among the dynamic
living creatures are all His expressions alone, and, therefore, He is
the source of all skill and efficiency. Again, He is the One who is
the very Creator and Preserver of the whole universe and He must be
the most efficient Manager and Administrator among the living
creatures.
Stanza 46
vistaarah sthaavarah sthaanuh pramaanam beejamavyayam
artho anartho mahaakoso mahaabhogo mahaadhanah.
426. Vistaarah -The extension. The Lord is named thus because in the
time of Pralaya, in Him the entire universe of names and forms comes
to reside with ample accommodation for all of them. The term
Vistaarah can also mean "manifestation;" since the Lord manifests in
Himself all the universe.
427. Sthaavarah-sthaanuh ?"The firm and the motionless." The Firm
(achanchala) indicates that He has no movements, because He is All-
pervading. Sthaanuh (motionless) means that He is fixed like "the
pillars that denote the frontiers of a country" (Sthaanuh) .The terms
here used are as one- word because the Lord is both these at one and
the same time. He is not only All-pervading, and, therefore, no
movements in Him (Sthaavarah), but he is also without any locomotion
(Sthaanuh). Both these terms indicate the All-pervasiveness of Lord
Vishnu.
428. Pramaanam -The proof. He is the underlying principle of all
intellectual arguments and for all scientific methodology, since He
is the very Consciousness behind all discussions. Lord Narayana is
the very authority behind all Dharmas and hence He becomes the
essential Reality behind all (pramaana).
429. Beejamavyayam ?"The Immutable Seed." Since the whole world has
sprung from Him, He is the indestructible and changeless cause of the
world. It can also mean "that without which the world can never be."
Hence He is the undecaying root of all things.
430. Arthah -One who is worshipped by all; invoked by everyone. Lord
Narayana is desired by all as He is the Paramaatman who is of the
nature of bliss. Even the sensuous man running after the sense-
objects is seeking the Lord in as much as he is searching for bliss
which is the nature of the Self.
431. Anarthah -One to whom there is nothing that is yet to be
fulfilled. This means one who has no desires, as He has fulfilled all
His desires. So long as vaasanaas exist desires manifest. Where
vaasanaas have ended there cannot be any desires and that state is
the State of Self-realization.
432. Mahaakosah -One who has got around him great sheaths. The Self
in us functions through the five- sheaths such as the food-sheath,
etc. Sri Narayana is one who, as the Lord of the universe
(Jagadeesvarah), is conditioned by the macrocosmic sheaths of the
universe, and therefore, the great Isvara is here indicated as
Mahaakosah.
433. Mahaabhogah -One who is of the nature of enjoyment (bhogah), He
being of the nature of bliss. Also He is the one from whom the
greatest bliss (bhogah) can be gained by the seekers. In short, the
term indicates Him as one who gives the greatest happiness to all
those who are devoted to Him.
434. Mahaadhanah -One who is supremely rich with the wealth of bliss
which he can give to His devotees. Vishnu is one from whom His
devotees gain great wealth.
Stanza 47
anirvinnah sthavishtho-abhoordharma-yoopo mahaa-makhah
nakshatranemir nakshatree kshamah kshaamahsameehanah.
435. Anirvinnah -One who has no nirveda. This term nirveda means "the
sense of disinterestedness that comes to the bosom of one who could
not fulfil his passionate desires in life." The Lord is one who is
griefless as He has no desires to fulfil. In His fullness and
perfection, He has no more any desires to fulfil, and therefore, Sri
Hari has no occasion to suffer from the sense of nirveda.
436 Sthavishthah ?One who is supremely gross. The entire cosmos being
His form. He Himself is the universe, and as such in His total
manifestation, He is supremely gross, Geeta says (Chapter XI-20) that
the Lord spreads Himself covering the whole world and the atmosphere
The Upanishad (Mundaka 1-4) also says how "the sky form' His head,
the sun and the moon are His eyes."
437. A-bhooh -One who has no birth, or the one, baying realised whom,
the seeker will no more have births Some people dissolve the line
Sthavishthah + Bhooh. In that case instead of A-bhooh they give the
Lord the name, `Bhooh', meaning `earth.' Just as the earth is the
stage upon which the entire drama of life is being played, Sri
Narayana is the substratum upon which the entire world of experiences
is playing about.
438. Dharma-yoopah -Yoopah is the name given to the post to which the
sacrificial animal is tied in a yaaga The Lord is the very Post to
which all Dharmas (righteousness) ace tied to This means He is the
very essence behind all righteousness.
439. Mahaa-makhah -The Great Sacrificer. Because the sacrifices
dedicated to Him confer total liberation -(Nirvaana). Also in the
Geeta we were told, "offer is Brahman, what is offered is Brahman,
the fire is Brahman, the offerer is Brahman and the goal reached is
also Brahman."
440. Nakshatranemih -The Nave of the stars. One who is the nave
around which all the star and the planets including the sun, moon and
other planets always move around. For this brilliant glowing wheel of
Light, Sri Narayana is the very Axle
441. Nakshatree -One who is the Lord of the stars. Lord of the stars
is the moon. Geeta says, "among the stars I am the moon."
442. Kshamah -One who is supremely efficient in all undertakings. One
who has extreme patience with all the stupidities of his devotees.
443. Kshaamah -One who ever remains without any scarcity- (kshaama).
During the final deluge all things in the world dissolve and perish
away but even then the Lord remains untouched by all distinction and
hence He is called kshaamah.
444. Sameehanah -One whose desires are suspicious. The Lord is
considered as "Well-desiring" in as much as he desires the well-being
of all His creatures at all times. He knows how to control and
regulate His power of desiring (Icchaa-sakti) and thus He is
extremely efficient in His creative activity.
Stanza 48
yajnah ijyo mahejyashcha kratuh satram sataam gatih
sarvadarshee vimuktaatmaa sarvajno jnaanamuttamam.
445. Yajnah -One who is of the nature of yajna. All sacrifices are
His own forms. He exists as sacrifice in order to satisfy men and
gods. Sruti says that all yajnas are of the nature of Vishnu (Yajno
Vai Vishnuh).
446. Ijyah -One who is fit to be invoked through yajnas. Lord
Narayana is the only one who is being invoked in all yajnas, even
when the devotee particularly invokes any other deity. He, being the
Infinite, all gods are expressions of His own glory and therefore,
irrespective of the deity invoked, all yajnas are worship of Vishnu.
In Harivamsa we read a declaration which openly reveals this
truth: "They who worship through holy sacrifices, the devas or the
pitris, they worship indeed the Vishnu, the Self, through the Self."
447. Mahejyah -One who is to be most worshipped. One who most
certainly is to be invoked in every ritual because all other devataas
invoked during the yajnas can each fulfil the seeker's desires; but
to invoke Sri Narayana is to invoke the only Power that can supply
complete liberation for the devotee. Therefore, He is the object of
great sacrifice.
448. Kratuh -It is a kind of yaaga wherein there is a pillar to
which the sacrificial animal is tied. Since all sacrifices are
offered to Him-the Lord, even Kratuh, a sacrifice with violence
inherent in it is also Vishnu.
449. Satram -The Lord who protects the good (Sat). In continuation
with the previous Kratuh, when we read this it can also be considered
as indicating a particular kind of yajna described as Satram in our
Vedic literature.
450. Sataam gatih -One who is the refuge (for the good people). One
who is worshipped and invoked by those who wish to liberate
themselves from all limitations in life. Gatih in Sanskrit means both
the path and the goal. Thus, through surrendering to the Narayana
alone does one reach Sri Narayana.
451. Sarvadarshee ?"As He is the pure Consciousness in all living
creatures, all knowledge in all beings is illumined by Him. Just as
the sun is "the eye of the universe," so the Consciousness is the
Illuminator of every- thing.
452. Vimuktaatmaa ?"The ever-liberated Self." The Supreme, though He
expresses Himself through the equipments, He is never conditioned by
the matter envelopments through which He apparently expresses
Himself. Just as the waves rise, exist and dissolve in the ocean, the
equipments of experiences rise, play and dissolve themselves in Him.
He is ever-liberated, never-shackled by gross matter. This great
principle of Paraatmaa is Sri Narayana. -Sruti says (Kathopanishad 5-
1).
453. Sarvajnah ?"Omniscient." He is the Principle of Consciousness
and, therefore, He is the Illuminator of all thoughts, all
intentions, motives, emotions and all sense perceptions in an
individual. The meaning is the same as in Sarvadarsee.
454. Jnaanamuttamam ?"The Supreme Knowledge of all other knowledges."
The Self is the Supreme Knowledge, for, without the Consciousness, no
knowledge is possible. Taittireeyopanishad indicates the Self
as. "Satyam Jnaanam, Anantam Brahma"
Stanza 49
suvratah sumukhah sookshmah sughoshah sukhadah suhrit
manoharo jita-krodho veerabaahurvidaaranah.
455. Suvratah ?"The one who is ever performing the pure vow." It is a
sacred vow of the Lord that He has to give shelter and protection to
all those who totally surrender themselves into him-says Sri
Ramachandraji: "To give shelter to all living creatures-this is my
vow." This term can also refer to Him who had done tapas for a long
number of years on the mount of Nara-Narayana in Badrinath.
456. Sumukhah -One who has an enchanting face. Truth is beauty and
Beauty truth. In all conditions the Lord is ever cheerful and brings
to His face the dignified beauty of calm repose. When the devotees
come and surrender at His sacred feet Narayana is the one of Infinite
mercy who beams with joy at the devotion of the surrender.
457. Sookshmah -One who is subtler than the subtlest. In Vedanta
terminology subtlety indicates pervasiveness. Therefore, the term
means All-Pervasive. The Upanishad says the Lord is All-Pervading,
subtler than the subtlest (Sarvagatam susookshmam).
458. Sughoshah ?"Of auspicious sound." This is the name of the conch
that Krishna blew in the opening of the Mahabharata war. The sound of
Vishnu is the essence of all Vedas as all the four Vedas have come
from Him, the Supreme. Hence the term "of auspicious sound."
459. Sukhadah ?"One who confers happiness." It can also mean in
Sanskrit one who is the destroyer of joy (Da-to destroy). Here, of
course, it means that One who gives joy to His devotees and takes
away joy from those who are undivine.
460. Suhrit ?"The friend of all living creatures." A true friend is
one who gives all that he possesses without expecting any return.
461. Manoharah -One who is the looter of the mind; or charming. Not
only is the Lord Beauty Incarnate, but He compels the attention of
the devotee to come away from all other sense objects to dwell upon
His enchanting form. Thus Vishnu is one who generates an irresistible
joy in the mind of His devotees and compels them to spend their time
in constant worship.
462. Jita-krodhah -One who has conquered anger. By the one term here,
anger, we should consider all the six inner enemies Kaama, Krodha,
Lobha, Moha, Mada and Maatsarya. These six constitute the types of
thoughts in man; the six categories into which all his mental
activities fall. One who has conquered all these means one who is
beyond the mind-the Self.
463. Veerabaahuh -One having mighty, valiant arms. From time to time
He has to incarnate in order to put down the wicked and thereby
protect the good.
464. Vidaaranah -One who splits asunder; destroys. In the man-lion
form, Narasimha, Lord Vishnu appears to tear open and kill
Hiranyakasipu. Again, in order to destroy Hiranyaaksha and to lift
the earth from the ocean, Sri Narayana had to take the form of the
great boar (Varaaha). Accordingly in the Sanskrit vocabulary, bhoo-
daarah is a synonym for boar (Varaaha). Dara means to split or to
tear open. Thus the meaning of the divine Boar can be squeezed out
from the term Vidaaranah used here.
Stanza 50
svaapanah svavaso vyaapee naikaatmaa naikakarmakrit
vatsaro vatsalo vatsee ratnagarbho dhanesvarah.
465. Svaapanah ?One who puts people to sleep; stupefying. Lord Vishnu
as Isvara has for Himself the total Vaasanaa (Maayaa) as an equipment
for His self-expression as Eesvara (Narayana). He, through His
Maayaa, veils each individual and renders them ignorant of their own
divine nature. This "veiling-power" (Aavarana Sakti) creates many
agitations (Vikshepa), due to which individuals rush out for sense-
gratification. Since Isvara, thus, with His Maayaa-power deludes
everybody, He gathers to Himself this epithet Svaapanah meaning "the
mighty stupefying force."
466. Svavasah - The One who has everything under His own personal
control; the totally independent. Since He is the Supreme
Consciousness, all living creatures and phenomenal powers are
functioning by His grace, drawing their capacities to exist and act
from Him only. If He withdraws His patronage everything in this
Universe must stop functioning immediately. He is supremely
independent inasmuch as, though the world-of-objects needs Him, He is
entirely self-sufficient and needs no world for His Existence. Thus
He is totally free. The waves need the ocean, but the ocean is
totally independent of the waves' existence.
467. Vyaapee -All-pervading. Pervasiveness in philosophy indicates
subtlety. Thus All-pervading means that which is "subtler than the
subtlest." This concept is again sustained by the physical
observations in the world. The cause always pervades all the effects;
the gold pervades all ornaments. The entire universe is an effect and
He being the Cause, He pervades all and everything at all times. Thus
the All-pervading, in its suggestion, indicates that He is the
Ultimate-cause and Himself in His pervasiveness is ever-present
everywhere and in everything, presiding over all behaviours, actions
and work, everywhere in the universe.
468. Naikaatmaa -Many-souled. Lord, the Infinite, though ever the
one, expresses Himself as the many, while manifesting Himself, in the
form of the universe. It is He, the One Great Consciousness, that
expresses Himself as the creator, sustainer and destroyer-in order to
maintain the play of the eternal dance, among the phenomenal things
and deeds. He who becomes the Trinity is the great Vishnu Tattva.
469. Naika-karma-krit -The one does many actions, as He is the one
Lord of all evolution, preservation, and involation of the universe.
where he is not presiding over, no activity can ever take place.
470. Vatsarah -The Abode of the Lord. Not only Lord is living in each
one of us our inner-Soul (Antaryaamee) but He is at once, the All-
prevading Essence in which, the entire universe exists, and as such,
He alone is the Abode of the creatures, He is the endless `time' and
the infinite `space' at once. for, in the time-space field alone do
things exist. the term "Vatsa," in sanskrit also means "calf." the
world under discussion, therefore, can also mean "one who gives away
claves." this has reference to krishna who returned to Gopas all the
calves, when they were taken away by the enemy.
471. Vatsalah -The supremely affectionate. One who loves his devotees
extremely. Narayana is one who has got more affection towards his
devotees that all the paternal and maternal love in the world put
together. Supreme love is the meaning of the world `Vatsalah;' Lord
Narayana is Love Incarnate.
472. Vatsee -The Father. One who has infinite number of children;
Lord considers the entire living kingdom as His own children; and
nurses and nourishes them. It can also be interpreted as one who
trains and protects the calves in the herd.
473. Ratnagarbhah -The Jewel-wombed. Like the ocean, One who has rich
wealth concealed in Himself.
On the whole, the term Ratna-garbhah only means that the Lord is
quick in His bestowing all the desired objects on His devotees.
474. Dhanesvarah -The Lord of wealth. Here the term "Wealth" means
all the good things in the universe- all objects of happiness. He is
described in the Puranas as the Lord of the Goddess Lakshmi
(Lakshmipati) and as such He is ever the Master-of-all-wealth. The
greatest of wealth is, of course, the liberation, and Lord Narayana
is the Isvara of this great wealth, He blesses the true devotees with
the experience of complete liberation from the entanglements and
sorrows of the vestures of matter around us.
Stanza 51
dharmagub dharmakrit dharmee sadasatksharamaksharam
avijnaataa sahasraamsur vidhaataa kritalakshanah.
475. Dharmagup -One who protects the Dharma. In the Bhagavad Geeta
the Lord says: "In every cycle I shall manifest for re-establishing
Dharma."
476. Dharma-krit -One who acts Dharma. Though He, as the Absolute
Consciousness that illuminates everything, is beyond all Dharma and
Adharma, Sri Narayana exemplifies what is the righteousness by His
own conduct. He is, therefore, called as Dharma-Pravartaka. In the
various incarnations, the Lord has exemplified how the generation
should live under the ever-changing kaleidoscopic pattern of
circumstances that play around us at all times.
477. Dharmee -The Supporter of Dharma; meaning the very Seat of all
Dharma. Just as the waves exist in the ocean; just as the cotton
supports the cloth; just as all the ornaments exist in gold-so Sri
Narayana, the Infinite Truth is the very essence and support of the
entire universe. Narayana is the Throne at which all righteousness
take their refuge. Without direct reference to Him and His Glory,
righteousness has no meaning; just as law books of a country are
empty pages when the Government falls.
478. Sat -The Existence in all things and beings is the same ever,
and it is All-pervading. The sun exists; the space between the sun
and the earth exists; the ocean and the creatures therein exist; the
physiological organs and their functions, mind and its activities,
the intellect and its agitations -all exist. This Ever-present
Principle of Existence is Sri Narayana. That which remains the same
without any change in and through all changes, unaffected ever, same
in the past, present and the future is called in Vedanta as `Satya.'
One who has all these natures is called Sat-Purusha. In the
Upanishads, the Supreme Brahman is indicated as `Satya' ?"This, O
Child, indeed was Sat." In the Geeta while describing the Changeless
Factor behind the eternally changing matter, Bhagavan says: "That
which is the All-pervading in this world, that alone is
indestructible and no one can destroy it."
479. A-Sat -The Conditioned; Limited; the One who appears at this
moment as the limited, conditioned, and therefore confined only to
the world of plurality. That which actually is not, but apparently
seems to be there, is called a delusion and this is indicated by the
word " A-Sat." In the Vedantic terminology, higher-Self (Param) is
ever Immutable and Eternal, while the lower-Self (A-param)
constituted of all the universe of manifested things and beings, is
mutable and ephemeral. Sri Narayana Himself is, in His Apara nature,
expressing as the world of the many that we today recognise around
us. Bhagavan Sri Krishna confesses to Arjuna in the Bhagavad
Geeta: "Arjuna, I am at once immortality and mortality. I am both
existence and non-existence."
480. Ksharam -The Perishing. One who is the very Immutable Self in
all things, that appears to suffer from constant mutation: The
changeless-core in the midst of all the changes. All the changeable
and variable things and beings of the Universe play in Him who is the
only Substratum and, therefore, the Immutable Eternal Reality is
called here as the Mutable; the changing and the dying waves are all
ever nothing but the changeless ocean indeed.
481. A-ksharam -Imperishable. In order to recognize the change, there
must be a changeless entity knowing it. If one ornament is to become
another, there must be indeed the changeless consistent gold
permanently supporting it all the time. In the same way, there must
be a Changeless Factor which must be the essential core, that holds
together the pattern of the constant changes, which together
constitute the play of the universe. This Changeless Factor is called
Narayana. Krishna says in Bhagavat Geeta: "all creatures together
constitute the Kshara-purusha and the Changeless in an creatures is
the A-kshara-purusha."
482. Avijnaataa -The Non-knower. Here we must carefully understand
the term `knower.' The "knower" of the emotions and thoughts is the
Self, imprisoned in the body, mind and the intellect, and, therefore,
functioning as the perceiver, feeler, thinker-called in the Vedanta
Sastra as the "Jeeva," This individualised personality is the `doer'
and the `enjoyer', in the calamitous world of activities. Sri
Narayana is the Pure-Self, who has not been contaminated by the
matter- vestures and their agitated-nature, and the consequent
sorrows. Therefore, `Vishnu,' the Pure-Self, is indicated here as Non-
Knower (A-vijnaataa), meaning the "Jeeva."
483. Sahasra-amsuh -The thousand-rayed. As the Pure Consciousness, He
is effulgent, and in the Upanishads we read that even the sun, moon
and stars gain their effulgence from Him alone. In fact the
Upanishads conclude that all living creatures are resplendent after
His effulgence alone. Or, we can say that it means Sri Narayana, in
the form of the Sun, illumines and nourishes the world of living
creatures; because the name of the Sun in Sanskrit is `Sahasraamsuh.'
In praising the Lord Sun it is usual to sing of him
as `Sooryanaaraayana.'
484. Vidhaataa -All-supporter .As the final sub- stratum for
everything, the Lord supports the entire universe of living
creatures, and nobody supports Him, He alone is His own support. The
Lord is at once the material, instrumental and the efficient causes
for the universe of forms.
485. Krita-lakshanah -One who is famous because of six qualities,
such as glory, righteousness, fame, wealth, knowledge and detachment.
Again following the Puranic literature, Sri Narayana is the one who
made on His own bosom the great mark of the feet of Maharshi Bhrigu.
In fact from the standpoint of pure Vedanta, the term indicates the
Ever-existing Pure Consciousness which is the very goal (Lakshana) to
be ultimately achieved for liberation. Lakshana also means the
scriptural textbooks and, therefore, the term also can mean He who is
the author (Krita) of the Scriptures (Lakshana).
Stanza 52
gabhastinemih sattvasthah simho bhootamahesvarah
aadidevo mahaadevo deveso devabhrit guruh.
486. Gabhastinemih -The Centre of the Supreme planetary system. The
Sanskrit term `Gabhasti' means `rays', and the term `nemih' means
the `spokes.' Therefore, the term indicates "One who is the hub of
the wheel-of-light in which the spokes are His own rays of
brilliancy." Astronomically, we can consider this as the sun, the
centre of the planetary system. Subjectively, He is the Atman, the
Self-the Effulgent Consciousness-beaming out Himself to the whirls of
matter (the five koshas).
487. Sattvasthah -Abiding in Sattva. Maayaa is constituted of the
three gunas: unactivity (sattva), activity (rajas) and inactivity
(tamas). When the Maayaa is predominantly constituted of Sattva, it
becomes the vehicle for the Supreme Brahman to express as God, Sri
Narayana. The Lord is essentially constituted of the "Sattva Guna"
and, therefore, He is pure truthfulness in nature (Suddha Satya
Svaroopa). It can also mean that He who remains (Stha) in all beings
(Sattva).
488. Simhah ?The Lion Due to His great exploits in fighting the
negative forces during His various incarnations, He is indicated as
the Lion among beings in the universe Also in Sanskrit "any part of a
name can indicate the full name" Thus Bheema means `Bheema Sena'
or `Bhaamaa' means `Satya-Bhaamaa' Similarly, `Simha' here might mean
a part of the Lord's name as `Narasimha'; Narayana had taken the form
of the Man-Lion in order to end the tyranny of Hiranyakasipu, and
bless his God-devoted son Prahlaada
489. Bhoota-Mahevarah -The Great Lord of Beings One who is the Lord
who orders, commands, regulates and presides over all activities of
all living creatures, and hence is ever the Ruler of All creature.
490. Aadidevah -The first Deity. Or it can also mean as one who is
First (Aadi) and one who is resplendent (Deva); further we can also
take it to mean that He is the First Deva, meaning, He is the God of
all gods. The term `Aadi' also means "one who eats;" the term' Deva'
can mean `one who evolves': thus the term can mean "one who evolves
in eating up," by consuming the names and forms. This implies that to
the extent one withdraws himself from his false occupations with the
perceived names and forms, he moves deeper and deeper into the
experiences of the divine Lord in himself; with this idea in mind,
Lord is described by this term, "One who evolves in consuming the
names and forms."
491. Mahaadevah -The Great Deity, He is the Source of all
Consciousness, and from Him have risen all further deities and
beings, therefore, it is right to consider Him as the Supreme Lord.
492. Devesah -The Lord of all Devas. He is the very Consciousness in
the gods themselves; therefore, in His unquestionable prominence, He
is addressed here as "God of all gods."
493. Deva-bhrid-guruh ?"One who is the king of gods"-Indra -(Deva
Bhrit) and one who is the teacher (Guruh). In short, He is the
protector and advisor of the very Indra, who is the king of gods.
Stanza 53
uttaro gopatirgoptaa jnaanagamyah puraatanah
sareera bhootabhritbhoktaa kapeendro bhooridakshinah.
494. Uttarah -One who helps to lift us from (Uttarah) the ocean of
Samsar. It also conveys the most excellent meaning of "One who is
greater and nobler than all other deities." Rigveda declares: "He is
the most excellent of all."
495. Gopatih -The shepherd-As one who played the part of a cowherd in
His Krishna-incarnation. The term `Go' in Sanskrit has got four
meanings: the cattle, the earth, the speech and the vedas. In all
these meanings He is the Lord (Pati): Lord of the cattle; Lord of
Earth; Lord of speech; the Lord about whom all the Vedas speak of as
the very Goal.
496. Goptaa -The protector He is the Protector of all living
creatures in as much as, if He were not there, the creatures could
not exist He is the very Existence in the living Kingdom.
497. Jnaanagamyah -The One who is to be attained only through the
subtle perception of Jnaana He is not attained either by actions, or
by progeny or by wealth Only through a ("JnaanaPrasaadena")
pure `knowledge' alone He is experienced Here the word knowledge does
not mean the ordinary knowledge-of-thing. The experience of Truth is
gained only on transcending the intellect. Thus crossing the barriers
of the non-apprehension (Avidyaa) the meditator comes to apprehend
the Reality; this subjective first-hand apprehension is called True
Knowledge (Jnaana); by this one process alone can one attain the
Infinite; hence this term.
498. Puraatanah -He who was even before Time. That from which even
the concept-of- Time itself rose up is the Infinite Truth and.
therefore. Truth cannot be measured in terms of Time. Therefore, he
is called the Ancient, for, he transcends Time.
499. Sareera-bhoota-bhrit -One who nurses and nourishes the very
element from which the bodies are constituted. The Lord is the
controller of the very five elements.
500. Bhoktaa -The Enjoyer or the Protector. The term " Bhoktaa" can
be dissolved in two ways. In (a) it would mean the `Protector' and in
(b) it would mean as the `Enjoyer'. According to Vedanta, Lord in His
transcendental glory, as the Atman, is neither the `Doer' nor
the `Enjoyer' and yet, here, the Lord is taken as the `Enjoyer' only
in the sense that the experiencer `ego,' the Jeeva, is also nothing
other than the Supreme in Its final Essence.
501. Kapeendrah -One who is the Lord of the Monkeys-Sri
Ramachandraji. ` Kapih' also can mean the Boar-incarnation (Varaaha).
502. Bhoori-dakshinah -He who gives away large gifts (Dakshinaa), as
presents distributed at the end of the Sacrifices. When the body,
mind and the intellect of man make sacrifices, man does Karmas. Lord
Narayana is the One who gives the results for all actions: (Karma
Phala Daataa); hence this term to indicate the Lord.
Stanza 54
somapo-amritapah somah purujit purusattamah
vinayo jayah satyasandho daasaarhah saatvataam patih.
503. Somapah -One who drinks the Soma-juice in the Yajnas, in the
form of the deity that has been invoked by the householder. In short,
Narayana is the Lord that receives all the offerings, in all rituals,
which we may offer, because He is the One invoked, who plays as the
various hierarchy of deties.
504. Amritapah -One who drinks the nectar. As the Infinite Truth He
at all times enjoys the blissful immortality (Amritatvam). Also, it
may have the echo of the puranic story of the churning of the Ocean-
of-milk (Ksheeraabdhi) until they got the Nectar, which was
confiscated by the Asuras, and when they ran away, it was Sri
Narayana, who, in the form of the irresistible Mohinee, a beautiful
enchanting damsel, recovered the Nectar from them and distributed it
to the gods. He had partaken the Nectar along with the gods.
505. Somah -One who in the form of the moon- light (Soma) nourishes
all the plant-kingdom with their respective essential sap. It is very
well known in the Hindu literature that the moonlight is that which
enriches the food value in the fruits and grains. In the Geeta,
Bhagavan says: "I in the form of the moon-light, enrich all the plant-
kingdom," The term can also mean Siva, in which case it would mean
as "One who is ever consorted by Umaa."
506. Purujit -One who has won over numerous enemies. The word Puru
means `many'.
507. Puru-sattamah -One who is Greater among the great. Here the word
Puru means `great'. In some readings we find instead of this
term "Puru-sattamah" the term "Purushottamah" is used, in which case
the meaning is the Omnipresent (Purusha) and the Best (Uttamah)-the
Absolute Reality.
508. Vinayah -In direct meaning, of course, it means "He who shows
the supreme humility." But the term also means "One who humiliates
those who are unrighteous." The Lord is one who leads well (Vi-Naya)
the seekers steadily through the path of truth and righteousness.
509. Jayah -The Victorious. One who has conquered all the matter. It
connotes that in order to experience the `Self' we have to conquer
all the lower matter-realms and their by-products. Realizing the
Self, the seeker himself becomes the Self. At that time he has
conquered all.
510. Satya-sandhah -Of truthful resolution (Sankalpa). The Lord is
One, who in His perfection, has so completely integrated, that His
resolve, His thoughts, feelings, words and action are always
truthful. There would he no com- promise in them, and as such, every
resolve of His becomes fruitful "Heavens might fall down, the earth
might tumble down, the Himalayas might be crushed, the ocean might
become dry, but My word uttered shall never be in vain." (Purana).
511. Daasaarhah ?It is a name of Lord Krishna since He was born in
the Dasaarha race (Yaadava-kula). It can also mean "One who is fully
competent to receive all devoted offerings made in the ritualistic
sacrifices."
512 Saatvataam-patih -The Lord of the Saatvat-people Those who are
followers of the Tantra named Saatvata-scriptures essentially
Saattvic in nature- are called Saatvatas, and their Lord is Sri
Narayana. The essential path of the Saatvatas is single-pointed
meditation upon the form of Lord Vishnu with utter devotion
Stanza 55
jeeva vinayitaa-saakshee mukundo-amitavikramah
ambhanidhiranantaatmaa mahadadhisayo-antakah.
513. Jeevah -One who remains as the limited ego (jeevah), who in its
sense of separateness comes to experience the endless joys and
sorrows in the fields of life. One who functions as the Experiencer-
of-the-Field (Kshetrajna), as described in the Bhagavat Geeta.
514. Vinayitaa-saakshee -The Witness of modesty. He is the one
Consciousness that illumines the very sense of humility in His
devotee's heart. It can also mean that as Pure Consciousness, He is
one without a second, and, therefore, from His state of Universal
Oneness He sees nothing other than Himself everywhere. In this
Absolute Nature He does not see the world of finitude constituted of
the ego and its deluded devilry.
515. Mukundah -One who gives liberation. To those who are trying to
free themselves from the imperfections of the matter-conditionings,
and who are struggling hard to end their delusions, Sri Narayana,
being the very Goal, ultimately gives complete liberation for all
devotees who reach Him in the true spirit of total surrender.
516. Amita-vikramah -Of immeasurable Prowess or One whose step
(Vikramah) is immeasurable (Amita). The Lord in his Vamana-
incarnation measured the three worlds by His three steps, and,
therefore, He gained the title of `Trivikramaha'. Since the Lord's
steps are so vast, they are, indeed, immeasurable-" Amita"- Vikramah.
517. Ambho-nidhih -The direct meaning of the word is "ocean" and the
Lord Himself in the Bhagavat Geeta has declared, "Of the lakes I am
the ocean". According to the Taittireeya Braahmana: "These are the
four Ambhas: viz. the Devas, Men, Manes and the Asuras." Therefore,
the term Ambhonidhih should mean "One who is the substratum for all
the four types of creatures.
518. Ananta-atmaa -The Infinite Self. He is undefeated by time,
space, or substance, and, therefore, in His own unconditioned nature
He is the Infinite One Self. Or it can also mean One who manifests
Himself as the endless varieties of entities constituting the
universe. Ananta also means "end-less" and, therefore, the Endless
Self, which means the Paramaatman, the Supreme Self.
519. Mahodadhisayah -One who rests on the great ocean. According to
the description of Vishnupurana, Lord Narayana reclines upon the
Aadisesha in the Milky-ocean of Vaikuntha. It can also mean, "One who
remains on a fig-leaf, upon the waters of the deluge, when all names
and forms have been dissolved into the unmanifest.
520. Antakah -The Death. As Time, He is the One who brings about
constant changes in the world, without which no evolution or creative
development is ever possible.
Stanza 56
ajo mahaarhah svaabhaavyo jitaamitrah pramodanah
aanando nandano nandah satyadharmaa trivikramah.
521. Ajah -Unborn. As the changeless and deathless Reality, He has
neither birth nor any decay, `Unborn' in philosophy means undying;
therefore, Eternal, Changeless, "Born to Lord Vishnu" is yet another
meaning, and according to this interpretation, the term can
suggest "Pradyumna," son of Vishnu, who is considered to be in our
Purana as an Incarnation of the Lord of Love.
522, Mahaarhah ?"One who deserves the highest worship." Arhaa
means `poojaa': `worship'.
523. Svaabhaavyah -Ever-rooted in the nature of His own Self. One who
is the Uncaused Cause, the God.
524. Jitaamitrah -One who has conquered all his enemies both within
and without. Within, He has conquered all enemies such as desires,
hope, etc., and externally, has conquered enemies like Ravana,
Hiranyakasipu and others.
525. Pramodanah ?`Ever-blissful'. One who is constantly enjoying His
own Eternal, Blissful nature. The term indicates `Vishnu' because Sri
Narayana is the One that causes bliss in the heart of those who
meditate upon Him.
526. Aanandah -A mass of Pure Bliss. Bliss is His pure nature. The
Brihadaranyaka Upanishad says: "Of this happiness, all other beings
enjoy only a part."
527. Nandanah ?"One who makes others blissful." Since the Lord is the
very source of the happiness of the devotees who reach the divine
plane of Pure Consciousness, it is in Him they get themselves
intoxicated with the endless drunkenness of thus unceasing Bliss.
528. Nandah -One who is freed from all limited worldly pleasures.
Worldly pleasures come through contact with the objects of the sense-
organs. The term means One who has no contact with the world of
senses, as He dwells in transcendence of all the equipments of
pleasure-the body, mind and intellect. Chandogya Upanishad
says, "That which is immensity is felicity; there is no felicity in
littleness."
529. Satyadharmaa -One who has in Him- self all the true Dharmas.
Kindness, non-injury, charity etc. are considered as the noble
Dharmas. Sri Narayana is One in whom we find all these Dharmas to the
maximum. In short, He is the embodiment of Yoga (Yogesvara). It also
means that One who is rich in the experience of the Supreme Self;
for, the Upanishad says: "This alone is the Supreme Dharma which is
to experience the Self through yoga"...
530. Trivikramah ?"One who has taken the three steps". One who has,
in three steps, conquered the three worlds in his Vamana-incarnation.
The spiritual seeker has only to take three steps to reach the Centre
of the Self in him- self. Once he has stepped across the fields-of-
experiences in the waking, dream and deep-sleep conditions, he has
reached the Infinite Consciousness, the Atman. The very term `Tri' in
Sanskrit means `the three-worlds.' "The greatest men of reflection
have declared the three fields-of-experiences (Loka) by the simple
term `Tri,"-(Harivamsa).
Stanza 57
maharshih kapilaachaaryah kritajno medineepatih
tripadastridasaadhyaksho mahaasringah kritaantakrit.
531. Maharshih Kapilaachaaryah - One who has manifested as the
teacher Kapila, the great sage. "Rishi", the sage, is one who has
mastered a portion of the Veda, and one who has mastered the entire
Vedas is called "Maharshi" in the Hindu tradition. The preceptor
Kapila, who is a great master of the entire Vedic literature, is the
propounder of the Saankhya philosophy. The glory of kapilaachaarya is
endorsed by Lord. Krishna Himself in the Geeta when He declares, "Of
the perfected-ones, I am sage Kapila."
532. Kritajnah -The created and the knower of the creation. Kritam
means "the universe that has been created." Jna means "the knower of
all the objects." The Supreme Self is the material cause for
the "knower" ego (Jna), and the effects constitute the world of
things and beings (Kritam). He who is the very substratum for both
cause and effect is the Absolute Self, the Lord. He is unconditioned
by the outer matter vestures such as body etc. and thus Lord Sri
Narayana is the Absolute Reality. Nowadays, this word (Kritajna) has
come to mean "gratitude" or "thanks-giving". It is a cheap
application of this deep meaning. To express to my benefactor that "I
have known (Jna) what he had done (Kritam) to help me" is
thanksgiving, and hence, this usage is today very popular in our
vernacular.
533. Medineepatih -The Lord of the Earth, Sri Narayana. The Preserver
Vishnu as the husband of the inert matter, Earth, is a concept at
once immensely beautiful and deep, philosophic and poetic.
534. Tripadah ?"The One who has taken the three steps." This
indicates, the Vamana-incarnation, and how He measured, in just three
steps, the entire universe. The jeeva, the limited ego, meaning the
seeker, has also to take three steps forward, to reach across the
delusion of the three worlds of sleep, dream and waking. The
meditator can measure these three "worlds" in three steps and arrive
at his own original Real Nature in his inner mystic experience.
535. Tridasaadhyakshah ?"The Lord of the three steps"-the `three
steps' are waking, dream and deep-sleep. One who is the Witness of
the `three steps' is the Self. It can also mean that One who assumes,
in His play, the three qualities of Sattva, Rajas and Tamas-and yet,
Himself, is not affected by anyone of them.
536. Mahaasringah ?"The Great-Horned." The term indicates how the
Lord in the Fish-incarnation tied the ship to his great horn and
sported in the waters of the deluge.
537. Kritaantakrit -He is the destroyer of the "creation." He is the
Creator, in our subjective life, of the inactive (taamasa) and
positive (saattvic and raajasa) vaasanaas- the sins and the merits.
When the merits are more, the Lord provides a heaven for them to
exist and when the sins are more, they move into the lower wombs,
where sin-vaasanaas, too, get exhausted. An individual seeker when he
exhausts all the above vaasanaas, rises to the realm of the Self and
gets totally identified with the Self. Therefore, Sri Narayana is
that State Divine, wherein all created vaasanaas (Krita) get
destroyed (Anta). Thus, the end (Anta) of the vaasanaas (Krita) is
called "total liberation" (Kritaantam). He who is the giver of the'
krita', Him- self is the giver of "total liberation" (Kritaanta-krit)
?. We find it also interpreted to mean that the Lord is one who has
destroyed (Krindanam) Lord Death (Kritaanta) himself. One who is the
destroyer' Kritaanta', in this sense we can take this term as meaning
the Lord who has taken the form of Rudra, the Destroyer-Lord Siva.
Stanza 58
mahaavaraaho govindah sushenah kanakaangade
guhyo gabheero gahano guptaschakragadaadharah.
538. Mahaa-Varaahah -One who had manifested as the Great Boar. In
order to heave up the world from the slush that formed naturally when
the waters of the deluge receded. This is the third of the Lord's
incarnations.
539. Govindah -One who is to be known (Vid) through the declarations
of the Vedanta (Go). In Vishnu Tilaka we read:
Here, "Gobhih" means the statements and declarations of the
Upanishads.
540. Sushenah -He who has a charming army. The army of Vishnu is
called as His Ganas. They are mainly constituted of the great sages
and hence, their compelling enchantment.
541. Kanakaangadee -The bright-as-gold armlets. Armlets are ornaments
worn on the upper arm covering the shoulder and the top portion of
the arm.
542. Guhyah -The mysterious; the Profound. Due to the profound nature
of the Truth even in the upanishads the essential theme is
mysteriously secretive. Therefore, the entire Upanishadic literature
is called as "the secret literature." Vishnu is to be realised in the
secret chambers of the heart, so He is called as the Supreme "Secret"
(Guhya).
543. Gabheerah ?"The Unfathomable." Even the Upanishads declare that
He is unknown. The limited human intellect cannot apprehend or
visualise, or plumb the depth of, or unravel the mystery of His
Wisdom, Power, Strength or Purity.
544. Gahanah -He is impenetrable; Imponderable. We cannot dash into
the domain of His Nature Divine. Through surrender alone can we reach
the realm of the Self.
545. Guptah -The Well-concealed. He is not easily revealed by words.
Nor can the sense organs ever recognise Him. All the Upanishads
repeatedly declare that the Self-being the very "subject," the
instruments of the body, mind and intellect can never apprehend Him.
He can only be apprehended by a steady mind that has been purified by
continuous meditation "Being the hidden nature of all beings he is
not manifested."
546. Chakra-gadaa-dharah -One who is the bearer of the Discus and the
Mace. His Chakra is called Sudarsana; His Gadaa is called Kaumodakee.
The ancient Acharyas have declared that the Discus represents the
Mind and the Mace represents the Intellect.
Stanza 59
vedhaah svaangojitah krishno dridhah sankarshanochyutah
varuno vaaruno vrikshah pushkaraaksho mahaamanaah.
547. Vedhaah -One who is the Creator of the whole universe, the
Supreme who is expressing Himself for the apparent function of
creating the world of plurality. The Infinite Truth functioning
through the Total-Mind is the Creator-Hiranyagarbha. According to
Amarakosha, `Creator' is called as Srashtaa, Prajaapatih or Vedhaah.
548. Svaangah -It is commented upon by some, as one who is beautiful,
who has well proportioned limbs. This meaning emphasises the glory
and beauty of the form of the enchanting Vishnu. The same term can
also be interpreted as "Self-instrumental." For the projection of the
pluralistic phenomenal world, He has no instrument other than
Himself. The Lord not only creates everything from Himself but He,
Himself, is the instrumental cause for the world. We have already
indicated earlier that in the making of anything, three causes must
come into play, the "material-cause" (mud), the "instrumental-cause"
(the pot-maker's wheel) and the "efficient- cause" (the intelligent
pot maker). In the case of the creation of the universe all these
three causes are intrinsically the Lord alone. Thus, He is the
material, from which He creates the world by Himself. This idea is
expressed here when the compelling beauty of the Lord's form is being
indicated by the precious term "Self-instrumental."
549. A -Jitah -One who is vanquished by none- unconquered-and
therefore, the unconquerable in any of His incarnations. We never
meet Him as vanquished in any of his confrontations with mighty evil.
550. Krishnah ?One who incarnated in the Yaadava tribe as the son of
Vasudeva and Devakee. It is commented upon as `one who served the
Hindu Spiritual World in the form of Krishna Dvaipaayana' which is
the full name of Vyasa, the author of the Puranas. However, Krishna
also means `The Dark'; the one great Infinite Consciousness that
plays in us constantly, because of which we are aware of our
experiences, and yet, never can we directly apprehend this Source of
All- life within ourselves. The Krishna is the "unknown factor" that
expresses through us-whose manifestations are all our physical,
mental and intellectual capabilities. He is, therefore, called as
the' Unknown', the `Dark'-Krishna.
551. Dridhah -"The Firm." One who is firm in His convictions,
judgements, love and mercy. It is in this sense that the Bhakti Marga
describes the Lord often as `A-Dridhah', especially when a sinner
prostrates before Him; meaning that in full repentance were a
criminal to surrender himself to the Lord's Feet, the Infinite
Justice even wavers and becomes anxious to help the sinner out of his
mistaken notions and his consequent ugly actions. The Lord is ever
vigilant to re-establish such a one in his own wisdom, which is his
real nature.
552. Sankarshano-achyutah -During the great dissolution of the entire
universe of names and forms, He, being the one who merges the entire
plurality into His own essence-He is called `Sankarshanah.' When an
individual sleeps, his entire world of experiences get absorbed into
himself and they all remain in seed condition in the `Causal-body' as
mere vaasanaas. One who never falls away from His own essential
nature is called `Achyutah' -one who knows no fall (Chyutih). The one
expression used here for the Lord is the combination of both these
terms. The Lord Narayana who absorbs the whole world into Himself at
the time of the deluge, and He who never falls away from His own Real
Nature.
553. Varunah -Since, in the evening, the sun reaches the western
horizon (Varuna-Dik), the sun is called Varunah. Also after his day's
functioning in the world, in the dusk he gathers his scorching rays
unto himself and disappears. Like the setting sun, the Lord withdraws
all the pluralistic world unto Himself. The Eternal Reality,
functioning through the sun as the sun's energy and light, is
described in the Upanishads as the `Golden One', and hence the
appropriateness of using this term Varunah for Narayana. The
designation Soorya- Narayana is very familiar to the students of
Purana.
554. Vaarunah -The son of Varunah is called Vaarunah. Both Vasishtha
and Agastya are traditionally considered as sons of Varunah.
Therefore, the term indicates the Lord, who manifested himself as
Vasishtha or Agastya. Where-ever there is an explosive expression of
any spectacular glory of stupendous achievement, "understand them all
as coming out of my glory," says Krishna in the Bhagavad Geeta.
The term can also be read in some manuscripts as A - Vaarunah-
meaning, according to some commentators, "one whose nature is never
subject to veiling."
555. Vrikshah -In the Upanishads the world emerging out of the
Supreme Brahman is described metaphorically as a `Tree'; in the
Kathopanishad and in the Geeta, we read of the Samsaara- Vriksha-the
Tree of Life-exhaustively described. In the Puranas, again we find,
in more than 3 or 4 places, exhaustive descriptions of the world
manifested from the Lord as a `Tree.'
556. Pushkaraakshah -One who has eyes (Aksha) as beautiful as the
lotus flowers (Pushkara); the descriptive epithet: `Lotus-eyed.' The
Sanskrit term `Pushkara' also means the Universal-Space, thus, it
also has the interpretation, "one who is ever pervading all space."
557. Mahaamanaah ?"One who has a great mind." Narayana as the Lord
(Eesvara) is the Supreme Consciousness functioning through the Total-
Mind, and He, with His Mind, creates, sustains and destroys,
fulfilling the great game of Samsar, continuously.
Stanza 60
bhagavaan bhagahaanandee vanamaalee halaayudhah
aadityo jyotiraadityah sahishnurgatisattamah.
558. Bhagavaan -The word `Bhaga', according to the Great Vishnu
Purana means, "One who has all the Six Great Glories-Wealth, Power,
Dharma, Fame, Character, Knowledge and Dispassion-is
called `Bhagavaan'." Again, Vishnu Purana says: "He is named
Bhagavaan who knows (a) the beginning and the end, (b) the arrival
and departure of beings, and also (c) Vidyaa and Avidyaa." one who
has all the six glorious in himself alone in Bhagavan and these great
mighty power atomically come to Him, because his equipment is the
Total-mind.
559. Bhagahaa -One who destroys, during the deluge, the six glories
just mentioned. At this time, the lord absorbs everything unto
himself, and in this sense the term, "destroyer of all great glories.
When thus the total -mind rest from its self-willed projections, the
world of plurality appears have to been absorbed by the lord unto
himself.
560. Aanandee ?"The one who gives delight." the lord is himself
Absolute Bliss, and those devotees who move towards him in pure
surrender, come to share his divine nature of All-bliss. There is a
version wherein we read this term as `Nandee'. Here, too, there is no
difference in meaning. also this term indicates: "Son of Nandagopal"-
lord krishna-who was natured and tended by Yasodaa and Nandagopal
throughout his childhood.
561. Vanamaalee -One who wears always a garland of leavers and
flowers named Vaijantee. Vaishnavas declare this to represent the
subtle aspect of very fine elements themselves, (Bhoota-tanmaatraas).
562. Halayudhah ?"One who has the plough as his weapon." he is
brother of lord Krishna, Balaabhadra, who is considered as the eight
incarnation of lord Vishnu. Even today in our country the farmer
repeat Bala-rama's name while ploughing for a successful cultivation
and profitable harvest.
563. Aadityah -One who was born as the son of Adhiti and Kasyapa as
Vaamana, who begged of Emperor Bali three steps of ground and got all
the three worlds.
564. Jyotir-aadityah ?"The supreme who is the resplendence in the
Sun." the Atman expressing as the glorious light and energy in the
sun is meditated upon as lord Vishnu. "One must meditate upon Vishnu
who is adorned fully, holding in his hands the conch and Discus,
sitting in padmasana, enveloped in golden hue, in the centre of the
orb of the sun." the Deity residing in the disc of the sun is
Narayana Himself. "Aat" -'from Vishnu'; "ityah" -'to be obtained and
so He is called as Aaditya. This interpretation gives us an insight
into the meaning of the word Sun, in Sanskrit-`Aaditya': "One from
whom all creatures have to receive"! The great-grand-giver is the Sun.
565. Sahishnuh -One who calmly endures the pairs of opposites. One
who is above them, and thus is never influenced by these experiences
of the physical and mental realms.
566. Gatisattamah -The ultimate refuge for all devotees; the best
(Highest) destination and at once the noblest path. Lord
Narayana. "Gati" means both the goal and the path. In short, One who
is himself the very essence of the spiritual liberation.
Stanza 61
sudhanvaa khandaparasurdaaruno dravinnapradhah
divah-sprik sarvadrik vyaaso vaachaspatirayonijah.
567. Sudhanvaa -One who has his glorious bow-called "Saarga."
Acoording to some, it represents the sense organs and their
activities.
568. Khanda-parasuh -One who has the axe- weapon-called "Parasu." The
Lord used this weapon in His Incarnation as Parasuraama, the son of
Jamadagni. It is endowed with terrible prowess in cutting down the
unholy enemies of the nobler life and so it is called as the "Khanda-
Parasu." As such it means `one who wields the invincible Parasu.'
569. Daarunah ?"The one who is merciless towards the unrighteous." Up
to a point the Lord is All-mercy- but when He finds that no other
method can save the individual, like a surgeon at the operation
theatre, He appears to be relentless-merciless.
570. Dravina-pradah -One who lavishly gives wealth asked for by His
devotees. According to Vyasa, Lord Vishnu gives to his true devotees
the wealth of the Sastra knowledge-the deeper and clearer
understanding of the Science of Reality.
571. Divah-sprik ?"The Sky-reaching." The Lord who revealed His
Universal Form to Arjuna in the Bhagavad Geeta.
572. Sarva-drik-vyaasah: -When considered as one word it means: "One
who creates many omniscient men of wisdom." One who encourages the
spread of knowledge and thus turns out many men of wisdom and clearer
understanding of life and the world. Or taken as two words its
interpretation can mean: "One who is Omniscient and Vyasa." This
would mean, "The Lord who has expressed Him- self as Sri Veda Vyasa."
Vyasa is the poet-philosopher who codified, compiled and edited the
Vedas and published them in four volumes-Rig Veda, with its 21
branches; Yajur Veda, with its 101 branches: Saama Veda, with its
1000 branches and the Atharvana Veda, with its 9 branches (or
Saakhaas). He is the one who gave us the 18 Puranas and the
Brahmasootras. Hence he is called: "The Omniscient Vyasa."
573. Vaachaspatir-ayonijah -One who is a master of all knowledge
(Vidyaas) and who is unborn through a mother's womb.
Stanza 62
trisaamaa saamagah .Saama nirvaanam bheshajam bhishak
samnyaasakrit-sanaah saanto nishthaa saantih paraayanam.
574. Trisaamaa ?"One who has been glorified by the three
Saamas." `Saama' means divine songs-hence, Veda. The one who has been
praised by the singers of the Saama-Veda, those called as the Devas,
the Vratas and the Saamans.
575. Saamagah ?"The singer of the Saaman songs." One who performs the
actions prescribed in the Saama Veda and who invokes the Lord is
called, in Vedic terminology, the' Udgaataa'.
576. Saama -The Lord is the Saama Veda. This is to indicate the
sacredness of the very Book. Lord Krishna has confessed in the
Geeta: "Of Vedas lam the Saama Veda."
577. Nirvaanam -The Lord is of the very nature of "Ever-liberated,
Ever-free." There is no trace of imperfection and sorrow in Him whose
nature is, All-Bliss.
578. Bheshajam ?`Bheshajam' means `medicine.' Hence, He who is the
very specific cure for the disease of Samsar (change, becoming).
579. Bhishak -One who is the `Physician,' who is the `cure' for the
disease of Samsar. Or it can also mean that the Lord manifested
during the "churning of the Milky Ocean " as the Deity of Medicine,
holding the pot of Amrita in His hand- The Lord Dhanvantari. In
Indian systems of Medicines, He is considered as the presiding Deity
of the Medical Sciences. Vishnu manifested as this Lord of Doctors,
where upon this name for Him: "Doctor" (Bhishak).
580. Samnyaasa-krit -Lord is the institutor of the fourth stage of
life (Aasrama) called `Samnyaasa' which is meant for those who walk
the path of total renunciation. The One who, in His Infinite Grace,
gives the needed qualifications unavoidable for Samnyaasa.
581. Samah ?"The Calm." One who exists without the mind running out
into the passions of the sense-organs. " In Samnyaasa, He teaches the
life of calmness and quietude and in the accumulated inner peace, the
final experience is gained. The Smriti prescribes the duties of the
four stages as: "The duty of the `Brahmachari' is service; for
the `House- holder', charity; for the `Forest-dweller' is the duty of
restraint, and for the `Samnyaasin' `Calmness'. Samnyaasa without
Sama is inconceivable and this `Calmness' is His nature.
582. Saantah -One who is quiet within, as in Him the sense-organs are
perfectly controlled. The Upanishads glorify the Supreme State as
actionless, partless, peaceful. This is a declaration from
Svetaasvatara Upanishad.
583. Nishthaa -The Abode of all beings, not only while living, but
during the Pralaya (deluge). During this Cosmic dissolution, the
entire living creatures merge back into their Vaasanaas, (seed-form),
and remain in Him. Therefore, He is called, "The Abode of the
Universe."
584. Saantih ?"One whose very nature is Peace." Agitations are caused
by desires and the consequent temptations to strive for, acquire and
indulge in them. In the All-Full, there is no desire, hence He need
not seek His fulfilment among the perishable objects of the universe,
and so He is Peace.
585. Paraayanam -The Supreme Goal is Narayana. After reaching Him
there is no return In short, the term indicates that Narayana is the
way to the Supreme Liberation (Moksha).
Stanza 63
subhaangah saantidah srashtaa kumudah kuvalesayah
gohito gopatir goptaa vrishabhaaksho vrishapriyah.
586. Subhaangah -One who has the most beautiful form. That one who is
enchanting, most handsome.
587. Saantidah -Narayana dispenses that Peace which puts an end to
likes and dislikes (Raaga-Dvesha). He is the One who cleanses the
mind of His devotees and gives to each the inner Peace and Joy.
588. Srashtaa ?"The Creator of all beings." In the beginning, He has
created all from Himself as the Great Five Elements: (Viranchi).
589. Kumudah -The reveller in the Earth. The term `Ku' means Earth.
Therefore, the term means "He who delights in the Earth."
590. Kuvalesayah -He who reclines in the waters (Kuvala). Waters
surround the earth, thus it is called as Kuvala. The term can also
mean the `Crawler'-meaning ser- pent. In this sense it indicates-"
Sarpa-Saaye": "One who reclines upon the Great Sesha"-the
Divine "Sesha-Saaye."
591. Go-hitah -One who does the Cow-welfare-work, always. Sree
Krishna, through many incidents, helps to develop and conserve the
sacred animal, Cow, for, the very existence of Bharat's dispensation
depends upon the Cow; the agriculture being essentially Cow-
centred. `Go' also means Earth. Thus: "One who saved the world" from
the materialists and their designs of excesses and imperfect vision.
One who protects against the irresponsible havoc, for example, of
Ravana and others; all inimical to the genius of the natural
Bhaarateeya Samskriti.
592. Go-patih ?"The husband of the Earth." Or, One who is the Lord
protecting all those who are weary of their samsaaric life of
passions and desires. Such ones, exhausted by grazing in the pastures
of dissipation' and enervated from the world of happenings, are
comparable to cows. Hence Narayana is called here as the "Lord of the
Cows", -`Gopaala.' `Go' also may be interpreted as `sense-organs'. In
this way the term suggests "Lord of the Sense-Organs," Sri Narayana,
the Self.
593. Goptaa -The root `Gup' has two meanings: to protect; to veil.
Thus `Goptaa' can imply "One who protects the universe" or "One who,
by His Maayaa, veils the glory of the Divine Self within.
594. Vrishabhaakshah -One whose eyes rain fulfilment of all desires
of His devotees. He sees the un- expressed desires of His devotees
and fulfils them easily. Or it can be taken that Sri Narayana is "One
whose eyes are Dharma Itself"; meaning, One who sees righteousness
clearly and continuously. If one wants to see clearly righteousness,
he must cultivate and develop the Narayana vision.
595. Vrisha-priyah: -Vishnu delights in Dharma. `Vrisha' means'
Dharma,' so the term can be dissolved as "One who delights in
Dharma". Or it can signify, "One who is beloved of the virtuous, the
Good."
Stanza 64
anivartee nivrittaatmaa samksheptaa kshemakrit-sivah
sreevatsavakshaah sreevaasah sreepatih sreemataam varah.
596. Anivartee ?"One who never knows retreat." During the clashes
between the Good (Devas) and the Bad (Asuras), Narayana never
retreats. He is One Who never turns back from Dharma; for He is its
friend and protector.
597. Nivritta-atmaa -One who is fully restrained from all sense
indulgences. So long as the equipments of our experiences-the Body,
Mind and Intellect-are roaming about in their pleasures-among
objects, emotions and thoughts-our attention is dissipated and is not
available for the contemplation of the Higher, the Self. Narayana is
the Atman in all, and to reach Him we have to retire from the fields
of our indulgences. Hence, He is indicated as the "Restrained-Self."
598. Samksheptaa -The One who absorbs unto Himself the entire
universe of multiplicity during the dissolution-the "Involver."
Narayana presides over not only the evolution but also is the
controller at the involution. In some readings, we find this term
as " Asamksheptaa"-meaning "One who never abandons His devotees."
599. Kshema-krit ?"The doer of Good"; One who protects and guides the
devotees. "Kshema" signifies protecting what has been gained, and it
includes " Yoga" also, meaning "acquiring things not yet gained." In
Geeta, Lord Krishna promises that "I shall govern both your' Yoga'
and `Kshema' when you are a true devotee."
600. Sivah -Lord Narayana is adored here as Sivah and, at the same
time, all Vaishnavites repeat Vishnu- sahasranaama. Human prejudices
have no logic or reason. Sri Narayana is Siva (auspiciousness) and
there is no difference between the two. "I am the dweller of
Vaikuntha, Vishnu. Between us there is no difference," so says Lord
Siva Himself. Vishnu is the "Purifier" (Siva), as His names, when
chanted, and His form-divine, when meditated upon, become a means of
quietening the mind and sharpening our perceptions of the subtler and
the transcendental.
601. Sreevatsa-vakshaah -One who has the mark, Sreevatsa, upon His
divine and sacred chest.
602. Sree-vaasah -The Abode of Sree; the dwelling place of Mother
Lakshmi. This term is dissolved as "Sree"-all glory and riches-ever
dwell in His bosom of love and beauty.
603. Sree-patih -The Lord of Goddess Lakshmi. During the great
churning of the Ocean of Milk, holding a lotus in hand, there rose
Lakshmi from it, and She chose, among all gods, Lord Vishnu as Her
Beloved Husband. Hence Narayana is Sree-Patih, the Lord of Sree. The
Svetasvatara upanishad says: "The Supreme Sakti of Him is declared to
be various." Sree represents the Energy (Paraa Sakti) in the
universe. Lord Narayana is the One Vital Truth that functions through
the Paraa Sakti and gives Her the dynamism to act and to accomplish.
604. Sreemataam-varah: -The best among those who have glory-in-life,
(Sree), is Narayana. Taittireeya Braahmana says, "The Rig, Yajus and
Saaman are the imperishable wealth of the wise", so Sree has been
interpreted here to mean the Vedas. Lord Narayana is the One who is
the Best among those who know the `Books'; He being the very Infinite
Reality that is the one theme of all the Vedas. Also Varah can
mean "One Who blesses" and thus the term under discussion yields the
meaning, "Vishnu, Who is the Lord That blesses all great students of
the Vedas."
Stanza 65
sreedah sreesah sreenivaasah sreenidhih sreevibhaavanah
sreedharah sreekarah sreyah sreemaan-lokatrayaasrayah.
605. Sree-dah -One who gives Sree to all His sincere and dedicated
devotees. Narayana provides wealth, for all His ardent devotees. He
is the River of Knowledge and Joy for all devoted hearts which are
surrendered to Him.
606. Sreesah -The Lord of the Goddess of Wealth, Sree-Mahalakshmi.
Her wealth is `the ability to nourish.' Thus She gives to the
striving devotee, the mighty and noble virtues, his inner wealth.
607. Sree-nivaasah -One who dwells and manifests in the good people.
Here the word Sree is to be understood as "those who have Sree in
them." The One Who abides in purified hearts-wherein the passions and
lusts have been removed and peace, joy, devotion and understanding
have arrived. In such people the Self comes to shine all by Itself.
608. Sree-nidhih -One Who is the treasure- house (Nidhih) of Sree.
Vishnu, being the All-Full and Perfect, all glories draw themselves
from Him alone. Even Sree-Maayaa --can play Her games only when She
draws Her vitality from Narayana, the Self.
609. Sree-bibhaavanah ?"One Who is a Distributor of Sree." Vishnu
provides each, according to his merit, the wealth, both inner and
outer. Sree Narayana is the Law behind actions and so He is the
Dispenser of the fruits- of-actions.
610. Sree-dharah -Lord always carries Sree in His bosom. In short,
Atman, the Self, is never divorced from Its omnipotence and All-
Fullness.
611. Sree-karah -One Who confers Sree upon His devotees who remember
Him continuously, reflect upon His nature and meditate upon His
Glories.
612. Sreyah -Narayana is Moksha-Liberation. He is the Way and the
Goal. He gives to His devotees the total liberation from all their
physical passions, emotional agitations and intellectual
restlessnesses.
613. Sreemaan ?One Who possesses all Glories, Riches, Capacities and
Beauties. He who is the owner of all Sree; the abode of all Its
Splendour.
614. Lokatraya-asrayah -The Shelter for the three worlds. The
Substratum for the three worlds-of-experiences (waking, dream and
deep-sleep). If the Self, the Consciousness, were not in us, no
experience would ever be ours. Narayana is this "objectless
awareness."
Stanza 66
svakshah svangah sataanando nandirjyotirganesvarah
vijitaatmaa vidheyaatmaa salkeertischhinnasamsayah.
615. Svakshah -Brilliantly "Beautiful-Eyed". is Vishnu.
616. Svangah ?"Beautiful-Limbed." Most hand- some form, captivating
the hearts of all His loving devotees.
617. Sataanandah -One who divides Himself into the infinite Jeevas,
manifesting through the different equipments and experiences in all
of them. "Of infinite varieties of Joys": gained through the
individual equipments from each one's appointed field of things and
beings.
618. Nandih ?"Infinite Bliss" is the nature or Vishnu as the Supreme
Self. Thus by this term, Nandih, He is called.
619. Jyotir-ganesvarah -The Lord of the luminaries in the Cosmos is
Narayana. He, as the Self, gives light to al! brilliant things in
life. The Sun, itself, receives its light borrowed from the Infinite,
Ever-Effulgent Self. Kathopanishad describing the Self as the Light
or Consciousness declares, "When He shines all else shines after
Him."
620. Vijitaatmaa -One who has conquered the sense-organs. That
devotee who is no more a slave to his sense-organs comes to
experience the necessary mental quiet with which Narayana, the Self,
can be apprehended.
621. Vidheyaatmaa -One who has come to live under the command of the
Higher Self or One Who is ever available for devotees to command in
love. Some read this as "A- Vidheya-Atmaa" -in which case it declare$
that Narayana is "One Who is of Unfathomable Nature-Divine." One who
obeys none, but all obey His Will is " A- Vidheyaatmaa."
622. Sat-keertih -Of Pure Fame is Narayana. He is the husband of Sree
and therefore He is famous.
623. Chhinnasamsayah -One, whose doubts are ever at rest, or solved.
Doubts regarding the Supreme can be only so long as we try to
experience and comprehend Him with our Intellect. He is the very
subjective vitality in the Intellect. So, on transcending the
Intellect, the seeker can "become" the Self in a non-mediate
experience, intimate and immediate. Once having become the Self,
there cannot be any spiritual doubts. Therefore Narayana, the Self,
is known as "The One in whom all doubts are resolved." In Geeta,
Arjuna admits that all his doubts were cleared.
Stanza 67
udeernah sarvataschakshuraneesah saasvatasthirah
bhoosayo bhooshano bhootirvisokah sokanaasanah.
624. Udeernah ?"The Great Transcendent." He is the Infinite beyond
all finitude, beyond all limitations and change, and therefore,
beyond decay. Transcending all equipments of our experiences, as the
Self in all, Sri Narayana revels as the Immutable Transcendental
Reality, the sole substratum for the entire universe of forms and
actions.
625. Sarvatah-chakshuh ?"One Who has eyes everywhere." Geeta declares
Truth, the Pure Consciousness, as "Hands and legs everywhere, eyes-
face-mouth everywhere." Vishnu, as the Consciousness, is the One Self
That sees through all eyes in the world, hence He, through all eyes,
sees everywhere at all times. If He is not, the eyes are blind; when
He is the indweller. The eyes then see-therefore, all eyes are only
His.
626. Aneesah ?"One Who has none to lord over Him." The Supreme Lord
is He. Mahanarayana upanishad says, "None rules over Him."
627. Saasvata-sthirah ?"One Who is ever Eternal and Stable"-never
changing, thus permanent (Eternal) and ever-the-same (Stable). The
body changes, the mind modifies, the intellect grows into new
dimensions-but the Consciousness that illumines them all with Its
Light of Knowledge is ever-the-same through childhood, through youth,
in middle years and old-age. It is the Changeless throughout, hence
Eternal and ever-the-same with- out any change.
628. Bhoosayah ?"Resting on the Earth" is the word-meaning of this
term, so it may signify One Who rested on the shores of the ocean, on
His Way to Lanka- referring to Sri Ramachandraji. Or, one who slept
(on) the Earth-meaning the Lord is Bhoo-Pati, the Husband of the
Mother Earth. Or, its intention may also be: "One in whom the world
rests" at the time of dissolution.
629. Bhooshanah ?"One Who adorns the world": physically with the
infinite beauties of His Creation; emotionally He gives love and
other finer instincts, and intellectually He is the One behind all
great, noble and beautiful thoughts which have enriched human life,
history and culture. Lord Narayana, in His various Incarnations, has
also glorified the world.
630. Bhootih -One who is the Pure "BE"-ness or Existence. " Bhooti"
also means Glories (Aisvarya), so He is One Who is the treasure-house
of all Glories.
631. Visokah -Narayana is sorrow-less; grief- less. He is the Self,
transcending all matter vestures. At the body-mind-intellect level
there are agitations and so there are sorrows. He is beyond them all,
so He, as the Absolute Reality, is indicated as All-Blissful.
Disturbances of sorrow or grief can never molest His nature of
Infinite Bliss--ever contented, ever desire-less.
632. Soka-naasanah -The destroyer of all sorrows for His devotees.
One who lifts the suffering ego- sense out of its meaningless
identification with the changing, pain-breeding, equipments and gives
it the true wisdom of Its Divine Nature. To those who truly
worship "To them I shall be, err long, a Saviour from the Ocean of
Samsar", promises Lord Krishna in the Bhagavat Geeta.
Stanza 68
archishmaanarchitah kumbho visuddhaatmaa visodhanah
aniruddhoapratirathah pradyumnoamitavikramah.
633. Archishmaan ?"The Effulgent." As Pure Consciousness, Narayana is
the Source of all Light. The Kathopanishad confirms this when it
declares, "There, neither the sun nor the moon, nor the stars nor the
lightning, has any effulgence; how then can this Fire-light illumine
It? By Its Light alone, all else in the world is illumined."
634. Architah -One who is constantly worshipped by His devotees. Even
Brahmaaji (The Creator) and Siva (The Destroyer) are worshipping Sri
Narayana (The Preserver). Hence this term, "The Worshipped" for Lord
Vishnu.
635. Kumbhah ?"The pot." The Lord, the Self, is called as "the pot"
because just as things are contained within a pot, so the whole
universe rests within Him, the "Container" and "Sustainer."
Everything and every happening is within Him alone.
636. Visuddha-atmaa ?"One Who has the purest Soul." When the Self is
cleansed of all passions and thought agitations, in that
uncontaminated purity It is realised. Therefore, the Lord, the Self,
is called the Pure Atman, completely bereft of all equipments and
their passions, all disturbances from desire. One who is beyond
the "Three Gunas," Trigunaateetah, meaning one who transcends all the
Vaasanaas that generate the three moods constituting the entire
phenomenon, Maayaa.
637. Visodhanah ?"The Great Purifier." The One, meditating upon whom
all vaasanaas get exhausted and the personality purified from these
desires, becomes free of all its accustomed, existent agitations. He
who is the very Source of Purity; who lends purity even to the sacred-
places. By remembering Him, the human heart becomes cleansed of its
sins, immaculately swept of all consequent feelings of restlessness.
638. Aniruddhah -Of the four manitestations (Vyoohas) of Vishnu, the
Aniruddha manifestation is indicated here. The four Vyoohas are: (I)
Vaasudevah; (2) Samkarshanah; (3) Pradyumnah; and (4) Aniruddhah. The
term can also mean "He Who is invincible by any of His enemies."
639. Apratirathah -One who is never challenged by any enemies and
who has no enemies to even threaten Him. Sri Narayana is without
enemies; in His loving Presence they are vanquished.
640. Pradyumnah ?"Very Rich." Lord is Lakshmi-Pati and, in His
benevolence, He gives riches and mighty glory to His devotees.
Pradyumnah can also be the third of His four manifestations as
Vyoohas.
641. Amita-vikramah -Of immeasurable Prowess is Sri Narayana. The
Self, the Supreme, is Omnipotent and none can stand against Him. It
can also mean, "One who has un-measurable steps" exhibited in His
Divine performance in His Vamana Incarnation.
Stanza 69
kaalaneminihaa veerah saurih soorajanesvarah
trilokaatmaa trilokesah kesavah kesihaa harih.
642. Kaalaneminihaa -The slayer of the Asura, Kaalanemi. "Kaala"
means `Time.' The Self is the `destroyer of time' as It is beyond the
intellect and `time' is but a concept of the intellect only.
643. Veerah ?"The Heroic Victor." One who is ever victorious.
644. Saurih -Born in the Soorasena-clan, in Jagannaath-which, in the
Puranas, is called the Utkala country. Also, Sauri can indicate the
One who has invincible prowess always.
645. Soorajanesvarah ?"The Lord of the valiant." Sri Narayana, the
fountain-head of irresistible might. He is invoked by the victorious,
and is the Source of strength from which even lndra and others draw
their vigour.
646. Triloka-atmaa ?"The Reality, the Self of the three worlds."
The `three-worlds' are the three `fields of experiences': the waking,
the dream and the deep-sleep. As the Pure Consciousness, in the Light
of which the waker-dreamer- sleeper comes to experience all
the `three-worlds,' the Self, Sri Narayana is called "The Atman of
the three-worlds."
647. Triloka-eesah ?"The Lord of the three-worlds." Lord is One in
whose presence all activities take place; in Whose absence all
activities cease. He is called the Lord, the Great Proprietor. When
life, the Self, manifests in a body, all experiences take place; when
life is extinct, all activities cease. Hence Lord Narayana is the
Self, the spark of Existence in all creatures.
648. Kesavah -Generally it is meant to describe Lord Krishna as "One
Who has long hairs." But Kesas are the rays of the Lord that illumine
the Sun, Moon and such other effulgent things of the Cosmos. "The
rays of mine that illumine (the Sun, etc.) are called Kesas.
Therefore. the wise Brahmins call Me, Kesava." Also' Ka' means
Brahmaa, the Creator and `Eesa' means Siva, the Destroyer. Both of
them have sprung from Vishnu, the Preserver, hence He is called
Kesavah.
649. Kesihaa -One Who destroyed the Asura called Kesi.
650. Harih -The Lord is called "The Destroyer." He, it is, who
destroys the false values and the inner conflicts created by man in
his own life and in his consequent discordant contact with the world
around him. These confusions and sorrows created by man, for man in
life, due to his own ignorance of his own divine nature, is called
Samsaara. Lord Narayana is the Destroyer of this Samsara-sorrows in
His devotees.
Stanza 70
kaamadevah kaamapaalah kaamee kaantah kritaagamah
anirdesyavapurvishnurveeroananto dhananjayah.
651. Kaamadevah ?"The Beloved Lord." One who is a seeker must
necessarily get charmed by the Glory of Sree Narayana, and by the
influence of this captivating love He is to be worshipped. Thus One
Who is to be loved and worshipped by the seekers who strive for the
four "aspirations-in-life"-Purushaarthas. There is also this meaning
for the term: "The One Who is Pradyumnah"-since Pradyumna- form is an
incarnation of Kaama (Love).
652. Kaamapaalah ?"The Fulfiller of Desires of all His true
devotees." Those who in their sincere attitude and love for Him alone
are surrendered unto Him, their hearts' inner longings are satisfied
by Him. The same idea finds similar but varied interpretation in that
Koomapaalah can imply "One Who had taken the incarnation of
Balarama," for Balarama is called as the "Wielder-of-the-plough"
(Hala-ayudhah) or as Kaamapaalah. Thus it can also mean "Protector
(Paalah) of His devotees" (Kaama, meaning the `Desired Ones').
653. Kaamee -One who has fulfilled all His desires. Desire is an
expression of an inherent sense of in- completeness-and this
insufficiency unto oneself is called ignorance of the Self. The non-
apprehension of Reality gives rise to endless misapprehensions of the
same. Sree Narayana is the Self, the Reality, and so all non-
apprehensions must end in Him, then no desires can ever remain in Him
demanding fulfilment. He is "One of fulfilled desires" ...Some
commentators give just the opposite explanation, since the term
Kaamee in Sanskrit can also mean "One who has desires." Here it would
mean that Lord Vishnu is the Supreme Reality who "desired to create"
the world of plurality. The Upanishads roar: "He desired" (Sah
akaamayata). The creative urge in the Supreme is that which expressed
as the apparent illusion of a playful creation of multiplicity and
the endless varieties in them.
654. Kaantah ?"Of Enchanting-Form;" "Supremely-Handsome;" the "Beauty
of Beauty itseIf." In all His Incarnations we find Him described as
extremely charming with His Grace and Beauty. In Sanskrit the term
Kah means the Creator, Brahmaaji. In this sense, therefore, Kaantah
can suggest "One Who destroys even the Creator during the
dissolution."
655. Kritaagamah -The author of the Scriptures (Aagamas). Sruti and
Smriti form the Aagamas. Or in perfect harmony with the preceding
term where Lord is termed as the destroyer of even the Creator at the
time of deluge, some commentators have again interpreted this term
as "The One Who is the inaugurator of the Krita-Yuga." This means the
Lord is One into Whom the world dissolves and from Whom the world
rises up again.
656. Anirdesya-vapuh ?"Of Indescribable Form;" "Of Indefinable
Nature." Since the Lord transcends the Elements and is the very cause
for the three Gunas- as the pure Self, expressing Itself through the
body, mind and intellect of man-it becomes impossible to describe or
define His Form.
657. Vishuh ?"All-Pervading." One who pervades the entire Visvam. In
His Visvaroopa-Form in Geeta XI we have from Arjuna a description of
the dazzling wonderment of Him as " All-pervading."
658. Veerah ?"The Valiant;" "The Courageous- the One of heroic
exploits." The root' `Vi' often means creation, radiance existence,
involution or motion. One who has a1l these powers is called Veerah.
659. Anantah -"Infinite; Endless." That which is unconditioned by
Time-Space-Substance is `Infinite.' None can discover the end or such
a Truth. Conditioned things will all have an end-a change from one
condition to another. The Infinite is totally unconditioned, so
unlimited, and naturally, therefore, changeless. Hence Narayana is
Infinite.
660. Dhananjayah -One who had gained through his conquest and his
prowess vast wealth for the enrichment of his country. From his
various campaigns, Arjuna had brought great wealth to the land. In
Geeta, Lord Krishna says: "I am Dhananjaya, among the sons of Pandu.
Stanza 71
brahmanyo brahmakrit brahmaa brahma brahmavivardhanah
brahmavid braahmano brahmee brahmajno braahmanapriyah.
661. Brahmanyah -One who is a great friend of Brahman. The term
Brahman includes in its connotation the Sastra, Tapas, Vedas, Truth,
Knowledge, etc. Sree Narayana is a protector and friend of all these.
Here Brahman means Jeeva-a friend of all individuals.
662. Brahma-krit -The One Who performs the Brahman-meaning the one
who lives in Truth, who abides in Tapas, etc. He is the author of
Brahman as enumerated in the explanation of the preceding term.
663. Brahmaa ?"Creator." As the total Creative- power, it is Narayana
Who functions as Creator through Brahmnaji.
664. Brahma ?"The Biggest, the Vastest, the An- Pervading."
Upanishads thunderingly declare the Brahman to be "Existence-
Knowledge Infinite." The Knowledge which lifts all false perceptions
of differences, pure in all its aspects, ever beyond the grasp of the
senses, and that which can be experienced only in one's own Self, is
called Brahman."
665. Brahma-vivardhanah ?"One who increases the Brahman." Here, of
course, the term Brahman means "Austerities, Vedas, Truth,
Knowledge." These are increased in one who has earned the Grace of
Sree Narayana through total surrender and constant devotion.
666. Brahma-vit ?"One Who knows Brahman." The meaning here is one who
has intuited the Vedas and their full commentaries. In Geeta (XV) we
listen to the Lord declaring that: "I alone am the Author of the
Vedas and the Knower of the Vedas." Brahman alone can "know" Brahman
just as the "dreamer" can never survive to know the "waker." The
knower-of-the-waker is the "Waker" alone. Similarly, the
individualised ego conditioned by the equipments of Body, Mind and
Intellect experiences the Brahman only when it has transcended the
entanglements of matter-and then the ego is no more a Jeeva
but "becomes Brahman." Thus the Higher is experienced only by the
Higher. Sree Narayana is the Brahman-and therefore, He alone is the
Knower of Brahman.
667. Braahmanah -One who has realised that the pluralistic world is a
mere superimposition upon the Brahman caused by an error of
judgement, and who experiences the Supreme Consciousness of the One
Reality is a Braahmanah. His duty is to convey this knowledge to
others with a pure missionary zeal and a higher proselytising
enthusiasm. By mere accident of birth one does not become a
Braahmanah. Visvamitra and others through their Tapas and Divine
Experience had reached the status of Brahmin-hood, so we read in the
Puranas. Narayana manifests as such mighty men of realisation,
serving their generations through their teachings.
668. Brahmee ?"One Who is with Brahma." The term Brahma meaning as
before ?"Austerities, Vedas, Truth and Knowledge-divine."
669. Brahma-jnah -One who lives ever in Brahman, and so "knows" the
nature of the Brahman. He, the Lord, being the very Brahman, no one
knows His nature as He Himself can. The "waker" alone knows the
waking- the "dreamer" and "sleeper" can never realise and experience
the waking-state until they "become" the "waker."
670. Braahmana-priyah -One who is the beloved or and One Who is the
lover of true men of full realisation, the Braahmanas. Not the caste,
but the men of supreme experience-divine. The Lord is dear to them,
and they too are dear to Him.
Stanza 72
mahaakramo mahaakarmaa mahaatejaah mahoragah
mahaakraturmahaayajvaa mahaayajno mahaahavih.
671, Mahaakramah ?"Of Great-Step." Directly we are reminded of the
Vamana-Incarnation when the Lord measured the three worlds by His
three steps. It also indicates the root meaning of the term, Vishnu-
"The one who has the long stride-meaning, " All-pervading." Since He
is All-pervading, He reaches everywhere earlier than all others.
672. Mahaakarmaa ?"One Who performs great deeds." The creation, the
dissolution, the protection and the spread of the Knowledge-of-
Truth, all these are indeed great undertakings. He alone performs
them, through Maha- Purushas who have surrendered themselves unto Him-
those who, in total surrender, have indeed become one with the Lord
in love and being.
673. Mahaatejaah ?"Of Great Resplendence." The Upanishads glorify Him
in that even the Sun, Moon, the stars and fire have no light of their
own. By Him they shine, the Giver of Light to all. In the Geeta, the
Lord insists that "The Supreme is the Light of all lights, beyond all
darkness" and again He asserts, "Understand that Light in the Sun by
which the whole world is illumined, and that Light in the Moon and in
the fire to be My own Light." Here the Light of Consciousness, the
Self, is indicated.
674. Mahoragah ?"The Great Serpent." Uraga means serpent In Geeta,
Bhagavan says (Among the nagas, the many-hooded serpents, I am
Ananta.) Ananta is the five-headed Great Serpent also called Sesha,
upon which the Lord Vishnu reclines. Again in Geeta the Lord says
(Among the serpents I am Vasuki), Mythologically, this is the serpent
adorning Lord Siva's ring finger, Though so small as to become a ring
for the Lord, it was this Vaasuki who offered himself as the great
rope in churning the milky ocean. This paradox reminds us of the
Upanishadic declaration (Smaller than the smallest and greater than
the greatest).
675. Mahaakratuh ?"The Great Sacrifice." The Supreme cannot be
experienced without the greatest sacrifice, the total sacrifice of
the Ego, the jeeva-Bhaava. The Great Sacrifice indicates
traditionally the Asvamedha Yaaga. There- fore, some commentators
explain this term "as one who is of the very form of Asvamedha
Yaaga."
676. Mahaayajvaa ?"One Who had performed Great Yajnas." In the Rama-
Incarnation, He had performed Asvamedha- Yaaga. He is the One, by
Whose Grace, all "Sacrifices" are fulfilled successfully. One who
performs sacrifice properly and faithfully is called Yajvaa.
677. Mahaayajnah ?"The Great Yajna," In Bhagavat Geeta, the Lord in
describing His Immanence in the world says to Arjuna: "I am among the
Yajnas, the Japa- Yajna." Lord Narayana Himself is the greatest Yajna-
therefore, in devotion approach Him and gain His Grace. The Japa
Yajna is glorified by the Lord as the greatest sacrifice because it
is both the essential means of all other Yajnas and transcends them
all as an end in itself, by maintaining a constant stream of the same
divine thoughts in the mind.
678. Mahaa-havih ?"The Great Offering." The yajna is He; the very
things offered to the sacred fire, the Havis, are also He. Geeta
tells us, "We offer to Brahman that which is Brahman, in the fire
which is Brahman, and the act of offering is also Brahman."
Stanza 73
stavyah stavapriyah stotram stutih stotaa ranapriyah
poornah poorayitaa punyah punyakeertiranaamayah.
679. Stavyah ?"One Who is the object of all praise"-meaning, One Who
deserves all our praise but One who has none top praise, he is
praised by all and he praises none. The jeeva invokes him; the self,
the atman, never invokes the ignorant jeeva.
680. Stava-priyah ?One who is invoked through the loving chants of
the devoted hearts. When a devoted seeker melts away in singing the
praise of the lord, his physical, mental and intellectual
preoccupations with objects, emotions and thoughts silently roll away
from him. In such quiet moments they rise above their present nature
and explode into the realms of experiences of the higher state of
divine consciousness ? Sree Narayana.
681. Stotram ?"The hymn." A glorious hymn, that describes the lords
divine nature, itself is he, as the words lift the singer into the
experience of the supreme nature of the truth. It is infallible if
the singer of the Hymn has full devotion and ardent aspiration to
realise him. "Naama" and "Naamee" are one and the same in experience.
682. Stutih ?"The act of praise." The very noble, divine "act of
invoking the lord" is by his grace alone.
683. stotaa ?"One who adores or praises." The true devotee, singing
the divine hymns is also of the nature of supreme peace, love,
beauty, goodness- the divine qualities attributed to the lord in whom
he dissolves through his songful identification. Such a devotee in
this at?one?ment with Him, the lord praises again and again as "He is
the one dear to Me."
684. Rana-priyah ?"Lover of Battles." Hence we see sree Narayana ever
carrying his mace and discuss in order to destroy the vulgar and thus
protect the decent. Here "battle" is the constant struggle for
evolution.
685. Poornah ?"The Full." The infinite is ever the same. Though
things are apparently emerging out of it, still the supreme remains
irreducible and without a change. Lord Narayana is Ever-Full with is
own glories and powers; One who is full with all the wealth, inner
and outer, the supreme lakshmi-pati.
686. Poorayitaa ?"The Fulfiller." Lord Hari fulfils, surely, all the
desires and demands of his true devotees.
687. Punyah ?"The truly?Holy." When the devotee's heart is filled
with remembrance of the glorious from divine and infinite nature and
supreme of the lord Vishnu, he then, in that very moment, removes all
sin from his devotee's heart. The lord is Auspiciousness itself, so
where he is invoked, all inauspiciousness must immediately retire.
688. Punya-keertih ?"Of Holy frame." He is gloriously renowned as the
holy one. Whoever glorifies him becomes himself holy. All the unholy
animal passions in the devotee are routed and beaten back when his
heart is wholly in tune with the lord's Glory and Form.
689. Anaamayah ?One who has neither the mental or physical diseases.
Of pure unstained divine essence is his nature. He is not involved in
karmas, thus the resultant of the karmas which visit us in terms of
mental restlessness or physical pangs, never touch Him.
Stanza 74
manojavasteerthakaro vasurtaah vasurpradah
vasuprado vaasudevo vasurvasumanaah havih.
690. Manojavah ?Fleet as the mind is the Lord's movement. He is
anxious to run and reach the devotee to remove his suffering and
ignorance. All-pervading is the lord, thus he is faster than all
those who run after him ? and wherever they reach, the supreme, He,
in the form of existence, is already there.
691 Teerthakarah ?"The Teacher of the Teerthas" The term, Teertha"
means vidyaas. Sree Narayana is the author of the Vidyaa, or
auxiliary Sciences Therefore, "One Who is the most ancient Teacher of
all Vidyaas and Tantras."
692 Vasuretaah ?"He Whose Essence is Golden." In the beginning of
Creation were the primeval waters Into this One Ocean the Lord
dropped His Essence and it became a Golden Egg from which Brahmaa,
the Creator, first arose Thus Lord, as the womb of all Creation is
mentioned in the Puranas as "Hiranyagarbha," the Golden Womb
693 Vasupradah ?"The Free-Giver of Wealth" Inn this context, Vasu
means "Worldly-Wealth"- money, property, grains, possessions, progeny
Lord Vishnu who nourishes and maintains all beings with the wealth of
His consort, Sree Laksmi, distributes and patronises His devotees
very liberally
694. Vasupradah -Again, the same term as we read above, but here if
means "The Giver of Salvation" Liberation (Moksa) is the greatest
wealth-whom He chooses, Moksha is gained by him alone.
695. Vaasudevah ?"The son of Vasudeva," Lord Krishna. Or "One Who is
Vaasu and Deva" "Vaasu" means "One who dwells in all creatures as
their ego-centric individuality (Jeeva-raopa)." `Deva' means "One who
revels" Therefore, this name for Lord Krishna has the appropriate
meaning "One who revels in every living creature as the Jeeva-entity
in each".
696 Vasuh ?"The Refuge for all." The One Who dwells within, veiled
behind Maayaa, the mind The mind projects this play of things,
beings, emotions and thoughts. The world is the shadow-show round the
Pure Consciousness Lord declares in Geeta: "I am the beginning, the
middle and also the end of all beings." Thus He alone is the Refuge,
for there is no other existence. "All have emerged out from Me, exist
in Me and must come back to Me."
697. Vasumanaah -One who is attentive to, and, therefore, concerned
with every object and being in this world: "Omnipresent."
698. Havih ?"The Oblation." That which we offer unto Him is also
permeated by Him-there is nothing other than He, Himself, the same
everywhere, in all places, at all times. In Geeta, Lord insists that
the "oblations" are nothing but Brahman."
Stanza 75
sadgatih satkritih sattaa sadbhootih satparaayanah
sooraseno yadusreshthah sannivaasah suyaamunah.
699. Sadgatih ?"The goal of good and noble seekers." Lord Narayana is
the Spiritual Goal to be reached. "The Good" here means those who
know the existence of Brahman, for the Upanishad says: "If a person
knows `Brahmaji exists,' then the wise call him `good."
700. Sat-kritih ?"One Who is full of Good Actions." Lord Hari is the
One Who maintains the rhythm of creation and the logic of its
preservation. Even through His destructive activities, there is
creation only for the sake of the individual and for the good of the
world. All His actions are totally in harmony for the establishment
of Peace.
701. Sattaa -The Lord is the "One without a second," and, therefore,
remains ever the same, without any differences of genus, species or
in Itself."
702. Sad-bhootih ?"One Who has Rich Glories." The term `Glories'
means wealth, power, happiness Or "One who has taken different kinds
of Incarnations," exhibiting in all of them the glories of the
Supreme. So immeasurable are the Lord's Glories that even all these
splendours scarcely reveal His Divine Might. Him, whom even the Devas
know not; only the Yogis in meditation come to perceive His Eternal
Glory.
703 Sat-paraayanah ?The Supreme Goal for the "Good" who pursue the
path of Truth. Here the "Good" means those who are the Knowers of
Brahman.
704 Soora-senah ?"One who has heroic and valiant armies" The
Incarnations as Rama and Krishna are indicated here in whose armies
there were valiant people like Hanuman and Lakshmana, Arjuna, Bheema
and others.
705. Yadusreshthah ?"The Best among the Yadava clan." The Glory of
the Yadavas-Lord Krishna, Who was an Incarnation of Sree Hari.
706. Sannivaasah ?"The Abode of the Good." The great souls of
realisation come to live in Him, the Self; drowned in God-
Consciousness, they beam out from that Abode their divinity all
around. Bhagavan in Geeta says: "My devotee thus knowing (realising
the Truth, the jneyam, seated in the heart of all) enters into My
Being."
707. Suyaamunah -One who is attended by the righteous Yaamunas-
meaning Gopas who live on the Yamuna banks. In a metaphysical sense,
these Gopas are not the keepers of `cows,' but the keepers of the
sacred milk of Knowledge-Upanishads.
Stanza 76
bhootaavaaso vaasudevah sarvaasunilayo-analah
darpahaa darpado dripto durdharo-athaaparaajitah.
708. Bhootaavaasah ?"The very dwelling place of the Great
Elements." "Since the Beings (Elements) dwell in You, You are
called `Bhootaavaasa,' " so says Harivamsa. Bhagavaan Himself says in
the Geeta: "I am the Source of all Creation." Therefore He is also
called the `Bhootayoni.'
709. Vaasu-devah -One who envelops the world with His Maayaa-powers
of veiling and agitations. The Lord discloses: "I pervade the whole
world with My Glory, as the Sun with its rays."
710. Sarvaasu-nilayah ?"The Abode of all Life-Energies." One who is
the very Substratum for the life and existence of all creatures. He
is the Self, the Life in all of us-therefore, He is the very support
for the Praana in each living creature.
711. Analah ?"One who is unlimited wealth, power and Glory." There is
no boundary for his Glories ? there is no limit for his greatness,
and All-pervasive. `Of my Divine Glories there is no end', Bhagavan
Himself reveals to Arjuna.
712. Darpahaa ?"The Destroyer of the pride in evil-minded people."
Easily He curbed the pride of Indra and others by lifting the
mountain and protecting the cows of the Yamuna banks.
713. Darpadah ?"One who gives pride to the righteous,"- meaning, one
who creates in the Good an Anxious urge to be the best among the
righteous and virtuous. This pride is their protection from
compromising in even in a small way in any act. This is a
positive `pride' of the higher order. There is also a reading of A-
darpadah when the meaning would be: "One who never allows his
devotees to become proud." In this way, devotees would totally
surrender unto him all their virtues, acting on purely as His agents,
are feed by him from bondage of spiritual pride. For such pride,
resulting from a preponderance of Sattva guna and sense of doership,
would make them vain-glorious of their goodness.
714. Driptah ?One who is ever drunk with the infinite Bliss of his
own essential nature as Sat-chit-Ananda.
715. Durdharah ?the object of contemplation which is indeed very
difficult to attain: -the one who is realized by yogis through radios
process of intense, single pointed contemplation. Lord Krishna in
Bhagavad Geeta admits: "Greater in their trouble whose minds are set
on the unmanifest; for the goal, the unmanifested, is very hard for
the embodied to reach."
716. A-paraa-jitah ?"The Unvanquished." "Never-Conquered" is the
Glory of the self, for, conquering is of `objects'; the `subject' can
be conquered. This, being the reality in all, the senses, mind, etc.,
including the faculties (Devas) can never reach or conquer him. Even
when the mighty senses and the terrible Asuras fight against it,
still this over whelming powers of desires and passions can never
vanquish the self, the divine Narayana.
Stanza 77
visvamoortirmahaamoortirdeeptamoortiramoorimaan
anekamoortiravyaktah satamoortih sataananah.
717. Visvamoortih ?"Of the form of the entire universe." Lord as the
total ? created, so his form is called Visvaroopa. The total gross
form of the universe to be gather represents his gross-form-divine.
718. Mahaa-moortih ?the great form divine of the lord as he reclines
upon the sesha couch as the very support for the creator to bring
into existence the universe of the forms and plurality. The entire
universe and the creator of the universe are but an aspect of Sree
Narayana, the Supreme Self.
719. Deepta-moortih ?"Of the Resplendent Form." As Consciousness, He
is never bright and fully effulgent illuming all experiences at all
times. Sanjaya reports: "If the splendour of a thousand Suns were to
blaze out at once in the sky, that would be like the splendour of
that Mighty Being."
720. A-Moortimaan ?"Having no Form." Though He is described above as
Deepta-moorti: "of the resplendent Form"; Mahaa-moorti: "of great
form"; Visva-moorti: "of the universal-Form" ? He has, in
reality, "No-Form"; A-moortimaan. He pervades all, but nothing limits
Him. The limited alone has a form-the unlimited, like `Space', has
no form. The Infinite Brahman being so subtle. "Subtler than the
subtlest." Sree Narayana as the Self-in-all, allows everything to
remain in Him, but He is not conditioned by anyone of them. ever.
721. Aneka-moortih ?"Multi-Formed": One Who Himself has become the
world of varieties of Forms -Who has Himself taken the various
Incarnations in order to help the world of beings to evolve quicker
and fuller.
722. Avyaktah ?"Unmanifest." Things are called manifest when they can
be perceived by the sense- organs. As the Self. The Consciousness in
us. Sree Hari is the very faculty of seeing. Hearing, smelling,
tasting and touching in the five sense-organs. He being, thus, the
very subject. He cannot at the same time be the object of the sense-
organs. Hence. He cannot be defined or described.
723. Sata-moortih ?"Of Myriad-Forms": even though Consciousness, like
Light, has no form of its own, all thought and the thought-projected
world of infinite forms are all illumined by the Supreme. Therefore,
the Self, functioning through the fluctuations of the restless
mind "creates" the illusion of forms-all those forms as His, just as
all dream- forms are created by the waker's mind only.
724, Sataananah ?"Many-Faced": because He is of the Universal-Form,
all faces are His only. "Hands and feet everywhere, with heads and
mouths everywhere, His ears everywhere, stands (The Lord). enveloping
all"
Stanza 78
eko naikah savah kah kim yattatpadamanuttamam
lokabandhurlokanaatho maadhavo bhaktavatsalah.
725. Ekah ?"The One. The One-without-a second." As the Infinite is
without any of the three distinctions, He, Sree Narayana, the
Brahman, can only be the One without any otherness.
726. Naikah -"The Many." One who, though the One, yet plays in the
bosom of all the living creatures. Just as we are one entity, but our
thoughts are many, the Supreme Consciousness, Sree Narayana, though
One, His reflections as `Jeevas' play in all mind-intellect-
equipments. Because He is thus seen to be manifested in the world of
plurality, He is "Not One." Again, "The One" is a definition, a
quality. The Lord is Indefinable, quality-less (unqualified). Hence
after making the student grasp that He is "The One," where the
pluralities are all merged, the teacher is immediately pointing out
that He is "Not even One" For, to conceive "The One" is to conceive
the Truth with our intellect-He is to be experienced on transcending
the intellect. "The One" has a meaning only with reference to the
many. "The One" is a relative statement. To show that the Infinite is
to be "experienced" by the "becoming" and not by "knowing," the
teacher has negated "Not even One." Sruti says "The Lord sports with
many forms by His Maayaa."
727. Savah -"He Who is of the nature of the Sava-Sacrifice." The
sacrifice in which the Soma juice is squeezed out is called Sava.
728. Kah ?"Happiness." One who is of the Nature of Bliss. Since He
transcends the body-mind-intellect-equipments, which are the seats of
sorrow, in Him there can be only Bliss. Or Kah means a question: He
Who is ever a "question without an answer" to the human intellect-He
who can be experienced only on transcending the intellect and not
apprehended through intellection.
729 Kim ?"What." Since the Lord is the final Goal to be reached, Ho
is the On, Who is to be enquired into or diligently sought through
constant questioning upon What is His Nature Also because the Truth
is realised through this process of enquiry and discrimination-the
final Goal of all "What" enquiring-the Lord, is termed here
a, "What," (Kim).
730 Yat ?"Which." The pronoun "Yat" means "that which is self-
existent" Hence in the Upanishad, we find the usage of this term
frequently. It may also be noted that the pronoun "Which" (Yat)
denotes an already existing object Thus the Self-existence of the
Supreme Reality, independent of the existence and non-existence of
things in the world is indicated when Lord Sree Hari is termed
as "Which."
731 Tat ?"That." The Supreme is indicated by this term in all the
Upanishadic literature, and one of the Mahaavaakya is "That Thou Art"
Here "That" means the Truth that is not comprehended now, but is to
be apprehended through listening to the Teacher (Sravana),
reflections upon what you have heard (Manana) and meditation
(Nididhyaasanaa). In Geeta, Bhagavan says "Om Tat Sat" are the three
designations of Brahman" Or again, the term Tat can mean, "That which
expands all the world of plurality:"
732 Padam Anuttamam -"The Un-equalled Stare of perfection The Supreme
State of Truth." Lord Vishnu is the Way and the Goal and the very
pilgrimage. "He than whom there is no Higher."
733. Loka-bandhuh ?"Friend of the World." Everyone is inextricably
bound to Him in His Love Infinite, and He is the Father to all. Since
there is no well-wisher or friend dearer than one's own Father, He is
the One unfailing sure Friend of the world of beings and things. The
Lord serves for the uplift of the world whenever the creatures come
to suffer sorrows created by their own immoral negative ways.
734. Loka-naathah ?"One Who is the "Lord" of the World," or "One Who
is `solicited' by the world of beings for the fulfilment of all their
desires and needs. Or it also means, "One Who `adds glory' to the
world. There are also interpretations for the term `Naath' which
express " shines, praised by or loved by": in all these different
meanings, Sree Hari is described as the Lord of the World Lokanaatha.
735. Maadhavah ?"One Who was born in the family of Madhu." The
Vaisaakha-month is called Maadhava- month because the Lord is the
Spirit of Beauty behind the Spring and its regal lush.
736. Bhakta-vatsalah ?"One Whose Love for the devotees knows no
bounds." He is ever merciful and endlessly kind towards His devotees.
Stanza 79
suvarnavarno hemaango varaangaschandanaangadee
veerahaa vishamah soonyo ghritaaseerachalaschalah.
737. Suvarna-varnah ?"Golden Coloured" is Sree Narayana for He is, in
the devotee, the pure Self; and in all, He is the very All-Illumining
Pure Awareness. Mundaka Upanishad declares: "When the Seer sees Him
of Golden- hue." Upon witnessing the Self-Effulgent (Golden) Being,
the seer's realization is completely transforming, and "then that
wise one, shaking off all deeds of merits and demerits, becomes
stainless, and attains the supreme State of Equipoise."
738. Hemaangah ?"One who has limbs of Gold." The description of the
Lord functioning through the orb of the Sun is well-known: Hiranmaya-
"of pure-golden- form." Sruti mentions it: "This Golden Person seen
in the disc of the Sun"? This same Upanishad insists further
that "Mind is Brahman" and the "Sun is Brahman." Lord Hari, as the
Infinite Brahman, plays in the Sun (Soorya-Narayana)- thus the term
is most appropriate.
739. Varaangah ?"With beautiful limbs." Also, Vara can take the
meaning "lovable," therefore, Sree Narayana is described here as "One
whose form (limbs) is supremely "lovable" to the yogi-of-devotion."
740. Chandanaangadee -This is made up of two terms, "Joy-giving"
(Chandana) and "armlets" (Angada). Thus the phrase means "One who has
attractive armlets." It can also be used as describing "One Who is
smeared with the sandal."
741. Veerahaa ?"The destroyer of the valiant heroes"-in order to
uphold righteousness, Lord Hari takes His Incarnations and destroys
the intrepid and daring Asuras in battle. Again, it may be
interpreted as One Who destroys the powerful and mighty forces of
likes and dislikes-Dvandva -pairs of opposites, the hosts of our own
negativities in our hearts.
742. Vishamah ?"Unequalled." Arjuna, in Bhagavad Geeta, estimates his
experience of the Lord's Cosmic Form and says: "None there exists who
is equal to You; how can there be then another superior to You in the
three worlds, O Being of unequalled power?"
743. Soonyah ?"The Void." Here Void means the total absence of (a)
the equipments-of-experiences-the body-mind-intellect; (b) the fields-
of-experiences-the objects- emotions-thoughts; (c) the experiencer-
attitudes-the perceiver-feeler-thinker personality. In Brahman, the
Pure Consciousness, all these three (a, b and c) are totally absent
as the devotee of Hari transcends them all. So the Lord, in His
Infinite Nature, is `without attributes;' seemingly then, He is
the "Void." This is not "non-existence" of the Buddhists. This is
Pure Existence without the object-emotion-thought world-the Self,
Sree Narayana.
744. Ghritaaseeh ?"One Who has no need for any good wishes from
anyone." The Infinite Lord, perfect and transcendental, has no need
for any of the objects of the world to make Him complete since the
state of incompleteness is indeed the springboard for all desires to
gush forth. It can also mean one who has eaten away the ghee stolen
from the cow-herds' store-rooms in Brindavan.
745. Achalah ?"The non-moving." Either it can signify One Who never
falls and therefore does not move away from His own Infinite nature,
or it may mean that since the Lord is All-Pervading, He cannot move
as there is no place where, at any time, He is not. He is Ever-
Present everywhere.
746. Chalah ?"Moving." By the juxtaposition of these two opposite
qualities, we are reminded that the apparent world of plurality that
constitutes the realm of change is also nothing other than the
immovable Atman interpreted through our personal equipments of
experiences. Unconditioned by the body, mind and intellect, the Lord
in His Infinitude is motionless, but as conditioned by the vehicles
He apparently seems to move. We have already explained this
relationship earlier. It is something like a traveller, though
himself sleeping, is able to travel all the night since he is
conditioned by the vehicle which carries him.
Stanza 80
amaanee maanado maanyo lokasvaamee trilokadhrik
sumedhaa medhajo dhanyah satyamedhah dharaadharah.
747. Amaanee ?"One who has no false vanity." Since He knows His own
real divine nature, He has no false identifications with the
equipments of not-Self such as the flesh, the emotions or the
thoughts.
748. Maanadah -"One who gives, or causes, by His Maayaa the false
identification with the body." The Sanskrit term `maana' can also
mean `honour,' and therefore, `maanadah' can mean One who honours all
His true devotees. The root `da' in Sanskrit means `blasting', and
therefore, the same term can also mean one who blasts all false
notions from the bosom of his devotees.
749. Maanyah ?"One Who is to be honoured." He is the most worshipful
as He is the very material Cause for the world of plurality. Bhagavan
Sankara says: "If he, who has realised the Supreme, is so blessed and
to be honoured in this world," how much more worshipful is the Lord
who is the very substratum and support of the whole universe and by
whom all are blessed and inspired to gain their experiences in the
world of things and beings!
750. Lokasvaamee ?"Lord of the Universe." Here the word `loka' in
Sanskrit means `field-of-experience.' The One Who is the Controller,
Director, Who is the Lord and Governor of all fields-of-experiences
of all living creatures, at all times, everywhere, is the
Consciousness that illumines matter. Therefore, the term Loka-svaamee
is extremely appropriate.
751. Thriloka-dhrik ?"One Who is the support of all the three
worlds." Apart from the usual concept of the three worlds: heaven,
earth and hell, there is a deeper import of the term `loka'. It
should mean the three fields of experience constituted of waking,
dream and deep sleep. Atman, the Self, as Consciousness, is the One
that supports all these three states inasmuch as, without this
kindling support of life in the bosom, it would be impossible for us
to have any experience.
752. Sumedhaah ?"One who has Pure Intelligence." In fact, the term
may denote a special power in the human intellect which is the
capacity to remember and repeat what has been once experienced
before. As such, the term indicates that the very nature of the Self
is not a knowledge newly gained, but it is only a remembrance of the
seeker's own real nature, which the seeker in his earlier confusion
had forgotten. So long as we have not invoked this great power of
memory of our real nature, we shall continue to grope in our sorrows
created by our misconception. On realising the Self, it is not that
we gain anything new, but we re-discover our own essential Self.
Naturally, therefore, with reference to our present forgetfulness,
the ultimate goal is indicated by the pregnant term `Divine Memory
Power.
753. Medha-jah ?"Born out of sacrifices." `Medha' means sacrifices
like Asvamedha Yajna. In such a sincere and great ritual, He is
invoked and in His Pure Presence there in the sacrifice, we can say
He is born. The Geeta meaning of `sacrifices' (Yajna) is "a co-
operative endeavor wherein: -we offer our capacity into a field of
chosen work invoking in It the unmanifested Lord Who pours forth His
blessings in terms of profit." In this sense, when all the
personality layers are offered in an act of total surrender, the
spiritual experience of the Self is born. To the student of Vedanta,
the term is rich in its suggestiveness.
754. Dhanyah ?"Fortunate." As He has no objects yet to be fulfilled,
or any of His wishes not already fulfilled, He is indeed one who is
utterly fulfilled. The state of the Self is an eternal state of total
contentment.
755. Satyamedhah ?"One whose intelligence never fails." He is the
supreme Power of Discrimination, never deluded by the finite world of
appearances, but is, in all circumstances, ever rooted in the Truth
that He alone is the world of multiplicity.
756. Dharaadharah ?"The sole support of the earth." The earth here
stands for matter; and the very essence from which matter has come to
express itself, both in its gross and subtle forms, is the Self,
Narayana, and therefore, He is considered as the very substratum for
the play of matter (earth). Geographically, the earth is supported by
water. Water is supported by the atmospheric air and the atmospheric
air by the space. The daring enquirer may still continue the question
and investigate into the source of space. We know that the space is a
concept which we experience in our intellect. All experiences of the
intellect are established in Conscious- ness and, therefore, the
ultimate support for the entire `world' is the Supreme Narayana.
Stanza 81
tejovrisho dyutidharah sarvasastrabhritaam varah
pragraho nigraho vyagro naikasringo gadaagrajah.
757. Tejo-vrishah ?"One Who showers Radiance." In the outer cosmos
the Sun gives out heat and light, and because of this, rain and
cultivation are possible-not directly because of the Sun, but due to
the sum-total-result of an endless chain of cause-effect links. In
the same way, He Who by His mere presence illumines the experiences
of all living creatures with His Light, is Sree Narayana, the Self.
758. Dyutidharah -The term `Dyuti' indicates the glow of beauty and
strength in a form; thus the term means "One Who bears an Effulgent
Form." The expression also discloses that the seat of Pure
Consciousness is described as "the Bearer of Radiance" for it is in
the light of the Atman that creatures become aware of all their
perceptions, emotions and thoughts.
759. Sarva-sastra-bhritaam-varah -"The best among those who wield
weapons." Since Sree Narayana is described in the Puranas as wielding
the Discus (Sudarsana), it, being the greatest of all weapons,
justifies this term. Also, the Lord never uses His weapon of
annihilation indiscriminately-for He is ever supremely just. It is
also significant that all destructions in nature are
always `constructive destructions', therefore the Lord's Discus is
itself called "the auspicious vision" (Sudarsana). In the maturity of
one's evolution when one becomes fit for one's own inner unfoldment,
slowly, but irresistibly the seeker can ever detect a secret hand
that diligently cuts off all his connections with the outer world,
and compels him to lean more and more on the higher. Our Puranic
literature is replete with instances, and, without exception, in all
of them Sree Narayana is described as using His weapon to destroy the
devilish-and to give him Moksha! ?"the Auspicious Vision": Su-
darsana. Others, when they employ their weapons of destruction, the
result invariably end in a sad `destructive destruction', and,
therefore, to invoke Him as "the best among those who wield weapons"
is most significant for a seeker.
760. Pragrahah -One who is the sole receiver of all the worship of
every devotee, irrespective of his creed or race, or his location in
the world, at all times. The devotee may invoke the spiritual
presence in various institutions, using different symbols, believing
in his own creed and scripture, but, whoever he be, when he comes to
transcend his vehicles of perception, feeling and thinking, the
experience of the Self (God) should be universally one and the same-
as God is All-Pervading and Changeless. This great factor-
transcendental IS the Self, Sree Narayana, and therefore, He is the
ultimate, sole Receiver of all prayers that rise consciously or
unconsciously in every heart, be it from a plant, an animal or a man.
The term `Pragrahah' is used in Sanskrit to mean the reins with which
horses are controlled and their movements regulated. In this sense
when we reflect, the metaphor of the chariot In the Upanishad
suddenly comes in front of us. In this famous scriptural metaphor,
mind is the rein by which the steeds of the sense-organs are
controlled and regulated. Here Lord Sree Narayana Himself is invoked
as `Pragrahah' because when the mind has turned in devotion to His
feet, the devotee need not strive to control his sense-organs, but
the Lord's own glory shall imperceptibly do the job for His beloved
seeker. There- fore, a truly devoted heart in its utter surrender,
calls the Lord ``as the very controller of his sense-organs."
761. Nigrahah ?"The killer." An uninitiated student may get shocked
when he finds that the Lord is invoked as a murderer! But it is true.
The only difference is that He is only the destroyer of the ego-just
as a doctor is a `murderer' of diseases; just as the sun is the
destroyer of the night; as summer is the annihilator of winter.
Similarly, the Lord is the destroyer of ego and ego-centric
limitations in the devotee. In Sanskrit this word also indicates "One
who absorbs the devotee unto Himself." Once an individual withdraws
himself even a wee bit from his total pre-occupation with the world
and turns his attention to the spiritual centre in himself, the Lord
fascinates and enchants the seeker's attention more and more to His
own Infinite Glory, and ultimately "absorbs (Ni-grahah) the
individual totally into the state of Pure-Consciousness.
762. Vyagrah ?"One Who is ever engaged in fulfilling the devotee's
desires." Desire arises in the human mind due to a sense of
imperfection in oneself. In the absolute sense of bliss and peace,
which is the true nature of Sree Narayana, there cannot arise any
desire and, therefore, He is described as "the fulfiller of all
desires."
763. Naika-sringah ?"One Who has many (na-eka=Naika) horns." To a
modern student it would look fantastic and even foolish should one
worship his Lord, the God, as One with many horns. This mental shock
can even stun him when he understands also that his Lord has three
legs: "Chatvaarah Sringaah Trayo Asya Paadaah," says the Maha
Upanishad. If the literal translation shocks the student, the very
jolt prods him to a more vigorous enquiry. The four horns mean the
four States of Consciousness-the waking, dream, deep-sleep and the
fourth plane of consciousness, the Pure Awareness. The three feet
(paada) indicate the three states of consciousness in which we now
revel in our gross, subtle and causal bodies respectively.
764. Gadaagrajah -"The elder brother of Gada." Lord Krishna had a
younger brother whose name was Gada. The term Gada has also the
meaning in Sanskrit of `mantra.' Mantra are chanted and therefore
Gada can indicate `mantra, -"Gadyate iti gadah." A commentator
insists that Ni-gada means mantra, but the prefix Ni gets dropped, so
Gada means mantra. Naturally, "Gadaagraja" would mean One who
manifests or is invoked through mantras.
Stanza 82
chaturmoortischaturbaahuschaturvyoohaschaturgatih
chaturaatmaa chaturbhaavaschaturvedavidekapaat.
765. Chatur-moortih ?"Four-Formed." The Lord, the Infinite is
considered as having four forms-meaning that He, in His
manifestations in the world, takes these four forms.
The Puranas have declared that the incarnations of the Lord in the
various Yuga, were of different colours: white in Krita Yuga, red in
Tretaa Yuga, yellow in Dvaapara Yuga and dark (black) in the Kali
Yuga. But according to Vedanta, the Lord, the Self, has four distinct
expressions in the subjective life of each individual: the Waker, the
Dreamer, the Deep- sleeper and the Pure Self. In the microcosm these
are called as Virata, Taijasa, Prajna and Tureeya, and in the
macrocosm, the Lord's complete expression, in the total gross, subtle
and causal bodies, is called as Viraat, Hiranyagarbha, Eesvara- and,
beyond all bodies as the Eternal Paramaatman.
766. Chatur-baahuh -Lord Narayana is represented as having four
hands. These represent the four factors that together constitute the
inner equipments in man- mind (Manas); intellect (Buddhi); thought
flow towards objects (Chitta) and ego (Ahamkaara). These are the four
agents by which all the physical activities are controlled, regulated
and constantly commanded from within the body.
767. Chatur-vyoohah ?"One Who expresses himself as the dynamic centre
in the four Vyoohas. A "Vyooha" is a whirlpool of activities made by
a large number of imperfected forms, commanded by a pivotal person
who remains in the centre of the whirlpool-just as a battalion
functions under the orders of its commander. It is shown in this
analogy that the Lord, the central Source of all activities, is
manifest as the universal Force which blesses every engagement and
contact of a living man with his outer world. In the Aitareya
Upanishad, the four Vyoohas (or persons) are mentioned: the person in
the body, the person in the Chhandas (Vedic mantra), the person in
the Vedas and the Great Person.
768. Chatur-gatih ?"The ultimate goal of all the four." Though their
means and purposes appear divergent, Sree Narayana alone is the
inevitable goal of all activities of the four types (Varnas) of men:
Thinkers (Braahmanas), Rulers and Leaders (Kashatriyas), Men of
Commerce (Vaisyas) and Workers (Soodras). The Lord, also, is the
consummate goal to be achieved by the four stages (Aasramas) of life:
the Age of Study (Brahmacharya), the Householder (Grihastha), the
Retirement (Vaanaprastha) and the Stage of Renunciation (Samnyaasa).
769. Chatur-aatmaa -There is also a reading as Chatvaraatmaa. In the
former reading, the definition suggests "the clear-minded"-meaning
the Lord is one who is completely free from desires, passions,
vanities, in short, free from all maladies of ego in His essential
Nature. In the latter term, the meaning signifies that Sree Narayana
is the one Infinite Effulgence which expresses Itself as the four
aspects of our inner equipment (Antahkarana Chatushtaya).
770. Chatur-bhaavah ?"The Source of the four." One who is the Source
for the four types (varna), for the four stages-of-life (Aasrama) and
the four human aspirations (purushaartha). The human aspirations as
codified by the Sanaatana Dharma are again four in number.
Righteousness (Dharma), Wealth (Artha), Pleasure (Kaama) and
Spiritual Liberation (Moksha). Lord Krishna reveals in the Bhagavad
Geeta: " All the four types in creation have come from Me."
771. Chatur-veda-vit ?"Knower of all the four Vedas." The Lord is the
very theme discussed and expounded in the four vedas. The student of
the vedas when he realises the Lord, then only he fulfils his study
of them. In this sense of the term, Bhagavan proclaims in the
Fifteenth Chapter of Geeta: "I am verily that which has to be known
in all the Vedas: I am indeed the author of the Vedas and
the "knower" of the Vedas am I."
772. Eka-paat ?"The one-footed." The term `paada' in Sanskrit has two
meanings: a `part' and a `foot." The Lord, in Bhagavad Geeta, uses
the first meaning to describe His mighty Glory: "The whole universe'
is supported by one part of Myself." There is a reference in the
Taittireeya Aaranyaka which clarifies the latter meaning: "All beings
are His foot." The significance here is the ~me as in Geeta-wherein
even the totality of all universes cannot be compared to Him, the
Infinite Absolute Existence.
Stanza 83
samaavarto-anivrittaatmaa durjayo duratikramah
durlabho durgamo durgo duraavaaso duraarihaa.
773. Samaavartah ?"The efficient turner' -of the wheel-of-life. `
Aavarta' is to turn. The wheel-of-life- and-death, the samsar, is
constantly being churned by the Law, which is none other than the
Lord. The Law and the Law-Giver are one and the same in this universe-
Sree Narayana.
774 Nivrittaatmaa ?"One whose mind is turned away from all sense
indulgences." The famous `two birds' of the Mundaka Upanishad strike
a simile here. "Two birds bound one to the other in close friendship,
perch on the selfsame tree. One of them eats the fruits of the tree
with relish, while the other looks on without eating," The latter is
the Nivrittaatmaa, Some commentators have taken the word as' A-
nivrittaatmaa' in which case the meaning would be: "One who never
turns away from anything, but enters into every- thing." as the very
Self is every thing and every being-that Supreme One, Lord Narayana.
775. Dur-jayah ?"The Invincible"-One who cannot be conquered by
anyone else. Even though, in the majority of us, there is a
preponderance of the lower urges, in the patient grinding of time,
the evolutionary goal ultimately wins and irresistibly pushes each
one of us towards the altar of the Self. Battles may be lost but the
war in the end is won by the Lord of our heart.
776 Durati-kramah ?"One who is difficult to be disobeyed:' This term
declares a truth which is proven upon observation of this
scientifically precise world where no object or being dares to
disobey the Lord, the Cosmos The Rishi in Kathopanishad says "through
fear of Him the Fire burns, through fear of Him shines the Sun,
through fear of Him functions Indra, Vaayu, Lord of the Wind, and
Death itself is the fifth"-as though He is behind each one with
uplifted thunderbolt. The term `Atikromah' means `going beyond',
therefore the term, as it stands, indicates "a state beyond which no
one can go"-meaning Sree Narayana is the final and the absolute
destination of all evolution He is the transcendental Reality and
other than He there is no more a beyond to he achieved
777. Dur-Labhah ?"One who is obtained with consummate effort." The
final destination of all evolution is He, the spiritual perfection.
Therefore, He is only gained after millenniums of slow evolutions,
from the insignificant unicellular existence to the status of man,
and the fulfilment of man's evolved, rational life is the state of
Godhood. The reward for all the slow and steady efforts of evolution
is bestowed when an organism reaches the height of the rational human
being; and, thereafter, through selfless, dedicated service, deep and
individual devotion, and sincere and serious study of the scriptures,
man learns to remove his mind from all his worldly pre-occupations
and brings himself to finally realise his divine Godhood. Indeed, the
state of Narayana- Consciousness is an experience that is to be
obtained with consummate effort.
778. Dur-Gamah ?"One Who is realised with great difficulty." In
Bhagavata there is a statement that the Lord is easily obtained (A-
dur-gamah). For those who have not already developed extreme
meditative abilities in their devoted hearts, the processes of self
development, when studied from a book or heard from a teacher, the
immediate reaction in the bosom of such students will be that it is
very difficult. But as he marches forward in his saadhanaa he gains
the further guidance and inspiration to `go-forward.' More bounteous
aspects on him beam and the `kindly light' leads him safely to the
goal through all obstacles. A candle or torch can at best light up
only ten or fifteen yards in front of a traveller. It can never
illumine the whole path of one or two miles at a stretch. He has to
start and proceed as far as he can see and as he marches ahead the
forward stretches will be illumined.
779. Dur-Gah ?"Not easy to storm into." The term is used in Sanskrit
to indicate a fortress; therefore the suggestion is that the essence
of the Lord, Sree Narayana, is fortressed around by the matter
vestures and their objects of fascination. Attracted by them, our
attention is always distracted towards the joy contents in them. This
seducing power of the matter vestures is itself the mighty Maayaa,
which only very rare, courageous and blessed ones are able to cross
over.
Bhagavan Himself says: "Mama My Duratyayaa?." The Upanishads say that
the truth, Narayana, cannot be perceived by the senses, imagined by
the mind or thought of by the intellect. These being the only source
of our knowing, it almost impossible to realize the Truth. It is only
an all-out suicidal attack that enables some rare ones to storm the
fort and reach the Goal. Hence to an extrovert man, the seat of
Consciousness apparently seems to be impenetrably fortified. The
direct meaning here indicates the great Lord seated in our heart who
is "not easily realized."
687. Punyah ?"The truly?Holy." When the devotee's heart is filled
with remembrance of the glorious from divine and infinite nature and
supreme of the lord Vishnu, he then, in that very moment, removes all
sin from his devotee's heart. The lord is Auspiciousness itself, so
where he is invoked, all inauspiciousness must immediately retire.
688. Punya-keertih ?"Of Holy frame." He is gloriously renowned as the
holy one. Whoever glorifies him becomes himself holy. All the unholy
animal passions in the devotee are routed and beaten back when his
heart is wholly in tune with the lord's Glory and Form.
689. Anaamayah ?One who has neither the mental or physical diseases.
Of pure unstained divine essence is his nature. He is not involved in
karmas, thus the resultant of the karmas which visit us in terms of
mental restlessness or physical pangs, never touch Him.
Stanza 84
manojavasteerthakaro vasurtaah vasurpradah
vasuprado vaasudevo vasurvasumanaah havih.
690. Manojavah ?Fleet as the mind is the Lord's movement. He is
anxious to run and reach the devotee to remove his suffering and
ignorance. All-pervading is the lord, thus he is faster than all
those who run after him ? and wherever they reach, the supreme, He,
in the form of existence, is already there.
691 Teerthakarah ?"The Teacher of the Teerthas" The term, Teertha"
means vidyaas. Sree Narayana is the author of the Vidyaa, or
auxiliary Sciences Therefore, "One Who is the most ancient Teacher of
all Vidyaas and Tantras."
692 Vasuretaah ?"He Whose Essence is Golden." In the beginning of
Creation were the primeval waters Into this One Ocean the Lord
dropped His Essence and it became a Golden Egg from which Brahmaa,
the Creator, first arose Thus Lord, as the womb of all Creation is
mentioned in the Puranas as "Hiranyagarbha," the Golden Womb
693 Vasupradah ?"The Free-Giver of Wealth" Inn this context, Vasu
means "Worldly-Wealth"- money, property, grains, possessions, progeny
Lord Vishnu who nourishes and maintains all beings with the wealth of
His consort, Sree Laksmi, distributes and patronises His devotees
very liberally
694. Vasupradah -Again, the same term as we read above, but here if
means "The Giver of Salvation" Liberation (Moksa) is the greatest
wealth-whom He chooses, Moksha is gained by him alone.
695. Vaasudevah ?"The son of Vasudeva," Lord Krishna. Or "One Who is
Vaasu and Deva" "Vaasu" means "One who dwells in all creatures as
their ego-centric individuality (Jeeva-raopa)." `Deva' means "One who
revels" Therefore, this name for Lord Krishna has the appropriate
meaning "One who revels in every living creature as the Jeeva-entity
in each".
696 Vasuh ?"The Refuge for all." The One Who dwells within, veiled
behind Maayaa, the mind The mind projects this play of things,
beings, emotions and thoughts. The world is the shadow-show round the
Pure Consciousness Lord declares in Geeta: "I am the beginning, the
middle and also the end of all beings." Thus He alone is the Refuge,
for there is no other existence. "All have emerged out from Me, exist
in Me and must come back to Me."
697. Vasumanaah -One who is attentive to, and, therefore, concerned
with every object and being in this world: "Omnipresent."
698. Havih ?"The Oblation." That which we offer unto Him is also
permeated by Him-there is nothing other than He, Himself, the same
everywhere, in all places, at all times. In Geeta, Lord insists that
the "oblations" are nothing but Brahman."
Stanza 85
sadgatih satkritih sattaa sadbhootih satparaayanah
sooraseno yadusreshthah sannivaasah suyaamunah.
699. Sadgatih ?"The goal of good and noble seekers." Lord Narayana is
the Spiritual Goal to be reached. "The Good" here means those who
know the existence of Brahman, for the Upanishad says: "If a person
knows `Brahmaji exists,' then the wise call him `good."
700. Sat-kritih ?"One Who is full of Good Actions." Lord Hari is the
One Who maintains the rhythm of creation and the logic of its
preservation. Even through His destructive activities, there is
creation only for the sake of the individual and for the good of the
world. All His actions are totally in harmony for the establishment
of Peace.
701. Sattaa -The Lord is the "One without a second," and, therefore,
remains ever the same, without any differences of genus, species or
in Itself."
702. Sad-bhootih ?"One Who has Rich Glories." The term `Glories'
means wealth, power, happiness Or "One who has taken different kinds
of Incarnations," exhibiting in all of them the glories of the
Supreme. So immeasurable are the Lord's Glories that even all these
splendours scarcely reveal His Divine Might. Him, whom even the Devas
know not; only the Yogis in meditation come to perceive His Eternal
Glory.
703 Sat-paraayanah ?The Supreme Goal for the "Good" who pursue the
path of Truth. Here the "Good" means those who are the Knowers of
Brahman.
704 Soora-senah ?"One who has heroic and valiant armies" The
Incarnations as Rama and Krishna are indicated here in whose armies
there were valiant people like Hanuman and Lakshmana, Arjuna, Bheema
and others.
705. Yadusreshthah ?"The Best among the Yadava clan." The Glory of
the Yadavas-Lord Krishna, Who was an Incarnation of Sree Hari.
706. Sannivaasah ?"The Abode of the Good." The great souls of
realisation come to live in Him, the Self; drowned in God-
Consciousness, they beam out from that Abode their divinity all
around. Bhagavan in Geeta says: "My devotee thus knowing (realising
the Truth, the jneyam, seated in the heart of all) enters into My
Being."
707. Suyaamunah -One who is attended by the righteous Yaamunas-
meaning Gopas who live on the Yamuna banks. In a metaphysical sense,
these Gopas are not the keepers of `cows,' but the keepers of the
sacred milk of Knowledge-Upanishads.
Stanza 86
bhootaavaaso vaasudevah sarvaasunilayo-analah
darpahaa darpado dripto durdharo-athaaparaajitah.
708. Bhootaavaasah ?"The very dwelling place of the Great
Elements." "Since the Beings (Elements) dwell in You, You are
called `Bhootaavaasa,' " so says Harivamsa. Bhagavaan Himself says in
the Geeta: "I am the Source of all Creation." Therefore He is also
called the `Bhootayoni.'
709. Vaasu-devah -One who envelops the world with His Maayaa-powers
of veiling and agitations. The Lord discloses: "I pervade the whole
world with My Glory, as the Sun with its rays."
710. Sarvaasu-nilayah ?"The Abode of all Life-Energies." One who is
the very Substratum for the life and existence of all creatures. He
is the Self, the Life in all of us-therefore, He is the very support
for the Praana in each living creature.
780. Dur-aavaasah ?"Not easy to lodge" ?within the heart steadily for
even great seekers who are diligent in their consistent pursuit. To
withdraw the mind from the objects of pleasure and to steadily
contemplate upon the great seat of Life is not an easy
accomplishment. Therefore, even yogins, in their persevering
meditation, find it not easy to contemplate steadily upon Sree
Narayana, hence this name. "This Yoga of equanimity, taught by Thee,
O slayer of Madhu, I see not its enduring continuity, because of the
restlessness (of the mind)," cries Arjuna in the Geeta. Bhagavan also
adds in the same Chapter that the meditation should be "As a lamp
placed in a windless place does not flicker."
781. Duraarihaa ? "One Who is the slayer of the devilish Asuras."
Even in those among us who are not steadily good, the Lord, when
invoked, out of His compassion destroys the devilishness and redeems
our personality from its sad consequences. The asuric tendencies are
in the bosom of every seeker and devoted invocation of the Lord in
our bosom can cleanse the heart of all its negative tendencies.
Therefore, it is indeed appropriate that He is significantly
indicated as `Duraarihaa.''
Stanza 84
subhaango lokasaarangah sutantustantuvardhanah
indrakarmaa mahaakarmaa kritakarmaa kritaagamah.
782. Subhaangah ?"One with enchanting limbs of perfect beauty." The
Beauty of all beauty is the Lord, and His captivating form and the
rhythm of His shape are the theme of meditation for the devotees. In
the Upanishads the Infinite Lord, the Self, is described as Peace-
Auspiciousness-Beauty (Saantam-Sivam-Sundaram). Thus the devotees of
the Lord, remembering the auspicious beauty of His sacred limbs,
prostrate at His altar in their deep reverence and mounting joy of
devotion.
783. Lokasaarangah ?"One who has enquired into or understood the
Essence behind the universe of names and forms" Or, Lokasaarangah can
mean the essence, or the source, of the world which is the great
Pranava, `OM.' So the term means the State of Supreme Consciousness
that is gained or reached through the contemplation upon the
significance of OM.
784. Sutantuh ?"Beautifully expanded." Just as the thread is drawn
out in different counts from cotton which is later employed as the
warp and woof in the creation of infinite varieties of cloth, so too,
from the Narayana-Consciousness, the endless variety of beings and
things gets projected to constitute the enchanting tapestry of His
mighty universe. As the thread is the substratum for all the various
fabrics, the Narayana is the beautiful thread, the-substratum, for
all this wonderful universe. The Lord Himself says: "There is nothing
whatsoever higher than I, O Dhananjaya. All this is strung on Me, as
clusters of gems on a string.
785. Tantu-vardhanah ?"One who sustains the continuity of the drive
for the family." The family is maintained by the virility of the
members and this potency in the individual is an expression of
vitality which Life imparts to the living organism. Thus, the grace
of the Self is that which is manifested in the fertility of the seed
(Ojas). Generally in India, among the Hindus, it is customary to
attribute the continuity of the family to the Grace of Narayana.
786. Indrakarmaa ?"One who always performs gloriously auspicious
actions" The root `Id' is used in the sense of Supreme
Auspiciousness, Parama-aisvarya.
787. Mahaa-karmaa ?"One Who accomplishes Great Activities." To
create a cosmos so scientifically precise and perfect out of the five
great elements, and to sustain them all with an iron hand of
efficiency, all the time constantly presiding over the acts of
destruction without which the world of change cannot be maintained,
is, in itself, a colossal achievement of an Absolute Intelligence.
788. Krita-karmaa ?"One Who has fulfilled all His activities." There
is nothing more for Him to achieve. He is the Goal. He is the
Destination. In His Eternal Perfection there is nothing more for Him
yet to achieve. This sense of complete fulfilment is described in all
the scriptures as the State of Blissful Perfection-the Self.
789. Kritaagamah ?"One who is the author of the Vedas." The vedic
mantras are called Aagamah. The mantras were revealed to the great
Rishis during moments when they were not identified with the Body-
Mind- Intellect and, therefore, they were not, at those inspired
moments, limited individual egos. Where the ego is thus ended, the
Self-alone comes to manifest. In this sense of the term, all
scriptures have burst forth from prophets and seers when they
transcended their limited existence to experience their oneness with
the Eternal, Sree Narayana, In Bhagavad Geeta also, Lord Krishna
confesses, "I am the author of all the Vedas; I alone am the knower
of the Veda."
Stanza 85
udbhavah sundarah sundo ratnanaabhah sulochanah
arko vaajasanah sringee jayantah sarvavij-jayee.
790. Udbhavah ?"The ultimate source"- the very spring of Creation. In
the Puranic view of the term, it may mean One Who has by His own free-
will manifested Himself by Himself for the service of mankind, or, it
may designate subjectively, the Self, Sree Narayana, as the one
dynamic Witness in Whose Presence alone the vital activities of life
gush forth into expression.
791. Sundarah ?"Of unrivalled beauty." In almost all religions the
Infinite Lord is described as one having the most enchanting beauty.
When we experience beauty in the world, we are moved to consider its
beauty either by the pro- portion or the symmetry, or th~ tender
charm in the object of observation. Within the mind of the observer,
there reflects for a moment the rhythmic grace in the proportion, the
smooth peace in the symmetry, or the joy of ecstasy which ripples out
from the object into the contemplative eye. In all these conditions,
the observer's mind, sensitive to the aestheticism in him, quietens,
and, it is at such moments of supreme inner satisfaction, the flashes
of "beauty-experiences" floods the bosom. Remember, beauty is not in
the object nor is it in the mind. The enchanting occasion silences
the mind that is now available for the aesthetic reaction which
resultingly fills the observer- and this is nothing but the
manifestation of That which is behind the mind, Sree Narayana. Hence,
the Infinite Reality is glorified in the Upanishads as "Peace-
Auspiciousness-Beauty'. ( Saantam-Sivam-Sundaram} .
792. Sundah ?"Of Great Mercy." Whatever be the amount of vaasanaas
hoarded in our personality, due to our ego-centric, extroverted
activities, once a devotee turns unto Him in total surrender, all the
vaasanaas are purified and he comes to move more and more towards Him-
as though, in infinite mercy, He forgives all sins that a man might
commit in his innocent ignorance (Avidyaa).
793. Ratnanaabhah ?"Of beautiful navel." Text books of Bhakti-cult
advise devotees that they should meditate upon the Lord's navel-
point, as a flashy, brilliant jewel (Ratna). This point of
concentration is not without significance. The mystics of India long
ago explored the percentage of human action that is grossly manifest
at the physical level. Today also, psychologists confess that they
have no other knowledge beyond the obvious fact that thoughts express
themselves as actions. But deeply meditative mystic enquirers delved
deeper to detect and chart the story of actions. In their adventurous
explorations, they discovered that in seed form all thoughts are with
the Infinite (Para) before manifestation. From this womb they become
manifest and an individual becomes dimly aware of thoughts in their
embryo form-vague and still incompletely un-formed (Pasyantee).
Thereafter, the thoughts get translated into expressions (Madhyamaa)
and in their last full stage of manifestation they come to express
themselves as actions in the outer world (Vaikharee).
In this chain of processes when thoughts become manifest for the
thinker, it is said the seat of Pasyantee-stage is the navel region.
This brilliant seat of nascent manifestation of all thoughts is
indicated here as "the jewel of his navel." Generally, the
intelligent student would readily jump to the conclusion that this
truth is merely a poetic exaggeration, but there is a deep
significance in it indeed.
794. Sulochunuh ?"One Who has the most enchanting eyes." The term
indicates the beauty of the Lord's eyes for those devotees who turn
to the Lord's form. To the deeper students of contemplation, the eyes
are great not be- cause of their form, colour or expression, but
because of their ability to see constantly the infinite purpose and
goal of the entire creation. Therefore, the term means. "One who has
the wisdom of the Self."
795. Arkah -"One Who is in the form of the Sun." The Sun is
worshipped as a Vedic deity, even by the Creator Himself-hence, the
term suggests `most worshipful.' The Sun-centre of the solar system-
is the one source of light and energy illumining and nourishing
everything. The Infinite Consciousness, Sree Narayana, is the Sun by
Whose Splendour the experiences of all people are illumined, at all
places and at all times. He, as the One Life, thrills all living
creatures and presides over, in and through their nurture and
nourishment. Once He has left from therein, that body cannot be
maintained -though we witness today the experiments of medical
science to do so.
796. vaajasanah ?"The giver of food." The one Vital Force that
ultimately sustains, supports and nourishes all living creatures in
the Universe is the Supreme. and Its Nature is not really different
from the Lord, Sree Narayana. In the Bhagavad Geeta the Lord
describes Himself as manifesting through the sun as the sunlight
which penetrates the earth to fertilise it. The fertility of the
soil, in turn, becomes the plant on the surface into which the Lord
transfuses the food value of the vegetable world by the essence of
moon- light from the moon. Further, in the Upanishads, we find
indicative declarations that offerings, given in the worship of Fire
themselves come down as a reward in the form of rain and plenty for
the society.
Again, it is a law of life that each individual is supplied with the
exact type of `equipments for experiences' and each one also finds
himself in the precise environmental circumstances for their
expression according to the texture and type of vaasanaas in him.
Thus, in the larger sense, the entire world of `emotions-feelings-and-
thoughts' constitute the total food (Annam) for the experiences of
the body, mind and intellect.
797. Sringee -"The horned one." This is generally commented upon as
reminiscent of the Lord's Incarnation as a Fish. It would have been
happier had it been reminiscent of the Boar-Incarnation which Sree
Narayana took to lift up the world from its slushy condition to the
plane of dry-surfaced earth.
798. Jayantah ?"The conqueror of all enemies." No force could ever
vanquish Him who is `the Source of all energy and strength'-the
Almighty. Sree Narayana is acclaimed as the conqueror, because it is
by His Grace and direct help that the gods always win against
the `diabolically bad' (the Asuras). In our bosom it is the grace of
the mind and intellect, in attunement with the Self, that helps us to
conquer our lower impulses, our endless desires for the sensuous-and
our craving for the cruel pleasures of indulgence.
799. Sarvavij-jayee ?"One Who is at once Omniscient (Sarvavit) and
victorious (Jayee)." The term, however, is not two words and,
therefore, as a single expression, we can also understand it to
mean, `One who is victorious over all men of wisdom.' Prattlers of
wisdom, however eloquent in their discussions, must become utterly
silent in their moments of Samaadhi, in the presence of the Self,
Sree Narayana.
Stanza 86
suvarnabindurakshobh yah sarvavaageesvaresvarah
mahaahrado mahaagarto mahaabhooto mahaanidhih.
800. Suvarna-binduh ?"With limbs radiant like gold." Chhandogya
Upanishad declares: "He, having a golden body, even to the tip of his
nails." The great name of the Lord in the Vedic literature is `OM'
which consists of the sounds `A', `U', and the bindu `M.'
801. Akshobhyah ?"One Who is ever unruffled." Ordinarily an
individual gets disturbed, subjectively, by the presence of desires,
anger, passions, etc., and objectively an average man is constantly
stormed by the enchanting dance of beautiful sense-objects all around
him. Lord, the Self, is a state of existence wherein neither the
subjective disturbances of the mind, nor the objective persecutions
of the sense-organs can ever reach to ruffle the quietude and
peaceful grace of His perfection. In describing the state of the
Sthitaprajna, Bhagavan says in the Geeta that such a one will be
Akshobhya like the ocean: "He attains Peace into whom all desires
enter as waters enter the ocean, which filled from all sides, remains
unmoved; but not the `desirer-of-desires."
802. Sarva-vaageesvaresvarah ?"The very Lord of the Lord of Speech."
In the Kenopanishad it has been made amply clear that it is not the
instruments of actions and perceptions that act by themselves as they
are all made up of inert matter. The immediate animation to the
equipment is given by the `inner instruments.' Therefore, for all the
sense-organs, the mind-intellect-equipment is their immediate Lord.
But these subtle instruments themselves get their dynamism to act
only in the presence of Sree Narayana, the Consciousness. Therefore,
it is most appropriate to invoke Him as the Lord of Lords in all
living creatures.
The term Vaageesvara (Lord of Speech) is often used in the language
to indicate poets, writers and orators. Therefore, the term can also
be interpreted as `the Lord from whose altar all ordinary speakers
draw their powers. Theologically, some commentators have spun a
meaning out of this term indicating that Sree Narayana, as the
Absolute Reality, is the `Lord' of even the Creator .
803. Mahaa-hradah ?"One Who is like a great refreshing swimming
pool." In the hot summer season, plunging into the cool crystal
waters of a. pool holds the swimmer in a refreshing cool embrace on
all sides. Similarly, the plane of Narayana-Consciousness revives,
refreshes and en- thralls all meditators when they plunge into its
reviving quietude. The Yogins often plunge into It from the
springboard of their devotion, and after a time emerge out of It-
cool, clean and refreshed. Sree Narayana is metaphorically addressed
as the great (Mahaa) pond (Hradah).
804. Mahaa-gartah ?"The great chasm." Here the `chasm' means the
Lord's maayaa which He Himself describes, in the Bhagavad Geeta
as "My Maayaa (non-apprehension and the consequent misapprehension)
is very difficult to cross over." The industrious lexicographers
enter here and additionally press out of this word garta the
meaning, `chariot,' and, therefore, the term can also mean that He is
a `mahaaratha' (Great Chariot).
805. Mahaabhootah ?"The Great Being." He is the Source from which
even the Great Elements spring forth into existence and, therefore,
in His Infinitude and Pervasiveness, Lord Narayana is
called `Mahaabhootah.' The entire play of birth and death, of
integration (sanghaata) and disintegration (vighaata) are taking
place in Him Who is the mighty substratum and, therefore, it is very
appropriate that the Lord, the God, is considered by the devotees as
the "Great Being.'
806. Mahaa-nidhih ?"The Great Abode." "The Eternal Source from which
everything springs forth and the Infinite substratum upon which the
entire play of the finite is held in animated suspension." The
term `nidhi' means `treasure' and, therefore, its indication here is
that Sree Narayana is the richest treasure of all His devotees-to
loot at will!
Stanza 87
kumudah kundarah kundah parjanyah paavano-anilah
amritaaso-amritavapuh sarvajnah sarvatomukhah.
807. Kumudah ?"One Who gladdens the earth," or "one who gets
gladdened by the earth." Earth here should be understood as the
entire cosmos ever so dynamic and scientifically precise. The world
of plurality is Narayana's joyous expression of His infinite
potentialities. It is the fulfilment of the Omnipotent.
808. Kundarah ?"The one who tore the earth in His Incarnation as the
Boar in order to destroy the mighty tyrant, Hiranyaaksha. It can also
mean: Darah(one who wears); Kum (the earth). The term is further
commented upon as "One who bestows rewards as beautiful as the Kunda
flowers."
809. Kundah -Here we read it as `Kunda flower.' In this context the
term means "One who is as comely and attractive as the kunda
flowers." In Harivamsa it is said that the Lord, as Parasuraama, in
order to atone for the battles he had fought, gave (do) gifts of this
earth (kum) to Rishi Kasyapa. ` Ku' also has the meaning of
the "rulers of the earth," and `do' means "slaying." In this way the
term indicates the "one who had taken the Incarnation of Parasuraama
to destroy the unreasonably vicious tyrants of the land."
810. Parjanyah ?"He who is similar to the rain-bearing clouds." Lord
Krishna has been described as being so gloriously hued. Again,
agriculturists and all living creatures are extremely happy when they
see these clouds-the harbingers of comfort and prosperity. To the
devotees, the Lord is a total fulfilment, as the clouds are for the
parched earth.
811. Paavanah ?"One Who ever purifies." The impurities of a
personality are gathered when the mind and intellect, in a natural
impulse of animal voluptuousness, rush towards the sense-objects with
ego-centric passion. To I retrieve the mind from the sense-objects
and to peacefully let it settle in contemplation of the divine nature
and the eternal J glory of Sree Narayana, the Self, is to exhaust all
the existing vaasanaas, which are the personality-impurities within.
812. Anilah -Like the atmospheric air the Lord is the life-giver
everywhere, and also He is All-pervading. Nilah also means `to slip'-
into a condition of non-apprehension: thus, one who is ignorant
(avidya). When the symbol of negation, `a', is added to it, `A-nilah'
comes to indicate "One who slips not, but is ever of the nature of
Consciousness." Hence it means "Omniscient."
813. Amritaasah -Since `amrita' has both the meanings of `nectar'
and `immortality,' the term is interpreted to mean "One whose desires
are never fruitless," as well as "One whose greatest desire is for
the State of Immortality."
814. Amrita-vapuh ?"He Whose Form is Immortal." He, the Eternal
Reality, is unconditioned by time. This principle of Consciousness,
functioning as the flame of life in every bosom, by its mere presence
has in Itself neither the physical, subtle nor causal bodies-which
alone are the perishable. Transcending them all-unconditioned by
time, and, therefore, never undergoing any of the natural
modifications of mortality, Sree Narayana revels in His Absolute
Glory.
815. Sarvajnah ?"Omniscient." It is only when the light of Awareness
illumines the happenings that living creatures can become conscious
of their experiences. To know the outer and the inner world of
happenings, they must be lighted up by the principle of
Consciousness. This seat of Sree Narayana is, therefore, called the
Pure Knowledge- the Principle, because of which all other knowledge
is possible in every being.
816. Sarvato-mukhah ?"One Who has His face turned everywhere"-just as
the light in the sun, or the light of a lamp. In the Bhagavad Geeta
He is described as having eyes, heads and faces on all sides.
Stanza 88
sulabhah suvratah siddhah satrujit satrutaapanah
nyagrodhodumbaro-asvatthaschaanooraandhra-nishoo-danah.
817. Sulabhah ?"One who is readily available" and, therefore, easily
attainable for those who have true devotion and the heroism to put
forth the right effort in unveiling Him from the miserable pits of
matter. To the mind in contemplation, the Reality is self-evident;
all saadhanaas are only to render the mind contemplative.
818. Suvratah ?"He Who has taken the most auspicious Forms"-to
destroy the evil and to protect the good is the motive behind all His
manifestations. The seeker himself is one of the Lord's own
manifestations; thus, every spiritual/ student will ultimately
realise that to destroy the ego in himself and finally gain back the
very state from which he apparently manifested is re-discovery of the
Self.
819. Siddhah ?"One Who is Perfection"-not one who has attained
perfection. Sree Narayana, the Absolute State of Perfection, can
never, even when He is playing as the Incarnation, forget His real
nature of Eternal, Unbroken, Unchanging Perfection.
820. Satrujit ?"One Who is ever victorious over His hosts of
enemies." In the bosom of man, his enemies are none other than
consciousness of his body and the con- sequent passions of the flesh-
both objective and subjective. The seeker feels that these urges in
him constitute a very powerful team of belligerent forces, and
against their concerted onslaught he feels helpless. But when such an
alert seeker turns himself towards the Truth, the Lord Who is in his
own heart, all obstacles whither away. It is natural then that Sree
Narayana is invoked here as the "Supreme Conqueror of all Enemies."
821. Satrutaapanah ?"The Scorcher of enemies." When the devotee
offers himself at the altar of His Feet, He burns down all the
negative tendencies polluting the devotee's heart.
822. Nyagrodhah ?"The One who, while controlling all beings, veils
Himself behind this Maayaa." The Consciousness constantly functions
within us, but due to the Vaasanaas, our attention is constantly
distracted to the perception of objects outside and not to the
Effulgent Being which is the core in us. At the same time Sree
Narayana, the Self, is the very Life which has made possible the
entire manifestation of the world. Still, by His own playful
inscrutability we recognize Him not. Interpreted in another sense,
the term can also mean, "He who is above all.' The nobler, the
mightier power which controls and regulates any organised set of
activities, when it is conceived by human intellect, it is always
expressed as something higher or above. Therefore, the significance
of this term must be clear to the students.
823. Udumbarah ?"He Who is the Nourisher of all living creatures"-
supplying each with its appropriate food. The term also
suggests: "one who transcends even Aakaasa, the subtlest of the
manifested elements." Sree Narayana, the Source out of which all
creatures have emerged, He alone must also be the Great Cause from
which even the subtlest element, Aakaasa, (space) has sprung forth.
The cause is subtler than the effect, therefore, the essential
principle, Narayana, transcends even the concept of space.
824. Asvatthah -In the Upanishad, (Kathopanishad) and in the Bhagavad
Geeta (Chapter XV), Lord Narayana is indicated as the great "Tree of
Life," the Asvattha. Ficus Religiosa is a perennial tree, seemingly
relatively immortal, as compared with the quickly-perishing mankind
that comes in waves, generation after generation, to play under its
shade, to make love at its base; to grow old in its breeze. Even when
they are dead, their bodies are carried in moonlit procession to the
burial ground, where under the tree's dancing leaves, a play of light
and shade splashes a wizardly pattern upon each lifeless face. The
children of each departed one, in their turn, repeat the unending
cycle of life under the shade of the same old tree whose nodding
grimace mocks the procession of fleeting joys and sorrows. This tree
has been chosen to represent the finite play of the Infinite and the
Tree itself has been named: A-svattham meaning: "That which will not
remain the same tomorrow."..
825. Chaanooraandhranishoodanah - "The slayer of Chaanoora, the great
wrestler. Andhra means wrestler."
Stanza 89
sahasraarchih saptajihvah saptaidhaah saptavaahanah
amoortiranagho-achintyo bhayakrit bhayanaasanah.
826. Sahasra-archih ?"He Who in His Effulgence has thousands of
rays." The Self, Sree Narayana, the Pure Consciousness which
illumines all experiences, is considered in our scriptures as
the `Light of all Lights,' and, in the Geeta's famous description of
this mighty Effulgence of Reality we read: "If the Splendour of a
thousand suns were to rise up together and at one and the same time
blaze forth. In the sky, that would be like the Splendour of the
Mighty Being."
827. Sapta-jihvah ?"He Who expresses Himself as the `seven tongues'
(flame)." `Jihvaa' means tongue; here it is used as the `tongues-of-
flame.' These seven flames of different properties are enumerated in
the Mundakopanishad. It sets forth the idea that the Light of
Consciousness beams out through seven points in the face of a living
entity-two eyes, two ears, two nostrils and the mouth. As intelligent
beings, powers of perception metaphorically flame out through each
one of them, illumining the world for us. The one in our heart, Sree
Narayana, Who totally manifests as the seven distinct tongues-of-
flame is classified here by the scientific-poets, the Rishis, in the
language of lyrical service as Sapta-jihvaah.
828. Sapta-edhaah ?"The Seven Effulgent flames." The earlier term
invoked Him as the "Seven tongues- of-flame." Here the emphasis seems
to be for the Effulgence in those flames.
829. Sapta-vaahanah ?"One Who has the vehicle of seven horses." Lord
Sun is described by the poet-seers of the Vedas as riding in a
chariot drawn by seven horses, representing the seven days of the
week.
830. A-moortih ?"One Who is formless." `Form' implies a thing that is
limited by other factors. The All-Pervading cannot have a form-just
as space has no particular form. All things having a form are
perishable. Narayana who is Infinite and Eternal is thus ever
Formless.
831. Anaghah -The Sanskrit term Aghah means sin or sorrow. Therefore
the term means one who is sinless or sorrowless. Lord Paramesvara,
the Self, is Immaculate-untouched and uncontaminated by the
Vaasanaas. He is Eternal Bliss-beyond all traces of sorrow.
832. Achintyah ?"One Who cannot be comprehended by man's mind and
intellect." Not only the Lord is Formless, and consequently
Imperceptible, but He is also unavailable as an object for our
emotional experience, or for our intellectual appreciation. He is the
Pure Conscious- ness in Whose Light all our perceptions, feelings and
thoughts are illuminated. In Geeta, this "Nourisher of All" is
compared with the changeless white screen upon which all the
perishing scenes of life are focused.
833. Bhaya-krit -Lord is the "Giver of fear." He is a terror to the
evil-minded. In all His Incarnations, He gives fear to the evil-
hearted, that they may ultimately be swayed to the path of Dharma.
834. Bhayanaasanah ?"Destroyer of all fear," is the Supreme Lord. The
Upanishads repeatedly -declare the State of Self-Knowledge to be the
only state of absolute fearlessness. From a sense of otherness or
plurality alone can fear spring forth. In the One Reality, where
there is no other, how can there be fear? Sree Narayana alone is the
only harbour from all fears.
Stanza 90
anurbrihat krisah sthoolo gunabhrinnirguno mahaan
adhritah svadhritah svaasyah praagvamso vamsavardhanah.
835. Anuh ?"The Subtlest; the All-pervading." Sree Narayana is the
subtle flame-of-life in our bosom, the Essence from which all life's
activities spring forth. He is called as Anuh because He is in the
centre of even the Subtlest. Bhagavan Himself says: "I am seated in
the heart of all-as the core or Essence in all."
836. Brihat -At the same time He is Greater than the Greatest in
dimension, He being the All-pervading. These two may seem paradoxical
but the apparent contradiction dissolves into an illumining
experience for the contemplative mind. The Upanishad daringly
combines these two terms to give the students a vague comprehension
of the All-pervading Infinitude of the Self.
837. Krisah ?"One Who is lean; subtle; delicate." Again, this
description will be opposed by the next following one, for herein is
a deliberate use of contradictions. The Rishis made an art of
effectively employing terms of contradiction in order to bring the
incomprehensible within the cognition of the students of
contemplation.
838. Sthoolah ?"One Who is the fattest; the grossest; roughest."
These two terms are indicating opposites. Here it is to be understood
that the Lord, in His state as Pure Consciousness, is the subtlest,
and He is the grossest in the form of the Universe (Viraat).
839. Gunabhrit ?"One Who supports"- maintains and expresses through
the three Gunas. Through rajas He creates; through Sattva He
preserves and through tamas He annihilates. He, as Consciousness,
expresses Him- self through these three textures of vaasanaas.
840. Nirgunah-"Without-any-properties." That which has property is
matter-perishable, changeable, finite. The Imperishable, the
Changeless, the Infinite is property-less; it is the Consciousness
that illumines all properties (Gunas). With the matter equipments, in
His Incarnations He manifests as having `form' (Guna-bhrit), and in
His Absolute Nature He is `form-less'-the Non-dual Self.
841. Mahaan ?"The Great; the Glorious; the Mighty." "One who is not
conditioned by the five Elements- nor by Time and Space. Quite on the
other hand, it is He Who is the very Existence in everything.
842. Adhritah -None supports Him, but He supports all. Just as the
cotton in cloth, gold in ornaments, mud in pots, He is the supporter
of the entire universe. To the devotee who feels the Lord is far away
from him, to contemplate upon Sree Narayana as his very own support
will open his heart to the certainty and plenitude of faith.
843. Svadhritah ?"Self-supported." When from the previous term we
hear that the Self is he ultimate support of the Universe, the
question automatically rises in a rational intellect: `what supports
the Self?' The Lord is "supported" by nothing else other than His own
Glory. In the Upanishad, in answer to a question where the Mighty One
abides, the teacher declares, "He abides in His own Glory."
844. Svaasyah ?"One Who has an Effulgent Face." Because He gives to
the Vedas their beauty and charm, He is conceived as brilliantly
beautiful, enchantingly fascinating, hauntingly charming.
845. Praag-vamsah ?"One Who has the most ancient ancestry." The
Infinite, the Cause for the universe and Time itself, is indicated as
the `Most Ancient'. The term can also mean the accommodation reserved
during a Yaaga meeting where the invitees and guests may rest.
Generally built on the eastern courtyard of the house~ this
accommodation is called `Praagvamsah.' Since everything connected
with a Yajna or Yaaga is considered as sacred, the `Praag-vamsah' has
been used here as a name to indicate Sree Narayana.
846. Vamsa-vardhanah ?"He who multiplies His family of descendents."
The Lord's family is the whole Universe of things and beings. Or it
can also imply just the opposite as the root Vardh means `the
annihilator.' Narayana is the sacred factor in us, to Whose Feet we
turn in all love and undivided attention, in Whom the world of
perceptions, emotions and thoughts merge as a dream merges into the
mind of the waker.
Stanza 91
bhaarabhritkathito yogee yogeesah sarvakaamadah
aasramah sramanah kshaamah suparno vaayuvaahanah.
847. Bhaara-bhrit ?"One Who carries the load of the Universe." This
carrying is not as a man would carry a load-something other than
himself. The Self Itself has become the world so here it means only
that Narayana is the very material Cause of the Universe.
848. Kathitah ?"One Who is glorified in the Vedas and other spiritual
text books." Narayana-essence is the theme of all scriptures in the
world.
849. Yogee ?"One Who can be realised through Yoga:" "One Who is the
greatest Yogee." The term Yoga is defined in the Sastra as `stopping
all thought flow.' One who has no thought agitations-who has totally
conquered the mind( Maayaa) and lives in His own Effulgent Self-
nature is the greatest Yogee.
850. Yogeesah ?"The King of Yogees." "One who realises the Self,
becomes the Self," is an Upanishadic declaration. Therefore, Self
alone is the perfect Yogee and Sree Narayana, the Self, is the King
of all Yogees. The sense of agency-in-action and the sense of
enjoyership-in- experience is the ego (Jeeva-bhaavanaa). To end this
ego-personality is to rise to the awareness of the Universal
Consciousness, the Self. Sree Narayana, the Absolute Reality, alone
can be free-entirely and fully-from any involvement while being ever
in the midst of Samsar and its seething activities. Hence He is
glorified as the best among Yogees.
851. Sarvakaamadah ?"One Who fulfils all desires of all true
devotees." Such devotees have no other desire but to reach, meet and
merge in Him. In this way the term would also indicate that He
destroys the chances of fulfilment of all unholy, sensuous and lusty
desires in the faithless.
852. Aasramah -Sree Narayana is the harbour, the sequestered haven
for all who are tossed about in the storms of life without and
within. For each one, the source of all strains is attributable
entirely to his functioning as a body-mind-intellect equipment. To
remain as the Self-the essential real nature of man-is to experience
the end of all stresses and strains. This state of Peace and Joy, of
Quiet and Bliss is Sree Narayana, the Lord of the heart.
853. Sramanah ?"One Who persecutes the worldly people"-who, driven by
their hungers and passions, seek sense-gratifications. By the very
nature of the ephemeral sense-objects and the ever-changing
instruments of experience in us, the life of gratifications can only
yield exhausting fatigue and weary disappointments. This is the `Law'
and Sree Narayana is the `Law-Giver.' The Law and the Law-Giver are
but one in theology.
854. Kshaamah ?"One Who destroys everything during the final deluge"-
He who prunes our agitations and shrinks our desire-prompted world-
projections.
855. Suparnah ?"The Golden Leaf." In Bhagavad Geeta the world is
pictured as the Asvattha tree and its leaves are declared to be the
Vedas. The theme of the Vedas is none other than the Self, making the
term extremely en- chanting with its springs of suggestions.
856. Vaayu-vaahanah ?"The mover of the winds." From fear of Him Fire
burns, Sun and Moon function, earth rotates, the Wind
moves....declares the Upanishad.
Stanza 92
dhanurdharo dhanurvedo dando damayitaa damah
aparaajitah sarvasaho niyantaa niyamo yamah.
857. Dhanurdharah -"The wielder of the Bow." In His Incarnation as
Sree Rama, He drew the great Bow as no one else ever could. Also in
the Upanishad there is the famous metaphor of the Bow with which the
arrow of the individuality is to be shot to strike and sink into the
goal. The Rishi of the Mundakopanishad explains that the `Bow' is the
OM (Pranava mantra). (The significance is clear.)
858. Dhanurvedah ?"One Who declared the Science of Archery." The One
Who propounded the unfailing technique of OM -meditation for
realisation of the Self.
859. Dandah ?"One who punishes the wicked." In Geeta, Bhagavan
declares Himself to be the policeman of the Universe. The term can
also mean the `Sceptre'-the insignia of king-ship. Sree Narayana, the
King of kings in the entire, limitless universe, holds the Sceptre of
total royalty.
860. Damayitaa ?"The Controller." One who punishes the wicked,
destroys the sinners and thus regulates and cultivates life in the
universe, making it a garden for the blossoms of spiritual beauties.
861. Damah -That which is ultimately gained by the worldly
punishments-the final experience of Beatitude in the Self.
862. Aparaajitah ?"The Invincible; One who cannot be defeated." The
Self ultimately asserts within every bosom from wherein the spiritual
values finally emerge victorious. The Self alone remains when all
else has been destroyed.
863. Sarvasahah ?"One Who carries the entire Universe." The One Who
meets heroically all the enemical impulses of unspiritual lusts. He
carries the entire Universe as its very material Cause: as mud in
pots.
864. Aniyantaa ?"One Who has none above Him to control Him." He is
the One Who has appointed all other controllers of the phenomenal
forces as the Sun, the Moon, Air and Waters.
865. Aniyamah ?"One Who is not under the laws of anyone else." He is
the Law and the only Law- Giver. It is His hand that governs the
inscrutable and un- relenting laws of nature.
866. Ayamah ?"One Who knows no death." He is the Eternal: how can He
know death? - the principle of death cannot act in Him. Within Time
alone there is change or death. The Pure Consciousness is That which
illumines the sense of time and so is beyond Time-beyond death.
Stanza 93
sattvavaan saattvikah satyah satyadharmaparaayanah
abhipraayah priyaarho-arhah priyakrit-preetivardhanah.
867. Sattvavaan ?"One Who is full of exploits and courage." Supremely
adventurous, daring and heroic is Narayana-as witnessed in all His
actions during all His Incarnations.
868. Saattvikah ?"One Who is full of Saattvic qualities." Quietude,
tranquillity, peace-these are some of the saattvic qualities. Sattva
is the creative-pause of the mind before it launches out into a burst
of creative thoughts and action. Full of inspiration and meditative-
poise is the Total-Mind, Sree Narayana.
869. Satyah ?"Truth." That which remains the same in the past,
present and future is Truth. Self knows no change. It is ever in Its
own Nature in all the three periods Time.
870. Satya-dharma-paraayanah - Who is the very abode of Truth and
Righteousness." Satyam (Truth) is `truthfulness in thought, speech
and action. Dharma (Righteousness) is the injunctions regarding what
is and what is not the duty to be fulfilled.
871. Abhipraayah ?"One Who is faced by all seekers marching to the
Infinite." Or it can mean, "One who merges the entire world of
plurality into Himself."
872. Priyaarhah ?"One Who deserves all our love." Priya also expands
its meaning into: "things we are supremely fond of," therefore, the
term, as it stands, may be read: "One Who deserves to be worshipped
by His devotees with all that they are supremely fond of." As an
expression of our devotion we do offer to the Lord that which we love
the most in life.
873. Arhah -Narayana is the One Who de to be worshipped by all
devotees. He, being our very own self is the treasure-source of all
our devotion. Thus He does from us all our surrender, love and
reverence.
874. Priya-krit ?"One who is ever-obliging in fulfilling our wishes" -
One Who is anxiously eager for the well-being of all devotees. But
the term can also yield just opposite meaning ?"One who- destroys the
wishes or disturbs the well-being of the wicked and the faithless."
875. Preeti-vardhanah -The sense of drunken joy that arises in one's
bosom when one loves deeply and truly is called Preeti. "One who
increases Preeti in the devotee's heart" is Sree Narayana. The more
He is contemplated upon, the more His glories are appreciated,
thereby the more
Stanza 94
vihaayasagatirjyotih suruchirhutabhug vibhuh
ravirvirochanah sooryah savitaa ravilochanah.
876. Vihaayasa-gatih -The term Vihaayasa means pertaining to,
depending on, the space-aerial. Gatih means one who moves. Therefore,
in its totality, this name describes: "One who travels in space-
having the nature of the Sun, Soorya-Narayana."
877. Jyotih ?"Effulgent with His own inherent Light." The Lord as
Consciousness is the `Light of all lights.' "By Its Light all are
brilliant: by Its Light all are illumined." Sree Narayana is the Self-
effulgent Atman, the Self.
878. Su-ruchih -The suffix `Su' indicates Auspiciousness (sobhana):
the term `Ruchi' is Glory or Desire. The Glory of Lord Narayana is
this world: it is His `desire' (sankalpa) that manifests as the
universe.
The Supreme Brahman, the Infinite Reality, functioning through
the `Total- Vaasanaas,' meaning the `Total-Causal- Body' (Maayaa), is
Lord, the Eesvara. So we are given the irrefutable scientific truth
in the Sruti-declaration that the universe is the `will' or `desire'
of Lord Narayana.
879. Huta-bhuk ?"One Who receives and enjoys all that is offered into
the sacred fire during the Vedic Rituals- Yajnas and Yaagas." The
faithful may offer oblations invoking his own special Deity, but it
is the One Lord, Narayana Who receives them all, manifesting as the
particular Deity invoked.
880. Vibhuh ?"All-pervading." Lord Narayana, the Self, is
unconditioned by time or space for He is the Eternal, the
Omnipresent. In His Absolute Nature, He is All-pervading as He is
unlimited by any conditionings.
881. Ravih ?"One Who absorbs the vapour (Rasa) from everything." As
the Soorya-Narayana, Sree dries up everything in the universe.
882. Virochanah ?"One Who shines in different forms." Whatever form
the devotee chooses for contemplation upon Him, the Lord manifests in
that very Form for the sake and joy of the devotee. Additionally it
may be interpreted as "One Who Himself manifests as the Sun and the
Moon and all other resplendent spheres in the Consmos."
883. Sooryah -The term etymologically means the One Source from which
all things have been born or out of which they have been delivered.
The Lord as the First Cause is the Womb of the Universe. On the
surface of the world it is the Sun that nurtures and nourishes all
living creatures. It must be noted that many of the Lord's names
indicate or are associated with the sun ?as he is like the sun in the
solar System: the Centre around which the entire system revolves and
by Whose benign rays, as the `Orb-of-all Energies', He thrilling to
life the infinitude of creatures.
884. Savitaa ?the one who brings forth, from Himself, the me Self
functioning through the sun is called savitaa.
885. Ravi-lochanah ?"One Whose Eyes are the Sun." In the Upanishad
and the Geeta, the Viraat Form of the Lord (the Cosmic-Form) is
described as having for His eyes the Sun and the Moon.
Stanza 95
ananto hutbhugbhoktaa sukhado naikajoagrajah
anirvinnah sadaamarshee lokaadhishthaanamadbhutah.
886. Anantah ?"Endless." One who is not conditioned by time and place
is Self. In His All-pervading nature He is immortal, and thus
Immutable.
887. Huta-bhuk ?"One who accepts the things devotedly poured as
oblation into the sacred Fire." These oblations which may be in the
name or any devataa, are all received by Narayana in the form of that
devataa because He is the One Infinite Self Who plays in and through
all forms, worldly and heavenly.
888. Bhoktaa ?The One Who enjoys the world of objects-emotions-
thoughts, through the equipments of body- mind-intellect is none
other than the Self expressing through these `instruments-of-
experiences' as the individuality-constituted of the perceiver-feeler-
thinker-ego.
The term Bhoktaa also means "One Who Protects" (the Universe)-as He
is the very material Cause for the entire world of names and forms.
889. Sukha-dah -"One Who gives the experience of Eternal Bliss to
the devotees at their final spiritual destination-Moksha. As the term
stands in the verse, some would read it-' A-sukha-da' in which case
the nominative would mean: "One Who removes all the discomforts and
pains of the devotees."
890. Naikajah -Na-'not'; Eka-'once'; Ja ,-born.' One who is born not
only once, but many times, in many Forms, to serve the devotees in
His different Incarnations. In fact, all births are all His
manifestations alone as he is the Spark-of-Existence in the Universe
of inert matter. Through all equipments He alone is the One
Consciousness that dances Its Infinite Glories.
891. Agra-jah ?"The One Who was First-Born." Naturally, everything
came from Him alone; this Primordial First Cause is the concept of
God. That from which everything comes, in which everything exists and
into which all things can again finally merge-'That' is conceived as
God.
892. Anirvinnah ?"One Who feels no disappointments"-Who has no chance
to feel disappointment as He is ever the totally fulfilled. The
agonising disgust with things that comes to a bosom when a burning
desire is unfulfilled is called Nirveda. One who has no Nirveda is
called Anirvinnah. He, being "Ever-full" and "Perfect," has no
desires yet unfulfilled or something yet to be fulfilled in the
future. Bhagavan declares this in Geeta: "There is neither anything
that I have not gained nor anything I have yet to gain."
893. Sadaa-marshee ?"One who ever forgives the trespasses of all His
devotees" -One who is infinitely merciful and kind.
894. Loka-adhishthaanam -The one sole substratum for the entire
Universe of things and beings."
895. Adbhutah ?"Wonder is He." The Geeta roars of this 'wonder,' and
the Upanishads assert that He and the teacher who teaches of Him, and
even the student who grasps Him are all `wonders.' " Wonder" is an
experience that comes to one whose mind and intellect are stunned by
the overwhelming experience of any given moment. The experience has
made the mind stagger, the intellect to halt-so that no feelings or
thoughts emanate from them. That moment of realisation is a moment of
total transcendence of the "inner- equipments,' so this term "Wonder"
is often used in our scriptures to point out the condition within at
the time of our Experience Infinite.
Stanza 96
sanaat sanaatanatamah kapilah kapirapyayah
svastidah svastikrit svasti svastibhuk svastidakshinah.
896. Sanaat ?"The Beginningless and the Endless factor is He." Time
cannot condition Him. He, the Consciousness, illumines the very
concept of Time and Space. He was, is and shall ever be-He being
Changeless, Immutable.
897. Sanaatanatamah ?"The most Ancient." It is from Him that the very
intellect springs forth and thereafter one of the concepts of the
intellect is Time. Therefore, He is the most' Ancient,' inasmuch as
He was already there to be aware of even the first experience of the
beginning of Time.
898. Kapilah -The Lord Himself, manifested as the great Rishi Kapila,
propounded the Saamkhya philosophy. In the Geeta, Bhagavan Sree
Krishna declaring His own Glory, describes Himself: "I am Kapila
among the great ones."
899. Kapih ?"One Who drinks water" -by one's rays. The Sun it is that
dries up everything, evaporating the water-content contained on the
surface of the earth.
900. Apyayah ?"The One in whom the entire Universe merges"-during the
great deluge when the Total- mind-the Creator-rests. The Supreme
Atman functioning through the Total-mind is the Creator, Brahmaaji-
each mind being ruled by its own vaasanaas. The Total-vaasanaas in
the Universe (Causal-Body) is Maayaa and the Supreme Self expressing
through Maayaa (the Total-Causal-Body) is Eesvara. Therefore, Sree
Narayana, as Eesvara, is the One into Whom the total world of
experiences merges when the Total-mind rests during the `pause'
between two busy cycles of Creation and involvement in the projected
world of thoughts-feelings-objects.
In the north this term is read as Avyayah where the meaning is
clear: "Immutable": and needs no explanation.
901. Svasti-dah ?"One Who gives Svasti to all His sincere devotees."
A true devotee is one who has discovered his fulfilment in seeking
and gaining the Infinite Bliss that is Sree Hari. Naturally, he comes
to turn away from the realms of inauspiciousness. To the extent he is
able to move into the Hari-Consciousness, he is to that degree in the
Bliss- Experience. Therefore, the Lord is termed as the `Giver-of-
Auspiciousness.
902. Svasti-krit -As in many earlier terms which were preceded by the
suffix ` Krit,' here also, it expands into two meanings: "One Who
brings Auspiciousness" -or "One who robs all Auspiciousness." To the
seeker who is moving towards the Narayana-Consciousness, his
experience is of added joy and peace in life, but the one who seeks
only sense-gratification and so moves away from the Reality, to him
the experience is more and more sorrow, agitations, tears and
tragedies-total inauspiciousness. The indeclinable (Avyaya) Sanskrit
word `Svasti' means Auspiciousness.
903. Svasti ?"One Who is the Source of all Auspiciousness" -as He is
Himself the Auspicious. In essence His Nature is Sat-Chit-Aananda so
there can be no cause for inauspiciousness therein. The individual
functions within the powers of His avidyaa and so is under the
infatuation of Maayaa, while the Lord rules over Maayaa and plays out
through Maayaa.
904. Svasti-bhuk -"One who constantly lives in His Experience a
perpetual sense of holy Auspiciousness"-as it is His very nature-
divine. It can also be interpreted as "One Who showers Grace and
makes His devotees constantly experience Auspiciousness in their
loving Narayana- centred hearts."
905. Svasti-dakshinah -Lord is ever engaged in smartly distributing
Auspiciousness. The word `Dakshinaa' has, apart from the meaning
of `gift,' also a meaning: "One who is efficient and quick."
Therefore, the term indicates that Sree Narayana quickly and
efficiently will reach His sincere seekers to give them the
experience of Auspiciousness which is the Lord's very nature.
Stanza 97
araudrah kundalee chakree vikramyoorjitasaasanah
sabdaatigah sabdasahah sisirah sarvareekarah.
906. Araudrah ?"One who has none of the negative terrible urges and
emotions." The State of Perfection is a condition where the frailties
of the mortal heart can never remain. The Lord is One in Whom the
cruelties which rule the man of the world-likes, dislikes,
hatredness, jealousy and his other imperfections-can never abide or
even be contained.
907. Kundalee ?"One Who wears the famous ear-ring called the Makara-
Kundala." The term Kundalee also signifies the `Serpent'-hence the
Kundalinee-Sakti-the `Serpent-Power'-the coiled mystic-glory lying
now inert, uninvoked at the base of the back-bone in the deep pelvic
region. Here the `Serpent' may be taken as the thousand- tongued
Ananta on whom Sree Narayana is described as ever reclining in His
Yoga-rest.
In all religions, `Serpent,' it seems, symbolises the `mind.' In
Hinduism it is true. Whether it is in Krishna's dance on the Kaaliyan-
Serpent, or Siva wearing as ornaments the Serpents (Bhooshana), or
Sree Hari resting upon Ananta-the idea is always the conquest of the
mind, the poisonous serpent.
908. Chakree ?"He Who wears ever His Discus called Su-Darsana
(Auspicious Vision)." The Lord destroys with the Discus only the foul
and the low in us and the individual naturally gains the Experience
Divine, the Self.
909. Vikramee ?"He Who is more daring than all others." The term is
also interpreted: "One who travels by air," as `Vi' means Bird.
Famous is the allegory that Lord Vishnu travels on the back of the
white-necked Eagle.
910. Oorjita-saasanah ?"One who commands and administers with His
Hand." His commands in the scriptures advise us firmly what is right
to do and what are the destructive forces in each one of us. In case
man decides to disobey His Laws, He severely punishes him on all such
occasions. Disobedience of Laws is immediately followed by His loving
curative punishment. It permits no exceptions; accepts no excuses;
admits no circumstantial conditions.
911. Sabdaatigah ?"He who transcends all words"-One who is
Indescribable. The Vedas themselves are but indications `pointing to
Truth' and are not explaining, describing or even defining Truth. The
Infinite and the Eternal Truth is beyond even the Vedas, beyond all
that can be gained through even the highest faculties of the finite
equipments (mind and intellect).
912. Sabda-sahah ?"One who allows Him- self to be invoked by the
Vedic declarations." If, however, the Upanishadic declarations are
properly reflected and sincerely meditated upon, even though the
Vedas have failed to define Truth, their contemplative implications
can transport us into the realms of the Infinite Experience-Divine.
913. Sisirah -The term means winter, the cold season. In India it is
the cool season. Therefore, by suggestion, this name indicates that
the Lord is the `cool arbour' for those who are tortured by the heat
of Samsar.
914. Sarvaree-karah -The word Sarvaree means `night' or `darkness';
therefore, the term defines the Lord as "One Who creates darkness."
To the men of realisation, our world of sorrows and pains, of strains
and stresses, of worries and anxieties are unknown -while to those
who live in their ego-sense, to them the Real is unknown. ! The
unknown means `veiled in darkness.' The subtle meaning is clear now.
Stanza 98
akroorah pesalo daksho dakshinah kshaminaam varah
vidvattamo veetabhayah punyasravanakeertanah.
915. Akroorah ?"Never-cruel." Cruelty comes from anger, and anger
rises from `desire'--craving or lust. Sree Narayana, the Fulfilled
and the All-Full, cannot have `desire' from which could come anger-
thus, naturally, never any cruelty. Generally this term is
interpreted as "One who is of the form of the Yaadava, Sree Akroora."
Akroora was a great devotee of the Lord upon whom were bestowed many
divine powers. "Wherever, there is any special glory in anyone, know
that to be a manifestation of a part of my Splendour," sings Lord in
Bhagavad Geeta. Thus the term is interpreted as the Lord Whose one
ray of glory was the Kamsa-employee, the Yaadava-Akroora.
916. Pesalah ?"One who is supremely soft." In His Infinite Kindness
and Mercy, His Heart-divine is ever flowing out in love and
tenderness towards His devotees when they call out for help ardently
and lift themselves from their body-consciousness and ego-centric
life of sense-pursuits.
917. Dakshah -This term stands for the quality of `promptitude.' In
army training, the Sanskrit command Daksha is equal to "attention
alertness, vigilance and utter preparedness to act immediately with
supreme urgency." All these are implied in that pose of " Attention."
The Lord is `Daksha' in serving the world and in rushing to His
sincere devotees. Omnipotent and divinely Efficient in His Infinite
Smartness to reach and help all, at all times, everywhere, under
every circumstance is echoed in the charming suggestions of this
chosen term in the Sahasranaama of Sree Narayana, the Self in All.
918. Dakshinah ?"One who is most liberal." The term' Dakshina' is
popularly used for the `gift' presented to the priests after a ritual
as their fee. This giving must be done in a spirit of large-hearted,
liberal charity-so that very large-heartedness of mind (Daakshinya)
itself is the Lord, as it is the opposite of selfishness and
attachment to the wealth which one possesses. "One who has Infinite
Kindness and Charity towards all good people and One Who is thus ever-
ready to liberally give away His endless Benevolence" is Sree
Narayana, the Dakshina.
919. Kshaminaam-varah ?"One Who has the greatest amount of patience
with the sinners and forgiveness for their sins." Sree Narayana is
more patient than even the Earth which is generally pointed to as an
example of highest patience (Kshamaa). He exhibits supreme patience
with the evil-minded, with the tyrant, the foul and the fiendish.
Hiranyaksha, Hiranyakasipu, Ravana and others of this type were given
many fair opportunities to realise for themselves the folly of their
baser attitudes to existing things and their immoral ways of life. It
is only when no other method of treatment could cure them that the
Lord destroyed them in His infinite kindness.
920. Vidvat-tamah ?"One who has the greatest Wisdom." There are wise
men in the world-each one also may be a master in his own subject.
The Lord, the very Consciousness illumining all bosoms simultaneously
everywhere, is the One Knowledge Absolute, the Knower of all
knowledge of all wise men. Omniscient-Infinite Truth is Sree Narayana
as He is Pure Knowledge by the Light of which all `Knowledge' is
known.
921. Veeta-bhayah ?"One who has lost all fears." Fear can come only
from the sense of `other.' In Advaita Reality, there cannot be any
fear as He is the "One- without-a-second." The state of Narayana-
Consciousness is declared in all scriptures to be' Abhaya'-the
Fearless State.
922. Punya-sravana-keertianah ?"One whose Glory when `heard'
(sravana) and `sung' (keertana) causes merits (punya) to grow in the
bosom of that devotee. This statement of fact is never investigated
deeply by students so they generally understand its superficial and
obvious meaning only.
By `hearing'-with attention-to the stories of the Lord- we must get
ourselves involved in the `listening' and thereafter we must reflect
upon the glories of the Lord (Bhagavat Guna) and thus expose
ourselves to those recreative thoughts. Not only is it sufficient
thus that we imbibe the qualities spiritual, but we must learn to get
ourselves committed to the life of God- centred activities. This is
called true keertana-singing His Glories. It is not to be a mere
noisy chanting of hymns, a mere muttering of mantras; we must teach
ourselves to allow Him to express through us. Our physical
activities, mental feelings and intellectual thoughts must all shine
forth the awareness of His Divine Presence that is in us at every
moment, every- where. The life of such a deyotee will itself become,
in its dynamic beauty, love and devoted tenderness, a constant
worship (poojaa), a continuous (akhanda) hymn chanted (keertana) in
praise of the Lord-of-the-heart.
Stanza 99
uttaarano dushkritihaa punyo duhsvapnanaasanah
veerahaa rakshanah santo jeevanah paryavasthitah.
923. Uttaaranah ?"One who lifts us out of the ocean-of-change." We,
by identifying through our body- mind-intellect, with the changing
whirls of matter around us, assume to ourselves the changes and these
provide us, in their totality, the horrible sorrow of the mortal
finitude. On lifting our attention from the giddy changes in these
whirls of finite matter, when we fix it upon Him, the one
Consciousness that illumines all changes in all living creatures, we
get uplifted into a state of Immortality-Changeless, Blissful,
Supremely Satisfying. Hence, Sree Narayana is called as the `Up-
lifter,' the `Saviour.'
The `Taara-mantra' lifts us from the cesspool of sense living into
the serener climes of the lit-up peaks of peace and perfection.
924. Dushkritihaa ?`Kriti' means actions; `Dush-kriti' means bad
actions. When actions are undertaken, prompted by sensuous desires,
they leave impressions (vaasanaas) and these always have a tendency
to make us repeat similar actions. When one turns the mind towards
Narayana,-the Self, he is emptied of his existing vaasanaas, so Lord
is indicated as the `destroyer (Haa) of the sins.'
925. Punyah ?"Supremely Pure." One who purifies the heart of His
devotee-removing all his sensehunting vaasanaas of indulgence. Sree
Narayana guides the pure-hearted to the portals of the final goal,
the Higher Consciousness.
926. Duh-svapna-naasanah ?"One who destroys all `bad dreams'." The
worst dream is the samsar. Perception of plurality is the horrible
dream of terrible pangs, consuming fears and drowning sorrows. Dreams
are explosions of the suppressions stored away in the subconscious. A
real devotee exists in utter surrender unto the Lord. When his life
is ever-centred in Narayana-smarana, in such total and humble
dedication he has no chance of earning these suppressions. Since his
sub-conscious mind is not loaded with half-digested thoughts and
unexpressed intentions, repressed desires and suppressed motives,
immoral passions and covetous inclinations, he has no fearful dreams
in his daily sleep. Ultimately each seeker will rise above his little
ego and its hungers and enters into the plane of Narayana-
Consciousness.
927. Veerahaa ?"One Who ends the passage from womb-to-womb-the wheel
of birth and death." `Veera' means diversified ways, or one who
functions in innumerable fields in countless ways.
928. Rakshanah -"One who is the Protector of the Universe." Among
the Trinity, Vishnu is the Protector, the Sustainer of all the
created. "For the protection of the good, the destruction of the
wicked and the establishment of righteousness, He takes different
Incarnations."
929. Santah -This term, used in the plural number, indicates "the
good people." They are considered as "good" who have moral virtues,
ethical values, spiritual purity and scriptural knowledge. By using
the plural form here, the import is that the holy beauty of Sree
Narayana is found expressed in the glory of such a company of good
and saintly men.
930. Jeevanah ?"The Life-Spark in all living creatures." The Flame-of-
Existence that warns an organism to life is the presiding
Consciousness Supreme, the Self. This Self is Narayana. "Permeating
the earth I support all beings by (My) energy; and having become the
juicy Moon I nourish all herbs"-is the declaration of Bhagavan.
931. Paryavasthitah -In all places, in all creatures, He dwells. He
is the final Factor-Divine beyond which there is nothing, and upon
which all else depends.
Stanza 100
anantaroopo-anantasreer jitamanyur bhayaapahah
chaturasro gabheeraatmaa vidiso vyaadiso disah.
932. Ananta-roopa ?"One of the infinite forms." The endless variety
of forms constituting the world of objects are all projections in
him. They are in their essence nothing but himself. Just as the
entire spread ?of ?objects in a dream is nothing but the creation of
the single mind of the waker, and it is seen as many only in the
dream ?plane ?of ?consciousness, so, too, the world of objects ?
emotions-and ?thoughts are all discovered as the Narayana ?
Consciousness.
933. Anantasreeh ?"One who is full of infinite Glories," "One who is
full of Incomparable Powers," the main tree `powers' which the lord
expresses in the world are the `Desire Power' (Icchaa-sakti). These
are expressions of his Glory at our physical, mental and intellectual
levels. These are three manifestations of his `powers' and their
continuous interplay, together weave the fabric of the total dynamic
expressions of life in the world. The self, Sree Narayana, the one
spring ?board for all these vibrant aspects of the life ?He, the
Omniscient, is called "One of Infinite Forms."
934. Jitamanyuh ?"One who has conquered anger" (manyuh). It cannot be
repeated too often, thus this significance is again given in this
term, that anger is one of the most overpowering enemies within us ?
"One who has conquered anger" is One who established in his own
Purity. Earlier, the technique of anger was explained that when a
desire is unfulfilled, anger rises in a man's heart towards a desire
is unfulfilled, anger rises in a man's heart towards the obstacle
between him and his desire. The self is All-full (Paripoorna); it
cannot feel any need, want or desire. The Self, then Sree Narayana,
is ever without the low and ruinous passion called `anger.'
935. Bhayapahah ?"One who destroys or removes all fear in the
samsaric life." Naturally, lord Narayana is the one sure harbour
wherein the boats of life, tossed mercilessly on the high seas of
passions, can find their calm of peace and total security.
936. Chaturasrah ?"One who deals squarely with all." The term
Chaturasrah means a geometrical square of equal sides. Sree Narayana
distributes the results of actions equally to all: each one can get
only the exact reward of his own previous actions. Thus, Narayana
bestows justly and squarely upon all.
937. Gabheeraatmaa ?"One who, in his real Nature, is too deep to be
fathomed by the frail instrument of our mind." Depth here indicates
the profoundness ?the supreme essence pervading the Universe is
unfathomably profound in its significance and glory.
938. Vidisah ?"One who is unique in his giving." He is divinely
liberal, magnificently benevolent in fulfilling the earnest desires
of all his true devotees.
939. Vyaadisah ?"One who is unique in his Commanding ?Power." One who
orders even the phenomenal powers, the deities and gods.
940. Disah ?"One who advises and gives knowledge." It is the self who
is author of the Vedas, nay, the very theme and essence of the Vedas.
Lord Narayana, in the form of the sruti-texts, gives to man the
knowledge of the self.
Stanza 101
anaadirbhoorbhuvo lakahmeeh suveero ruchiraangadah
Janano janajanmaadir bheemo bheemaparaakramah.
941. Anaadih ?"One who is the first cause" ?and who is himself the
uncaused. The eternal, the Beginingless is Sree Narayana.
942. Bhoorbhuvah ?"the very substratum or support for the earth."
Since the earth revolves in the space in which the universe exists
and revolves is the supreme, Narayana.
943. Lakshmeeh ?"One who is wealthy, the richness or glory of the
universe." If self were not, then all would have been inert, unborn,
deed. As the one life every-where, as pure existence, all the glories
of this dynamic Universe are in him and from him alone.
There is a reading wherein the terms 942 and 943 are coupled, in
which case their combined meaning would be: "One who is the glory in
the universe and in the interspace everywhere."
944. Suveerah ?"One who moves through various ways which are all
divinely glorious." Or, One who exhibits in all his Incarnations the
inimitable splendour of valour in his actions and achievements.
945. Ruchiraangadah ?"One who wears resplendent shoulder-caps" ?a
kind of ornament used by ancient Indian kings to protect their upper
arms and shoulders from their enemies slashing swords.
946. Jananah ?"He who delivers all living creatures." Lord Sree
Narayana is the great Father of all living beings as all the universe
comes from him alone. He alone was before all creation; from him
alone everything has risen; in him everything exists, is nurtured and
nourished by his Glory. Thus, as the very progenitor of the universe,
Sree Narayana, the Self, is the only jagat-Eesvara (Lord of the
universe).
947. Janajanmaadih ?"One who is the sole Cause of birth for all
living creatures in the universe." The immediate cause is, of course,
the vaasanaas of each being, but the real and ultimate cause in the
self, Sree Narayana.
948. Bheemah ?"One whose form is terrible and frightening to the
sinners." "Oh, Glorious Sir, seeing yours wonderful but awesome from,
the whole world is shuddering with fear," cried Arjuna upon beholding
the cosmic Form of the lord. He adds: "Having seen Thy Immeasurable
Form ? the worlds are terrified and so am I." Again, "On seeing thee
touching the sky?my heart is stricken with dread and I find no
courage nor peace, O Vishnu."
949. Bheemaparaakramah ?"One whose prowess is irresistible and
fearful to his enemies."
Stanza 102
aadhaaranilayo-adhaata pushpahaasah prajaagarah
oordhvagah satpathaachaarah praanadah prranavah panah.
950. Aadhaaranilayah ?"One who is the fundamental sustainer" ?the
support for all that exists. All things and all beings are supported
by the earth which itself rests upon the lord, the self, that each
mind projects the entire world of names and forms.
951. Adhaataa ?"Above whom there is no other to control or to
command" ?One who is the supreme controller of all. He is the Law;
the eternal truth is that the Law and the Law-Giver are one and the
same.
952. Pushpahaasah ?"He who shines like an opening flower." The bud
opens and manifests into the lord at the time of deluge existed as
the total Unmanifest, and there after, at the maturity of the
vaasanaas, opens up as the manifest world of things and beings, He
came to be indicated by this term.
953. Prajaagarah ?"Ever-Awaked" ?He who knows no sleep. Sleep
means `non-apprehension.' This `non-apprehension' of reality is
called `Avidyaa' (nescience) which produces our `mis-apprehension' of
I and mine, and the world of pains and shocks. Since Narayana is the
self, He is `Ever-available" and is never asleep to his Eternal-
Divine-Nature.
954. Oordhvagah ?"One who walks the path of truth" ?a path which
other implicitly follow to reach the Truth Inifinite. "Whatever an
adored one does, other people will implicitly follow," warns Krishna
in Bhagava Geeta. Lord is the standard of perfection" and all
devotees place him as the ideal ?trying to imitate, in their own
lives, His Absolute Goodness, Absolute Love and Absolute Peace.
956. Praanadah ?"One who gives `Praana' to all." The term `Praana' in
our Sastras means the physiological functions, the manifestations of
life in man. Therefore, Narayana, the self, is the Vital Source from
which all sense organs, mind and intellect barrow their power of
perception, capacities of feeling and their faculties of thinking and
understanding.
957. Pranavah ?"Om-kaara is Pranava." The Infinite reality is
indicated by `OM' in the Vedas. `OM' is the manifesting sound of the
supreme self. Therefore, Sree Narayana is called `Pranavah': meaning
he is of the `nature of Omkaara."
958. Panah ?"The supreme Manager of the universe." The root `Pana'
means "to transact." By giving the exact rewards for all actions,
Lord both orders and justly manages all activities of each
individuals and things constituting this scientifically precise
universe.
Stanza 103
pramaanam prananilayah praanabhrit praanajeevanah
tattvam tattvavidekaatmaa janmamrityujaraatigah.
959. Pramaanam ?"He whose very form is the Vedas" ?which are the
only `proof' for the Eternal Reality. Or, we may read it: He who is
pure Infinite Consciousness (Prajnaanam) as we have it in the great
Commandment, "Consciousness is the Infinite Reality."
960. Praananilayah ?"He in whom all `praanas' stand established." He
who is very substratum ?vital foundation ?for all `activities'
manifested in a living organism.
961. Praana-brit ?"He who rules over all `Praanas' ?Sree Hari is the
one who causes everyone to eat, digest, feel energized, act, achieve
the fruits thereof, grow old and die. In all `activities,' the great
One-commanding, Factor-Divine, Sree Narayana, the self, presides in
silent detachment, and by His Presence He initiates and maintains all
these activities in all living creatures upon the earth's surface.
962. Praana-jeevanah ?"He who maintains the life-birth in all living
creatures." This interpretation is not a happy one as this meaning
has just come in the preceding, endearing term. In love, of course,
there is no rule that the lover should not repeat the same loving
words to address his beloved. But, we can find yet a new depth of
suggestion if we understand this term to mean "One who is the very
life-giving divine-touch in every breath."
963. Tattvam?"the Reality" ?that which is eternal, the essence. "That
which one gains in subjective realization is the self," Sree Narayana.
964. Tattvavit ?"One who has realized fully the reality" ?meaning the
original essential nature of the self. On realizing the self, the
individual become the self and, therefore, Sree Narayana, that very
self, is One who has realized fully the Reality which is His Own
Nature Divine.
965. Ekaatmaa ?"The Advaita Reality" ?Narayana is the One self, the
Oversoul, Who expresses himself as the individualities of the
infinite entities in the universe.
966. Janma-mrityu-jaraa-atigah ?"One who knows no change or
modifications in Himself." Ever finite object in the world undergoes
constant `change' and each of them is extremely painful. They are
birth, growth, decay, and the Eternal, the changeless Self, Sree
Narayana, Ever- the-same Supreme. Geeta thunders the nature of the
self to be "ever-birthless and never dying," and once It has existed,
Self never becomes non-existent.
Stanza 104
bhoorbhuvah svastarustaarah savitaaa prapitaamahah
yajno yajnapatiryajvaa yajnaango yajnavaahmah.
967. Bhoor-bhuvas-svas-taruh ?"One who is snap in the tree-of-life
existing in all the universe of the higher world, our-world and the
lower world." The famous Vedic terms bhooh Bhuvah and Svah connote
the three worlds (lokas). The world `Loka' in Sanskrit means "a field
of experience." Therefore, in fact, these three terms, called
Vyaahritees, subjectively represents all our experiences in the
walking, dream and deep-sleep states of consciousness. His constant
Yajna to nurture and nourish the Universe. So, this epithet has been
given to Sree Narayana, the infinite Self, the glorious Essence (Sap)
that pervades the entire Tree-of-Life-flowering out to even embrace
all experiences in all planes of Consciousness. Everywhere, in the
everything at all times.
968. Tarrah ?"One who helps all to cross ?over" ?the Eternal Boat-
man, to whom, if the devotees can surrender in unswerving faith and
true devotion, he will surely row them across the "Ocean of samsara:"
that one is Taarah. Through exclusive, devoted meditation, alert with
understanding, the individuality in each of us wakes up to the higher
plane ? and there is Be-attitude to experience the Self, the eternal
Brahman ? Sree Hari.
969. Savitaa ?"He who is the father of All" ?Who is the eternal
father of the entire Universe.
970. Pra-pitaamahah ?"He who is the father of even the `Father of all
Beings,' the creator, Brahmaaji, of the trinity." The creator Himself
rose from the Absolute self. Creator is known in our scriptural
language as Pitaamaha ?the Father.
971. Yajnah ?"One whose very nature is yajna." The term yajna
means "work undertaken with a pure spirit of total dedication in
complete co-operative endeavor with total selflessness, there is Sree
Narayana in action through His creatures.
972. Yajna-patih ?"The lord of all yajnas." I am the `Enjoyer' in all
self ?dedicated, co-operative endeavors (Yajna). These are the joyous
words of the lord who Himself declares; "The `Enjoyer' and the `lord'
in all yajnas am I."
973. Yajvaa ?"The one who performs Yajna according to the strict
prescriptions laid down in Vedas" ?the one who maintains in ll his
divine actions the true Yajna spirit.
974. Yajnaangah ?"One whose limbs are the `things' employed in
Yajna." In Harivamsa we told that `things' are the very aspects of
Lord Sree Narayana.
975. Yajna-vaahanah ?"One who fulfils Yajnas in complete and exact
accord with the Vedic instructions."
Stanza 105
yajnabhridyajnakridyajnee yajnabhugyajnasaadhah
yajnaantakridyajnaguhyamannamannaada eva cha.
976. Yajna-bhrit ?"the ruler of the Yajnas" ?the One who helps us to
conclude successfully all our `good, dedicated. Selfless acts of
service to others' ?Yajnas.
977. Yajna-Krit ?"One who performs Yajna." The same term also mean
One who destroys the yajnas. The term Yajna connotes all noble and
divine actions of service and love undertaken in a pure sense of God
dedication, selflessness and joy. Lord issued forth the creation as
an act of yajna, and in the end He must also undertake the total
dissolution of this very yajna. Sometimes this is interpreted as "One
who `performs' the yajnas of the good people and one who `destroys'
the Yajnas of the evil minded folk."
978. Yajnee ?"One who is constant `Enjoyer' of the perpetual Yajnas."
In all Yajnas, because every act is Narayana ?centered-god-dedicated-
to him alone is the attribute of being the only single `Enjoyer.'
979. Yajnee ?"All that is offered into the scared Fire during a
Yajna, though with an invocation to any of the deities, in tender
devotion and joy. Goes to Him alone, the "One receiver of all that is
offered," for all deities are but Narayana in different forms.
980. Yajna-saadhanah ?"One who fulfills all Yajnas." It is by his
grace alone all noble endeavours, undertaken in an honest and true
sincerity, gain spectacular success.
981. Yajnaantakrit ?"One who performs the last, concluding act in all
Yajnas." The final item in a yajna is the "total ?offerings" (Poorna-
Aahuti) when Sree Narayana is reverently and earnestly invoked.
Without this prayer-ritual. Yajna is never complete. Sree Hari,
therefore, is of the form of Poorna-Aahuti -in the sense that
when `total' surrender of all vehicles and their actions is
accomplished, the transcendental experience of the Self, Narayana
alone, comes to manifest in all His divine Splendour.
Some commentators have, however, taken the meaning of the Yajna-anta-
not as "the last item in yajna" but as `anta,' the `fruit' of the
yajna by which they bestow the meaning that Narayana is the "One who
gives away the `fruits' for all Hari-dedicated, selfless acts of love
and service."
982. yagna-guhyam ?"Sree Narayana is the most profound truth to be
realised in all yajnas." The self is the most noble truth to be
sought through `offerings' all the `Dravya' (objects) into
the "consciousness" (Fire) in the "body" (kunda). This kind of
subjective-Yajna is called in the Geeta as "Knowledge-Yajna." This is
also called in the Vedas as Brahma-Yajna.
983. Annam ?"One who has himself become the `food' " ?sense ?objects
which are the `food' consumed by the sense ?organs. As a verb it can
be used as One who "Eats" the whole universe at the time of the great
dissolution. At that time, he is the one in whom the world remains
absorbed in the pralaya, just as our individual world each day gets
dissolved in our sleep. The one in whom alone the world of names and
forms can remain in their `seed-form,' is Sree Narayana, the self.
984. Annaadah ?"One who eats the `food.' " not only the objective
world is the projection on Narayana, but the subjective-enjoyer ?the
individuality, the ego, that experiences-is also Narayana. The self,
functioning through the "equipment" is the jeevaatman, the
individuality in each of us who "experiences." Thus the self is the
both `food' (Annam) and `eater-of-food' (Annaadah) just as our own
waking-mind becomes the "experiencer" and the "experienced" in our
dream-world.
Stanza 106
aatnayonih svayamjaato vaikhaanah saamagaayanah
devakeenandanah srashtaa kshiteesah paapanaasanah.
985. Aatma-yohin ?"One who is himself the `material cause' (Upaadaana
Kaarana) for himself;" the self born, the uncaused cause.
986. Svayam-jaatah ?"One who, as the lord of the universe, has no
other `Instrumental cause' (Nimitta-Kaarana) in projecting Himself."
Three cause are necessary in all `creation' in the pluralistic world:
the Material cause' (mud), the "Instrumental cause' (wheel), and
the `Efficient cause' (the pot maker). In sree Narayana's self-
projection, as in the dream, that all these three causes are He,
Himself, is shown in these term.
987. Vai-Khaanah ?"The one who dug through the earth" ?cutting
through the denseness of the gross to reach, apprehend and kill the
subtle Hirnyaksha, the terrible and the monstrous who had tried to
destroy the spiritual values in the world. The self has to reach us
to destroy the ego in us and give us the `liberation' from our evil
adherence to the body-mind-intellect.
988. saama-gaayanah ?"One who signs the Saama-songs."
989. Devakeenandhanah ?"He who appeared as born to Devakee in his
Incarnation as Krishna." And since Devakee could only, from afar,
see, watch and enjoy the pranks and play of her blessed child in
Gokula, Krishna is called as the "Joy of Devakee" (Devakee-nandhana).
990. Srashtaa ?"One who creates." Even the Creator can perform his
job only by drawing his abilities and capacities from the infinite
self, Sree Narayana.
991. Kshiteesah ?"One who is the lord of the earth." Sree Narayana is
the husband of mother Earth. He is her protector. Her nurtuer and
nourisher. Her, earth may stand for all that is gross ?the entire
maayaa-and Narayana is the Lakshmee-Pati.
992. Paapa-naasanah ?meditating upon whom, all vaasanaas (sins) are
liquidated. When the individuals, surrendering in love to Him, acts
and fulfils his duties, all his existing vaasanaas are destroyed and
no new ones are created ?this is the very root in the theory of karma
Yoga in the Vedas. Through meditation upon the self, all sins are
dissolved and totally removed.
Stanza 107
Samkhabhirnnandakee chakree saarngadhanvaa gadaadharah
Rathaangapaanirakshobhyah sarvapraharanaayudhah.
993. Samkha-bhrit ?"One who has the divine conch
named "Paanchajanya." The word meaning is this term pancha-janya
is "that which is born of the five" (sense organs), so it stands for
the mind. Mind being the seat of ego, the sastras declare that the
conch in the divine hand of Sree Narayana is the ego-factor
(Ahamkaara-Tattva) in our personality.
994. Nandakee ?The lord's sword is called Nandaka. Therefore,this
term indicates one who holds and wields the Nandaka sword. The word
Nanda-kam mean "that which brings bliss." The Sastras sing that the
divine sword in the sacred hands of the lord hari represents the
knowledge-Spiritual (Vidyaa-Tattva) with which the seeker can destroy
all his "ignorance" of the self in him.
995. Chakree ?"one who carries the discus called Sudarsana." The term
Su-Darsana means "that gives the auspicious vision." The sastras
attribute to this discus-Divine the representation of the human mind.
996. Saarnga-dhanvaa ?"One who aims his unerring bow called Saarnga."
This bow of Narayana is glorified in our texts as representing the
Ego, as the `apex' of all the sense organs, Ahankaara-Tattva. In this
concluding Stanza, the instruments of Blessing in sree Narayana's
hands are remembered with reverence and devotion.
997. Gadda-dharah ?"One who holds his divine club (Mace) celebrated
as Kaumodakee ?which generates and spreads beauty and joy." This Mace
is described as representing the intellect in man (Buddhi-Tattva).
998. Rathanga-paanih ?"The traditional meaning is, of course, "One
who has the `wheel of the chariot' as his weapon." This means the
discuss which already has been mentioned in this very Stanza as
Chakree. But, there are others who would like to interpret this term
in other ways. In a glorification-Hymn or devotional-Chant,
repetition is no sin; in fact, it should be quite natural.
999. Akshobhyah ?"One who cannot be exasperated by anyone, by any act
or acts, however blasphemous they may be." One whose peace and calm
cannot be stormed out by any happening in his outer world; Ever-
peaceful. The term suggests Infinite patience, love and kindness
towards man and his frailties.
1000. Sarva-praharanaayudhah ?"He who has all implements for all
kinds of assault and fight." No enemy can surprise Him.
The `conqueror of all.' One who has weapons to meet any missile.
However powerful.
Sree Sarva-praharanaayudhah Om Namah iti
[The 1000 names end here...]
Concluding Verses:
1. Itidam Kirtaniyasya Keshavasya Mahatmanahah
Naamnaam Sahasram Divyaanaam Asheshena Prakeerthitham
1. In the above verses have been given a complete enumeration of the
thousand divine names of the the Great Being Keshava, who is the fit
object for all praise and prayer.
2. Ya Idam Srunuyaan Nityam Yaschaapi Parikeertayet
Naashubham Praapnuyaat Kinchit Somutreha Cha Maanavah
2. Nothing evil or inauspicious will befall a man here or hereafter
who daily hears or repeats these names
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5. Bhaktimaan Yah Sadotthyaaya Suchis-tadgata Maanasahah
Sahasram Vaasudevasya Naamnaam Etat Prakeertayet
Whichever devoted man, getting up early in the morning and purifying
himself, repeats this hymn devoted to Vaasudeva, with a mind that is
concentrated on Him...
6. Yashah Prapnoti Vipulam Jnaati Praadhaanyam Eva Cha
Achalaam Sriyam Aapnoti Sreyah Praapnotyanuttamam
That man attains to great fame, leadership among his peers, wealth
that is secure and the supreme good unsupassed by anything....
7. Na Bhayam Kvachid Aapnoti Veeryam Tejasya Vindati
Bhavatyarogo Dyutimaan Bala-roopa-gunaanvitahah
He will be free from all fears and be endowed with great courage and
energy and he will be free from diseases. Beauty of form, strength of
body and mind, and virtuous character will be natural to him.
10. Vaasudeva-ashrayo Martyo Vaasudeva Paraayanahah
Sarva Paapa Vishudhaatmaa Yaati Brahma Sanaatanam
Free from all sins, a man devoted to Vaasudeva and completely
dependent on Him attains to the eternal status of Brahman.
No inauspicious things can happen to a devotee of Vasudeva. The
person will conquer the cycle of birth, death, fear and disease.
One who reads this hymn every day with devotion and attention attains
peace of mind, patience, prosperity, mental stability, memory and
reputation.
Such a person is not caught by anger, binding, jealousy, or any
inauspicious event. Such a bhakta becomes a "punyatma" and merges
with the Purshottama (i.e. supreme being)
All scriptures consider right conduct as the foremost requisite.
Dharma is based upon right conduct, and Dharma, Achyuta is the
master.
The rishis, pitrus, the devas, the great elements and in fact all
things moving and unmoving constituting this universe have originated
from Naaraayana.
The Yoga, Jnaana, Saamkya, sciences, arts, works, Vedas, scriptures,
spiritual illumination -- all these have originated from Janaardhana.
Mahaavishnu is the one all-comprehending being who appears as many.
He is the essence of all brings, the consumer of the world, the
indestructible one, and the master of all. Pervading all the three
worlds, He enjoys all entities constituting them.
Whoever desires advancement and happiness should repeat this
devotional hymn on Vishnu composed by Vyaasa.
Never will defeat attend on a man who adores the Lotus-eyed One, who
is the Master of all the worlds. Who is birthless, and out of whom
the worlds have originated, and into whom they dissolve.
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