Viṣṇusahasranāma: 114-132

Viṣṇusahasranāma: 114-132

रुद्रो बहु-शिरा बभ्रु: विश्वयोनिः- शुचि-श्रवा- ।
अमृतः शाश्वतः स्थाणु: वरारोहो महातपाः ।। 13 ।।

 

114. Rudaḥ

i) One who causes tears.

He makes people cry at the time of dissolution (saṃhārakāle prajāḥ saṃhran rodayati iti, rudraḥ)

ii) One who removes tears.

‘ruḥ’ is sorrows and their causes. He removes the sorrows and their causes (by knowledge), hence He is called Rudraḥ.

 (‘ruḥ’ = duḥkhaṃ, duḥha-kāraṇaṃ vā, drāvayati iti vā, rudraḥ)

iii) Or, ‘rud’ means sorrow. (rudaṃ rāti dadāti iti vā)

Since the Lord is the karmaphaladātā, He goves unpleasant situations for our wrong-doings. Thus people considers Him Rudraḥ.

iv) Or, One who drives away sorrows (ru), or/and causes of sorrow (ru).

‘rur-duḥkhaṃ duḥkhahetu vā, tad drāvayati yah prabhuḥ |

‘rudra iti ucyate tasmāc-chivaḥ paramakāraṇam || - Śivapurāṇa

The epithet Rudaḥ is used for Śiva, here it is used for Viṣṇu. The Lord is One.

115. Bahuśirāḥ[1]

One with innumerable heads.

(bahūni śirāṃsi yasya iti, bahuśirāḥ (Bahuvrīhi) |

It means sarvajñattvam.

Puruṣasūkt- am in the Ṛgveda says, The Supreme Being is thousand-headed. (sasraśīrṣā puruṣaḥ.. Ṛg.Ve. – X.90)

It means He is everywhere. It means His Omniscience (sarvajñattvam)

116. Babhruḥ

One who supports the world.

(bibharti lokān iti, babhruḥ)

He supports and sustains everything. He is the adhiṣṭhāna of this jagat.

In a relative sense, one could take His few incarnations – as Kurma, as Varāha, as the Ādiśeṣa.

117. Viśvayoniḥ

One who is the cause of the universe.

(viśvasya kāraṇatvāt, viśvayoniḥ)

One has to understand here that He is the intelligent (nimitta-kāraṇam) as well as the material cause (upādāna-kāraṇam) of this universe. Thus, He is the abhinna-nimitta- upādāna-kāraṇam.

118. Śuciśravāḥ[2]

One with auspicious and pleasant names.

(śucīni śavāṃsi nāmāni śravaṇīyāni asya iti, śuciśravāḥ[1] )

The names of the Lord are auspicious and pleasing. It is auspicious since by listening to His name/s or taking/chanting them, it purifies the person.

(His names are not like Duryodhana, Duḥśāsana)

119. Amṛtaḥ

One who is Immortal.

(na vidyate mṛtaṃ (maraṇam) asya iti, amṛtaḥ)

He has no death.

Bṛhadāraṇyaka says He is not subject to aging (jarā) or death (ajaro’maraḥ – Bṛ.Up.- IV.4.25)

(This presents the essential nature of the Lord denoted as ‘anantaṃ satyam’ in ‘satyaṃ jñānam anantaṃ brahma – Tai.Up.-II.1.1)

120. Śāśvata-sthāṇuḥ

One who is Imperishable and firm.

(śāsvataś-ca asau sthāṇuś-ca iti, śāśvata-sthāṇuḥ[1])

He is ever-existent. He is also sthāṇu, with no change/growth/decay. There is no ṣaḍ-bhāvavikāra (jāyate, asti, vardhate, vipariṇamate, apakṣiyate, vinaśyati - Yāska’s model) for Him. He is asti, asti asti…existence per se.

These two śāśvata and sthāṇuḥ constitute one name

(This also presents the essential nature of the Lord denoted as ‘anantaṃ satyam’ in ‘satyaṃ jñānam anantaṃ brahma – Tai.Up.-II.1.1)

121. Varārohaḥ

The highest ascent.

(varam ārohaṇaṃ yasmin iti, varārohaḥ)

āroham means acsent. Any ascent means descent. However, āroham to Him is the highest blessing. Or He, attaining whom is the greatest good fortune.

ii) Or, because  a jīva who is blessed that way, has no more rebirth in the lower worlds.

 vā, ārūḍhānāṃ punar-āṛrtti asambhavāt)

Chāndogya says – They do not return (na ca punar-āvartate – Chā.Up.-VIII.15.1). The Lord says in the Bhagavadgītā – “My supreme status is that, by attaining which one does not come back” (yaṃ prāpya na nivartante tad dhāma paramaṃ mama || - Bh.Gī.-8.21. Also yad gatvā na nivartante tad dhāma paramaṃ mama – Bh.Gī.- XV.6).

One has to understand that this obtaining is not physical. It is always in terms of knowledge.

iii) Or, He has the best āroha = reclining place in the form of Ādiśeṣa (vara āroha aṅka asya iti, varārohaḥ [1])

122. Mahātapāḥ[3]

The One with great knowledge.

Tapas is religious austerity. Here the root ‘tapa’ means ‘ālocane’ However, the austerity connected with creation, which is of the nature of knowledge (jñānamayaṃ tapaḥ). That is the greatest tapas. So He is Mahātapāḥ.

Muṇḍaka says – Whose tapas is in the nature of knowledge (yasya jñānamayaṃ tapaḥ – Mu.Up.-I.1.9)

(mahat sṛjyaviṣayaṃ tapo (jñānam) asya iti, mahātapāḥ [1])

ii) (aiśvaryaṃ pratāpo vā tapo mahat asya iti, vā, mahātapāḥ)

सर्व- ः सर्वविद्-भ- नु: विष्वक-सेन- जनार्दनः ।
वेदो वेदविद-अव्- ंगो वेदांगो वेदवित् कविः ।। 14 ।।

123. Sarvagaḥ

One who is all-pervasive.

(sarvatra gacchati iti, sarvagaḥ)

He who goes everywhere.

This expression is there in Īśāvāsya Upaniṣad –“He is all-pervasive, hence He is present everywhere without going anywhere - sa paryagāt - Īśāvāsya-8)

ii) Īśvara also being the material cause of this jagat, is all-pervasive (kāraṇatvena vyāptatvāt sarvatra)

124. Sarvavid-bhānuḥ

One who is omniscient and illumines everything.

(sarvavit ca asau bhānuś-ca iti[1], sarvavid-bhānuḥ). Both the words together make one name.

(sarvaṃ vetti,sarvavit |

bhāti iti bhānuḥ |)

(there are two technical words used in the Vedanta-teaching. One is sarvajñaḥ another is sarvavit. Now, Brahman is the whole (sarvam). When a person gets to know Brahman as oneself, he is called sarvajñaḥ. But He is not yet sarvavit. Sarvavit is knowing everything in detail. Sarvavittvam rests only with Īśvara.

ii) Or, being a satya-saṅkalpaḥ, He gains whatever He thinks of. That is how He is Sarvavit. (sarvaṃ vindate vā, sarvavit)

That which shines is bhānuḥ (bhāti iti bhānuḥ). Śruti says says – “It shines, everything else shines after Him (tam eva bhāntam anubhāti sarvam – Kaṭha –II.2.15, Muṇḍaka-II.2.10, Śvetāśvatara-VI.5.14)

The same expression is in Bhagavadgītā – “That shine which entered the sun, illumines the whole world, know that to be mine” (yad ādityagataṃ tejo jagat bhāṣayate’khilam - Bh.Gī.-XV.12)

125. Viṣvaksenaḥ

The One surrounded on all sides (viṣvak) by armies (senāḥ).

‘Viṣvak’ is an indeclinable meaning ‘all’. (viṣvag avyayaṃ, sarve iti arthe | viṣvag-añcati palāyate daityasenā yasya raṇa-udyoga-mātreṇa iti, viṣvaksenaḥ). From various avatāra standpoint, the senās of asuras flee in all directions being frightened of Bhagavān, hence He is viṣvaksenaḥ. (This is avatāra-specific).

ii) At a deeper level, all the devatās are like the armies of Īśvara. Each devatā is the adhiṣṭhāna-devatā of a particular aspect. That is how Īśvara is viṣvaksenaḥ.

126. Janārdanaḥ

The tormentor (of evil people).

(janān (dur-janān) ardayati (hinasti), narakādīn gamayati iti, janārdanaḥ)

For those who follow adharma, He gives them the result of their pāpa-karma. In fact, as the Order, a person receives the result. But as karmaphaladātā, He is Janārdanaḥ.

ii) Or, He to whom all devotees pray for worldly success and liberation. The verbal root ‘ard’ also means ‘yācana’, imploring. Since people implore Him for either abhyudaya (artha, kāma), or niḥśreyasa (mokṣa), He is Janārdanaḥ.

(janaiḥ puruṣārtham abhyudaya (niḥśreyasa)-lakṣaṇaṃ- yācyate iti, janārdanaḥ)

127. Vedaḥ

He who is of the form of the Veda.

(vedarūpatvāt, vedaḥ).

In the Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad,  Yājñavalkya presents the Vedas as the breath of Brahman (asya mahato bhūtasya niḥśvasitam etad ṛgvedo yajurvedaḥ sāmavedo’tharvāṅgirasa- .asya eva etāni sarvāṇi niḥśvasitāni | Yājñavalkya-Maitreyī-saṃv- āda - Bṛ.Up.-IV.5.11) Hence the Vedas are not different from Him.

ii) Or, One who makes us know.

(vedayati iti vā, vedaḥ)

He states in the Bhagavadgītā – “Out of compassion for them, I as the innermost destroy the darkness of ignorance by the light of knowledge”

‘teṣām evānukampārtham aham ajñānajaṃ tamaḥ |

‘nāśayāmyātmabhāvastho- jñānadīpena bhāsvatā || - Bh.Gī.-X.11

128. Vedavit (131)

One who knows the Veda and its meaning.

(yathāvat vedaṃ, vedārthaṃ ca vetti iti, vedavit)

The Lord declares in the Bhagavadgītā, “I am the author of the Vedanta (vedāntakṛt) and the knower of the Vedas (vedavid)” (vedāntakṛt vedavid eva cāham – Bh.Gī.-XV.15)

129. Avyaṅgaḥ

One who is free from any defect.

(jñānādibhiḥ paripūrṇaḥ avikala iti ucyate, avyaṅgaḥ)

Aṅgaḥ means part. ‘vi-aṅgaḥ’ or vyaṅgaḥ means that which is devoid of a part. ‘a’ is a negative particle in Sanskrit. ‘a-vyaṅgaḥ’ or  Avyaṅgaḥ means that which is not devoid of any part; meaning He is the whole. He is whole because He is full of aṅgas like – knowledge, overlordship, valour, etc..in absolute measure.

ii) Alternatively, vyaṅgaḥ also means manifestation. One who is not manifest to the senses.  (vyaṅgaḥ, vyaktir-na vidyate iti avyaṅgo vā). Bhagavān is not an object of any sense-perception. He says in the Bhagavadgītā – I am not manifest to the senses, or the mind (avyakto’ham - Bh.Gī.-II.25). (This denotes the essential nature of Īśvara)

130. Vedāṅgaḥ

The Veda is His limbs.

(vedā aṅgabhūtā yasya sa, vedāṅgaḥ[1])

Aṅgaḥ means part, aṅgī is the whole. Thus, while the Veda is His limbs (Aṅgaḥ), He is the Whole (Aṅgī). One can reach (understand) the whole only through the part/s. Thus, Bhagavān can be known only through the Veda, who is the subject-matter of the Vedas (Vedanta to be more exact). Śruti is the only means of knowledge (Pramāṇa) to know/understand Him.

131. Vedavit (128)

One who knows all the Vedas

(vedān vinte (vicārayati iti), vedavit)

This epithet is in 128 also. Śaṅkara has given another meaning here.

The Bhagavadgītā is considered as the Smṛtiprasthāna of the Prasthānatraya of the Vedantic literature. It is said “If all the Upaniṣads are considered as the cows, then the Gītā is their essence, milk, and Kṛṣṇa is the milk-man, “sarvopaniṣado gāvaḥ dogdhā gopālanandanaḥ.” Thus He knows the Veda, He is Vedavit. Thus, vedān vicārayati iti, vedavit.

132. Kaviḥ

One who sees beyond everything.

(krāntadarśī kaviḥ | sarvadṛk)

A kavi is one who sees something more than what all others see. Īśvara being sarvajña, is the real kavi. Bṛhadāraṇyaka says - There is no other seer other than Him (na anyo’sti draṣṭā - Bṛ.Up.-III.7.23).

Īśāvā- sya says – He is all-knowing and intelligent (kavir-maniṣī - Īśā.Up.-8)

The Lord tells Partha in the Bhagavadgītā,

kaviṃ purāṇam-anuśāsitāraṃ, aṇor-aṇīyāṃsam-anusmar- ed-yaḥ |
sarvasya dhātāram-acintyarūpaṃ-ād- ityavarṇaṃ tamasaḥ parastāt || - Bh.Gī-VIII.9.

“The one who contemplates upon the being who is omniscient (Bhagavān), the most ancient (Bhagavān), who is the Ruler, who is subtler than the subtlest, ordainer of all, whose form cannot be conceived of, who is effulgent like the sun, who is beyond ignorance (and knowledge), (he reaches the limitless self-effulgent person.)

***

Swāminī Ātmaprajñānanda Saraswatī is a Vedāntācāryā and Vyākaraṇācāryā. She teaches Vedānta and Pāṇini in Ārsha Vidyā Vikāś Kendra at Bhubaneswar. She is the author of three published books - Nomenclature of the Vedas, Ṛṣikās of the Ṛgveda, and Om: The Sound Symbol.