Viṣṇusahasranāma: 394-415

Viṣṇusahasranāma: 394-415

Image of Caturmukha Brahmāji in Erawan shrine in Bangkok

 रामो विरामो विरजो मार्गो नेयो नयो-अनयः ।
वीरः शक्तिमतां श्रेष्ठ: धर्मो धर्मविदुत्- तमः ।। 43 ।।
 

394. Rāmaḥ

The One, who gives happiness.

He is the one, in whom the yogis find delight.

(nityānandalakṣaṇ- e-asmin yogino ramanta iti, rāmaḥ)

The word (name) Rāma was there even before the incarnation of Rāma. He is the One, I whom people discover joy. Absolute joy can be found only in the vastu[1], not in something that is limited (alpam).

The Lord is of the nature (lakṣaṇa) of limitless (nityā) happiness (ānanda). His happiness is not subject to time, space or object.

Padma Purāṇa says: ‘The word Rāma denotes Parambrahman, who is always blissful, in whom the yogis delight:

ramante yogino yasmin nityānande cidātmani |

iti rāmapadenaitat param brahmābhidhīyate || - Padma Purāṇa

ii) Or, the word can mean – One, who of his own will assumed the enchanting form of Rāma, the son of Daśaratha. The great Lord of His volition was born to King Daśaratha taking a charming form. In that incarnation, He was charming even to His enemies.

(svecchayā ramaṇīyam vapur-vahan vā, dāśarathī rāmaḥ)

395. Virāmaḥ

The ultimate end.

The One, in whom all beings rest/resolve (virāma) at the time of dissolution (pralaya)

(virāmo’vasānam[2- ] prāṇinām-asminniti, virāmaḥ)

396. Virajaḥ (or Virataḥ)

The One free from desires[3].

The One, in whom the desire for enjoyments has ceased.

(vigatam ratam asya viṣayasevāyām iti, virataḥ)

He is complete, hence He has no desire. Of the six bhagas that Bhagavān has, one is samagra vairāgya (absolute dispassion). How? He is everything (purṇaḥ), hence He has samagra vairāgya. One small example can be given. If all the wealth in this universe is given to a person, where is he/she going to keep them. Naturally, where all the wealth is/are. The ownership will be in the mind only. Similarly, all that is here is He alone, His manifestation. Hence the samagra vairāgya is because of His knowledge.

The jīva can also become a complete Vairāgī only if he/she gets to know that all that is here is he/she. Only by knowing that he/she is non-different from Rāma, the limitless consciousness.

397. Mārgah (also 365)

He is the path, the way.

He is that path, by knowing which the liberation-seeking ascetics attain immortality.

(yam viditvā amṛtatvāya kalpante yogino (mumukṣavaḥ), sa eva panthāḥ (mārgaḥ)

He is the ultimate end (virāmaḥ), He is also the way (mārgaḥ). What is the path? The path of knowledge. There is no becoming in this case. If one is not already limitless, one can never ‘become’ limitless. Perhaps one is already limitless; and one just has to know that one is limitless. Only by knowing that one is that limitless {non-different from Rāma (Brahman)} that one rests (virāma).

Śruti says – ‘The one who knows Him becomes limitless here (and now). There is no (other) path for gaining that (immortality) other than knowledge of the Ātmā – tam evaṃ vidvān amṛta iha bhavati | nānyaḥ panthā vidyate’yanāya ||

- Śukla-Yajurveda-XXXI.18 (Puruṣasūktam)

This is repeated in Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad - ‘nānyaḥ panthā vidyate’yanāya’ - Śv.Up.-VI.15

398. Neyaḥ

The one, who is led.

The One, who directs or leads the jīva to the Supreme Being through knowledge.

(mārgeṇa samyag-jñānena jīvaḥ, paramātmatyā nīyata iti, neyaḥ)

If the Lord is the end (Virāmaḥ), and the path (Mārgah), then who is it who gains Him? Is he/she separate from the Lord? (In that case, both will limit each other.) No, the person (jīva) who is being led is also Bhagavān essentially. In fact, the enlightened jīva is also Bhagavān. This is declared by Bhagavān in the Bhagavadgītā - All these (four) are indeed exalted; the wise person (jñānī) is myself alone -  udārāḥ sarva evaite jñānī tvātmaiva me matam | - Bh.Gī-7.18.
 

399. Nayaḥ

The One, who leads (the guru)

(nayati iti nayaḥ, netā)

The continuing jīva who is seeking liberation is led by guru to Bhagavān, thus the guru who leads him/her to liberation is also Bhagavān.

The Lord in this series is conceived in these three forms: as the path (Mārgaḥ), as the jīva who is led (Neyaḥ), and the guru who leads (Nayaḥ)[4]. (mārgaḥ, neyaḥ, nayaḥ iti trirūpaḥ parikalpyate)

400. Anayaḥ

The One, who is not led by anyone.

(na asya netā vidyata iti, anayaḥ)

One may ask: If He leads everyone, is He also led by anyone? No, He is the one, for whom there is no leader (na ayaḥ = anayaḥ[5]). Just as He is Parameśvara and Paramapitā, Paramaguru, and the causeless cause, similarly he is anayaḥ.

Due to Mahāviṣṇu’s Grace, I have been able to cover 400 names out of 1,000.

401. Vīraḥ (also 643, 658)

The One, who is valourous.

(vikramaśālitvāt,- vīraḥ)

Viraḥ means one who is valourous and can subdue the enemies. If He is Viraḥ, what is His viryam? Well, His viryam is His capacity to create, sustain and dissolve this universe. By invoking Him as Viraḥ we get some Viryam to face the daily challenges that life unfolds before us everyday.

402. Śaktimatām śreṣthaḥ

The most powerful among the powerful.

(śaktimatām virincyādinām api śaktimatvāt, śaktimatām śreṣthaḥ)

The devatās are in charge of various activities. Lord Yama is the lord of death. Agni is the lord of fire. Varuna is lord of the waters. Indra is the lord of all the devatās. Even Indra offers salutations to Brahmājī, who is Hiraṇyagarbhaḥ and is the first-born (Prathamajaḥ). However, Isvara  is the One, who is the most powerful among all powerful beings including Brahmājī (Caturmukha Brahmā).

403. Dharmaḥ

The One, who supports in the form of order.

(sarvabhūtānām dhāraṇāt, dharmaḥ)

Dharma is that which supports and sustains in the absolute sense.

Kaṭhopaniṣad says – ‘The self (dharma) that you ask for is extremely subtle’ – ‘aṇur-eṣa dharmaḥ’ - Ka.Up.-I.1.2 (aṇur-eṣa dharmaḥ’ iti śruteḥ)

Dharma is also the basic order because of which this whole universe exists. The elements and the elementals behave/perform because of dharma. The solar system functions because of dharma, the planets do not deviate from the ororbits. The ocean does not grab the land mass. The sun shines. It rains when it has to rain. Air moves, so that we can breathe. The trees blossom and fruits. The cows give milk. The earth gives us its riches. Human beings interact with each other, one another because of dharma.

ii) Or, the One, adored through dharma told in the Śruti, Smṛti and Āgamas.

(dhramair-ārādhyata iti vā, dharmaḥ)

404. Dharama-viduttamaḥ

The greatest of knowers of dharma.

(śrutayaḥ smrtayaśca yasya ājñābhūtāḥ, sa eva sarvadharmavidām-uttamaḥ iti, dharmaviduttamaḥ)

Those who have studied the Śruti, Smṛti and Āgamas, know the do’s and the don’ts (dharma and adharma). They are called dharmavit or śāstravit. Their knowledge is derived from the śāstra/s. But Īśvara is dharmavit because He created dharma, rather He is manifest through dharma. That is how, He is the greatest among all the knowers of dharma (dharmaviduttamaḥ).

व- कुंठः पुरुषः प्राणः प्राणदः प्रणवः पृथुः ।
हिरण्यगर्- भः शत्रुघ्नो व्याप्तो वायुरधोक्ष- जः ।। 44।।
 

405. Vaikuṇṭhaḥ

The One, who has no obstacles.

The word can also mean one who is without any limitation or opposing factor.

The bringing together of the diversified categories is vaikuṇṭhaḥ. He who is the agent of it is Vaikuṇṭhaḥ. There is this verse:

‘mayā samśleṣitā bhūmir adbhir-vyoma ca vāyunā |

‘vāyuśca tejasā sārdham vaikuṇṭhatvam tato mama ||

- Mahābhārata Śānti Parva-342.80

Meaning ‘I united with water, the sky with air, and the air with fire. So I have got the status of Vaikuṇṭha.’

(vividhā kuṇṭhā gateḥ pratihatiḥ vikuṇṭhā; vikuṇṭhāyāḥ karteti, vaikuṇṭhaḥ | jagad-ārambhe viśliṣṭāni bhūtāni parasparam samśleṣayan teṣām gatim pratibadhnāti iti |

ii) Or, The cause of all obstacles.

406. Puruṣaḥ (also 14)

The destroyer of pāpa.

(sarvapāpasya sādanāt, puruṣaḥ)

The One who can efface all sins. Bṛhadāraṇyaka says - ‘He existed before everything. He reduced all sins to ashes. Thus, He is puruṣa’ - sa yat pūrvo’smāt sarvān pāpmana auṣat, tasmāt puruṣaḥ.

ii) Or, the One, who resides in the body (pura). Bṛhadāraṇyaka says - “He lies in all bodies (pura) – sa vā ayam puruṣaḥ sarvāsu pūrṣu puriśayaḥ’ - Bṛ.Up.- II.5.18.

(puri śayanād vā, puruṣaḥ | ‘sa vā ayam puruṣaḥ sarvāsu pūrṣu puriśayaḥ’ iti śruteḥ)

407. Prāṇaḥ (also 66, 320)

The One, in the form of life.

The One, who breathes in the body as the knower in the body (kṣetrajñaḥ). (prāṇiti kṣetrajñarūpeṇa prāṇātmanā ceṣṭayan vā, prāṇaḥ)

ii) Or, the One who functions in the form of vital force (prāṇa). As the breath, He makes all the organs function. Viṣṇu Purāṇa says - ‘He functions in the form of life-giving force’ called ‘prāṇa’ – ceṣṭām karoti śvasana-rūpī’.

408. Prāṇadaḥ (also 65, 321, 956)

The giver of prāṇa.

(sṛṣṭyādau sarvaprāṇinām antaryāmitayā prāṇān dadāti iti, prāṇadaḥ)

ii) He is also the One, who takes away the prāṇa of beings during dissolution (pralaya).

(khaṇḍayati prāṇinām prāṇān pralayādiṣu iti, prāṇadaḥ)

409. Praṇavaḥ

The One, prostrated by everyone.

(praṇauti iti praṇavaḥ | tasmāt-om-iti praṇauti’ iti śruteḥ | praṇamyate iti vā praṇavaḥ)

The One, who is praised, or to whom prostration is made with Om. Praṇavaḥ is Oṃkāra. Prostration is made with Om - om iti praṇauti. Sanantkumāra says – the Vedas prostrate to Him, so He is called Praṇavaḥ ‘praṇamanti (pra-namanti)  ha vai vedās-tasmāt praṇava ucyate’

410. Pṛthuḥ

The One, who has expanded Himself as the universe (prapañca)

(prapañcarūpeṇa- vistṛtatvāt, pṛthuḥ)

411. Hiraṇyagarbhaḥ (also 70)

The One, who has gold-like knowledge in Him.

(hiraṇyam jñānam garbhe yasya iti, hiraṇyagarbhaḥ)

412. Śatrughnaḥ

The destroyer of enemies.

The One, who destroys the enemies of the devas.

(tridaśa-śatrūn hanti-iti, śatrughnaḥ)

413. Vyāptaḥ

The all-pervasive.

He is the One, who as the cause, pervades all effects[6].

(kāraṇatvena sarvakāryāṇām vyāpanāt, vyāptaḥ)

414. Vāyuḥ

The carrier fragrance.

He is the One, who is the cause of fragrance. He declares in the Bhagavadgītā - ‘I am the sweet fragrance in the earth’ – puṇyo gandhaḥ pṛthivyāṃ ca - Bh.Gī.-VII.9

(vāti gandham karoti iti, vāyuḥ | puṇyo gandhaḥ pṛthivyāṃ ca’- iti bhagavat-vacanāt)

415. Adhokṣajaḥ

The One, who does not decline.

He is adhokṣajaḥ because He undergoes no degeneration from His original nature’ - adho na kṣiyate jātu yasmāt, tasmāt adhokṣajaḥ’ – Mahābhārata Udyoga Parva - 70.10)

ii) Or, One, who manifests as the Cosmic Being (Virāṭ) between the sky (akāśa) and the region below (pṛthivī).

iii) Or, One who is known when the sense-organs (akṣas) are turned inward. There is a verse –

adhobhūte hyakṣagaṇe pratyag rūpa pravāhite |

jayate tasya vai jnānam tena’dhokṣaja ucyate ||

Meaning - ‘when the sense-organs are made inward-looking, the knowledge of the Lord arises. Thus, He is called adhokṣajaḥ.

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Sw- āminī 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.