SrImate SrI ra'nga rAmAnuja mahA deSikAya namaH.
SrI vishNu sahasra nAmam - phala Sruti - Part 2.
bhaktimAn yah sadotthAya Sucis_tad-gata mAnasaH |
sahasram vAasudevasya nAmnAm etat prakIrtayet || (5)
SrI BhaTTar groups the four Sloka-s, 5 to 8, as a statement of the
benefits accruing to a devotee (bhakta) who recites the nAma-s as a
japa (chanting) in accordance with the rules laid down for the
same. SrI BhaTTar's words are: "atha niyama viSeshavat japa rUpa
sa'nkIrtane bhaktasya sarva samRddhim Aha".
>From the previous two Sloka-s, it is noted that the act of chanting ?
either aloud or in a whisper or in the mind, or just listening to
others chanting the stotram, leads to benefits, either explicitly
desired and sought, or those consistent with the varNa dharma-s of
the one who chants or listens to the stotram. Now vyAsa points out
that if a person gets up early in the morning, purifies himself with
a bath and the observance of the rites and rituals consistent with
his dharma as laid down in the SAstra-s (according to his varNa and
ASrama), and recites the thousand nAma-s of vAsudeva with his mind
firmly fixed on Him, he will be bestowed with salvation itself
(anuttamam Sreyah prApnoti ? Slokam 6).
SrI Sa'nkara's vyAkhyAnam is: "bhaktimAn ityAdinA bhaktimatah Suceh
satatam udyuktasyaikAgra cittasya SraddhAlorviSishTAdhikAriNah phala
viSesham darSayati" ? The special benefits accruing to one who is
devout, pure, ever persevering with one-pointed attentive meditation,
and with faith, are revealed next.
SrI rAdhAkRshNa SAstri notes that the benefis stated next are those
that accrue to one who has single-minded devotion to vAsudeva,
meditates on him constantly, is pure in thought, word and deed, and
chants the thousand nAma-s of vAsudeva as laid down in this Slokam.
In order to reinforce the thoughts embedded in this Slokam, let us
look at the individual meanings of a few words in the Slokam:
- bhaktimAn ? A devotee. Specifically, it refers to the
devotee of vAsudeva (vAsudevasya nAmnAm). Single-minded devotion is
of importance here, as noted in the above. anya devatA worship ?
resort to other devatA-s, is to be avoided.
- sadA utthAya ? always getting up early in the morning.
- Sucih ? Purifies himself. The purity referred to is both
external and internal. The external purity involves taking a bath
etc. The other aspects of purification involved here are the strict
observance of nitya karma-s as laid down in the SAstra-s for the
devotee ? the varNASrama dharma-s. Our AcArya-s repeatedly emphasize
that any activity undertaken without observing the nitya karma-s will
end up as wasted effort.
- tad-gata-mAnasaH ? The mind of the devotee should be
concentrated on bhagavAn vAsudeva. This is a re-emphasis on the
single-minded devotion to vAsudeva that was mentioned
under `bhaktimAn'.
- prakIrtayet ? kIrtana specifically refers to chanting,
recitation.
The specific benefits that such a devotee will attain are specified
in the next three Sloka-s:
yaSah prApnoti vipulam j~nAti prAdhAnyameva ca |
acalAm Sriyam Apnoti Sreyah prApnoty_anuttamam || (6)
na bhayam kvacit Apnoti vIryam tejaSca vindati |
bhavaty_arogo dyutimAn bala rUpa guNanvitah || (7)
rogArto mucyate rogAt baddho mucyeta bandhanAt |
bhayAn mucyeta bhItastu mucyrtApanna ApadaH || (8)
SrI BhaTTar has given his interpretation for the above Sloka-s in two
short sentences ? "anuttamam Sreyah ? muktih | anye abhyudaya
viSeshAh ||" - `anuttamam Sreyah in Slokam 6 means `salvation';
all the other fruits mentioned are fruits of success in this world'.
Prof. Srinivasa Raghavan has given the following translation for the
above Sloka-s:
"He becomes endowed with great reputation and becomes the foremost
among his kith and kin. He acquires wealth that never diminishes in
this world, and he also gets unexcelled prosperity in the next
(namely, salvation).
"There is no fear for him from any quarters. He acquires valor and
power. He is never unwell, and always shines. He becomes endowed
with strength, a healthy body, and noble qualities.
"He who is suffering from any disease will get over it. He who is in
bondage will be relieved of it. He who is affected by fear will
become free from it, and he who is in difficulties will become rid of
them".
SrI Sa'nkara also does not comment on the above Sloka-s. The idea is
that both SrI BhaTTar and SrI Sa'nkara consider that the meaning is
self-explanatory.
The most important benefit is the one that SrI BhaTTar has commented
on ? anuttamam Sreyah ? moksham. The other benefits can all be
understood as aid to this most important, and in fact the only phalan
that such a devotee will aspire for. Thus, for instance, being rid
of fear in this world can be understood as the full confidence that
bhagavAn will definitely redeem us from the ocean of samsAra at the
end of our current birth in this world, - mahA viSvAsam; acalAm
Sriyam ? undiminished wealth in this world ? the opportunity and
blessing to be involved in kai'nkaryam to Him always ? the ka'inkarya
SrI; rogArto mucyate rogAt ? the devotee will be rid of the greatest
of diseases, namely attachment to the worldly and materialistic
objects of this life, and, above all, the attachment to this body and
to all the things associated with the body; bhayAn mucyeta bhItah ?
the devotee will be rid of the greatest of all fears ? the fear of
repeated births, the fear of samsAra; yaSah prApnoti ? the devotee
will be known for his single-minded devotion to vAsudeva, as his
greatest accomplishment; dyutimAn, tejaSca vindati ? the tejas of
such a devotee will be self-revealing, as we can feel in the presence
of our AcArya-s.
-dAsan kRshNamAcAryan
(To be continued)
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