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Oppiliappan List Archive: Message 00039 Nov 2006

 
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        SrImate SrI ra'nga rAmAnuja mahA deSikAya namaH.

            SrI vishNu sahasra nAmam - Slokam 107 - 
        nAma-s 996, 997. SAr'nga-dhanvA, gadA-dharaH.

996. SAr'nga dhanvA ? He Who has the bow named SAr'nga.

om SAr'nga-dhanvane namaH.

SAr'ngam dhanuH asya iti SAr'nga-dhanvA ? He Who has the bow by name 
SAr'nga.  The word SAr'nga can be derived from the root "SRR ? 
himsAyAm ? to tear to pieces, to hurt, to kill.  The word dhanush is 
derived from the root dhan ? Sabde ? to sound.  

SrI BhaTTar describes the greatness of the SAr'nga bow as one that is 
capable of destroying not only the evil forces, but even the names 
and status of the enemies, by a mere twang (the sound caused by the 
vibration of the chord of the bow) echoing in a powerful and fiery 
manner.  Added to this is the power of the sharp arrows issuing out 
of the bow.  Note SrI BhaTTar's anubhavam that the SAr'nga dhanus 
destroys its enemies in two ways: by the sound that emanates when its 
chord is plucked, and the shower of arrows issuing from it ? jyAgosha 
Sara-varsha nASita.  The sound emanating from the string of the bow 
rejuvenates the ASrita-s and shatters the will of the enemies.  

SrImad SrImushNam ANDavan reminds us of ANDAL's pASuram singing the 
glory of the SAr'nga dhanus, in her pASuram ? Azhi pOl minni, valam 
puri pOl ninRu adirndu tAzhAdE SAr'ngam udaitta Sara mazhai pOl vAzh 
ulaginil peidiDAi. (tiruppAvai 4) ? an appeal to the Rain-god to 
shower rain like the shower of arrows that shoot out from SAr'nga, 
the divine bow in the Lord's hands.  Note that instead of comparing 
the shower of arrows to the rain, ANDAL compares the rain to the 
shower of arrows, meaning that the rain can only try to match the 
shower of arrows shooting out from the SAr'nga bow.  For ANDAL, the 
profuse and ceaseless shower of arrows from His bow is the known 
(upamAna), and the shower of rain becomes only the upameyam.   

SrI kRshNa datta bhAradvAj refers to the great sound of the bow as 
described in SrImad bhAgavatam ? "dhanuSca SAr'ngam 
stanayitnughosham" (8.20.30) -  The SAr'nga bow that makes the sound 
that resembles thunder.

Sri Sa'nkara's explanation is: indriyAdi aha'nkAra Atmakam SAr'ngam 
nAma dhanuH asya asti iti SAr'nga-dhanvA ? He has the bow called 
SAr'nga, representing the senses and egotism (aha'nkAra).

SrI cinmayAnanda explains the nAma as: " "One Who aims His unerring 
Bow called SAr'nga".  He continues:  "This bow of nArAyaNa is 
glorified in our texts as representing the Ego, as the apex of all 
the sense organs, aha'nkAra-tattva.  In this concluding stanza, the 
instruments of Blessing in Sree nArAyaNa's hands are remembered with 
reverence and devotion.".

SrI baladeva vidyAbhUshaN explains the nAma as ? kriyA tattvam 
SAr'ngam dhanuH asya iti SAr'nga-dhanvA  - He Who bears the bow by 
name SAr'nga that represents the kriyA tattvam.

997. gadA-dharaH ? He Who bears the Mace.

om gadA-dharAya namaH.

gada ? vyaktAyAm vAci ? to speak.  gadati ? Sabdam karoti iti gadA ? 
that which generates sound is gadA.  dhara is derived from dhR'nj ? 
dhAraNe ? to hold, to bear, to support.  gadAyAH dharaH gadA-dharaH ? 
He Who holds or bears the mace.  BhagavAn's Mace is called 
kaumodakI.  SrI BhaTTar describes the kaumodakI as the `queen of 
maces, that gives Him pleasure and that emits flames all around like 
the fire at the final dissolution of all the worlds".  SrI vAsishTha 
compares the sound that emanates from the kaumodakI to the sound that 
one hears from the thunders.     

SrI rAdhAkRshNa SAstri relates the incident of the destruction of 
kANDa vanam by arjuna with the help of kRshNa.  At that time, the 
kaumodakI was given as a gift by varuNa to kRshNa, according to a 
description in mahA bhArata.  He also gives another derivation for 
the nAma:  kumudaH is One Who rejoices in the company of Bhumi devi.  
kumodakaH is One Who makes the earth happy.  KaumodakI is that which 
belongs to Him ? kumodakasya idam.

The vishNu purANa description given at the beginning of this Sloka 
attributes the buddhi tattva with the gadA, and SrI Sa'nkara gives 
his interpretation according to the vishNu purANam ? buddhi-
tattvAtmikAm kaumodakI nAma gadAm vahan gadA-dharaH ? The Bearer of 
the club called kaumodakI representing the principle of intellect.  

SrI kRshNa datta bhAradvAj gives reference to SrImad bhAgavatam:  
kaumodakI vishNu gadA tarasvinI (8.20.31) -    vishNu's gadA that has 
enormous strength.

-dAsan kRshNamAcAryan
(To be continued)




 
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