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 The 8th Naamam of SrI VenkatEsA AshtOttharam
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 SAASVATHAAYA NAMA : = SALUTATIONS TO THE LORD WHO IS ETERNAL , EVERLASTING , UNDECAYING AND IMPERISHABLE!

 Additional Comments
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 SrI NaarAyana anuvAkam recognizes Him as Saasvathan :

 " Pathim visvasya AthmEswaram SAASVATHAM  Sivam Achyutham".

 The name derives from "Sasvath" meaning eternal, everlasting and Perpetual. Saasavthan is One , who is undecaying , eternal Para Brahmam , SrIman NarAyaNa- Venkatesan.He is "SasvacchAnthi:" (Eternal Tranquility ). "Sasvath bhava : aNN " is the derivation for "Saasvatha:". SrImath RamAyaNam refers to the "Saasvathi SamA: " (eternal  years).

 The Rg Vedic reference to the eternal existence of the Lord (Sasvath) is seen in three Rg Veda manthrams as the antharyAmi of Agni burning up adversities in Life (Rg.X.69.11, X.70.3) ) the eternal dawn going on  forever without death or decay ( Rg.I.113.13). All of these manthrams start with the Powerful word "Sasvath" and HAVE CONNECTION TO THE SALUTATION " SaasvathAya  Nama: ). His eternal presence in creation , sustenance  and destruction is inferred from these and other  manthrams.

 We will focus briefly on MahA NaarAyaNOpanishad for PramANams on the Akshara Brahmam , the Tatthvam behind the 8th nAmam, "  SaasvathAya nama: " .

 1) "YadhaksharE ParamE prajA:"-- Manthram 3

 ( He is the eternal and Imperishable One in whom all creatures abide.This manthram recognizes the Lord as Saasvathan being Sarva Seshi, the Self-supporting Ultimate Akshara Brahman).

 2) "yadEkam avyaktham anantha Roopam Visvam PurANam Tamasa: ParasthAth" ...Mantram 5 , utthara Paadham ( Our Lord's becoming the manifold universe of limitless variety and multiplicity is referred  to here and He is recognized as the older than  the oldest and eternal).

 This Upanishad salutes Him as the eternal web and woof of creation , as the eternal friend , parent and commander of the Jeevans , as remover of obstacles for Higher knowledge about Him , as immanent and transcendental Lord who is forever present .

 In the tenth chapter of Bhagavath GitA , ArjunA acknowledges and salutes the ETERNAL (SAASVATHAN ) PARABRAHAM this way:

 Param Brahma Param DhAma Pavithram Parmam BhavAn
 Purusham SAASVATHAM dhivyAn AadhidEvam ajam Vibhum

 aahusthvAm Rushaya: sarvE Devarshi: NaaradhastaTA
 AsithO DevalO VyAsa: Svayam chaiva BravIshi mE

 --Bhagavath GitA": 10.12& 13

 " You are Supreme Brahman , the Supreme Light and  the Supreme Sanctifier. All the Sages proclaim You
  as THE ETERNAL . DIVINE PERSON , THE PRIMAL LORD , THE UNBORN AND ALL-PERVADING . So also proclaim the divine sages, Asita, Deavala and VyAsa. You Yourself also proclaim this ".The last reference to Bhagavath  Vaakyam are two passages in Bhagavath GitA ( 7.4 and 10.8).

 The Rishis are " parAvara Tatthva YATAmya vidha: " Rishis are the true knowers of the reality of the highest truth (Yourself) and the lower truth (Individual souls). They speak in unison about You as the eternal , divine Purushan and as the principal Lord of ChEthanams , Achethanams and Prakruthi.

 These are some of the meanings relating to the 8th AshtOtthar Satha NaamA of Sri VenkatEsan.

 Other Comments
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 We focused so far on the Rg Vedic , Upanishadic and Smruthi (Bhagavath GitA ) connotations of the 8th naamam so far.

 This 8th name appears THRICE in SrI VishNu Sahasra Naama SthOthram ( 57th, 121st and 633rd Naamams).

 We will now study Swamy PrAsara Bhattar's comments on this all powerful Naamam as it appears at the three different sections of SrI VishNu Sahasra Naamam..

 The 57th VishNu Sahasra Naamam
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  "agrAhya: SAASVATHA: KrishNO LOhithAksha: Pratardhana:"  is the context , where the salutation , "SaasvathAya Nama: "  occurs.

 Swamy ParAsara Bhattar comments: " yEvam Saasvatha: , anavarata -Jagadh-vyApaara pravathvEna Nithya: (He is Eternal/Saasvatha: because of the uninterrupted  activities pertaining to the world such as its Creation, Sustenance and Dissolution ).

 This intrepretation is based on the VishNu PurANa SlOkam (1.2.26) referring to the Lord's ceaseless activities pertaining to Srushti (Creation ), STithi (Sustenance) and antha: ( end) of the world and its beings .

 The 121st VishNu Sahasra Naamam: "Saasvatha: STANu "
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 The 121st and 122nd naamAs are joined above by Bhattar to give the meaning of One , who is Eternal and Steady . Bhattar compares our "AparyAptha Amrutham " ( Our Lord ) to the other ordinary nectar , which rejuvenates one and makes them live "forever". Bhattar points out our Lord as SAASVATHAN IS DIFFERENT from this nectar churned out of the Milky Ocean this way:

 " The nectar, which is the essence of the Ocean is known as such because of its having just a little of the above-mentioned power. But BhagavAn is different from it , because He is Saasvathan and STANu (eternal and steady). By Himself He is Eternal and can not be taken away from those , who are enjoying Him .He is the object of enjoyment to those , who never think of returning to the world of mortals for rebirths. That other nectar ( obtained from the Ocean) is not only transitory , but can be taken only once."

 The 633rd VishNu Sahasra Naamam : "Saasvatha: STira:"
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 "Saasvatha: appears for the third time in SrI VishNu Sahasra Naamam and this time it is coupled with the next nAmam , " STira:" (SAASVATHA: STIRA: ). Niruktha , which explains the meanings and the significance of the Vedic words observes in this context: " BhimBha-AakruthyA AathmanA BhimBhE STitha: syAth " Saasvatha: STira:). Niruktha follows the above paasage form Saathva SamhithA of PaancharAthram Text , which means : " He assumes the various forms of the images ,which continue to exist for ever and which are directly perceptible to the eyes at all times. Our Lord as "Saasvatha-STiran " assumes a form similar to that of the consecrated image , enters into it and remains there". ArchA form of the Lord is celebrated here.

 The Saasvathathvam , STANuthvam and STirathvam are individually and collectively celebrated by Swamy ParAsara Bhattar in his commnetary for the three VishNU Sahasra Naamams relating to the 8th SrI VenkatEsa Sahasra Naamam of "SaasvathAya Nama: ".




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