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Sri Venkateswara Ashtotthram 

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Thiruttankaa Dheepa Prakaasan
 The 24th Naamam of SrI VenkatEsa AshtOttharam:
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 Param-jyOthishayE Nama:

 This SrI VenkatEsa Naamam is connected with the following SrI VishNu Sahasra Naamams(VSN): (1) JyOthi:( VSN 881), (2) JyOthir-Adhitya:(VSN 569) , (3) JyOthir-gaNEswara:(VSN 625).

 Meaning of NamaAm
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 Salutation to the Lord of Sapthagiri , who is the Supreme Radiance.

 Additional Comments on the Param JyOthi Tatthvam
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 The PaancharAthra Samhithais declare that Six essential/ principal attributes define Brahman: (1) Jn~Ana/Knowledge  (2)Sakthi/Power (3) Bala/Strength (4)Isvarya /Lordship  (5)Veerya ( Energy)and (6) TEJAS/Spelendour.

 Among the above principal attributes , the sixth one (Tejas) is the closest to the 24th NaamA of SrI Venkatesan : ParamjyOthi . Tejas is the asAdharana dharmam that is the closest to " Param JyOthi" svarUpam (distinguishing characterestrics) of BhagavAn VenkatEsan . Although the general meaning of Tejas is splendour and parAkramam without dependence on any other "external aids", the particular/literal meaning is lustre as defined by Mundaka Upanishad:

  na tatra sooryO bhAti , na chandra-tArakAm
  nEmA vidhyuthO bhanthi kuthOyamagni:
  TamEva bhAntham-anubhAti sarvam
  Tasya bhAsA SARVAMIDHAM vibhAti

 ---Mundaka Upanishad: II.2.10

 (Meaning): " There the Sun does not shine, nor the Moon , the Stars; there lightning also does not shine--how then (can) this earthly fire (Agni)?Verily everything shines as a result of  Him , who shines.This whole world is illumined with His light (Supreme radaiance/Param JyOthi).

 He is the "JyOthir-gaNEswaran" (i-e)., He is the Lord of innumerable lustrous deities like the Sun and the Moon . " agnir-moordhnA chakshushi chandra-sooryou " declares another MuNDaka Upanishad passage . The infinite (VirAt svaroopam )in terms of finite , Param Jyothi Tatthvam of the Lord is saluted here: " (the radiance of ) Heaven is His head and His eyes are the Sun and the Moon.

 He is " dhivyAsccharya JyOthirmayan , apoorva jyOthi " before whose effulgence the radiance of the Sun pales . Although He gives the power of luminescence to Sun , that is no comparison to His Supreme JyOthi .Sun's radiance is a small part of His Param JyOthi.

 This JyOthi ( VSN 881) is equated by Swamy ParAsara Bhattar with "archi" ( the domain of light, SrI Vaikuntam ), reached by the Muktha Jeevans by ArchirAdhi maargam . Following this line of thought ,  the  next SrI VenkatEsa AshtOtthara Naamam takes the form of " VaikuntapathayE Nama: ".

 Param JyOthi Tatthvam is DhIpa PrakAsa Tatthvam that is well saluted by Rg Vedam through five different manthrams. The deep meanings of "Param JyOthi " Tatthvam saluted by the Rg veda Manthrams ( 9.86.20, 3.39.8 , 3.39.7 ,1.136.6 , 8.58.3, 8.58.3). They are covered in the postings on SrI SaraNAgathi DhIpikai archived in the Oppiliappan List .

 The JyOthirutthaman that is resplendent on the top of the Seven Hills and who is visible to our physical eyes is the Param JyOthi that is visible to Nithya Sooris and Muktha Jeevans in SrI Vaikuntam .NaarAyaNAnuvAkam salutes His ParamjyOthi Svaroopam as: " NaarAyaNa ParO jyOthi: Atmaa NaarAyaNa: Para: ".

 Swamy NammAzhwAr in his moving ThiruvAimozhi Paasuram ( 3.1.3) salutes the Lord of Supreme effulgence this way:

 ParamjOthi   nee ParamAi ninrigazhandu pin-maRROr
 ParamjOthi   inmayin padiyOvi nigazhginRa
 ParamjOthi  ninnuLLe padarulagam padaittha , em
 ParamjOthi ! GOVINDA !  paNpuraikka mAttEnE

 (Meaning ): " Oh Superb Effulgence ! There is none to excel You. Even this tribute looks empty , when I recall how people are prone to praise things. One thing is beyond dispute. Just a fraction of Your divine will (Sankalpa) could create all the worlds. You wrought the entire universe out of Yourself , yet You are not equivalent to the created work. Its vices and maladies can not taint You. How am I to recount Your auspicious qualities ? "




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