Dear Sri MGV,
Incidentally the ThriuvAimozhip pAsuram
'vAikuntha maNivANNAnEa en pollAth ThriukkuRaLA ennuL
manni,
..sei-kuntha varum thEmai
vun aDiyArkkuth thErthu , asurarkkuth thEamigaL sei kunthA.."
2-6-1;
Interestingly, the term kunthA occurs
fthree times in this pAsuram.
THE EDU
1. VaikunthA -mEanmaiyaich sollugiRAdhu. The LOrd's majetsic state at
Paramapadham is indicated. ' nithya vibhUdhiukthan thammuDan
vandhu kalandhAn '
enRu hrshtarAgiRAr ennumidam
thORRugiRadhu.
2. sei-kunthA -seiyappattu kadakka
aridhAya pApangaL. The kArmic effects which are difficult to get crossed
over.
3. asurarkuth thEmai sei-kunthA -
that is the Lord who creates hurdles for the demons. Here the kunthA is taken as
idaik kuRai that
is 'kurundham 's is taken as kuntham. This
flower is white and EmperumAn is likened to the pure
whiteness.
Otherwise,the name is also derived from
the terms 'kumudha-kundhara-kundha: Asridha
paksha pAdhiyAna vunnai.
The highlight of the VyAkyAnam is the
following line. The macro thoughts on these three words are succinctly
summarised here. The vyAkyAna karthA's greatness sparkles here. It again goes to
prove that our vyAkyAnam-s are not just meanings but a menainigful coherent
thought process both in a micro and macro level.
vaikunthA enRu mEanmaiyaic sollithu; maNivaNNA enRu -vadivazhagu sollithu; en-pollAth ThriukkuRaLA enRu saulabhyam sollithu;
immUnRum
kUDinadhAyiThu parathvamAVadhu.
By the term VaikunthA Greatness is
mentioned. The term ManivANNA refers to the beauty and pollAth ThriukkuRALA
indicates saulabhyam.
The combination of these three
qualities go into the making of Supremacy.
svAmi NampiLLai
thiruvadigaLEa charaNam.
adiyEan
dAsan
vanamamalai
padmanabhan
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Tuesday, March 21, 2006 4:31
PM
Subject: [Oppiliappan] re types of
dharmam 1
Dear sri sukumar swamin and sri vaishNava
perunthagaiyeer,
I always admire the way sri sukumar puts his points
across. Here also he raised a point on the difference between vaikunta
and brahma.
In the srivaishNava sampradhaaya or tradition, the supreme
lord is always referred / mentioned as para-brahma, and not simply
'brahma'.
For sri vaishNavas, brahma is the four faced brahma [chathur
mukha brahma], or prajapathi the creator who is parabrahma's first creation
[re naanmugan thiruvandhadhi posts by Smt. Sumithra] [except in sri vishNu
sahasra naamam].
Now considering the naama "Om vaikunTaaya nama:" as in
sri vishNu sahsra naamam, this is a special one - please refer naama no. 406
occurring in slokam 44
Quote from sri krishNamachari swamin's sri
vishNu sahasra naamam commentary [available in web site] 406.
vaikunThah Remover of obstacles (to union). om vaikunThAya
namah. SrI BhaTTar derives the meaning from the root kuThi gati praghAte -
obstructing the path. Thus kunThA signifies the obstacles to union.
vaikunTha-s are those whose obstacles have been removed. The obstacles to
bhagavAn are sins. He is the remover of sins, and so He is called vaikunTha.
SrI rAdhAkRshNa SAstri explains the nAma as vigatA kunThA tasyAh kartA
- One who regulates those that tend to go their own way if left unobstructed.
At the beginning of the earth, when the pa~nca bhUta-s tended to expand
uncontrolled without uniting with each other, bhagavAn controlled this and
made them co-exist through union with other.
SrI Sankara and SrI
BhaTTar both quote the following Sloka from mahA bhAratain support of the
concept that bhagavAn brings about the union of seemingly incompatible things:
"mayA samSleshitA bhUmih adbhir-vyoma ca vAyunA | vAyuSca tejasA
sArdham viakunThatvam tato mama || (SAnti343-50) "By me the earth was
united with water, ether with air, and air with fire. So I am called
viakunTha".
He is vaikunThah also because He removes all obstacles to
attaining Him for His devotees, and unites them with Him (SrI P.B.
aNNa~ngarAcArya).
SrI satyadevo vASishTha explains that One for whom
all obstacles or obstructions (kunThA) have been removed is vaikunTha. Or One
who removes all obstacles is vaikunTha also.
SrI rAdhAkRshNa SAstri
gives yet another explanation. bhagavAn is called vaikunThah because He was
born to Subhra and vikunThA in the fifth manvantara. He then married ramA and
acceded to her request to create a place for her enjoyment, and this place was
called vaikunTha. He Himself is this vaikunTha. This is supported by vishNu
purANa 3.2.41 and bhAgavata 8.5.4-5.
The dharma cakram writer takes
the interpretation to a level where it applies to lives of individuals for
whom He removed the obstacles facing them from attaining Him and united them
with Him. The cases of prahlAda, paraSurAma, karNa, hariScandra, vAli, etc.
are given as examples. -- Unquote.
MGV: In the dictionary, if you see,
the word vaikunta has meanings -
* name of
Vishnu * The
abode of Vishnu located on the north and east of meru the mountain.
So vaikunta means the supreme lord vishNu as well as his abode.
MGV: To take up next the naamam 'VishNu:' required by sri sukumar -
again from same web site - naama no. 2 occurring in slokam 1 of sri vishNu
sahasra naamam - Meaning: 1. One who permeates everything, is
inside every sentient and non-sentient being. 2. One who surrounds
everything.
Om vishNave namah. This nAma occurs again as nAma-s 259
and 663.
This nAma can be derived from the root vish - vyAptau - to
pervade, or vis - praveSane - to enter. SrI BhaTTar's vyAkhyAnam is - sva
vibhUti bhUtam cit acit Atmakam sarvam viSati iti vishNuh. The idea is that
keSava exists everywhere and permeates everything that is His Wealth; He is
unlimited by space, time, and substance (SrI SaMkara); He pervades the whole
universe internally and externally.
SrI BhaTTar gives the following
references in support. viveSa bhUtAni carAcarANi - He entered all beings,
movable and immovable tat srshtvA | tadevAnuprAvisat - Having created it,
He entered into the same.
"vyApya sarvAn imAn lokAn sthitah sarvatra
kesava: | tatasca vishNu nAmAsi viserdhAto: pravesanAt || "KeSava
exists everywhere having pervaded all these worlds. Therefore His name is
VishNu since the root viS denotes entry i.e., pervasion".
Under nAma
259, SrI BhaTTar explains vyApti (pervasion) further, and explains the
relation between bhagavAn and the jIva-s as of the nature of the relation
between fire and smoke. When there is smoke, there is fire, but the reverse is
not always true (as in the case of a red hot iron rod). Thus, bhagavan and the
jIva-s are related in the sense that without bhagavAn the jIva-s do not exist.
The supreme Person and the jIva-s are never identical, but there is
inseparable connection between bhagavAn and the rest. He is greater by virtue
of the diverse kinds of help He renders to all who are of a lower order.
SrI BhaTTar refers us to the gItA - na tadasti vinA yat syAt mayA
bhUtam carAcaram (10.39) - "There is no object, moving or non-moving, which
can exist without Me".
Another anubhavam of this guNa of vyApti is
that it is not just the fact that He is in everything and in inseparably bound
to everything, but it is one of His showering everything with His infinite
Mercy (SrI v.v. rAmAnujan). His sauSIlyam is to be enjoyed here. SrI
kRshNa datta bhAradvAj derives the meaning from the root vishu - secane - to
sprinkle, to pour out; veshati (si'ncati) bhakta tarUn ASIrvArIbhih iti
vishNuh.
nammAzhvAr declares: "tiDaviSumberivaLi nIr nilamivaimiSai
paDar poruL muzhuvadumAi avai avai torum uDan miSai uyir enak karandu
e'ngum paranduLan" (tiruvAimozhi 1.1.7) The Lord created the five elements,
and from them He created all others. Indeed He became all others. He pervades
everything in and out. He is the Soul for the body of everything and every
being. The term "He enters all the worlds" should be understood as "He enters
everything in all the worlds".
SrI rAdhAkRshNa SAstri gives another
view of the reason why bhagavAn has pervaded everything. It is for the purpose
of ensuring that everything is in its designated and assigned place, and
things don't come into collision with each other, for example, the different
planets and constellations etc. He quotes from the taittirIya AraNyaka,
wherein first the question is asked - keneme vidhRte ubhe - "Who is keeping
the two things from colliding with each other?", and responds: vishNunA
vidhRte bhumI; iti vatsasya vetanA - "vishNu is the One who is supporting them
with His Sakit; this is the finding of sage vatsa".
SrI Samkara gives
the following supports for this nAma: antar bahiSca tat sarvam vyApya
nArAyaNah sthitah - (mahA nArAyaNa upa. 1.13) - nArAyaNa pervades the
whole universe externally and internally.
"yasmAd vishTam idam sarvam
tasya SaktyA mahAtmanah | tasmAd vishNuriti khyAto veSer dhAtoh praveSanAt
|| (vishNu purANam 3.1.45) "Because the whole world has been pervaded by
the energy of the great Self, He is named vishNu, from the root viS - to
enter or pervade."
vyApte me rodasI pArtha kAntiscApadhikA sthitA |
kramaNaccApyaham pArtha! VishNuriti abhisamgj~nita: || (mahAbhA.
350.43) "As I have pervaded the horizons, my glory stands foremost, and as
I have measured by my steps the three worlds, O Arjuna! I am named vishNu".
SrI anatakRshNa SAstri interprets the term kAnti here as referring to
His Effulgence - His radiance pervades the firmament and transcends it.
SrI BhaTTar has given the explanation of the nAma vishNu in terms of
His power of pervasion (Sakti) under nAma 663. He refers to the mantra about
bhagavAn: sarva SaktyAtmane - He, Who is the embodiment of all powers.
He also gives reference to the Slokam: "yasmAd vishTamidam sarvam tasya
SaktyA mahAtmanah." given earlier. As an instance of this Sakti, the
trivikrama incarnation is also cited - the smRti declares "vishNuh vikramaNAt
devah" - mahA bhA. udyoga. 5.68.13), a reference to His name being vishNu
because He measured the three worlds with His steps.
SrI v.v.
rAmAnujan gives reference to nammAzhvAr's praise of His Sakti: "ennaik
koNDu en pAvam tannaiyum pARak kaittu emar Ezh ezhu piRappum mEvum tan
maiyamAkkinAn vallan empirAn en viTTuvE" (tiruvAi. 2.7.4) "He changed
me from a nitya samsAri to a nitya sUri; He exterminated all my sins, those of
my predecessors and my successors for several generations, so that all of us
have reformed to become His. Who did this? VishNu! He will do this because His
name implies all-pervasiveness".
SrI cinmayAnanda refers us to
ISAvAsya upanishad: ISAvAsyam idam sarvam yat ki'nca jagatyAm jagat -
Everything that exists in the universe is nothing but of the nature of the
Lord, and without Him nothing exists. He pervades everything, unlimited by
space, time, or substance.
SrI kRshNa datta bhAradvAj gives an
additional interpretation not found in other vyAkhyAna-s: vi + shNuh = vishNuh
- viSesheNa snAvayati prasrAvayati bhakta abhilAshAn iti vishNuh - He who
bestows the wishes of the devotees like a fountain. Note that the root from
which the second nAma is derived is the same as the root from which the first
nAma - viSvam - was derived. However, the interpretation is different. The
interpretation here is that BhagavAn has entered all beings - sentient and
non-sentient, that He has created. The meaning for the first nAma was that
bhagavAn is everything, the Absolute, full in all respects.
SrI v.v.
rAmAnujan nicely paraphrases the two nAma-s: "a'ngu pUrtiyil nOkku, I'ngu
vyAptiyil nOkku". - the first nAma emphasizes His Fullness and Perfection, and
the second nAma indicates that He permeates everything.
SrI
rAdhAkRshNa Sastri observes that meditation on the significance of the first
two nAma-s - namely that Lord vishNu is in everything around us and in every
one of us, and that without Him nothing exists, will lead us closer to a life
of peace, tranquility, ahimsA, and selfless service to Him.
Sri Surin,
in his commentary on amara KoSa, has given the following derivation for the
word VishNu - veveshti iti vishNu: - One who surrounds and envelops. This is
derived from the root word vesht - to surround (recall the word veshti in
Tamil for dhoti, which surrounds!).
MGV adds: Vishnu the term is
dissolved as " veveshti Vyaapnoti iti Vishnuh." He is the one and only one who
pervades all and nothing ever pervades him. The Greatest Dharma is the one
Vishnu, who has neither a beginning nor an end, the Lotus Eyed Supreme Lord of
the Universe. The "Cause" of the whole Universe is the Lord Vishnu and all the
effects are but expressions of the "Cause" Lord Vishnu.
Quote
continues: One interesting question that can be raised is: Given that the
stotram is called visNu sahasranAmam, why did Sri VyAsa not start the stotram
as vishNur viSvam vashatkAro, and instead chose to start it as viSvam vishNur
vashatkAro...? Based on the SrI BhaTTar's anubhavam, viSvam is the name
that symbolizes the primary attribute of the para form as one of shAdguNya
paripUrNatva, and vishnu and the following names then elaborate on the name or
the guNa represented by the name viSvam.
SrI satyadevo vAsishTha
rhetorically asks the question: If Lord vishNu is everywhere, in everything,
why is it that most of us don't see Him? The key is the SraddhA. SraddhayA
vindate vasuh - Rg veda. 10.151.4 SraddhayAgnih samidhyate SraddhayA hUyate
havih | SraddhAm bhagasya mUrdhani vacasA vedayAmasi (Rg.
10.151.1) SraddhAm prAtar havAmahe SraddhAm madhyam dinam pari |
SraddhAm sUryasya nimruci Sraddhe SraddhApayeha nah | (Rg. 10.151.5) He
who is endowed with the sAttavic disposition, or has developed it, keeps
seeing vishNu in everything around him all the time.
To summarize, -
the nAma vishNu refers to the guNa of bhagavAn in pervading everything He has
created, including all sentient and non-sentient objects from a blade of grass
to brahma; - His pervasion is because of His Sakti; in other words, He is the
power behind everything that exists; an instance of His Sakti is illustrated
by His measuring the three worlds with His Foot; - His vyApati is indicative
of the inseparable relation between Him and everything else outside Him, in
the sense that nothing exists without Him. - His pervasion of everything is of
the form of His enveloping and showering everything around Him with His Mercy.
It is not just His sausIlya that is indicated by this nAma; all His powers
including that of creation, sustenance, His Lordship, etc., are to be
understood by this nAma. - It is because of His pervasion of everything in
this universe that things (for example the constellations, the planets,
etc.)., are in their respective positions without colliding with each other. -
He is also called vishNu because He bestows the wishes of His devotees
profusely like a fountain. --- Unquote:
Since the length of the post
puts a restriction on me we will continue in next
post.
Dhasan Vasudevan M.G.
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