From: "V. Sadagopan" <75041.3037@compuserve.com> Sender: bhakti-errors@lists.best.com To: bhakti@lists.best.com Subject: 9th day of Danur Maasam: GovindhA's names--Part 2 Date: 22 Dec 96 18:32:08 EST Dear Govindha Premis : On this ninth day of Margazhi Month , We will continue to focus on the significance of the name GovindhA for the Lord . We shall continue with the insights provided by Sri S.KrishNa Iyengar of SummApatti . Earlier , we indicated that the name Govindha is renowned for its Vedic Connotations , just as the name GodhA . For instance , the name has been understood as " GObhi: Veda Vaakhthya: vEdyatE ithi Govinda : " (i-e)., He is the one that is understood by the Veda mantrAs . Another meaning for the name can be found in the statement : " SarvE vedA yadh padhamAmananthi ", (i-e) He is the one at whose lotus feet all the VedAs long to be at . Yet anothe r definition of the name of GovindhA is : Sarve VedA yathrai kam bhavanthi (i-e) ., The one in whom all the Vedas become happy through their union. Ka means Brahman in the Vedic terminology . The literal translation that the Vedas become Brahman suggests that they merge with Him as His svAsam . Such a Veda Purushan is Govindhan . In His own words , the GeethAcharyan has revealed that he is the one to be known by all of the Vedas ( Vedaisccha Sarvai : ahameva Vedha : ) . Govindhan is the reason for his name because all the praise/sthothram reach Him amd Him only . All archanAs like the one ArjunA did for Lord Siva arrived at His feet . This si indicated by the following verse : gowrevaishA tathaa vANi taam cha yath vindatE bhavAn I Govindasthu tathO Deva munibhi : kathyatE BhavAn II ( Meaning) : Gow : means all sounds or words or Vedic salutations. Since Govindhan receives all these salutations independent of whomever they are addressed to as eulogies , the sages declare Him to be Govindhan . In the Vaarthikam of PaNIni's suthrAs on grammar , it is said that the word GovindhA is the indicator or sign or code (SamjnA ) for Sriman NaarayaNA . Thirumazhisai has celebrarated the Sabdha Vaasyatvam of Govindhan this way : " SollinAl thodarchi nee, sollapadum poruLum nee" . There is nothing in this world that is outside His creation and they are linked together with Him as Sarira - Saariree tatvam . Even though there are thousands of names for Sriman NarAyaNA , the one name that is chosen unfailingly for Sankeerthanam is "GovindhAn ". The hills of Thirupathi echo with the sounds of "GovindhA , GovindhA " as Karpooratthi for Lord SrinivasA is made. In the lower Thirupathi , the Lord's name accordingly is GovindarAjan . One of the two key parts of the name Govindha is the gO sabdham. This sabdham has many meanings : (1) Moksham (2) speeding Arrow (3) ow (4) Divine speech (5) VajrA weapon (6) JnaankkaNN (7) sight (8) Flame/JwAlai (9) Bhumi (10) victory . The second part of the name Govindhan is Vindhan and the latter is derived from the root (DhAthu ) Vidh. This root has the following four meanings : (1) Arithal or Cognition (2 ) Adaithal or obtainment (3) Irutthal or being there and (4) Vicharitthal or inquiring . When the two roots are united to form the Govindha Naamam , it stands for the one who is the Moksha Pradhan ( One who can bless us with Moksham or release from the cycles of births and deaths ) or Veda Vedyan ( One who is understood by the manthrAs of the VedAs ) , one who gave the Vajra weapon to IndrA and who incarnated as the DasAvathara murthys . There are also additional meanings for the Govindha Naamam . One of the meanikngs of gO sabdham is Jyothi or resplendent flame. Unlike other flames , this flame is svayam Jyothi (NaarayaNa parO jyothi according to Vedam ) . That is why nammAzhwAr addresses Him as " Paramjyothi GovindhA " . GidhOpanishad and GodhOpanishad ******************************************* In the previous posting and this posting , we covered the many esoteric meanings of the name of the Lord's consort, GodhA and the Lord eulogised by the name of GovindhA . Their aruLiccheyalgaL ar eknown as GodhOpanishad and gitOpanishad respectively and are intended for our salvation . They practise Ekaseshithva Yogam . GodhA states in one of Her Upanishads ( Naacchiyar Thirumozhi ) : " uNbathu sollil ulagaLanthAn Vaaiamudham " . She was addressing the divine Panchajanyam (conch ) and asking about the nature of the taste of the Lord"s lips and mouth, where it rests during the time of battle . She herself guesses it and describes it in the above manner. The inner meaning of this Paasuram passage is : For the mind of the BhagavathAs , the most delectable and desirable item is the nectar that flowed form the Lord's lips and mouth as the Rahasya Trayam . The Taittiriya Prasnam states in this conrext : " EKAAKSHARAM DWIPADHAM SHATPADHAAM CHA VAACHAM DEVAA UPAJEEVANTHI VISWE VAACHAM DEVAA UPAJEEVANTHI VISWE" (I-E) ., Om is the Ekaksharam or PraNavam . The dwi padhams are the syllables "NamO " and NaarayaNAya ". This is the first rahasyam or Moola Manthram . The sacred Dvayam has six syllables and is the second rahasyam . This is known as the Manthra rathnam . The third Rahasyam is indicated by the letter cha in the above Upanishadic passage and stands for the Sarama skokam taught for the benefit of Arjuna and us by GeethAchAryan. These three rahasyams are the means for the life and the well being of all prapannAs ( SarvE devA ; Upajeevanthi ). By the Rahasya Traya anusandhAnuAnam , GodhA is very pleased with the PrapannAs as suggested by the Veda Mnathram : SaanO havam JushathAm Indrapathnee ". Indra Pathnee or IndrA is the name of Bhu Devi indicated in Bhu Sooktham and Godha is the incarnation in kali Yugam of Bhu Devi at Srivilliputthur as the daughter of PeriyAzhwAr . There are 700 verses in Srimadh Bhagavadh GitA . There are only 30 Paasurams in Thruppavai. In GitA , the Lord pointed out the Siddha Dharma with the words, Sarva DharMaan Parithyajya Maamekam charaNam vrja.e indicated the means for our salvation in th form of command ( AjnA rupam ). AndAL followed that SaraNAgathi Dharmam to set us an example . She had the Aacharam to practise this AjnA of Her Lord on their earth . This according to the learned people is a demonstration of the superiority of AchAram over AjnA as revealed by AndAL through Her GodhOpanishad. She is both "our father and mother and AchArya" . Let us salute Her and her inseparable consort and conclude this section of the special postings for Marghazhi month . GohA--Govindha divya dampathyai Namo Nama: Sri VaishNava Daasan , Oppiliappan Koil Varadachari Sadagopan