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SrI vishNu sahasra nAmam - Slokam 72 - mahA-tejAh.

From the Bhakti List Archives

Narasimhan Krishnamachari • April 18, 2002 


       SrI vishNu sahasra nAmam - Slokam 72 - Part 3.

678. mahA-tejAh - He of great Resplendence.

Om mahA-tejase namah.

SrI BhaTTar's interpretation is that He is called mahA-tejAh because 
He has the effulgence which destroys the darkness of the beginningless
ignorance of even those who are tAmasic by nature.   SrI v.v. rAmAnujan
gives reference to the Sruti - "nArAyaNa paro jyotih".  The jyoti of a
thousand Suns is a but a small fraction compared to His jyoti. 
tirumazhiSaip pirAn called Him "SodiyAda Sodi nee" - "You are the
unquestionable jyoti (tiruccanda viruttam 34)".  

SrI Samkara's anubhavam is that He is called mahA-tejAh because of His
radiance through which the Sun and other luminaries possess their
light. The Sun is known to illumine everything around us, but this Sun
itself gets its tejas from a minute fraction of His tejas.  SrI Samkara
 quotes the Sruti "yena sUryas-tapati tejaseddhah (tait. brAh. 3.12.9)"
-  "By whom the sun shines, illuminated by His effulgence".  He also
gives reference to the gItA - 

	yad-Aditya gatam tejo jagad-bhAsayate'khilam   |
	yac-candramasi yac-cAgnau tat-tejo viddhi mAmakam   || (gItA 15.12)

"Know that tejas (Light) to be Mine which is residing in the Sun and
which illumines the whole world, and that is in the moon and in the
fire".  

SrI cinmayAnanda gives reference to muNDakopanishad II.2.10 - 

	na tatra sUryo bhAti na candra tArakam nemA vidyuto bhAnti
kuto'yamagnih   |
	tameva bhAntam anubhAti sarvam tasya bhAsA sarvam idam vibhAti   ||

"Even the Sun, moon, the stars and fire have no light of their own.  By
Him they shine, the Giver of light in all".  He also gives another
reference to the gItA - "jyotishAmapi taj-jyotih tamasah param ucyate"
(13.17 - "That Light of all lights, is said to be beyond darkness".

SrI Samkara also gives the alternate interpretation that He is endowed
with brilliance of various excellences like harshness towards His
enemies, valor, etc., and so also He is called mahA-tejAh - kraurya
SauryAdibhih dharmaih mahadbhih samalamkRta iti vA mahA-tejAh.  His
being merciless towards dushTa-s, being aggressive against conquering
even the strongest of enemies, being unconquerable, etc., are all
aspects of "tejas".   His tejas is supreme, and so He is called
mahA-tejAh (SrI rAdhAkRshNa SAstri).  

The dharma cakram writer observes that while the Sun eliminates the
darkness outside us, He eliminates the darkness inside us, while at the
same time He provides the light to the Sun and other objects that
remove the darkness outside.   Just as the Sun reveals itself as well
as the objects outside with its light, He reveals Himself in addition
to enlightening the inner selves of all of us.

-dAsan kRshNamAcAryan

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