govindhan gunam paadi en aavi kaaththiruppen- post 18

From the Bhakti List Archives

• March 23, 2002


Post 18

Dear Srivaishnava perunthagaiyeer,

In the previous post we just started looking in detail at the sthOthram of
the naaga pathnees- wives of kaaLiyan the snake. We also had a naamaavaLi.
In Sri vishNu sahasra naamam [SVSN] in the concluding portions we have a
slokam reading
Sri bhagavaan uvaacha
yO maam naama sahasrENa sthOthum ichchathi paaNdava: |
sO~ham ekEna slOkEna sthutha Eva na samsaya: ||
meaning: sri bhagavaan said "arjuna, a person may have a desire to praise me
with my 1000 names, but I am pleased even with only one slokam. There is no
doubt at all in this."

He is so magnanimous to accept praise by a simple single sloka. If lord is
pleased with one slOkam uttered with fullest devotion unto him, these naaga
pathnees do praise him with 12 slokas containing some beautiful namaas
coined as slokams [as we saw in previous post]. 
Do any bhakthaa has some doubt that the lord is not pleased? Further more
these naaga pathnees [wives of the snake kaaLiyan] have recognised the lord
who he is - gnaathO~si dhEva dhEvEsa - then only started praising him- no
round about route - to say
yO yO yaam yaam thanum Bhaktha: sradhDhayaa archithum ichchathi |
thasya thasya achalaam sradhdhaaam thaamEva vidhadhaamyaham ||
- 7 - 21 sri bhagavadh geethaa.
Meaning: A bhakthaa, whoever wants to eulogize with full devotion to
whatever god forms, I only make their devotion fruitful. 

No such case for these naaga pathnees, that they will do prayer to some
other gods first, and krishna has to fructify their efforts through them- no
such situation- directly the lord of lords is in front of them and they
start praising. We saw how they started this sthuthi- om bhagavathE thubhyam
nama: -oh god prostrations to you.  

[you may feel why this person is repeating it so many times here- not to
irritate but let us repeat it with full force - each time the repetition
adds force- weight- aanandham- that is krishna- so not a mistake nor an
effort to irritate]

Comments on the few naamavalis seen in first 2 slokams of srimadh
bhaagavatham
1. The first naama is "om bhagavathE nama:"
a. Sri vishNu puraaNam says - one who has 6 guNaas then only he can be
called bhagavaan- see slokam - sri vishNu puraaNam 6-5-74
aisvaryasya samagrasya Dharmasya yasasa: sriya: gnaana vairaagyayOschaiva
shaNNaam Bhaga ithi raNaa || 
Meaning: one who has all the six great glories of 
1.wealth, 
2.power, 
3.dharma, 
4. fame 
5. knowledge 
6. dispassion 
is called bhagavaan.

b. uthpaththi praLayam chaiva Bhoothaanaamaagathim gathim |
vEththi vidhyaam avidhyaam cha sa vaachyO bhagavaan ithi ||
sri vishnu puraaNam 6-5-78
meaning: he is named bhagvaan who knows 
(a)	the beginning and end, 
(b)	arrival and departure of all beings 
(c)	vidhyaa and avidhyaa- knowledge and ignorance.

See how they begin- with a naama having great significance.

2. The second naama is - om purushaaya nama: -this is also the naama 406 and
14th   naamams in SVSN -  Meaning: om prostrations to The purusha- man.

Purusha means one who gives abundantly- "puru bahu sanOthi ithi purusha:,
sanOthi the dhaana karmaNa:" says sri parasara bhatta in his SVSN bhaashyam
named bhagavadh guNa dharpaNam- the mirror showing bhagavaan's guNaas.

He, the lord krisna, bestows gifts in plenty- puru means plenty and sanOthi
means giving charity. These naaga pathnees pleases the lord first by
addressing you are the bhagavaan, then you are the giver in plenty. 

sa yath poorvO~smaath sarvasmaath paapman Osha: thasmaath purusha: ithi -
he purifies all and he himself is devoid of all sins.

Such a pure purusha: has touched kaaLiyan and all his sins are removed by
that touch. 

By this sthuthi [ 12 slokams] these ladies are also very specific in their
asking to that supreme lord sri krishna-  what is their need - it is simply
"bharthru bhiksha"- please give our husband to us. After such glorious
praises will he not grant them what they want, that too after he having
become a blessed soul by the touch of those glorious feet of krishna. - what
a bhaagyam krishna krishna- any wonder in kooraththaazhvaan asking to be the
head of kaLiyan?

[May be there is some repetition after Sri Narsimhan Krishnamachari has
rendered wonderful commentary on sahasra naamam, but since it is not going
to do any thigattal in enjoying krishna, I would like to do the repetition-
so please have it again].

Dhasan

Vasudevan m.g.
 
PS: Please pardon me for the delay in sending the next post, for I was under
pressure from other quarters. 
Incidentally this parasara bhattar's bhagavadh guna dharpaNam [sanskrit and
english translation is brought out sri vishnu sahasranama sangam in delhi
india in 3 parts costing Rs. 105 for all 3 parts]



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