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SrI vishNu sahasranAmam - Slokam 50 - Part 2.

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Krishnamachari, N (Krish) • March 23, 1999 


			SrI vishNu sahasranAmam - Slokam 50 - Part 2.

		
Through the next few nAma-s SrI BhaTTar brings out bhagavAn's guNa of being
the Embodiment of dharma.
 
471. vatsarah - a) He who lives within all beings.
		b) He in whom everything resides.
		c) He who is the Infinite Time.
		d) He who restored the calves to the gopa-s.


om vatsarAya namah.

a) The word is derived from the root vas - to dwell.  BhagavAn resides in
all beings as a way of administering His dharma - for bestowing fruits in a
just way for the acts of all.  He also lives as anrtaryAmi in everyone in
order to guide them towards the path of dharma according to their merits and
qualifications.   SrI BhaTTar refers us to the following mantra about
bhagavAn which brings out this point - sarvAntaScAriNe dharmAtmane - Unto
Him Who is the embodiment of dharma and Who lives in all beings. SrI v.v.
rAmAnujan gives reference to toNDaraDippoDi AzhvAr in tirumAlai - uLLuvAr
uLLiRRellAm uDanirundu aRidi enRu (34). 

b) SrI Sa~nkara bhAshyam is 'vasati atra akhilam iti vatsarah' - He in whom
everything resides - The Abode of All. 

SrI satyadevo vAsishTha gives several references to the Sruti-s illustrating
the vyAkhyAna-s above.  ISAvAsyamidam sarvam yat-ki~ncit jagatyAm jagat
(IsaVAsya); samvatsaro'si parivatsaro'sIdAvatsro'sIdvatsaro'si vatsaro'si
(yajur. 27.45); tvayi rAtri vasAmasi svapishyAmasi jAgr*hu (atharva
19.47.9); etc.  

c) vatsarah also refers to time - the period of one year.  BhagavAn is the
continuum of space and time, in which all creatures live - in the sense of
b) above.  So He is the endless space and infinite time - vatsarah.

d) SrI cinmayAnanda decomposes the word as vatsAn rAti iti vatsarah.  In His
kr*shNAvatAra, He restored the calves to the gopa-s when they had been taken
away by the enemies - So He is vatsarah because He gave away the calves
(vatsa here is interpreted as calf).

472. vatsalah - The Affectionate.

om vatsalAya namah.

This nAma is formed from the word vatsa by adding the lach pratyaya
signifying loving, tender  (based on 5.2.98 ashTAdhyAyI of PANini - vatsa
amsAbhyAm kAma bale).  The nAma signifies that He has extreme love for His
devotees.  SrI cinmayananda translates the word as "Supreme Love", and
points out the significance of this nAma - BhagavAn SrIman nArAyaNa is Love
Incarnate.  

SrI BhaTTar points out that this nAma explains why bhagavAn wants to guide
everyone by being their antaryAmi as expressed in the previous nAma - it is
because of His extreme kindness towards His devotees.   This affection is
like that of a cow to its calf - kanaittu iLam kaRRerumai  kanRukku ira~ngi
ninaittu mulai vazhiyE ninRu pAl Sora.  sItA pirATTi's words of advice to
rAvaNa were - vihitah sa hi dharmaj~nah SaraNAgata-vatsalah - It is
well-known that rAma knows this great virtue, and that He is very
affectionate towards those who have sought refuge in Him.

The dharma cakram writer gives several examples of bhagavAn's guNa of
vAtsalya.  guha became a close friend of rAma.  bhagavAn also gave Himself
completely to hanumAn (which was revealed when hanumAn opened his heart and
showed rAma residing there).  sugrIva SaraNAgati, vibhIshaNa SaraNAgati,
etc. are other examples of His extreme love for His devotees.  

473. vatsI - a) He who possesses lots of calves
	b) He who possesses lots of children whom He protects like a cow
protects its calves.

om vatsine namah.

The first of these interpretations is a reference to His gopAla incarnation,
where He protected the calves during the episode involving indra.  SrI
v.v.rAmAnujan refers us to kanRu mEittu inidu uganda kALAi (16).  

The second interpretation refers to the innumerable hosts of souls who are
to be always tended by Him, like a cow tends to its calves with affection.

SrI satyadevo vAsishTha observes that bhgavAn's guNa of being the Protector
exhibits itself throughout life.  Even before the child is born to a mother,
He makes sure the mother has the milk to feed to the child as soon as it is
born, the mother bird and the child bird know how to transfer food through
their beak, etc. 

474. ratna-garbhah - a) He who is in possession of abundant wealth.
		b) He who is the source of everything that can give
happiness.

om ratna-garbhAya namah.

Among BhagavAn's devotees there are those who are after wealth, and He has
immense wealth to take care of their needs.  SrI v.v.rAmAnujan gives
reference to nammAzhvAr 6.7.11 - vaitta mA-nidhiyAm madhusUdananai -
BhagavAn is like a treasure in deposit, available in times of need in
future. 

SrI Sa~nkara's vyAkhyAnam is based on the ratna-s or gems being treasured in
the depth of the oceans, and since bhagavAn is Himself in the form of the
Oceans, He is called ratna-garbhah. SrI cinmayAnanda refers us to gItA 10.24
- sarasAm asmi sAgarah, and observes that bhagavAn is ratna-garbhah like the
Ocean and has all the treasures within His control, and can bestow any
wealth quickly to any devotee as He desires.  SrI rAdhAkr*shNa Sastri
extends this to the presence of ratna in the hood of the serpent and in the
knots of the bamboo shoots, which are caused by none other than bhagavAn.
The name also suggests that bhagavAn protects His devotees like gems, and
assists them towards the path of realization of the Self.  Meditating on
bhagavAn constantly instead of succumbing to the rAjasic and tAmasic aspects
dormant in us will elevate us so that we can realize Him.

SrI satyadevo vAsishTha derives the meaning of ratna starting from the root
ram - krIDAyAm to play, to rejoice at.  Thus, the word ratna denotes
everything that gives happiness.  Since bhagavAn has the whole world in His
garbha, He has everything that can give happiness in Himself, and so He is
ratna-garbhah.  He gives several examples from the Sruti:  hiraNyagarbhah
samavartatAgre bhUtasya jAtah patireka AsIt; arcAmi satyasavam ratnadhAmabhi
priyam matim; hiraNyAkshah savitA deva AgAt dadhat ratnA dASushe vAryANi,
etc.

475. dhaneSvarah - The quick giver of wealth.

om dhaneSvarAya namah.

dhanAnAm ISvarah dhaneSvarah - He who is the Lord of all wealth, is the
interpretation given by SrI Sa~nkarAcArya, who interpreted the previous nAma
as referring to bhagavAn's vibhUti as the Ocean which bears the gems.  

Since SrI BhaTTar interpreted the previous nAma in a broader sense, viz.,
that He is the source of all wealth, he interprets the current nAma as
referring to bhagvAn's generosity  in giving away this wealth quickly to His
devotee who wishes for it.  He supports his interpretation based on the
uNAdi sUtra 738 - aSnoter-AsukarmaNi varat ca - The affix varat comes after
the root aS - to pervade, when the word formed from it refers to 'having the
power of granting success soon' - the emphasis being that bhagavAn is quick
in giving the benefit to His devotees.  SrI v.v.rAmAnujan gives reference to
nammAzhvAr 3.9.7 - SErum koDai pugazh ellai ilAnai.  SrI anantakr*shNa
Sastri gives the example of bhagavAn giving instantaneous wealth to His
devotee kucela. SrI rAdhAkr*shNa Sastri gives an alternate interpretation
that this nAma refers to bhagavAn's vibhUti of being in the form of kubera,
the god of wealth.  Note gItA 10.23 - vitteSo yaksha rakshasAm - where
vitteSah refers of bhagavAn's vibhUti as kubera. 

SrI cinmayAnanda comments that the term wealth here refers to all things
that cause happiness.  He is lakshmI-pati, the Lord of Goddess Lakshmi, and
so He is ever the Master-of-Wealth.  The greatest of wealths is moksha, and
Lord nArAyaNa is Isvara of this great wealth, and is the Giver of this
wealth to the prapanna-s readily. 

-dAsan kr*shNamAcAryan