~~VISHNU SAHASRANAMA WITH ITS MEANING~~

[Ramesh Ramnani]

18.03.2006

736. Bhakta-vatsalah –“One Whose Love for the devotees knows no bounds.” He is ever merciful and endlessly kind towards His devotees.

737. Suvarna-varnah –“Golden Coloured” is Sree Narayana for He is, in the devotee, the pure Self; and in all, He is the very All-Illumining Pure Awareness. Mundaka Upanishad declares: “When the Seer sees Him of Golden- hue.” Upon witnessing the Self-Effulgent (Golden) Being, the seer’s realization is completely transforming, and “then that wise one, shaking off all deeds of merits and demerits, becomes stainless, and attains the supreme State of Equipoise.”

738. Hemaangah –“One who has limbs of Gold.” The description of the Lord functioning through the orb of the Sun is well-known: Hiranmaya-”of pure-golden- form.” Sruti mentions it: “This Golden Person seen in the disc of the Sun”…  This same Upanishad insists further that “Mind is Brahman” and the “Sun is Brahman.” Lord Hari, as the Infinite Brahman, plays in the Sun (Soorya-Narayana)- thus the term is most appropriate.

739. Varaangah –“With beautiful limbs.” Also, Vara can take the meaning “lovable,” therefore, Sree Narayana is described here as “One whose form (limbs) is supremely “lovable” to the yogi-of-devotion.”

740. Chandanaangadee -This is made up of two terms, “Joy-giving” (Chandana) and “armlets” (Angada). Thus the phrase means “One who has attractive armlets.” It can also be used as describing “One Who is smeared with the sandal.”

To be contd...

[SS91]

741. Veerahaa –“The destroyer of the valiant heroes”-in order to uphold righteousness, Lord Hari takes His Incarnations and destroys the intrepid and daring Asuras in battle. Again, it may be interpreted as One Who destroys the powerful and mighty forces of likes and dislikes-Dvandva -pairs of opposites, the hosts of our own negativities in our hearts.

742. Vishamah –“Unequalled.” Arjuna, in Bhagavad Geeta, estimates his experience of the Lord’s Cosmic Form and says: “None there exists who is equal to You; how can there be then another superior to You in the three worlds, O Being of unequalled power?”

743. Soonyah –“The Void.” Here Void means the total absence of (a) the equipments-of-experiences-the body-mind-intellect; (b) the fields-of-experiences-the objects- emotions-thoughts; (c) the experiencer-attitudes-the perceiver-feeler-thinker personality. In Brahman, the Pure Consciousness, all these three (a, b and c) are totally absent as the devotee of Hari transcends them all. So the Lord, in His Infinite Nature, is ‘without attributes;’ seemingly then, He is the “Void.” This is not “non-existence” of the Buddhists. This is Pure Existence without the object-emotion-thought world-the Self, Sree Narayana.

744. Ghritaaseeh –“One Who has no need for any good wishes from anyone.” The Infinite Lord, perfect and transcendental, has no need for any of the objects of the world to make Him complete since the state of incompleteness is indeed the springboard for all desires to gush forth. It can also mean one who has eaten away the ghee stolen from the cow-herds’ store-rooms in Brindavan.

745. Achalah –“The non-moving.” Either it can signify One Who never falls and therefore does not move away from His own Infinite nature, or it may mean that since the Lord is All-Pervading, He cannot move as there is no place where, at any time, He is not. He is Ever-Present everywhere.

746. Chalah –“Moving.” By the juxtaposition of these two opposite qualities, we are reminded that the apparent world of plurality that constitutes the realm of change is also nothing other than the immovable Atman interpreted through our personal equipments of experiences. Unconditioned by the body, mind and intellect, the Lord in His Infinitude is motionless, but as conditioned by the vehicles He apparently seems to move. We have already explained this relationship earlier. It is something like a traveller, though himself sleeping, is able to travel all the night since he is conditioned by the vehicle which carries him.

747. Amaanee –“One who has no false vanity.” Since He knows His own real divine nature, He has no false identifications with the equipments of not-Self such as the flesh, the emotions or the thoughts.

748. Maanadah -”One who gives, or causes, by His Maayaa the false identification with the body.” The Sanskrit term ‘maana’ can also mean ‘honour,’ and therefore, ‘maanadah’ can mean One who honours all His true devotees. The root ‘da’ in Sanskrit means ‘blasting’, and therefore, the same term can also mean one who blasts all false notions from the bosom of his devotees.

749. Maanyah –“One Who is to be honoured.” He is the most worshipful as He is the very material Cause for the world of plurality. Bhagavan Sankara says: “If he, who has realised the Supreme, is so blessed and to be honoured in this world,” how much more worshipful is the Lord who is the very substratum and support of the whole universe and by whom all are blessed and inspired to gain their experiences in the world of things and beings!

750. Lokasvaamee –“Lord of the Universe.” Here the word ‘loka’ in Sanskrit means ‘field-of-experience.’ The One Who is the Controller, Director, Who is the Lord and Governor of all fields-of-experiences of all living creatures, at all times, everywhere, is the Consciousness that illumines matter. Therefore, the term Loka-svaamee is extremely appropriate.

TO BE CONTD.............

subhasrini
OM SAI SRI SAI JAYA JAYA SAI!!!
Let us pray at the feet of Sai Baba who is the incarnation of all gods and protector of all, to show mercy on us, and increase our devotion towards him.

[Ramesh Ramnani]

19.03.2006

751. Thriloka-dhrik –“One Who is the support of all the three worlds.” Apart from the usual concept of the three worlds: heaven, earth and hell, there is a deeper import of the term ‘loka’. It should mean the three fields of experience constituted of waking, dream and deep sleep. Atman, the Self, as Consciousness, is the One that supports all these three states inasmuch as, without this kindling support of life in the bosom, it would be impossible for us to have any experience.

752. Sumedhaah –“One who has Pure Intelligence.” In fact, the term may denote a special power in the human intellect which is the capacity to remember and repeat what has been once experienced before. As such, the term indicates that the very nature of the Self is not a knowledge newly gained, but it is only a remembrance of the seeker’s own real nature, which the seeker in his earlier confusion had forgotten. So long as we have not invoked this great power of memory of our real nature, we shall continue to grope in our sorrows created by our misconception. On realising the Self, it is not that we gain anything new, but we re-discover our own essential Self. Naturally, therefore, with reference to our present forgetfulness, the ultimate goal is indicated by the pregnant term ‘Divine Memory Power.

753. Medha-jah –“Born out of sacrifices.” ‘Medha’ means sacrifices like Asvamedha Yajna. In such a sincere and great ritual, He is invoked and in His Pure Presence there in the sacrifice, we can say He is born. The Geeta meaning of ‘sacrifices’ (Yajna) is “a co-operative endeavor wherein: -we offer our capacity into a field of chosen work invoking in It the unmanifested Lord Who pours forth His blessings in terms of profit.” In this sense, when all the personality layers are offered in an act of total surrender, the spiritual experience of the Self is born. To the student of Vedanta, the term is rich in its suggestiveness.

754. Dhanyah –“Fortunate.” As He has no objects yet to be fulfilled, or any of His wishes not already fulfilled, He is indeed one who is utterly fulfilled. The state of the Self is an eternal state of total contentment.

755. Satyamedhah –“One whose intelligence never fails.” He is the supreme Power of Discrimination, never deluded by the finite world of appearances, but is, in all circumstances, ever rooted in the Truth that He alone is the world of multiplicity.

To be contd...

[SS91]

756. Dharaadharah –“The sole support of the earth.” The earth here stands for matter; and the very essence from which matter has come to express itself, both in its gross and subtle forms, is the Self, Narayana, and therefore, He is considered as the very substratum for the play of matter (earth). Geographically, the earth is supported by water. Water is supported by the atmospheric air and the atmospheric air by the space. The daring enquirer may still continue the question and investigate into the source of space. We know that the space is a concept which we experience in our intellect. All experiences of the intellect are established in Conscious- ness and, therefore, the ultimate support for the entire ‘world’ is the Supreme Narayana.

 

757. Tejo-vrishah –“One Who showers Radiance.” In the outer cosmos the Sun gives out heat and light, and because of this, rain and cultivation are possible-not directly because of the Sun, but due to the sum-total-result of an endless chain of cause-effect links. In the same way, He Who by His mere presence illumines the experiences of all living creatures with His Light, is Sree Narayana, the Self.

758. Dyutidharah -The term ‘Dyuti’ indicates the glow of beauty and strength in a form; thus the term means “One Who bears an Effulgent Form.” The expression also discloses that the seat of Pure Consciousness is described as “the Bearer of Radiance” for it is in the light of the Atman that creatures become aware of all their perceptions, emotions and thoughts.

759. Sarva-sastra-bhritaam-varah -“The best among those who wield weapons.” Since Sree Narayana is described in the Puranas as wielding the Discus (Sudarsana), it, being the greatest of all weapons, justifies this term. Also, the Lord never uses His weapon of annihilation indiscriminately-for He is ever supremely just. It is also significant that all destructions in nature are always ‘constructive destructions’, therefore the Lord’s Discus is itself called “the auspicious vision” (Sudarsana). In the maturity of one’s evolution when one becomes fit for one’s own inner unfoldment, slowly, but irresistibly the seeker can ever detect a secret hand that diligently cuts off all his connections with the outer world, and compels him to lean more and more on the higher. Our Puranic literature is replete with instances, and, without exception, in all of them Sree Narayana is described as using His weapon to destroy the devilish-and to give him Moksha! –“the Auspicious Vision”: Su-darsana. Others, when they employ their weapons of destruction, the result invariably end in a sad ‘destructive destruction’, and, therefore, to invoke Him as “the best among those who wield weapons” is most significant for a seeker.

760. Pragrahah  -One who is the sole receiver of all the worship of every devotee, irrespective of his creed or race, or his location in the world, at all times. The devotee may invoke the spiritual presence in various institutions, using different symbols, believing in his own creed and scripture, but, whoever he be, when he comes to transcend his vehicles of perception, feeling and thinking, the experience of the Self (God) should be universally one and the same-as God is All-Pervading and Changeless. This great factor-transcendental IS the Self, Sree Narayana, and therefore, He is the ultimate, sole Receiver of all prayers that rise consciously or unconsciously in every heart, be it from a plant, an animal or a man.

The term ‘Pragrahah’ is used in Sanskrit to mean the reins with which horses are controlled and their movements regulated. In this sense when we reflect, the metaphor of the chariot In the Upanishad suddenly comes in front of us. In this famous scriptural metaphor, mind is the rein by which the steeds of the sense-organs are controlled and regulated. Here Lord Sree Narayana Himself is invoked as ‘Pragrahah’ because when the mind has turned in devotion to His feet, the devotee need not strive to control his sense-organs, but the Lord’s own glory shall imperceptibly do the job for His beloved seeker. There- fore, a truly devoted heart in its utter surrender, calls the Lord ‘‘as the very controller of his sense-organs.”

to be contd........

subhasrini
OM SAI SRI SAI JAYA JAYA SAI!!!
Let us pray at the feet of Sai Baba who is the incarnation of all gods and protector of all, to show mercy on us, and increase our devotion towards him.

[Ramesh Ramnani]

20.03.2006

761. Nigrahah –“The killer.” An uninitiated student may get shocked when he finds that the Lord is invoked as a murderer! But it is true. The only difference is that He is only the destroyer of the ego-just as a doctor is a ‘murderer’ of diseases; just as the sun is the destroyer of the night; as summer is the annihilator of winter. Similarly, the Lord is the destroyer of ego and ego-centric limitations in the devotee. In Sanskrit this word also indicates “One who absorbs the devotee unto Himself.” Once an individual withdraws himself even a wee bit from his total pre-occupation with the world and turns his attention to the spiritual centre in himself, the Lord fascinates and enchants the seeker’s attention more and more to His own Infinite Glory, and ultimately “absorbs (Ni-grahah) the individual totally into the state of Pure-Consciousness.

762. Vyagrah –“One Who is ever engaged in fulfilling the devotee’s desires.” Desire arises in the human mind due to a sense of imperfection in oneself. In the absolute sense of bliss and peace, which is the true nature of Sree Narayana, there cannot arise any desire and, therefore, He is described as “the fulfiller of all desires.”

763. Naika-sringah –“One Who has many (na-eka=Naika) horns.” To a modern student it would look fantastic and even foolish should one worship his Lord, the God, as One with many horns. This mental shock can even stun him when he understands also that his Lord has three legs: “Chatvaarah Sringaah Trayo Asya Paadaah,” says the Maha Upanishad. If the literal translation shocks the student, the very jolt prods him to a more vigorous enquiry. The four horns mean the four States of Consciousness-the waking, dream, deep-sleep and the fourth plane of consciousness, the Pure Awareness. The three feet (paada) indicate the three states of consciousness in which we now revel in our gross, subtle and causal bodies respectively.

764. Gadaagrajah  -“The elder brother of Gada.” Lord Krishna had a younger brother whose name was Gada. The term Gada has also the meaning in Sanskrit of ‘mantra.’ Mantra are chanted and therefore Gada can indicate ‘mantra, -”Gadyate iti gadah.” A commentator insists that Ni-gada means mantra, but the prefix Ni gets dropped, so Gada means mantra. Naturally, “Gadaagraja” would mean One who manifests or is invoked through mantras.

765. Chatur-moortih –“Four-Formed.” The Lord, the Infinite is considered as having four forms-meaning that He, in His manifestations in the world, takes these four forms.

The Puranas have declared that the incarnations of the Lord in the various Yuga, were of different colours: white in Krita Yuga, red in Tretaa Yuga, yellow in Dvaapara Yuga and dark (black) in the Kali Yuga. But according to Vedanta, the Lord, the Self, has four distinct expressions in the subjective life of each individual: the Waker, the Dreamer, the Deep- sleeper and the Pure Self. In the microcosm these are called as Virata, Taijasa, Prajna and Tureeya, and in the macrocosm, the Lord’s complete expression, in the total gross, subtle and causal bodies, is called as Viraat, Hiranyagarbha, Eesvara- and, beyond all bodies as the Eternal Paramaatman.

To be contd...

[SS91]

765. Chatur-moortih –“Four-Formed.” The Lord, the Infinite is considered as having four forms-meaning that He, in His manifestations in the world, takes these four forms.

The Puranas have declared that the incarnations of the Lord in the various Yuga, were of different colours: white in Krita Yuga, red in Tretaa Yuga, yellow in Dvaapara Yuga and dark (black) in the Kali Yuga. But according to Vedanta, the Lord, the Self, has four distinct expressions in the subjective life of each individual: the Waker, the Dreamer, the Deep- sleeper and the Pure Self. In the microcosm these are called as Virata, Taijasa, Prajna and Tureeya, and in the macrocosm, the Lord’s complete expression, in the total gross, subtle and causal bodies, is called as Viraat, Hiranyagarbha, Eesvara- and, beyond all bodies as the Eternal Paramaatman.

766. Chatur-baahuh -Lord Narayana is represented as having four hands. These represent the four factors that together constitute the inner equipments in man- mind (Manas); intellect (Buddhi); thought flow towards objects (Chitta) and ego (Ahamkaara). These are the four agents by which all the physical activities are controlled, regulated and constantly commanded from within the body.

767. Chatur-vyoohah –“One Who expresses himself as the dynamic centre in the four Vyoohas. A “Vyooha” is a whirlpool of activities made by a large number of imperfected forms, commanded by a pivotal person who remains in the centre of the whirlpool-just as a battalion functions under the orders of its commander. It is shown in this analogy that the Lord, the central Source of all activities, is manifest as the universal Force which blesses every engagement and contact of a living man with his outer world. In the Aitareya Upanishad, the four Vyoohas (or persons) are mentioned: the person in the body, the person in the Chhandas (Vedic mantra), the person in the Vedas and the Great Person.

768. Chatur-gatih –“The ultimate goal of all the four.” Though their means and purposes appear divergent, Sree Narayana alone is the inevitable goal of all activities of the four types (Varnas) of men: Thinkers (Braahmanas), Rulers and Leaders (Kashatriyas), Men of Commerce (Vaisyas) and Workers (Soodras). The Lord, also, is the consummate goal to be achieved by the four stages (Aasramas) of life: the Age of Study (Brahmacharya), the Householder (Grihastha), the Retirement (Vaanaprastha) and the Stage of Renunciation (Samnyaasa).

769. Chatur-aatmaa -There is also a reading as Chatvaraatmaa. In the former reading, the definition suggests “the clear-minded”-meaning the Lord is one who is completely free from desires, passions, vanities, in short, free from all maladies of ego in His essential Nature. In the latter term, the meaning signifies that Sree Narayana is the one Infinite Effulgence which expresses Itself as the four aspects of our inner equipment (Antahkarana Chatushtaya).

770. Chatur-bhaavah –“The Source of the four.” One who is the Source for the four types (varna), for the four stages-of-life (Aasrama) and the four human aspirations (purushaartha). The human aspirations as codified by the Sanaatana Dharma are again four in number. Righteousness (Dharma), Wealth (Artha), Pleasure (Kaama) and Spiritual Liberation (Moksha). Lord Krishna reveals in the Bhagavad Geeta: “ All the four types in creation have come from Me.”

TO BE  CONTD...........

subhasrini
OM SAI SRI SAI JAYA JAYA SAI!!!
Let us pray at the feet of Sai Baba who is the incarnation of all gods and protector of all, to show mercy on us, and increase our devotion towards him.

[Ramesh Ramnani]

21.03.2006

771. Chatur-veda-vit –“Knower of all the four Vedas.” The Lord is the very theme discussed and expounded in the four vedas. The student of the vedas when he realises the Lord, then only he fulfils his study of them. In this sense of the term, Bhagavan proclaims in the Fifteenth Chapter of Geeta: “I am verily that which has to be known in all the Vedas: I am indeed the author of the Vedas and the “knower” of the Vedas am I.”

772. Eka-paat –“The one-footed.” The term ‘paada’ in Sanskrit has two meanings: a ‘part’ and a ‘foot.” The Lord, in Bhagavad Geeta, uses the first meaning to describe His mighty Glory: “The whole universe’ is supported by one part of Myself.” There is a reference in the Taittireeya Aaranyaka which clarifies the latter meaning: “All beings are His foot.” The significance here is the ~me as in Geeta-wherein even the totality of all universes cannot be compared to Him, the Infinite Absolute Existence.

773. Samaavartah –“The efficient turner’ -of the wheel-of-life. ‘ Aavarta’ is to turn. The wheel-of-life- and-death, the samsar, is constantly being churned by the Law, which is none other than the Lord. The Law and the Law-Giver are one and the same in this universe-Sree Narayana.

774 Nivrittaatmaa –“One whose mind is turned away from all sense indulgences.” The famous ‘two birds’ of the Mundaka Upanishad strike a simile here. “Two birds bound one to the other in close friendship, perch on the selfsame tree. One of them eats the fruits of the tree with relish, while the other looks on without eating,” The latter is the Nivrittaatmaa, Some commentators have taken the word as’ A-nivrittaatmaa’ in which case the meaning would be: “One who never turns away from anything, but enters into every- thing.” as the very Self is every thing and every being-that Supreme One, Lord Narayana.

775. Dur-jayah –“The Invincible”-One who cannot be conquered by anyone else. Even though, in the majority of us, there is a preponderance of the lower urges, in the patient grinding of time, the evolutionary goal ultimately wins and irresistibly pushes each one of us towards the altar of the Self. Battles may be lost but the war in the end is won by the Lord of our heart.

To be Contd...

[SS91]

776 Durati-kramah –“One who is difficult to be disobeyed:’ This term declares a truth which is proven upon observation of this scientifically precise world where no object or being dares to disobey the Lord, the Cosmos The Rishi in Kathopanishad says “through fear of Him the Fire burns, through fear of Him shines the Sun, through fear of Him functions Indra, Vaayu, Lord of the Wind, and Death itself is the fifth”-as though He is behind each one with uplifted thunderbolt. The term ‘Atikromah’ means ‘going beyond’, therefore the term, as it stands, indicates “a state beyond which no one can go”-meaning Sree Narayana is the final and the absolute destination of all evolution He is the transcendental Reality and other than He there is no more a beyond to he achieved

777. Dur-Labhah –“One who is obtained with consummate effort.” The final destination of all evolution is He, the spiritual perfection. Therefore, He is only gained after millenniums of slow evolutions, from the insignificant unicellular existence to the status of man, and the fulfilment of man’s evolved, rational life is the state of Godhood. The reward for all the slow and steady efforts of evolution is bestowed when an organism reaches the height of the rational human being; and, thereafter, through selfless, dedicated service, deep and individual devotion, and sincere and serious study of the scriptures, man learns to remove his mind from all his worldly pre-occupations and brings himself to finally realise his divine Godhood. Indeed, the state of Narayana- Consciousness is an experience that is to be obtained with consummate effort.

778. Dur-Gamah –“One Who is realised with great difficulty.” In Bhagavata there is a statement that the Lord is easily obtained (A-dur-gamah). For those who have not already developed extreme meditative abilities in their devoted hearts, the processes of self development, when studied from a book or heard from a teacher, the immediate reaction in the bosom of such students will be that it is very difficult. But as he marches forward in his saadhanaa he gains the further guidance and inspiration to ‘go-forward.’ More bounteous aspects on him beam and the ‘kindly light’ leads him safely to the goal through all obstacles. A candle or torch can at best light up only ten or fifteen yards in front of a traveller. It can never illumine the whole path of one or two miles at a stretch. He has to start and proceed as far as he can see and as he marches ahead the forward stretches will be illumined.

779. Dur-Gah –“Not easy to storm into.” The term is used in Sanskrit to indicate a fortress; therefore the suggestion is that the essence of the Lord, Sree Narayana, is fortressed around by the matter vestures and their objects of fascination. Attracted by them, our attention is always distracted towards the joy contents in them. This seducing power of the matter vestures is itself the mighty Maayaa, which only very rare, courageous and blessed ones are able to cross over.  

Bhagavan Himself says: “Mama My Duratyayaa….” The Upanishads say that the truth, Narayana, cannot be perceived by the senses, imagined by the mind or thought of by the intellect. These being the only source of our knowing, it almost impossible to realize the Truth. It is only an all-out suicidal attack that enables some rare ones to storm the fort and reach the Goal. Hence to an extrovert man, the seat of Consciousness apparently seems to be impenetrably fortified. The direct meaning here indicates the great Lord seated in our heart who is “not easily realized.”

780. Dur-aavaasah –“Not easy to lodge” –within the heart steadily for even great seekers who are diligent in their consistent pursuit. To withdraw the mind from the objects of pleasure and to steadily contemplate upon the great seat of Life is not an easy accomplishment. Therefore, even yogins, in their persevering meditation, find it not easy to contemplate steadily upon Sree Narayana, hence this name.  “This Yoga of equanimity, taught by Thee, O slayer of Madhu, I see not its enduring continuity, because of the restlessness (of the mind),” cries Arjuna in the Geeta. Bhagavan also adds in the same Chapter that the meditation should be “As a lamp placed in a windless place does not flicker".


to be contd............


subhasrini
OM SAI SRI SAI JAYA JAYA SAI!!!
Let us pray at the feet of Sai Baba who is the incarnation of all gods and protector of all, to show mercy on us, and increase our devotion towards him.

[SS91]

22.03.2006

781. Duraarihaa – “One Who is the slayer of the devilish Asuras.” Even in those among us who are not steadily good, the Lord, when invoked, out of His compassion destroys the devilishness and redeems our personality from its sad consequences. The asuric tendencies are in the bosom of every seeker and devoted invocation of the Lord in our bosom can cleanse the heart of all its negative tendencies. Therefore, it is indeed appropriate that He is significantly indicated as `Duraarihaa.’’

782. Subhaangah –“One with enchanting limbs of perfect beauty.” The Beauty of all beauty is the Lord, and His captivating form and the rhythm of His shape are the theme of meditation for the devotees. In the Upanishads the Infinite Lord, the Self, is described as Peace-Auspiciousness-Beauty (Saantam-Sivam-Sundaram). Thus the devotees of the Lord, remembering the auspicious beauty of His sacred limbs, prostrate at His altar in their deep reverence and mounting joy of devotion.

783. Lokasaarangah –“One who has enquired into or understood the Essence behind the universe of names and forms” Or, Lokasaarangah can mean the essence, or the source, of the world which is the great Pranava, `OM.’ So the term means the State of Supreme Consciousness that is gained or reached through the contemplation upon the significance of OM.

784. Sutantuh –“Beautifully expanded.” Just as the thread is drawn out in different counts from cotton which is later employed as the warp and woof in the creation of infinite varieties of cloth, so too, from the Narayana-Consciousness, the endless variety of beings and things gets projected to constitute the enchanting tapestry of His mighty universe. As the thread is the substratum for all the various fabrics, the Narayana is the beautiful thread, the-substratum, for all this wonderful universe. The Lord Himself says: "There is nothing whatsoever higher than I, O Dhananjaya. All this is strung on Me, as clusters of gems on a string.  

785. Tantu-vardhanah –“One who sustains the continuity of the drive for the family.” The family is maintained by the virility of the members and this potency in the individual is an expression of vitality which Life imparts to the living organism. Thus, the grace of the Self is that which is manifested in the fertility of the seed (Ojas). Generally in India, among the Hindus, it is customary to attribute the continuity of the family to the Grace of Narayana

to be contd...........

subhasrini
OM SAI SRI SAI JAYA JAYA SAI!!!
Let us pray at the feet of Sai Baba who is the incarnation of all gods and protector of all, to show mercy on us, and increase our devotion towards him.

[SS91]

786. Indrakarmaa –“One who always performs gloriously auspicious actions” The root ‘Id’ is used in the sense of Supreme Auspiciousness, Parama-aisvarya.

787. Mahaa-karmaa –“One Who accomplishes Great Activities.”  To create a cosmos so scientifically precise and perfect out of the five great elements, and to sustain them all with an iron hand of efficiency, all the time constantly presiding over the acts of destruction without which the world of change cannot be maintained, is, in itself, a colossal achievement of an Absolute Intelligence.  

788. Krita-karmaa –“One Who has fulfilled all His activities.” There is nothing more for Him to achieve. He is the Goal. He is the Destination. In His Eternal Perfection there is nothing more for Him yet to achieve. This sense of complete fulfilment is described in all the scriptures as the State of Blissful Perfection-the Self.  

789. Kritaagamah –“One who is the author of the Vedas.” The vedic mantras are called Aagamah. The mantras were revealed to the great Rishis during moments when they were not identified with the Body-Mind- Intellect and, therefore, they were not, at those inspired moments, limited individual egos. Where the ego is thus ended, the Self-alone comes to manifest. In this sense of the term, all scriptures have burst forth from prophets and seers when they transcended their limited existence to experience their oneness with the Eternal, Sree Narayana, In Bhagavad Geeta also, Lord Krishna confesses, “I am the author of all the Vedas; I alone am the knower of the Veda.”  

790. Udbhavah –“The ultimate source”- the very spring of Creation. In the Puranic view of the term, it may mean One Who has by His own free-will manifested Himself by Himself for the service of mankind, or, it may designate subjectively, the Self, Sree Narayana, as the one dynamic Witness in Whose Presence alone the vital activities of life gush forth into expression.
 

to be contd..........

subhasrini
OM SAI SRI SAI JAYA JAYA SAI!!!
Let us pray at the feet of Sai Baba who is the incarnation of all gods and protector of all, to show mercy on us, and increase our devotion towards him.

[SS91]

23.03.2006

791. Sundarah –“Of unrivalled beauty.” In almost all religions the Infinite Lord is described as one having the most enchanting beauty. When we experience beauty in the world, we are moved to consider its beauty either by the pro- portion or the symmetry, or th~ tender charm in the object of observation. Within the mind of the observer, there reflects for a moment the rhythmic grace in the proportion, the smooth peace in the symmetry, or the joy of ecstasy which ripples out from the object into the contemplative eye. In all these conditions, the observer’s mind, sensitive to the aestheticism in him, quietens, and, it is at such moments of supreme inner satisfaction, the flashes of “beauty-experiences” floods the bosom. Remember, beauty is not in the object nor is it in the mind. The enchanting occasion silences the mind that is now available for the aesthetic reaction which resultingly fills the observer- and this is nothing but the manifestation of That which is behind the mind, Sree Narayana. Hence, the Infinite Reality is glorified in the Upanishads as “Peace-Auspiciousness-Beauty’. ( Saantam-Sivam-Sundaram} .

792. Sundah –“Of Great Mercy.” Whatever be the amount of vaasanaas hoarded in our personality, due to our ego-centric, extroverted activities, once a devotee turns unto Him in total surrender, all the vaasanaas are purified and he comes to move more and more towards Him-as though, in infinite mercy, He forgives all sins that a man might commit in his innocent ignorance (Avidyaa).

793. Ratnanaabhah –“Of beautiful navel.” Text books of Bhakti-cult advise devotees that they should meditate upon the Lord’s navel-point, as a flashy, brilliant jewel (Ratna). This point of concentration is not without significance. The mystics of India long ago explored the percentage of human action that is grossly manifest at the physical level. Today also, psychologists confess that they have no other knowledge beyond the obvious fact that thoughts express themselves as actions. But deeply meditative mystic enquirers delved deeper to detect and chart the story of actions. In their adventurous explorations, they discovered that in seed form all thoughts are with the Infinite (Para) before manifestation. From this womb they become manifest and an individual becomes dimly aware of thoughts in their embryo form-vague and still incompletely un-formed (Pasyantee). Thereafter, the thoughts get translated into expressions (Madhyamaa) and in their last full stage of manifestation they come to express themselves as actions in the outer world (Vaikharee).

In this chain of processes when thoughts become manifest for the thinker, it is said the seat of Pasyantee-stage is the navel region. This brilliant seat of nascent manifestation of all thoughts is indicated here as “the jewel of his navel.” Generally, the intelligent student would readily jump to the conclusion that this truth is merely a poetic exaggeration, but there is a deep significance in it indeed.

794. Sulochunuh –“One Who has the most enchanting eyes.” The term indicates the beauty of the Lord’s eyes for those devotees who turn to the Lord’s form. To the deeper students of contemplation, the eyes are great not be- cause of their form, colour or expression, but because of their ability to see constantly the infinite purpose and goal of the entire creation. Therefore, the term means. “One who has the wisdom of the Self.”

795. Arkah  -“One Who is in the form of the Sun.” The Sun is worshipped as a Vedic deity, even by the Creator Himself-hence, the term suggests ‘most worshipful.’ The Sun-centre of the solar system-is the one source of light and energy illumining and nourishing everything. The Infinite Consciousness, Sree Narayana, is the Sun by Whose Splendour the experiences of all people are illumined, at all places and at all times. He, as the One Life, thrills all living creatures and presides over, in and through their nurture and nourishment. Once He has left from therein, that body cannot be maintained -though we witness today the experiments of medical science to do so.

TO BE CONTD............

subhasrini
OM SAI SRI SAI JAYA JAYA SAI!!!
Let us pray at the feet of Sai Baba who is the incarnation of all gods and protector of all, to show mercy on us, and increase our devotion towards him.

[SS91]

796. vaajasanah –“The giver of food.” The one Vital Force that ultimately sustains, supports and nourishes all living creatures in the Universe is the Supreme. and Its Nature is not really different from the Lord, Sree Narayana. In the Bhagavad Geeta the Lord describes Himself as manifesting through the sun as the sunlight which penetrates the earth to fertilise it. The fertility of the soil, in turn, becomes the plant on the surface into which the Lord transfuses the food value of the vegetable world by the essence of moon- light from the moon. Further, in the Upanishads, we find indicative declarations that offerings, given in the worship of Fire themselves come down as a reward in the form of rain and plenty for the society.

Again, it is a law of life that each individual is supplied with the exact type of ‘equipments for experiences’ and each one also finds himself in the precise environmental circumstances for their expression according to the texture and type of vaasanaas in him. Thus, in the larger sense, the entire world of ‘emotions-feelings-and-thoughts’ constitute the total food (Annam) for the experiences of the body, mind and intellect.

797. Sringee  -“The horned one.” This is generally commented upon as reminiscent of the Lord’s Incarnation as a Fish. It would have been happier had it been reminiscent of the Boar-Incarnation which Sree Narayana took to lift up the world from its slushy condition to the plane of dry-surfaced earth.

798. Jayantah –“The conqueror of all enemies.” No force could ever vanquish Him who is ‘the Source of all energy and strength’-the Almighty. Sree Narayana is acclaimed as the conqueror, because it is by His Grace and direct help that the gods always win against the ‘diabolically bad’ (the Asuras). In our bosom it is the grace of the mind and intellect, in attunement with the Self, that helps us to conquer our lower impulses, our endless desires for the sensuous-and our craving for the cruel pleasures of indulgence.

799. Sarvavij-jayee –“One Who is at once Omniscient (Sarvavit) and victorious (Jayee).” The term, however, is not two words and, therefore, as a single expression, we can also understand it to mean, ‘One who is victorious over all men of wisdom.’ Prattlers of wisdom, however eloquent in their discussions, must become utterly silent in their moments of Samaadhi, in the presence of the Self, Sree Narayana.


800. Suvarna-binduh –“With limbs radiant like gold.” Chhandogya Upanishad declares: “He, having a golden body, even to the tip of his nails.” The great name of the Lord in the Vedic literature is ‘OM’ which consists of the sounds ‘A’, ‘U’, and the bindu ‘M.’

TO BE CONTD.............

subhasrini
OM SAI SRI SAI JAYA JAYA SAI!!!
Let us pray at the feet of Sai Baba who is the incarnation of all gods and protector of all, to show mercy on us, and increase our devotion towards him.

[SS91]

24.03.2006

801. Akshobhyah –“One Who is ever unruffled.” Ordinarily an individual gets disturbed, subjectively, by the presence of desires, anger, passions, etc., and objectively an average man is constantly stormed by the enchanting dance of beautiful sense-objects all around him. Lord, the Self, is a state of existence wherein neither the subjective disturbances of the mind, nor the objective persecutions of the sense-organs can ever reach to ruffle the quietude and peaceful grace of His perfection. In describing the state of the Sthitaprajna, Bhagavan says in the Geeta that such a one will be Akshobhya like the ocean: “He attains Peace into whom all desires enter as waters enter the ocean, which filled from all sides, remains unmoved; but not the ‘desirer-of-desires.”

802. Sarva-vaageesvaresvarah –“The very Lord of the Lord of Speech.” In the Kenopanishad it has been made amply clear that it is not the instruments of actions and perceptions that act by themselves as they are all made up of inert matter. The immediate animation to the equipment is given by the ‘inner instruments.’ Therefore, for all the sense-organs, the mind-intellect-equipment is their immediate Lord. But these subtle instruments themselves get their dynamism to act only in the presence of Sree Narayana, the Consciousness. Therefore, it is most appropriate to invoke Him as the Lord of Lords in all living creatures.

The term Vaageesvara (Lord of Speech) is often used in the language to indicate poets, writers and orators. Therefore, the term can also be interpreted as ‘the Lord from whose altar all ordinary speakers draw their powers. Theologically, some commentators have spun a meaning out of this term indicating that Sree Narayana, as the Absolute Reality, is the ‘Lord’ of even the Creator .

803. Mahaa-hradah –“One Who is like a great refreshing swimming pool.” In the hot summer season, plunging into the cool crystal waters of a. pool holds the swimmer in a refreshing cool embrace on all sides. Similarly, the plane of Narayana-Consciousness revives, refreshes and en- thralls all meditators when they plunge into its reviving quietude. The Yogins often plunge into It from the springboard of their devotion, and after a time emerge out of It-cool, clean and refreshed. Sree Narayana is metaphorically addressed as the great (Mahaa) pond (Hradah).

804. Mahaa-gartah –“The great chasm.” Here the ‘chasm’ means the Lord’s maayaa which He Himself describes, in the Bhagavad Geeta as “My Maayaa (non-apprehension and the consequent misapprehension) is very difficult to cross over.” The industrious lexicographers enter here and additionally press out of this word garta the meaning, ‘chariot,’ and, therefore, the term can also mean that He is a ‘mahaaratha’ (Great Chariot).

805. Mahaabhootah –“The Great Being.” He is the Source from which even the Great Elements spring forth into existence and, therefore, in His Infinitude and Pervasiveness, Lord Narayana is called ‘Mahaabhootah.’ The entire play of birth and death, of integration (sanghaata) and disintegration (vighaata) are taking place in Him Who is the mighty substratum and, therefore, it is very appropriate that the Lord, the God, is considered by the devotees as the “Great Being.’

to be contd................

subhasrini
OM SAI SRI SAI JAYA JAYA SAI!!!
Let us pray at the feet of Sai Baba who is the incarnation of all gods and protector of all, to show mercy on us, and increase our devotion towards him.

[SS91]

806. Mahaa-nidhih –“The Great Abode.” “The Eternal Source from which everything springs forth and the Infinite substratum upon which the entire play of the finite is held in animated suspension.” The term ‘nidhi’ means ‘treasure’ and, therefore, its indication here is that Sree Narayana is the richest treasure of all His devotees-to loot at will!

807. Kumudah –“One Who gladdens the earth,” or “one who gets gladdened by the earth.” Earth here should be understood as the entire cosmos ever so dynamic and scientifically precise. The world of plurality is Narayana’s joyous expression of His infinite potentialities. It is the fulfilment of the Omnipotent.

808. Kundarah –“The one who tore the earth in His Incarnation as the Boar in order to destroy the mighty tyrant, Hiranyaaksha. It can also mean: Darah(one who wears); Kum (the earth). The term is further commented upon as “One who bestows rewards as beautiful as the Kunda flowers.”

809. Kundah -Here we read it as ‘Kunda flower.’ In this context the term means “One who is as comely and attractive as the kunda flowers.” In Harivamsa it is said that the Lord, as Parasuraama, in order to atone for the battles he had fought, gave (do) gifts of this earth (kum) to Rishi Kasyapa. ‘ Ku’ also has the meaning of the “rulers of the earth,” and ‘do’ means “slaying.” In this way the term indicates the “one who had taken the Incarnation of Parasuraama to destroy the unreasonably vicious tyrants of the land.”

810. Parjanyah –“He who is similar to the rain-bearing clouds.” Lord Krishna has been described as being so gloriously hued. Again, agriculturists and all living creatures are extremely happy when they see these clouds-the harbingers of comfort and prosperity. To the devotees, the Lord is a total fulfilment, as the clouds are for the parched earth.

to be contd.............

subhasrini
OM SAI SRI SAI JAYA JAYA SAI!!!
Let us pray at the feet of Sai Baba who is the incarnation of all gods and protector of all, to show mercy on us, and increase our devotion towards him.

[Ramesh Ramnani]

25.03.2006

811. Paavanah –“One Who ever purifies.” The impurities of a personality are gathered when the mind and intellect, in a natural impulse of animal voluptuousness, rush towards the sense-objects with ego-centric passion. To I retrieve the mind from the sense-objects and to peacefully let it settle in contemplation of the divine nature and the eternal J glory of Sree Narayana, the Self, is to exhaust all the existing vaasanaas, which are the personality-impurities within.

812. Anilah -Like the atmospheric air the Lord is the life-giver everywhere, and also He is All-pervading. Nilah also means ‘to slip’-into a condition of non-apprehension: thus, one who is ignorant (avidya). When the symbol of negation, ‘a’, is added to it, ‘A-nilah’ comes to indicate “One who slips not, but is ever of the nature of Consciousness.” Hence it means “Omniscient.”

813. Amritaasah -Since ‘amrita’ has both the meanings of ‘nectar’ and ‘immortality,’ the term is interpreted to mean “One whose desires are never fruitless,” as well as “One whose greatest desire is for the State of Immortality.”

814. Amrita-vapuh –“He Whose Form is Immortal.” He, the Eternal Reality, is unconditioned by time. This principle of Consciousness, functioning as the flame of life in every bosom, by its mere presence has in Itself neither the physical, subtle nor causal bodies-which alone are the perishable. Transcending them all-unconditioned by time, and, therefore, never undergoing any of the natural modifications of mortality, Sree Narayana revels in His Absolute Glory.

815. Sarvajnah –“Omniscient.” It is only when the light of Awareness illumines the happenings that living creatures can become conscious of their experiences. To know the outer and the inner world of happenings, they must be lighted up by the principle of Consciousness. This seat of Sree Narayana is, therefore, called the Pure Knowledge- the Principle, because of which all other knowledge is possible in every being.

To be Contd...