NAMMALVAR: TIRUVOIMOZHI: A SELECTION: 1-3-1

பத்துடை அடியவர்க்கு எளியவன் பிறர்களுக்கு அரிய

வித்தகன் மலர் மகள் விரும்பும் நம் அருள் பெறல் அடிகள்

மத்துறுகடை வெண்ணைய் களவினில் உரலிடை யாப்புண்டு

எத்திறம் உரலினோடு இணைந்திருந்து ஏங்கிய எளிவே

(1-3-1)

However inscrutable and unattainable to others, He is indeed easy of reach to those who love Him. With wonderful qualities, He is liked by Lakshmi. He is beyond reach. He displayed his gracious aspect living as the child Krishna among the humble cowherds and allowing himself to be tied to a wooden mortar for, of all things, stealing butter! 

NAMMALVAR: TIRUVOIMOZHI: A SELECTION: 1-1-9

உளன் எனில் உளன் அவன் உருவம் இவ்வுருவுகள்

உளன் அலன் எனில் அவன் அருவமிவ்வுருவுகள்

உளனென இலனென இவைகுணமுடைமையில்

உளன் இரு தகைமையொடு ஒழிவிலன் பரந்தே

(1-1-9)

Ulan enil ulan avan uruvam ivvuruvugal

Ulan alan enil avan aruvamivvuruvugal

Ulanena ilanena ivaigunamudaimaiyil

Ulan iru thakaimaiyodu ozhivilan paranthe

If you say He is within,

He is,

And all these are His forms,

If you question it,

Why, all these shadows

Are His shadow.

But He is, He is,

With these twin attributes,

Being within, being not within,

He is.

(Translation: A. Srinivasa Raghavan)

(This paasuram is like the apex of Thiruvoimozhi 1^st paththu.) The Tamil equivalents of the words “within” (ulan) and “without” (ulan alan) are consciously used here by Nammalvar. The Alvar states the revolutionary idea of God having the twin states of being as qualities, all-pervading and beyond, He is.

NAMMALVAR: TIRUVOIMOZHI: A SELECTION: 1-1-7

திட விசும்பு எரிவளி நீர்நிலமிவைமிசைப்

படர்பொருள் முழுவதுமாய் அவை அவைதொறும்

உடல்மிசை உயிரெனக் கரந்தெங்கும் பரந்துளன்

சுடர்மிகு சுருதியுள் இவையுண்ட சுரனே

(1-1-7)

Thidavisampu erivali neernilam ivaimisai

Padarporul muzhuvathumaay avai avaithorum,

Udalmisai uyirenak karanthenkum paranthulan

Sudarmiku suruthiyul ivaiyunda surane

The illimitable sky,

Fire, air, the waters and the earth,

He is all these

And all that spread innumerable on them,

And in all these

Like life in a body,

He dwells hidden, everywhere,

And yet, He, the glory of the Vedas,

Is their eternal abode,

Verily, all the worlds are within Him.

(Translation: A. Srinivasa Raghavan)

NAMMALVAR: TIRUVOIMOZHI: A SELECTION: 1-1-5

அவரவர் தமதமது அறிவறி வகைவகை

அவரவர் இறையவர் என அடி அடைவர்கள்

அவரவர் இறையவர் குறைவிலர் இறையவர்

அவரவர் விதிவழி அடைய நின்றனரே

(1-1-5)

Avaravar thamathamathu arivari vakaivakai

Avaravar iraiyavar ena adi adaivargal

Avaravar iraiyavar kuraivilar iraiyavar

Avaravar vidhivazhi adaiya ninranare

Everyone, as his understanding guides him,

Turns to his god and reaches him,

Flawless these gods are,

And all those who seek them,

Each one in his way,

Reach the Lord’s feet.

(Translation: A. Srinivasa Raghavan)

(In the Vaishnava tradition, these people worship the God (Narayana) who also lives in their own gods as the antaryami (the in-dweller.)

NAMMALVAR: TIRUVOIMOZHI: A SELECTION: 1-1-1

உயர்வற உயர்நலம் உடையவன் யவனவன்

மயர்வற மதிநலம் அருளினன் யவனவன்

அயர்வறும் அமரர்கள் அதிபதி யவனவன்

துயர் அறு சுடர் அடி தொழுதெழு என் மனனே

(1-1-1)

Uyarvara uyarnalam udaiyavan yavanavan

Mayarvara madhinalam arulinan yavanavan

Ayarvarum amararkal athipathi yavanavan

Tuyar aru sudar adi thozhuthezhu en manane

(1-1-1)

Who is so high and so full of good

That all idea of height and good fades?

It is He.

(Translation: A. Srinivasa Raghavan)

He who has granted knowledge and bhakthi (intense devotion) to remove ignorance,

He who is the leader of the tire-less devas (gods),

He who is the remover of miseries,

O my mind! Pay obeisance to His sacred feet.

  

SRI VISHNU SAHASRANAMA: A Simple explanation

ॐ विश्वं विष्णुर्वषट्कारॊ भूत-भव्य-भवत्प्र्भुः

भूतकृत् भूतभृद्भावॊ भूतात्मा भूतभावनः     १

Om visvam vishnur-vashatkaaro

    Bhoota-bhavya-bhavat-prabhuh

Bhoota-krit bhoota-bhrit bhaavo

     Bhootaatmaa bhoota-bhaavanah        1

पूतात्मा परमात्मा च मुक्तानां परमा गतिः

अव्ययः पुरुषः साक्षी क्षॆत्रञॊ अक्षर ऎव च      २

Pootaatmaa paramaatmaa cha

     Muktaanaam paramaa gatih

Avyayah purushah saakshee

     Kshetrajno akshara eva cha      2

   

यॊगॊ यॊगविदां नॆता प्रधान-पुरुषॆश्वरः

नारसिंहवपुः श्रीमान् कॆशवः पुरुषॊत्तमः     ३

Yogo yoga-vidaam netaa

      Pradhaana-purushesvarah

Naarasimha-vapuh sreemaan

       Kesavah purushottamah               3

(5) BHOOTHA-KRITH: Maker of all fundamental elements (Five fundamental elements: Space, Air, Fire, and Water & Earth).

(6) BHOOTHA-BHRITH: Supports or sustains all beings.

(7) BHAAVAH: He who is pure Existence. He is Himself all the fundamental elements. He supports or sustains all of them. He gives them power and make them discharge their assigned duties.

(8) BHOOTHAATHMAA & (9) BHOOTHA-BHAAVANAH: He manifests Himself as all the existence. We worship the Paramaatma as he is the inner being (antharaathmaa) of all the fundamental elements. (Bhaavayathi ithi bhaavah)

(10) POOTAATHMAA: He whose nature is purity.

(11) PARAMAATHMAA:  He who has none equal to, or greater than Him. The Supreme Self. He is beyond cause and effect, eternal, pure, absolute consciousness, and free. (GITA: XV-17) He is other than, and different from all high beings.

(12) MUKHTHAANAAM PARAMAA GATHIH: He who is the highest goal of those who have attained release from rebirth.

(13) AVYAYAH: He who is unchanging. Vyayam naasthi – There is no shortage or decay in Him. This name refers to both the Paramaathmaa as well as the mukhthaathma (those who have attained release from rebirth.)

(14) PURUSHAH: He who fills all beings and dwells in them from the beginning, granting their prayers.

Bhahudhaanaath purushah: He who gives immensely, e.g. clothes, food, water etc.

Puri sayanaath purushah : He who resides in all the entities in the universe.

Puraannaathvaath purushah: He is the oldest (and yet becomes new for our enjoyment.)

Poornnathwaath purushah : He is perfect. He is not deficient in anything. Om poornamadah poornamidam  - The Divine is infinite and whole. (Shanti sloka from Isha Upanishad.)

(15) SAAKSHEE: He witnesses every happening in the universe.

(16) KSHETRAJNAH: He who resides in our bodies. (Gita XIII -2)

(17) AKSHARAH: EVA CHA - He who neither waxes nor wanes in His qualities or in His appearances.

Kshetrajnah and Aksharah are identical metaphysically and their difference is relevant only relatively.

(18) YOGAH: & (19) YOGA-VIDAAM NETAA:  (Samathvam yoga uchyathe) - Equanimity is called yoga. According to GITA: II-48, Sri Bhagavan told Arjuna “Perform actions remaining in yoga, abandoning attachment, and considering alike successes and failures”. Since the Supreme God is experienced  through yoga , He is known as yogah.

Another meaning of yoga – apraapthasya praapanam yogam (Receiving those which were previously not obtained.) God is the leader of those who know him as yogah. These persons are called yoga-vidh.

(20) PRADHAANA-PURUSHA-EESVARAH: Pradhana represents the 24 principles/ origins of the fundamental elements etc. Purusha represents the jeevatma (individual soul.) Isvara is the Master of both Pradhana and Purusha.

(21) NAARASIMHA-VAPUH: He who manifested Himself in the Man-lion body. This is the fourth avataara (incarnation) of Vishnu. Thus the first incarnation specifically mentioned in the Saharanama is that of Narasimha.

(22) SREEMAN: He who is inseparably united with Sree or Lakshmi.

(23) KESAVAH: He who has lovely hair. Or He who destroyed the asura (demon) Kesi in His incarnation as Krishna.

(24) PURUSHOTTAMAH: He who is the most high among beings.   GITA: XV – 18 “As I transcend the Kshara  (the perishable)  and Akshara  (non-perishable), I am called Purushottamah  in the Vedas and  in  common language.”

In the Brahma-Soothra , if one understands fully the purport of the first four Soothras, one can be considered as having known all the remaining Soothras. Similarly, if one understands fully the purport of the first three Slokas of the Sahasranama, one can appreciate that the names specified in the remaining Slokas stand covered within these three Slokas: The following Slokas  are all explanatory of the first three.  These three slokas declare the glories of the Gayatri as well as those of the ashtakshara manthra (Om Namo Narayanaya)  

 

(The first four names of the Sahasranama were posted in this blog on 15 July 2011).

ANANDA (BLISS)

(Based on Sri Mukkoor Lakshmi Narasimhacharya’s lectures)

According to the Dwaita system of philosophy established by Sri Madhvacharya, there is difference in the Ananda (bliss) enjoyed by the various entities. There is difference in the experience of Moksha (liberation). The Visishtadvaitha system of Sri Ramanuja, on the other hand, states that there is no such difference in the enjoyment of Ananda (bliss). The Advaitha system founded by Sri Sankara avers that there could be no greater blss if a jeeva (individual soul) attains the awareness that it is the Brahman (Supreme God) itself.

Pramana sloka on dwaita philosophy

SrimanMadhvaMateh Harihi Parataraha Satyam Jagat Tattvato

Bhedo Jeevaganaha Hareranucharaaha Neechochabhaavam gataaha

Mukthihi Naijasukhaanubhuthihi, Amalaabhaktischa Tatsaadhanam

Hyakshaaditritayam Pramanam Akhilaamnayaikavedhyo Harihi

Sri Hari (Sri Narayana) is the Supreme God. Sri Mahalakshmi is junior to Him. The different classes of jeevas (selves or animate beings) are dependents of Sri Narayana. And they have higher or lower grades among themselves. For attaining Sri Narayana (Mukti or salvation), Vedas are like eyes to us. Salvation is only achieved through Bhakti (flawless intense devotion) to the Supreme God. Correct knowledge of Sri Narayna can be acquired through all the Holy Scriptures and only through them.

According to Sri Madhvacharya, there are four states or types of God’s grace (Chaturmargam). These are:

Salokya: Living in the same station/locality where one’s (Ishta Devata) preferred deity’s temple is situated.

Sameepya: Serving in the premises of the above-stated temple.

Saroopya:  Serving as a priest in the sanctum sanctorum of the same temple.

Sayujyam : Offering whole-hearted worship inside the above sanctum sanctorum.

Thus there are differences in the bliss arising out of the enjoyment of God’s grace. Sri Madhvacharya has established that the above differences arise depending on the gradation (higher or lower) of the concerned jeevas. He has based his conclusion on the basis of the declarations in the Taittiriya Upanishad.

Visitadvaita lays down that the jeeva (individual soul) gets the full enjoyment equivalent to that of the Supreme God. The soul is blessed with the same enjoyment and the same all-perfect knowledge as God Himself and attains full awareness of Brahman (Supreme God). In this awareness/bliss, there is no ranking or gradation at all.

Thus the declarations in the Holy Scriptures have been used in the supporting arguments of the three systems of philosophy. Matha means idea/opinion. The three Acharyas (Gurus or highly revered teachers) enunciated statements in the Upanishads as their own considered opinions and they then used those portions of the Upanishads supporting their theories.