Monthly Archives: September 2019

SrI:  SrImathE SatakOpAya nama:  SrImathE rAmAnujAya nama:  SrImath varavaramunayE nama:

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81. anuththama:  (अनुत्तमः)

Thereafter, he  is only the ‘anuththama:’   – the one who has none superior than himself.

The scriptures declare thus:

• “Behold! There’s none superior to him ”
• “Who can ever compete with that supreme brahman  in supremacy?”
• “Who can compete with him?”
• “Oh arjuna, , there’s none superior to me”
• “There’s none known to be superior to the supreme brahman  who is sporting this cosmic form (the viSvarUpam)”

Etymology: The one who has no one superior to himself  is called ‘anuththama:’

उत्तमॊ नास्ति यस्मात् सः अनुत्तम उदाहृतः |

82. dhurAdharsha:  (दुराधर्षः)

He is also ‘dhurAdharsha:’ – the unshakeable one or the one who owns the unintelligible abode of SrIvaikuNtam.

He is called dhurAdharsha: because he  is the most sacrosanct due to his extreme composure, just like the mighty ocean.

The scriptures say:

• “He is accessed by the mind only; He is the life force; He is the most effulgent; He is the one with unfaltering and ever fulfilled desires; He is the embodiment of the sky; He is the power behind all actions; He is the one who is liked by everyone; He is the embodiment of all great essences; He is the one who owns all these entities! He does not talk, and remains silent! He doesn’t have another entity which he  ought to regard!”
• “He is the most composed supreme brahman ”
• “He is highly regarded like the mighty ocean”
• “He is comparable to the vast ocean in his  composure” etc.

Several other contextual vEdhic  verses can be quoted, as below:

• “That is the supreme  abode of lord vishNu”
• “In that imperishable supreme sky…”
• “That is verily the heaven”
• “That is my supreme abode, arjuna!”
• “…the most divine abode, which is eternal and imperceptible”
• “…and return to your supreme abode after killing rAvaNa ”
• “…and then he  entered his original abode of the Vaishnava  effulgence”
• “…where the time of the form of kalA, kAshta, muhUrtha etc does not affect anything”
• “That is the supreme abode of those nithyasUris ”, etc.

With all these statements and more, and also with the declarations that were quoted before, when there is a doubt raised with respect to uniqueness, limitlessness, as also in the eternity of his  supreme abode which is by nature transcending time, imperishable, unaffected, transcending thamas – the darkness, eternal, the world of no return, and being befitting of the divine qualities and nature of bhagavAn,  such a doubt is overcome by scriptural statements that say “He only existed, with none second to him ”, “at that time, neither the sentient entities existed, nor the insentient (in manifest form)”, et al. In such a divine abode SrIvaikuNtam , and particularly in the divine court of the thousand pillared hall mentioned in the kaushIthaki brAhmaNam part of the vEdhas, the divine association of bhagavAn with SrIdhEvi, bhUdhEvi and neeLAdhEvi as his divine consorts – while resting on the divine throne of AdhiSEsha, with His lotus feet being served eternally by His divine servants such as AdhiSEsha, garuda, viSvaksEna, et al in the ways explained earlier – is explained by the innumerable hidden vEdhic verses, as also his sole mastership over all wealth, his universal monarchy, his capabilities of being the monarch, and other divine qualities.

This is also clear from the words of vAyu,  quoted in the Siva purAna: “In that supreme abode SrIvaikuNtam,  the lord of all words – SrI vishNu who is imperceptible – rests with his  divine consort SrI mahAlakshmi, along with his innumerable devotees and their followers”.

The vishNu thathva says thus: “bhagavAn has a body composed of five powers (viz. time, knowledge, action, free will and life). He is the supreme controller of all worlds. He rests in the supreme  abode of SrIvaikuNtam enjoying himself”

Etymology: Since bhagavAn  is most composed and inviolable like the vast ocean, he  is called ‘dhurAdharsha:’. Alternately, since he  possesses the unintelligible supreme abode of SrIvaikuNtam,  he is called ‘dhurAdharsha:’.

अपां निधिवदक्षॊभ्यः दुराधर्ष इतीरितः |
दुर्विज्ञॆयगतिः यस्मात् दुराधर्षः प्रकीर्तितः ||

83. kruthagya:  (कृतज्ञः) (also repeated in 536)

Further, since bhagavAn  remembers even the smallest service done unto him  by the lower mortals in this material creation (samsAris), who are characterized by eternal and unconditional servitude to bhagavAn  and solely dependent on him by all means – and yet who are possessed with a feeling of independence that is imposed due to ignorance from time immemorial, he  is called ‘kruthagya:’ (read as kruthagya:  – the grateful one.

The adjunct ‘ka:’  (कः) is suffixed to the root, resulting in this divine name kruthagya:,   as per the grammatical aphorism ‘आतॊsनुपसर्गॆ कः’. Same is the case with other divine names such as ‘brahmagya:’  ब्रह्मज्ञः (674), ‘prANaha:’  प्राणदः (66, 323, 409, and 956), et al.

This is very clearly shown in bhagavAn’s  own words in the bhagavath gIthA, which says thus: “Even though he is of a very bad conduct before, if he sings my glory with a single mind, then he ought to be considered as a saint; for, he has a perfectly resolved mind now”.

In such cases, it is said that bhagavAn  fails to find a suitable favor to be returned to such single minded souls. This is very clear from the famous verse from mahAbhAratha, which says thus (just before Krishna departs to SrIvaikuNtam): “When I was away from dhraupadhi when she actually needed my help, she cried out my name ‘gOvindha’.  That now stands like a huge debt in my heart, which I can never pay back!”

Etymology: Since bhagavAn  remembers even the smallest of deeds done unto him  by all creatures and returns suitable fruits, and since he  gets satisfied even with just a leaf, or a flower or any small thing offered to him and grants verily the ‘mOksha’ in return of their small service, he is called ‘kruthagya:’

प्राणिभिः यत्कृतं कर्म तज्ज्ञात्वा फलदॊ यतः |
पत्रपुष्पादिना तुष्टः कृतज्ञॊ मॊक्षदानतः ||

84. kruthi:  (कृतिः)

Since he  only gets even such small services done unto him  from the creatures all by himself, he is called ‘kruthi:’   – the one who gets the righteous acts done.

The adjunct ‘kthin’  (क्तिन्) is suffixed to the root ‘kru’  (कृ) – meaning ‘to do’, as per the grammatical rules. The same rule is applied in other names such as ‘bhUthi:’  भूतिः (636), ‘sidhdhi:’  सिद्धिः (99), et al.

The scriptures also say thus: “He only gets the righteous acts done by those whom he  wishes to uplift from this material creation”.

Etymology: He – who gets the righteous acts done by those creatures and thus gets satisfied – is called ‘kruthi:’.   The effort or action of the doers is called ‘kruthi:’.

यस्मात् प्रसन्नात् सुकृतं तॆषां स कृतिरिष्यतॆ |
प्रयत्नॊ वा क्रिया वा अथ कृतिरुक्ता क्रियावताम् ||

85. AthmavAn  (आत्मवान्)

Although he  is the one who gets the right acts done, since he  solely owns all such creatures as his property – by their nature, deeds, et al, he  is called ‘AthmavAn’ – the one who owns such creatures.

Etymology: Since he  is resides in the individual souls as well as their bodies as their sole owner, he  is called AtmavAn. Alternately, since he is focused in his own greatness, he is called ‘AthmavAn’.

एषाम् आत्मशरीरादि-निवासात् अथवात्मवान् |
स्वॆ महिम्नि प्रतिष्ठानात् आत्मवान् अभिदीयतॆ ||

================================
सुरॆशः शरणं शर्म विश्वरॆता प्रजाभवः ।
अहः सम्वत्सरॊ व्यालः प्रत्ययः सर्वदर्शनः ॥ १० ॥
================================

86. surESa: (सुरॆशः)

The one who grants the wishes of even the mortals such as brahmA et al, who long for lower material pleasures such as the status of ‘dhEva’  etc, is called ‘surESa:’ – the king of devas.

brahmA himself declares thus:

“…with whose grace brahmA creats the various creatures in this world, with whose grace that rudhra gains the power to destroy the worlds with his anger, that achyutha himself is the protector of these worlds”, etc.

Etymology: The one who grants the wishes of brahmA and other ‘dhEvas’ – who long for lower material pleasures – is called as ‘surESa:’   by the knowledgeable men.

ब्रह्मादीनां फल्गुफललिप्सूनां त्रिदिवौकसाम् |
संविधाता सुरॆशश्च प्रॊच्यतॆ विबुधॊत्तमैः ||

87. SaraNam  (शरणम्)

The one who is equal to all individual souls in being the refuge is called ‘SaraNam’  – the sole refuge.

Since the root word ‘SRuNAthi’ is used to mean protection in this context, the ‘lyut’ (ल्युट्) form of the word is used, which results in suffixing the ‘ana’ (अन) adjunct to the root – resulting in this divine name ‘SaraNam’. The same rule is applied in other divine names such as ‘karaNam’ करणम् (380), ‘kAraNam’ कारणम् (381), ‘pramANam’ प्रमाणम् (430, 959), et al.

This name goes to indicate that he  is the causeless means of attaining him.

The scriptures say thus in this context:

• “I, the seeker of salvation that I am, seek refuge in that ‘dhEva’,  with whose grace I gained the knowledge about self”
• “nArAyaNa  is verily the abode, refuge, associate, and verily the destination of all individual souls”
• “The divine sages of yore have extolled you as the sole refuge of all and sought refuge in you”, et al

Etymology: Since he  is the one who ends the distress of the afflicted souls, he  is called ‘SaraNam’  ‘sharaNam’. Worshipping whom the souls get rid of all their fears, sorrows, sins and bondages, and also gain utmost happiness, and knowledge, such a one is the ‘SaraNam’.

आर्तानाम् आर्तिहन्तृत्वात् शरणं परिकीर्तितः |
यदुपासं भयं दुःखं पापं बन्धॊ न बाधतॆ ||

प्रतिष्ठा च सुखं ज्ञानं भवॆत् शरणमित्यतः |

88. Sarma (शर्म)

The word ‘Sarma’   means ‘happiness’. Since he  is the most enjoyable goal of all souls, he  is called ‘Sarma’ – the blissful goal.

The ‘manin’ (मनिन्) adjunct is used to give the word ‘Sarma’  its meaning as ‘happiness’.

The scriptures say:

• “He is the essence of everything; He is the fragrance of everything”
• “The supreme brahman  is verily the happiness. He is only the supreme bliss”
• “brahman  is verily the embodiment of bliss”, etc.

Etymology: Since he  is of the form of supreme bliss, and since he  wards off all violence, he is called ‘Sarma’.

परमानन्दरूपत्वात् शर्म हिंसादि मन्थनात् |

89. viSvarEthA:  (विश्वरॆताः)

This divine name ‘viSvarEthA:’   explains further the form of bhagavAn  as the sole refuge (the means of attaining salvation) as well as the most blissful goal. This divine name means to say ‘the whole world is his  creation’.

He only creates these various creatures with the innumerable individual souls and thus creates this whole world for the sake of his  own service, displaying his knowledge and supremacy.

The scriptures say thus in this regard:

• “The life force called ‘prANa’, the mind, and all the senses are born out of him. . The basic elements of creation namely space, air, fire, water and earth that are born out of him  bear this whole creation”
• “Seven life forces are born out of him”
• “I am only the cause behind the varied characters in all these creatures”

The vishNu thathva  says thus:

“The wealth of ‘body’ is very special, and is created for the sake of dedicating it to the supreme soul.  Oh brahman, these bodies were made as before, with all limbs to serve the supreme godhead “, et al.

Etymology: Since this world is the offspring of bhagavAn,  that hari is called ‘viSvarEthA:’.   The one who gives knowledge and senses unto the individual souls in the form of a body – only for serving him  eternally – is called ‘viSvarEthA:’

विश्वं रॆतॊ भगवतॊ विश्वरॆताः हरिः स्मृतः |
ज्ञानॆन्द्रियादिकं विश्वं परिचर्यार्थमॆव हि |
यः प्रजानां करॊतीति विश्वरॆताश्च स स्मृतः ||

90. prajAbhava: (प्रजाभवः)

All creatures finally approach him  as their final goal and attain him using the tools (namely sense organs, mind, et al) given by him.  Thus, he is called ‘prajAbhava:’ – the one with whose tools the creatures attain him.

The ‘gha:’ (घः) adjunct is suffixed in this case, which results in the masculine form of the word, since the root is related to some tool in this case (the ‘gha:’   adjunct is usually related to a tool or a place).

The same rule of grammar is applied in other divine names as well, such as ‘ASrama:’ आश्रमः (856), ‘niyama:’  नियमः (163, 869), ‘yama:’  यमः (164, 870), etc.

Etymology: Since all the creatures utilize the tools given unto them by the supreme brahman  (such as body with all such faculties as mind, senses, et al) and approach him as their final goal, he  is called ‘prajAbhava:’.

तद्दत्तैरॆव करणैः तस्मिन्नभिमुखाः प्रजाः |
सर्वाश्चैव भवन्तीति प्रजाभव उदाहृतः ||

adiyen srinivasa raja ramanuja dasan

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SrI:  SrImathE SatakOpAya nama:  SrImathE rAmAnujAya nama:  SrImath varavaramunayE nama:

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<< Part 7

71. hiraNyagarbha:  (हिरण्यगर्भः) (also repeated in 412)

He is called ‘hiraNyagarbha:’,   since he  is characterized by his  supreme abode befitting of his  divine experience.

The faultless, excellent, eternal, supreme abode comprising completely of sAthvika materials is comparable to pure gold. Alternately, ‘hiraNya’ (हिरण्य) also refers to ‘beneficial’ (hitham  हितम्) and ‘beautiful’ (ramaNIyam रमणीयम्). Thus, ‘hiraNyam’ refers to the supreme  abode of vishNu, which is SrIvaikuNtam. The word ‘garbha’ refers to bhagavAn’s  residence within that supreme abode.

The vEdhas  say thus in this relation:

• “The knower of self indeed knows that supreme brahman,  who is pristine, pure and highly effulgent, who resides in that supreme abode which is full of glitter like the gold and free from all blemishes”
• “The sun doesn’t light up there…”
• “The abode of dhEvas/nithyasUris is called ‘ayOdhyA’ (SrIvaikuNtam), which has a golden trove. In that golden abode – also called ‘aparAjithA’,  the liberated souls enter” etc

Etymology: Since the supreme  abode SrIvaikuNtam is comparable to pure gold in its luster, it is called ‘hiraNya’. He is called ‘hiraNyagarbha’, who resides in that abode always.

हिरण्यं परमं धाम हिरण्यस्य समानतः |
हिरण्यगर्भः सः प्रॊक्तः तस्मिन् वसति यः सदा ||

72. bhUgarbha:  (भूगर्भः)

Thereafter, his  lordship over his  divine consorts is shown with two names, the first divine name being bhUgarbha: – the bearer of bhUmA dhEvi.

The word ‘bhU:’  (भूः) refers to bhUmA dhEvi.  She has different names such as ‘bhagavathi’  (भगवती), ‘hrI’ (ह्री), kshamA  (क्षमा), et al. Since she is carefully borne by bhagavAn  at all times with unflinching enjoyment – just as a foetus in the womb, bhagavAn  is called ‘bhUgarbha:’   This is also shown in some places in the vEdhas  thus:

• “That consort of vishNu  the bhUmA dhEvi, who is ever youthful…”
• “You were uplifted by varAha…..”  etc
• The vishNu smrithi  – extensively talks about the relation between bhagavAn and bhUdhEvi.

Etymology: He is called ‘bhUgarbha:’   who bears bhUmAdhEvi  and enjoys her divine experience.

यस्य भूः भरणीयाभूत् भूगर्भॊsनुभवॆन सः |

73. mAdhava:  (माधवः) (also repeated in 169 and 741)

‘mAdhava:’ refers to the divine consort of SrI mahAlakshmi,  who is also known as ‘mA’. The scriptures quote thus about bhagavAn:  “The ruler of all these worlds is that divine consort of vishNu ”, “SrI mahAlakshmi  and bhUmA dhEvi are your divine consorts” etc.

The scriptures professing the highest philosophy have expounded the ever auspicious and faultless divine form of SrI mahAlakshmi  – just as much as her divine nature itself, along with her natural ownership of supreme wealth, her nature of being the mother of all worlds,  and hence her ever-lasting relationship with bhagavAn that can never be severed, et al. in numerous ways. A lot of illustrations can be shown in the vedhas  as well, which have professed the greatness of SrI mahAlakshmi, such as SrI sUktham, SradhdhA sUktham, mEdhA sUktham, uththara nArAyaNam, kaushIthaki brAhmaNam etc.

The vishNu purANa  says thus: “This mother of all worlds – SrI:  (श्रीः) by name – is ever inseparable from SrI vishNu  Just as he is omnipresent and all-pervading, so also SrI mahAlakshmi  is omnipresent and all-pervading”.

Having begun thus to speak about the greatness of SrI mahAlakshmi,  the vishNu purANa further elaborates on her greatness by quoting the incidents of amrutha-manthanam  (अमृतमन्थनम्), the prayer of lord indhra  to mahAlakshmi, et al.

The brahma purANa  says thus: “Her powers are invincible and magnanimous, and she is called by the name ‘vishNu Sakthi’  (विष्णुशक्तिः). She resides in the lotus of heart of all beings, and also manifests herself  in various forms. She is also called ‘prANA’ (प्राणा), the originator of all sacred hymns (manthras), and she  is the eternal divine mother of all worlds”. It further states: “She is dark hued like the lamp-black (अञ्जनम्), devoid of all faulty qualities, and is verily the ‘vyOma’ or the vast sky.

Further, some other scriptures say thus: “She is the sole supreme power of vishNu, , and she is also in refuge of vishNu’s  compassion. She possesses the six qualities (knowledge, powers, et al), and is said to be verily the superior nature of bhagavAn.

She is the only supreme power, who hails as second to vishNu himself. She is the eternal one, who manifests in both superior and inferior forms (superior – in SrIvaikuNtam,  inferior – in our lower worlds). Her divine names are endless, and she is the mistress of the ‘Sakthi chakra’ (शक्तिचक्रः). She pervades all of these sentient and insentient entities in this world, and conducts all activities along with bhagavAn.  With her divine body full of the six divine qualities, she is ever inseparable from bhagavAn vAsudhEva – who is himself the master of all wealth. She stands apart with all her  greatness, although being one with vishNu, just like the cool rays of the moon. She is omnipotent, and is all-pervading. She possesses all the wealth in this world, and always accepts bhagavAn’s dharma as her own. She is verily the life force and is superior to all other souls in this world. She is the origin of all powers, and she is the supreme effulgent goddess” etc. All of these statements and more – in the kakshmi sahasram  – show the greatness of SrI mahAlakshmi.

Further, the same scriptures state thus: “The creative powers are born as a manifestation of lakshmi herself,  and are present all around the world. They indeed stand as the cause of all procreation in this world by the divine order of SrI mahAlakshmi.  Thus, when the divine mother SrI mahAlakshmi – the consort of achyutha – is pleased with someone, these powers confer their fruits upon them all by themselves”.

The greatness of SrI mahAlakshmi  is thus spoken at great length in various scriptures such as all vaishnava smruthis   and dharma SAsthrAs.

Even the SrImath rAmAyana  states the greatness of SrI mahAlakshmi  fully, when it says: “The epic poem rAmAyana is completely the divine story of sIthA”.

The kathOpanishath  says: “bhagavAn vishNu  gains his supremacy only because of his  being the consort of SrI mahAlakshmi”.

With all these scriptural declarations and more, the greatness of SrI mahAlakshmi  is clearly depicted. The consort of that SrI mahAlakshmi is only called as ‘mAdhava:’.

Etymology: The consort of SrI mahAlakshmi  – who is alternately called by the divine names ‘ SrI:’ (श्रीः), ‘SradhdhA’  (श्रद्धा), et al – is called as ‘mAdhava:’.

श्रियः श्रद्धादि नाम्न्याश्च पतिः माधव इष्यतॆ |

74. madhusUdhana:  (मधुसूदनः)

Since he  is the controller of all – thus, and since he  is the slayer of asuras and other opponents, and also since he  provides immense wealth, he is called ‘madhusUdhana:’   – the slayer of demon madhu,  or the controller of senses.

The ‘lyu:’  (ल्युः) adjunct is used as per the aphorism ‘नन्द्यादित्वात् ल्युः’, as seen earlier. The same adjunct is used in other names such as ‘nandhana:’  नन्दनः (530), vardhana:  वर्धनः (262), sankarshana: सङ्कर्षणः (556), janArdhana:  जनार्दनः (528), et al.

The sages of yore have given the meaning of this name thus: “He is called ‘madhusUdhana’  since he leads all entities towards him, as well as since he is the slayer of demon named ‘madhu’”.  Residing within the individual soul as the eternal indweller, he attracts all the senses of the liberated and ever liberated souls towards him  alone. This is also why he is called ‘madhusUdhana:’.   The word ‘madhu:’  (मधुः) refers to the internal and external senses. Since he  directs all the senses towards himself, he is called ‘madhusUdhana:’.

Etymology: The one who killed the asura named ‘madhu’  or the one who attracts the senses of all sUris towards himself  is called ‘madhusUdhana:’.

मध्वाख्यम् असुरं हन्ति सूरीणां करणं च वा |
उपसंहरति स्वस्मिन् मधुसूदन इष्यतॆ ||

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ईश्वरॊ विक्रमी धन्वी मॆधावी विक्रमः क्रमः ।
अनुत्तमॊ दुराधर्षः कृतज्ञः कृतिरात्मवान् ॥ ९ ॥
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75. ISvara:  (ईश्वरः) (also repeated in 36)

The one who sports an undeterred free will, even while being in the boundless supreme land of enjoyment is called ‘ISvara:‘  – the undaunted ruler. This is shown in the scriptural statements thus:

• “His desires are unfaltering and ever fulfilled”
• “He freely moves to places where he  so desires” etc

Etymology: Since he  is the unfettered ruler, and the one who enjoys such ruling, he  is called ‘ISvara: ‘.

ईशनात् रमणाच्चापि ईश्वरः परिकीर्तितः |

76. vikramI (विक्रमी) (also repeated in 909)

His capability of impeding his  adversaries is shown by this divine name ‘vikramI’ – the valorous. The adjunct ‘ini:’  (इनिः) is suffixed to the root word ‘vikrama:’  (विक्रमः) – meaning valor – as per the aphorism ‘भूम-प्रशंसा-नित्ययॊगाद्यर्थॆ इनिः’. This shows that his  valor is magnificent, praise-worthy and eternal. The scriptures say: “For the one who creates all these worlds and also destroys them by mere thought, is it really a herculean task to destroy his  enemies?” et al.

Etymology: Valour is termed as ‘paurusham’  (पौरुषम्). The learned call him  ‘vikramI’ since he is the most valorous.

विक्रमः पौरुषं प्रॊक्तः तद्वत्त्वात् विक्रमी बुधैः |

77. dhanvI (धन्वी)

Thereafter, his  eternal possession of the divine bow ‘Sarnga:’ (शार्ङ्गः) – befitting of such a valour (as explained in the previous divine name) – is shown in this divine name ‘dhanvI’ – the wielder of bow named ‘SArnga’ (read as  ‘SArnga’ ).

The same ‘ini:’  (इनिः) adjunct that was shown in the previous divine name is used here as well.

This divine name is indicative of his  wielding of all of his divine weapons – the conch, discus, mace, sword and the bow.

This is shown in the scriptures thus:

• “He is verily the wielder of the ‘SArnga  dhanus’ or the bow, the controller of senses, the supreme  entity and the one who is superior to all other sentient entities, the invincible wielder of sword called ‘nAndhaka’  He is verily vishNu . He is krishNa. He is only the mightiest of all”
• “All the arrows of different kinds and his  bow itself manifest with divine bodies and follow SrI rAmA”
• “Thus, oh king! That bhagavAn , who wields the fiery bow called SArnga,  that nArAyaNA himself is the cause of all these creations and destructions”
• “The two types of ahankArAs  – ‘bhUthAdhi’ and ‘indhriyAdhi’  – rest in the divine hands of bhagavAn  in the form of conch and bow respectively” etc

Etymology: The one who wields the SArnga  bow – befitting of his valor – is called ‘dhanvI’.

पौरुषानुगुणं शार्ङ्गं यस्य धन्वी स कथ्यतॆ |

78. mEdhAvI (मॆधावी)

The one who is omniscient – with no bounds to his  knowledge – befitting his own boundless, eternal and magnanimous nature is called ‘mEdhAvI’ – the omniscient one.

The adjunct ‘vini:’  (विनिः) is suffixed to the root ‘mEdhA’ – meaning knowledge, as per the grammatical aphorism ‘अस्-माया-मॆधा-स्रजॊ विनिः’.

Etymology: He who possesses abundant knowledge called ‘mEdhA’, which is marked by boundlessness and eternity befitting His boundless and opulent nature, is called ‘mEdhAvI’ by the seers.

निस्सीम-भूमानुगुण नित्य सर्वज्ञलक्षणा |
मॆधा यस्यास्ति स प्रॊक्तः मॆधावीति विचक्षणैः ||

79. vikrama:  (विक्रमः)

Sinc he  is the one who moves about to the places of his  interest out of his own free will on the shoulders of the king of birds – the embodiment of vEdhas, garuda – as his divine vehicle, he is called ‘vikrama:‘   – the one who rides the king of birds. ‘vi’ (वि) in this divine name represents garuda, , and ‘kramaNam’ (क्रमणम्) represents movement.

The scriptures quote thus:

• “Let us meditate upon that garuda,  the eternal servant of SrIman nArAyaNa,  and the one who sports golden wings. Let him lead us on the right path”.
• In this verse (तत्पुरुषाय विद्महॆ सुवर्णपक्षाय धीमहि । तन्नॊ गरुडः प्रचॊदयात् ॥), the word ‘purusha’  (पुरुषः) in the very beginning shows the eternal subservience of garuda  to the supreme godhead SrIman nArAyaNa. This is very clearly depicted in various scriptures, such as the sauparNa sUktham (सौपर्णसूक्तम्).

Etymology: He, whose vehicle is garuda,  is called ‘vikrama:‘.

गमनं पक्षिराजॆन यस्य विक्रम उच्यतॆ |

80. krama:  (क्रमः)

The one who is prosperous with such eternal and bountiful wealth is called ‘krama:‘  – the flourishing one.

Since the word ‘krama:’   (क्रमिः) is used in the ‘AthmanEpadi’  form (direct voice), this gets the meaning of ‘thAyanam’ in this context. The word ‘tAyanam’ means prosperity.

Etymology: He is called ‘krama:’  ’ since he  is the one who is himself  prosperous, as well as the one who makes everyone flourish.

क्रमणात् क्रमहॆतुत्वात् क्रम ऎष उदाहृतः |

adiyen srinivasa raja ramanuja dasan

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61. prabhUtha:  (प्रभूतः)

Even when all entities are destroyed, he  is called ‘prabhUtha:’ – since he is ever bountiful. He is bountiful since he  owns the supreme abode SrIvaikuNtam which is eternal, and contains limitless objects of enjoyment.

Etymology: He, unto whom the endless objects of enjoyment in the eternal and limitless land of SrIvaikuNtam  belongs, and the one who is thus ever bountiful is called ‘prabhUtha:’

भॊगॊपकरणं नित्यं निर्मर्यादं परं पदम् |
यस्य तॆन समृद्धत्वात् प्रभूत इति कथ्यतॆ ||

62. thrikakudhdhAmA  (त्रिककुद्धामा)

All of these worlds that are created and destroyed collectively form just a small portion of that SrIvaikuNtam.  This is stressed in this divine name ‘thrikakudhdhAmA’  – the one who possesses the wealth of SrIvaikuNtam  which is thrice as big as this creation. Some people also pronounce this as ‘thrikakubdhAmA’  (त्रिककुब्धामा). This divine name can be explained in both ways.

The one who owns a world which is thrice as big as this creation is called thrikakudhdhAmA . The word ‘thrikakuth’  means to indicate the quantifying degree of three times. The vEdhas declare this in many ways thus: “This world of his is just a quarter of a portion, and his  divine world of SrIvaikuNtam is three-fourths of the portion”.

The words ‘thripAdh’ and ‘pAdha’ (त्रिपाद् पाद:) clearly show the contrast between the magnanimity and atomicity of the two worlds – nithya vibhUthi  (SrIvaikuNtam) and leelA vibhUthi (this creation) respectively.

The vishNu purAna  says thus in this regard: “All of this creation and the energy contained within is just one small part – even less than one millionth – of his  powers. If the paramapadham can be considered as the mEru mountain, this creation is just like a small atom in front of it.”

Alternately, the word ‘thrikakuth’  represents the six divine qualities – in three couplets – namely ‘gyAna bala’  (ज्ञान-बल), ‘aiSvarya vIrya’ ’ (ऐश्वर्य-वीर्य) and ‘Sakthi thEjas’  (शक्ति-तॆजस्). The word ‘dhAma’ refers to the one who possesses these three couplets of qualities, which is bhagavAn himself.  Thus, the divine name ‘thrikkuthdhAma’ represents the completeness of bhagavAn with these six qualities. These couplets together are also called by another name ‘thriyugam’  त्रियुगम् (three couplets).

The sages of yore have given another meaning of the word ‘thrikakuth’.  Sage vEdhavyAsa has recorded verily bhagavAn’s words thus in the mahAbhAratha—mOksha dharma:   “When I was born as varAha – the divine boar, I had three humps on my back, owing to which I was popularly called thrikakuth’. . In this context, the word ‘kakuth’  refers to the hump on the back. Also, ‘dhAma’ refers to brightness. So this name can also mean ‘the one who is thrice as effulgent as others’.

Etymology: The SrIvaikuNtam,  which is thrice as big as this world, is called ‘thrikakuth’.  Thus, he whose divine abode is SrIvaikuNtam’ is called ‘thrikakuthdhAma’.  Alternately, he is called ‘thirkakuthdhAma’ who possesses three couplets of characteristic divine qualities. On the other hand, if we go by the words of sages, ‘thrikakuth’  refers to the three variations in form (humps in the back). In this case, ‘dhAma’ also refers to effulgence, and hence this divine name represents the extraordinary effulgence of bhagavAn.  Thus, many meanings can be seen for the same divine name, as opined by various commentators.

त्रिपाद्विभूतिः त्रिककुत् सैव स्थानं विशॆषतः |
यस्य स त्रिककुद्धामा यद्वा त्रियुग-धर्मवान् ||

आर्षं निरुक्तम् आश्रित्य त्रिककुत् स्यात् त्रिलक्षणः |
अस्मिन् पक्षॆ भिन्ननाम धाम ज्यॊतिःस्वरूपम् |
व्याख्यातॄणामभिप्रायॊ नामैकत्वॆsपि कीर्तितः ||

63. pavithram  (पवित्रम्)

The one who manifests with a characteristic nature of purity by showing his  divine extraordinary qualities, wealth, and forms is called ‘pavithram’ – the pure one. The root ‘pU’ पू (meaning, to cleanse) is suffixed with the adjunct ‘ithra’  (इत्र), resulting in this divine name ‘pavithram’.

Alternately, another source says thus: “the one who protects his  devotees with his divine weapons – such as the conch, discus, mace, sword and bow-arrow – is called pavithram”.  In this case, ‘pavi’ refers to the divine weapons of bhagavAn (पविना त्रायतॆ इति पवित्रम्).

Etymology: The one who always manifests in his  characteristic pure form by showing his extraordinary qualities, wealth and forms is called ‘pavithram’.

गुणस्य विभवानां च रूपस्य च निरन्तरम् |
निरूपकस्य सर्वैश्च तन्निरूपं स्वरूपकम् |
अनुप्रविश्य वसति तत् पवित्रम् इति स्मृतम् ||

64. mangaLam param   (मङ्गलं परम्)

The nature of being aloof from all blemishes is said by this divine name ‘mangaLam param’ – the most auspicious.

The word ‘mangi:  (मङ्गिः) means motion; it is suffixed with the ‘alach’ (अलच्) adjunct to result in the word ‘mangaLam’ .(मङ्गलम्). He is known to be the sole source of all auspiciousness by his  self-effulgence and supreme bliss. The word ‘param’ indicates the eternity of such auspiciousness.

Even though he  possesses the experience of natural, eternal, boundless, and countless qualities himself  at all times, yet bhagavAn can be depicted as the one who calms all his adversaries with his  endless, unparalleled, and complimenting self-effulgence, always absorbed in boundless supreme bliss emanating from the experience of self – downgrading even the vast ocean of nectar, being void of desires and ever-contented due to his  absolute supremacy. He is indeed depicted thus in various scriptures:

• “He only possesses the supreme bliss”
• “He is mainly characterized by his  qualities such as knowledge, bliss, et al”
• “He is eternal, sentient and ever blissful”
• “brahman is verily the embodiment of supreme bliss”
• “He is the embodiment of peace, He is prosperous and he  is eternal”
• “The real ‘dhAraNa’  or conscious focus of mind is to behold the peaceful, ever effulgent, contented, and eternal supreme brahman  in the mind”
• “Deep, undefined bliss that cannot be caught by words is the characteristic of brahman”, et al.

The theory that says ‘The supreme brahman  is just knowledge and nothing more’ is refuted in a hundred ways in ‘akhaNda-khaNdana:’ – (अखण्डखण्डनः). Although bhagavAn  is accorded with numerous qualities such as bliss, power, wealth, et al, the adjectives ‘gyAna’ and  ‘Anandha’ (ज्ञान-आनन्द) do not just show that bhagavAn  is of the form of knowledge and joy. Rather, they indicate that he  becomes evident to himself on his own by his unbounded affability and enjoys himself.  This can be understood from a precious stone, sun or the lamp, which illuminate other objects even while not expecting another source of illumination to show their own selves. In such a case, we say that there are two entities – ‘effulgence’ and ‘effulgent’ – the illumination itself being the effulgence, which shows other objects, and the source of such illumination being effulgent, which shows itself. We understand that both of these qualities are inherent in the source of such illumination (stone, sun or lamp) itself. Similarly, bhagavAn  – with his innate knowledge – knows or perceives all other entities, even while not expecting another source of knowledge to know himself. So, in this case, we see two states of bhagavAn – one being the ‘knowledge’ (ज्ञानम्) by which he  knows Himself, and the second being ‘knower’ or ‘possessor of knowledge’ (ज्ञाता), by which he  knows all other entities.

The brahma sUthras  say that bhagavAn is called ‘knowledge’ or ‘bliss’ or ‘sense’, et al, since he  possesses such qualities in abundance (meaning, he is said to be verily the embodiment of such qualities only due to their abundance, and not because he  is just knowledge or bliss or anything).

That is how the various apparently contradicting scriptural statements such as “He is eternal, and verily the knowledge” and “He is the omniscient, the one who knows everything” are mutually reconciled.

Etymology: He, who is always devoid of all blemishes, and characterized by boundless supreme bliss, and who is also beyond perception even by scriptures – is called ‘mangaLam param’

सर्वहॆय-प्रत्यनीकम् अनन्त-आनन्द-लक्षणम् |
वॆदान्तपारगं नित्यम् उच्यतॆ मङ्गलं परम् ||

==================================
ईशानः प्राणदः प्राणॊ ज्यॆष्ठः श्रॆष्ठः प्रजापतिः ।
हिरण्यगर्भॊ भूगर्भॊ माधवॊ मधुसूदनः ॥ ८ ॥
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65. ISAna:  (ईशानः)

With a nature of such manifestations and concealments, his  clear distinction from the bounded, liberated and ever-liberated souls is shown with this divine name ‘ISAna:’   – the ruler. The root ‘IS’  (ईश्), meaning ‘to rule’, gets the suffix ‘Ana’ (आन) by grammatical rule, since he  is the ruler by nature. This means to say that he  is by nature the one who arranges all entities in this creation as per his  whims at all times and under all circumstances, whether or not the entities realize their subservience unto him.

The scriptures point this out as below:

• “… Him, who is the supreme of all rulers, the supreme soul …”
• “His knowledge, power and deeds are all indeed very natural”
• “There is none superior to him  in this world, none who can control him,  and he doesn’t have a simple comprehensible character! He is indeed the source of all creation, the ruler of all senses. There is none who gave birth to him.  There is none to rule over him”
• “He is the controller of all, the ruler of all, and the master of all. He neither grows to a higher status by performing good deeds, nor does He fall back from his  supremacy due to bad deeds. He is untouched by karma. He is the supreme of all entities, the ruler of all creatures, and the nurturer of all creatures. He is the bridge to cross this material creation, and he  is the one who bears all these creatures.”
• “Indeed, that supreme soul  – who is also the indweller of all these creatures – is the lord of all such creatures. He is the ruler of all creatures”
• “Only one ruler exists for all worlds…”
• “He is only the controller of this world, forever. There is none who can control him”.
• “I tell unto you the truth, bhagavAn  alone controls everything”
• “That supreme soul  is the bearer of all, and thus he  is the supreme master ”, et al.

Since all scriptures have spoken thus far about his  sole mastership over all entities and his divine possessions, I give my three offerings of sesame seeds (til) and water (thri: thila-jalAnjali) (त्रिः तिलजलाञ्जलिः) to those who prattle that bhagavAn’s  divine wealth, knowledge et al come from imaginary suppositions.

Etymology: Bhagavan, due to his  innate ability to control and arrange all entities as per his  whims at all times under all circumstances, is hailed by the divine name ‘ISAna:’.

सर्वावस्थासु सर्वॆषां व्यवस्थापनशीलतः |
वस्तूनां भगवान् साक्षात् ईशानः परिकीर्तितः ||

66. prANadha:  (प्राणदः) (also repeated in 323, 409 and 956)

The very first divine name that shows the supreme wealth of such a ruler is this one – prANadha:   – the giver of life force (प्राणं ददाति इति).

The ‘ka:’  (कः) adjunct has been suffixed here, as shown before.

This name indicates that bhagavAn gives the requisite energy unto the ever-liberated souls (nithyasUris)  to have a glimpse of his divine body at all times, and also to experience him  by performing subservience in all possible ways unto him. The vEdhas say “He is the one who gives himself  unto them, and gives them the energy to serve and experience him”, “The life force enters the body along with bhagavAn” etc.

Etymology: The one who gives the requisite energy to the nithyasUris  – the ever liberated souls – to perform eternal service to him is called ‘prANadha:’  .

सूरिभ्यः परिचर्यादौ बलदः प्राणदः स्मृतः |

67. prANa:  (प्राणः) (also repeated in 322 and 408)

Among such ever liberated souls, since he  is the most desirable and also since he revives all souls at all times, he  is called ‘prANa:’.

• The scriptures reinforce this in many places, as below:
• “Thus he  is the only reviver of all the nithyasUris  by being their very life force”
• “Who else could give life to the entities, if not for him ?”
• “He protects all these worlds by being the life force of all creatures within”
• “He is called ‘prANa:’ ,   since he  is the life force of all”, et al

These statements and more reinforce the intimate relationship between the ever liberated souls and the supreme soul.

Some more scriptural statements are also illustrated to further fortify the fact:

• “He is the imperishable supreme soul,  who is the life force, the mind and verily the speech”
• “He is like the rejuvenating garden – full of life energy – who gives the highest bliss to the liberated and ever liberated souls”
• “He is in the form of mind; he  manifests himself as verily the life force; he  is of the form of divine light; he is the one whose desires are ever fulfilled”
•  “bhagavAn’s  tools are the five elements namely time, knowledge, actions, free will and life force. He only, who is verily the life force, the supreme self,  and the lotus eyed is the eternal soul – vAsudhEva”, etc.

Etymology: Since he  is very dear to the nithyasUris,  and also since he revives all souls, he  is called ‘prANa:’

उज्जीवनस्य हॆतुत्वात् नराणां प्राण ईरितः |

68. jyEshta:  (ज्यॆष्ठः)

Although being enjoyed by himself  as well as by the liberated and ever-liberated souls constantly, since his  divine wealth is non-deteriorating and boundless, he is called ‘jyEshta:’   – the wealthiest soul. The root word used here is ‘praSasya’  (प्रशस्य), meaning ‘praiseworthy’. As it is said in the scriptures, “bhagavAn vAsudhEva  is the wealthiest”.

The vEdhas  also say “brahma is indeed the wealthiest of all individuals; who can dare to compete with him ?” (ब्रह्मैव भूतानां ज्यॆष्ठं तॆन कॊsर्हति स्पर्धितुम्).

Alternately, the same name can also mean ‘eldest’ of all entities, since he  is the eternal soul who existed even before creation. The root used here is ‘vrudhdha’  (वृद्ध). This is as shown in the mahAbhAratha  thus: “He is verily the nature, the non-manifest, and the primordial creator. He is also superior to all other creatures, and hence this achyutha  is elder to all others”.

Either way, whether it refers to praSasya or vrudhdha,  the suffix ‘ishtan’ (इष्ठन्) is being added, due to which ‘jya’ (ज्य) gets substituted in their place, resulting in the name ‘jyEshta:’ .

Etymology: Although being constantly enjoyed by bhagavAn  as well as the sUris (ever-liberated souls), since his wealth is boundless and non-diminishing, he  is called ‘jyEshta:’.

सर्वदानुभवॆप्यॆतैः अदृष्टपारभूतितः ज्यॆष्ठः |

69. SrEshta:  (श्रॆष्ठः)

The one who is constantly praised by the nithyasUris  out of the immense love born by their undeterred experience of bhagavAn  is called ‘SrEshta:‘  – the lauded one. The root ‘‘praSasya’ (प्रशस्य) is substituted with ‘Sra’ (श्र) in this case, to mean ‘the lauded one’. The vEdhas clearly say “That is vishNu’s supreme abode, where the sUris constantly experience bhagavAn by having a glimpse at him, and praise him”. (The line that begins as thadhvishNO: paramam padham   तद्विष्णॊः परमं पदम्). The word ‘vipanyava:’  (विपन्यवः) in this verse refers to those who are constantly praising. It is also indicative of subservience of all souls to bhagavAn.  Another vEdhic statement says “The sUris worship him (bhagavAn)”. It means the “the knowledgeable souls who are completely aware of their subservience to bhagavAn  serve him”.

Etymology: Since he  is constantly praised by the sUris, he  is called ‘SrEshta:’.

श्रॆष्ठश्च तैर्नित्यं स्तुतत्वात् अभिदीयतॆ |

70. prajApathi:  (प्रजापतिः) (also repeated in 79)

Who are ‘they’ (sUris)? What is their relationship with bhagavAn? This is detailed in this divine name ‘prajApathi:’  – the lord of nithyasUris.

The word ‘nithyasUri’  or just ‘sUri’ refers to those who are even superior to the liberated souls. These sUris are ever-liberated. They are said to be superior to the liberated souls since they are never bounded by karma at any time. Such sUris are referred to as ‘prajA’ (बद्धमुक्तॆभ्यः प्रकृष्टतया जायन्तॆ इति).

The scriptures say thus:

• “In that supreme abode, the knowledgeable souls (sUris) fall at his  feet”
• “Him, whom the knowledgeable souls encircle in the middle of the ocean…”
• “The nithyasUris  reside in that imperishable supreme abode, ruled over by bhagavAn”
• “He, who is the sole master of all nithyasUris….”
• “…where the dhEvas  reside at the beginning of creation”
• “…where the rishis  reside, who were present even before creation”
• “The nithyasUris  constantly see and enjoy bhagavAn”
• “The viSvEdhEvas worship vAmana  who is seated in the middle…” et al

In all these statements, the ones who are referred to by different names such as ‘kavi’, ‘sUri’, ‘dhEva’, ’rishi’, ‘viSvEdhEva’ et al are indeed the nithyasUris  or ever-liberated souls, who are now called as ‘prajA’.  The one who is the master of such ‘prajA’s – the one who is ever served by them – is called ‘prajApathi:’.

Etymology: Those who are superior to the bounded and liberated souls are called ‘sUris’ or ‘prajA:’. . The master of such nithyasUris  is indeed the ‘prajApathi:‘.

बद्धात् उत्कृष्टतॊ यॆ च जायन्तॆ सूरयः प्रजाः |
तॆषां यॊ नित्यसूरीणां पतिः स स्यात् प्रजापतिः ||

adiyen srinivasa raja ramanuja dasan

archived in http://divyaprabandham.koyil.org

pramEyam (goal) – http://koyil.org
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pramAthA (preceptors) – http://acharyas.koyil.org
SrIvaishNava education/kids portal – http://pillai.koyil.org

SrI:  SrImathE SatakOpAya nama:  SrImathE rAmAnujAya nama:  SrImath varavaramunayE nama:

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<< Part 5

51. manu:  (मनुः)

Since he  is known to create all these worlds merely by a small thought in his  mind, he is called ‘manu’. This name comes from the root ‘man’ (मन्) – meaning ‘knowledge’ in this context (मन् – ज्ञानॆ). The suffix ‘u:’  (उः) comes from the grammatical rule that says “शृस्वृस्निहि-त्रप्यसिवसि-हनिक्लिदि-बन्धिमनिभ्यः उः”.

Etymology: Since bhagavAn  creates all things just by a fraction of his  thoughts, he is called ‘manu:’

संकल्प-लवमात्रात् च मननात् मनुः उच्यतॆ |

52. thvashtA  (त्वष्टा)

For all such entities thus created merely out of his  thought, since he categorizes the entities as gods, humans, animals and non-living objects by assigning them their respective names and forms, he  is called ‘thvashtA’ – the one who gives names and forms to the entities.

This divine name comes from the verb ‘thvakshathi’ (त्वक्षति) – to produce bodies. This verb is suffixed with the ‘thruch’   (तृच्) adjunct, and the ‘ka’ in ‘thvakshathi’  is dropped, resulting in the name ‘thvashtA’.  In this context, producing bodies implies producing manifest organs from the subtle nature.

Alternately, it can be said to have originated from the root ‘thvish’   (त्विष्), meaning ‘enlightening’ or ‘making known’. The root gets the ‘a’kAra  due to the ‘thrun’ adjunct being used, which results in the name ‘thvashtA’.

The scriptures reinforce this declaration thus:

• “…that ‘thvashtA’  who is the producer of all bodies…”
• “From all the sentient and insentient entities, he  created various forms and named them – all according to the vEdhas (meaning, similar to the forms and names of a previous creation), and hence he  is the master of all entities)”
• “Having created all forms…”
• “The glorification of names and forms of all the entities in this creation…”, etc.

Etymology: Since he  creates the various names and forms for entities in this creation, he  is called ‘thvashtA’.

नामरूप-व्याकरणात् त्वष्टा सृष्टस्य गद्यतॆ |

53. sthavishta:  (स्थविष्ठः) (also repeated in 437)

The next divine name of bhagavAn  is said to be ‘sthavishta:’ – the one who is manifest. The word ‘sthUla’ (स्थूल) – meaning ‘manifest’ – is conjoined with the adjunct ‘ishtAn’  (इष्ठन्). Per the pANinian  grammar aphorism “यणादि परलॊपः”, ‘la’ from ‘sthUla’ gets dropped and ‘U’ (ऊ) changes to ‘v’ (व्). This finally results in the divine name ‘sthavishta:’.

As seen earlier, with a mere thought of multiplying into many forms, bhagavAn  expanded his own form of subtle consortium of sentient and insentient entities into manifest forms of gods, humans, lower animals and non-living objects, providing them with the necessary bodies with faculties and also providing them with senses of sound, touch et al which can be experienced using such bodies, besides providing them with many modules called ‘brahmANdams’ – each containing fourteen worlds with a covering of manifest nature in seven forms – for them to reside in . This property is shown in this divine name.

The scriptures confirm this:

• “There is no end to my expansion”
• “The one who is the subtlest of the subtle entities expanded himself  in the form of space, water, air, fire and earth”
• “All of these worlds are nothing but an expansion of the body of the all pervading vishNu”.
• “You are the supreme godhead  from whom all creatures manifest”, etc.

Etymology: Having expanded his  own body into many forms, the one who gives manifestation to the subtle sentient and insentient entities – and thus who himself  is manifest – is called ‘sthavishta:’.

बहूभवंश्च सूक्ष्माणां स्थूलावस्थतया च सः |
विस्तारवत्त्वात् यः स्थूलः स्थविष्ठः परिकीर्तितः ||

54. sthavira:  (स्थविरः)

Although having been the root cause for all this creation, his  natural difference from the lower material causes such as the mud (for a pot), et al is shown in this divine name ‘sthavira:’   – the one who is constant.

The root ‘sthA’ (स्था) – meaning ‘to stand’ – is suffixed with the ‘kirach’ (किरच्) adjunct, loses the stress on ‘A’ आ and becomes hrasva or short (a अ), and gets a new word ‘vuk’ added, resulting in this name ‘sthavira:’.

The name means ‘the one who is constant at all times’. Although he  uses time as a tool for all his divine plays, he is not affected by time himself.  Thus, his natural uniqueness from the other lower materials such as milk, curds et al – which are affected by time – is shown in this divine name. He is not affected by time, since even time is in his  control.

The scriptures say: “I tell you the truth.  bhagavAn alone is the controller of time, as also death, the moveable and immoveable entities”.

“bhagavAn kESava always wields the wheels namely kAla-chakram, jagath -chakram and yuga-chakram with his  own powers.”

“bhagavAn engages time as per his desires. There (in paramapadham ), time is not the ruler”, et al.

Etymology: The one who is unique to the lower material causes such as milk, curds etc due to his  natural superiority over time is called ‘sthavira:’ (OR) the one who is constant at all times due to his  rulership over time is called ‘sthavira:’.

कालातन्त्रतया दुग्ध-दध्यादिभ्यॊ विलक्षणः |
विद्यतॆ यः सर्वकालः स्थविरः परिकीर्तितः ||

55. dhruva:  (ध्रुवः) (also repeated in 390)

Although being transformed in numerous ways in order to create this manifest world, since he  is unchanging by nature, he is called ‘dhruva:’ – the unchanging one.

The root used here is ‘dhru’ (ध्रु) and used in the context of ‘firmness’. The aphorism “नुदादिभ्यॊणल्कौ” causes the adjunct ‘kaH’ (कः) to be used to result in this divine name. This is similar to the cases in other names such as ‘guha:’  गुहः (365), ‘vrusha:’ वृषः (314), ‘nimisha:’   निमिषः (215), et al, which also end with the ‘ka:’ adjunct.

The scriptures confirm thus:

• “… the invincible, eternal and the unchanging one”
• “To him  who is unchanging and pure…”
• “The one who has neither deterioration nor destruction…”, etc.

Etymology: The one who does not undergo any changes by nature at anytime is called ‘dhruva:’.

अप्रच्याव्यः स्वस्वरूपात् सदा यॊsसौ ध्रुवः स्मृतः|

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अग्राह्यः शाश्वतः कृष्णॊ लॊहिताक्षः प्रतर्दनः ।
प्रभूतस्त्रिककुद्धामा पवित्रं मङ्गलं परम् ॥ ७ ॥
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56. agrAhya:  (अग्राह्यः)

The one who is not ruled by anyone else – like the mud, thread, et al being controlled by a potter, a weaver et al respectively – is called by the divine name ‘agrAhya:’   – the imperceptible.

The root word is suffixed with ‘Nyath’  (ण्यत्) per the grammatical rule “ऋहलॊर्ण्यत्”. Similar is the case in other divine names such as ‘vEdhya:’  वॆद्यः (165), ‘mAnya:’  मान्यः (755), et al, which also end with the adjunct ‘Nyath’.

The scriptures say thus in describing bhagavAn:

• “None has seen the top, middle or the bottom (representing the limits) of his …”
• “He pervades all entities right from the four faced brahmA  downwards”
• “He alone pervades everything”, et al.

Etymology: He is called ‘agrAhya:’  who cannot be ruled like the mud in the control of a potter (OR) he  is the one who cannot be perceived.

अग्राह्यॊ यॊsनधिष्ठॆयॊ मृत्तिकॆव कुलालकैः |

57. SASvatha:  (शाश्वतः)

Thus, he is also ‘SASvatha:’  – the eternal. He is known to be eternally present since he  is the one who continually conducts the activities of the world, as shown by the scriptures that say “the creation, maintenance and destruction of worlds happen uninterruptedly by bhagavAn ” et al.

Etymology: The acts of creation, maintenance and destruction of worlds are uninterruptedly carried out by bhagavAn,  in a constant flow, which is why he is eternal and is called ‘SASvatha:’.

अव्युच्छिन्नाः ततस्त्वॆतॆ सृष्टि-स्थित्यन्त-संयमाः |
अतः सदा प्रवाहत्त्वात् नित्यः शाश्वत उच्यतॆ ||

58. krishNa:  (कृष्णः) (also repeated in 554)

The one who is extraordinarily happy by such sport of creation, maintenance and destruction is called ‘krishNa:’  – the ever-blissful one. The sages of yore have said thus about the divine name: “the word ‘krushihi’ (कृषिः) is denotative of earth. The letter ‘Na’ (ण) is denotative of supreme bliss. The divine name ‘krushNa:’  (कृष्णः) is a combination of these two words in their meanings.

Etymology: The one who is absorbed in supreme bliss by performing the acts of creation, destruction and maintenance in solitude is called ‘krishNa:’  The word ‘krushi:’ ’ denotes earth (or creation) and ‘Na’ denotes the bliss therein.

ऎकान्त लीलारसतॊ निर्वृतः कृष्ण उच्यतॆ |
कृषिः भूवाचकः शब्दः णश्च निर्वृतिवाचकः ||

59. lOhithAksha:  (लॊहिताक्षः)

The one who sports a pair of very pleasing lotus-like reddish eyes that show off his  supreme bliss (explained in the previous name) is called ‘lOhithAksha:’   – the red eyed one.

Etymology: The one who sports a pair of reddish lotus-like eyes is called ‘lOhithAksha:’

रक्त-राजीवनयनॊ लॊहिताक्षः प्रकीर्तितः |

60. prathardhana:  (प्रतर्दनः)

The nature of being the destroyer of all is shown in with this divine name ‘prathardhana:’  – meaning the destroyer. The word ‘thardhi:’  (तर्दिः) means to slay. This is as per the scriptural statements that say thus:

• “…for whom both the brAhmins and kshathriyas  are food”
• “He is the eater, since he  seizes all sentient and insentient entities”, et al.

Etymology:  He is called ‘prathardhana:’ ,   to whom the class of brAhmins and kshathriyas  (and thus all entities created) are the food at the time of destruction. He is the one who destroys at the end of creation.

यस्य ब्रह्म च क्षत्रं च ह्यॊदनं भवतः सदा |
प्रतर्दनः स विज्ञॆयः संहर्तृत्वप्रदॊ मनुः ||

adiyen srinivasa raja ramanuja dasan

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