SrI: SrImathE SatakOpAya nama: SrImathE rAmAnujAya nama: SrImath varavaramunayE nama:
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331) dhurya: (धुर्यः)
As the manthras hail bhagavAn as “the one who bears the entire creation”, he is called ‘dhurya:’ – the one who bears the worlds. The root ‘dhura’ (धुर) gets the ‘yath’ (यत्) adjunct, resulting in this divine name. In this context, ‘dhura’ is understood to mean ‘load’.
Etymology: Since bhagavAn is the one who has borne the worlds, he is called ‘dhurya:’.
भुवनं धृतवान् धुर्यः |
332) varadha: (वरदः)
bhagavAn bestows boons even upon dhEvas – who are different and lower to himself, and who bear different works in this creation. Thus, he is called ‘varadha:’ – the bestower of boons.
Etymology: The one who bestows the desired fruits is called ‘varadha:’.
वरदॊsभीष्टदः स्मृतः |
333) vAyuvAhana: (वायुवाहनः) (also repeated in 860)
bhagavAn propels the air, which is like a life force in this creation. Hence, he is called ‘vAyuvAhana:’.
Etymology: The one who causes the movement of air which is like the life force in this creation is called ‘vAyuvAhana:’.
जगत्प्राणं वहति यॊ वायुवाहन उच्यतॆ |
334) vAsudhEva: (वासुदॆवः) (also repeated in 700 and 714)
Thence, the ensuing twelve names construe the natural divine qualities of bhagavAn. He is called ‘vAsudhEva:’ in this context.
bhagavAn is both ‘vAsu:’ (वासुः) and ‘dhEva:’ (दॆवः). He is called ‘vAsu:’ since he resides in every iota of this creation. Just as the sun’s rays pervade the entire world, and just as a bird protects its offspring under its own wings, so also bhagavAn embraces and pervades the entire creation, resides in every iota of this creation and constantly protects every entity in this creation. Hence, he is called ‘vAsu:’. Further, he is full of playfulness, victory, splendor, praiseworthiness and action. Hence, he is called ‘dhEva:’. Thus, he is called ‘vAsudhEva:’.
bhagavAn himself claims thus:
“I cover up this entire world just like the sun covering up the entire world with his rays. I am thus the indweller of every entity in this creation. Hence, I am known popularly as ‘vAsudhEva:’”.
The vishNu purANa hails thus: “Since bhagavAn indwells every entity in this creation, and since all the entities reside in him, he is called ‘vAsudhEva:’”.
Further elucidation of this divine name is restrained since this is considered to be one of the most secret divine names among the manthras. So the readers are implored to approach their AchAryas for a complete elucidation.
Etmology: The one who indwells in every creature is called ‘vAsudhEva:’. The root ‘dhivu’ (दिवु) is used to mean ‘playfulness’, ‘victory’, ‘splendor’, etc. Residing in every entity and also keeping all entities within him, the one who plays blissfully is called ‘vAsudhEva:’.
सर्वभूतान् वासयति वासुः स परिकीर्तितः |
दिवुधातॊरपि क्रीडाद्यर्थकत्वात् विशॆषतः ||
सर्वभूतॆष्वपि वसन् स्वस्मिन् भूतानि वासयन् |
यः क्रीडति मुदा यद्वा वासुदॆवः स उच्यतॆ ||
335) bruhadhbhAnu: (बृहद्भानुः)
The same trait of bhagavAn is further elucidated. bhagavAn glows magnificently in his glorious forms in SrIvaikuNtam. His effulgence is both magnificent and eternal. Hence, he is called ‘bruhadhbhAnu:’.
Etymology: The one whose effulgence is magnificent is called ‘bruhadhbhAnu:’.
बृहन्तॊ भानवॊ यस्य स बृहद्भानुरुच्यतॆ |
336) AdhidhEva: (आदिदॆवः) (also repeated in 491)
At the same time, bhagavAn is also the one who playfully creates, sustains and destroys the lower material creation comprising all these worlds. Since he is the primordial creator of all such material creation, he is called ‘AdhidhEva:’ – the primordial creator.
The scriptures hail thus:
- “Assembling and separating all entities in this creation, bhagavAn plays with his own free will”
- “bhagavAn vishNu is incomprehensible, and absolutely independent. He moves about in all places according to his own free will. He creates, sustains and destroys all of these material worlds and enjoys playfully just like a small child playing with its toys”.
Etymology: Since bhagavAn plays with this material world – which is just as much as a quarter of SrIvaikuNtam, he is called ‘AdhidhEva:’.
(In other words, since bhagavAn possesses creation, sustenance and destruction of this material world itself as a sport, he is called ‘AdhidhEva:’).
क्रीडतीत्यादिदॆवः सॊ पादात्मकविभूतिभिः |
337) purandhara: (पुरन्दरः)
With the ensuing four names, bhagavAn’s quality of eliminating the evil souls who stand as an obstruction to the progress of other entities by causing afflictions is hailed.
bhagavAn tears apart the cities of asuras, and hence he is called ‘purandhara:’.
With this divine quality, bhagavAn shows his capacity to ward off fears from the minds of his devotees caused due to asuras, piSAchas, lightning, planets, etc.
Etymology: bhagavAn is called ‘purandhara:’ since he tears apart the cities of asuras.
पुरन्दर इति ख्यातॊsसुराणां पुरदारणात् |
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अशॊकस्तारणस्तारः शूरः शौरिर्जनॆश्वरः ।
अनुकूलः शतावर्तॊ पद्मी पद्मनिभॆक्षणः ॥ ३७ ॥
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338) aSOka: (अशॊकः) (also repeated in 637)
bhagavAn eliminates the spiritual obstacles (caused due to the one’s own limitations) in the path of attaining bhagavAn such as sorrow, delusion, hunger, etc. Hence he is called ‘aSOka:’ – the one who represses sorrows caused due to one’s own limitations.
Etymology: He is called as ‘aSOka:’, who is the destroyer of sorrows, delusions, etc.
अशॊकः शॊकमॊहादिनाशकः परिकीर्तितः |
339) thAraNa: (तारणः)
bhagavAn also eliminates natural obstacles (caused due to the limiting nature in this prakruthi) such as enemies, thieves, ailments, and all other types of fears. Hence, he is called ‘thAraNa:’ – the one who represses natural obstacles.
Etymology: He is called ‘thAraNa:’, who saves us from the fears of enemies, ailments, etc.
तारणॊ यस्तारयति वैरिव्याध्यादि भीतितः |
340) thAra: (तारः) (also repeated in 968)
With his mere presence, since bhagavAn eliminates fear of samsAra from the minds of his devotees, he is called ‘thAra:’ – the eliminator of fears.
In the atharva Siras, it is said thus: “bhagavAn enables us to overcome the greatest fears of birth, ailments and death in this mighty ocean called samsAra, and hence called ‘thAra:’”.
Other vEdhic hymns such as the one from chAndhOgya upanishath that says “bhagavAn is free from sins (and all kinds of karma), aging, death…..” support this statement.
Etymology: He is called ‘thAra:’, who lifts us out of the fear of samsAra once and forever.
तारः संसारभयतॊ नित्यं तारयतीति सः |
adiyen srinivasa raja ramanuja dasan
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