SrIvishNu sahasranAmam – 38 (Names 371 to 380)

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

Full Series

<< Part 37

371) mahIdhara: (महीधरः) (also repeated in 319)

Since bhagavAn only reduces the load on this earth by destroying all evil entities, he is called ‘mahIdhara:’.

Etymology: Since bhagavAn bears the world by reducing the load (by destroying all evil entities), he is called ‘mahIdhara:’.

भूभारनाशनॆन ज्याधरणात् धरणीधरः |

372) mahAbhAga: (महाभागः)

Since bhagavAn showed the fortune of winning over the gOpikAs, neeLA dhEvi, the sixteen thousand maidens, rukmiNi, sathyabhAmA, jAmbavathi, et al, with all of them voluntarily willing to marry him, he is called ‘mahAbhAga:’.

Etymology: mahAbhAga: is the one who possesses lofty attributes that are desired by many great women such as rukmiNi, sathyabhAmA, and others, and was married by them.

रुक्मिण्यादि बहुस्त्रीभीः महाभागः स्वयंवृतः |

373) vEgavAn (वॆगवान्)

Although born as a human, since bhagavAn shows his invincible supreme lordship even in his incarnations, he is called ‘vEgavAn’. The ‘mathup’ (मतुप्) adjunct used in this divine name indicates extremity of such qualities.

Etymology: Since bhagavAn displays his inseparable supreme lordship even during his human incarnation right from childhood, he is called ‘vEgavAn’.

दुर्वारपरमैश्वर्यप्रसारत्वात् विशॆषतः |

मनुष्यधर्मॆ बाल्यॆsपि वॆगवानिति शब्द्यतॆ ||

374) amithASana: (अमिताशनः)

How or where has he displayed such feats? This is illustrated here with this divine name ‘amithASana:’ – the one with unlimited appetite.

bhagavAn swallowed all the unlimited quantities of food prepared by the cowherds for indhra (in the name of gOvardhana parvatha). The scriptures say that the cowherds (gOpas) were extremely astonished at this extraordinary feat and doubted if he was any god, or a demon. Such are his divine plays.

Etymology: He who ate the unlimited quantities of food prepared by the cowherds with the intent of offering it to indhra without leaving any traces is called ‘amithASana:’.

इन्द्राय कल्पितं गॊपैरमितं चाशनं स्वयम् |
भुक्तवान् यश्च निःशॆषं प्रॊच्यतॆ स अमिताशनः ||

===============================
उद्भवः क्षॊभणॊ दॆवः श्रीगर्भः परमॆश्वरः ।
करणं कारणं कर्ता विकर्ता गहनॊ गुहः ॥ ४१ ॥
================================

375) udhbhava: (उद्भवः) (also repeated in 796)

With his numerous divine deeds such as getting tied with a rope by yaSOdhA etc, since bhagavAn uplifts the fallen souls from the shackles of death (samsAra), he is called ‘udhbhava:’ – the one who uplifts fallen souls from samsAra.

This is as hailed by the scriptures thus: “…that dhAmOdhara, who was tied with a rope, but who unties the fallen souls from the shackles of death”

Etymology: He is called ‘udhbhava:’, with whose grace the fallen individuals are uplifted from this samsAra.

समुद्गतॊ भवॊ यस्मात् उद्भवः परिकीर्तितः |

376) kshObhaNa: (क्षॊभणः)

bhagavAn is called ‘kshObhaNa:’ since he mixes up the individual souls and the prakruthi (nature), which are otherwise different from each other. He binds the individual souls in different bodies (made of nature) at the time of creation, and thus combines the two different entities.

Etymology: Since bhagavAn binds the fallen individual souls (eligible to be bound due to their karma) in the lower nature, he is called ‘kshObhaNa:’.

प्रकृतिं बन्धनार्हांश्च क्षॊभयन् क्षॊभणः स्मृतः |

377) dhEva: (दॆवः)

bhagavAn ties the individual souls with his rope called ‘mAyA’ just like trapping tigers and wild boars, and plays with them in this creation. Hence, he is called ‘dhEva:’ – the one who plays. It comes from the root ‘dhiv’ (दिव्), to mean ‘sport’ in this context.

Etymology: Just like trapping and caging a tiger and other wild beasts, since bhagavAn binds the individual souls (bound by karma) in this creation with his rope called ‘mAyA’ and plays with them, he is called ‘dhEva:’.

व्याघ्रादिवज्जीवततॆः मायापाशॆन बन्धनम् |
कृत्वा नित्यं क्रीडति यः स दॆवः परिकीर्तितः ||

378) SrIgarbha: (श्रीगर्भः)

bhagavAn – along with SrI mahAlakshmi – play thus with all these creations, and since his divine wealth constantly grows with such divine sport, he is called ‘SrIgarbha:’.

As the scriptures say, SrI mahAlakshmi is the one who never gets separated from bhagavAn.

Etymology: He is called ‘SrIgarbha:’, who constantly engages in divine sport with SrI mahAlakshmi and enjoys.

श्रीगर्भः श्रीरॆन भॊगक्रीडा साह्यॆन पॊष्यतॆ |

379) paramESvara: (परमॆश्वरः)

Thus, the one who possesses absolute supremacy purely due to his association with SrI mahAlakshmi, who married him out of her own wish, is called ‘paramESvara:’.

The SrImath rAmAyana says thus: “rAma glittered with sIthA by his side, just as the lord of all beings – vishNu – shines forth with SrI mahAlakshmi by his side”.

Etymology: Owing to SrI mahAlakshmi who voluntarily married bhagavAn, since he possesses absolute supremacy and lordship over every entity, he is called ‘paramESvara:’.

श्रीस्वयंग्रहसार्थात् स्वात् ऐश्वर्यात् परमॆश्वरः |

380) karaNam (करणम्)

Since bhagavAn is himself the tool helpful in attaining him, he is called ‘karaNam’ – the tool. It is indeed from just a very small fraction of such bhagavAn’s power that all of our sense organs such as eyes, ears, etc, action organs such as hands, legs, etc get their power to act as tools for knowledge and action.

The scriptures say thus:

“nArAyaNa is verily the eyes, and the object of vision. nArAyaNa is indeed the ears, and the object of hearing”, etc.

Etymology: The one who is himself the tool for all individual souls in the pursuit of attaining him is called ‘karaNam’.

स्वप्राप्तौ साधकतमं जीवानां करणं विदुः |

adiyen srinivasa raja ramanuja dasan

archived in http://divyaprabandham.koyil.org

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

Leave a Comment