Daily Archives: November 19, 2019

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601) vrushabhAksha: (वृषभाक्षः)

bhagavAn maintains the cycle of fruits of karma through dharma. Thus, he is called ‘vrushabhAksha:’. The one who bestows (rains) fruits of karma is called ‘vrushabha:’. He is verily the dharma, and acts as the pivot to this wheel of samsAra. Thus, he is himself called ‘vrushabhAksha:’.

Etymology: Since bhagavAn, who is verily the form of dharma, acts as the pivot to this wheel of samsAra, he is called ‘vrushabhAksha:’.

यतॊsक्षॊ वृषभॊ धर्मॊ वृषभाक्षः स उच्यतॆ |

602) vrushapriya: (वृषप्रियः)

In this way (as explained in these previous divine names), bhagavAn holds both pravruththi dharma (that which enhances experiences in samsAra) as well as nivruththi dharma (that which instigates liberation from this samsAra) close to his heart.

Thus, he is called ‘vrushapriya:’ – the one who likes dharmas.

Although pravruththi dharma contains acts that bind a soul in this samsAra, yet it is called ‘dharma’ only because bhagavAn holds it close to his heart. Similarly the nivruththi dharma is also ‘dharma’ or righteous.

Even the scriptural injunctions clearly indicate that both of these are likeable to bhagavAn.

It is shown thus in the brahma sUthras by bhagavan vEdhavyAsa: “Fruits are begotten from bhagavAn, for it is proven so”

dhramidAchArya has also reinforced this further by saying “Individual souls who desire of certain outcomes act accordingly and only please bhagavAn. That bhagavAn, who is pleased with such righteous actions, bestows the desired fruits upon the seekers. Even the scriptures hail thus”

Thus, the schools of thought that propound the bestowing of fruits by karma (action itself), its samskAra (its sacredness), its power, the apUrvas (entities said to be born out of scriptural actions, believed to bestow the fruits by other schools of thought), etc are clearly refuted (meaning, none of these insentient entities grant the fruits. It is only bhagavAn who is pleased with such actions in accordance with his commandments who bestows the fruits, according to this divine name).

Etymology: The pravarthaka and nivarthaka dharmas are very dear to bhagavAn. Thus, he is called ‘vrushapriya:’. This eight syllable manthra bestows all fruits upon the seekers.

धर्मौ प्रियौ तावस्यॆति प्रवर्तकनिवर्तकौ |
वृषप्रियः स विज्ञॆयॊ ह्यष्टार्णः फलदॊ मनुः ||

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अनिवर्ती निवृत्तात्मा संक्षॆप्ता क्षॆमकृच्छिवः ।
श्रीवत्सवक्षाः श्रीवासः श्रीपतिः श्रीमतांवरः ॥ ६४ ॥
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603) anivarthI (अनिवर्ती)

Of the two categories, bhagavAn binds the souls who are inclined towards pravruththi dharma in this samsAra by putting them on the path of repeated cycles of birth and death in the dhUmAdhi mArga (the route leading to lowly planets). Thus, he is called ‘anivarthI’ – the one who causes the souls not to return.

By grammatical rules, the ‘Nini:’ (णिनिः) adjunct is used in this divine name. The same rule applies to other divine names such as ‘kAmI’ कामी (659), etc.

That is how the souls desiring material pleasures are bound in this samsAra.

This is shown in the scriptures thus:

• “When the soul traverses the path of dhUma (smoke), rAthri (darkness), dhakshiNAyanam (the six months of dakshiNAyana), etc (which is collectively called ‘dhUmAdhi mArgam’), then the practitioner of such dharmas shall attain the effulgence of the moon for a certain period of time and return to this world”
• “Having travelled to different worlds and enjoyed the fruits of various karmas, the individual soul returns to this world in order to exhaust the remnant karmas”, etc.

Etymology: Since bhagavAn clearly binds the souls desiring material pleasures in this samsAra, thereby preventing them from returning, he is called ‘anivarthI’. This eight syllable manthra confers fear of samsAra among the chanters.

पितृयाणप्रवृत्तानां संसारादनिवर्तनात् |
अनिवर्ती समाख्यातॊ ह्यष्टार्णॊ भयदॊ मनुः ||

604) nivruththAthmA (निवृत्तात्मा) (also repeated in 231, 453, and 780)

Although bhagavAn himself establishes the pravruththi dharmas and promotes it, yet he holds those individual souls very close to his heart – who practice the nivruththi dharma (leading to mOksham).

Such souls practicing nivruththi dharma by disengaging from actions that lead to lowly fruits (and desire only for bhagavAn and nothing else) are so dear to him that he considers them as verily his souls!

Thus, he is called ‘nivruththAthmA’.

Etymology: He, who holds all such individuals who practice the nivruththi dharma as verily his souls, is called ‘nivruththAthmA’. This eight syllable manthra destroys all effects of bad karmas of the chanter.

सर्वॆ निवृत्तिधर्माणॊ यस्यात्मानः स तु स्मृतः |
निवृत्तात्मॆत्यष्टवर्णॊ दुष्कर्मफलमॊचकः ||

605) samkshEpthA (संक्षॆप्ता)

bhagavAn causes the natural knowledge of such individual souls who pursue lowly material benefits to shrink, thereby causing them to cycle in this wheel of samsAra. Thus, he is called ‘samkshEpthA’ – the one who causes to shrink.

This is hailed in the vishNu purANa thus: “…The Sakthi called ‘avidhyA’ or ignorance is the third type of Sakthi that bhagavAn possesses, with which the true knowledge of an individual soul is bound in this samsAra”.

Etymology: He – who possesses the quality of preventing the spreading of the otherwise naturally unbounded knowledge among the practitioners of pravruththi dharma – is called ‘samkshEpthA’. The chanting of this six lettered manthra causes one’s knowledge to be expanded.

स्वाभाविकासङ्कुचित-मॆधायाश्चाप्रस्रारणम् |
प्रवृत्तिधर्माणां कर्तुं शीलं यस्यास्ति सर्वदा |
स संक्षॆप्तॆति कथितः षडर्णॊ धीविकासदः ||

606) kshEmakruth (क्षॆमकृत्)

On the other hand, bhagavAn also prevents the shrinking of such knowledge in the mumukshus treading the path of nivruththi dharmas. He always safeguards such knowledge so that it is always expanded, thereby granting full knowledge upon the souls desiring liberation. Thus, he is called ‘kshEmakruth’ – the one who is beneficial.

Etymology: Since bhagavAn looks after the welfare of noble men (mumukshus) by causing their knowledge to expand fully, he is called ‘kshEmakruth’.

असङ्कॊचज्ञानरूप-क्षॆमस्य करणात् सताम् |
क्षॆमकृच्चापि सर्वॆषाम् |

607) Siva: (शिवः) (also repeated in 27)

Thus, bhagavAn always confers all favourable fruits to all souls who desire material benefits as well as liberation. Thus, he is called ‘Siva:’.

The scriptures hail thus:

• “bhagavAn is the cause for both binding in samsAra as well as liberation to mOksha”
• “He rules over the world of pithrus”
• “He is auspicious to the noble men and inauspicious to the corrupt”, et al.

Etymology: Since bhagavAn is the benefactor of auspiciousness (to all kinds of souls), he is called ‘Siva:’.

शिवस्य करणात् शिवः |

608) SrIvathsavakshA: (श्रीवत्सवक्षाः)

Thence, the forthcoming divine names show how bhagavAn achieves such bestowal of favourable outcomes upon all souls. He takes care of all souls because of his eternal relation with his divine consort SrI mahAlakshmi.

bhagavAn has a mark on his chest, which is called ‘SrIvathsa’ (श्रीवत्सः), which gives away his sole lordship over all worlds, as well as his eternal relation with SrI mahAlakshmi, and hence acts as a mark of utmost prosperity. Thus, he is called ‘SrIvathsavakshA:’.

Sri mahAlakshmi has verily this ‘SrIvathsa’ as Her seat on his chest.

The SrImath rAmAyaNam itself gives this divine name ‘SrIvathsavakshA:’ to bhagavAn.

Etymology: The sign of utmost prosperity showing the eternal relation of bhagavAn with SrI mahAlakshmi, ‘SrIvathsa’ by name – is seen on bhagavAn’s chest. Hence, he is called ‘SrIvathsavakshA:’.

लक्ष्मीवाल्लभ्यसौभाग्यचिह्नं श्रीवत्सनामकम् |
श्रीवत्सवक्षाः अस्यास्ति वक्षसीति स तु स्मृतः ||

609) SrIvAsa: (श्रीवासः)

The attribute of bhagavAn by which he is called ‘nithyaSrI:’ (नित्यश्रीः) is shown in this divine name ‘SrIvAsa:’. bhagavAn’s divine chest is verily the beautiful garden filled with all auspicious trees such as kalpavruksha and other nice floral plants for SrI mahAlakshmi, where she relaxes at all times.

Etymology: Since bhagavAn (his divine chest) is verily the pleasure garden for SrI mahAlakshmi, he is called ‘SrIvAsa:’.

श्रियॊ विहारस्थानत्वात् श्रीवास इति चॊच्यतॆ |

610) SrIpathi: (श्रीपतिः)

Just as SrImath rAmAyaNa celebrates the divine couple by saying “Befitting in all ways such as character, age and deeds, and also in the ways they protect their devotees, that SrI rAma is befitting of this vaidhEhi and she also rightly deserves that SrI rAma as her consort”, that bhagavAn is the most deserving consort of SrIdhEvi SrI mahAlakshmi.

The vEdhas also glorify this divine relation thus:

• “Oh bhagavAn, SrIdhEvi and bhUdhEvi (and NeeLA dhEvi) are your divine consorts”
• “…(SrI mahAlakshmi is) the mistress of all worlds, and the divine consort of vishNu”, etc.

Etymology: Since bhagavAn is verily the divine consort of SrIdhEvi, he is called ‘SrIpathi:’.

स्वयं श्रियःपतित्वॆन वृत्तत्वात् श्रीपतिः स्मृतः |

adiyen srinivasa raja ramanuja dasan

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