SrI: SrImathE SatakOpAya nama: SrImathE rAmAnujAya nama: SrImath varavaramunayE nama:
91. aha: (अहः)
Since none belonging to him is considered as lowly, he is called ‘aha:’ – the one with no lowly possessions. The ancient ‘maula niruktham’ (मौल निरुक्तम्) states the meaning of ‘aha:’ as ‘the one with no lowly possessions’.
Also, the scriptures say thus: “If a soul performs even a small good deed, that good deed will never let him down further”.
Going by this, it can also be understood thus: the one who wakes up all souls bound in this material creation – appearing to be sleeping due to their ignorance from time immemorial – is called ‘aha:’, meaning the one who is like the ‘day’.
Etymology: The one who has no lowly possessions is called ‘aha:’. Alternately, the one who wakes up all bound souls – appearing to be sleeping due to their ignorance from time immemorial – is called ‘aha:’.
न सन्ति हिना यस्यॆति अहः स परिकीर्तितः |
अनाद्यविद्या निद्रायां स्वधी हॆतुतया ह्यहः ||
92. samvathsara: (संवत्सरः) (also repeated in 423)
Among the souls who are thus woken up from the deep slumber of ignorance by him, since he resides within them as their guiding force, he is called ‘samvathsara:’ – the one who guides from within.
The root ‘vas’ (वस्) is prefixed with ‘sam’ (सं), due to which ‘saran’ (सरन्) adjunct is suffixed to it. While the ‘saran’ adjunct is being suffixed, the ‘sa’ (स) in ‘samvas’ (संवस) changes to ‘ta’ (त), resulting in the divine name ‘samvathsara:’. (संवत्सरः).
bhagavAn himself declares thus in the bhagavath gIthA: “I give them the ‘budhdhiyOga’ or intellect, using which they attain me at the end”, “I am the one who uplifts them”, et al.
Etymology: The one who resides within the realized souls as their guiding force from within is called ‘samvathsara:’
इत्थं तॆषु प्रबुद्धॆषु वसत्युद्धरणाय यः संवत्सरः |
93. vyAla: (व्यालः)
As shown in the SrI rAmAyaNam, where SrI rAma says “Oh SugrIva, bring that vibhIshaNa to me. I have granted abhayam / security to him”, since he accepts all souls as his own by sending out his messengers, he is called ‘vyAla:’ – the one who accepts all souls as his own. The ‘vi’ (वि) adjunct is used to mean ‘specially’, and the ‘A’ (आ) qualifier shows that he makes the souls as his own ‘in all ways’. The root ‘lA’ (ला) means to accept.
Etymology: The one who accepts all souls as His own is called ‘vyAla:’.
तान् आत्मसात् व्यालः उक्तः करॊति यः |
94. prathyaya: (प्रत्ययः)
Since all such creatures firmly believe in him, he is called ‘prathyaya:’ – the one who is most trusted. He only creates trust in himself among individual souls, and also grants assurance to them. This is as said in the scriptures: “…that supreme godhead, who grants us the knowledge about himself”.
The vishNu thathva says thus: “I tell you repeatedly, oh brahman! The most trustworthy entity is that purushOththama alone!”
bhagavAn himself says thus in the mahAbhAratha: “If at all you know things well, and if at all you trust me wholeheartedly, then hand over bhImasEna and arjuna to me right away”.
Etymology: The one who creates trust in himself among such individual souls is called ‘prathyaya:’.
यॊsसौ प्रत्याययति तान् प्रत्ययः स उदाहृतः |
95. sarvadharSana: (सर्वदर्शनः)
The one who shows all of his greatness to those who have accepted his supremacy is called ‘sarvadharSana:’ – the one who shows all of his greatness.
The scriptures say:
- “Such a soul, who is devoid of sorrows, sees that effulgent and supreme ruler – bhagavAn – transcending thamas purely out of his grace”
- “…to those souls, bhagavAn shows his own divine and auspicious body”, etc.
Etymology: He is called ‘sarvadharSana:’ since he shows his own all-enduring greatness to the deserving souls, and also since he only grants the necessary vision for it.
महिमानं सर्वसहं तॆषां दर्शयतीति सः |
सर्वदर्शन आख्यातॊ नवार्णॊ लॊचनप्रदः ||
==============================
अजः सर्वॆश्वरः सिद्धः सिद्धिः सर्वादिरच्युतः ।
वृषाकपिरमॆयात्मा सर्वयॊगविनिस्सृतः ॥ ११ ॥
==============================
96. aja: (अजः) (also repeated in 206, 524)
For all such souls, since he is the one who wards off all the obstacles that stop them from attaining him, he is called ‘aja:’ – the remover of all obstacles.
In this divine name, the word ‘aja:’ gets the meaning of ‘warding off’.
This is as said in the scriptures:
- “Among such souls, I destroy their ignorance out of sheer mercy by residing in their minds as the guiding light of knowledge”
- “I shall free you from all of your sins”, etc
Etymology: He is called ‘aja:’, for he wards off all obstacles in attaining him for the individual souls.
प्रत्यर्थिनः स्वसम्प्राप्तौ प्रजानं क्षिपतीति अजः |
97. sarvESvara: (सर्वॆश्वरः)
Since he gets hold of all surrendered souls by himself instantly by removing off their dependence on others in attaining him and their frailty, without differentiating them as capable or incapable souls, he is called ‘sarvESvara:’ – the one who attains the individual souls impartially.
The root ‘aSnOthi’ अश्नॊति (attains) is suffixed with the ‘varat’ (वरट्) adjunct to indicate that such attainment is instant in nature. The ‘a’ (अ) in the root changes to ‘I’ (ई), resulting in the form of ‘ISvara:’ (ईश्वरः).
In the SrI rAmAyaNam, bhagavAn is said to have reached and attained vibhIshaNa similarly, in a quick instant.
Etymology: The one who attains all surrendered souls himself instantly – irrespective of whether the souls are capable or not – in order to iron out their mutual differences is called ‘sarvESvara:’.
अशक्तानां च शक्तानां वैरूप्यं शरणैषिणाम् |
अश्नुतॆ परिहर्तुं यः स सर्वॆश्वर ईरितः ||
98. sidhdha: (सिद्धः) (also repeated in 825)
For all such surrendered souls, he is said to be the ready means of salvation – by his nature. The word ‘sidhdha:’ represents a readily available entity. This divine name shows his piety in uplifting souls. Similar devoutness is shown in other names such as ‘prathitha:’ प्रथितः (321), et al.
He does not need any other means in order to attain him, as shown in the scriptural statements such as this one: “The knowledgeable souls call bhagavAn himself as the highest means of attaining him”, et al.
Etymology: Since bhagavAn is – by nature – a readily available means of attaining him, he is called ‘sidhdha:’.
स्वरूपॆणैव भक्तानां सिद्धत्वात् सिद्ध उच्यतॆ |
99. sidhdhi: (सिद्धिः)
Since bhagavAn is only attained even by other means (such as bhakthi, et al), he is called ‘sidhdhi:’ – the fruit of varied actions.
The scriptures say thus:
- “…desiring whom they observe the vow of celibacy”
- “Our obeisance be to that supreme godhead, whom the followers of various dharmas worship in various forms in order to attain various fruits”, etc
Etymology: Since he is only attained even by all other means, he is called ‘sidhdhi:’.
अयमॆव ह्युपायैश्च सिद्धिः स्यात् साध्यतॆ यतः |
100. sarvAdhi: (सर्वादिः)
Since bhagavAn is himself the source of all kinds of fruits for such souls – both in this world as well as the nether, he is called ‘sarvAdhi:’ – the source of everything.
This is as shown in the scriptures thus:
- “Your devotees pray to you – the supreme godhead, the eternal, and the best among men – and attain all of their desires both in this world as well as in the nether”
- “With the utterance of the name ‘krishNa’ (कृष्ण), they attain all their desires in all three worlds”, etc
Etymology: The source of all attainable fruits is called ‘sarvAdhi:’.
सर्वॆषां पुरुषार्थानां मूलं सर्वादिरीरितः |
Thus ends the first centum (prathama Sathakam) in SrI bhagavath-guNa-dharpaNa, which is an explanation of SrIvishNu sahasranAma, by the scion of SrI hAritha clan, the son of SrIvatsAnga miSra (kUraththAzhwAn) – SrIranganAtha by name, also called SrI parAsara bhatta, who wrote this glorious commentary at the behest of SrI rangarAja.
adiyen srinivasa raja ramanuja dasan
archived in https://divyaprabandham.koyil.org
pramEyam (goal) – https://koyil.org
pramANam (scriptures) – http://granthams.koyil.org
pramAthA (preceptors) – http://acharyas.koyil.org
SrIvaishNava education/kids portal – http://pillai.koyil.org