VISHNU SAHASRANAAM

(44) Vidhaataa -The One who is the Dispenser of all ‘fruits-of-actions’. In the Karma-kaanda portion of the Vedas, Eesvara is described as the Dispenser of fruit (Karma- phala-daataa Eesvarah). He is the Lord who is behind this universe of scientific truths and rhythm. He is the One who has not only ordered the laws of the nature, but he is the one afraid of whom, the phenomena dare not disobey his laws anywhere at any time. The light of the sun, the heart is the fire, the sweetness in the sugar, the pains in the sin and the joy s in goodness, are all their ‘nature’ and none dare ever disobey these laws. The one who is thus the unquestionable law behind the entire universe of laws is Vidhaata.

(45) Dhaatur-uttamah –the fundamentals that form the reinforcement on any existent thing are called Dhaatu. In science of life, as explored by the Rishis, all corporal forms have risen form and exist as composed of some definite ‘elemental factor’ called the Dhaatus. Of the end less varieties of Dhaatus available in existence, the subtlest Dhaatu, without which no existence, is ever possible, is the chit Dhaatu, and this is the Dhaatu-ruttamah.

Though very rarely, we do find some commentators splitting this word into two as Dhaatu and uttama. But in the majority of the cases we find it taken to form one term and explained as ‘the subtlest of the Dhaatus’.

Stanza 6

aprameyo hrisheekesah
padmanaabho-a- maraprabhuh
visvakarmaa manustvashtaa
sthavishthah sthaviro dhruvah.

(46) Aprameyah – He, who cannot be defined and explained in terms of any logical term of reference with other things should necessarily be inexpressible. A thing that can be directly perceived (Pratyaksha) can be desired, certain other things, which we may not directly perceive, but can be infer (anumaama) them from data available. And there are yet things which can be brought home to the listener by describing them in terms of similar other objects (Upamaa). Since the infinite has no ‘Properties’. It cannot be perceived, nor can It be “understood through inference.” Nor even explained in terms of similar or dissimilar things.” Hence the supreme Reality, Vishnu, is called as Aprameyah. We can experience him only by ending all sense of separativeness and becoming one with Him.

(47) Hrisheekesah –In the Puranic literature the meaning of the term is ‘close-cropped’ or ‘One who has coiled up his locks of hair’ (Hrissheeka+Eesa). The term ‘Hrisheeka’ is an absolute one now, and it means the “sense organs”. The Aatman, the self as Consciousness is the one who gives light to all sense organs and, therefore, it is the lord of all sense organs. This lord is Vishnu.

The obsolete word Hrisheeka also means the ‘rays’ or that which gives the joy’. Thus the term Hrisheekas can mean “the Lord of the rays”: the sun and moon. This way interpreted, commentators point out that the term Hrisheekesah means He who has Himself becomes the Sun and the Moon.

In His manifestation as the Sun and the Moon, the Lord Himself whips the world to wakeful activities and sends the world to sleep and rest. Thus Hrisheekesa in its deeper significance, is, to all contemplative hearts, the Lord, who becomes Himself the world, exhausts Himself in His activities, and ultimately packs His toys and goes to rest at the time of dissolution.

(48) Padmanaabhah – One from whose navel springs the Lotus, which is the seat of the four-faced Creator, Brahmaaji. Lotus in Hinduism represents the set of either Truth or any of Its manifested powers. The creative faculties in man flow from the navel area (center), and manifests as the ‘four-faced’ inner equipment (Antahkarana) constituted of the mind, intellect, Chit and ego.

In the Yoga-sastras, we find a lot of details regarding this concept. According to them every “idea” springs from Him (Paraa), and then at the navel area, each of them comes to be ‘perceived’ (Pasyantee). Thereafter they play in the bosom as thoughts (Madhayamaa), and at last they are expressed (Vaikharee) in the outer fields-of –activity. In this discussion-upon the evolutionary stages through which every “idea” becomes an “action” – we gather a clearer insight into the meaning of the symbolism of “the Creator seated on the lotus”, which springs forth from the navel of the Lord, the Supreme Vishnu.

(49) Amaraprabhuh -The Lord of the Immortals, the Devas. The Denizens of the Heavens, including all the office bearers therein (Dikpaalakas etc.) along with Indra, are called ‘Devas’, and they enjoy in their heavenly state a relative immortality. They live and continue functioning till the great dissolution-the Sleep of the Creator. Compared with the short span of the existence of man on this globe, the aeons through which the Devas live can be considered as end- less or immortal. One who serves them with His might, giving protection and security to all creatures, is called, therefore, Amaraprabhuh.

(50) Visvakarmaa -The very creator-of the world-of-objects, of all equipments-of-experiences, and of all experiences in all bosom-is called the Visva-Karmaa. Herein the Infinite Lord is but a Witness of all that is happening and though the experienced world is sustained in Him, He is not involved in the imperfections or mortality, that are happening all around at all times in the Visvam. “They are in Me, I am not in them”-Geeta.

(51) Manuh -The term means One who has the ability to reflect upon the Higher (Mananaseelah Manuh). Manu also means mantra and so, as applied to the Lord, it can mean as the One who has manifested Himself in the form of the Vedic mantras.

(52) Tvashtaa -One who makes gross things of huge dimensions into minutest particles. At the time of the world’s dissolution, the entire gross-world folds back into its subtler elements until at last pure objectless space alone comes to remain.

(53) Sthavishthah -lt is the superlative degree of gross (sthoola) and thus ‘the Supremely gross’ is the subtlest Reality. The contradiction that it contains is itself its vigour and beauty. The Infinite as the subtlest is All-Pervading in Its own nature. It is this Maha- Vishnu who has Himself become the entire universe of gross things and beings. Just as all waves are the ocean, the total world of gross things is itself the form of Vishnu.

In His cosmic form, Narayana had manifested to Arjuna in he Geeta. There the words of Arjuna’s chant will clearly bring home to us that the entire gross world is ever His own Divine form.

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