Vishnu Sahasranama - Answer to the 2nd question

 

परमं यो महत्तेजः परमं यो महत्तपः ।

परमं यो महद्ब्रह्म परमं यः परायणम् ॥ १५॥

paramaṁ yō mahattejaḥ paramaṁ yō mahattapaḥ, 

paramaṁ yō mahadbrahma paramaṁ yaḥ parāyaṇam. (15)

 He is the supreme goal, the most exalted and brilliant light, the sovereign ruler, and the limitless Brahman.

 The second question "which is the ultimate goal",  is being answered here. 

  He is parama (exalted) and mahat-tejas, the preeminent light. While the sun, moon, and stars are worldly luminaries, the mahad-tejas is the svaprakāśa Ātmā or para brahma, the greatest of all shining objects. In his commentary, Śaṅkarācārya reveals the Lord as the sarvāvabhāsaka, the supreme Illuminator of all. His essential nature is recognized as caitanya-lakṣaṇa, for He is the very embodiment of pure Consciousness. While He illumines everything in this universe, He remains ever self-effulgent, unillumined and unaffected by any external object.

 Śaṅkara quotes from the Śruti: yena sūryaḥ tapati tejasā iddhaḥ—"That illumined by whose light the sun shines." This is spoken of by the devatās as the jyotiṣāṃ jyotiḥ, the Light of all lights. Neither the sun, nor the moon, nor the stars, nor the lightnings can illumine that Brahman; indeed, how can this fire light It? Everything shines only after that Self alone, which is the light of all lights. By Its light alone, all this is illumined. "Know that light which resides in the sun and illumines the entire world, and that which resides in the moon and the fire, to be Mine alone," says Bhagavān in the Gītā.

 He is the paramaṁ mahat the most exalted and  the greatest tapas. The term tapas signifies tapati, ājñāpayati īṣṭe iti tapaḥ—the one who commands, ordains, and has absolute mastery over all. It is by His divine mandate and order alone that the entire universe functions. Through His delegation of power, all the devatās perform their respective roles; thus, the eyes perceive and the ears hear, with everything moving exactly as it is has to move. Under His supreme mandate, every element of creation fulfills its purpose. No one possesses the capacity to transgress His order. For instance, should one touch fire, even without prior knowledge, the fire will invariably burn; such is the nature of His divine order. He is the one whose law cannot be violated without receiving the inevitable result prescribed by the order itself.

 Residing within all bhūtas and across all lokas as the antaryāmī Īśvara, the cetana Ātmā, through the power of His māyā, yamayati—He ordains and rules. Out of the awe of His supreme mandate, the wind maintains its constant motion, and the sun rises daily in the eastern sky without ever deviating from its course. Agni and Indra fulfill their designated roles, and Mr̥tyu, the Lord of death, carries out his functions with unceasing diligence. It is not fear in a worldly sense, but rather the inexorable and precise divine order that compels each planet to remain steadfastly in its own orbit.

 He is paramaṁ mahad-brahma. The word Brahman signifies that which is limitless and big; thus, mahat brahma indicates that He is greater than the greatest, with nothing existing beyond Him. Everything is contained within that reality, for there is absolutely nothing apart from It. Furthermore, He is parama, revealed by the Śruti as satyaṁ jñānam anantam—the absolute truth of all existence and limitless in every respect.

He alone is parāyaṇam, the ultimate refuge and the final destination. The inclusion of the word parama alongside parāyaṇam signifies that it is the final destination where the journey of the jīva come to an end, from which there is no return. Ordinarily, every end serves merely as a point of departure for a new beginning, and every destination becomes a starting point for further pursuits. For instance, if a person attains svargaloka, that sphere itself becomes the point from which one must eventually return to martya-loka. What, then, is the final destination? It must be that from which, once reached, there is no coming back. That is solely para-brahman, which is none other than oneself. If one has to travel to reach a place, one must inevitably return; yet, since the destination is one’s own essential nature, one does not truly go anywhere, and consequently, there is no coming back.

When the ultimate goal is none other than one’s own essential nature, yet you seek to attain it, such a gain can be accomplished only through knowledge. Indeed, if the individual were truly separate from the Lord, then Īśvara would be limited. Therefore, the Lord is extolled as parāyaṇa; He is the final end, gaining which one recognizes one’s own identity with the Lord. This is the greatest of all human achievements, for being limitless, there remains nothing further to be accomplished.

Through the repeated use of the word parama throughout these verses, every relative and finite reality is negated. Thus, the one who is paramaṁ tejaḥ—the most exalted light, paramaṁ tapaḥ—the supreme Ruler, and paramaṁ brahma—the limitless Reality, is that very Lord who is the paramaṁ parāyaṇam, the ultimate refuge of all beings. This is the final destination said Yudhiṣṭhira.

Om Tat Sat

 

Bhishma praises the Lord and answers the fifth question

Praising that Lord who was extolled in the earlier verses, Bhisma continues

ब्रह्मण्यं सर्वधर्मज्ञं लोकानां कीर्तिवर्धनम् ।
लोकनाथं महद्भूतं सर्वभूतभवोद्भवम् ॥ १३॥
brahmaṇyaṁ sarvadharmajñaṁ lōkānāṁ kīrtivardhanam, 
lōkanāthaṁ mahadbhūtaṁ sarvabhūtabhavōdhbhavam. (13)

(By always praising Viṣṇu) who is the one who is beneficial to Brahman—and who is the sthe knower of all dharmas, the  enhancer of the fame of all worlds, the  Sovereign of the worlds, the the supreme Realit and the very source from which the existence of all beings arises, (one goes beyond sorrow).

 The term brahmaṇyam conveys many meaning, and Śaṅkarācārya observes that each is pertinent in this context. Brahmaṇyam — brahmaṇe sr̥ṣṭaye brāhmaṇāya tapase śrutaye vā hitam. Primarily, we recognize that He is the one who is beneficial to Lord Brahmā, the creator; indeed, even Brahmā-jī offers worship unto Him to receive the blessings necessary to fulfil his cosmic functions effectively. Brahmaṇe śrutaye hitam — He is beneficial to the Śruti, the Vedas, for the word Brahman also denotes the Veda. In what manner does Īśvara benefit the Śruti? He ensures the validity of the Śruti. The Śruti declares, “svarga-kāmo yajeta” or “putra-kāmo yajeta,” prescribing specific karmas as sādhanas for attaining heaven, progeny, and other objects of desire. When an individual performs a particular karma, the Lord, as the Giver of the results of action, blesses them with the corresponding result, thereby validating the sacred words of the Śruti. As the Śruti is but His own word, Īśvara must necessarily uphold the truth of its declarations.

Furthermore, He is brāhmaṇāya hitam—signifying that He is a source of blessing to the brāhmaṇas who, predominantly endowed with sattva-guṇa, adhere to a Vaidika lifestyle, performing enjoined rituals and living in accordance with dharma. He is also tapase hitam—beneficial to those who perform tapas and are ever contemplative.

sarvān dharmān jānāti iti sarvadharmajñaḥ — He who knows all dharmas without exception is the sarvadharmajña. He is never subject to confusion regarding the nature of what is right and what is wrong. Dharma-saṅkaṭa, or the confusion regarding duties, is a limitation that belongs only to the jīva, never to the Lord. 

lōkānāṁ kīrtivardhanam—the one who causes the growth of true renown within the worlds. Unlike mere popularity, kīrti signifies an enduring fame that arises from sāttvika learning, steadfast devotion, and a life lived in accordance with dharma. When an individual takes refuge in the Lord, their ego becomes enlightened; there is more of Bhagavān and less of the individual self. As a result, their kīrti increases, and they become a source of inspiration to others. Every glory perceived in this universe exists within the divine order of Īśvara; hence, all fame truly belongs only to Parameśvara. Whenever any renown is achieved, it is the Lord alone who should be acknowledged for it.

He is lokanātha, the Sovereign of the worlds. Lokān īṣṭe—He rules over the universe and sustains every being, ensuring that no one is truly an orphan in His creation. To deny the Lord is to remain a spiritual orphan; however, for those who recognize Him, He is the ever-present guardian. He is further extolled as lokanātha because lokaiḥ nāthyate yācyate—the one sought and petitioned by all for the attainment of their goals. He is the ultimate object of desire, the light that illumines the world, and the source of all blessings.

Mahadbhūta—the Lord who is ever-existent and who, as Brahman, is the absolute truth of all that is manifest.

Sarvabhūtabhavodbhava—In his commentary, Śaṅkarācārya explains: sarvabhūtānāṃ bhavaḥ saṃsāraḥ yat sakāśāt udbhavati tam—the one from whom the worldly existence of all beings arises. All jīvas are manifest in accordance with their karma, as the Lord is the sole Giver of the results of action. Every being is endowed with a body and placed in an environment perfectly suited to eke out their past deeds. Thus, the Lord is the udbhava, the fundamental cause of existence, presiding over the cycles of birth and the specific circumstances required for each being to experience their karma-phala.

Now we have the answer to Yuddhishthira’s fifth question which was “which is the highest dharma?

एष मे सर्वधर्माणां धर्मोऽधिकतमो मतः ।
यद्भक्त्या पुण्डरीकाक्षं स्तवैरर्चेन्नरः सदा ॥ १४॥
eṣa me sarvadharmāṇāṁ dharmōdhikatamō mataḥ, 
yadbhaktyā puṁḍarīkākṣaṁ stavairarcennaraḥ sadā. (14)

Among all the various dharmas, this is considered by me to be the most superior: that a person, endowed with unwavering devotion, always offers worship to Puṇḍarīkākṣa through the recitation of His divine praises. 

Seeking to ascertain the highest dharma, Yudhiṣṭhira questioned Bhīṣma, who answers in this verse. While a multitude of dharmas are enjoined by the Vedas and by elders in accordance with the Vedas, among them all—sarva-dharmāṇām—Bhīṣma declares: eṣa dharmaḥ adhikatamaḥ—this dharma is the best, me mataḥ—in my considered view. 

yat naraḥ sadā arcet — that individual who is ever-steadfast in his worship of the Lord. In what manner? yad bhaktya stavaiḥ -guṇa-saṅkīrtana-lakṣaṇaiḥ stutibhiḥ — by means of divine praises that celebrate the infinite glories of Parameśvara. Bhīṣma identifies Him as Puṇḍarīkākṣa, signifying hṛdaya-puṇḍarīke prakāśamānaṃ vāsudevaḥ: the one who shines within the lotus of the heart, which is the buddhi, as Vāsudeva, the very Self.

Worshipping the Lord and bringing Him into one’s daily life is considered the parama dharma. This is the best means to accomplish the ultimate end. Through such worship, performed with unwavering commitment and bhakti, one invokes Īśvara into one’s life. When there is a greater presence of Īśvara in one’s life, it naturally results in a life of greater reality and objectivity, for Īśvara is the only  reality

Śaṅkara observes here: asya stuti-lakṣaṇasya arcanasya ādhikye kiṁ kāraṇam? What, indeed, is the cause for the excellence of this worship characterized by hymns of praise (guṇa-saṅkīrtana)?

It is replied (ucyate) — hiṁsādi-puruṣāntara-dravyāntara-deśakālādi-niyama-anapekṣatvam ādhikye kāraṇam. This mode of worship is considered excellent because it does not cause injury (hiṁsā), requires neither external materials (dravya) nor the aid of another individual, and is not subject to the constraints of time and place. In this form of arcanā, nothing is required save for the self. It consists solely of the recitation of the Lord’s glories, which can be performed aloud, softly, or mentally (mānasa).

The Viṣṇu Purāṇa (6.2.27) declares, “That which one attains in the Kr̥tayuga by meditation, in the Tretā by performing sacrifice, and in the Dvāpara through worship, one receives in the Kaliyuga solely by reciting the divine names of Keśava.”

The Mahābhārata observes: “The japa is said to be the best of all dharmas, for japa begins with non-injury to all beings.” This is further affirmed in the Bhagavad-Gītā, where the Lord declares, “Of sacrifices, I am the sacrifice of japa.” Therefore, it is spoken of as the greatest  dharma. 

In the next verse, the second question is answered which we will see next post.

Om Tat Sat.

Vishnu Sahasranama- Bhishma's answer to question 4 and question 3

In the previous verse, the phrase sarvaduḥkhātigo bhavet meaning ‘one goes beyond all sorrow’, was brought in from verse 12.

The fourth question which was who should men praise and worship to attain the auspiciousness, is being answered here.

तमेव चार्चयन्नित्यं  भक्त्या पुरुषमव्ययम् ।
ध्यायन् स्तुवन् नमस्यंश्च यजमानस्तमेव च ॥ ११॥
tameva cārcayannityaṁ bhaktyā puruṣamavyayam, 
dhyāyan stuvannamasyaṁśca yajamānastameva ca. (11)

By always worshipping that imperishable Lord, with devotion, meditating on him ,praising him and by bowing down to him, the worshipper goes beyond all sorrow.

In these words, the Lord is further identified as the Puruṣaḥ. This term signifies puri śayanāt—the one who dwells within the city of the body—and pūrṇatvāt—the one who is absolute fullness. As the antaryāmī Paramātmā, He resides within the body, which is likened to a city; He is all-pervasive and ever-full. He is avyaya—free from destruction and change, and devoid of waxing or waning.

Tameva arcayan nityaṁ—worshipping Him alone, always. In this verse, three distinct modes of worship are revealed: dhyāyan—meditation, stuvan—vocal praise, and naman—physical prostration. Thus, our relationship with the Lord can be expressed in a threefold manner: kāyika, vācika, and mānasa. Kāyika refers to physical worship, vācika to worshipping with words, and mānasa to meditation or mental worship. Each involves the intentional exercise of one's will; therefore, they are all classified as karma.

The mental repetition of a mantra while invoking the grace of the Lord is known as meditation. Conversely, when the mantra is chanted—whether softly or loudly—it is considered vācika-karma. Performing a pūjā mentally, is also a form of meditation. So long as the Lord is visualized with a form and there is mental worship, it is meditation. The unique beauty of such worship is that the mind becomes resolved, which in itself is the immediate result. Since it constitutes a prayer to the Lord, it also yields an unseen result, known as puṇya or merit, for the individual performing the prayer.

Thus, by worshipping the Lord through the threefold mode of meditation, praise, and namaskāra, the devotee becomes sarvaduḥkhātigo bhavet (a phrase brought in from the subsequent verse), thereby going beyond the reach of all sorrow.

In the next verse, the third question which was what is sole and supreme goal, is being answered.

अनादिनिधनं विष्णुं सर्वलोकमहेश्वरम् ।
लोकाध्यक्षं स्तुवन्नित्यं सर्वदुःखातिगो भवेत् ॥ १२॥
anādinidhanaṃ viṣṇuṃ sarvalokamaheśvaram, 
lokādhyakṣaṃ stuvannityaṃ sarvaduḥkhātigo bhavet. (12) 

By always praising Vishnu who has no beginning or end, the Lord of all the worlds, the witness of the universe, one goes beyond sorrow.

Anādinidhanaṃ—The Lord is revealed as having neither beginning nor end. He is thus the uncaused cause, the ultimate source of all that exists, yet He remains ever a cause and never an effect. By declaring Him to be without beginning or end, the dualities of birth and death are negated. Furthermore, this negation encompasses all other modifications or bhāva-vikāras. Whereas the physical body is born (jāyate), exists (asti), grows (vardhate), undergoes modifications (vipariṇāmate), declines (apakṣīyate), and finally perishes (vinaśyati), the Lord remains eternally free from these changes.

He is Viṣṇu, the all-pervasive Being who resides both within and without. He is sarva-loka-maheśvara, the Supreme Sovereign of the entire universe. The term loka signifies that which is experienced by an individual. While the various lokas, or spheres of experience, each possess their own ruler, Viṣṇu is the Ruler of all rulers—the ultimate Authority under whose order all others function merely as executives.

The world, or loka, constitutes the entire category of the perceived, known as the dṛśya-varga. Because He is the Sovereign over even the cosmic rulers such as Brahma, He is extolled as sarva-loka-maheśvara, the Great Lord of all the worlds. He who directly perceives the world—this realm of the seen—through His innate and self-revealing consciousness which is His essential nature, is identified as the lokādhyakṣa. As pure Consciousness, He sustains and blesses the entire universe without the need for action, remaining ever uninvolved and unaffected by the world.

Stuvan nityam—by always singing His glories. Stuti is recognized as a vācika-karma, an act of vocal worship that invokes the grace of the Lord. This practice includes both mental contemplation and oral expression. We cannot flatter Īśvara through our praise, for the one who praises can never truly extol His infinite magnitude. Whatever we say invariably falls short, as the Lord is always more than anything we can say. Furthermore, every word uttered and the very individual who speaks are illumined by Him; indeed, all speech is made possible only through Him.

tam nityam stuvan sarva-duḥkhātigo bhavet — By always praising Him, one goes beyond all sorrow. These sorrows, as we have previously observed, are classified into three categories: ādhyātmika, centered on the individual’s own body-mind-sense complex; ādhibhautika, originating from external sources or other jīvas over which one may exercise some measure of control; and ādhidaivika, arising from forces over which one has no control. Śaṅkarācārya clarifies that transcending all sorrow is the general result for japa, arcanā, and stuti.

 We will continue in the next post.

Om Tat Sat

Vishnu Sahsranama - Bhishma's answer begins

In these post, we shall closely follow the Śaṅkara-bhāṣya for the Viśṇu Ṣahasranāma. Since transcribing the original Saṃskr̥t text is arduous, I will primarily provide the translation of the bhāṣya where relevant. I am also following the profound commentary of my Gurujī, Śrī Pūjya Swami Dayananda Saraswati. It is a great privilege and honour for me to undertake this work - for my antahkarana shuddhi!

Essentially, Yudhiṣṭhira posed six inquiries in total. In its essence, Yudhiṣṭhira's inquiry is: what is the sādhana or means by which a jīva is released from the bondage of saṃsāra?

The name Bhīṣma signifies one who is "frightening." Bhīṣma is a cause of terror to all his adversaries—those that are external and also those within the mind. These internal enemies, such as desire, anger, greed, and jealousy, are themselves fearful of Bhīṣma and do not approach him. Similarly, external enemies do not come near Bhīṣma because he is truly invincible.

भोष्म उवाच, 
जगत्प्रभु देवदेवमनन्तं पुरुषोत्तमम् । 
स्तुवन् नामसहस्रेण पुरुषः सततोत्थितः ||
Bhişma uvāca  
Jagat-prabhum deva-devam anantam puruşottamam 
stuvan nāma-sahasreņa puruşah satat'otthitah. 

 Bhişma replied: "He will be free from all sorrows who always praises by 'the Sahasranāma' (thousand names) that All-pervading, limitless Being who is the master of the worlds, who is The Lord of gods,  and who is the Supreme Person. 

Yudhiṣṭhira sought to understand, "Who is that one supreme deity?" This one deity is Jagat-Prabhu, the Sovereign of the entire universe. This universe, as we have seen, encompasses our very own body-mind-sense complex. When we offer worship to the Lord, who is simultaneously the efficient cause (nimitta kāraṇa) and the material cause (upādana kāraṇa) of the universe, we primarily invoke Him as the efficient cause. While all forms in the universe constitute the material cause, they serve as sacred symbols through which we worship the intelligent cause or nimitta kāraṇa.

To illustrate, when we congratulate someone by shaking their hand, our appreciation is directed not toward the hand itself, but toward the conscious person behind it. Similarly, Īśvara is the sole ruler of the entire universe, manifest as both the movable and the immovable. He alone is the source of power, delegating authority to the various devatās, who function merely as executives for Parameśvara.

Every devatā is essentially Īśvara. As we have seen, Īśvara is manifest in the form of this entire universe. Through our eyes, we perceive the myriad forms and colors of the world, yet these eyes are themselves an integral part of the universe. The fact that all eyes perceive these forms consistently is due to the governing law—the intelligence—that resides behind the sense of sight. At the total level, Īśvara is not only the eyes but also the law behind the eyes. Thus, when viewed from the standpoint of the phenomenon of sight, Īśvara becomes the presiding devatā, the Sun.

Similarly, the mind is presided over by the Moon, while the intellect, or buddhi, represents the capacity for rational thought and discrimination. When we behold the Lord through such specific manifestations, each phenomenon is recognized as a devatā. Even the vitality inherent in one's hands and legs is presided over by a devatā. When you contemplate Parameśvara through the lens of all these functions, He is seen as the total Law. Parameśvara is truly Deva-deva, the Sovereign of all devatās, for it is His supreme power alone that is delegated to them. In truth, all devatās are contained within Īśvara.

He is Ananta, the limitless Being, who is simultaneously the efficient cause (nimitta kāraṇa) and the material cause (upādana kāraṇa). As the infinite reality, He is unconditioned by the limitations of space, time, and objects. Indeed, one cannot truly conceive of Īśvara plus anything else, for there is absolutely nothing that exists apart from Īśvara.

He is Puruṣottama, the Supreme Person who is all-pervading. Manifest as this phenomenal universe, Īśvara is known as kṣara-puruṣa; however, upon resolution and prior to creation, when the universe exists in its unmanifest, causal state, He is referred to as the akṣara-puruṣa. Yet, in His essential nature, He remains ever transcendent, beyond the realms of both cause and effect.

Satata-utthitaḥ puruṣaḥ—the individual who is ever-steadfast and committed; nāma-sahasreṇa stuvan—by singing His glories through these thousand names, sarva-duḥkhātigo bhavet —shall go beyond all sorrow. This does not suggest that one is simply exempted from worldly hardships or one bypass them; rather, it signifies that one goes  through such sorrows remaining  unaffected by them.

To offer praise to Parameśvara is to truly understand Him. Wherever any glory is perceived, it must be recognized as the glory of Īśvara alone. This implies that true praise is born only from understanding; without such  understanding, praise is not truly praise. Yet, with right understanding, the very act of praising is but knowledge.  Indeed, where there is knowledge, there is spontaneous praise. The beauty of understanding Īśvara results in an abiding sense of admiration and awe, leading to the realization that one lacks the  capacity to fully extol the glories of the Lord, who is limitless.

The singular altar of all praise is Īśvara, for He alone is the embodiment of all glory. Every excellence that one can speak of belongs inherently to Īśvara. Thus, the only true object of adoration is Īśvara. When one praises Him, any words of praise fall short of His infinite magnitude. How can a limited jīva, restricted in every way, truly extol Īśvara? The only altar of praise is Īśvara, and only a being of total knowledge could truly praise Him. We cannot flatter Īśvara because anything we say is always less than what Īśvara is. Our praise is simply a from the standpoint of our own understanding. 

How does the act of praising Īśvara benefit us? It aids in the recognition of a profound reality: any praise received by an individual is, in truth, the praise of Īśvara alone. Extolling the glories of Īśvara allows one to realize that whatever is truly worthy of adoration—not only within oneself but in every other being—is nothing but Īśvara. Thus, by offering praise and prayer to Īśvara, all discerning individuals shall attain śubha, or total auspiciousness. Then, there remains nothing further to be achieved, and there is a cessation of all struggles. The Viṣṇu Sahasranāma is a sacred prayer; it is intended to alleviate the troubles of this world and also is a means to attain mokṣa.

In the next post we see the next verse uttered by Bhişma.

Om Tat Sat