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NaarAyaNi, VaishNavi & RaamAnujA NaamAs

From the Bhakti List Archives

V. Sadagopan • August 11, 1997 


Dear Srimathi Nagu Satyan :
You are correct in your observation about dual 
(multiple ) meanings for the above three names .
It is common in Sanskrit to have context-sensitive 
meanings for names based on the same root .

VaishNavi symbolizes the personified energy or
sakthi of VishNu . It is mainly used to refer to 
VishNu Durgai housed in the ardha mantapam 
of ThirukkOvalUr , KumbakOnam AarAvamudhan 
Koil  .

NaarAyaNi is an epithet for MahAlakshmi and DurgA .
She is the VishNu mAyA born before LOrd KrishNA
in the prison of KamsA to Devaki and VasudEvA .

VaishNavi is the presiding deity of AmpatthUr , a
town near Chennai . There , the presiding deity 
has sanka -chakram in Her hands and is considered
as the fifty first ( Iympatthu onru ) of the body 
of Sathi Devi , when it was dispersed all over India
by VishNu's chakram , when she immolated herself 
at Daksha Yajnam and Lord Siva was overpowered by grief 
and  sent AgjOra Veerabhadra to destry His father-in- law ,
Daksha PrajApathi for insulting Him and His consort .
Ampatthur is therefore the 51st Sakthi Peetam in India.
It is one of the 108 such peetams . Sri Anbil Ramaswamy
has conenctions to AmpatthUr .

The name RaamAnuja can be intrepreted both as the brother
of balarAmA or the brother of Sri RamachandrA . In the area near 
Narmada , there is a temple for LakshmaNA , the brother 
of Sri RaamA to salute his Kaimkarya Sree . The naamam 
RaamAnujA is preferred by our elders over LakshmaNA 
in nmaing the children. BalarAmA again as RaamAnujA
pales into insignificance before the mighty deeds of his
brother . There are other amsAvathArA aspects that does not
endear him to the hearts of Sri VaishNavAs in elevating him 
to higher levels of worship .

Best Wishes ,
V.Sadagopan    
Best wishes ,
V.Sadagopan