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SrI vishNu sahasra nAmam - Slokam 89 - bhaya-kRt, bhaya-nASanah.

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champakam • Mon Apr 28 2003 - 22:03:22 PDT 


   SrI vishNu sahasra nAmam - Slokam 89 - bhaya-kRt, bhaya-nASanah.

837. bhya-kRt – He Who causes fear.
838. bhaya-nASanah – He Who destroys fear.

Om bhaya-kRte namah.
Om bhaya-nASanAya namah.

The word bhaya is derived from the root bhI – bhaye – to fear, to be 
anxious about.   The nAma bhaya-kRt can be viewed as "bhayam karoti 
iti bhaya-kRt", or "bhayam kRntati iti bhaya-kRt" – "One Who causes 
fear", or "One Who removes fear".   

SrI BhaTTar gives his interpretation for these two nAma-s together.  
His explanation is that bhagavAn creates fear in those who violate 
His commands, and dispels fear in those who follow them.  SrI v.v. 
rAmAnujan gives the following supports for the two interpretations:

-	bhaya abhayam karah kRshNah sarva-lokeSvarah prabhuh (mahA 
bhArata) – Lord kRshNa is One Who causes intense fear in those who 
violate the commands of the SAstra-s, and removes fear in those who 
obey the SAstric injunctions.
-	sakRdeva prapannAya tavAsmIti ca yAcate    |  abahayam sarva 
bhUtebhyo dadAmyetad vratam mama   || (rAmAyaNa, yuddha. 18.34, 
declared by Lord rAma during vibhIshaNa SaraNAgati on the sea shore) -
  "To him who even once bows to Me saying that I am Thine, I grant 
him  shelter and protection from all evils.   This is My vow".  
-	           van SaraN surarkkAi, asurarkku vem kURRamumAi
                   tan SaraN nizahR-kIzh ulagam vaittum vaiyAdum
                   ten SaraN tiSaikkut tiru viN nagar SErnda pirAn
                   en SaraN en kaNNan ennai ALuDaiyan en appanE     
(tiruvAi. 6.3.8)

      The simultaneous role of bhayakRt and bhaya-nASanah is 
reflected both in the first and second lines of this pASuram:  
surarkku van SaraNAi – For His devotees, including the deva-s, He is 
the surest Protection;  asurarukku vem kURRamumAi – Just as surely, 
for those with a  demonic disposition, He is the sure Death;  tan 
SaraN nizaR-kIzh ulagam vaittum – Keeping those who have surrendered 
to Him under His Feet for protection; vaiyAdum – Those that have not 
surrendered to Him are not allowed anywhere close to His Feet.  Such 
is the Nature of our great kaNNan in tiru viN nagar – Oppiliappan 
koil.  

-	His guNa as bhaya nASanah is reflected in nammAzhvAr's 
tiruvAimozhi pASuram 3.10.8 also – ellai il mAyanai kaNNanait tAL 
paRRi yAn Or duhkam ilanE – By surrendering to this mAyak kaNNan's 
divine feet, I have no more worry of any sorrow.  

SrI Sa'nkara gives the primary interpretation for `bhaya kRt" as One 
Who causes fear to those who follow the wrong path – asan-mArga 
vartinAm bhayam karoti iti bhaya-kRt (kR – karaNe – to do).  He gives 
an alternate interpretation that brings out His guNa of protecting 
the bhakta-s – bhaktAnAm bhayam kRtanti vA bahaya-kRt – He Who 
dispels fear from the minds of His devotees (kRt – chedane – to 
cut).   

SrI vAsishTha also gives both the interpretations for the nAma "bhaya-
kRt".  In support of the first interpretation, he gives the support 
from Rg veda:

	dyAvA cidasmai pRthivI namante, sushmAcidasya parvatA 
bhayante    |
	yah somapA nicito vajra-bAhur-yo vajra-hastah sa janAsa 
indrah   ||   (Rg. 2.12.13)

"Even the Heaven and Earth bow down before Him, before His very 
breath the mountains tremble.  Known as the soma drinker, armed with 
thunder, who wields the bolt, he, o ye men, is indra".  We know that 
indra trembles before bhagavAn, and so bhagavAn is the bhaya-kRt of 
them all, to ensure that all the gods function properly and perform 
their assigned duties.  The taittirIya Upanishad declares:  
bhIshAsmAd vAtah pavate, bhIshodeti sUryah, 
bhIshAsmAdagniScendraSca,  mRtyur-dhAvati pa'ncama iti  |  - "The 
wind blows out of fear of Him;  For fear of Him does the Sun rise;  
For fear of Him do agni and indra function.  Out of fear of Him, does 
Death, the fifth one, run".  

SrI Sa'nkara's interpretation for the nAma "bhaya nASanah" stresses 
the importance of following the varNASrama dharma-s:  varNa ASrama 
AcAravatAm bhayam nASayati iti bhaya-nASanah.  This can be understood 
in different ways:

-	as a reference to varNASrama dharma – to the practices 
prescribed for the four divisions or varNa-s - the brAhamNa-s, 
kshatriya-s, vaiSya-s and Sudra-s; 
-	as a reference to the practices prescribed for the four varNa-
s as well as for the four ASrama-s (brahmacarya, gArhasthya, vAna 
prastha, and sanyAsa), 
-	or as a reference to the varNa-s, ASrama-s as well as the 
AcAra-s or the codes of conduct for all these groups.  

SrI sa'nkara gives support from SrI vishNu purANam of ParASara:

	varNa ASrama AcAravatA purhseNa parah pumAn     |
	vishNur-ArAdhyate panthA nAnyas-tat-tosha-kArakah   ||  (VP 
3.8.9)

"The supreme vishNu is propitiated by a man who observes the 
institutions of varNa, ASrama, and the AcAra-s (purificatory 
practices).  No other path is the way to please Him".

-dAsan kRshNamAcAryan







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