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SrI vishNu sahasranAmam - Slokam 57 - Part 1.

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Narasimhan Krishnamachari • August 17, 1999 


	SrI vishNu sahasranAmam - Slokam 57.

	maharshih kapilAcAryah kRtaj~no medinI-patih    |
	tri-padah tri-daSAdhyaksho mahA-SR'ngah kRtAnta-kRt   ||

om maharshaye namah
omkapilAcAryAya namah
om kRtaj~nAya namah
om medinI-pataye namah
om tri-padAya namah
om tri-daSAdhyakshAya namah
om mahA-SR'ngAya namah
om kRtAnta-kRte namah.

534. maharshih - The Great Seer.

om maharshaye namah.

BhagavAn is maharshih because, in His incarnation as kapila, He
realized the three veda-s by intuitive perception (Rshir-darSanAt -
niru. 2.11 - satyadevo vAsishTha).  He is known for chanting all the
veda-s without a break - SrutIh RgAdyAh vaktrebhyah prodgirantam atah
smaret.  SrI BhaTTar gives reference to SvetASvataropanishad 5.2 -
Rshim prasUtam kapilam mahAntam  (kapila, who was a seer from his
birth).  He is also a maharshi for his propounding the sAnkhya system -
sAnkhyasya vaktA kapilah paramrshih sa ucyate (source of quotation 
unidentified).  SrI Sa'nkara gives reference to the gItA, where
bhagavAn  kRshNa declares that "Of the perfected ones, I am the sage
kapila" - siddhAnAm kapilo munih (gItA 10.26). 

SrI Sa'nkara comments that those who envisioned part of the veda are
referred to as Rshi-s, and those who envisioned the entire veda are
referred as the "Great Rshi-s (maharshi-s)".  Of these, Lord kRshNa
ranks kapila as the foremost (the gItA reference above).  SrI Sa'nkara
combines this nAma and the next one as one nAma - maharshih
kapilAcAryah - kapilAcArya, the great sage.  We already saw why kapila
is called a maharshi.  He is also an AcArya because he propounded the
sAnkhya system.

535. kapilAcAryah - He Who is of brown complexion and also an AcArya.

om kapilAcAryAya namah.

kapilaScAsau AcAryaSca iti kapilAcAryah.  kapilam refers to the color
of the  inside of a tree; Sage kapila's name signifies his complexion
which resembles that of smokeless fire.  The mantra to meditate on him
is "nirdhUmA'ngAra varNAbham Sa'nkha padmAksha sUtriNam" - He who is
possessed of a luster like the burning and smokeless ember, and has
San'kha and padma beads in his hand.  The reference to kapila being
like the smokeless and burning ember also can be taken to refer to his
character which is flawless like the smokeless fire, and the similarity
to the burning fire a reference to his extra-ordinary j~nAnam.  The
mantra referring to this attribute is "samvit prakASanAya" - To Him Who
spread the knowledge of His system.  

SrI satyadevo vAsishTha gives a nice and crisp definition of an AcArya
- Acarati svayam, SishyebhyaSca AcAram grAhayati iti AcAryah - An
AcArya is one who observes the sad-dharma himself, and also imparts the
knowledge of this sad-dharma to his disciples.

536. kRtaj~nah - a) He Who remembers the good deed done.
		b) He Who is both the Created and the Creator.
		c) He Who knows everything about His Creation.
 
om kRtaj~nAya namah.

This nAma occurred earlier as nAma 83 (Slokam 9). Please refer to the
earlier explanation for additional guNAnubhavam. 

sukRtameva j~nAtavAn iti kRtaj~nah - He Who remembers only the good
acts done.  SrI BhaTTar explains this nAma in the context of sage
kapila and the sons and grandson of sagara, a descendant of the
ikhsvAku race.  The sons of king sagara offended sage kapila and he
reduced them to ashes.  But later on, amSumAn, the grandson of sagara,
came before kapila and bowed with respect, and pleaded on behalf of his
ancestors.  kapila remembered only this good act, and immediately
conferred a boon to amSuman to ask whatever he wants. 

SrI Sa'nkara interprets kRtam as referring to the Universe which is
created, and j~nah as referring to the Knower or the AtmA which is not
created.   Since bhagavAn is both the Created and the Creator, He is
kRtam and j~nah (SrI rAdhAkRshNa Sastri).

SrI satyadevo vAsishTha gives the interpretation - kRtam jAnAti iti
kRtaj~nah - He Who knows precisely everything there is to know about
His creation.  He knows the why, when, how, where, what, and precisely
for how long, of everything He has created. 

537. medinI-patih - The Lord or Protector of the Earth.

om medinI-pataye namah.

At the time of creation, when the Earth sank under water, at the
request of brahmA, bhagavAn took the yaj~navarAha incarnation, and
supported the Earth and brought it out.  In the form of kapila in the
pAtALa loka, bhagavAn is supporting the Earth through His yoga-Sakti. 
In SrImad rAmAyaNam, we have

	yasyeyam vasudA sarvA vAsudevasya dhImatah      |
	kapilam rUpamAsthAya dhArayatyaniSam dharAm    || (bAla. 1.40.2) 

"All the Earth belongs to the omniscient vAsudeva;  taking the form of
kapila, He always bears the Earth". 

SrI v.v.rAmAnujan gives the reference to tiruvAimozhi which conveys the
same thought:  peria appan, piraman appan, uruttiran appan, munivarkku
uriya appan, amarar appan, ulagukkOr taniyappan (8.1.11). 

To be continued...

-dAsan nRsimha kRshNamAcAryan

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