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SrI vishNu sahasra nAmam - Slokam 80 - Part 6.

From the Bhakti List Archives

Narasimhan Krishnamachari • December 14, 2002 


760. dhanyah – The Blessed.

Om dhanyAya namah.

The word dhanam refers to wealth.  The amara koSa vyAkhyAnam is “dhana
dharma sAdhuh dhanyah” – One Who excels in wealth and dharma is
dhanyah. By pANini sUtra “dhana gaNam labdhA” (4.4.84), the addition of
the yat pratyaya to dhana gives the meaning to this nAma as:  “One who
obtains dhana or wealth”. 

What wealth does bhagavAn have to attain that He does not have?  SrI
bhaTTarÂ’s anubhavam is that He considered being born to devaki as the
wealth that He coveted.  Since He got His desired wealth by being born
to devaki, now He is dhanyah – tad-janma dhana lAbhAt dhanyah.   SrI v.
v. rAmAnujanÂ’s anubhavam is that since bhagavAn is One Who does not
have birth normally, this is a great blessing for Him!

(I am reminded of an article that I recently received from a friend of
mine.  In this moving article, the well-known Sri candra sekhara
sarasvati (the previous AcArya of kAÂ’nci SaÂ’nkara maTham), feels
intensely sorry that his position as the sanyAsi and head of his Asrama
had permanently deprived him of the privilege of prostrating at the
feet of elders right from a very young age, since he became the head of
the maTham when he was probably less than 10.  So he feels intensely
for his situation, that falling at the feet of elders and prostrating
was a bhAgyam that he was permanently deprived of in his life because
of his position).  

SrI SaÂ’nkara bhAshyam is that since every wish of bhagavAn is
fulfilled, He is dhanyah – kRtArtho dhanyah – He is self-satisfied, and
so He is Blessed.  

SrI kRshNa datta bhAradvAj uses the amaram “sukRti puNyavAn dhanyah”,
and gives the interpretation that BhagavAn accepts the sincere
offerings in the form of flowers etc., and constantly keeps thinking of
their welfare;  This is  sukRtam and puNya kAryam, and so He is dhanyah
– sukRtI or puNyavAn.  

The dharma cakram writer dwells on the lesson to take from the nAma, as
he invariably does for all the nAma-s.  In common use, the word dhanyah
refers to “one who is benefiting from the good karma-s in his previous
birth” (dhanyo’smi – I am blessed).  The antima smRti is a determinant
of the next birth.  In order to have good antima smRti, one should
train oneself throughout oneÂ’s life to be involved in good deeds,
thoughts and words.  This is what will make one a dhanyah in the future
births.  This is the lesson to take from the concepts behind this nAma.

-dAsan kRshNamAcAryan

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