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Question related to SrI vishNu sahsranAmam write-up.

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Narasimhan Krishnamachari • February 6, 2002 


 Dear Devotees:
I got the following question from Rohit Iyer, for which I do not have an authentic explanation.  Can anyone who has some insight into this share their thoughts in the list?  Short of repeating what I have included in the original write-up, namely that green color induces a sense of peace in our mind, I do not have an authentic response to give to SrI Rohit Iyer.  I would apprecaite any input.
-dAsan kRshNamAcAryan
  Rohit Iyer  wrote: Date: Wed, 6 Feb 2002 18:50:47 -0800 (PST)
From: Rohit Iyer 
Subject: Re: SrI vishNu sahasra nAmam - Slokam 69 - Part 4.
To: Narasimhan Krishnamachari ,
bhakti-list@yahoogroups.com

Dear srI Narasimhan Krishnamachari,

Thank you for the excellent information.

I have one question regarding this quote you mentioned
:-


varNaSca me harih SreshThah tasmAd harir-iti smRtah 
|| (mahA. SAnti. 343.39)
"My superior complexion is green, and therefore I am
called Hari".

What is the singinficance of the color green to Lord
Hari? Why does he say his superior complexion is
green?

Thank you,

- rohit


--- Narasimhan Krishnamachari 
wrote:
> 
> SrI vishNu sahasra nAmam - Slokam 69 - keSi-hA
> and harih.
> 
> 
> 655. keSi-hA - a) He who killed the asura by name
> keSi.
> b) He who directs agni, sUrya, indra, vAyu etc. in
> their functions.
> 
> Om keSighne namah.
> 
> a) keSi-nAmAnam asuram hatavAn iti keSi-hA. kamsa
> sent the asura keSi
> to destroy child kRshNa, and keSi who took the form
> of a horse to
> destroy kRshNa was destroyed by kRshNa. The
> references in tiruppAvai
> to "mA vAi kINDAn", and in 2nd tiruvantAdi to
> "kUndal vAi KINDAn" are
> to this incident.
> 
> b) SrI satyadevo vAsishTha takes the meaning of the
> root hA- to go, and
> derives his interpretation for the nAma based on the
> Rg-vedic
> description of keSi referring to agni, vAyu, and
> sUrya (see the mantra
> below. KeSi is one who has keSa or hair. smoke is
> the "hair" of the
> fire; the rays of sUrya are the keSa-s of sUrya; 
> indra (lightning) is
> the keSi which is not seen - the reference to dadRSe
> na rUpam in the
> mantra (Ralph Griffith translates this as referring
> to vAyu instead of
> indra in his traslation); These are explained in
> Yaska's niruktam in
> detail (12-24,25).
> 
> The Rg-vedic mantra he quotes in support is:
> 
> trayah keSina RtuthA vicakshate samvatsare vapata
> eka eshAm |
> viSvameko abhicashTe SacIbhirdhrAjirekasya dadRSe
> na rUpam || 
> (1.144.44)
> 
> Thus, in this interpretation, bhagavAn is called
> keSi-hA because He
> directs agni, sUrya, indra, or vAyu perform their
> functions.
> 
> SrI vAsishTha has given several other
> interpretations for this nAma
> (e.g., keSi referring generically to a horse, keSi
> referring to AtmA,
> heart, etc.), which are not being covered here. 
> Those interested can
> refer to his original vyAkhyAna in samskRt, with
> translation in hindi.
> 
> 656. harih - a) The Green-hued.
> b) He Who removes the distress of His
> devotees
> c) He Who wards off samsAra with its
> cause from His
> devotees.
> d) The Destroyer of the Universe at the
> time of pralaya.
> 
> 
> Om haraye namah.
> 
> a) The term hara refers to green color. BhagavAn's
> words from mahA
> bhArata are given in support by SrI BhaTTar:
> 
> iDopahUtam Â…Â….
> varNaSca me harih SreshThah tasmAd harir-iti smRtah
> || (mahA. SAnti.
> 343.39)
> 
> "My superior complexion is green, and therefore I am
> called Hari".
> 
> One is reminded of the familiar pASuram "paccai
> mA-malai pOl mEniÂ…)
> (tirumAlai 2). 
> 
> b) SrI aNNa'ngarAcArya gives the interpretation
> "ArtigaLai harippavar"
> - He who removes the distress of His devotees. 
> 
> c) (samsAram) harati iti harih - He who wards off
> samsAra with its
> cause from His devotees is harih (SrI Samkara). 
> Alternatively, pApAnAm
> harati iti harih - He who wards off the sins of His
> devotees. 
> 
> d) SrI satyadevo vAsishTha extends the anubhavam to
> include bhagavAn's
> destruction of the world at the time of pralaya, and
> His destruction of
> the darkness in our minds always. 
> 
> The dharma cakram writer observes that the sight of
> green gives a
> feeling of peace to the mind; the thought of Hari,
> the green-hued One,
> similarly gives peace to the mind. The "hari nAma"
> is chanted whenever
> one starts anything auspicious, and this is to
> remove all obstacles and
> sins that may be committed in the process. SrI
> rAdhAkRshNa SAstri
> notes that in kali santaraNa Upanishad, the
> repetition of the 16 nAma-s
> in the following familiar chant is prescribed for
> the removal of all
> sins caused by kali.
> 
> hare rAma hare rAma rAma rAma hare hare |
> hare kRshNa hare kRshNa kRshNa kRshNa hare hare 
> || (kali santaraNa
> upa. 6.2)
> 
> -dAsan kRshNamAcAryan
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> =====
> 
> 
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=====
Rohit Iyer

email: iyer_rohit@yahoo.com

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