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SrI vishNu sahasra nAmam - Slokam 86 - mahA-nidhih.

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champakam • February 27, 2003 


      SrI vishNu sahasra nAmam - Slokam 86 - mahA-nidhih.  

812.	mahA-nidhih – a) He Who has the great treasure in the form of 
His devotees.
b) He Who is a great treasure for His devotees.
c) He Who is the Abode of everything in the Universe.
d) He Who is like a treasure from which His devotees can draw at will.

Om mahA-nidhaye namah.

a) ni is an upasarga – prefix.  The root on which the nAma is based 
is dhA – dhArana poshaNayordAne ca – to put, to grant, to produce, to 
bear;  nitarAm dhIyate pushyata iti ;  nidhIyate atra iti nidhih;   
That in which things are stored is nidhi.  Usually the term is used 
to refer to treasure.    

nitarAm – wholly, entirely, continuously,  always.  nidhi – 
reservoir, receptacle, abode

a) SrI BhaTTar uses the meaning "treasure" for the term "nidhi", and 
gives the vyAkhyAnam that bhagavAn has this nAma because He values 
the devotees as His treasure – they are so dear to Him:  te nidhivat 
ati-priyA asya iti mahA-nidhih.  

nammAzhvAr captures this aspect of bhagavAn in his tiruvAimozhi 
pASuram 10.7.8:  triup pArkkaDalE en talaiyE; taN tiru vE'nkaTamE 
enadu uDalE; manamE vAkkE karumamE oru mA noDiyum piriyAn   -  
bhagavAn loves my head with the same attachment He has for tirup park 
kaDal;  He loves my body with as much intensity as He likes  tiru 
vE'nkaTam;  He now appears to be a complete dependent on my body for 
His very sustenance".    SrI v.n. vedAnta deSikan's interpretation 
for this pASuram, in part, is:  "The Lord bestows the same attachment 
on my body and limbs as He does on divya deSa shrines.  He appears to 
love my head as much as He does tirumAl irum Solai and 
tiruvE'nkaTam".  

b) SrI Sa'nkara's vyAkhyAam is: sarva bhUtAni asmin nidhIyanta iti 
nidhih – He is called mahA-nidhih because He is the great Treasure 
House of all beings.  He protects all beings inside Him like a 
treasure at the time of pralaya.  

c) SrI satyadevo vAsishTha gives the interpretation that the nAma 
symbolizes that He is the abode of everything in the Universe, 
including such great things as the sun – mahAntah sUryAdayo'pi grahA 
yatra pakshiNa iva nihitA iti mahatAm nidhitvAt sa mahA-nidhih –all 
the planets reside in Him like birds.     

d) SrI cinmayAnanda translates the nAma as "The Great Abode".   He 
explains the nAma as "The Eternal Source from which everything 
springs forth, and the Infinite substratum upon which the entire play 
of the finite is held in animated suspension".  He also notes the 
meaning "treasure" for the word nidhi, and observes that SrI nArAyaNa 
is the richest treasure of all of His devotees – to loot at will!".  
The idea is that His devotees will never be satiated with His 
anubhavam, and He is always there for them to eternally enjoy. 

AzhvArs refer to bhagavAn as their nidhi in this sense of His being 
available for their enjoyment and support always.   SrI v.v. 
rAmAnujan gives several references:  

-	tiruma'ngai AzhvAr in tiruk kurum tANDakam (1) – nidhiyinai, 
pavaLat tUNaiÂ… - He is the Treasure who comes forth without fail when 
we are in need;  He is like the pillar that comes for us support like 
to pillar made of pavaLam.
-	tiruma'ngai AzhvAr – periya tirumozhi 7.1.7:  gatiyEl illai 
nin aruLEl enakku; nidhiyE  -  I have no recourse to any help except 
Your Mercy;  You are the treasure in reserve for me when I am in 
need".
-	nammAzhvAr, tiruvAimozhi 6.7.11:  vaitta mA nidhiyAm 
madusUdanaiyE alaRRiÂ…..- MadhusUdanan is like a great treasure in 
reserve (vaitta mA-nidhi), available in time of need in future.  

SrI kRshNa datta bhAradvAj interprets the nAm as a combination fo two 
guNa-s -  that He is great and He is also held as a treasure by His 
devotees -   SrI bhagavAn hi bhaktaih prathamam pUjyate tataSca tasya 
manomayI pratimA hRdaye nidhIyate dhyAyate ca.

-dAsan kRshNamAcAryan




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