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SrI vishNu sahasra nAmam - Slokam 71 - brahma-vivardhanah

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Narasimhan Krishnamachari • March 23, 2002 


                                              SrI vishNu sahasra nAmam - Slokam 71 - Part 3 - brahma-vivardhanah.

 

670. brahma-vivardhanah – He Who makes dharma grow.

 

Om brahma-vivardhanAya namah.

 

SrI BhaTTar’s interpretation here uses the meaning “tapas”, which it itself includes dharma, for the term brahma.  The Sruti text is “tapo brahma”, and He Who makes it grow is brahma-vivardhanah – tapo brahma, tam vivardhayati iti brahma-vivardhanah.  SrI satyadevo vAsishTha  gives  reference to the Sruti – brahma vai yaj~nah (aiyt. BrAh. 7.22).  SrI v.v. rAmAnujan adds that tapas involves getting detached from objects of sensual enjoyment; the more one grows tapas, the more will be the growth towards enjoyment of Him.

 

SrI kRshNa datta bhAradvAj gives the interpretation that because He nurtures the tattva of brahma in the hearts of His devotees, He is called brahma-vivardhanah -  brahma tattvam, tat viSesheNa vardhayate sva-jana hRdayeshu iti brahma-vivardhanah.  SrI cinmayAnanda includes austerities, veda-s, truth, and knowledge under the term tapas, and since He grows these in His devotees, He has this nAma.

 

SrI satyadevo vAsishTha gives another interpretation which uses the meaning “big” for brahma.  Because He grows things indefinitely and infinitely, as in the case of a seed yielding a tree, which yields many more seeds, and the process continue on and on, He is called brahma-vivradhanah – vivardhanam viSvamidam samastam yatah svayam brahma-vivardhanah sah |  bIjAcca vRksham kurute vivRddham vRkshAcca bIjAn kurute bahUn sah ||

 

The dharma cakram writer includes tapas, dhAnam, and yaj~nam under the term brahma for this nAma.  I have summarized his thoughts in the following:  tapas is the means by which one keeps improving his or her own self.  When one sacrifices what one has for the benefit of the society, it is called dhAnam. Doing all our actions through thought, word, and deed without feeling self-ownership, and dedicating them to bhagavAn, is yaj~nam.  All karma should be performed without attachment.  This way of doing karma leads one to forsake the worldly pleasures, and seek union with God instead.  All the actions that one undertakes with this feeling become tapas, dhAnam, or yaj~nam.  The more we indulge in actions in this spirit, the more the world improves and becomes purer. tapas through deed, or through body, is the service to bhAgavata-s.   Talking only good things, chanting the veda-s, etc., become tapas by word.  Thinking only good thoughts, and not thinking bad thoughts, becomes tapas through thought.   All this ta

 

The above ideas (of sAttvic tapas, dhAnam  and ya~jnam are clearly enunciated by bhagavAn in gItA Chapter 17 – SraddhA traya vibhAga yogah.

 

-dAsan kRshNamAcAryan



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