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SrI vishNu sahasra nAmam - Slokam 87 - kundarah.

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champakam • March 3, 2003 


    SrI vishNu sahasra nAmam - Slokam 87 - kundarah.

814. kundarah – a) The Bestower of the knowledge of the Supreme 
Reality (kunda-rah).
		b) He Who dissolves or eliminates the sins 
accumulated over countless births (kun-darah).
		c) He Who bestows benefits as agreeable as the kunda 
flower (kunda-rah).
		d) He Who accepts offering that are pure like the 
kunda flowers (kunda-lah).
		e) He Who pierced the earth in His varAha incarnation 
in search of hiraNyAksha (kum-darah).
		f) One Who gives what is sought or what is desired.
		g) He Who created the oceans by tearing apart the 
earth (kum-darah).
		h) He Who is very pleased with the offerings of the 
kunda pushpa-s by His devotees (kunda-rah).

Om kundarAya namah.

SrI BhaTTar uses the word kundam as referring to "The knowledge of 
the Supreme Reality" or para-tattva j~nAnam.  This is based on his 
interpreting the term ku as a reference to "mukti-bhUmi", rather than 
just as meaning "bhUmi". kundam is that which gives the mukti-bhUmi, 
namely the knowledge of para-tattva.  Since He is the Giver of this 
knowledge, He is kunda-rah (rAti = dadAti = gives).  

SrI v. v. rAmAnujan refers us to nammAzhvAr's iturvAimozhi pASuram 
2.3.2, where he addresses bhagavAn as "aRiyAdana aRivitta attA!" –
 "You are the AcArya Who imparted the true knowledge to me".    We 
have also Lord kRshNa's declaration in the gItA:

		teshAm satata-yuktAnAm bhajatAm prIti-pUrvakam    |
		dadAmi buddhi-yogam tam yena mAm upayAnti te    
||       (gItA 10.10)

"To those who are ceaselessly united with Me and who worship Me with 
immense love, I lovingly grant that mental disposition (buddhi-yoga) 
by which they come to Me".

This is the para-tattva-j~nanam that SrI BhaTTar is referring to.    

b) The nirukti author has added an interpretation to this nAma, that 
is borrowed from SrI BhaTTar's interpretation for the next nAma, 
kundah.  This involves the use of the meaning "sin" for the word ku – 
kum avyayam pApa-vAci, tasya dAraNAt kun-darah – He Who dissolves or 
eliminates the sins (accumulated over countless births).  

SrI satya devo vAsishTha also includes this as one of his three 
interpretations for the nAma (the other two are covered below).   The 
amara koSa vyAkhyAnam gives the following as an illustration of the 
use of the word ku with the meaning "sinful" - tyajet ku-jana-sa'ngam 
_ Leave the association with sinful people.  SrI vAsishTha's 
vyAkhyAnam is:  kum = pApam dRNAti sva-sevAnAm iti kum-darah – He who 
tears apart or removes the sins of His devotees.  He makes them see 
knowledge by removing the sins from their mind – 

		sa eva buddhim jaritur-viSodhya su-medhasam tam 
kurute sa vishNuh    ||

c) SrI Sa'nkara's vyAkhyAnam is that the nAma signifies that He 
bestows fruits that are as pure and agreeable as the kunda (jasmine) 
flowers – kunda pushpa tulyAni SuddhAni phalAni rAti dadAti iti kunda-
rah.

d) Alternately, SrI Sa'nkara gives the explanation – He Who accepts 
offerings that are pure like the kunda flower - 
kunda pushpa tulyAni SuddhAni phalAni lAti Adatte iti kundarah (based 
on the root lA – AdAne dAne ca – to take, to obtain) .  Here he uses 
the rule of mutual interchange of ra and la in conventional usage – 
ra-la-yoh ekatava smaraNAt.  

e) A third interpretation given by SrI Sa'nkara is that He has the 
nAma representing His action of tearing the earth or piercing the 
earth (dara – to tear) in search of hiraNyAksha in His varAha 
incarnation:  kum – dharAm dArayAmAsa hiraNyAksha jighAmsayA vArAham 
rUpam AsthAya it vA kun-darah.  

f) SrI vAsishTha indicates the root for the word kunda as kamu – 
kAntau – to desire, and the application of the uNAdi sutra 
abdAdayaSca (uNAdi. 4.98), leading to the word kundah.  He gives the 
interpretation kAmayata iti kundah kamanIyah – That which is desired 
or sought for is kunda.  Using the root rA – dAne – to give, kundarah 
means "One Who gives what is sought or what is desired" – kamanIyam 
vA'ncitam dadAti iti kunda-rah.  

g) An alternate interpretation given by SrI vAsishTha is: kum – 
pRthivI dArayati iti kun-darah -  (based on the root dRR – vidAraNe – 
to tear, to divide).  He is referring to bhagavAn creating the great 
oceans by tearing apart the bhUmi – 

sa kun-daro nAma vidArya bhUmim sa Atma-SaktyA kurute samudram    |

h) SrI satya sandha yatirAja gives the interpretation – bahkta-
samarpita kunda pushpeNa ramati iti kunda-rah – He Who is very 
pleased with the offerings of the kunda pushpa-s by His devotees.  

-dAsan kRshNamAcAryan




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