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Re: Origin of namam

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Sadagopan • March 25, 1999 


Dear Sri Narasimhan :

(1)The name Vishanvam is of Vedic origin .
 
The name is referred to in Rg Vedam first ,
the oldest of VedAs .The exact quotation 
is "Gaam gathasya tava dhAma VaishNavam ".
The effulgence of the Lord ( Svayam Jyothi)
is being saluted here .He is param JyOthi .

(2)The nigantu explanation is " VishNurdEvathAsya 
tasyEdham vaa aNN) or that relates to VishNu .

(3)It is also the noun of the asterism "SravaNaa".
SravaNam is VishNu's constellation ( SravaNa VenkatEsan ).
Although SravaNa nakshthram is the celebrated 
constellation assoicated with Him , we have to remember 
the slOkam used by the AarAdhakar at Ahobila matam 
before ThiruvArAdhanam :

Thithir VishNus tathA vaara: 
Nakshathram VishNurEva cha 
yOgasccha karanam chaiva
SARVAM VISHNU MAYAM JAGATH 
 

(4)Vaishnavam also means the celestial residence of
MahA VishNu (i-e) VaikuNtam .

(5)Finally , VaishNavam means the ashes of a burnt
offering like in PurNAhUthi during a Vedic yAgam .
I have written earlier under the 40 samskArAs of
Hindus about those Yaagams , where cooked Havis 
is offered to Agni invoking devathAs , whose 
antharyAmi is MahA VishNu /Sriman naarAyaNA .
We are back to Veda sambhandham now .

Vaishnavam can not be understood without 
knowing about VaishNava lakshaNam .That is
a deep subject beyond the scope of this 
short note .

V.Sadagopan  

At 12:10 PM 3/24/99 +0530, you wrote:
>HI All :
>I am just curious, does anyone know how Vaishanava's Namam 
originated? and does it have any meaning? 
(as per any shastra or any text)?
>Appreciate your cooperation>
>-- 
>Krishna Narasimhan.