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SrI vishNu sahasra nAmam - Slokam 73 - Part 2.

From the Bhakti List Archives

Narasimhan Krishnamachari • May 7, 2002 


	
    SrI vishNu sahasra nAmam - Slokam 73 - stava-priyah.

685. stava-priyah - He Who is pleased by the praise in whatever form it
is offered.

om stava-priyAya namah.

In his interpretation, SrI BhaTTar points out that when anyone praises
Him in any manner (even in a negative manner!), in any language (even
if it contains errors in diction or meaning), even if it is adverse to
His splendor, bhagavAn accepts it as praise.  SrI BahTTar's exact words
are: yathA katha'ncit (in whatever manner), yayA kayAcit bhAshayA (in
whatever language - even in negative language), yena kenApi (by anyone
- even including those who denigrate Him), tejaskarah tiraskaropi vA
(either in praise of His qualities or in negative terms), stavah
priyatamah asya iti stava-priyah (He accepts them as praise of Him -
because these actions are done while thinking of Him).  SrI BhaTTar
gives an example of this guNa of bhagavAn by referring us to the
incident of ghaNTAkarNa, who did not like to hear even the name of
vishNu being uttered by anyone even casually.  So he suspended two
bells from his ears, and at the very utterance of the name of vishNu,
he will shake his head violently, so that these words won't fall in his
ears.  But in order to ensure that he shake his head at the mere
mention of the name of vishNu, he had to always be thinking of vishNu,
and watching for even a casual mention of the name of vishNu.  The Lord
took this as constant meditation on Him, and gave salvation to
ghaNTAkarNa for this constant meditation on Him.  This is an example of
how He takes even the negative thought about him as praise of Him.

SrI v.v. rAmAnujan adds to this the example of SiSUpAlan, who got
moksham even though all he was doing was using abusive language to talk
about Lord kRshNa at every possible opportunity - "kETpAr Sevi SuDu
kIzhmai vaSavugaLaiyE vaiyum pazham pagaivan SiSupAlan".  nammAzhvAr
concludes one of his dacads in tiruvAimozhi by pointing out that no
matter how we say His name - knowing the meaning or not knowing the
meaning, etc., - the final outcome is that it will always lead to good
for us - "e'nganE Sollinum inbam payakkumE" (7-9-11).  

SrI rAmAnujan refers us to nammAzhvAr's tiruvAimozhi pASuram 5.1.1,
which supports the interpretation that SrI BhaTTar has given for this
nAma - perumAL is stava-priyah because His Grace is such that even if
we don't mean to praise Him, as long as we say something about Him,
even without sincerity, He will accept it as praise, in order to help
us reach Him - such is the destiny of the jIva:

	kaiyAr Sakkarattu en karu mANikkamE enRenRu
	poyyE kaimmai Sollip puRamE puRamEyADi
	meyyE peRRozhindEn vidi vAikkinRu kAppAr Ar?
	AiyO! KaNNa pirAn! aRaiyO inip pOnAlE              (tiruvAi. 5.1.1)

SrI rAdhAkRshNa SAstri observes that bhagavAn's pleasure when He is
praised is not because He is happy that people are praising His
qualities, but because He is pleased that the jIva-s are putting to
appropriate use the indriya-s that He has given to the jIva-s.  When
the thought, word, and deed are all directed appropriately for His
praise, He is all the more happy.  By praising Him, we are getting
closer to Him, and this is exactly what He wants of the jIvAtmA-s, and
this makes Him happy.  The dharma cakram writer gives the analogy of
the parents who feel happy when the child does well in the school.  The
body and the indriya-s that He has given us are for serving Him, and,
just like the parents who feel happy when the child does well in the
school, He is happy when we do well with the facilities He has given
us.

-dAsan kRshNamAcAryan


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