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Sahasra nAmAvaLi

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M.K. Krishnaswamy • November 7, 2002 


Dear Members,

In his commentary on Slokam 78 of Sri Vishnu Sahasranamam, 
Shriman N. Krishnamachari has lucidly explained the reasons for the differences
in the nAmAs as chanted in the nAmAvaLis by the followers of the 
Advaita and Visishtadvaita sampradayams. I am grateful to him for this elucidation 
and thought that I should bring this to the notice of the members: 
"In the sahasra nAmAvaLi, the mantra is 'Om ekAya namah' 
according to the followers of viSishTAdvaitam and dvaitam, 
and "Om ekasmai namah" according to the adviata sampradAyam. 
Similar difference exists in many nAma-s: 
viSvAya namah vs. viSvasmai namah (First nAma of SrI vishNu sahasra nAmam); 
naikAya namah vs. naikasmai namah for nAma 731, etc. 
The difference seems to arise as a result of 
the fundamental difference in the philosophies of the vyAkhyAna kartA-s.

When a word is a pronoun or a sarvanAma, 
(and the words viSvam, ekah etc. are sarvanAma-s when they have their traditional meanings), 
then it is declined similar to the word sarva, and the dative singular is 
"sarvasmai, viSvasmai, ekasmai etc." (pANini sUtra 1.1.27). 
However, when this same words is not treated as a pronoun, 
and instead refers to something special, like the specific name of a person 
(e.g., ekah as a person's actual name), then the word is declined 
like an ordinary noun such as narah, and not as a pronoun. 
Then the dative singular is declined as sarvAya, viSvAya, ekAya, etc. 

The example given in explanation of this sUtra by SrISa Candra Vasu 
in his "AshTAdhyAyI of pANini" is that of the word "sarva" meaning "everything" 
(a pronoun) vs. sarva being the name of a person (an ordinary noun). 
The former is declined as a pronoun, and the latter is declined as an ordinary noun like narah. 

The followers of the advaita sampradAyam seem to consider the different sarvanAma-s 
that occur in SrI vishNu sahasra nAma as pronouns representing Brahman, 
whereas the followers of the viSishTAdvaita sampradAyam seem to treat each of the nAma-s 
as a distinct personification of bhagavAn in His different Forms, 
and thus each sarvanAma word that occurs as a nAma in sahasra nAmam 
is treated as a special nAma of bhagavAn with its own special meaning, 
each a proper noun in its own right, and not treated as a pronoun standing for Brahman. 

This seems to explain the difference in the nAmAvaLi, based on grammar 
as well as the difference in the different philosophies." 

Members can access the sahasranamam commentary posted in the Bhakti-List at:
http://home.attbi.com/~surfings/sahasra/index.html 

Dasan,
M.K. Krishnaswamy

 



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