SRI MADHWAVIJAYA – SHASHTHAHA SARGAHA – SHOLKAS 4 AND 5

SRI MADHWAVIJAYA – SHASHTHAHA SARGAHA – SHOLKAS 4 AND 5

Grandeure of Sri Vishnusahasranama/ಶ್ರೀ ವಿಷ್ಣುಸಹಸ್ರನಾಮದ ಅರ್ಥವೈಭವ

ಸ್ಯಾತ್ ತಥೇತ್ಥಮಪಿ ಸಂಭವಿತಾರ್ಥಸ್ತ್ರ್ಯರ್ಥತಾಂ ಶ್ರುತಿಷು ವಿತ್ತ ದಶಾರ್ಥಂ|

ಭಾರತಂ ನನು ಶತಾರ್ಥಮಪಿ ಸ್ಯಾದ್ವೈಷ್ಣವಂ ಪದಸಹಸ್ರತಯಂ ಹಿ||4||

SyAt taThEtThamapi samBhavitArThastryarThatAm shrutiShu vitta dashArTham|

BhAratam nanu shatArThamapi syAdvaiShNavam padasahasratayam hi||4||

SUMMARY: “It can be this way or it can be that way because Vedas have three different meanings; Mahabharata has ten meanings and be aware that Sri Vishnusahasranama has one hundred meanings.”

Here is an instance of Sri Madhwacharyaru giving a very rare and astonishing reply to the objection expressed by the scholars in that interactive session. In this instance, Sri Madhwacharyaru has exhibited his modesty and magnanimity. Unlike ordinary people, he took the objection and the unhealthy comment in right spirit, explained the distinct meanings and showed to everyone that he could do what others could not.

Sri Madhwacharyaru has explained that Mahabharata is a greater work compared to Vedas and that Sri Vishnusahasranama is the greatest. Three, ten and hundred meanings are mere numbers and are indicative figures. Vedas can be interpreted in more than three ways; Mahabharata can be interpreted in more than ten ways and Sri Vishnusahasranama can have more than hundred meanings. However, everyone cannot be Lord Vayu or Sri Madhwacharyaru. Only incarnations of Lord Vishnu or Lord Vayu can explore and explain these meanings.

Sri Madhwacharyaru has cited a Shloka from Skandapurana in his Rigbhashya to substantiate his statement:

TrayO(s)rThAha sarvavEdEShu dashArThAha sarvaBhAratE|

ViShNOho sahasranAmApi nirantarashatArThakam||Iti VachanAt||

ತ್ರಯೋ(s)ರ್ಥಾಃ ಸರ್ವವೇದೇಷು ದಶಾರ್ಥಾಃ ಸರ್ವಭಾರತೇ|

ವಿಷ್ಣೋಃ ಸಹಸ್ರನಾಮಾಪಿ ನಿರಂತರಶತಾರ್ಥಕಂ||ಇತಿ ವಚನಾತ್||

There are Sahasranama Mantras for most of the deities. Yet, each name is confined to single meaning. On the contrary, it is only Sri Vishnusahasranama in which each and every name has at least a hundred meanings. This only proves that Sri Vishnu is the Supreme God. The Gita in Mahabharata is another poetic expression that has one hundred meanings as mentioned in the following stanza:

BhAratam sarvashAstrEShu BhAratE GeetikA varA|

ViShNOho sahasranAmApi jnEyam pAThyam cha taddwayam||

ಭಾರತಂ ಸರ್ವಶಾಸ್ತ್ರೇಷು ಭಾರತೇ ಗೀತಿಕಾ ವರಾ|

ವಿಷ್ಣೋಃ ಸಹಸ್ರನಾಮಾಪಿ ಜ್ಞೇಯಂ ಪಾಠ್ಯಂ ಚ ತದ್ದ್ವಯಂ||

Professors demand to know hundred meanings of Vishnusahasranama/

ವಿದ್ವಾಂಸರು ವಿಷ್ಣುಸಹಸ್ರನಾಮದ ನೂರು ಅರ್ಥಗಳನ್ನು ವಿವರಿಸಲು ಪ್ರಾರ್ಥಿಸುತ್ತಾರೆ

ಇತ್ಯುದೀರಯತಿ ವಿಸ್ತೃತಚಿತ್ತೇ ಭೂಸುರಾ ಇಹ ಜಿಗೀಷವ ಏನಂ|

ಊಚುರರ್ಥಶತಕಂ ಹರಿನಾಮ್ನಾಂ ವರ್ಣ್ಯತಾಮಿತಿ ಸಹಾಸಮುಖಾಸ್ತೇ||5||

Ityudeerayati vistrutachittE BhUsurA iha jigeeShava yEnam|

UchurarThashatakam HarinAmnAm varNyatAmiti sahAsamuKhAstE||5||

SUMMARY: When Sri Madhwacharya replied in that way, the Brahmins, whose primary objective was to defeat him in the debate, told under the garb of a sweet smile on their faces: “In that case, please let us know if you can tell us all the hundred meanings of Sri Vishnusahasranama”.

Here is an example of some ordinary people trying to pull the legs of Sri Madhwacharyaru. Although the universe has been blessed with the reply that Lord Vayu, in the form of Sri Madhwacharya, provided for Sri Vishnusahasranama, the instance bears testimony for how people fail to appreciate or recognize knowledge, talent and incarnations.

Please read, comment and share. SDN