His form a delight

August 30, 2020 10:40 pm | Updated 10:40 pm IST

Parasara Bhatta, in his commentary on the Vishnu Sahasranama, explains the name satkeertih, as the One who has lasting fame, because of His saulabhya. He is chhinna samsayah, because He dispels all doubts. He leaves us in no doubt regarding His simplicity and accessibility, said M.A. Venkatakrishnan, in a discourse.

He is udeernah. Sankara Bhagavadpada interprets this name as One who is superior to all. According to Parasara Bhatta, it means that He is manifest. He takes avataras, and His archa form delights all. Sarvatas-chakshuh means He who sees everything through His jnana, according to Sankara. According to Parasara Bhatta, it means He who can be seen by all, whether during His avataras, or in archa form. Sankara gives the meaning of aneeshah as One who has no Eesha above Him. Parasara Bhatta says that He is aneeshah, because He has no independence! This means that in His archa form, He allows His devotees to bathe Him and adorn Him the way they please, and accepts their food offerings. He is sasvata sthirah, because He is always the same, according to Sankara.

According to Parasara Bhatta, Sasvata sthirah means that He takes many archa forms. The Lord showers His mercy on us, we worship Him in the idol form in a temple, or in the form of a salagrama at home. There is a story about the Araiyar of Srirangam, who lost his eyesight. He used to keep his salagrama in his betel box, and would often put the salagrama in his mouth, mistaking it for an areca nut. Realising his mistake, he would wash it, and put it back in the box. The temple priest took the salagrama from him and worshipped it with all respect. But the Lord appeared in his dream and asked him to return the salagrama to the Araiyar.

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