Vishnu Sahasra Naamam-Vol V-Rr-edit.pub - Ahobilavalli

sadagopan.org
It is the unique contribution of SrI BhaTTar's commentary that he has
identified this connectivity or organization in the sequence of the nAma-s. No
other commentator has identified this thread of connectivity in the sequence
of nAma-s. This connectivity and organization have been pointed out through
the series of subsequent postings after the above Introduction was written.
Having thus answered the question of organization, and noted that there is
definite organization and structure to the sequence in which the nAma-s have
been strung together by bhIshma, we now look at the question of significance
of the reference to bhagavAn's Ayudham-s in the final Slokam 107. In other
words, why, of all the possible endings for the stotram, did bhIshma choose to
sing the praise of emperumAn with His divine weapons to conclude the
stotram?
Perhaps the best reason for including a description of bhagavAn with His
weapons as the concluding Slokam, can be best appreciated by understanding
why He bears the weapons to start with. In the viSisTAdvaita tradition, two
anubhavam-s are given for His bearing the weapons. One is that they are part
of His adornments. The second, and the one that is relevant in the current
context, is that He is carrying them for the protection of His devotees against
the asura-s etc. After singing His guNa-s of saulabhyam and sauSIlyam
through 992 nAma-s, SrI bhIshma perhaps sees it fit to point out that all
these guNa-s of bhagavAn are purely for the benefit of His devotees, and that
He stands ready, carrying His most ferocious weapons, ever ready to protect
His devotees at all costs. Protection of the devotees is the primary and only
concern of bhagavAn. Everything He does, including His functions of Creation,
is for the protection of the jIva-s. It is this aspect of bhagavAn's
commitment to Protection of His devotees that is signified in this concluding
Slokam of the stotram, and that is revealed to us by presenting Him with His
ferocious weapons. The devotees themselves enjoy these weapons as
adornments on His divine tirumEni, and at the same time, these weapons are
the objects of terror in the hearts of the most ferocious enemies of the
devotees (hiraNyakaSipu, rAvaNa, SiSupAla, etc.).
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