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

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"One Who is superior among those who are endowed with patience or
endurance"...
SrI vAsishTha explains the nAma as "sahana SilAyAm, kshmAvatAm madhye
varaH = SreshTha ityarthaH", which has the above meaning. SrI Apte has
listed the meanings 'able, competent' for the word 'kshama' in addition to
'forbearance, patience'. The interpretations below use both these meanings.
The nAma has been translated as "One Who is the best among those who have
endurance", by most of the translators of SrI BhaTTar's vyAkhyAnam.
However, the significance of SrI BhaTTar's vyAkhyAnam does not seem to be
expressed well enough with this translation.
Sri BhaTTar's words are - tad-darSanena dhRtAtmA; abhavat tatra deveSaH
- It was only after seeing gajendra safe that He felt relieved; The Lord of all
gods stood as though revived (after seeing gajendra safe). This signifies that
bhagavAn was throbbing with anxiety on behalf of His devotee and patiently
putting up with this anxiety for the short duration between gajendra's call and
His protecting gajendra. His desire to protect His devotee is so extreme and
intense, that normally for Him to patiently wait till He comes to the scene of
the incident was unimaginable. It is this extreme concern of bhagavAn - the
intensity with which He is committed to the protection of His devotees, that is
to be enjoyed here. It is the seriousness with which He takes His commitment
to protect His devotee, and His anxiety at the smallest delay in protecting the
devotee, that is enjoyed by Sri BhaTTar through this nAma - "BhagavAn is the
Foremost in bearing the burden of protection of His devotee - kshamiNAm
varaH".
SrI kRshNan emphasizes this point, and refers to another incident where the
Lord was throbbing with anxiety for the welfare of His devotee - when sugrIva
suddenly rushed to rAvaNa and fought a duel with him, and brought the ten
crowns of his ten heads. Lord rAma tells sugrIva after his return that He was
very concerned about sugrIva's safety during that time, and added that for
Him, sugrIva's safety was more important than even lakshmaNa or sItA
pirATTi's welfare. Such is the intensity with which He bears the
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