Vishnu - Nagesh D. Sonde

Shankara compares the person who prefers the Proper (Eaoya) and not the
Pleasant (p`oya) to a swan which drinks only the milk separating it from the water
and, therefore, men of Wisdom – „Atao hMsa [vaamBasa: pya:, taO Eaoya: p`oya: pdaqaaO- samprI%ya
samya@pirgamya manasaalaaocya gaurulaaGavaM ivaivanai> pRqa@kraoit QaIrao QaImaana\ | ivaivacca ca Eaaoyaao ih Eaoya
evaaiBavaRNaIto p`oyasaao|Byaih-t%vaat\ Eaoyasa: kao|saaO QaIr: |‟. Nachiketa being already endowed with
the &aana - Knowledge and iva&ana -Wisdom, therefore is not attracted by saRkaM means the
golden chain that binds one to saMsaar and sticks to his original request for the
Wisdom saying - yaismainnadM ivaicaik%saint maR%yaao ya%saamprayao mahit ba`Uih nastt\ | yaao|yaM varao gaUZmanaup`ivaYTao
naanyaM tsmaannaicakota vaUNaIto ||”. Nachiketa knowing the difference between p`oya that which
is attractive, captivating, pleasant assuring satisfaction of the senses and Eaoya that
which is good, noble, proper, pure and propitious assuring satisfaction of the self
chose the latter and the former. Thereore, Yama is pleased with him.
Upanishad :
naOYaa tko-Na maitrapnaoyaa p`ao>a|nyaonaOva sau&anaaya p`oYz |
yaaM %vamaap: sa%yaQaRitba-taisa %vaadR=\ naao BaUyaat\ naicakot: p`YTa || 9 ||
Neither by speculation nor by intellect can this be communicated but only when
instructed by one well-qualified. Nachiketa, you have presented yourself wellestablished
in resolve. No one like you is to be seen.
jaanaamyahM SaovaaiQair%yaina%yaMM na (Qa`uvaO: p`aPyato ih Qa`uvaM tt\ |
ttao mayaa naaicakotiScaao|ignarina%yaOd`-`vyaO: pàPtvaanaisma ina%yama\ || 10 ||
I am aware of that first syllable, which is eternal treasure; for the eternal cannot
be attained from the not-eternal. Therefore, by me has been meditated on
Nachiketagni, the non-eternal elements for attaining the eternal.
Bhashya :
“Aa#yaM ivaYNvaa#yaM ina%yaM SaovaiQairit jaanaaima | ina%yaM Aa#yaivaYNauivaYayaO: d`vyaO: mana AaidiBa: |
Aa#yaina%yaivaYayaO: ivaYNvaa#yaina%yaivaYayaO: d`vyaO: | ina%yaM BagavaMtM p`aPtvaanaisma | Qa``Rvaao Bagavaana\ AdRvaO: td\Bai>vaijatO:
na p`aPyato ||” - The supremacy of Vishnu is known by me as the eternal treasure.
The elements used for meditating Vishnu are also spoken as eternal. The
Resplendent Lord is „ina%ya’– the eternal Prime Existence. „A‟ is the primary symbol
of the Lord – „AxaraNaaM Akarao Aisma‟ Therefore „Aina%ya‟ means the Resplendent Lord;
without devotion he can not be attained.
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