Vishnu Sahasra Naamam-Vol III-RR-edit.pub - Ibiblio

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SrI BhaTTar gives the definition - punAti iti puNyah - He who purifies is
puNyah, which is derived from the root pU - pavane to purify. SrI BhaTTar
points out that bhagavAn has this nAma because He purifies even the worst of
the sinners and makes them fit for extolling Him.
SrI v. v. rAmAnujan observes that the nAma "puNyan" for bhagavAn in tamizh
is a favorite of the AzhvArs. Among the references he gives are from
tirumazhiSaiAzhvAr - "anantan mEl kiDanda em puNNiyA!" (tiruccanda
viruttam45), and from tiruma'ngai AzhvAr - "un aDiyEn manam pugunda
appulava! puNNiyanE!" (periya tirumozhi 3. 5. 7).
SrI Samkara interprets this nAma to mean that He is a Purifier because
thought about Him purifies the person who thinks about Him -
smRtimAtreNakalmashANi kshapayati iti puNyah.
The dharma cakram writer explains that just as the thoughts of indriyasukham
are thoughts that are not conducive to His realization, the thoughts
about Him produce the purity that leads to His realization.
Under nAma 925, SrI BhaTTar gives the above as his second interpretation
for this nAma - that by the mere contemplation of His kIrti pertaining to His
helping His devotees, we become pure. He gives the example of bhagavAn's
protection of gajendra, and observes that the meditation of His kIrti through
acts such as this will purify us. This same interpretation and example are
presented by SrI baladeva vidyA bhUshaN for this nAma under Slokam 98.
For the occurrence of this nAma in Slokam 98, SrI Samkara gives the
interpretation that bhagavAn has the nAma puNyah because He enables all to
be righteous by His teachings through the Sruti-s and smRti-s -
sarveshAmSruti smRti lakshaNayA vAcA puNyam AcashTa iti vA puNyah.
Under the current Slokam, SrI baladeva vidyAbhUshaN comments that
bhagavAn is a Purifier of this world in the sense of eliminating or removing the
wicked (such as kamsa).
SrI satyadevo vAsishTha derives the nAma starting from the root pU -
pavane- to purify, and gives the derivation - pavata iti, pUyate vA anena
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