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

sadagopan.org
SrI v.v. rAmAnujan refers us to tirumazhiSai AzhvAr’s nAnmugan tiruvantAdi
(7) –
nanRaganAn unai anRi ilEn kaNDAi,
nAraNanE! nee ennai anRi ilai –
“Without You we do not exist, and as for You, if we are not the ones You
protect, there is nothing else for You to protect”.
b) SrI Samkara gives the meaning "Existence" to the nAma - sajAtIya
vijAtIya svagata bheda rahitA anubhUtih sattA. One translator has given the
meaning as "The state which is devoid of difference as regards its own
species, as well as others" (explained further in the next para). SrI Samkara
quotes the chAndogya Upanishad in support: ekam eva advitIyam - chAndogya.
6.2.1 - "He remains ever the same, One without a second".
The dharma cakram writer elaborates on the above vyAkhyAnam of SrI
Samkara. He notes that sajAtIya bhedam is the difference that we see
between the different members of a given species - such as the difference
between one human being and another. Seeing this difference externally takes
us away from realizing the truth that we are all His property, and He is our
antaryAmi and we are His Sesha-s. True knowledge consists in seeing the unity
and serving everyone as God's creation. BhagavAn does not have this sajAtIya
bhedam that we are subject to.
The vijAtIya bhedam is the difference that we observe between the different
species, such as the difference between man and animal. It is because of
vijAtIya bhedam that a dog attacks the cat, and one species attacks another.
One who has true knowledge sees all species as equals, and shows respect and
love for all without distinction. Again, bhagavAn is beyond this kind of bhedam
as well.
svagatabhedam is the difference we observe in ourselves - such as the
difference in appearance between the different parts of our body. We humans
feel one part of the body is attractive, and another part is not attractive.
Seeing these kinds of distinctions only leads us away from realizing the truth.
168