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

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"ekAya namah" according to the followers of viSishTAdvaitam and dvaitam, and
"ekasmai namah" according to the adviata sampradAyam. Similar difference
exists in many nAma-s: viSvAya namah vs. viSvasmai namah (First nAma of SrI
vishNu sahasra nAmam); naikAya namah vs. naikasmai namah for nAma 731, etc.
The difference seems to arise as a result of the fundamental difference in the
philosophies of thevyAkhyAna kartA-s.
When a word is a pronoun or a sarvanAma, (and the words viSvam, ekah etc.
are sarvanAma-s when they have their traditional meanings), then it is declined
similar to the word sarva, and the dative singular is "sarvasmai, viSvasmai,
ekasmai etc." (pANini sUtra 1.1.27). However, when this same words is not
treated as a pronoun, and instead refers to something special, like the specific
name of a person (e.g., ekah as a person's actual name), then the word is
declined like an ordinary noun such as narah, and not as a pronoun. Then the
dative singular is declined as sarvAya, viSvAya, ekAya, etc.
The example given in explanation of this sUtra by SrISa Candra Vasu in his
"AshTAdhyAyI of pANini" is that of the word "sarva" meaning "everything" (a
pronoun) vs. sarva being the name of a person (an ordinary noun). The former is
declined as a pronoun, and the latter is declined as an ordinary noun like narah.
The followers of the advaita sampradAyam seem to consider the different
sarvanAma-s that occur in SrI vishNu sahasra nAma as pronouns representing
Brahman, whereas the followers of the viSishTAdvaita sampradAyam seem to
treat each of the nAma-s as a distinct personification of bhagavAn in His
different Forms. Thus each sarvanAma word that occurs as a nAma in sahasra
nAmam is treated as a special nAma of bhagavAn with its own special meaning,
each a proper noun in its own right, and not treated as a pronoun standing for
Brahman. This seems to explain the difference in the nAmAvaLi, based on
grammar as well as the difference in the different philosophies.
nAma 731. nEk> naikah
He Who is not One only.
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