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

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nAma 762. xraxr> dharAdharah
a) He Who supported the Mountain (govardhana).
b) He Who supports the earth.
dharAdharAya namah.
The word dhara means mountain, and the word dharA refers to earth. So the
nAma can be viewed as dhara + Adharah, dharA + dharah, dharA + Adharah,
etc. The different vyAkhyAna kartA-s come up with their interpretations
depending on which combination they choose.
a) SrI bhaTTar gives the interpretation using the word dharam – mountain.
The nirukti description for the nAma is dharam dhRtavAn dharAdharah – He
Who bore the mountain. The reference here is to Lord kRshNa’s bearing the
govardhana mountain to protect the cows and cowherds when indra caused
trouble to them (dharasya govardhanasya girer-dharaNAt dharAdharah – SrI
baladeva vidyA bhUshaN). SrI bhaTTar gives the following reference to
bhagavAn’s thoughts described in vishNu purANam prior to His lifting the
Mountain:
tad-etad-akhilam goshTham trAtavyam adhunA mayA |
imam adrim aham dhairyAt utpATyA’’Su SilAdhanam |
dhArayishyAmi goshThasya pRthucchatramivAparam ||
“The cowpen with all the cows and cowherds should be protected by me now. I
shall by force uproot this mountain with big boulders at once and hold it over
their heads as a big umbrella and save them all (from this distress)”.
SrI v.v. rAmAnujan gives several references to AzhvArs on this incident:
kal eDuttuk kal mAri kAttAi (tiru ma’ngaiAzhvAr, tiru nedum tANDakam 13 )
kaDu’nkAl mAri kallE pozhiya …. neDu’nkAl kunRam kuDai onRu Endiniraiyaic
ciramattAl naDu’ngA vaNNam kAttAn
(tiruma’ngai AzhvAr, periyatirumozhi 6.10.8)
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