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

1) He is Big, and
2) He makes everything big.
His “Bigness” is explained in terms of His parattvam in the vyAkhyAna-s of SrI
Samkara and those following him, and the emphasis is placed on His unlimited
kalyANa guNa-s in the vyAkhyAna-s of SrI BhaTTar and those following his
school. Please refer to the write-up comparing the different vyAkhyAna-s
that was presented in this series earlier. The root is the same as for the
previous nAma-s, namely bRah – to grow, to increase. SrI BhaTTar quotes the
following in support: “bRhatvAtbrahmaNatvAcca brahmeti parikIrtyate” – He
is called Brahman because He is big, and He also makes others big. He is
everywhere, He is in everything, He makes everything big, His guNa-s are big,
and He performs all His actions without any other support and by His mere
samkalpam. He expands the non-sentient matter into gross and subtle, He
sustains these in a form that is useful for the jIvAtmA-s to enjoy, He sustains
the jIvAtmA-s, He grows them towards their ultimate goal, namely His
realization. He does all these only for the benefit of the jIva-s. He is big
with countless unsurpassed qualities, by His essential nature, by the glory of
His possessions, etc. His greatness is such that He can lift a baddha jIva – an
ordinary samsAri – to the level of a nitya sUri through His Infinite Mercy (SrI
v. v. rAmAnujan).
SrI kRshNa datta bhAradvAjgives the interpretation – bRmhayati prajAh svadayAdRSA
iti brahma – He Who enhances His devotees by His mere Merciful
glance (kaTAKsham), is Brahma.
SrI Samkara emphasizes His being Great (bRhatvAt), as signified by His allpervasiveness,
His expanding into everything, etc. He quotes from the
vishNupurANa (6. 7. 53) – sattA mAtram, a-gocaram vacasAm, Atma
samvedyam, tad j~nAnam brahma – That which is Pure Existence, is beyond the
reach of words, and can only be experienced, is Brahma.
SrI cinmayAnanda gives the interpretation – bRmhatvAt brahma – Because He
is the Biggest, the Vastest, the All-Pervading.,He is called Brahma.
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