Vishnu Sahasranamam: Sloka 2

Introduction

These slokas (including Sloka 1) are a part of the Purvabhaga (prologue) to the Vishnusahasranamam. The actual Sahasranamam in the standard renditions start much later and is preceded by Purvabhaga, Dhayana verses, etc. The Purvabhaga slokas pay obeisance to Vishnu and throws light on the context in which the Vishnu Sahasranmam was rendered. Although technically not a part of Vishnusahasranamam, these preludes and Dhyana slokas have been recited for generations and is therefore dealt with here too. 

Sloka 2

yasya dviradavaktrādyāḥ pāriṣadyāḥ paraḥ śatam |

vighnaṁ nighnanti satataṁ viṣvakasenaṁ tamāśraye ||

Meaning

The elephant faced one along with his innumerable attendants, Would always remove obstacles as we depend on Vishvaksena. 

Poetic Translation

I take refuge in Vishvaksena who always eliminates all hindrances, The commander of the elephant-faced attendant and the numerous others.

Comment

This sloka is not found in many books of Vishnu Sahasranamam. In this Sloka, Vishvaksena is referred to. Vishwaksena is the commander-in-chief of Vishnu's army and is also the gatekeeper of Vishnu's abode, Vaikhunta.

There is an interesting debate on whether the first sloka in Vishnusahasranamam is a prayer to Ganesha instead of Vishnu. So the question arises as to whether this Sloka is a later addition to negate the idea that the first sloka relates to Ganesha. More on this in the next post. 

Vishnu Sahasranamam: Sloka 1

English text with translation and explanation: Meaning from here. Poetic translation from here.

Text:

shuklAmbaradharam vishNum shashivarNam chaturbhujam | 

prasanna vadanam dhyAyet sarva vigna upashAntaye || 

Meaning: One should meditate for the removal of all obstacles upon Vishnu who is clad in white garments, who has a lustre like the moon, who has four arms and a beneficent face.

Poetic Translation: 

Dressed in white you are, 

Oh, all pervading one, 

And glowing with the colour of moon. 

With four arms, you are, the all knowing one 

I meditate on your ever-smiling face, 

And pray, Remove all obstacles on my way.

Comment:

Vishnu Sahasranamam can be translated as the 1000 names of Vishnu and is one of the most important texts of Vaishnavites. The term "Vishnu" here implies the one who consists of the all pervading matter and the energy which pervades in all matter. "Chaturbhujam" refers to the one with four hands. Another reference to the term "Chaturbhujam" is to the four directions. "Shashivarnam" means the moon. The reference here is to the coolness of the moon. "Prasannavadanam" can be translated as the one whose face is like a blossomed flower. The verse is a call for meditation on Vishnu so that the obstacles are removed. 

Perspectives and Environment Matter: But B+

If you think this post is about environmental and pollution related issues, you're sorely mistaken. By environment, I mean the surroundings and the things and perspectives to which are exposed to. I happened to chance by an apt illustration of this point. If you notice government offices in Northern India, especially Delhi NCR, you''ll notice them going for a stroll, which is the sarkari way of attempting to negate the guilt of having gobbled up artery-clogging lunch.

One sunny day, after having eaten as if there was no tomorrow, a colleague from Chennai and I, an artless villager, were walking around our office building. Suddenly, we noticed a bush shaking vigorously. What followed were our observations on the cause of the same event:

Colleague: See! Notice how the bush is shaking!

Me: Yeah! There's a chameleon sitting inside and doing this.

Colleague: Thought a couple were sitting behind the bush.😉

Me: Hey! This is quite common. During summer, animals find shade in the bushes and have a good time doing these things.

Colleague: Its also quite common in cities: just that, couples have a good time in it.

For the same event, we perceived different causes depending on what we have seen in the surroundings we grew up in. 😁

The larger point of this silly incident: differences of opinions is quite common because of this. Instead of trying to establish who is right and who is wrong, we probably need to respect each other's life experiences. We also need to understand that our life experience is only selective and give the world the benefit of the doubt. And Be Positive! 🙏🤘 

தீநட்பு (Harmful friendship): Thirukkural

There is a trend in Tamil films to say, "there is nothing called as bad friendship". The problem with such empty statements is that some people believe these to be gospel truth. More often than not such statements justify negative mindset and habits such as alcoholism.

There is something called as bad friendship or as Thiruvalluvar called it, "harmful friendship". Before going into Thirukkural, I'd like to narrate an incident that happened in the early 2000s when I was a college student. Three of us friends were sitting home when one of my friends (F1) was teasing the other (F2) of a bad habit. I was observing these two and F1 made an extraordinarily valid point, pertinent to this post: 

F2: Who are you to ask about my personal things or habits?

F1: Why shouldn't I ask?

F2: That's none of your business!

F1: You cannot brush away things like that. I am your friend and I am duty-bound to ensure that I am honest with what I feel about what you do. 

F2: You may feel about so many things. That doesn't mean that I should do what you feel like.

F1: I agree. But it is my duty as a friend to point out when I feel you are erring. Of course, it is up to you to take it. Friendship is not only about enjoying but taking the best efforts so that my friend can be a better human being. My friendship with you should elevate you and not bring you down. 

What F1, my friend said, is still fresh in my mind. This is exactly what demands of a good friend. Conversely, a person with questionable character who purports to be a friend is no friend at all. Thiruvalluvars Kural penned several centuries back says this:

தீநட்பு  (Harmful friendship) (அதிகாரம்  82)

811. பருகுவார் போலினும் பண்புஇலார் கேண்மை

பெருகலின் குன்றல் இனிது.

This roughly means: Even if a person cherishes his friendship with you, it is better to avoid him if he is of bad character. 

பருகுவார் போலினும்:  (figuratively) those who cherish another's company. (literally) "those who will devour you with affection" [GU Pope et al, Lexicon & Concordance: The Sacred 'Kural' of Thiruvalluva-Nayanar (1886), p. 58]  

பண்புஇலார் கேண்மை: friendship with persons of questionable character

பெருகலின்: Instead of increasing

குன்றல்: decreasing 

இனிது: better

Parimelazhagar's commentary on this Kural reads: "காதல் மிகுதியால் பருகுவர் போன்றாராயினும் தீக்குணம் உடையார் நட்பு, வரல்தளின் தேய்தல் நன்று".

Therefore, the sacred duty of a friend is to elevate his friend and not bring him down. While it might be fashionable to say, "there is nothing called bad friendship", it is undoubtedly true that a person spoils you is no friend at all. 

Vegetarianism and Tirukkural

Tirukkural, the great secular bible, one of the most translated works in the world, and Tamilnadu's jewel has many chapters (அதிகாரங்கள்). Tirukkural is a universally praised work and we Tamils take real pride in reciting it. But the question is: do we follow it or even attempt to? The answer is a big big no. 

We Tamils, especially, politicians and teachers are fond of quoting Tirukkural. I am sure no one in the extant political climate would dare to quote from Chapter 26 of Tirukkural. It is on abjuring flesh meat (புலால் மறுத்தால்). One hardly finds any specific mention of it in public discourse. Hence, this post. The chapter, like other chapters in the Kural, contains ten aphorisms (251 to 260), which are given below along with the translation of Drew & Lazarus (DL) and J. Narayanasamy (JN):

251. தன்னூன் பெருக்கற்குத் தான்பிறிது ஊனுண்பான்
எங்ஙனம் ஆளும் அருள்.DL: How can he be possessed of kindness, who to increase his own flesh, eats the flesh of other creatures.

JN: Hardly any mercy is left in the minds of those who build their bodies with the flesh of other beings.

252. பொருளாட்சி போற்றாதார்க்கு இல்லை அருளாட்சி
ஆங்கில்லை ஊன்தின் பவர்க்கு.DL: As those possess no property who do not take care of it, so those possess no kindness who feed on flesh.

 
JN: Wealth helps not those who do not patronize it; mercy is missed by those who eat flesh meat.

253. படைகொண்டார் நெஞ்சம்போல் நன்னூக்காது ஒன்றன்
உடல்சுவை உண்டார் மனம்.DL: Like the (murderous)  mind of of him who carries a weapon (in his hand), the mind of him who feasts with pleasure on the body of another (creature) has no regard for goodness.

JN: Who take pleasure in killing to eat, have a mind of steel impervious to mercy on the prey.

254. அருளல்லது யாதெனில் கொல்லாமை கோறல்
பொருளல்லது அவ்வூன் தினல்.DL: If be asked what is kindness and what is its opposite, the answer would be preservation and destruction of life; and therefore it is not right to feed on the flesh (obtained by taking away life).

JN: Mercy demands not to kill; butchering is cruel, and eating flesh meat is insensuous.

255. உண்ணாமை உள்ளது உயிர்நிலை ஊனுண்ண
அண்ணாத்தல் செய்யாது அளறு.

DL: Not to eat flesh contributes to the continuance of life; therefore if a man eats flesh; hell will not open its mouth (to let him escape out, after he has once fallen in.

JN: Abstaining from meat is a way of saving lives; meateaters hardly get off from mental morbidity. 

256. தினற்பொருட்டால் கொல்லாது உலகெனின் யாரும்
விலைப்பொருட்டால் ஊன்தருவார் இல்.

DL: If the world does not destroy life for the purpose of eating, then n one would sell flesh for the sake of money.

JN: If humanity abjures from the habit of meat eating, the ill reputed sale of it will not exist.

257. உண்ணாமை வேண்டும் புலாஅல் பிறிதொன்றன்
புண்ணது உணர்வார்ப் பெறின்.

DL: Since the wise consider flesh as the (unclean) ulcer of a body, let it be eaten. 

JN: Who realises the pain and wound of killing will give up the habit of meat eating.

258. செயிரின் தலைப்பிரிந்த காட்சியார் உண்ணார்
உயிரின் தலைப்பிரிந்த ஊன்.

DL: The wise, who have freed themselves from mental delusion, will not eat the flesh which has been severed from the animal.

JN: Wisdom free from the painful mind of evil will abstain from feeding on flesh.

259. அவிசொரிந் தாயிரம் வேட்டலின் ஒன்றன்
உயிர்செகுத் துண்ணாமை நன்று.

DL: Not to kill and eat (the flesh of) an animal, is better than the pouring forth of ghee, etc., in a thousand sacrifices. 

JN: Abstaining from meat eating is good even in hospitality with a rich fare of food in ghee. 

260. கொல்லான் புலாலை மறுத்தானைக் கைகூப்பி
எல்லா உயிருந் தொழும்

DL: All creatures will join their hands together, and worship him who has never taken life, nor eaten flesh.

JN: All life on earth will bow in gratefulness to those who abstain from killing and meat eating.

Zha in Tamil

One of the defining characteristics of Tamil is its 30th letter, zha/Ḻa (ழ) and has been in use at least since 3rd century BCE. The letter finds its place in Malayalam also. Many Tamils like me are quite possessive and proud about zha and find the correct pronunciation of zha as the hallmark of one learnt in Tamil. Recently, I had a shocking conversation with a Malayali colleague working in Chennai. 

Colleague: Do you know there is a letter zha in Malayalam that is not there in Tamil? 

Me: (quite shocked after hearing this) What? Zha is there even in Tamil. In fact, we Tamilians are very proud about it.

Colleague: Aah that cannot be correct! No Tamilian I know can pronounce zha. They all say valapalam (banana) and cannot pronounce zha.

Me: It is shameful that most of us Tamilians are not able to pronounce zha although we consider it to be the USP of Tamil.

My colleague's observation, although shocking, was true. For all the chest beating by us Tamilians about our Tamil heritage and protecting our culture, most of us  cannot even pronounce an important letter in our mother tongue, which Ashokamitran says is "one of the glories of Tamil language." [Ashokamitran, Tamil Scene: Good Work Continues, Indian Literature, Vol. 32, No. 6 (134) (November-December, 1989), pp. 189-195].

Two things should be done:

1.  No Tamil teacher should be recruited who cannot pronounce zha.
2. People should not accept any politician who cannot say zha. 

Naanmarai and Mundhunool in Tolkappiyam's Prolegomenon

Tolkappiyam is an ancient Tamil work on Grammar. This very short post discusses certain interesting facts/ debates relating to Tolkappiyam's prolegomenon. Tolkappiyam's payiram or prolegomenon was penned by Panampaaranar, who is regarded as a contemporary of Tolkappiyar, the unknown and mysterious author of the great work. 

The history of Tamil literature and various constructions provided to the text, like in any age, are tainted by the commentator's ideologies. This is well-accepted and is no big deal. Only rigorous and scientific methods of research can alleviate ideological biases. To the extent possible, this blogger will present facts sans ideological biases.

Some interesting debates on the words naanmarai and mundhunool in the prolegomenon are listed below:

• Tolkappiyam's prolegomenon was written by Panampaaranar, a contemprary of Tolkappiyar.
• The prolegomenon casts some light on Tolkappiyam and how it came to be.
• The prolegomenon refers to mundhunool kandu and naanmarai. Mundhunool apparently refers to Vedas and so does naanmarai, marai refers to vedas and the prefix naan refers to the number four (four vedas). 
• There is also another construction offered to these phrases. Mundhu nool refers to previous works and this phrase is juxtaposed with muraippada enni (meaning, well-thought as per norms) supporting the construction that the Tolkappiyam was a work with great insight and was written as per the established norms of research, including researching on prior work/ authorities. Prolegomenons in Tamil literature do generally state that the author has referred to the mundhunool. So mundhunool may not really refer to the vedas. There are close to about 240 references in Tolkappiyam to earlier authorities [Dr. V. Murugan, Tolkappiyam in English ix (2000)] supporting the inference that mundhunool refers to prior work/ authorities and not vedas.  
• However, naanmarai is a different story altogether. Naanmarai has been consistently translated to have referred to the four vedas [Dr. V. Murugan, Tolkappiyam in English xxiii (2000)]. Another construction has been afforded to Naanmarai: as aram (virtue), porul (material wealth), inbam (pursuit of happiness and pleasure), and veedu (salvation) but why this construction is given instead of the standard "four vedas" is anybody's guess.

More on this in another post.