Vishnu Sahasranama Stotram - Dasasloki Gunotkarsha 6/10
Paramaṁ yo mahattejaḥ... (The Supreme Cosmic Luminary)
Dasasloki Gunotkarsha of Bhagawan Vishnu by Bheeshmacharya
Exploring the Bheeshma-Yudhishthira Samvaada
परमं यो महत्तेजः परमं यो महत्तपः ।
परमं यो महद्ब्रह्म परमं यः परायणम् ॥
paramaṁ yo mahattejaḥ paramaṁ yo mahattapaḥ |
paramaṁ yo mahadbrahma paramaṁ yaḥ parāyaṇam ||
Summary of the
Meaning (Tatparya)
Lord Vishnu is
the supreme, infinitely great Luminary (Mahat Tejah) who vitalizes all sources of light and knowledge. He is the
supreme, infinitely great Penance (Mahat Tapah) and the independent reservoir of all cosmic power and
ruler-ship. He is the supreme, infinitely vast Absolute Reality (Mahat Brahma) full of boundless
auspicious attributes, and He is the ultimate supreme Refuge (Parayanam) from whom there is no
return to worldly bondage.
Word-by-Word
Meaning (Pada-Artha)
·
यः (Yaḥ): Who (referring exclusively to that Supreme Lord Narayana
described previously).
·
परमम्
(Paramam): The absolute highest, supreme, and ultimate (repeated four times for
absolute emphasis).
·
महत्-तेजः (Mahat-tejaḥ): The infinitely great Light
or Luminary; the original source of all physical light and spiritual
illumination (knowledge).
·
महत्-तपः (Mahat-tapaḥ): The infinitely great
Penance; the primeval source of all cosmic energy, independent willpower, and
localized control (aishvarya).
·
महद्-ब्रह्म (Mahad-brahma): The infinitely great Absolute; the ultimate,
vast Reality that is unconditionally complete and full of infinite virtues.
·
परायणम्
(Parāyaṇam): The supreme Goal and ultimate Refuge; the resting place
where a liberated soul finds eternal, unshakeable bliss.
Philosophical
Commentary (Bhashya)
·
Paramam Mahat Tejah (The Source of All Light and Knowledge): Tejas
represents both physical light and the spiritual light of knowledge (Jnana).
Lord Vishnu is Paramam Mahat Tejah because He is the original
Illuminator. As established in the Upanishads (na tatra sūryo bhāti... tam
eva bhāntam anubhāti sarvam), the sun, moon, and fire do not shine by their
own strength; they derive their illuminating power entirely from Him.
Furthermore, He is the source of the Jiva’s intellect, lighting up the
soul's inner consciousness so it can perceive reality.
·
Paramam Mahat Tapah (The Source of Cosmic Power and Will): In everyday language, Tapas
means austerity or penance. However, Sri Madhvacharya clarifies that when
applied to the Supreme Independent Lord, Tapas signifies His innate,
limitless knowledge, creative willpower (Aishvarya), and absolute
sovereignty over creation. He does not perform penance to acquire power from
someone else. He is the ultimate Tapah—the primeval energy that
fuels Chaturmukha Brahma's creation and Mukhya Prana's cosmic governance. Every
ounce of strength in the universe is a tiny drop derived from His infinite
reservoir.
·
Paramam Mahad Brahma (The Infinite Reality Full of Attributes): While illusionist
schools interpret Brahma here as an attributeless, featureless
consciousness (Nirguna), the Madhva school vigorously counters this. The
word Brahma is etymologically derived from the root bṛh, meaning "to grow"
or "infinitely vast." Bheeshmacharya calls Him Mahad Brahma
precisely to emphasize His Guna-Paripurnatva—He is "vast"
because His flawless, auspicious virtues (like bliss, mercy, and power) are
infinitely large and completely unconditioned. He is the ultimate concrete
Reality, completely distinct from both matter and finite souls.
·
Paramam Parayanam (The Ultimate, Eternal Destination): The word Parayanam
consists of Para (highest) and Ayanam (refuge or goal). There are
temporary refuges (like worldly wealth, relationships, or higher planetary
realms like Svarga) which eventually collapse. Lord Vishnu is the Paramam
Parayanam—the ultimate destination. When a dependent Jiva reaches His
domain through Mukti (liberation), the soul is permanently freed from
the cycle of birth and death (Samsara). It rests eternally in its own
intrinsic spiritual bliss (Svaroopa-Ananda), safely sheltered under the
feet of the original Bimba.
·
The Significance of
Exclusivity (Yah): By using the relative pronoun
Yaḥ ("He who is..."), Bheeshmacharya anchors all four of
these massive cosmic descriptions into a single, personal Supreme Entity: Bhagawan Narayana. He signals to Yudhishthira that the ultimate absolute of the
Upanishads is not an abstract concept, but the very Lord whose thousand names
they are about to sing.
naham karta harih karta
to be continued...
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