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

As in the previous nAma, the root from which ya~jna is derived is yaj- deva
pUjA sa'ngati karaNa yajana dAneshu - to sacrifice, to make an oblation to, to
give, to associate with, etc. The act of sacrifice, or one who is worshipped
through a sacrifice, are both referred to by the term ya~jnah - yajanam
ya~jnah, ijyate iti vA ya~njah (SrI satyadevo vAsishTha).
a) SrI BhaTTar's interpretation for this nAma is "He Who is the best among
those to be worshiped". SrI v. v. rAmAnujan explains this interpretation as
follows: ya~jnam is bhagavad ArAdhanam; ya~jnah is the object of this
ArAdhanam; MahA-ya~jnah is the Most Superior Object of bhagavad-
ArAdhanam, or He Who is the best among those to be worshiped. SrI
BhaTTar points out that the term ya~jna includes such ways of worship as
singing suprabhAtam to emperumAn, respectful approach, offering sweet
things such as mixture of honey etc., prostrating at His Feet, etc. The best of
ya~jna-s is when these are offered to Him rather than any to other devatA.
SrI BhaTTar points out that worship of Lord vishNu is the best because "He
protects His devotees as if there were His own body" - rakshate bhagavAn
vishNuh bhaktAn Atma-SarIravat, "He accepts the rites performed by His
devotees with great joy and with a bowed head" - tAh sarvAh SirasA devah
prati-gRhNAti vai svayam (mahAbhArata moksh. 17. 163), vidhi prayuktAm
pUjAm ca gRhNAti SirasA svayam (SAnti. 353. 64), etc.
b) SrI Samkara gives the interpretation for the nAma as "He who manifests
Himself in the form of the Great Sacrifice", and gives the support from the
vibhUti yoga in gItA: "ya~jAnAm japa ya~jno'smi" (gItA 10. 25)- "Of
sacrifices, I am the sacrifice of japa".
SrI rAdhAkRshNa SAstri observes that unlike kratu which is a sacrifice
performed with a specific benefit in mind, ya~jna is a sacrifice that is done as
part of one's duty, and is not done with a specific benefit in mind. Among the
ya~jna-s, the japa ya~jna (silently repeating a sacred mantra) is declared as
the best by bhagavAn in the referenced gItA Slokam. The japa ya~jna can be
performed easily, without interruption, and with no accessory needed other
than the desire to perform this ya~na.
117
sadagopan.org