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

sadagopan.org
nAham vedair na tapasA na dAnena na ca ijyayA |
Sakya evam vidho dRashTum dRshTavAnasi mAm yathA ||
206
(gItA 11.53)
"Not by the veda-s, nor by austerities, nor by gifts, nor by sacrifice, can I be
seen in such a form as you have see Me" (kRshNa-s words to arjuna).
SrI rAdhAkRshNa SAstri gives references to the Sruti in support of His avyaktaguNa:
na sandRSe tishThati rUpamasya na cakshushA paSyati
kaScanainam (SvetA. 4.20) - His form does not exist within the range of
vision; no one sees this One with the eye.
SrI satyadevo vAsishTha quotes support from the atharva veda and from
SvetAsvatara upanishad:
anti santi na paSyati anti santam na jahAti |
devasya paSya kAvyam na mamAra na jIryati ||
(atharva.10.8.32)
which conveys the idea that even thou bhagavAn is close by and never far
away, He is not seen, and He neither ages nor decays - such is His wonder.
eko devah sarva bhUteshu gUDhah (Sve. 6.11) - He is One Deity, but He
remains hidden in all beings.
SrI v.v.rAmAnujan gives support from the prabandham: "yavarkkumcindaikkum
gocaram allan" (tiruvAi. 1.9.6) - He is beyond the grasp of anyone through mere
logical analysis; "yArurmOr nilaimaiyan ena aRivaRiyaemperumAn" (tiruvAi.
1.3.4) - (Except for His devotees) His true Nature is beyond comprehension.
Even when He reveals Himself at times momentarily, He immediately withdraws
that memory from them, and becomes a-vyaktan again. He revealed His viSva
rUpam to arjuna, but after this incident passed, arjuna treated kaNNan as His
charioteer only. He revealed Himself to yaSodA, and following this incident,
she continued to tie Him up and beat Him for His mischief anyway.
SrI Samkara gives the interpretation that even though he has various forms in