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

hatavAn iti vIra-hA” – He Who destroyed the ferocious crocodile. BhagavAn
removed the bonds of yama from gajendra by releasing him from the
crocodile's jaws - mokshayAmAsa nagendram pASEbhyah SaraNAgatam
(vishNu dharma 69). The nirukti author summarizes the vyAkhyAnam: vIram
tad-bAdhakam mRtyum hatavAn vIra-hA matah.
d) One of the interpretations that SrI Sa'nkara gives is that BhagavAn is
called vIra-hA because He destroys the asura vIra-s (covered under a). In
addition, he gives an alternate interpretation that bhagavAn has this nAma
because He shows the right path to the samsArin-s and gives them salvation,
by taking them away from following the various wrong paths - vividhAH
samsAriNAm gatIh mukti-pradAnena hanti iti vIra-hA. SrI ananta kRshNa
SAstry indicates the derviation of this interpretation as: “The Destroyer (hA)
of various (vi-) wrong paths (Ira), by conferring salvation on the devotees”.
e) In addition to the interpretation a), SrI satyadevo vAsishTha uses the
roots Ir -gatau - to go, and hamm - gatau - to go, to give another
interpretation: vividham Irati iti vIrah - referring to all the different
creatures which move in different ways; tAnsca yo hanti - gamayati - He Who
makes it possible for them to go, is vira-hA - sarveshAm bahudhA irANAm
jantUnAm gamayitA vishNuh.
f) One of the interpretations given by SrI satya sandha tIrtha is: vih =
garuDah, Irah = vAyuh; tAbhyAm hanti gacchati iti vIra-hA - vishNu is called
vIra-hA because He goes along with garuDa and vAyu in destroying the asura-s.
g) In one of the interpretations, SrI cinmAyananda takes the term vIra to
mean "various or different paths or ways", (this is probably derived from the
root Ir - gatau - to go), and gives the interpretation to the nAma as "He Who
ends the passage from birth to birth".
The dharma cakram writer observes that just as there are those who follow
the path of a-dharma and are destroyed by BhagavAn, there are the internal
enemies in each one us in the form of kAma, krodha, moha and lobha, which are
also destroyed by Him when we devote ourselves to Him. The lesson to take
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