विद्वत्तमो वीतभयः पुण्यश्रवणकीर्तनः ॥
അക്രൂരഃ പേശലോ ദക്ഷോ ദക്ഷിണഃ ക്ഷമിണാംവരഃ
വിദ്വത്തമോ വീതഭയഃ പുണ്യശ്രവണകീര്തനഃ
அக்ரூர பேசலோ தக்ஷோ தக்ஷிண க்ஷமிணாம்வர
வித்வத்தமோ வீதபய புண்யச்ரவணகீர்த்தன
ಅಕ್ರೂರಃ ಪೇಶಲೋ ದಕ್ಷೋ ದಕ್ಷಿಣಃ ಕ್ಷಮಿಣಾಂವರಃ
ವಿದ್ವತ್ತಮೋ ವೀತಭಯಃ ಪುಣ್ಯಶ್ರವಣಕೀರ್ತನಃ
అక్రూరః పేశలో దక్షో దక్షిణః క్షమిణాంవరః
విద్వత్తమో వీతభాయః పుణ్యశ్రవణకీర్తనః
akroorah pesalo daksho dakshinah kshaminaam varah
vidvattamo veetabhayah punyasravanakeertanah
915. Akroorah – “Never-cruel.” Cruelty comes from anger, and anger rises from ‘desire’--craving or lust. Sree Narayana, the Fulfilled and the All-Full, cannot have ‘desire’ from which could come anger-thus, naturally, never any cruelty. Generally this term is interpreted as “One who is of the form of the Yaadava, Sree Akroora.” Akroora was a great devotee of the Lord upon whom were bestowed many divine powers. “Wherever, there is any special glory in anyone, know that to be a manifestation of a part of my Splendour,” sings Lord in Bhagavad Geeta. Thus the term is interpreted as the Lord Whose one ray of glory was the Kamsa-employee, the Yaadava-Akroora.
916. Pesalah – “One who is supremely soft.” In His Infinite Kindness and Mercy, His Heart-divine is ever flowing out in love and tenderness towards His devotees when they call out for help ardently and lift themselves from their body-consciousness and ego-centric life of sense-pursuits.
917. Dakshah - This term stands for the quality of ‘promptitude.’ In army training, the Sanskrit command Daksha is equal to “attention alertness, vigilance and utter preparedness to act immediately with supreme urgency.” All these are implied in that pose of “ Attention.” The Lord is ‘Daksha’ in serving the world and in rushing to His sincere devotees. Omnipotent and divinely Efficient in His Infinite Smartness to reach and help all, at all times, everywhere, under every circumstance is echoed in the charming suggestions of this chosen term in the Sahasranaama of Sree Narayana, the Self in All.
918. Dakshinah – “One who is most liberal.” The term’ Dakshina’ is popularly used for the ‘gift’ presented to the priests after a ritual as their fee. This giving must be done in a spirit of large-hearted, liberal charity-so that very large-heartedness of mind (Daakshinya) itself is the Lord, as it is the opposite of selfishness and attachment to the wealth which one possesses. “One who has Infinite Kindness and Charity towards all good people and One Who is thus ever- ready to liberally give away His endless Benevolence” is Sree Narayana, the Dakshina.
919. Kshaminaam-varah – “One Who has the greatest amount of patience with the sinners and forgiveness for their sins.” Sree Narayana is more patient than even the Earth which is generally pointed to as an example of highest patience (Kshamaa). He exhibits supreme patience with the evil-minded, with the tyrant, the foul and the fiendish. Hiranyaksha, Hiranyakasipu, Ravana and others of this type were given many fair opportunities to realise for themselves the folly of their baser attitudes to existing things and their immoral ways of life. It is only when no other method of treatment could cure them that the Lord destroyed them in His infinite kindness.
920. Vidvat-tamah – “One who has the greatest Wisdom.” There are wise men in the world-each one also may be a master in his own subject. The Lord, the very Consciousness illumining all bosoms simultaneously everywhere, is the One Knowledge Absolute, the Knower of all knowledge of all wise men. Omniscient-Infinite Truth is Sree Narayana as He is Pure Knowledge by the Light of which all ‘Knowledge’ is known.
921. Veeta-bhayah – “One who has lost all fears.” Fear can come only from the sense of ‘other.’ In Advaita Reality, there cannot be any fear as He is the “One- without-a-second.” The state of Narayana-Consciousness is declared in all scriptures to be’ Abhaya’-the Fearless State.
922. Punya-sravana-keertianah – “One whose Glory when ‘heard’ (sravana) and ‘sung’ (keertana) causes merits (punya) to grow in the bosom of that devotee. This statement of fact is never investigated deeply by students so they generally understand its superficial and obvious meaning only. By ‘hearing’-with attention-to the stories of the Lord- we must get ourselves involved in the ‘listening’ and thereafter we must reflect upon the glories of the Lord (Bhagavat Guna) and thus expose ourselves to those recreative thoughts. Not only is it sufficient thus that we imbibe the qualities spiritual, but we must learn to get ourselves committed to the life of God- centred activities. This is called true keertana-singing His Glories. It is not to be a mere noisy chanting of hymns, a mere muttering of mantras; we must teach ourselves to allow Him to express through us. Our physical activities, mental feelings and intellectual thoughts must all shine forth the awareness of His Divine Presence that is in us at every moment, every- where. The life of such a deyotee will itself become, in its dynamic beauty, love and devoted tenderness, a constant worship (poojaa), a continuous (akhanda) hymn chanted (keertana) in praise of the Lord-of-the-heart.
