Naama 165-170: Beauty of the Lord

वेद्यो वैद्यः सदायोगी वीरहा माधवो मधुः ।

अतीन्द्रियो महामायो महोत्साहो महाबलः ॥ १८ ॥

vēdyō vaidyaḥ sadāyōgī vīrahā mādhavō madhuḥ |

atīndriyō mahāmāyō mahōtsāhō mahābalaḥ || 18 ||

165. vēdyaḥ · वेद्यः

The one who activates the devotees' senses so they may realise Him.

(oṃ) vēdyāya namaḥ

Lord Krishna says in the Gita, "I alone am to be known by all the Vedas" (vēdaiśca sarvairahamēva vēdyaḥ). He is the ultimate truth, knowing which everything else becomes known.

166. vaidyaḥ · वैद्यः

He who possesses the vidya (knowledge) to relieve His devotees from the vicious cycle of birth and death.

(oṃ) vaidyāya namaḥ

Sri Bhattar quotes the Vishnu Dharma: "Even if one has sins as large as Mount Meru or Mandara, they vanish on reaching Kesava, the physician, just as a terrible disease vanishes on reaching a good doctor" (mēru mandara mātrō'pi rāśiḥ pāpasya karmaṇaḥ | kēśavaṃ vaidyam āsādya durvyādhiriva naśyati ||). The Taittiriya Aranyaka calls Him "the Lord of all knowledge" (īśānaḥ sarvavidyānām).

167. sadāyōgī · सदायोगी

He who, as the antaryami, is always awake within the aathma of all of His devotees and makes a conscious effort to liberate them from birth and death.

(oṃ) sadāyōginē namaḥ

Sri Bhattar explains that the Lord is always awake for the sake of His devotees, as the inner controller within all of us. Other commentators give the meanings "the one who is always attainable" and "the one who is ever in yogic meditation".

168. vīrahā · वीरहा

The one who destroys all the evils threatening the devotee from meditating upon Him. In conquering the cause of the impediment, He also bestows divine knowledge.

(oṃ) vīraghnē namaḥ

Sri Bhattar explains that the vīras here are people of false reasoning (kutarka), who use clever arguments to turn people away from meditating on the Lord. He refers to the Gita (16.8–19), where the Lord describes the nature of such people. By destroying their arguments, He clears the path for His devotees.

169. mādhavaḥ · माधवः

The one who blesses us with the divine knowledge of how to realise the Paramaathma.

(oṃ) mādhavāya namaḥ

This naama occurred earlier as the 73rd naama. Sri Bhattar explains it here as "the one who is attained through the knowledge of madhu" (madhu vidyā), and as the one who gives the knowledge of the Supreme. It occurs once more as the 741st naama.

170. madhuḥ · मधुः

To the devotees, He is like sweet nectar by providing them with darshanam.

(oṃ) madhavē namaḥ

The Brihadaranyaka Upanishad says, "This Self is honey to all beings" (ayamātmā sarvēṣāṃ bhūtānāṃ madhu). Periyazhwar calls Him "the Lord who is sweeter than honey" (thēnil iniya pirānē). From the next name, Sri Bhattar describes the Lord's six divine qualities: knowledge, strength, lordship, valour, power, and splendour.