Naama 787-810: The Lord as Buddha (according to the Puranas)

787. durārihā · दुरारिहा

The one who, by various means, removes those enemies who are evil-minded and who are not eager to attain Him.

(oṃ) durārighnē namaḥ

In the previous naamas, we saw that the Lord is difficult to reach for those who are great sinners and have no wish to attain Him. The next twenty-four naamas (787 to 810) describe how the Lord deals with such people. Sri Bhattar interprets these naamas in terms of the Buddha incarnation, following the account given in the Vishnu Purana (Book 3, Chapters 17 and 18). There, the devas, troubled by asuras who had become powerful by following the Vedic path for selfish and harmful ends, prayed to the Lord for help.

The Lord sent forth a form called Mayamoha, who led those asuras away from the Vedas by his teachings, so that they lost the power they were misusing.

The Vishnu Purana says, "By His great skill, He confounded them in many ways, so that not even one of them retained a liking for the Vedas, and they became averse to the right path." Sri Bhattar's point is that whatever the Lord does, even this, is for the protection of the good and the world.

शुभाङ्गो लोकसारङ्गः सुतन्तुस्तन्तुवर्धनः ।

इन्द्रकर्मा महाकर्मा कृतकर्मा कृतागमः ॥ ८४ ॥

śubhāṅgō lōkasāraṅgaḥ sutantustantuvardhanaḥ |

indrakarmā mahākarmā kṛtakarmā kṛtāgamaḥ || 84 ||

788. śubhāṅgaḥ · शुभाङ्गः

The one who, with His bewitching and charming form, entered among the asuras and won their trust.

(oṃ) śubhāṅgāya namaḥ

How did He get into their fold? By His captivating form, which made them think that He was an extremely trustworthy teacher. When this naama occurred earlier as the 593rd naama, Sri Bhattar explained it as the one who gives the eight auspicious limbs of yoga. Here, he takes anga to mean the body, and explains the naama in the context of the Buddha incarnation.

789. lōkasāraṅgaḥ · लोकसारङ्गः

The one who taught them to seek only what appears to be the essence of this world, the pleasures that can be seen here and now.

(oṃ) lōkasāraṅgāya namaḥ

790. sutantuḥ · सुतन्तुः

The one who has a strong net of threads with which He captures the evil-minded and keeps them from escaping.

(oṃ) sutantavē namaḥ

791. tantuvardhanaḥ · तन्तुवर्धनः

The one who, by increasing their taste for sin, strengthens the net of samsara for those who deserve to be punished.

(oṃ) tantuvardhanāya namaḥ

Sri Bhattar quotes the Gita: "Those cruel haters, the worst among people, the inauspicious ones, I hurl forever into the cycles of birth and death, into demonic wombs." This shows that the Lord's justice operates according to the karma of each being.

792. indrakarmā · इन्द्रकर्मा

The one who did all this for the sake of Indra and the other devas, in response to their request for help.

(oṃ) indrakarmaṇē namaḥ

793. mahākarmā · महाकर्मा

The one whose actions are great. Even though He is merciful by nature, He undertook these acts of deception for the protection of those who had taken refuge in Him and for the destruction of those who were wedded to evil ways. Since all His acts were justified in this way, He is called mahākarmā.

(oṃ) mahākarmaṇē namaḥ

This naama occurred earlier as the 677th naama, where it referred to the Lord's astonishing acts in lifting up even the lowest beings.

794. kṛtakarmā · कृतकर्मा

The one who Himself practised what He preached to them, so that they would believe in Him completely.

(oṃ) kṛtakarmaṇē namaḥ

It is said that in this form He emphasised the principle of ahimsa (non-violence) and lived accordingly.

795. kṛtāgamaḥ · कृतागमः

The one who composed the texts that taught His doctrines in this form.

(oṃ) kṛtāgamāya namaḥ

When this naama occurred earlier as the 661st naama, it meant the one who revealed the scriptures containing the mantras.

उद्भवः सुन्दरः सुन्दो रत्ननाभः सुलोचनः ।

अर्को वाजसनिः शृङ्गी जयन्तः सर्वविज्जयी ॥ ८५ ॥

udbhavaḥ sundaraḥ sundō ratnanābhaḥ sulōcanaḥ |

arkō vājasaniḥ śṛṅgī jayantaḥ sarvavijjayī || 85 ||

796. udbhavaḥ · उद्भवः

The one who, as part of His role, taught a path to release and appeared to have risen above samsara by that path.

(oṃ) udbhavāya namaḥ

When this naama occurred earlier as the 375th naama, Sri Bhattar explained it as the one who, having allowed Himself to be bound by Yasoda, releases us from the bonds of samsara.

797. sundaraḥ · सुन्दरः

The one who appeared very handsome in the eyes of the asuras.

(oṃ) sundarāya namaḥ

The Lord's beauty is celebrated everywhere. Thirumazhisai Azhwar describes it, and at Thirumaliruncholai (Azhagar Koil), the Lord is worshipped as Sundararaja, the handsome king.

798. sundaḥ · सुन्दः

The one who melted the hearts of the asuras with His fascinating form and drew them towards Himself.

(oṃ) sundāya namaḥ

799. ratnanābhaḥ · रत्ननाभः

The one whose beautiful, gem-like navel was seen as a sign of His learning.

(oṃ) ratnanābhāya namaḥ

800. sulōcanaḥ · सुलोचनः

The one whose charming eyes captured the hearts of the tender-hearted.

(oṃ) sulōcanāya namaḥ

Sri Bhattar quotes the Vishnu Purana: "Again, Mayamoha, clad in red robes, with eyes that could not be resisted..." (punaśca raktāmbaradhṛk māyāmōhō'jitēkṣaṇaḥ).

801. arkaḥ · अर्कः

The one who was praised and worshipped by the asuras who had become His followers.

(oṃ) arkāya namaḥ

802. vājasaniḥ · वाजसनिः

The one who, by His teachings, created in them a taste for the enjoyment of food and other pleasures in this world itself.

(oṃ) vājasanayē namaḥ

803. śṛṅgī · शृङ्गी

The one who carried in His hand a bunch of peacock feathers, which looked like a horn, as a symbol of His doctrine of non-violence.

(oṃ) śṛṅgiṇē namaḥ

804. jayantaḥ · जयन्तः

The one who, by His arguments, conquered the asuras who followed the Vedas for harmful ends.

(oṃ) jayantāya namaḥ

Sri Bhattar explains that just as the good things in the universe exist because of Him, even the things that seem negative are caused by Him for a purpose. All of this is part of His divine play (līlā).

805. sarvavijjayī · सर्वविज्जयी

The one who won over even the learned ones among the asuras who were masters of all knowledge.

(oṃ) sarvavijjayinē namaḥ

सुवर्णबिन्दुरक्षोभ्यः सर्ववागीश्वरेश्वरः ।

महाह्रदो महागर्तो महाभूतो महानिधिः ॥ ८६ ॥

suvarṇabindurakṣōbhyaḥ sarvavāgīśvarēśvaraḥ |

mahāhṛdō mahāgartō mahābhūtō mahānidhiḥ || 86 ||

806. suvarṇabinduḥ · सुवर्णबिन्दुः

The one who, with sweet words, concealed the truth of the Vedic path from those who were misusing it.

(oṃ) suvarṇabindavē namaḥ

807. akṣōbhyaḥ · अक्षोभ्यः

The one who, because of the depth of His thoughts, could not be shaken by anyone in argument.

(oṃ) akṣōbhyāya namaḥ

808. sarvavāgīśvarēśvaraḥ · सर्ववागीश्वरेश्वरः

The one who was the clear winner in debates over all the masters of speech among the asuras.

(oṃ) sarvavāgīśvarēśvarāya namaḥ

809. mahāhradaḥ · महाह्रदः

The one who is like a vast, deep lake, in which those who do evil sink, never to rise again, and in which those who do good bathe again and again without ever being satisfied.

(oṃ) mahāhradāya namaḥ

Sri Bhattar's words show the two sides of the Lord. Lord Krishna says in the Gita, "I hurl the wicked into demonic births." Yet the same Lord is a lake of joy for His devotees, who dive into Him again and again.

810. mahāgartaḥ · महागर्तः

The one who casts those who have lost their souls, by following knowledge contrary to the Vedas, into the great pits of samsara.

(oṃ) mahāgartāya namaḥ

This is the last of the naamas that Sri Bhattar interprets in the context of the Buddha incarnation. The Lord's justice, as these naamas show, is always in accordance with the karma of each being, and He always protects those who take refuge in Him.