[Advaita-l] Who is 'Lohitaksha' in the VSN according to Shankara?

[V Subrahmanian]

Who is 'Lohitaksha' in the VSN according to Shankara?

In the Vishnu Sahasra Nama occurs the n name, 59th, 'Lohitaksha'  While
commenting on this name Shankara says 'lohite akShiNI yasya iti
lohitakShaH' [He whose eyes are red is LohitakShaH] and cites a mantra 'स
मा वृषभो लोहिताक्षः'.  This is the famous mantra that is chanted during the
upasthaanam for the Madhyahnika.  It is there in the Taittiriya
Aranyaka 4.42.33
and is the famous Madhyanika Mantra :

य उदगात् महतोर्णवात् विभ्राजमान: सरिरस्य मध्यात् स मा व्रुषभो
लोहिताक्ष: *सूर्यो* विपश्चिन् मनसा पुनातु ॥

Here लोहिताक्ष refers to sUrya.

Upon checking the Sayana bhashyam we understand that the devataa addressed
in this mantra is Surya.  Sayana says 'vipashcith' is 'sarvajna.'

Thus, according to Shankara, 'LohitakSha' is the Surya Devataa.

This is just another instance, of many, where the VSN has names that do not
denote the deity Vishnu but some other devataa.  Since all devata-s in the
cosmos are really Brahman alone, the names in the VSN are often seen to be
not connected to the deity Vishnu.  For example, Soma (505) is commented,
alternatively, by Shankara as referring to Umaa pathi, Shiva.  The name
'Rudra' (114) too is so.  Hiranyagarbha is yet another.

Shankara has cited a Vishnu Purana verse in the VSN Bhashya introduction:

सृष्टिस्थित्यन्तकरणीं ब्रह्मविष्णुशिवात्मिकाम्  ।

स संज्ञां याति भगवानेक एव जनार्दनः  ॥ १,२.६६ ॥


Sridhara Swamin says:

ब्रह्मादिरूपाणि च तद्व्यतिरिक्तानि न भवन्ति इत्येतदाह - सृष्टिस्थित्यन्तकरणीं.
The VP says: the forms such as Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva are not distinct
from Janardana by the verse: सृष्टिस्थित्यन्तकरणीं...


The above meaning alone is brought out by Shankara in the Vishnu
Sahasra Nama for the names

'bhUtakrt' and 'bhutabhrt' as translated (correctly) by K.E.
Parthasarathy, Sri Visnusahasranama,

Ganesh & Go (Madras) Pvt. Ltd., Madras-17,(1966) [This book contains
the Parasara Bhattar commentary too. This author has written other
books such as 'Prapatti..']


भूतकृत् *Bhutakrt *(The evolver of all beings)

(Sankara) He creates all beings assuming the quality of Rajas in the
form of Brahma.
The name also means that He destroys (कृन्तति) the beings in his
Tamasa aspect as Rudra.

भूतभृत् *Bhutabhrt *(The Sustainer of Beings)

(Sankara) Sankara derives the meaning from the root 'दुभृञ धारणपोषणयोः'

He supports or protects all beings in His Sattvic aspect.

[Thus, it is One Brahman, by assuming the three gunas performs the
three cosmic functions as the Trimurti-s.

Sridhara Swamin has said this in the Bhagavatam commentary too:
brahmarUpeNa, vishnurUpeNa, rudrarUpeNa...]

The three murti-s are only three aspects of one Brahman.

The name 'LohitaakSha' is there in the Shiva Sahasra Nama of Mahabharata too:

https://sanskritdocuments.org/doc_shiva/shivasahasMaha.html?lang=sa

लोहिताक्षो महाक्षश्च विजयाक्षो विशारदः ।

The name 'Lohitaksha' is also found as an adjectival one, as for example,
in the Brihadaranyaka Upanishat 5.4.16:

अथ य इच्छेत्पुत्रो मे श्यामो लोहिताक्षो जायेत त्रीन्वेदाननुब्रुवीत
सर्वमायुरियादित्युदौदनं पाचयित्वा सर्पिष्मन्तमश्नीयातामीश्वरौ जनयितवै
॥ १६ ॥

[If a man wishes that a son with a dark complexion and red eyes
should be born to him, ...]


Om Tat Sat








>