NAME 101

The dictionary meaning of vṛṣākapi is semi divine being or very capable. Vṛṣākapi finds a place in Rig Veda (X.86.3) in a an entirely different context. The verse says, “What has this vigorous sportive restless mind done to you that you like a liberal benefactor bestow upon him wealth and nourishment.  The Self is supreme over all.” This verse is in praise of Indra. In this context, this nāma possibly refers to His Supreme stature.

Vṛṣa means a male of any animal.  Possibly this refers to one of the incarnations of Viṣṇu, Varāha avatar. In this incarnation, He lifted the earth (dharma) from waters (ignorance).

 Vrishakapih – The protector of Dharma

The word Vrisha means Dharma, and the word kapi refers to boar (paa means to protect and ka means water, and so kapi refers to Varaha Avatar where He protected the Earth from the depths of the Ocean).

Mahabharatam says ‘Kapir Varahas shreshttascha Dharmascha Vrisha Uchyate; Tasmaat Vrishaakapim Praaha Kaashyapo Mam Prajapatih  – Kapih denotes the Varaha Avatar and Dharma is called Vrisha; therefore Kashyapa Prajaapati called me Vrishaakapih’.

Putting these together Sri Adi Sankara says ‘Vrisharoopatvaat Kapiroopatvaaccha Vrishaakapih – He is called Vrishaakapih because He is both Dharma and Varaha Avatar’.

Swami ChinmayAnanda points out that the name derives from the fact that He protected the Earth from the Ocean of Adharma in His Varaha Avatar.

One who lifted the Earth from the waters of Adharma in the form of Varaha. In the Mahabharata we have – ” Kapir Varahah Sreshthasca Dharmasca Vrsha Ucyate

Tasmad Vrshakapim Praha Kasyapo Mam Prajapatih “

The word Vrsha means dharma, and the word Kapi refers to boar (Pa means to protect and ka means water, and so Kapi refers to Varaha incarnation where He protected the Earth from the waters). The name derives from the fact that He protected the Earth from the ocean of Adharma in His Varaha incarnation. The meaning dharma for the word Vrsha is based on the ability of dharma to shower all that is desired. This is one of the Nama on which there is wide controversy between the different Vyakyana Kartas; however, in the few texts that I have referred to, this indication of serious controversy is not evident. If any of you can elaborate on other interpretations other Vyakhyana Kartas, I will be extremely grateful.

The Story of Varaha Avatar

Hiranyaksha, the son of Kashyapa and Diti and the brother of Hiranyakashipu, had obtained boons from Brahma through penance that he will not be killed by a Deva,  human or an Asura.

He soon becomes arrogant and takes the Earth, who is Goddess Bhudevi personified and hides her in the primordial waters. Brahma seeks the help of Lord Vishnu who then assumes the form of a Varaha, a giant wild boar.

Varaha takes the size of the space between the earth and the sky with huge tusks and goes down to the primordial ocean to retrieve the Earth.

In the Ocean, Varaha encounters Hiranyaksha, who obstructs his path and challenges him for a duel. Ignoring the demon’s threats, Varaha lifts the earth on his tusks. Hiranyaksha charges towards the boar in rage with a mace. The two fiercely fight with maces. Finally, Varaha slays the demon after a thousand-year duel.

Varaha rises from the ocean with the earth in his tusks and places her gently in her original position, as the Gods and sages sing in praise of Varaha.

१०१. ॐ वृषाकपये नमः |

101. OM Vr̥ṣākapaye Namaḥ

 Vrishaakapih -There is a lot of controversy among pundits upon the exact meaning of this term. But all controversies become meaningless when we read Bhagavan’s own words, “Since Kapi has a meaning the ‘boar’, and since vrisha has the meaning of ‘Dharma’ the great Kasyapa Prajapati says I am Vrishaakapih”.

In Sanskrit the term Kapi has a meaning: ‘that which saves one from drowning’. Lord in the form of the Great Boar, (Varaaha) in that incarnation, had lifted the world from the waters at the end of the deluge; the term vrisha means ‘Dharma’. One who thus lifts the world drowned in Adharma to the sunny fields of Dharma is vrishaakapih

Who rains bliss on His devotees.

Sarvān kāmān varṣati iti dharmasya nāma Dharma is called ‘Vr̥ṣāḥ’ as it rains (results of all) rightful desires. Kāt toyāt bhūmiṃ apāt iti kapiḥ – Varāha rūpo hariḥ He protected, lifted the earth as Varāha. So He is called ‘Kapiḥ’. He is called ‘Vr̥ṣākapiḥ’ as He is of the form of Vr̥ṣa and Kapi.

Mahābhāratam – Śānti parva

Kapirvarāhaḥ śreṣṭhaśca dharmaśca vr̥ṣa ucyate,

Tasmād vruṣākapiṃ prāha kāśyapo māṃ prajāpatiḥ.

:: महाभारत – शान्ति पर्व ::

कपिर्वराहः श्रेष्ठश्च धर्मश्च वृष उच्यते ।

तस्माद् व्रुषाकपिं प्राह काश्यपो मां प्रजापतिः ॥

Kāśyapa Prajāpati called Me Vr̥ṣākapi as Kapi means the big boar and dharmā is said to be Vr̥ṣa.

INTERPRETATION GUIDED BY SANT VANI (WORDS OF SAINTS)

101. Vṛṣākapiḥ

Vṛṣā‘ means Dharma and “ka” refers to water and āpat refers to the act of ‘uplifting’ from misfortune or calamity. Also, as Varāha, he uplifted Bhūma-Devī from the waters of Adharma. Therefore he is of the nature of Dharma (Vṛṣā) and Kapi refers to Varāhaswami(Śaṅkara). Acyuta is none other than Dharma-Varāha. He who lifted the earth (dharma) from the waters (of ignorance) (Parāsara Battar).

The one in the form of dharma and varāha.

Dharma is called vṛṣa, since it rains all the desires of the good people. Nowhere in the shastra is it said that you must not have desire. But people who approach the shastra like a buffet spread, pick and select verses to justify what they are doing. At a buffet spread, there is such a wide array, these days, of different kinds of cuisines. It makes perfect sense even for the stomach to pic and choose. We stand to lose if we have this ‘pic and choose approach’ to the shastra.

The Lord is in the form of the desires that is not opposed to dharma – Desires that are satvik in nature. So there is no point berating oneself, if one has a desire. What might need to be examined is : is the desire in line with dharma? and how binding is it? Has the desire transformed itself into a craving or yearning that one ‘s happiness is totally dependent on fulfillment of the desire? Is is leading me to my highest good? Is it liberating me or binding me? Is It Satvik, Rajsik or Tamasic in nature? It is time to be more objective to examine what is the value that I have superimposed on this object of desire.

What are the desires of the good people? Desires that are in line with dharma – desire for wealth, progeny, property, food, reaching out are all wonderful. What a wonderful privilege to desire and also act on it! Both iccha śakti and kriya śakti are given. However, it is difficult to follow dharma when one is relationship centred, work centred or child centred. ‘Centred on’ means that all my security and happiness comes from that source. If I am work centred, then it is the only source of self worth for me and I may be willing to cut corners, fire staff indiscriminately, be unable to delegate as only I have the vision and the ability to work. If I am struggling at work, I am so depressed because I am not able to lift my head up and look at any other aspect of my life. In such a case, I will look at time with family as a waste of time, because it takes me away from work. Even in my free time, I am preoccupied with work and how to better it and excel and excel. My dharma, responsibilities towards family is not even on my radar, because I am work centred. With a little viveka, I will come to discover that work cannot give me moksa.

na hy aṅgājāta-nirvedo

deha-bandhaṁ jihāsati

yathā vijñāna-rahito

manujo mamatāṁ nṛpa

(Srimad Bhagavatam, 11.8.29)

O King, just as a human being bereft of spiritual knowledge never desires to give up his false sense of proprietorship over many material things, similarly, a person who has not developed detachment never desires to give up the bondage of the material body.

“After meeting thousands of people, I’ve observed that the most common cause of grief is not people’s expectations from their relationships but generally the relationship itself. All worldly relationships are bound to have challenges, predominantly because we want the other person to fulfil us (and the other wants the same from you). Having said that, I’m not suggesting that relationships are bad or that you shouldn’t be in one. A great deal of our happiness depends on the quality of our personal and social interactions, after all. The truth still remains that if we don’t know how to keep ourselves happy, no one else will ever be able to do that for us.”

“At any rate, my fulfillment in life is my personal responsibility. Who has ever discovered an ocean of happiness by looking up to the other person? We must have the courage and wisdom to walk the path of dharma with contentment and gratitude instead of constantly counting on others to fill our cup up.”

– Om Swami

https://os.me/the-center-of-your-life/

Relationships, children, work are all important. We don’t deny it. But they do not and cannot subserve dharma. The Lord is in the form of dharma and fulfills the desires of those who follow dharma. That which pours is varṣa, rain. It is the rainwater which protects, nourishes and makes life possible. Yajñāt bhavati parjanyaḥ–the pouring rain is a blessing of Īśvara. When people do their duty and live a life of dharma, Īśvara blesses in the form of the devatā of the natural phenomena like rain. The devatā does his job. When everyone does their duty with an awareness of Īśvara, then all the devatās, as the phenomena, will also do their duties. People who are dharma centred, will bring in the principles and values of justice, compassion, kindness, accommodation, peace, productivity etc to all their areas of life – work, children, relationships, relaxation etc.

Bhagavān in the form of varāha rescued the earth by bringing it out of the water and hence, he is called Kapi. Being vṛṣa and kapi, He is called Vṛṣākapi. Here the name is based on the avatāra līlā of the Lord.

In the Shanti-Parva of the Mahabharata, Bhagavan himself declares that he as Vṛṣā is Dharma itself and Kapi is the foremost of the boars (varāha):

“O Bhārata, Vṛṣa is said to be verily the Lord Dharma in these worlds. Understand me to be the best Vṛṣa. Kapi is the foremost of the boars (varāha), and Dharma is said to be Vṛṣa. Therefore the preceptor Kaśyapa hailed me as Vṛṣākapi. The gods as well as the asuras can never grasp either [my] beginning, or the middle, or the end. I, the all-pervading Ruler and the Witness of the world am hymned as the one without a beginning, middle, or end.“

Essentially, this name tells us that Viṣṇu is not just the protector of Dharma but is the Dharma itself – he is Dharma-Svarūpa. Therefore, an attack on the Dharma is an attack on Viṣhṇu himself. This is yet another reason why he incarnates besides the reasons cited earlier in this series – protection of his devotees, compassion, ensuring that the devotees’ words are not falsified and so on.

As he declares in the Bhagavad-gītā, which needs re-visiting in the context of this name,

यदा यदा हि धर्मस्य ग्लानिर्भवति भारत |

अभ्युत्थानमधर्मस्य तदात्मानं सृजाम्यहम् || 4-7||

yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati bhārata

abhyutthānam adharmasya tadātmānaṁ sṛijāmyaham

“Whenever the scales of Dharma tip towards Adharma, whenever there is a palpable decline in Dharma and a rise in Adharma, that is the moment of my manifestation.”

परित्राणाय साधूनां विनाशाय च दुष्कृताम् |

धर्मसंस्थापनार्थाय सम्भवामि युगे युगे || 4-8||[3]

paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśhāya cha duṣhkṛitām

dharma-sansthāpanārthāya sambhavāmi yuge yuge

“To protect the pious, decimate the wicked, re-establish Dharma and push the needle back – these are three objectives of my descent & manifestation”

यतः कृष्णस्ततो धर्मो यतो धर्मस्ततो जयः

“Dharma exists where Kṛṣṇa exists and where Dharma exists, victory is assured“

This statement occurs several times in the Mahabharata and is repeated by Arjuna to Yudhiṣṭhira and also by Gāndhāri who knew all along that her sons stood no chance once Kṛṣṇa stood with the Pāndavas because Kṛṣṇa was Dharma itself – and furthermore, how could anyone win against Dharma in that climactic battle of Kurukṣetra when the Kṣetrajña (knower of the field) stood with the Pāndavas and against the sons of Gāndhāri?

The single most important takeaway from this name is that each one of us has to turn towards that Viṣhṇu who is the Dharma-Svarūpa, to take over and guide us in whatever we do because it is in him that:

(a) Dharma resides,

(b) it is in doing whatever we do as an offering to him that we tread the path of Dharma and

(c) it is because of him that victory comes.

PLEASE WATCH

At any given point in time whatever is the appropriate action (karma) to be performed in that present moment is your Dharma.