Hari OM
Application - that is what 'Workings-days' are about!
If we have notions of hitting a target, we must first look at it, then release our arrows.
Annt vEku{Q mukuNd k&:[
gaeivNd damaedr maxveit,
v´u< smwaeR=ip n vi´ kiít!
Ahae jnana< VysnaiÉmuOym!.37.
Ananta vaikuntha mukunda kRshna
Govinda daamodara maadhaveti,
Vaktum samartho'pi na vakti kashchit
Aho janaanaam vyasanaabhimukhyam ||37||
Eternal One, Vaikuntha, Mukunda, Krishna
Govinda, Daamodara, Maadhava - thus
We can say the names of the Lord, but no one does.
Oh, how people are disposed to evil!
In every family, pet names are developed, is it not? What is more, we may have more than one name. Mama may call us 'sweetness', papa may say 'my joy', uncle might call 'mischief' and aunty thinks 'chunky' will bring us to her! Then our sisters, brothers, friends also make up names for us. Sometimes it will be just one, but it can also be many like this. We (mostly) will answer to all the names when these dear ones call us.
So it is that there are endless names for the Lord. We are His and He will respond to us no matter which of the names we use. The key difference, though, is that while our pet names may not have any meaning beyond simple description or even just nonsense, the names of the Lord hold great meaning. Thus, we can meditate on the aspects of the names as much as the Lord Himself, in order to learn and grow. The examples given by the king-guru here are;
Ananta - The Eternal Being - endless
Vaikuntha - Highest Abode - "heaven of heavens"
Mukunda - the giver of mukti - provider of liberation
Krishna - the attractive one - having beauty
Govinda - the cow herd - a euphemism for the keeper of the senses, but also of the Vedas which are the main guide.
Daamodara - tied at the waist - when Krishna was a child and creating mischief, his mother tied him with a rope.
Maadhava - The husband of Lakshmi ("Maa" = mother).
In Hindu households, then, to keep marriage well, Maadhava may be worshipped. If a devotee is feeling the pull of temptation by the world's offerings, Govinda might be the focus name, the true seeker will call upon Mukunda, and so on.
Note - even for non-Hindus it is possible to pray and meditate with this kind of focus. Christians look to Yeshu for all His qualities and what was asked of His followers, is it not? This should be done for personal growth and not as a weapon to use against another. To pray for Ananta to strike down someone we dislike or that Maadhava should intervene because we have lust on our minds would be inappropriate to say the least.
However, as the king goes on to lament, many people now do not even turn their thoughts and eyes to the Higher at all. They let their senses run free like stampeding cows, their lusts roar, their mischief is rampant, attention to appearance is purely external so beauty per se is lost...
Consider also the view here that there are many ways to hit the target called 'God'. Vedanta is but one arrow. Christianity another, Judaism a third and so on. Why do we fight so about which path is best, when all paths will lead to the destination - as long as they are travelled, that is what is important.
