||    Origin of namam    ||

(1) The name Vishanvam is of Vedic origin .

The name is referred to in Rg Vedam first , the oldest of VedAs .The exact quotation is "Gaam gathasya tava dhAma VaishNavam". The effulgence of the Lord (Svayam Jyothi) is being saluted here .He is param JyOthi .

(2)The nigantu explanation is " VishNurdEvathAsya tasyEdham vaa aNN) or that relates to VishNu .

(3)It is also the noun of the asterism "SravaNaa". SravaNam is VishNu's constellation ( SravaNa VenkatEsan ). Although SravaNa nakshthram is the celebrated constellation assoicated with Him , we have to remember the slOkam used by the AarAdhakar at Ahobila matam before ThiruvArAdhanam :

Thithir VishNus tathA vaara:
Nakshathram VishNurEva cha
yOgasccha karanam chaiva
SARVAM VISHNU MAYAM JAGATH

(4)Vaishnavam also means the celestial residence of MahA VishNu (i-e) VaikuNtam .

(5) Finally , VaishNavam means the ashes of a burnt offering like in PurNAhUthi during a Vedic yAgam . I have written earlier under the 40 samskArAs of Hindus about those Yaagams , where cooked Havis is offered to Agni invoking devathAs , whose antharyAmi is MahA VishNu /Sriman naarAyaNA . We are back to Veda sambhandham now .

Vaishnavam can not be understood without knowing about VaishNava lakshaNam. That is a deep subject beyond the scope of this short note.

V.Sadagopan

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